Will blazing a low-carbon path pay off for California?
President Trump has made it clear he intends to dismantle the Obama administration’s policies for reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. But California Governor Jerry Brown…
A Tale of Two Countries – China’s Betting on Renewable Energy While Trump Dreams of Coal’s Glory Days
That whoosh you just heard was China passing the United States in the race for the 21st century energy economy. Or is it the 21st…
Smog chokes coal-addicted Poland
The soupy grey smog shrouding Polish cities this winter is one of the most visible symptoms of the EU member’s addiction to coal, a deadly…
Renewables: Europe on track to reach its 20% target by 2020
How is Europe performing in renewable energy? Having achieved a share of 16% renewables in its final energy consumption in 2014 and an estimated share…
Costa Rica’s Supreme Court stops hydroelectric project for failing to consult indigenous people
On November 1, 2016, the Constitutional Chamber of Costa Rica’s Supreme Court provided some good news to a Terraba (Teribe) Indigenous territory when it stopped…
Costa Rica went 250 days in 2016 without burning any fossil fuels
Proof that 2016 wasn’t all bad. A round of applause for Costa Rica: the small Central American country ran solely on renewable energy for 250…
The real impact of palm oil and failed policies
The true negative impact of palm oil, the interests that the trade serves and the failure of policy to deal with deforestation and other consequences,…
Donald Trump sees the future in coal. China sees the future in renewables. Who’s making the safer bet?
Meanwhile the world’s other economic giant, China, which now uses more coal than any other country on Earth, is moving sharply in the opposite direction….
Yes, the Arctic’s freakishly warm winter is due to humans’ climate influence
For the Arctic, like the globe as a whole, 2016 has been exceptionally warm. For much of the year, Arctic temperatures have been much higher…
World is ‘backsliding’ on gasoline subsidies, finds study
Taxes on gasoline effectively reduce CO2 emissions, yet they are lower now than they were 13 years ago, finds a new study. By increasing taxes…
World Economic Forum, direct from Davos
Between 17 and 20 January, the Swiss mountains will be abuzz as the World Economic Forum once again descends on Davos. After a hugely tumultuous…
The rights of nature: indigenous philosophies reframing law
Indigenous battles to defend nature have taken to the streets, leading to powerful mobilizations like the gathering at Standing Rock. They have also taken to…
All the risks of climate change, in a single graph
There are a lot of them. The risks of climate change are not easy to communicate clearly. Since the atmosphere affects everything, everything will be…