Article 1 of the Declaration on the Right to Development holds that the right to development is an inalienable human right.[1] When this was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1986, it represented a strong step forward for global distributive justice. Today, however, we are facing a situation in which states increasingly invoke the... Continue Reading →
The Environmental Cost of our Amazon Prime Subscriptions
The carbon footprint of online shopping highly depends on the actions of consumers. A 2013 MIT study, “Environmental Analysis of US Online Shopping”, shows shoppers can be divided into a number of different categories that span from a “traditional retail shopper” to what the study calls a “cybernaut” shopper who exclusively shops online. The highest... Continue Reading →
ITER: Just Another Nuclear Power Plant?
While in many parts of the world countries have been moving away from nuclear energy, or at least moving forward with heightened caution; the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), has been in the making for decades to work towards the future of nuclear energy. The development of ITER, a Fusion reactor, is a multinational collaboration... Continue Reading →
Energy Down the Road
14% of greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. While electric cars are becoming more and more popular, and hydrogen offers new possibilities, there are also other ways to mitigate the automobile carbon footprint – and make the most out of it. Roads can provide several solutions. Replacing asphalt with solar panels would make a profit... Continue Reading →
Uruguay: Assuring Energy Security Through the Implementation of Sustainable Sources
If you want to talk about a country who is making the things right in Latin America, Uruguay must be on your radar. Topping most of the human development rankings in the region and a progressive government with no signs of stopping, Uruguay is an example for all developing nations. In the line of doing... Continue Reading →
Why Isn’t the New Mexican President Talking About Energy Justice?
Despite being the second largest economy in Latin America, just after Brazil, Mexico is a country full of poverty and inequality. With a GINI of 0.43 and an estimated 43.6% population living in poverty, is more than clear that something should be done about the country's current situation. And after 18 years of right winged... Continue Reading →
Managing the Sinking Feeling: How Rising Sea Levels Will Endanger Energy Security
The world’s oceans are heating up and even climate change sceptics are struggling to deny it. In May 2016, six of the land masses which form the Solomon Islands vanished off the world map without a single trace, and with sea levels predicted to rise by between 9 and 88 cm by 2100, the forecast... Continue Reading →
Are Biofuels an Alternative to Oil?
In the beginning, biofuels were thought to be the perfect substitute to oil as they combated greenhouse gas emissions and diversified fuel supply. However, public opinion has shifted in the last years. What could have gone wrong? The problem is that after some years, the production of biofuels started to show the negatives it entailed.... Continue Reading →
“The Windy City Getting Windier”
In 2018, the state of Illinois announced the enactment of the Illinois Clean Energy Jobs Act, with the highly ambitious aim of producing 100% clean energy by 2050. However, this past week, the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emmanuel signed a resolution taking the act one step closer, passing legislation committing to run the city on... Continue Reading →
The New New Deal: Environmental Justice in 21st Century America
The Green New Deal is being hailed as a revolution in US environmental policy. But, a non-binding resolution that suggests the creation of systems that have existed in most other developed countries is far from novel and far from adequate to address the concerns of 21st century America. The key to a greener and more... Continue Reading →