After the disastrous earthquake and tsunami which hit Japan in 2011, causing a nuclear catastrophe, the country’s energy security, already flawed, was seriously weakened. Since the closure of almost all of its nuclear power plants, Japan is facing an energy’s security predicament. To restore lost power, the country turned more intensively to fossil fuels, a... Continue Reading →
Renewables, More Than Pretty Words
Ecological, environmentally-friendly, and green… these are just some of the pretty words we use to paint a positive image out of renewable energy. Doing so is not wrong; after all, if we want to combat the adverse effects of fossil fuel use, framing renewables as something positive will only make us prefer it over other... Continue Reading →
Becoming a Global Model for Renewables
How Latin America is improving its energy efficiency – and breaking barriers at the same time. Chile has put renewable energy on the forefront of its agenda, tripling its share in renewables in the past 6 years. It is now perceived as a model for the use of renewables and is helping Latin America get on... Continue Reading →
Oil Initiatives, Technology, and Climate Change…
Using non-existent technology as a justification for destructive operations With climate change concerns growing, threats to the oil and gas sectors are multiplying. More than ever, there is a need for proof that current and future extraction initiatives are in line with climate goals. A report released by IPCC last October confirmed that shooting for... Continue Reading →
A New Breath of Life for Wind Power
“Floating wind turbines are not confined anymore to R and D” asserts Wind Europe, the European association for wind energy. Indeed, since the first floating wind turbines have been installed in 2016, it seems that new renewable energies are not projects anymore. Wind power gets more and more innovative, with new technologies being more efficient.... Continue Reading →
Yes, Europe Has Not Needed AC in the Past. Let’s Keep it That Way.
This a response to Victor Pellicero Calvo’s article titled “Quit the Banter, Europe Needs Air Conditioning”. There is no questioning that as the world becomes warmer, human lifestyles will have to adapt to harsher climates. However, adaptation must not come at the cost of worsening climate change. Building more air conditioning (AC) is not the answer.... Continue Reading →
Whose Right to Development?
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 →
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 →