Trump freezes EPA grants while California plans to slash emissions ARS Technica, January 24, 2017 With the swearing in of a new administration, the federal government and California, the most populous state in the union and the only state currently allowed to set emissions standards different from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA), seem set to … Read more
Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits Clean energy is not the sole province of the federal government. Although the Obama administration included energy efficiency and clean energy in its platform, it is unclear how the new Trump administration will treat these policy issues. Given the uncertainty of federal initiatives going forward, it is now more than … Read more
Curbing carbon on campus Harvard Gazette, December 8, 2016 The wells that plunge 1,500 feet under Radcliffe Yard are out of sight to those walking over them. But to the facilities team there, they are well known as indispensable tools in the University’s fight against climate change. First installed a decade ago when the technology … Read more
Climate hawks unite! Meet the newest members of Congress who will fight climate change. Grist, November 16, 2016 Last week was an awful one for anyone who cares about the environment. The new Congress and president-elect have a broad, aggressive, anti-environment agenda. Donald Trump has promised to scrap the Paris agreement, repeal all climate regulations, and … Read more
What do the 2016 election results mean for energy efficiency? American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), November 10, 2016 Now that the hard-fought 2016 election is over, I think it is useful to consider its impact on energy efficiency policy. No doubt, a lot of uncertainty remains because of President-elect Donald Trump’s lack of … Read more
A Turning Point For Energy Productivity Alliance to Save Energy, October 20, 2016 We are at an historic turning point, in so many ways. The Paris Agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will enter into force on November 4, 2016 after having reached the threshold for enactment on Oct. 5. With 81 countries having ratified … Read more
Harvard strengthens ‘living laboratory’ to help mitigate climate impact Harvard Gazette, October 6, 2016 Healthy buildings and clean air keep people healthy. That simple premise is driving a series of studies being conducted by Harvard researchers, some of which have gathered insights from University dorms and office buildings. It is part of a multiyear partnership … Read more
California is about to find out what a truly radical climate policy looks like Vox, September 9, 2016 Within the United States, California is No. 1 (by far) in solar power and No. 3 in wind power. It boasts the third-lowest carbon dioxide emissions per capita behind New York and Vermont. Since 2000, the state has managed to shrink its overall carbon footprint slightly … Read more
The world is about to install 700 million air conditioners. Here’s what that means for the climate The Washington Post, May 31, 2016 In just 15 years, urban areas of China went from just a few percentage points of air conditioning penetration to exceeding 100 percent — “i.e. more than one room air conditioner (AC) … Read more
Ryan Pollin, ERS, for Zondits. May 13, 2016. Image credit: geralt Ed Hawkins is a climate scientist at the University of Reading and an author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and now he has struck a chord with his global temperature visualization. In three days, his tweet showing mean global temperature for every month … Read more