Solar panels on a Walmart roof, Mountain View, California.
Walmart/Flickr
Solar power has enormous potential, but provides only about one percent of world electricity today. An engineer explains the many steps it takes to make solar panels that are efficient, clean and cheap.
The earth is a finite place.
Earth image from www.shutterstock.com
The global economy is already unsustainable – let alone if it gets bigger.
Malcolm Turnbull’s speech to the Paris climate summit lacked real focus, but he still has time to grab the issue with both hands before the election.
EPA/Christophe Petit Tesson
Australia has been mired in climate confusion for years - as reflected by its underwhelming performance at last year’s Paris climate summit. Here’s how to get things back on an even keel.
Energy empire? A Gazprom facility in Moscow.
imagesbywestfall/flickr
Russia’s energy exports are expanding far beyond oil and gas to include coal, nuclear and refined petroleum products, a trend with far-reaching geopolitical consequences.
Because knowledge is power.
FooTToo/Shutterstock
Small nuclear reactors are one step closer to powering the UK’s future energy requirements.
Demonstrators gather on the opening day of the public inquiry into Lancashire County Council’s decision to refuse permission for fracking at two sites.
Reuters Staff
There’s a bunfight about whether local or national government should call the shots when it comes to fracking.
Tidal Lagoon, Swansea Bay, as envisaged by LDA Design.
http://www.lda-design.co.uk
Celebrate the shift to renewable energy with bold designs that add to the landscape.
Energy network owners are frequently using legal battles to draw out the regulatory process.
From www.shutterstock.com
Generators, retailers and consumers should be central to regulating utilities because network operators are gaming the system.
The public are increasingly keen to trespass on corporate land.
MollyBob/Flickr
The UK spent much of the late 20th century voting to sell off public services – but now support is growing for a renationalisation programme.
Plugging in: more energy efficient cars are just one of the ways to improve energy productivity.
Electric car image from www.shutterstock.com
‘Energy productivity’ is the new buzz-phrase in energy and climate policy, what even is it?
Oil’s continuing slide so far isn’t leading to lower U.S. production, but concerns are growing that it’ll drive some out of business.
Reuters
Producers keep pumping more oil, even as prices are falling to fresh 12-year lows every day. What’s driving this?
Oil prices are rattling investors.
Carsten ten Brink
The future does not bode well for global oil. This, however, is for reasons related to climate change, not because of tumbling prices.
A raft of logs in the Lagos lagoon where wood, a form of biomass, is the sole source of energy for many who don’t have access to power.
Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters
Investment is key if Nigeria is to improve on providing adequate energy to the people.
Christmas can be a drag for the planet, let’s lighten the load.
from www.shutterstock.com
Many of us are concerned about just want to get through it. But the consumer madness of late December is the perfect time to ponder the consequences of our habits and excesses.
‘Not a goosebump between us.’
WorldWide
While the Paris climate talks focus on technical fixes, no one talks about how we’re much more afraid of roughing it than ever before.
Is the “end of the world” the best way to understand our ecological woes?
chiotsrun/flickr
Collapse porn. Apocalyptica. Eco-rapture. A growing genre of environmental writing that sees endless economic growth as the enemy.
More people are installing solar panels to take control of their electricity supply.
Solar PV image from www.shutterstock.com
Updated forecasts from CSIRO suggest electricity prices will continue to rise as more renewable energy enters the grid.
South Africa has installed solar water heaters in low cost housing areas. It should be installing solar PV for energy.
Shutterstock
South Africa has been slow to adopt renewable energy sources. One option, which has proved successful elsewhere, would be to install solar photovoltaic panels on rooftops in low-income areas.
By 2030 large-scale solar cost about the same as fossils fuels.
Solar image from www.shutterstock.com
By 2030 renewable energy sources such as solar and wind will cost a similar amount to fossils fuels such as coal and gas, thanks to falling technology costs
India is deepening its ties with Africa. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the India-Africa summit in New Delhi.
Reuters/Adnan Abidi
India is pursuing numerous energy interests in Mozambique, where many people are without energy access. But this has come with a high carbon output.