The United Nations are launching the Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification, an effort to improve the protection and management of the world’s drylands, home to over two billion people. Drylands take up 41 percent of the land surface and are threatened by multiple factors such as soil degradation, climate change and unsustainable […]
UN launches the Decade for Deserts Read More »
This isn’t surprising as I already noted that America could cut its coal consumption by 62 % by 2020 just by increasing its energy efficiency. Now comes a new study that shows that the USA could be completely coal-free by 2030. If it can be done in America, it sure can be done in the European
America could be coal-free by 2030 Read More »
To CleanTechies : « Biochar is charcoal type created by the pyrolysis of biomass, and differs from ordinary charcoal only in the sense that its primary use is not for fuel, but for biosequestration or atmospheric carbon capture and storage.» «As much as 12 % of the world’s human caused greenhouse gas emissions could be
Biochar and its potential role Read More »
Solar photoelectric and concentrating solar thermal are all the rage and little is said about the much simpler solar thermal. However this technology has a huge potential as New York will soon show. Indeed the US State is willing to add the equivalent of no less than two gigawatts of capacity by 2020. Heating water
New York State unveils solar thermal plans Read More »
Here is a post on a subject not so unrelated to sustainable development. To the International Labour Organization : “ Global youth unemployment has reached its highest level on record, and is expected to increase through 2010 “ The ILO also warns of the “risk of a crisis legacy of a ‘lost generation’ comprised of
Youth unemployment hits record highs Read More »
I heard that term before as extreme events are unfolding. But two contributors of the Huffington Post believe that what we are witnessing this summer – fires in Russia, floods in Pakistan, heat waves in America – is a sign of global weirding. And they make quite a point as in a few weeks, so
Global weirding, or the climate gone crazy Read More »
To CleanTechnica : ” Five years ago, when 17% of Portugal’s energy came from renewable energy – about like California now – the government made a bold decision to aim for 45% during the next five years – by 2010.” And it worked : the country is due to reach this most ambitious goal by
Portugal’s bold renewable energy policy Read More »
Most of us – the general public – are at a loss with climate change issues. This can be explained by the impressive complexity of the issue and the lack of time to understand it. Now comes Jeremy Grantham, a top hedge fund manager. In his latest newsletter he published a simple text on global
All you need to know about climate change in five minutes Read More »
Public transportation systems are a great solution to go from one place to another. However, buses are often competing on the roads with cars and trucks, which adds to the trafic congestions and pollution. One Chinese company – Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co – might have found the solution : the straddling bus which
Here comes the straddling bus Read More »
This is not news as we have seen it in Sustainable energy – without the hot air but some facts need reminders. The internal combustion engine – like incandescent light bulbs – is extremely inefficient. To GOOD : If you had to invent an efficient way to move (…), you could hardly do worse than
Cars waste 85 percent of the energy used Read More »
