Europe

China’s new plan puts emphasis on environment

Earlier this month – while Europe decided to keep the same unambitious targets – the People’s Republic of China decided in its 12th five-year plan to tackle even more environmental issues like water and air pollution. As the BBC noted : ” China’s latest five-year plan for 2011 to 2015 seeks to achieve a more […]

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EU backs away from 30% emissions target. Again !

We have previously seen here that the European Union could easily achieve a 30 percent reduction of greenhouse gases emissions by 2020 (compared to 1990 levels). This would make a lot of sense both environmentally and economically. Yet the European Commission kept earlier this month on clinging to the 20 percent reduction targets by 2020

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Can the US stop subsidizing coal and oil ?

Coal and oil are the two most polluting fossil fuels and energy sources to date. Despite this, both are receiving huge subsidies from the United States federal and local governments. To Climate Progress, the coal industry received around $3 billion (2.2 billion euros) per year between 2002 and 2008 and to the New York Times,

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16 GW of solar PV capacity added in 2010

According to Reuters : ” The world added about 16 gigawatts of new solar photovoltaic (PV) power in 2010, double the growth seen a year earlier, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association told Reuters on Monday.” Out of these 16 gigawatts, Europe is behind the vast majority of the growth with an impressive 13 gigawatts. Out

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How Germany recycles and reuses its waste

What struck me during my two stays in Germany is that recycling was already pretty important in everyday lives. Indeed, the country is already recycling or reusing 70 % of its waste. (the proportion in the United States is of only 33 %.) Earth911.com explains how the country achieved such a performance : “In 1996,

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Avanti ! Italy goes forward on solar

Italy is currently in the news more because of Berlusconi’s taste for orgies but little is written on the expansion of solar photovoltaic there. However, there is much to write as it installed 6,000 MW of solar PV capacity in 2010 alone. To Cleantechies : ” 7 GWs of PV power will yield well over

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It is now official : France dives into offshore wind

Do you remember my post for Cleantechies on offshore wind in France ? It is now official : ” This week French officials are announcing a plan to install six hundred wind turbines capable of producing 3,000 megawatts of energy. “ The wind turbines will be located in five main sites between Saint-Nazaire and Dieppe/Le

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European Union to exceed its renewables goals

Good news everyone ! To Cleantechies : ” The European Union will exceed its target of meeting 20 percent of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020 (…). Twenty-five of the 27 EU nations will meet or exceed their national targets. “ This comes from a report from the European Wind Energy Association which

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Four years : the blog goes on

For the first post of  the year I would like to wish you a happy and sustainable year 2011. I hope this time we will get what we need : a global legal agreement on climate change and clean energy. I also would like to start this year by having a look at what I

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Global warming may mean colder winters

Global warming may mean colder winters for the Northern Hemisphere and this albeit we just witnessed the hottest June ever recorded and if desertification spreads faster and faster. As one of the researchers behind this new report notes : “Recent severe winters like last year’s of the one of 2005-2006 do not conflict with the

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