Europe

Solutions to cut US dependance on foreign oil

I came across interesting data last week : Americans consume more than two times more oil per capita than Europeans. As we will see, this can be explained by three factors. Bringing oil consumption per capita to European levels would enable the USA to be independent from foreign oil, save a lot of money, create […]

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More energy efficiency in the European Union

I have been an advocate of energy efficiency for years and believe it is the best solution to solve the energy and climate equation. So when the European Union plans to ban importing energy inefficient goods I can only applaud the initiative. This is done to enable the 27 countries and their 500 million inhabitants

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Is cleantech the new arms race ?

During  the Cold War, the United States and the USSR were fighting to have the largest amounts of weapons. It seems the arms race of the 21st century is more pacific as it concerns renewable energies. The United States of America, China and the European Union are stepping up to become the first country or

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Can we cut by 40% our GHG emissions by 2020 ?

When the IPCC published its various reports in 2007 it concluded that to avoid dramatic climate changes, cutting by as far as 40 percent greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions could be necessary. This contrast heavily with the targets the United States and the European Union set as they are closer to 20 than to 40 percent.

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More and more support for nuclear

Times they are a-changin’ sung Bob Dylan. This is true as after years of despisal more and more people – even environmentalists  previously against such solutions – support nuclear as a way to avoid dramatic climate change. This became apparent as Sweden stated it won’t stop as planned its nuclear plants next year and will

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A zero-interest rate loan for housing renovation

For my 500th post on this blog, I would like to bring you good news. The decision taken last week within the Grenelle de l’Environnement is a huge leap forward towards sustainability of housing. Indeed, the French government will launch in April an eco loan of up to 30,000 €  ($37,600) with no interest rate

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430 billion dollars for a global green New Deal !

Many sites wrote about the Green New Deal which begun in the United States of America. With no less than $80 billion to be invested, this is significant. However little was written on HSBC’s latest findings. To their experts: around 430 billion dollars are currently being invested in 15 countries in sustainability projects like clean

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A climate change mitigation paradox

Thanks to Meryn I came across a most interesting piece of information. According to the Spiegel (the leading German magazine) wind turbines in Europe do nothing for emissions-reduction goals. Despite the billions spent every year in wind energy, solar and similar renewable energy sources, greenhouse gases emissions haven’t decreased. What looks like a strong contradiction

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Why the Grenelle is a disappointment

On October 2007, the newly elected French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced after weeks of talks an important series of measures to make France a more sustainable country. This was the Grenelle de l’Environnement. But after months, only one conclusion comes to mind: the Grenelle is a disappointment, and this even with the billions of investments

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World’s latest news on wind power

According to the Global Wind Energy Council, global wind power capacity reached 120 GW in 2008. This represents an increase of 28.8 percent compared to 2007. All these installations totaled $47 billion. This is the occasion for me to present you the various news I came across on this topic in the past few weeks.

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