Energy

United Kingdom to build two EPR nuclear reactors

Would you buy two examples of a very expensive and complex product that nobody has ever seen functioning ? The most likely answer is ” No “. Yet that’s exactly what the United Kingdom did buy buying Monday two EPR reactors. The European Pressurized Reactor  is an evolution of third generation nuclear reactors. It was […]

United Kingdom to build two EPR nuclear reactors Read More »

France simply won’t give into fracking

For my second post on Cleantechies in less than a week, I bring good news from my home country, France, as it is stepping away from polluting, nefarious and dangerous fossil fuels : shale oil and gas retrieved via fracking. ” I reported previously here on Cleantechies that in 2011 France was the first country

France simply won’t give into fracking Read More »

How I helped make better solar panels, and how you can

As you might perhaps have read in an earlier blog post, I am giving part of my computer calculation capacities to scientific projects close to my heart such as cancers, AIDS and of course, solar energy via the World Community Grid. As I was wondering if all this energy – and thus money – had

How I helped make better solar panels, and how you can Read More »

France unveils new efforts to renovate buildings

It had been a long while since my last post on Cleantechies, as I didn’t post during summer. But I am back with a post on a topic close to my heart as my Master’s thesis was on it. The French residential sector could benefit immensely from energy efficiency efforts and it seems the current

France unveils new efforts to renovate buildings Read More »

China coal consumption could peak soon

The People’s Republic of China is in the middle of a very serious situation as it is struggling with horrendous air pollution which in the Northern provinces cut life expectancy by over five years. To avoid this from worsening even more, the local government has been investing heavily in the past and will invest more

China coal consumption could peak soon Read More »

Is Peak Oil real ? Yes, and it is here

With shale oil and other extreme oil sources, many think peak oil is dead, or at least is not threatening our economies. But this couldn’t be more wrong. The historic average  oil prices are of $25. Current prices are above $110 a barrel. Five years ago, they were less than half of that. As the

Is Peak Oil real ? Yes, and it is here Read More »

The Fukushima horror story goes on

Safe and clean nuclear energy seems everyday further away as the horror story of the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan unfolds. Each passing year seems to bring its flow of bad news. As the New York Times notes : ” Problems at the plant seemed to take a sharp turn for the worse in July

The Fukushima horror story goes on Read More »

The carbon tax works : British Columbia edition

We have  seen in previous articles on how taxing carbon makes a lot of sense. Ireland and Australia have already implemented them with resounding successes. Both China and South Africa are planning to enact one by 2015. Now the Economist and Grist published articles on a third example of a successful carbon tax implementation, and

The carbon tax works : British Columbia edition Read More »

The beginning of the end for coal

Carl Pope, the former executive director and chairman of the Sierra Club published an article on the very topic last week as the World Bank and the US government announced they wouldn’t fund coal anymore. But this week, there was another third blow on financing coal. As The Guardian reported : ” The European Investment

The beginning of the end for coal Read More »