Electricity sources and their carbon intensity
Which countries have the electricity with the lowest amount of greenhouse gases per kilowatt-hour ? Which energy source is the greenest ? An article from Cleantechnica answers these important questions.
Coal
Wind power progresses in Northern Europe, slash coal use
Scientific American recently published an article on how coal and gas fired plants are closing in Northern Europe as wind power progresses and cut electricity prices. This trend has repercussions in Baltic countries.
Infographic : A light bulb shows how solar and wind beat coal
What does it take to keep a 100W light bulb on for a whole year ? 323 kgs (714 pounds) of coal or 64 kgs (143 pounds) of natural gas. The full infographic has the details.
Japan has a carbon tax too
This was kind of a surprise for me when I learned that not only does Japan has a carbon tax, but that is has one since… October 2012. The world’s third largest economy is taxing emissions from power plants and vehicles alike.
Some bad news on climate and the Antarctic
Three news on climate change got my attention the past week, each one could have been worthy of a full post. First and foremost, it seems scientists have underestimated the rate of global warming.
China is getting every month more serious on climate
During my break from writing I missed news on how China is getting more and more serious on fighting climate change each month.
Fossil fuels are the next subprime danger
Here is further proof it’s high time to divest to avoid the carbon bubble. The Daily Telegraph published this week a most interesting article on how fossil fuels – oil, coal and natural gas – are the next subprime danger of this cycle as “ The cumulative blitz on energy exploration and production over the past …
China to close hundreds of coal mines
Good news for China and the entire planet : As Reuters reports, ” China will close 1,725 small-scale mines with a total capacity of 117.48 million tonnes in 2014 as part of its programme to phase out low-quality coal production “ This is done to increase the efficiency and the safety of the sector as …
China to declare war on smog
Not so long ago, a much larger proportion of Chinese citizens was poor. From 1981 to 2008, the poverty rate was slashed from 85 percent to 13 percent. But this was rapid economic development has had a toll on the environment. Nowadays, the air quality in the capital city of Beijing is “somewhat similar to …
Air pollution killed 7 million people in 2012
According to new figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO), both indoor and outdoor air pollution killed no less than seven million people around the world in 2012, making it the world’s largest single environmental health risk. “The risks from air pollution are now far greater than previously thought or understood, particularly for heart …