Christmas Day 2016 sets new UK record for renewable energy use
Christmas Day was the greenest on record for energy generation, according to the power group Drax. The company said more than 40% of the electricity generated on the day came from renewable sources, the highest ever. It compared with 25% on Christmas Day in 2015, and 12% in 2012. Andy Koss, chief Read More...
The beating heart of solar energy
The notion of using solar cells placed under the skin to continuously recharge implanted electronic medical devices is a viable one. Swiss researchers have done the math, and found that a 3.6 square centimeter solar cell is all that is needed to generate enough power during winter and summer to Read More...
Here's how we can power 100% of the world with renewable energy
Here's a 2017 New Year's resolution I'd like to see the nations of the world adopt: an immediate international effort to invest in a world where 100 percent of our electricity will be generated by wind, water and solar power by 2050. Such an effort is technically and economically feasible and has Read More...
Israel as a lab for smart transportation
Nearly every Israeli is familiar with the Waze application, which has changed the way we all drive. But the Waze brand only really has a presence in Israel; elsewhere in the world, it has been swallowed up in the company that bought it for $1.1 billion in 2013: Google. Some 70% of all traffic Read More...
Wineries want EPA to ban herbicides that will “kill industry”
Wineries in Texas are worried that federal approval of two highly volatile and drift-prone herbicides used on neighboring genetically modified (GMO) cotton fields will cause widespread damage to their vineyards, The Texas Tribune details. The herbicides in question are Monsanto's dicamba-based Read More...
Bitcoin jumps above $1,000 for first time in three years
Digital currency bitcoin kicked off the new year by jumping above $1,000 for the first time in three years late on Sunday, having outperformed all central-bank-issued currencies with a 125 percent climb in 2016. Bitcoin - a web-based "cryptocurrency" that has no central authority, relying instead Read More...
China expands high-speed rail network to fight air pollution and climate change
China is investing 500 million dollars to increase its high-speed railway coverage with 18,650 miles in the next four years. It’s a huge expansion, the equivalent of driving from New York to Los Angeles more than six times. The upgrade of the public transportation system will connect 80 percent Read More...
U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fall to lowest level in 25 years
According to new figures of the U.S. government carbon dioxide emissions in the country have fallen to their lowest level since 1991. The report shows a 20-percent decline in coal-powered electricity generation during the first half of 2016 compared to 2015. By contrast, natural gas power rose 8 Read More...
May we suggest one resolution for this new year? Cut back on sugar!
If you want to make one lifestyle change to invest in your health this year, cutting back on your sugar consumption may very well be your best bet. In his new book “The Case Against Sugar” Gary Taubes convincingly argues that sugar is at the root of all “the diseases of westernization,” Read More...
MIT: 3,000 ride-sharing cars can replace all 13,000 cabs in New York City
Here’s a good example of how the sharing economy can reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and carbon emissions. According to a new MIT study, 3,000 ride-sharing cars—if used exclusively for carpooling—could replace all 13,000 taxis in New York City. The researchers calculated that 3,000 Read More...