Despite the presence of a record number of people working to count the insects, this year’s population census for monarch butterflies wintering in California has fallen to a 5-year low, according to a new report.
The city of Katowice in Poland has begun using drones outfitted with various air quality sensors as a means of locating illegal emissions sources — and thus as a way of locating otherwise hard to locate offenders.
Katowice (Poland) Is Using Drones To Locate Illegal Emissions Sources Read More 👉
Danish wind energy giant Vestas has announced its intention to acquire leading energy analytics and digital solutions company Utopus Insights in a move expected to be worth $100 million.
Vestas Agrees To Acquire Leading Energy Analytics Company Utopus Insights Read More 👉
The Trump Administration decision to rescind the requirement of an earlier settlement that would have seen Harley-Davidson required to spend $3 million on air pollution reduction work — relating to the earlier marketing of illegal after-market devices/tuners — is now being challenged by a coalition of 10 US states and the District of Columbia.
The recent (and ongoing) occurrence of dangerously high air pollution levels in the city of Pristina in Kosovo triggered a ban of cars from the city center, and a fairly large protest (for the country) as well, according to recent reports.
Large Protests In Pristina, Kosovo, Over Deadly Air Pollution Read More 👉
The world’s coral reefs are being sickened by plastic and micro-plastic pollution and debris — everywhere from the Great Barrier Reef to the Caribbean — according to a new study published in the journal Science.
Plastic Pollution Is Sickening World’s Coral Reefs, Study Finds Read More 👉
Aluminum production has now begun at Hydro’s HAL4e-process pilot facility in Karmøy (Norway). The Hydro-developed HAL4e aluminum production process will reportedly allow for 15% less energy use, and a much lower carbon footprint.
A day after T-Mobile US announced its commitment to 100% renewable electricity by 2021, the company’s CEO and president John Legere has committed $500,000 to a non-profit dedicated to advancing clean energy initiatives and promised that, if AT&T or Verizon join in the commitment, it will double or triple its original commitment.
Hillary Clinton, under investigation by the FBI for her campaign team’s potential coordination with North Korea to hack our elections, has repeatedly fired or tried to fire the team of people investigating her — Democrats, nonetheless. One after another, she has focused on smearing (often with false or misleading claims) the FBI Director, the FBI
Much of the United States — and the world — is in shock. A symbol of modern democracy is suffering through an anti-democratic cancer and virus. From the outside, Russia not only meddled in the latest US presidential election, but it’s getting much of what it could have hoped for as a result of its
US Democracy Faces Period of Crisis Read More 👉
Over the last 12 months of activity, the Under2 Coalition has grown its members to encompass 205 governments from around the world, representing 1.3 billion people and almost 40% of the global economy, and all of them have committed to reducing greenhouse gasses by 2050.
One of India’s leading renewable energy IPPs, ReNew Power Ventures, has received another round of equity funding as it prepares for an initial public offering at the Indian bourses.
Canadian Pension Fund Invests $144 Million In India’s ReNew Power Read More 👉
CDP has awarded 58 companies the title of “Supplier Engagement” leader as an acknowledgement of their climate leadership and approach to tackling the reduction of emissions in the supply chain.
CDP Names 58 Companies As Climate Leaders, Including Apple, Honda, & Microsoft Read More 👉
Schroders Climate Progress Dashboard has highlighted the fact that, despite headway made by the oil and gas industries, a drop in clean energy investment means we are still overshooting efforts to reduce global warming to 2°C.
World Is Still Overshooting 2°C Target Despite Oil & Gas Headway Read More 👉
Pointing to growing nuclear risks and rampant climate dangers, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has moved the Doomsday Clock 30 seconds closer to midnight — the closest it has been since 1953 at the height of the Cold War.
Growing Nuclear Risk + Unchecked Climate Pushes Doomsday Clock To 2 Minutes To Midnight Read More 👉
A new analysis of agricultural emissions published this week by Climate Action Tracker has pointed out that reducing agricultural emissions through farming practices alone won’t be enough to limit global warming to 1.5°C, but that reducing food waste and changing societies diet could deliver the necessary changes.
Reducing Agricultural Emissions Through Reducing Food Waste & Modifying Diets Read More 👉
Danone’s widely distributed Evian brand of bottle water will have transitioned to 100%-recycled plastic use by 2025, if recent announcements from company execs are to be believed.
Evian Vows 100% Recycled Plastic Use By 2025 Read More 👉
Pope Francis recently gave a passionate call for the Amazon to be protected from big business and “consumerist greed” — while in Peru, on a tour of Latin America.
Pope Francis Calls For Amazon To Be Protected From Big Business & “Consumerist Greed” Read More 👉
While the western world is lingering in a limping economy and a chaotic political scene, China has used that advantage to invest in clean technologies around the world. Today it is considered to be the leading force in International cleantech investments. China Takes the International Lead on Clean Energy Investment A PDF report by the
China Is Leading International Clean Energy Investment According to IEEFA Read More 👉
A 300 MW wind power project in Lynn County, Texas has closed its financing. The project is managed by Lincoln Clean Energy, which is owned by I Squared Capital. Morgan Stanley will provide construction and term financing and long-term tax equity will come from BHE Renewables, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company. “The successful
300 MW Tahoka Wind Power Project Closes Financing Read More 👉
Oil giant Shell has stepped up its investment in renewable energy, announcing this week that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a 43.83% stake in leading US solar developer, owner, and operator Silicon Ranch Corporation, a deal set to be worth up to $217 million.
Shell Invests Big In Solar, Acquiring Major Stake In Silicon Ranch Read More 👉
Originally published on EV Obsession. Are you sitting down? General Motors said this past week it plans to begin producing a fully autonomous car with no steering wheel and no pedals — not in some far off time, but next year. It says Chevy Bolts fitted with 4th generation autonomous technology will start rolling off
Self-Driving Chevy Bolts Jump Forward Without Steering Wheels, Pedals, & More Read More 👉
Five of the world’s largest oil companies are now in the process of being sued by New York City for their “contributions to global warming,” Comptroller Scott Stringer has revealed. The companies in question are: Chevron, BP, Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, and ConocoPhillips — arguably the 5 top oil firms in the world that
New York City Files Multibillion-Dollar Lawsuit Against 5 Major Oil Firms Read More 👉
Danish offshore wind energy giant Ørsted has announced that it expects its operating profit for 2017 to reach approximately DKK 22.5 billion, or around $3.61 billion, based on “preliminary and unaudited reporting” and topping off an already impressive financial year.
Ørsted Expects 2017 Operating Profit To Hit DKK 22.5 Billion ($3.61 Billion) Read More 👉
An ocean dead zone is an area where there is not enough oxygen dissolved in the water to allow aquatic creatures to breath. To put it in perspective, imagine a person locked in a sealed chamber in which the level of oxygen is slowly but steadily decreased until they lie gasping for breath until they
Ocean Dead Zones Multiplying Rapidly, Threatening Food Source For Hundreds Of Millions Read More 👉
The lawsuit that was filed by environmental groups in response to Norway’s announcement of plans to continue oil exploration in the Arctic has been dismissed by a court in Oslo. What that means is that the court ruled that the argument that such oil exploration was in violation of “people’s right to a healthy environment”
Everyone who has ever ridden a motorcycle or a bicycle is familiar with this situation. You are riding along, minding your own business and enjoying the sunshine, when suddenly a car pulls into your lane or pulls out right in front of you or turns directly in your path. It’s like the driver of the
Motorcycles & Bicycles Really Are “Invisible” To Many Drivers Read More 👉
How much longer does southern Florida have until real-estate values in the region collapse on the back of flagging demand? At some point the reality that the region is not long for this world will have to sink in, and when it does, demand for homes in the region will crater to a degree that
Florida — When Will Its Real Estate Market Go Underwater? Read More 👉
Even as investigations continue in India to levy safeguard duties and anti-dumping duties, custom officials are asking for import duties on solar modules.
India Considering 7.5% Import Duty On Solar Modules Read More 👉
Despite a 30% cut in wind energy tariffs in India over a period of just 10 months, Siemens Gamesa India CEO expects the trend to reverse in the coming months.
Siemens Gamesa Expects India Wind Tariff Bids To Increase Read More 👉
Numbers have just come out this week from danskenergi.dk, the Danish energy organization whose members support companies in delivering steady green power to the Danes, with an impressive uptime of 99.99% at competitive prices. A New Record Wind turbines delivered power equivalent to 43.6 percent of Denmark’s electricity consumption in 2017. This is a new milestone
Denmark Smashes All Previous Wind Energy Records In 2017 Read More 👉
A federal audit has found that India’s government has only spent well under a quarter of the funds available to it for cleaning up the Ganges River over the last 2 years – with the audit determining that poor financial management and planning were then primary causes. To provide specifics, the audit — performed by
A Switzerland-based consumer protection group has filed a new lawsuit against Volkswagen on behalf of 6,000 owners of diesel cars manufactured by the company in relation to the “Dieselgate” emissions scandal. The organization, SKS, isn’t actually just seeking damages from Volkswagen, it should be noted, but also from the Swiss car dealer AMAG, reportedly. Also
Much of the Middle East is now slated to essentially turn to desert over the coming decades and centuries owing to climate change, and exacerbated by poor human judgment and short-sighted activities. It bears remembering that much of what is now the Middle East and the Mediterranean was before the human population expansion of the
A new report from the University of Copenhagen states that particulate matter from burning wood and traffic causes at least 2000 heart disease related deaths every year in Denmark (population 5.7 million with a total 60,000 deaths per year). The number is based on data deriving from deaths from heart disease combined with the concentration
Fiat Chrysler lawyers are now holding discussions with lawyers representing various owners and owners groups of diesel vehicles in the US that are in the process of suing the prominent auto manufacturer, in relation to allegations of excess emissions in old diesel models. The news — revealed by a court-appointed adviser at a hearing in
It has been very windy over the holidays here in Denmark with too little snow to call it a white Christmas, and I was curious as to just how much energy all the wind turbines in the country had supplied. According to energinet.dk the electricity supplied by wind as I write this is 1,659 MW
Dreaming Of A Green Christmas — 100% Clean Power In Denmark Read More 👉
The air pollution problems facing Iran, in particular those facing the country’s populous capital Tehran, seem to be growing rapidly based on recent events. As the result of dangerous levels of air pollution, schools in Tehran and in many other large cities throughout the country as well, were closed last week state media reported at
Iran’s Air Pollution Problems Are Growing Fast, As Evidenced By Recent Events Read More 👉
The coastline of Kenya has been a hotspot for tourism and fishing activities for a quite a while now — with the region also being home to fair numbers of sea turtles. Recent years, though, have made the region home to significant quantities of plastic trash and debris — much of which eventually washes into
The growing use of heavy oils, tar sands, bitumen, petroleum coke, etc., by industry since 2000 or so has resulted in rapidly surging levels of vanadium emissions, according to a new study from Duke University. To be more specific, human-related emissions of vanadium now surpass those of natural sources by a factor of 1.7 —
Micro plastics are now present in large quantity in essentially all of the world’s water. As a result, they are also present in a fast-growing proportion of the world’s drinking water and food as well. To quantify that to some degree — previous studies have found micro plastic pollution in mussels (a type of shellfish)
The Arctic is warming faster than any other place on earth. As a consequence, it has less sea ice now than at any time in the past 1500 years and the loss of ice is accelerating.
The New Arctic — Now With 40% Less Ice Read More 👉
The Danish startup POND has found a way to replace traditional resin in different materials with biodegradable resin. They are at least 95 % biobased and fully degradable in nature. They are suitable to bind all natural fibers such as flax, hemp, pineapple, palm leaves, and cotton resulting in making fully biodegradable products. (Image credit: pond.global)
Bioplastics — The Real Deal Or a Scam? It Depends On Priorities Read More 👉
Originally published on EV Obsession. Ontario, the most populous province in Canada, will be introducing a new electric truck rebate program — designed to provide up to 60% of the incremental purchase cost of an electric truck, as compared to a conventional diesel equivalent. There’s an upper limit of CAD$75,000 per unit. The aim of
Ontario Offering Subsidies For Large Electric Trucks Read More 👉
Originally published on EV Obsession. One of the largest package delivery companies in the world, UPS (United Parcel Service Inc), has placed a pre-order for 125 units of the recently unveiled Tesla Semi Truck, the company has revealed. The new reservations constitute the largest pre-order of the Tesla Semi to date — with the order eclipsing
As we reported recently, an ex-security analyst at Uber had written a letter to the company’s in-house lawyer back in May that spoke of a unit that existed “expressly for the purpose of acquiring trade secrets, codebase, and competitive intelligence,” and also of a separate unit that “frequently engages in fraud and theft.” Uber execs
A new recall of diesel-powered Volkswagen Touareg SUVs, due to the presence of illegal “defeat devices” intended to defraud regulators, has been ordered by Germany’s auto industry watchdog the KBA reportedly. Apparently 2 separate “illicit emissions control devices” have been discovered in the newest generation of 3-liter diesel Volkswagen Touaregs — with the recall relating
Germany’s KBA Forces Recall Of Volkswagen Touareg SUVs Due To Illegal Defeat Devices Read More 👉
The China-based auto manufacturer BAIC Motor Corp is now aiming to cease sale of its self-developed and self-branded conventionally powered cars by 2025, China Daily has reported. “On the morning of December the 9th, 2017 at the inauguration of the Beijing New Energy Vehicle Technology Innovation Centre, the president of BAIC Group promised to end the sales
Chinese Automaker BAIC To Stop Selling Its Non-Electric Cars By 2025 Read More 👉