In recent years, China has taken some rather impressive strides in the development of their renewable energy systems. For a nation that has long been criticized for their extraordinarily high levels of industrial pollution, outdated power systems, and a reluctance to move forward, China’s progress has been so incredible that many are beginning to
Venezuela is not a country known overall for her renewable energy policy. The nation is an oil giant in the South American region and supplies a fairly large quantity of crude oil to the United States, and other countries, on a yearly basis. Considering the fact that the oil industry in Venezuela continues to promote the fossil fuel industry and the pollution of the lands and seas
Politicians often tout the benefits of going green from both an environmental and economic standpoint. After all, going green helps the economy by expanding the energy sector to one reliant primarily on fossil fuels to one that includes alternative and renewable sources which tend to be cleaner for the environment. Yet, there are varying numbers about how many jobs are truly
Fuel cell cars, though sometimes criticized by automobile manufacturers for their cost, continue to reach for their place in a world that is moving towards a green vehicle revolution. Though the cost issue is a minor point to be concerned about, one of the biggest obstacles preventing fuel cell cars from taking hold is the lack of hydrogen fueling stations in various parts of the world.
Electric cars, hybrid automobiles, hydrogen fuel cells: this is the kind of technology that seems to be most commonly associated with the overall change towards green transportation in popular media. However, where personal green vehicles are indeed an important part of the green transportation evolution, the benefits of green mass transit cannot be discounted.
This month one of the biggest proposed sustainable business projects in the world cleared another hurdle, when it secured a $1.3 billion stimulus loan from the US Department of Energy. Once complete the Shepherds Flat Wind Farm, to be located in eastern Oregon, will consist of 338 wind turbines capable of generating 845 megawatts of electricity—more than the
While national climate change legislation was imploding this past summer, it looked like climate advocates were poised to also suffer another, even more disheartening defeat: the suspension of the most important state-level climate change law in the United States. A coalition of out-of-state oil companies and oil industry supporters had succeeded in qualifying Proposition 23
As we reach the end of this year and the beginning of the next, the United States is bracing itself for the impending release of several new, mass produced electric vehicles. With so many models slated to roll out, each manufacturer is scrambling to prove why their electric vehicle is the one you should choose. For CODA, an independent electric vehicle manufacturer,
What if energy companies stopped engaging in destructive practices like mountaintop removal coal mining—not because of new government regulations, but simply because they couldn’t find a bank to finance such projects? That’s what the Rainforest Action Network and other groups hope might happen as they pressure banking giants to sever ties with dirty
It sometimes seems as if wind energy innovation is happening on an almost daily basis. However, where in some fields innovations may take on drastically different forms, there are only so many ways to change the way a turbine works. Still, many wind energy based companies are trying to find the best way to maximize wind’s potential. A concept that has garnered
If there’s one US state that has come to symbolize dependence on dirty energy, and the emissions and other side effects of fossil fuels, that state would probably be West Virginia. Located in the heart of Appalachia, West Virginia is ground zero in the debate over mountaintop removal coal mining—a practice that involves literally blasting away mountaintops to get at
Having started on October 2nd, the 2010 Paris Motor Show is officially underway at the Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles. Held in the autumn every other year, the show has traditionally been one of the biggest places for car manufacturers to announce the latest and greatest designs that would be coming for the future. This year, so far, has been no exception with an impressive set
All energy is not created equal since each energy resource in the U.S. receives different levels of subsidization that make it either very competitive or not at all in the energy marketplace. Consequently, when politicians, the media, and others say the U.S. cannot have an economy other than one based on fossil fuels, the reason is the unequal subsidy practice in place that
Ah, Hawaii. Often have I written about the renewable energy innovations they have underway across the island chain and the new projects they have in the works. This time, however, I get to write about what Hawaii plans to do to bring green transportation to their shores. A power utility company on the island of Oahu and General Motors are partnering up to create