The Overly Dramatic Demise of the Light Bulb
Remember when the fight against phasing out inefficient incandescent light bulbs was a big deal? Well it seems the sky didn't fall. Just recently, Canada joined the United States, the European Union, and Australia among several countries (see map below) to phase out the production and import of inefficient incandescent light bulbs.
Can Chinese Cities Turn Around Pollution in Time?
China became a mostly urban country in 2011, the service sector became the biggest in 2013, and in 2015 Chinese cities will try to reverse negative trends of sprawl and pollution.
New Mobility Startups Give Uber a Run for its Money
While terms like "smart grid" and "smart economy" are hard to peg down, we can at least say that for "smart mobility" we're starting to see some of the bluster turning into reality.
Renewable Energy Shines (and Blows) in 2014
Looking back at 2014 through the prism of renewable energy, it's hard not to get bombastic. So many records were broken, corners turned, and with costs declining, it's hard not to wonder if 2015 will see renewable energy become nothing more than a fully competitive energy source, capturing more and more market share.
After a 350 Year Reign, Heathrow Is Dethroned as the World's Busiest (Air)port
Is it Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, or Dubai International? Both apparently. But it depends on the metric. If you go by number of flights, then O'Hare is the world's busiest airport (881,933 flights in 2014), dethroning Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (868,359) after 10 years at the top - by this way of measuring.
What's Next for the Automobile?
Forget alternative fuels: the next big change for cars lies in information technology and automation, which will lead to new designs and are the best hope for the widespread adoption of all-electric vehicles
The Road to Paris and COP-21
As 2015 begins, the road to the crucial COP-21 summit here in Paris (where I am based) is being outlined by the French government, the UN, and a huge number of other actors and NGOs.
Growing Cities Hold Key to Curbing Climate Change
How cities get built may determine how bad global warming becomes
Behind the Merger of the Rocky Mountain Institute and Carbon War Room - Interview with RMI's CEO Jules Koltenhorst
Today Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), brain-child of famed energy thinker Amory Lovins, and Carbon War Room (CWR), the five-year old climate change outfit of Sir Richard Branson, merged to create a new alliance dedicated to the acceleration of a low carbon energy future.
Dumpster Diving Provides Drinking Data
Researchers estimated alcohol consumption at a senior center by putting out recycling bins and counting the bottle contents. Karen Hopkin reports
#MapMonday: ‘Map of Life’ Shows Hemorrhaging of Species
For this #MapMonday we return to Yale's Environmental Performance group, featured previously here on #MapMonday. The newly released biodiversity map brings together a whopping amount of data to detail the state (quality not just quantity) of species around the world, and while the staggering diversity of life on our planet is breathtaking (and sometimes pretty [...]
Does Uber Make Cities More Energy Efficient?
It seems you can't read an article about new mobility or the sharing economy without stumbling across Uber; the mobility service that sprung up in 2009 to only five years later become valued at more than Avis, Hertz, or Sony.