Nuclear energy is not sustainable, safe, or cost-effective. Only by investing in full-fledged clean energy can France and other countries meet climate goals on tight schedules – a key asset given the urgency of the climate crisis. Paul Hockenos explains.
Author: Paul Hockenos
Low-carbon Technology’s Russia Problem
Low-carbon technology has a Russia problem, too. And it’s going to get bigger. Higher prices, supply chain disruptions, and the war in Ukraine has Europe’s clean tech branch scrambling for non-Russian suppliers of key raw materials, such as nickel, palladium, lithium, platinum, cobalt, and neon-gas, as well as aluminium and copper. Some countries, such as the UK, have already begun to sanction them – a move the entire EU could take, if it chose to. But just about the only alternative markets that can cover rising European demand for exactly these raw materials is other authoritarian regimes. Paul Hockenos reviews.
The slow, costly, elusive hunt for a nuclear graveyard
Until we find a resting place for radioactive waste, the last thing we need is more of it. Paul Hockenos has the details.
Energy Savings from the Bottom Up
In an interview, one of Germany’s foremost energy conservation experts, Stefan M. Büttner, says that companies can save energy and production costs more easily than they think.
Can Saving Energy a Degree at a Time Save Ukraine?
The measures that could immediately decrease energy demand range from the individual level to the European – and most of them aren’t rocket science but rather low-tech or no tech no-brainers. Paul Hockenos has the details.
Since Ukraine Invasion, Energy Security and Climate Policy are One
Europe can hurt the Russian war machine – and help the climate at the same time. Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked a wide-ranging revamping of energy policy in Europe with a new, no-holds-barred objective: to wean the continent from Russian fossil fuels — as rapidly and comprehensively as possible — and accelerate the continent’s green energy transition. Paul Hockenos explains.
The Climate Movement is Panicking. It shouldn’t.
In the face of setbacks, the global climate movement is at loose ends. But rather than doubt itself – and resort to violence – it has to buildout its prodigious achievements with the kind of non-violent activism that has proved so effective. Paul Hockenos has the story.
Bulgaria Can Circumvent Russian Gas Freeze
Many Central and Eastern European countries rely on Russia for more of their fossil fuel than Germany does. This is one reason why Russian president Vladimir Putin targeted Bulgaria and Poland when he announced that these two EU and NATO countries would no longer receive natural gas deliveries. Paul Hockenos spoke with Bulgarian energy expert Radostina Primova.
Energy conservation can hurt the Russian war effort
Energy efficiency has long been overlooked to the detriment of the larger smart energy transition. Now it’s being shortchanged to the disadvantage of besieged Ukraine. Paul Hockenos explains.
Can Europe Really Ditch Russian Hydrocarbons – and Not Freeze Next Winter?
An ad hoc statement issued by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina on March 8, 2022, argues that Germany could pull it off – without nuclear power. Paul Hockenos explains.