German car maker Volkswagen, caught cheating on emissions tests in 2015 in the “Dieselgate” scandal, is rolling out plans to spend almost $15 billion in penalties and settlements. Some of the money goes back to customers, but about half will be used for infrastructure and pollution mitigation. Ben Paulos takes a look.
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Truth to Power? India’s Renewable Energy Boom
With all of the noise around Trump and the US exit from the Paris Agreement, it’s easy to forget that other countries are taking their climate goals seriously. India has seen a huge solar boom, wind energy has been steadily increasing, and planned coal plants have been cancelled. Frances Beinecke explores India’s energy transition.
What are they talking about at COP23?
About ten thousand people are attending the 23rd Conference of Parties (COP) on climate change. Didn’t they just decide something in Paris two years ago? Why do they have to keep meeting every year? Craig Morris asks the experts.
Get ready for the next generation of electric vehicles
Electric vehicles (EVs) are approaching a tipping point, as a wave of new cars are matching the cost and performance of traditional petrol cars. Three breakthrough electric cars, from GM, Tesla, and Nissan, are offering drivers everything they want – but without the pollution. Ben Paulos takes an in-depth look.
Is 330,00 German households without power a lot?
Last year, 330,000 households in Germany had their power cut off because bills had not been paid. Ideally, the number would be zero. But is the number high in comparison to other countries? Craig Morris investigates.
Poland may be ready for energy turnaround
Michał Olszewski has long written about the Polish conservative government trying (and failing) to bail out coal, and maintain energy independence. But these expensive and polluting practices could be coming to an end. Slowly but surely, the energy transition emerges in Poland.
For many in Puerto Rico, ‘energy dominance’ is just a new name for US colonialism
The Trump administration has insisted on ‘energy dominance’ as its main goal, focusing on fossil fuels at the expense of renewable energies like wind and solar. For Puerto Ricans, however, energy dominance sounds more like expansionism. Catalina M. de Onís explains the history of oil and power between the US and Puerto Rico.
We overlook how renewables can bring people together
What’s the main reason that people turn to anti-establishment politics? It might be due to a loss of contact and feelings of isolation. Community energy projects encourage people to take pride in their towns and make government work for them, says Craig Morris.
Solar comes to the trailer park
Solar power, once thought to be only for the wealthy, is now helping rural poor reduce their energy bills. Americans who live in mobile homes are particularly vulnerable to energy poverty. But a new program could get them clean energy and provide long-term savings, says Bentham Paulos.
Life Beyond Coal
The Ruhr region of Germany was once a mining stronghold; now residents are seeking new livelihoods. The last hard coal plants in Germany will close in 2018, but what happens to their communities when they do? Emma Bryce looks at a just transition.