After strong growth in 2015, there were only minor changes in the share of renewables last year. In fact, the most surprising thing is the change in natural gas. Craig Morris takes a look.
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European environmental rules in the Ukrainian legislation: to be or not to be?
Ukraine has been a part of the EU Energy Community since 2011, but recently the President vetoed two draft laws to protect the environment and citizen health. Does the country risk losing the trust of its European partners? Anastasiya Yermakova takes a look.
On Biofuels, part 2: Climate science for bioenergy is lost in the woods
This is the second article in our series about biopower: read part three here.
Producing electricity from biomass is one of the most controversial and least understood forms of renewable energy. In this three part series, we explored myths and facts about biopower. In this second installment, Ben Paulos tries to make sense of a seemingly simple question – is biopower good for cutting our carbon emissions? It is anything but simple.
On Biofuels, Part 1: Dispelling myths about biopower
Myths about biopower abound: from the fear that it is deforesting the US, to the exaggeration of how fast it really grows. Does bioenergy hold potential as a global warming solution? In this first installment of three on bioenergy, Ben Paulos looks for the facts.
5 ways the German G-20 presidency can prevent backsliding on the global climate effort
This post summarizes the key points of a report “Advancing Climate-Compatible Infrastructure Through the G-20 – Opportunities for Progress Under the German Presidency” by the Center for American Progress and Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung North America.
Will power prices ever support new nuclear build?
Although some have argued that new nuclear is necessary for the power mix, Jan Ondřich disagrees. He takes a look at the numbers and finds that in the next 30 years, there’s no way that nuclear can compete with a mix of solar, wind, and gas.
Competition economics to the rescue
New nuclear: we know now it’s much more expensive than other options. But Central and Eastern European countries are investing in new projects (and the costs will be subsidized by tax payers). Policymakers argue that on the European grid, these prices make sense–but Jan Ondrich thinks otherwise.
2016 in the Polish energy sector
2016 will soon come to an end. It has not brought the long-awaited recovery to the Polish industries that rely on the production and combustion of coal. We can’t see the end of the crisis; instead, what we see is the reluctance of Polish politicians to embrace renewable sources of energy. Michał Olszewski takes a look.
Small countries, big transitions
If you think the idea of shifting to 100% clean energy is still farfetched, think again. There are already countries that have virtually abandoned all fossil fuels. These are not necessarily the popular cases you usually read about, but they have shown the world that it is indeed possible to run a country without having to rely on fossil fuels.
To save the planet, we must overcome racism
Lots of people seem to have experienced 2016 as a terrible year, metaphysically if not personally. Today, Craig Morris signs off with his own Word of the Year for 2017.