Germany opened a giant coal plant last month, but little is in the pipeline at present. Worldwide, coal faces a bleak future – somewhat unexpectedly. Craig Morris reports.
All posts tagged: Coal
The Polish Energy Drought
The extreme heatwave this summer has put additional pressure on the Polish power system. Energy planners and policy makers in the country should no longer just be worried about power outages in winter, argues Michal Olszewski. Summer heat could be just as disruptive.
Polish right-wing politics: a devil of decarbonization
On August 6, the new Polish president – Andrzej Duda, from the right-wing and anti European Law and Justice Party (PiS) – will be sworn into office. And if the current political winds do not change, we can expect a substantial shift in the Polish parliament after the general elections in the fall, warns Michał Olszewski. Current polls suggest that the PiS will gain a significant margin. Pessimists warn that we should be prepared for a “Hungarian scenario”.
Divestment blueprint
The Carbon Tracker Initiative and Energy Transition Advisors recently published recommendations for fossil fuel companies to manage a future in which their assets will be stranded. Craig Morris investigates.
“5 megatrends” for a global energy transition
The WWF and German renewable power provider Lichtblick have joined forces to produce an overview of five ways in which the entire world is transitioning to renewables. Craig Morris reviews the five megatrends, which were published only in German.
Tackling climate change will reap benefits for human health
Curbing climate change could be the biggest global health opportunity of the 21st century. But if we choose not to act, we could reverse all the progress made by economic development in the last 50 years towards improving global public health. Roz Pidcock summarizes the findings of a new Lancet report.
German government adopts watered-down carbon plan
The plan to implement a sort of national carbon emissions trading scheme specifically to clamp down on electricity from lignite is now officially dead. Last night, the German government adopted a different plan with a broader focus. Aside from the coal sector, no one seems to like it. Craig Morris investigates.
South Africa’s growing renewables
South Africa has been in the press for all the wrong reasons. The grid is failing due to lack of upkeep and ‘new build’. There are concerns about corruption and overspending ahead of a massive planned nuclear fleet. And private energy interests are scouting around the water-scarce Karoo for shale gas. What hasn’t had as much media time is the fact that large-scale renewable plants are coming on-stream fast. Local science writer Leonie Joubert takes a closer look.
Madness by design: A voluntary climate levy with no climate effect
It’s really gone too far: German Energy Secretary Sigmar Gabriel’s already minimal attempt to save Germany’s 2020 climate target of reducing emissions by 40% compared with 1990 levels has been watered down further so that it is barely recognizable as a coherent climate policy. Lili Fuhr takes a look at the German coal discussion.
Zero German coal plants as a reaction to Fukushima
Reading headlines like “Germany’s nuclear cutback is darkening European skies” makes Craig Morris despair over the state of journalism.