As the Trump Administration steps back from climate action, states, cities, and corporations in the US are stepping up. Ben Paulos take a look at American groups in Bonn, and the city-level action in Austin, Texas as an example of climate leadership.
All posts tagged: USA
COP23: Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Bonn
Climate change was again placed at the centre of global diplomacy as diplomats and ministers gathered in Bonn for the latest annual round of United Nations climate talks. COP23, the second “conference of the parties” since the Paris Agreement was struck, was a technical affair as countries continued to negotiate the finer details of how the agreement would work from 2020 onwards. Jocelyn Timperley of Carbon Brief covers the summit’s key outcomes.
How will Volkswagen’s Dieselgate settlement be spent?
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.
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.
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.
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.
It is high time to localise the energy transition
Donald Trump pulling out of the Paris Agreement is not the end of the world. Cities and towns are moving ahead in localising the energy transition but to fully harness their potential, local governments need to be empowered and equipped with the right tools, argues Philipp Thaler.
Celebrating Clean Tech on Indigenous Peoples’ Day
With special knowledge of their regional environments, indigenous people are a substantial resource to build comprehensive solutions to climate change. So on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, instead of celebrating Columbus’ impact on 10,000-year old cultures, Carolyn Fortuna of Cleantechnica looked at ways that indigenous people are taking direct climate action.
How Trump could undermine the US solar boom
The US solar industry has been booming, employing far more people than coal and helping cut American emissions. But President Trump’s administration could end up slapping tariffs on imported solar cells and panels. Llewelyn Hughes describes how this will affect the industry.