The northernmost tip of South America, home to the Indigenous Wayúu people, is the epicenter of Colombia’s nascent wind energy industry. But Wayúu leaders are concerned that the government and wind companies are not dealing fairly with the inhabitants of this long-neglected land.
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Interview
Amid Danger Signs, A Global Energy Leader Finds Reason for Hope
Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, talks with Yale Environment 360 about the yawning gap between vows to cut carbon output and reality, his agency’s road map for slashing emissions, and why the clean-energy revolution could soon become unstoppable.
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Biodiversity
Species or Ecosystems: How Best to Restore the Natural World?
What’s the best way to protect nature and restore what has been lost? A series of new scientific papers offer conflicting views on whether efforts should focus on individual species or ecosystems and point to the role human inhabitants can play in conserving landscapes.
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Energy
A Big Oil Project in Africa Threatens Fragile Okavango Region
A Canadian company is drilling exploratory wells in Namibia for what could be a major oil and gas find. Local residents and conservationists fear the project could use up scarce water supplies and cause widespread ecological disruption downstream in the world-renowned Okavango Delta.
Oceans
Why the Market for ‘Blue Carbon’ Credits May Be Poised to Take Off
Seagrasses, mangrove forests, and coastal wetlands store vast amounts of carbon, and their preservation and restoration hold great potential to bank CO2 and keep it out of the atmosphere. But can the blue carbon market avoid the pitfalls that have plagued land-based programs?
E360 Digest
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New Approach to Blue Carbon Projects Underway in Colombia
A mangrove preservation project along Colombia’s Caribbean coast is using a more comprehensive method to calculate how much carbon is stored in coastal and marine ecosystems, potentially boosting global efforts to conserve so-called blue carbon. More about New Approach to Blue Carbon Projects Underway in Colombia →
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A Leading US Utility Stealthily Fights the Electrification of Heating Systems
Eversource Energy, New England’s largest utility, markets itself as a company that strives for carbon neutrality and invests in offshore wind power. But at a recent industry presentation, Eversource officials outlined a strategy to continue using natural gas for years to come and to fight growing efforts to decarbonize the heating of buildings, according to E & E News. More about A Leading US Utility Stealthily Fights the Electrification of Heating Systems →
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The World’s Largest Tidal Power Device Will Soon Begin Testing Off Scotland
A plane-shaped device that will be able to power 2,000 homes in the UK by harnessing the power of the tides is being towed into position off Scotland’s Orkney Islands in the North Sea, according to Recharge news. More about The World’s Largest Tidal Power Device Will Soon Begin Testing Off Scotland →
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Analysis
Are Huge Tree Planting Projects More Hype than Solution?
High-profile programs aimed at planting billions of trees are being launched worldwide. But a growing number of scientists are warning that these massive projects can wreck natural ecosystems, dry up water supplies, damage agriculture, and push people off their land.
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Cities
Cities Confront Climate Challenge: How to Move from Gas to Electricity?
Ending the use of fossil fuels to heat homes and buildings is a key challenge for cities hoping to achieve net-zero emissions. Nowhere is that more evident than in Philadelphia, where technical and financial hurdles and a reluctant gas company stand in the way of decarbonization.
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Policy
In Europe, a Backlash Is Growing Over Incinerating Garbage
For years, European countries have built “waste-to-energy” incinerators, saying new technology minimized pollution and boosted energy production. But with increasing concern about the plants’ CO2 emissions, the EU is now withdrawing support for these trash-burning facilities.
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Energy
The Oil Well Next Door: California’s Silent Health Hazard
Unlike other oil-producing states, much of the drilling in California takes place in residential neighborhoods, often in Spanish-speaking communities. Despite mounting complaints about pollution from the wells, the state has failed to take action to address this public health problem.
