Volume 5, Issue 8
April 15, 2018 – April 21, 2018
Anushka Dasgupta '19 | Amy Amatya '21 | Neha Chauhan '21 | Joseph Kawalec '21
Reality Check: Are ships more polluting than Germany?
April 12, 2018 | BBC News | Associated Press
New studies find that the international shipping industry produces as much CO₂ as the entire country of Germany, accounting for over 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If treated as a country, international shipping would be the 6th largest carbon dioxide emitter, due to large and outdated engines. The World Shipping Council is convening in London to address emission reduction and prevention through regulation by the International Maritime Organization, and by implementation of new, more fuel efficient ship designs. At the forefront of these green designs are battery-powered ferries and Japanese plans for high-tech windsail cargo ships. -AA
Kenya Cuts Power Tariffs for State-Owned Solar Farm by Half
April 11, 2018 | Bloomberg | David Herbling
Earlier this semester, we talked about how Kenya’s government is pushing the development of its geothermal energy sources in an attempt to shift away from expensive diesel-powered plants. Now, it’s taken another step in that direction by lowering its tariffs on its largest solar farm, which is expected to begin operation in September. Some seven or eight other large renewable energy projects are in the works in Kenya, some of which are owned by European investment firms. -AD
What Apple Means When It Says It's Now 100 Percent Renewable
April 11, 2018 | Popular Mechanics | Andrew Moseman
This past week, Apple announced that is is “now globally powered by 100 percent renewable energy,” although this statement isn’t entirely accurate. The methods by which they mine the materials that they use in their iPhones and by which their glossy retail stores are powered remain to be questionably sustainable. However, what they have actually accomplished is building and/or paying for enough renewable energy capacity to cover the cost of the entire company, which is still a respectable feat. Google has announced the same this past month, put can these two powerful companies sustain their generation of renewable energy indefinitely, offsetting any energy they receive through “dirty” methods? -JK
Why Green Groups Are Split on Subsidizing Carbon Capture Technology
April 9, 2018 | Yale E360 | Richard Conniff
A provision in the U.S. budget that was passed in February increased tax credits for carbon-capture projects has mixed reviews among environmental groups. What has raised eyebrows is the tripled tax credit for the use of captured carbon dioxide in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which some view as a subsidy for fossil fuel companies. But others point out that oil produced using EOR represents a 37% reduction in carbon emissions, and that companies will now be encouraged to use the costly but effective technique of mitigating carbon emissions. The hope is that federal incentives will kickstart the widespread use of carbon capture in the same way they did for renewable energy sources. -AD