Climate Links:
energy
We still use appliances like it’s 1970. There’s a better way.
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Today, Whirlpool’s most efficient top-loader is 50 percent more energy efficient than those earlier models. “Manufacturers say we can’t meet these efficiency levels. It’s impossible,” says deLaski. “But those products are on the market today.”
Climate Deniers Exploit Endangered Whales In Bid To Kill Offshore Wind
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A coalition of fossil fuel-allied groups is fighting offshore wind with shameless hypocrisy, muddled messaging and greenwashing.
How Cold Seawater Can Heat Helsinki’s Homes
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To transition from fossil fuels, the Finnish capital is looking to tap into a very abundant resource: icy water from deep in the Baltic Sea.
Climate and Crypto
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Heating with sea water and wind
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The plant engineering company MAN Energy Solutions is installing two large heat pumps for the Danish port city of Esbjerg. The plant will help decarbonize the city's heat supply.
European Electricity Review 2023
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Ember’s analysis of the EU electricity transition in 2022: what happened in 2022, what can we expect for 2023?
Is the climate cost of digital billboards too high to justify?
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European Union Signals a Move Away from Wood Energy
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An activist group is spreading misinformation to stop solar projects in rural America
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Roger Houser's ranching business was getting squeezed. The calves he raises in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley were selling for about the same price they had a few years earlier, while costs for essentials like fuel and fertilizer kept going up. But Houser found another use for his 500 acres.
We asked ChatGPT about climate change — it left a lot out
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Climate science is complex and even though ChatGPT demonstrated decent accuracy responding to very specific questions, it missed several critical points — the most critical being that reducing methane is the fastest way to slow warming.
With Federal Aid on the Table, Utilities Shift to Embrace Climate Goals
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As billions in government subsidies were at stake, the electric utility industry shed its opposition to clean-air regulation and put its lobbying muscle behind passing President Biden’s climate bill.
New French law will blanket parking lots with solar panels
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The measure could add 10 nuclear power plants’ worth of solar panels atop parking lots
This “Climate-Friendly” Fuel Comes With an Astronomical Cancer Risk
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Almost half of products cleared so far under the new federal biofuels program are not in fact biofuels — and the EPA acknowledges that the plastic-based ones may present an “unreasonable risk” to human health or the environment.
Some good news on energy
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Global ‘Stilling’: Is Climate Change Slowing Down the Wind?
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Artificial Intelligence Is Booming—So Is Its Carbon Footprint
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So, ChatGPT, Is Your Carbon Footprint Artificial, Too?
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There are lots of things Open AI’s artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT is being used for. We asked it about its carbon footprint.
Record clean energy spending is set to help global energy investment grow by 8% in 2022
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Driven by renewables and energy efficiency – as well as rising costs – today’s levels of capital spending are still far from sufficient to tackle the energy and climate crises
AI’s challenges in 2023: ChatGPT 4, combatting climate change and less bias
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Geothermal Power, Cheap and Clean, Could Help Run Japan. So Why Doesn’t It?
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For decades, new plants have been blocked by powerful local interests, the owners of hot spring resorts, that say the sites threaten a centuries-old tradition.
The Generative AI Race Has a Dirty Secret
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Integrating large language models into search engines could mean a fivefold increase in computing power and huge carbon emissions.
International Energy Agency
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The IEA is at the heart of the global dialogue on energy, providing authoritative analysis, data, policy recommendations, and real-world solutions
Coal Baron or Climate Warrior? The Dizzying Rise of Asia’s Richest Man.
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The business decisions of Gautam Adani could go a long way in determining whether India helps the world avert a climate catastrophe.
How Renewables Could Kill Off Fossil Fuel Electricity By 2035: New Report
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Camera Offset Project
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Going camera-off reduces the carbon footprint of a video call by 96%.
$1 Trillion Green Investment Matches Fossil Fuels for First Time
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World spent $1.1 trillion transitioning to clean power in 2022, same as amount spent producing oil and gas.
The Carbon Footprint Of Artificial Intelligence Is On The Rise
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With hopes that it would alter trillion-dollar industries like retail and medical, machine learning has become the newest glittering toy in the digital world. But, each new chatbot and image generator must be built using a lot of electricity, which implies that the technology may be to blame for a significant and rising quantity of carbon emissions that contribute to global warming.
Deep Learning’s Carbon Emissions Problem
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Modern AI models consume a massive amount of energy, and these energy requirements are growing at a breathtaking rate. In the deep learning era, the computational resources needed to produce a best-in-class AI model has on average doubled every 3.4 months; this translates to a 300,000x increase between 2012 and 2018. GPT-3 is just the latest embodiment of this exponential trajectory.
Is ChatGPT Eco-Friendly? Understanding AI’s Environmental Impact
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As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to grow and change the way we live, work and communicate, it’s only natural that we start to question the environmental impact of these technologies.
LNG export boom runs up against climate goals
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The U.S. is about to become the global leader in exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG. What does that mean for the climate?
Climate killer artificial intelligence?
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With ChatGPT or Midjourney, AI has reached the average user. What hardly anyone is interested in is the ecological footprint. Golem.de did the math and asked three researchers.
Inside the Global Race to Turn Water Into Fuel
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Hundreds of billions of dollars are being invested in a high-tech gamble to make hydrogen clean, cheap and widely available. In Australia’s Outback, that starts with 10 million new solar panels.
A space tech company stumbled on a new way to cut emissions on Earth
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Steel factories emit around 3 billion tons of CO2 a year. A new way of producing it eliminates direct CO2 emissions and cuts energy use in half.
Analysis: What do China’s gigantic wind and solar bases mean for its climate goals?
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The carbon footprint of ChatGPT
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When something as big as OpenAI ChatGPT comes along, the first thought of the community at ClimateAction.Tech isn’t “Ooh, let’s try it!”, but rather “Hmm, I wonder what the carbon footprint of it is?”. Since the internet is the planet’s largest coal-powered machine, anything that gets a lot of traffic is likely to be emitting a lot of CO₂.
Bringing community solar to low-income customers is a lot harder than you might think
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An Illinois entrepreneur says building trust is critical in communities where many people are deeply skeptical of outsiders offering to make a deal.
ChatGPT’s Carbon Footprint
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In recent months, ChatGPT has become highly popular and has transformed the world of web writing. Despite its effectiveness and comprehensiveness, the use of this artificial intelligence system also contributes to its environmental impact and thus it is important to be aware of its digital footprint.
ESG AND CRYPTO INVESTMENT - A CONFLICT OF INTEREST?
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Because of their energy-intensive validation mechanisms, some blockchain protocols have come under criticism. Although a European ban on the particularly energy-hungry proof-of-work process is off the table, at least for now, upcoming sustainability regulations may hold the next challenge for these types of protocols.
The state of the energy transition
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My exclusive interview with ChatGPT about AI, climate tech and sustainability
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Can artificial intelligence conduct an informed conversation about the broad and complex technologies under the climate tech umbrella? Let's let it speak for itself.
With Leaps and Bounds, Parkour Athletes Turn Off the Lights in Paris
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As an energy crisis looms, nimble young activists are using superhero-like moves to switch off wasteful lights that stores leave on all night.
South Africa approves $8.5bn energy transition investment plan
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Insiders say less than 3% of the money rich countries promised is earmarked as grants, raising concerns about fairness and South Africa’s debt burden
Are ‘Heat Pumps’ the Answer to Heat Waves? Some Cities Think So.
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Electric heat pumps are a way to cool and heat homes at a much lower carbon cost than traditional air-conditioners and furnaces.
Richest people in UK ‘use more energy flying’ than poorest do overall
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The wealthiest people in the UK burn through more energy flying than the poorest use in every aspect of their lives, according to new research.
1-Year Later: China’s Ban on Overseas Coal Power Projects and Its Global Climate Impacts
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Internet power consumption
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Whether at work, at home, or on the go - we use the Internet every day, everywhere. Worldwide, more than 4.9 billion people are online with smartphones, tablets, laptops and classic PCs. This is made possible by countless data centers. The data we access 24 hours a day is stored on thousands of servers. What seems so self-evident requires complex technologies and entails enormous power consumption.
Could Air Someday Power Your Flight? Airlines Are Betting on It.
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New technologies, including one fuel extracted from the atmosphere itself, could make flying more sustainable. But the challenges are many and the timeline is uncertain.
Beaming Clean Energy From Space
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Once considered science fiction, technology capable of collecting solar power in space and beaming it to Earth to provide a global supply of clean and affordable energy is moving closer to reality. Through the Space-based Solar Power Project (SSPP), a team of Caltech researchers is working to deploy a constellation of modular spacecraft that collect sunlight, transform it into electricity, then wirelessly transmit that electricity wherever it is needed—including to places that currently have no access to reliable power.
The internet consumes extraordinary amounts of energy. Here’s how we can make it more sustainable
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The Cooling Problem
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Air-conditioners reduce heat stress but also guzzle energy. We’ll explain how it’s possible to keep people cool, including those most at risk, without cooking the planet.
The surprising key to a clean energy future
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As Heat Pumps Go Mainstream, a Big Question: Can They Handle Real Cold?
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Over the past decade, heat pumps have been steadily making their way into more American homes. There was a major milestone last year when they surpassed gas furnaces in annual sales by a wide margin.
Twice as much "clean power" needed
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A lot of energy continues to come from power plants that need water for cooling - but that is becoming increasingly scarce. That's why the World Meteorological Organization is calling for greater reliance on wind and solar energy. It sees security of supply at risk.
Canada is sitting on 12 'carbon bombs.' Here's where they are
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If fully tapped, these projects could obliterate Canada’s climate goals
This Guide Can Help You Save Money and Fight Climate Change
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The new climate and tax law can bring big savings for anyone looking to buy an electric car or make their home more energy efficient.
Renewables Will Overtake Coal by Early 2025, Energy Agency Says
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In a new report, the international group said that solar, wind and other renewable sources will expand much more swiftly than forecast last year.
Energy crisis: German cities turn out the lights
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How the UK transformed its electricity supply in just a decade
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This interactive article shows how the UK has transformed its electricity supply in a decade – and how things are expected to continue changing. To tell this story of unprecedented change, Carbon Brief has mapped every power plant in the UK, in each year since 2008, as well as taken a look into the future. From the smallest solar rooftop to the largest coal-fired giant, this UK map is the most comprehensive ever published, containing nearly 3,000 larger sites and more than 800,000 smaller ones.
California Leaders Credit Cellphone Alert for Sudden Conservation
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This giant underground battery is a $1-billion clean energy solution
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A group of local governments announced Thursday it’s signed a 25-year, $775-million contract to buy power from what would be the world’s largest compressed-air energy storage project.
Are There Better Places to Put Large Solar Farms Than These Forests?
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Germans Have Seen the Future, and It’s a Heat Pump
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The boxy machines look and function like large air-conditioners on reverse, but Germans hope they hold the key to Europe’s push for fossil-free heating.
The global energy crisis is driving a surge in heat pumps, bringing energy security and climate benefits
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Sales set to hit new records, helping save energy and emissions, but policy action is needed to unblock bottlenecks such as upfront costs and training workers
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Increased in 2022 as Crises Roiled Energy Markets
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Global emissions from fossil fuels are likely to reach record highs this year, new data shows, putting nations further off track from stopping global warming.
The Carbon Footprint of ChatGPT
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This article attempts to estimate the carbon footprint of the popular OpenAI chatbot called ChatGPT
Carbon Co-op
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Carbon Co-op is an energy services and advocacy co-operative that helps people and communities to make the radical reductions in home carbon emissions necessary to avoid runaway climate change.
How dark money groups led Ohio to redefine gas as ‘green energy’
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Conservative groups helped Ohio lawmakers push the narrative that the fuel is clean, documents show. They are taking their campaign to other states.
Truly climate neutral?
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Heating with wood is not climate-neutral, says the German Environment Ministry. Forest farmers are angry about this statement, environmentalists in turn about the promotion of wood heating.
'Dark Data' Is Leaving a Huge Carbon Footprint, And We Have to Do Something About It
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The War in Ukraine Upended Energy Markets. What Does That Mean for the Climate?
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Almost a year after Russia launched its invasion, assessing the impact on the oil industry and greenhouse gas goals is not so simple.
How much electricity billboards devour
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Germans are supposed to save energy. At the same time, deserted pedestrian zones are brightly lit at night, also by LED displays. There is growing resistance to this.
War in Ukraine Likely to Speed, Not Slow, Shift to Clean Energy, I.E.A. Says
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While some nations are burning more coal this year in response to natural-gas shortages spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, that effect is expected to be short-lived.
Big Oil’s green PR disproportionate to its investment, finds research
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Electric Vehicles
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Electric vehicles are the key technology to decarbonise road transport, a sector that accounts for 16% of global emissions. Recent years have seen exponential growth in the sale of electric vehicles together with improved range, wider model availability and increased performance. Passenger electric cars are surging in popularity - we estimaate that 13% of new car sold in 2022 will be electric; if the growth experienced in the past two years is sustained, CO2 emissions from cars can be put on a path in line with the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario. However, electric vehicles are not yet a global phenomenon. Sales in developing and emerging countries have been slow due to higher purchase costs and a lack of charging infrastructure availability.
Europe’s Energy Risks Go Beyond Gas
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When Russia cut off a key flow of cheap natural gas this year following its invasion of Ukraine, many European countries were left scrambling for fuel as prices soared, raising serious questions about the continent’s energy future. But gas wasn’t the only fuel to face a major test this year. Nuclear and hydropower faltered amid maintenance delays and extreme weather, while record wind and solar power generation saved Europe from a far worse fate, according to data from Ember, an energy think tank.
Rich nations mobilise $15.5bn for Vietnam’s coal-to-clean transition
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The deal will help Vietnam to peak its greenhouse gas emissions five years earlier than planned and scale up renewable energy generation
The end of a battery’s life matters as much as its beginning
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Americans are terrible at recycling. Electric cars are a chance to change that.
Facing Budget Shortfalls, These Schools Are Turning to the Sun
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Public schools are increasingly using savings from solar energy to upgrade facilities, help their communities, and give teachers raises — often with no cost to taxpayers.
I asked ChatGPT about its carbon footprint and it didn't have a real answer
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Why an iPhone charging feature is facing surprising blowback
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Apple’s clean energy charging feature, which is designed to reduce your carbon footprint, faces surprising blowback
Data Centres and Data Transmission Networks
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Demand for digital services is growing rapidly. Since 2010, the number of internet users worldwide has more than doubled, while global internet traffic has expanded 20-fold. Rapid improvements in energy efficiency have, however, helped moderate growth in energy demand from data centres and data transmission networks, which each account for 1-1.5% of global electricity use. Significant additional government and industry efforts on energy efficiency, RD&D, and decarbonising electricity supply and supply chains are necessary to curb energy demand and reduce emissions rapidly over the coming decade to align with the Net Zero by 2050 Scenario.
Are Solar Panels a Good Investment?
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Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology: The Future Of Sustainable Aviation
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