Taylor Patterson, 4/22/21. Earth Day has now been celebrated for 51 years. What started as a Minnesota senator’s desperate plea to spotlight climate change has evolved into a worldwide day of recognition and action to protect our struggling planet. Now, over 1 billion people across more than 174 countries participate in Earth Day activities, making … Read more
Gita Subramony, ERS After living through 4 years of climate denialism and anti-science rhetoric, the Biden-Harris administration represents a shift in the right direction for the U.S. to address the climate crisis; however, the policies this administration enacts will have to make up for lost time. The outgoing Trump administration withdrew from the Paris climate … Read more
Taylor Patterson, ERS The 2020 City Clean Energy Scorecard, developed by ACEEE, recognizes energy efficiency achievements of cities across the United States each year. Not only does the Scorecard rank the most efficient cities nationwide, it also recognizes the most improved cities, the ones that have made the most significant strides toward greater efficiency standards … Read more
Alex Schultz, ERS With fall comes cooler weather, apple cider, and Halloween décor: 151.95 million Americans plan to carve a pumpkin this year. Jack-o-lanterns provide a festive look to any front door, but they also represent a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions as they decompose. Talk about spooky! When a pumpkin ends up in … Read more
This article was originally written by Taylor Patterson on Nov. 1, 2019. Smith College has dedicated the 2019–2020 school year to bringing awareness, understanding, and action to the global climate crisis through its Year on Climate Change. Smith, a women’s liberal arts college in western Massachusetts, has established a “Study Group on Climate Change” in … Read more
The Green Ribbon Commission released the “Carbon Free Boston” report in January 2019, a long-term framework and ambitious plan to identify the most effective combination of technologies and policies to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Game Changer: SMUD’S natref incentives for reducing GHG emissions Ammonia 21, June 1, 2017 One of the key impediments to the uptake of almost any new technology is its higher initial cost compared to the technology it is replacing. And that has certainly been true of natural refrigerant systems. Apart from the rising sales of natural … Read more
Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits In the recently released ACEEE International Energy Efficiency Scorecard, Brazil was one of the lowest-scoring countries, ranking within the bottom three. In a few weeks, they will also be hosting a different type of international competition, the 2016 Summer Olympics. [mks_pullquote align=”right” width=”300″ size=”18″ bg_color=”#8224e3″ txt_color=”#ffffff”]The organizers of the Rio … Read more
Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits. April 21, 2016. Image credit: Unsplash According to the ACEEE, the transportation sector is responsible for 28% of all end-use energy in the USA, and according to the EPA it is also responsible for 26% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (the second-largest contributor to GHG emissions behind electricity generation). Automobile … Read more