Today’s Solutions: January 15, 2025

Energy

Transitioning to a world powered by renewable energy is key to tackling climate change. Here you can find the latest good news related to our clean energy transition, covering wind, solar, green hydrogen, hydropower, and more.

An unexpected renewable energy

An unexpected renewable energy powerhouse: Mauritania

Blessed with rich minerals and waters brimming with fish, Mauritania is awash with natural resources worth their weight in gold. But the West African country also knows how to diversify its resources by investing in renewable energy. The country produces almost 40 percent of its energy from clean Read More...

A ferry that runs on hydrogen

A ferry that runs on hydrogen fuel cells is coming to San Francisco

After Tom Escher took over his family’s century-old ferry company in 1997, he wanted to buy a zero-emissions vessel that could whisk tourists around San Francisco without spewing harmful pollutants. Escher, who is 71, said he worried about the health of his four grandchildren and the Read More...

‘ElectrogeochemistryR

'Electrogeochemistry' captures carbon, produces fuel, offsets ocean acidification

Limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius will require not only reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, but also active removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This conclusion from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has prompted heightened interest in "negative emissions Read More...

New heat pump technology heats

New heat pump technology heats and cools houses at lower cost

There have been a number of heat pump technologies we've covered over the years, from the basic ground source heat pumps (which Lloyd has criticized on more than one occasion for being good at cooling, but not so much at heating) to tapping heat from sewage pipes or even our clothes Read More...

New material for splitting wat

New material for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen

Solar energy is clean and abundant. But when the sun isn't shining, you must store the energy in batteries or through a process called photocatalysis -- in which solar energy is used to make fuels. In photocatalytic water splitting, sunlight separates water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen Read More...

London will be powered with 10

London will be powered with 100 percent renewable energy by October 2018

The City of London is partnering with schools, social housing projects, stores and 11,000 acres of green space, at which renewable energy capacity will be installed. The city has announced that 100 percent renewable energy will be achieved by October this year. London is among the many Read More...

Advantage Africa: leapfrogging

Advantage Africa: leapfrogging to cheap renewable electricity and microgrids

Most of Africa is still dark. Two-thirds of the people of the continent have no access to reliable electricity. The good news is that the fast development of the renewable energy technology makes it possible for Africa to leapfrog to a clean energy economy. The combination of solar and wind Read More...

China launches ‘solar coaste

China launches ‘solar coaster’ with subsidy cuts

Some speak of a “solar-coaster”—the decision by China to eliminate subsidies for most of its solar projects. The decision will definitely have a short-term impact on the growth of solar installations. However, the measure also confirms that solar has arrived as the next leader in the energy Read More...

What if Canada had spent $200b

What if Canada had spent $200bn on wind energy instead of oil?

In explaining Canada's decision to nationalize the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline for $4.5bn, Bill Morneau went hard on the economic argument. “Make no mistake,” the finance minister said. “This is an investment in Canada’s future.” In fact, since 1999, more than $200bn has been Read More...

See how algae could change our

See how algae could change our world

Charles Greene is a climate scientist who looks at the impact of climate on marine ecosystems. He's a Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Cornell University and member of the Marine Algae Industrialization Consortium (MAGIC) which has a grant from the Department of Energy to look Read More...