Speaking at the Rio+20 sustainability summit, the mayors of New York City and Rio de Janeiro will announce that 48 of the world’s largest cities are taking steps to cut 248 tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, the equivalent of removing 44 million cars from the road for a year. (more…)

As the world converges in Rio de Janeiro for the biggest sustainability conference of the year, the Rio+20, twitter activity is booming. One of the most popular hashtags today was #endfossilfuelsubsidies, which aims to end subsidies for fossil fuel energy.

A sustainable future must hinge on alternative (more…)

Summer is supposed to be a relaxing time but it is also a time to prepare for winter. And you should do it wisely and in an eco-friendly fashion. Whether relaxing at home or off exploring the great outdoors there are many ways people can save money, cut energy costs and continue to protect the health of their families while still enjoying the summer. EPA has suggested several (more…)

What is green? What is a viable economic alternative? What is reasonable and will do more bad than good? Welcome to Biofuels. Two scientists are challenging the currently accepted norms of biofuel production. A commentary published today in GCB Bioenergy reveals that calculations of greenhouse gas (GHGs) (more…)

Mexico President Felipe Calderon this week signed into law ambitious climate targets aimed at drastically cutting the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the share of clean energy in the coming decades.

The law, passed unanimously by the Senate, commits Mexico to cut greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by 2020 and 50 percent by 2050. In addition, it stipulates that 35 percent of Mexico’s energy will come from renewable sources by 2024 and that all government agencies will be required to use green energy sources.

The law also calls for the creation of a permit-trading scheme for greenhouse gas emissions. On Twitter, Calderon said the law is part of Mexico’s efforts to become “an international leader in environmental protection.”

The U.S. Energy Information Administration lists Mexico as the world’s 12th-biggest carbon emitter, producing 443.61 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

Japanese officials say they may have to scrap long-term targets for carbon emissions reductions as a consequence of moving away from nuclear power in the aftermath of last year’s Fukushima disaster.

According to the Japan Times, government officials this week conceded that goals to cut carbon (more…)

A surge in natural gas supplies worldwide could halt any meaningful growth in the renewable energy sector over the next two decades if governments don’t take action, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warns.

New technologies to extract natural gas, primarily (more…)

I just read the Garrison Keillor’s Writer’s Almanac and noted that it’s the birthday of May Swenson, an author of the 20th Century who once wrote to a friend, “Not to need illusion—to dare to see and say how things really are, is the emancipation I would like to attain.”

It’s true that we force-fit the facts into our theories. (more…)

According to a recent study carried out by Euroheat & Power (EHP), the international association of district heating and cooling, the value of energy wasted each year in the European Union amounts to a whopping 1.000 euros per citizen. This amounts to up to 500 billion euros per year, or 638 billion USD. (more…)

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 47 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions are from existing buildings. From a global perspective, reducing energy consumption in buildings is imperative for a sustainable future.

So when property owners and managers transform (more…)