China just launched a long-awaited national emissions trading scheme (ETS). As the largest current emitter accounting for more than a quarter of world’s total carbon emissions, this move can potentially have major repercussions. The official commitment to the ... More »
It is no secret that the United States is a major producer of carbon emissions and that policies to curb the emissions of one of the biggest offenders, electricity generation, have not been successful at significantly reducing carbon emissions. However, the ph... More »
A study links special government controls on pollution enacted during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing to significant increases in air quality and significant decreases in mortality rates associated with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. More »
The boom in electric car sales, enhanced by federal subsidies, does not reflect the fact that, in some cases, powering those cars produces more emissions than powering conventional cars. The characteristics of each state and regional mode of electricity genera... More »
New evidence of a “not in my backyard” attitude, illustrated in a recent study, conflicts with the conception of the inevitability of renewable energy sources as most important future sources of energy. More »
New research finds that transmission costs must be at least $600/MW-km and energy storage must cost at most $100/kW h in order for wind energy storage to be economical. More »
A new study finds that biofuel subsidies from 1981-2011 paradoxically may have led to the increase in oil production and greenhouse gas emissions. More »
The rebound effect, which measures the increased demand for energy from increasing energy efficiency, is found to be strong in Chinese urban residential electricity use. More »