Climate Crisis
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Crisis in Cape Town: A Global Warning
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“We are now in Phase 1 of the disaster plan.” Issued by the Safety and Security department of Cape Town, South Africa, in October 2017, this grim warning indicated that the city’s freshwater dam capacity was at 25% and dropping. At 13.5%, the city would have reached “Day Zero,” triggering…
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Who Participates in Small-Scale Urban Agriculture? And Why?
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As urbanization increases across the globe, it is important for policymakers and local leaders to ensure that urban residents find affordable, sustainable produce that positively impacts local and global ecosystems. One solution is community gardening and private at-home gardens, otherwise known as “small-scale urban agriculture.” Community gardens are often run…
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Put a Socket in It: Getting EV Charging into Multi-Unit Buildings
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Combatting climate change is an all-hands-on-deck emergency. To fully eradicate emissions by 2050 – the path that scientists agree will keep warming below 1.5ºC and mitigate the worst warming-induced catastrophes – the world needs to electrify practically everything and power the grid with carbon-free electricity. It’s an enormous task, and…
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Green Technology Might Just Be Enough to Save Us
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Plenty of reasons for optimism emerged from this year’s COP26 meeting in Glasgow, Scotland. The United States is back in the Paris Agreement, both China and the US have pledged to reduce carbon emissions (Friedman 2021), and many other countries have made additional pledges, including cutting methane emissions and phasing…
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China-US Dispute On Clean Energy: Economic and Geopolitical Stakes
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Jean Vilbert is an academic in the La Follette School of Public Affairs and a Resident Fellow at the Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program (University of Wisconsin). A recent report from the International Energy Agency shows that in 2020, renewable electricity production increased at its fastest pace in…