Sustainability

The Future is Bright

Solar Power Reviewed by Carbon Choices 22 August Falling Costs The cost of electricity produced by solar power has been falling for the last two decades. This trend is likely to continue due to the increased efficiency of panels, lower cost of silicon, improved manufacturing techniques, and economies of scale – the higher the demandContinue reading “The Future is Bright”

Economic growth and the search for abundance

Creating a world of plenty demands more radical ideas By Tim Smedley June 26, 2025 Illustration by Prospect. Source: S.E.A. Photo / Alamy A moment halfway through Ezra Klein’s and Derek Thompson’s recent book Abundance reveals something of their approach to building a net zero world. In 2023 a gasoline lorry exploded, causing Philadelphia’s I-95 bridge to collapse;Continue reading “Economic growth and the search for abundance”

CARBON CAPTURE -DAC

KATIE BRIGHAM • MAY 30, 2025 Technology to suck carbon dioxide out of the air — a.k.a. direct air capture — has always had boosters who say it’s necessary to reach net zero, and detractors who view it as an expensive fig leaf for the fossil fuel industry. But when the typical venture capitalistContinue reading “CARBON CAPTURE -DAC”

The Valley that Changed the World, and Could Do So Again.

Transforming the Derwent Valley for a Regenerative Future May 10, 2024 Image by Derwent Valley MillsAuthors: Jonny Norton, Stephen Martin, Chris Ives — School of Geography University of NottinghamNestled within the picturesque landscapes of Derbyshire, England, lies the Derwent Valley — a valley once pulsating with the relentless energy of the Industrial Revolution. From theContinue reading “The Valley that Changed the World, and Could Do So Again.”

Paradigm Shakes

We seem to be stuck in a dangerous and destructive paradigm. Our current approach to climate change is painfully inadequate. Will shifting paradigms be easier if we start with a few small shakes?Karen O’Brien Jan 20 ExtremesThese are not easy times. It’s hard to watch the news and read the latest climate projections. And it’sContinue reading “Paradigm Shakes”

Back to fossil fuels-with AI?

An edited opinion piece by John ElkingtonAccording to the International Energy Agency (IEA), AI-related energy demand is set to almost double between 2022 and 2026. Bad enough, but Generation is more pessimistic still. “There are … forecasts that are much more drastic,” it concludes. “It is easy to imagine a world in which ever moreContinue reading “Back to fossil fuels-with AI?”

WHAT IS TRUE NET ZERO?

From the Guardian 19/11/2024 Under the “true” net zero definition, the natural world’s vast carbon-absorbing capabilities must only be put to work to remove historical emissions so that the planet can slowly cool over time, the net zero researchers say – not to cancel out future fossil fuel pollution.“It is a common assumption that removingContinue reading “WHAT IS TRUE NET ZERO?”

WHY ARE SOLAR PANELS CHEAPER IN GERMANY

BY David Toke Germany is issuing much larger volumes of auctioned contracts for large-scale solar pv and renewable energy this year compared to the UK, but what is especially notable is the ever-plunging prices for solar pv. These continue to fall well below the prices at which the Government is awarding contracts to solar farmsContinue reading “WHY ARE SOLAR PANELS CHEAPER IN GERMANY”