alternative energy

  • The State of the Earth & the Online Efforts to Save It

    The State of the Earth & the Online Efforts to Save It

    With COVID-19 dominating news feeds, it’s hard to focus on anything else. But today, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the environment and the existential threat of climate change cannot be passed over.   2019 was the second warmest year in the past 140 years, with global temperatures nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the 20th… Read More

  • Meet Second Nature, the NGO Guiding Colleges to Carbon Neutrality

    Meet Second Nature, the NGO Guiding Colleges to Carbon Neutrality

    Colleges and universities pride themselves on being leaders in research, education and development. Their ultimate purpose is to help create a future that is brighter than the past.  And today, the future faces a potentially enormous existential crisis. Decades of irresponsible energy production and consumption have caused global surface temperatures to increase, posing a threat… Read More

  • Colorado College Becomes 8th U.S. School to Achieve Carbon Neutrality

    Colorado College Becomes 8th U.S. School to Achieve Carbon Neutrality

    Colorado College has successfully achieved carbon neutrality, becoming the first higher-ed institution in the Rocky Mountain region and one of just eight in the United States to do so.  Having set its goal in 2009, the college was able to reach net zero emissions in just over a decade. Since its baseline year, Colorado College… Read More

  • For Climate Change Opinions, People Trust Their Neighbors

    For Climate Change Opinions, People Trust Their Neighbors

    Neighbor see, neighbor do. People are more likely to believe in human-caused climate change if they see that the people living next to them do, a new study finds. “People are learning from their neighbors,” said Andrea La Nauze, a co-author of the study and assistant professor in the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Economics.… Read More

  • How Colleges Advance Environmental Sustainability in Their Greater Communities

    How Colleges Advance Environmental Sustainability in Their Greater Communities

    With the United Nations warning that humanity has less than 11 years to prevent climate change from causing irreversible damage to the planet, immediate and accelerated climate action is necessary.  The upcoming decade is “the most pivotal decade in human history,” said Fiona Wilson, the director of the Sustainability Institute at the University of New… Read More

  • The Top 50 ‘Greenest’ Colleges in 2019

    The Top 50 ‘Greenest’ Colleges in 2019

    The Princeton Review has released its 2019 “Top 50 Green Colleges” list, highlighting the schools leading the way in environmental sustainability.  Topping the list, in order, are The College of the Atlantic, State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Dickinson College, the University of Vermont, St. Mary’s College of Maryland,… Read More

  • Australian University’s ‘Water Battery’ Wins Global Climate Award

    Australian University’s ‘Water Battery’ Wins Global Climate Award

    A brand new solar-powered air conditioning system at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, was named one of five winners at the 6th Global District Energy Climate Awards 2019, a series of awards that seek to recognize innovative and sustainable district energy systems. The ceremony was held in Reykjavik, Iceland, on Thursday, October 24.… Read More

  • The Increasing Value of a Degree in Sustainability

    The Increasing Value of a Degree in Sustainability

    With just over a decade left to prevent irreversible damage caused by climate change, the value of a degree in sustainability has never been higher.  Consumers, organizations, and businesses across all types of industries have put an unprecedented focus on becoming more sustainable. Many have already laid out substantial plans with ambitious goals.  But, for… Read More

  • Can Individual Efforts Really Help Solve Climate Change?

    Can Individual Efforts Really Help Solve Climate Change?

    Humanity has less than 11 years to save the planet from irreversible damage caused by climate change, according to the United Nations.  So, it makes sense that one of the most common topics of conversation at the recent U.N. Youth Climate Summit was, “What can individuals do to help?” Many ideas were thrown around, including… Read More

  • How Social Media Can Be Used to Inspire Climate Action

    How Social Media Can Be Used to Inspire Climate Action

    According to the United Nations, humanity has less than 11 years to save the planet from irreversible damage caused by climate change. Therefore, immediate and accelerated action is crucial.  But, to act, people must first be inspired.  Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish climate activist and renowned leader of the youth climate movement, did not choose… Read More

  • UN Youth Climate Summit Shows Promise for Our Future

    UN Youth Climate Summit Shows Promise for Our Future

    On September 21, young climate activists, innovators, entrepreneurs, influencers and trailblazers from all over the world gathered at the United Nations’ headquarters in New York for the first-ever U.N. Youth Climate Summit.  In commanding fashion, these young leaders took the floor of the Trusteeship Council chamber and its surrounding areas to inspire change, showcase their… Read More

  • Australian University Unveils New Renewable Power System

    Australian University Unveils New Renewable Power System

    The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) in Australia has completed construction on a new thermal energy storage system that promises to cut the university’s energy usage by 40 percent.  The unique system, which is being dubbed the “water battery,” utilizes power drawn from over 6,000 newly-installed solar panels to chill a 4.5-megalitres tank of… Read More

  • Report Highlights the Most Sustainable Colleges and Universities

    Report Highlights the Most Sustainable Colleges and Universities

    The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) recently released its annual Sustainable Campus Index report, recognizing some of the world’s most sustainable colleges and universities.  Topping AASHE’s list with “platinum” ratings are Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia, Stanford University, UC Irvine, the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Colorado… Read More

  • Poll: Climate Change Is the Top 2020 Issue for College Voters

    Poll: Climate Change Is the Top 2020 Issue for College Voters

    College students view climate change as the most important issue in the 2020 election,  according to a recent poll conducted by College Reaction and WBRU, an internet radio station based in Providence, Rhode Island.  At first glance, this may come as a surprise, considering the state of student debt and the abundance of media coverage… Read More

  • National Service for the Environment – What an Army of Young Conservationists Could Achieve

    National Service for the Environment – What an Army of Young Conservationists Could Achieve

    The school climate strikes show that young people want to fight climate change, but their enthusiasm for collective action is largely untapped. A volunteer conservation army could mobilise their talent and passion by channelling it into work to restore ecosystems. The Green New Deal – endorsed by US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and numerous presidential candidates… Read More

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