Climate Change

Hard times are expected to continue in the Appalachian region that was once the heart of the nation's coal production, according to a new report. Coal business in the mountains of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia is facing declining reserves, higher production costs and competition from other coal basins and natural gas.

Reaching the goal of getting 100 percent of the world's energy from renewable resources is technically and economically feasible today. The challenges lie in the realms of public policy and political will, as well as in finance, market development, and business development. That was the message delivered by numerous distinguished energy experts in San Francisco on April 16th at Pathways to 100 Percent Renewable Energy, the first international conference specifically focused on accelerating the transition to 100 percent renewable energy.

Legal & Policy Pathways for Energy InnovationApril 24-25, 2013University of Minnesota Watch the video

A new issue now tops EU biofuels debates: subsidies. First reports suggest that EU biofuels policy is costly, and that subsidies paid to biofuel producers are lush. A fuller exploration of the economics (and subsidies) of EU biofuels reveals that biofuels are among the best economic development - and cheapest carbon abatement - vehicles we have. In other words, the biofuels industry welcomes a serious economic debate. Unfortunately, serious debate is unlikely if the past is any guide.

As recently as 20 years ago, there were an estimated 50,000 rivers in China, each covering a flow area of at least 60 square miles. But now, according to China's First National Census of Water, more than 28,000 of these rivers are missing. To put this number into context, China's lost rivers are almost equivalent, in terms of basin area, to the United States losing the entire Mississippi River. Why have these rivers "vanished" from the maps and national records?

From Indonesia to Mexico, members of indigenous and forest communities have marched in protest against market-based strategies for climate change mitigation in forests. In particular, they have expressed concern about how forest-based carbon offsets associated with REDD+ may affect their land rights and access to resources. REDD+ aims to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) in developing countries, but also includes sustainable forest management, and the conservation and enhancement of carbon stocks (the plus).

In Climate Myths: The Campaign Against Climate Science, Dr. John J. Berger deconstructs the climate change denialists' myths in simple, easy-to-read terms.

Hundreds of billions of dollars in the developing world are funding subsidies for fossil fuel energy, including petroleum, electricity, and natural gas. Joseph Aldy, assistant professor of public policy, is currently research the economic and environmental impacts of these subsidies. He presented a snapshot of his latest research during an Energy Policy Seminar on Monday (March 25).