Free Republic

The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced an investment of $4.3 billion into community-driven projects in an effort to ramp up local climate action across the country. The funding will go to 25 recipients across 30 states, ranging from projects involving forest management to household energy efficiency. It will also help states, cities and territories develop climate action plans to meet local sustainability goals. Details about the latest funding were shared with the media on an embargoed basis Friday, two days before President Biden’s announcement that he was dropping his reelection bid. The funding reflects how the Biden administration is...

If Minnesota wants to reach its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the state must rapidly cut greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, a sector where pollution is still on the rise. A path to phasing out building emissions exists, according to a new report commissioned by Clean Heat Minnesota, a diverse group of energy experts, cities, community service organizations, and consumer advocates. The report, called the Minnesota Building Decarbonization Analysis, shows that billions of dollars in investments and dedicated planning will be needed to help the state hit its climate targets. But doing so is possible, and best accomplished...

The European Union is set to propose a plan to counteract the US $369 billion [€339 billion] Inflation Reduction Act on Wednesday (1 February), with looser state-aid rules for tax credits in green investments. The EU Commission has drafted plans to simplify and speed up companies’ access to tax credits in an effort to prevent companies from leaving the EU. Large wind and solar developers have criticized the EU funding regime for being too complicated and have pointed out that tax incentives in the US trigger automatically, making them more attractive. To address this, the commission has built a plan...

Researchers work to shrink technology that harnesses sun's energy to both heat and coolEvery day, the sun bathes the planet in energy--free of charge--yet few systems can take advantage of that source for both heating and cooling. Now, researchers are making progress on a thin-film technology that adheres both solar cells and heat pumps onto surfaces, ultimately turning walls, windows, and maybe even soda bottles into climate control systems. On July 12, 2006, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) researcher Steven Van Dessel and his colleagues will announce their most recent progress--including a computer model to help them simulate the climate within...