Philippines unanimously votes to ratify Paris Agreement
The Philippines Senate has voted unanimously to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change, four months earlier than previously expected.
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Private land gift drives vast expansion of Chile’s national parks
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and American conservationist Kristine Tompkins on Wednesday pledged to grow Chile’s national park lands by roughly 11 million acres, an area more than four times the size of Yellowstone National Park.
Barcelona to ban old polluting cars in 2019
Barcelona will begin banning cars older than 20 years on weekdays in 2019 in a bid to curb the city’s air pollution problems.
A majority of Americas now oppose discriminatory transgender bathroom bills
Majorities of Americans support legal protections for lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender people, opposing laws that force transgender people to use bathrooms according to the gender on their birth certificate and that allow business owners to refuse to service to LGBT people based on religious beliefs.
Chile to build massive 450 MW solar thermal power plant
This week, the Chilean government gave the green light to development of SolarReserve’s 450 megawatt (MW) Tamarugal concentrated solar power project.
Maryland House votes to ban fracking by veto-proof margin
The majority, including a handful of Republicans, voted to ban the practice after hearing arguments that science shows that the risk of earthquakes, water contamination and health problems increases in fracked areas.
London’s black cabs go electric
Any motorized vehicle will have to meet strict exhaust emissions standards or pay a heavy surcharge to commute around the city center. Electric vehicles (EVs) are one way for drivers to stay compliant and move about freely on the city’s streets.
U.K. emissions fall to lowest level since 19th century
According to the Carbon Brief, CO2 emissions fell by 5.8 per cent in 2016, after coal use fell a record 52 per cent.
Wind overtakes hydro as renewable energy leader in the U.S.
According to new data released on Monday 6 March, installed wind capacity in the U.S. surpassed hydroelectric generating capacity, long the nation’s largest source of renewable energy, in 2016.
Lithium-ion battery inventor introduces new technology for fast-charging, noncombustible batteries
A team of engineers led by 94-year-old John Goodenough, professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and co-inventor of the lithium-ion battery, has developed the first all-solid-state battery cells that could lead to safer, faster-charging, longer-lasting rechargeable batteries for handheld mobile devices, electric cars and stationary energy storage.