Energy
Could solar solve more than just emissions problems? Author Robert Stayton proposes an idea that would raise everyone out of poverty and get us off of fossil fuels. (Ben West/Creative Commons)
SUNY College at Brockport
Could solar energy end poverty? Author Robert Stayton proposes an idea that would do just that — and eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels too.
The roof-top gardens at Drake Memorial Library at SUNY Brockport. (Jess Buttery/Creative Commons)
SUNY College at Brockport
Campus sustainability is becoming more of a necessity for colleges and universities to not only answer a student call to action, but for the planet.
Shaylyn Warrior at the Lubbock, Texas, Climate Strike. (Codi Clark/Texas Tech University)
Planet Forward Correspondent | Texas Tech University
Despite growing up around the oil industry, Shaylyn Warrior talks about how she and others at the Lubbock, Texas, march think it's time the Southwest turns away from fossil fuel production.
Melissa Pielet speaks at St. Petersberg Climate Strike. (Anne Orca/Eckerd College)
Planet Forward Correspondent | Eckerd College
St. Petersburg, Florida, joined the global call for climate action on Sept. 20. Eckerd College student Melissa Pielet has some thoughts on the practicality of implementing the change we so urgently need.
A bird’s-eye view on Maine Yankee, where 60 casks of spent nuclear fuel and four casks of irradiated steel, a type of low-level radioactive waste, stand in a square formation. (Courtesy of Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company)
Northwestern University
Thirty-seven years ago, Congress decided the federal government should be responsible for disposing of the waste from the nation’s nuclear power plants. But it's still in limbo.
Not unsurprisingly, Democrats and Republicans had opposing views at a House subcommittee meeting Thursday on the future of coal in the United States. (Noah Broder/Medill)
Northwestern University
Medill's Noah Broder reports from a House hearing, which looked at the value of coal to our economy. Dems called for more environmental controls, while the GOP stressed its importance to our energy infrastructure.
In 1987, Congress designated Yucca Mountain in the Nevada desert as the permanent repository for all U.S. nuclear waste, and spent $15 billion on the site throughout the years. But facing strong local opposition, the site was never put into use and the project was abandoned. (White House photo)
Northwestern University
A bipartisan group of senators revives the longstanding issue of where to store and dispose of nuclear waste with a new bill proposing centralized interim storage, reports Medill's Kimberly Jin.
An electric vehicle charges at a public charging station in Chicago. How much of the electricity is produced by renewable sources depends on the utility company providing it. (Brady Jones/MEDILL)
Northwestern University
Driving an electric vehicle plays a critical role in reducing CO2 emissions, but the impact of this reduction is diminished if the electricity comes from fossil fuels. Brady Jones of Medill reports.
The Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program solar microgrid project at Fort Hunter Liggett in California is managed by the Sacramento District. (John Prettyman/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
George Washington University
A closer look at Lilker EMO Energy Solutions LLC, a sustainable energy consulting firm in Falls Church, Virginia, that is helping lead America's energy transformation.
The Energy Savings & Awareness Week activity wheel.
The George Washington University
A proposed weeklong event promoting reusable energy resources, smart technologies, and raising awareness about energy waste and potential savings.