Any opinions stated herein are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily representative of or endorsed by the Climate Policy Lab, The Fletcher School, or Tufts University.
The deployment of renewable energy technology is expected to increase global demand for critical minerals, such as cobalt. Currently, the majority of the world’s cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a region associated with human rights violations and environmental concerns. It is imperative to take steps towards making cobalt mining in the DRC more sustainable.
Read MoreThe gas, known as SF6, is the most potent greenhouse gas (GHG) on earth. SF6 has 22,800 times CO2’s warming potential over a 100-year period, and it stays in the atmosphere for 3,200 years without degrading. SF6 is primarily used as an insulator in electrical equipment (70% of emissions come from the sector), entering the atmosphere when the equipment leaks or needs to be repaired. This presents a catch-22 for climate mitigation: the more electrical grids are expanded to accommodate renewable energy, the more SF6 will be emitted down the line. The EPA predicts that global SF6 emissions from electric power systems will increase 34% between 2015 and 2030.
Read MoreApril 1970 marked the dawn of a new generation of thinking that strives to unravel the complexity and dynamics of climate change in a collective endeavor to create a better and fair world. Thus, this year's Earth Day theme, Invest in Our Planet, resonates with the paramount importance of investment in the triple nexus of water, energy, and food.
Rapid population growth, urbanization, industrialization, drought, and climate change have significantly increased the vulnerability of water, energy, and land resources. Therefore, the triple nexus of water, energy, and food has invited policymakers and researchers to opt for sustainable modes of the operand to address the current production and consumption of water, energy, and food systems. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released just a few weeks before Earth Day, warned of an increased frequency and intensity of drought and flood occurrences with broader global coverage.
Read MoreProfessor Emeritus and CIERP Founder Bill Moomaw discusses the history behind Earth Day and its impact on his career at Fletcher on the 51st Earth Day.
Read More
