Investments in efficiency are most cost-effective when electricity prices are highest. Smart meters are helping economists better estimate when electricity is needed to meet consumer demand.
The issue: Imagine: It’s a hot August evening, people are returning home from work and switching on their air conditioners. Electricity demand spikes.
The melting ice caps will not only impact our coastlines, but may radically alter international trade, a new study finds.
The issue: There is less ice in the Arctic Ocean than at any time in human memory, a consequence of climate change. Just about every scientific model expects the melting to continue or even to accelerate in the coming decades.
Efforts to limit climate change generally focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions caused by burning fossil fuels. However, another byproduct of fossil fuel combustion is black carbon, a major component of soot. Sources include diesel truck and car engines as well as wood fires, kilns, and stoves. Particles of black carbon in the atmosphere absorb sunlight and can have significant effects on the temperature, as do ozone, methane and other chemicals.
