With more and more people concerned about climate change and climate pollution, local governments are increasingly demanding zero-emissions public transportation options. But those can be costly. We spoke with Ed Thomson, from Scotland’s transport agency, to learn about their pathway to decarbonization of heavy-duty vehicles, such as public buses.
The European Union’s new trucking policies are a key component of its goal to quickly achieve a 90% gas emissions reduction. But economic and societal conditions must be set to enable this goal. We spoke with Sofie Defour of Transport and Environment, a European NGO, to learn more.
Concentrated beer formulas that minimize water content and transportation emissions are reducing the carbon footprint of the beer industry. This groundbreaking approach presents an opportunity for both producers and consumers to make more environmentally responsible choices when consuming beer.
Air travel accounts for about 2.5 percent of global carbon emissions. To reduce emissions from aviation, ZeroAvia is seeking to build the world’s first zero-emission passenger jet powered by hydrogen fuel, which offers three times more energy per kilogram than jet fuel and emits no toxic fumes when combusted. Hydrogen fuel’s higher energy density and capacity for consistent electrical power make it a promising potential energy source for aircraft.
Electric motorcycles and battery swap technology can improve livelihoods and reduce emissions in Africa and around the world. Ampersand, an African electric vehicle company, provides affordable electric motorcycles (called “e-motos”) in East Africa and operates a convenient battery swap system. These e-motos are replacing polluting gas motorcycles with a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative.
Climate Break speaks with Rob Shirkey of Our Horizon–the Canadian non-profit group he founded–about using climate change warning labels on gas pumps to nudge consumers away from using fossil fuels.
Can cool surfaces—roofs, walls, or pavements that are generally light-colored and highly reflective—help combat climate change? We spoke with Ronnen Levinson, a staff scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, about how such surfaces combat climate change by reducing heat and lowering energy consumption in buildings.
To decarbonize transportation, we’ll need to switch to electric cars. New electric vehicles are decreasing in price and increasing in range and accessibility, but remain out of reach for many. Could EV Retrofitting, a process that converts cars from internal combustion to electric in just a few hours, be what fills in the gap? Listen to Climate Break talk to Dr. Aly El Tayeb, founder of Egyptian retrofitting startup EV Shift, about its potential.
The California Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Cars II Rule requires all new light duty vehicles sold in California to be zero-emission by 2035. In the final episode of our series with CARB Executive Officer Dr. Steve Cliff, Climate Break talks to Dr. Cliff about CARB’s approach — and why he thinks the time is right for an ambitious government mandate.
Before California can reduce its vehicle miles traveled (VMT) — which measures total amount of driving occurring in the state — we need to start thinking differently about how we use space. Hear from Dr. Steve Cliff, Executive Officer of the California Air and Resource Board (CARB), on how he’s thinking about the role for land use and planning in decarbonizing transportation and reducing VMT.