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Nuclear Nonsense
Amory B. Lovins critiques Stewart Brand's advocacy for nuclear power, asserting that nuclear energy is economically uncompetitive and slower to deploy than decentralized renewables and efficiency measures. Lovins argues that nuclear power's high capital costs and financial risks make it a poor investment for climate protection, noting that it saves significantly less carbon per dollar and is deployed much slower than alternatives. He refutes claims regarding the necessity of 'baseload' power, the land-use footprint of renewables, and the need for a diverse energy portfolio that includes nuclear power, concluding that the technology's failure to attract private equity in the U.S. demonstrates its lack of market viability.
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Document type: Statement
Jobs from Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
The document outlines the job creation potential of the clean energy economy, citing that renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) industries created over nine million jobs in the U.S. in 2007. It provides specific employment projections for various technologies, including wind, solar, bioenergy, and geothermal, across U.S. states and international markets such as Germany, Brazil, and India. The text also compares these figures to employment trends in the fossil fuel and nuclear sectors and details U.S. legislative efforts, such as the Green Jobs Act of 2007 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to support workforce training and clean energy deployment.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Clean Energy Investment in Developing Countries: Wind power in Egypt
The document analyzes Egypt's wind energy potential, focusing on the Gulf of Suez, and compares the levelized costs of wind generation against natural gas CCGT. It identifies the primary barrier to expansion as a subsidized natural gas pricing system that makes wind uncompetitive. The report outlines five necessary conditions for large-scale implementation, including a clear long-term strategy, a revised tariff system, and grid reinforcement plans, while discussing the role of the proposed New Electricity Law in attracting private investment.
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Document type: Case study
Greenhouse Gas Emission Impacts of Liberalizing Trade in Environmental Goods & Services
The paper investigates whether removing tariffs on environmental goods can significantly reduce GHG emissions. It concludes that the 'Friends of the EGS' list of 153 goods would only have a material impact through renewable energy technologies, but that tariff removal alone is insufficient to drive significant uptake without accompanying policies like feed-in tariffs. The author suggests that for trade liberalization to be effective, lists must be based on objective environmental needs rather than commercial interests and must be supported by capacity-building measures in developing countries.
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Document type: Research paper
Intellectual Property: Cross-licensing, Patent Pools and Cooperative Standards as a Channel for Climate Change Technology Cooperation
The report examines co-operative IPR practices—including cross-licensing and patent pools—as mechanisms to overcome patent thickets and accelerate technology diffusion. Using case studies from the mobile telecoms industry (ETSI) and South Africa's pre-paid metering (ESKOM), it argues that such arrangements can reduce litigation risks, lower costs, and enable developing countries to enter markets. The authors suggest that public policy intervention may be necessary to facilitate these arrangements in the low-carbon energy sector, particularly for technologies like wind power and smart grids, to avoid proprietary lock-ins and high costs in developing economies.
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Document type: Research paper
Trade in Electricity Services in the Southern African Customs Union: Towards a Negotiating Strategy
The electricity sector in SACU member states is characterised by chronic capacity shortages, underdeveloped infrastructure, and a dominance of state-owned monopolies. While the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) facilitates cross-border trade, the region remains heavily dependent on South Africa's Eskom. The paper argues that the lack of cost-reflective tariffs and political reluctance to allow independent power producers (IPPs) hinder investment. It recommends a harmonised regional regulatory framework and a strategic approach to liberalisation through a mix of SADC, WTO GATS, and bilateral agreements to improve energy security and economic growth.
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Document type: Research paper
Money Isn’t All You’re Saving
The document advocates for a transition to a clean energy economy in the United States, specifically promoting the 'Climate 2030: A National Blueprint for a Clean Energy Economy'. It argues that such a transition would generate $255 billion in net annual savings by 2030, create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and reduce reliance on foreign oil. The text compares these goals with the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), noting that while ACES has minimal negative economic impact, the more comprehensive Blueprint policies offer greater benefits in terms of emissions cuts and cost savings.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Midwest
The report projects that Iowa will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding in winter and spring, and new threats to agriculture due to climate change. Under a higher-emissions scenario, Des Moines could see over 85 days per summer above 90°F and frequent heat waves similar to the 1995 Chicago disaster. Agriculture is threatened by heat stress for corn and livestock, as well as the northward expansion of pests like the corn earworm. The document argues that Iowa can mitigate these risks by strengthening its renewable electricity standard, promoting energy efficiency, and banning coal plants without carbon capture and storage, supported by federal cap-and-trade and fuel economy standards.
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Document type: Report
Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Midwest
The report projects that Michigan will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural disruptions by the end of the century, particularly under a higher-emissions scenario. It highlights risks to public health from extreme heat and ozone pollution, as well as threats to the state's dairy and corn industries. To mitigate these effects, the document advocates for strengthening renewable energy standards, updating building codes, and implementing federal cap-and-trade and fuel economy policies.
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Document type: Report
Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Midwest
The report projects that Minnesota will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural threats if current emissions trends continue. Under a high-emissions scenario, the state could see a 12°F increase in average summer temperatures by the end of the century, with Minneapolis-St. Paul experiencing nearly 70 days over 90°F per summer. These changes are expected to increase heat-related mortality, worsen air quality through higher ozone and particulate levels, and disrupt farming via heat stress and pest expansion. The document advocates for a transition to renewable energy, increased energy efficiency, and a federal cap-and-trade program to mitigate these risks.
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Document type: Report
Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Midwest
The report projects that Missouri will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural disruptions if heat-trapping emissions continue to rise. It highlights severe risks for St. Louis, including extreme heat waves and deteriorating air quality, and suggests a combination of state-level energy efficiency and federal climate legislation to mitigate these effects.
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Document type: Report
Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Midwest
The report projects that Ohio will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural disruptions if current emissions trends continue. It highlights severe risks to public health from heat waves and ozone pollution, and warns of crop and livestock stress. The document advocates for a transition to clean energy through stronger renewable electricity standards, updated building codes, and federal cap-and-trade legislation.
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Document type: Report
Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Midwest
The report projects that Wisconsin will face significantly hotter summers, increased flooding, and agricultural disruptions if current emissions trends continue. Under a high-emissions scenario, Milwaukee could see more than 55 days per summer over 90°F by the end of the century. The document advocates for a transition to clean energy through renewable electricity standards, energy efficiency, and federal cap-and-trade policies to mitigate these risks.
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Document type: Report
Greenhouse Gas Mitigation in Developing Countries
The report analyzes energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potentials for six major developing countries through 2030. It projects that baseline energy-sector emissions for these nations could double to approximately 17 metric gigatons of CO2 equivalent by 2030, representing over 40% of global energy-related GHG emissions. The study identifies high-potential mitigation options across four sectors: electricity production, transportation, buildings and appliances, and industry. Common high-potential strategies across all six countries include renewable energy development, vehicle efficiency standards, and the enforcement of building and appliance energy codes. The report emphasizes that while many low-cost options exist, significant barriers remain, including high up-front capital costs, limited technical capacity, and the need for international technology transfer.
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Document type: Research paper
Shell’s Big Dirty Secret
The report claims Shell is the most carbon-intensive oil company globally, with its production intensity projected to rise by 85% due to a shift toward oil sands, oil shale, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). It documents a history of gas flaring in Nigeria, alleging that internal documents show Shell prioritized profit over ending the practice. The report further asserts that Shell engages in 'greenwashing' by promoting limited renewable initiatives while lobbying against fuel quality directives and emissions trading reforms in the European Union and climate legislation in the United States.
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Document type: Report
A Deep Carbon Reduction Scenario for China
The report compares a Baseline scenario, where China's energy sector emissions grow to 18.9 GT by 2050, with a Deep Carbon Reduction Scenario (DCRS). The DCRS aims to reduce 2050 emissions to 1.9 GT by implementing aggressive energy efficiency, electrification of transport, large-scale renewable deployment, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the power sector. The analysis concludes that while technically possible, the DCRS requires the simultaneous and rapid implementation of all proposed measures to meet the 230 GT cumulative emissions budget.
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Document type: Report
Climate 2030
The Climate 2030 Blueprint proposes a combination of an economywide cap-and-trade program and complementary sector-specific policies to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis argues that these measures can achieve deep carbon cuts while generating significant net savings for consumers and businesses, reducing oil dependence, and maintaining robust economic growth.
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Document type: Executive summary
Climate Change in the American Mind 2009
The survey indicates that while the economy is the top priority for Americans, a majority still view global warming as a high national priority and personally important. There is strong support for U.S. action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including unilateral action and acceptance of economic costs, as well as high support for renewable energy research.
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Document type: Executive summary
A Balancing Act: China’s Role in Climate Change
The report examines China's transition toward a low-carbon economy, highlighting how energy security and the 'Scientific Development Concept' drive its climate policies. It analyzes China's emissions trends, its dependence on coal, and its strategic positioning in international negotiations, arguing that China's domestic economic stability and the global 2°C target are inextricably linked.
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Document type: Report
A National Renewable Electricity Standard Will Boost the Economy and Protect the Environment
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) analysis indicates that a national 25 percent by 2025 renewable electricity standard would create 297,000 jobs, generate $263.4 billion in new capital investment, and lower consumer energy bills by $64.3 billion by 2025. The policy would diversify the U.S. energy mix by increasing renewable capacity from 28,000 MW in 2007 to 248,000 MW by 2025, primarily through wind, solar, bioenergy, and geothermal sources. Environmentally, the standard would reduce power plant CO2 emissions by 277 million metric tons annually by 2025, equivalent to removing 45.3 million cars from the road.
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Document type: Fact sheet