Extreme weather prompts growth of parametric insurance, offering faster, more flexible payments after disasters Based on a simple, data-driven model, such policies could especially benefit poor and remote areas threatened by climate change. Latest News Bill Spindle 5 min read
How biology can help clean up mining, emissions and more The solutions to many urgent environmental concerns like global CO2 emissions, water contamination and mining waste already exist in nature. The answer lies at the microscopic level, using biological processes that have been around for millions of years. Voices Nicole Richards 3 min read
In concrete, carbon removal offers value beyond CO2 disposal Injecting captured carbon dioxide into concrete could turn our built environment into a global carbon sink. Voices Robert Niven 3 min read
How we can fix the electrician shortage Electricians have an indispensable role to play in the energy transition. And we need a lot more of them. Voices Tracy K. Price 3 min read
U.S. energy loan chief on hydrogen, peak power demand, pipelines and his coffee mug Cipher sits down with Jigar Shah, director of the Loan Programs Office in the U.S. Energy Department for a Q&A about the energy transition landscape. Q&A Cat Clifford 4 min read
U.S. energy loan chief wants “culture and norms” disrupted Jigar Shah is trying to use his perch overseeing the department’s Loan Programs Office to help move the multi-headed behemoth that is the U.S. electricity industry into a decarbonized future. Latest News Cat Clifford 5 min read
Helping entrepreneurial scientists cross the first ‘Valley of Death’ Many scientists develop breakthrough materials and new processes that could be successful commercial products. But most of these breakthroughs remain in lab notebooks or seminar slides and never translate into startup ideas. Voices David Jaramillo 3 min read
US investment in carbon removal needs to increase exponentially, finds report To reach net zero by midcentury, the United States will need to be able to remove a gigaton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per year by 2050, according to Rhodium Group. Data Dives Cat Clifford 2 min read
Surging power demand spurs smarter electric grid use Electricity demand is going up; building new transmission lines is really hard. But there are a number of improvements that could help us get more out of the existing grid today. Explainers Cat Clifford 7 min read