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Ask a Scientist: The US Has to Do More to Meet Its Carbon Emissions Reduction Goals

Union of Concerned Scientists

The legislation committed nearly $400 billion to support, among other things, wind and solar power, battery storage, electric vehicles, and other clean energy technologies that will make a significant dent in US heat-trapping emissions. How is that going to happen? Their report, however, comes with a warning.

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COP29 concludes with an insufficient climate finance deal

Enviromental Defense

trillion must be mobilized every year to transition away from fossil fuels, scale up clean energy, and adapt to climate damages. The final decision was steamrolled through despite opposition from the world’s most vulnerable nations. Experts recognize that over $1.3-trillion A $300-billion commitment sounds like a lot, at first.

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What’s Stalling the Transition to a Modern Electricity Grid?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Much of our electricity system is 50 to 70 years old, yet current plans for domestic manufacturing, electric vehicle fleets, community solar gardens and more clean energy all depend on a modern grid. In some states, when the legislature created new clean energy goals they also started transmission planning to help meet those goals.

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Three International Climate Priorities for UNGA and NYC Climate Week

Union of Concerned Scientists

That means we’ll need to quickly add additional clean energy policies and policies to phase out fossil fuels just to meet our 2030 goals. Back in 2009, richer nations committed to a goal of providing $100 billion a year in climate finance by 2020, a goal that was reaffirmed in Paris in 2015. For the next round of NDCs, the U.S.

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Progress Possible at COP 28 Despite Fossil Fuel Industry Deception

Union of Concerned Scientists

Instead of investing in clean energy, the fossil fuel industry perpetuates the problem and erodes public trust. The Guardian reported that in the last three decades, five major US oil companies spent at least $ 3.6 billion on advertising. Greenwashing is incredibly problematic because it works to slow and prevent climate action.

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Driving on Electricity Is Now Much Cleaner than Using a Gasoline Car

Union of Concerned Scientists

This reduction in EV emissions has come largely from the increased use of clean energy sources like wind and solar and the marked reduction in coal-fired power generation.

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Why Energy Bills Will Be Even Higher This Winter

Union of Concerned Scientists

The US Energy Information Administration is forecasting the wholesale price of gas to reach its highest level since the winter of 2009-2010 in inflation-adjusted terms. Likewise, pipeline giant Williams Companies now refers to its gas projects as “clean energy” projects.