American factories have had a rough time lately. High interest rates and a strong dollar have made it tough for them to compete globally. But there's been a silver lining. Lots of money has been pouring into building new factories, hinting at a possible comeback in manufacturing and jobs. The Biden
A lot of people might think everything is doomed if someone in power opposes cleaner energy and pushes coal, but amazingly, it is not that simple. Let's start from the big picture. The United States has been making huge progress in producing electricity from wind, sun, and even cleaning up gas.
On his first day in office, President Trump sparked controversy by announcing plans to roll back environmental protections and boost fossil fuel production. One of his main targets was California's aggressive auto emission standards, including a ban on new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. This ban, kn
Imagine you're living in China and your family switches from traditional cooking methods to cleaner fuels. What happens? Well, a lot! A study shows that a small increase in using clean cooking fuels can boost a country's total household income by billions. In China, this means an extra $37 billion a
Ever thought about how plastics could help save the planet? Well, they just might! Polymers, as scientists call them, are being used in amazing ways to make clean energy a reality. Let's start with wind power. You know those massive wind turbines? The blades are made from special polymers that make
Imagine trying to schedule clean energy in a world where wind and sun don't always cooperate. That's what makes this job so tough! Traditional methods are struggling to handle the complex and ever-changing nature of clean energy sources. So, what's the solution? Enter the Environmental, Social, and
President-elect Donald Trump’s energy policy, often summarized as “drill, baby, drill, ” is expected to get more complex. His cabinet picks, including Doug Burgum for Interior Secretary and Chris Wright, a natural gas fracking CEO, hint that fossil fuels will be the focus. Both have experience with
In 2017, China started a "coal-to-gas" policy to reduce indoor air pollution. This policy helped rural households switch to cleaner energy. But did it also improve the mental health of elderly residents? Researchers from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) found that it did.
Illinois' environmental and labor leaders are exploring cooperation to tackle the state's climate challenges. Jennifer Walling, head of the Illinois Environmental Council, and Marc Poulos, a labor representative, recently visited Germany to learn about their efficient mass transit system. They hope
China has been on a mission to get more plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) on its roads. The idea is to cut down on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by using electricity instead of gas. But does this plan really work? Researchers looked into this from 2016 to 2020. They found that swapping a reg
