THIS WEEK
The solar roof revolution is about to begin, what India is doing better than Tesla, and two very different types of mining.
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RESEARCH
Do Canadians care about climate change?
The good news is that Canadians do more or less worry about climate change and want to do something about it. The bad news? They'd rather not be the ones paying to make change happen. So says a new report commissioned by Natural Resources Canada.
True to our stereotype as wishy-washy middle-achievers, most Canadians said "climate change was not a top of mind concern" but that they nonetheless wanted to keep our green reputation in place. Though many did say Canada should be a world leader on climate action. Conversely, some also suggested Canada's carbon emissions were negligible—despite Canada being the 16th-worst greenhouse gas emitter on the planet.
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Shocked? You shouldn't be
Clean energy procurement in Alberta earned a victory lap recently when it was announced that wind power prices came in at an average $37/megawatt hour, cheaper than natural gas and a record for clean energy in Canada (the audience at the announcement literally gasped). But we shouldn't be surprised, says the Pembina Institute's Sara Hastings-Simon.
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Solar roofs move into production
Good news for clean energy lovers and shingle enthusiasts: Tesla's much-hyped solar roof has been in production since December, the company said last week. And remember: once you factor in energy savings and tax credits, solar roofs actually save you money.
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Wasteland put to good use
Don't you just love it when news headlines are also inspiring metaphors? Chernobyl's famous nuclear wasteland is being transformed into a solar plant, with enough panels currently going up to power 2,000 households. And speaking of inspiring solar stories:
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WATCH: Climb up on the roof with Calgary solar installer, Moni Kawtharani.
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New York, New... energy
Last week, New York City announced it was filing a lawsuit that blames the world's top five oil companies for contributing to climate change. The city also said it would sell off billions in fossil fuel investments from its pension funds.
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India is the anti-Tesla (in the best possible way)
While Tesla popularized electric vehicles through the luxury market, India is starting on the other end of the economic spectrum, electrifying public transportation and corporate fleets. The impact will be big. There are just 20 cars for every 1,000 Indians (it's 800 in America).
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Opportunity for Canadian mining—bitcoin mining
Now I'm not suggesting this is the best use of energy, but Chinese bitcoin miners are eyeing sites in Canada. In short, Bitcoin mining drains a lot of energy, and Canada, with its abundant hydro power, could be a lower-carbon place to mine it in. Hydro-Quebec is in "very advanced" talks with more than 30 cryptocurrency miners.
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Now a story about actual mining
Considering that electric cars use four times more copper than traditional cars, the sourcing of that copper matters when measuring their overall footprint. BMW is working with Chilean copper mining company Codelco to implement new sustainability standards.
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Clean, quiet, and profitable
General Motors will make a profit on electric cars in three years. That's a promise from CEO Mary Barra. Experts say the answer lies in a proprietary battery technology, low-cost vehicle design, and large-scale production mostly in China.
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Our automotive future: is it really inevitable?
Imagine the future of cars: self-driving, electric, shared, connected. But what if automation grows while electrification and sharing lags? In the best scenario, emissions drop drastically, but in another one, they actually go up. Here's the long read.
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Clean Energy Review is sponsored in part by Genus Capital Management, a leading provider of fossil-fuel-free investments.
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Our new private Facebook group is now live! Join and share the group to connect with and support fellow Canadians powering our sustainable future.
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IMAGE & MEDIA CREDITS
Featured photo: Shutterstock
Video: Clean Energy Canada
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