Is nuclear power a green solution? Why world tilts toward ‘yes.'

Acknowledging that most coal plants world wide are likely to continue to operate for decades as the world's demand for energy only increases, solutions to climate change become ever more pressing. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is one of the few approaches that can receive bipartisan support in shaping energy policy and - despite a few early experimental failures - the method making a comeback as a viable way to combat the release of C02 into the atmosphere. The Petra Nova plant in Texas may serve as a model for moving CCS forward.

Church parking lots typically sit empty during the week, making them good spots to place electric vehicle charging stations. Churches in major metropolitan areas across the country have started offering these services which have seen almost daily use. These services also provide a small revenue for the church and helps to spread information about the benefits of switching to electric vehicles and replacing fossil fuels.

Three major US companies are leading the way in developing the technology to extract carbon dioxide from the air: Global Thermostat, Carbon Engineering, and Climeworks. With federal tax credits per ton of carbon dioxide captured and a prosperous system of injecting the CO2 back into the ground to stimulate crop yield, the companies' three different approaches all offer a way to cut into the massive amount of global emissions, an opportunity to make a lot of money with new technology, and a helping hand for states working on achieving new federal guidelines and restrictions for a green future.

TARU, an Indian thinktank, has found that Indians cities have combined decentralized action and "multi-stakeholder engagement" in public policy to respond to problems of scarcity in water and power as well as climate change-related natural disasters. Municipalities are putting responsibility for improving local lives at the grassroots level; integrating disruptive technologies from the private sector; and fostering collaboration between government and citizens.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough implemented a comprehensive strategy to combat winter air pollution from wood-burning stoves, including: a stove replacement program that swapped over 4,000 inefficient stoves for more modern, clean-burning models, promoting kiln-dried wood with lower moisture content that burns better and adopting low-sulfur fuel requirements. The efforts have cut particulate levels in half and sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere has been reduced by 50%.

In Boston, climate activists with HEET, a nonprofit that develops neighborhood-scale geothermal systems, worked closely with gas utility executives to find a solution to gas leaks and transition to cleaner energy sources. Making the case for switching to geothermal energy comes with its challenges, but their collaboration and advocacy led to the signing of legislation allowing gas utilities to provide geothermal heating and cooling as an alternative to gas throughout their service areas.

In an effort to reduce fossil fuel use and environmental impact, some locals are opting for solar power to reduce household energy emissions. Home heating and cooling alone is responsible for 441 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, but a single acre of solar panels can save between 121 and 138 metric tons of carbon emissions each year.

Stuttgart is using a “nature-based response” to climate change by leveraging earth-cooling tools already available in the natural world. The city has created a vast network of ventilation channels – green parkways and corridors of water and trees – designed to funnel cooler breezes into the city at night and naturally lower air temperatures.

The extensive, all-electric tram system in Strasbourg has emerged as a solution to address air pollution and street congestion caused by cars as well as a critical medium of transport as the city expands its low-emission zones. The tramway's ridership has been resilient, even during the pandemic, and its inspiring a revival of the system across France.

The Community Climate Collaborative is working to wean local businesses from fossil fuels. 16 members of the Green Business Alliance pledged last spring to cut their carbon pollution by 45% by the end of 2025. The Alliance is more than halfway there — already achieving a 28% reduction.