Most recent 40 articles: Yale Climate Connections - Economic
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Jobs in wind, solar, and energy storage are booming. Is your state keeping up? - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Oct 23) |
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Oct 23 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Clean energy jobs grew more than twice the rate of the overall economy in 2023 – and every state has its own piece of the story to tell.
By the end of 2023, there were over half a million jobs in wind, solar, and energy storage in the United States, according to the Department of Energy’s 2024 U.S. Energy and Employment Jobs Report. Jobs within these sectors include design, manufacturing, trade, construction, and operation of energy systems.
Just two states hold one-third of the jobs in clean electricity generation: California and Texas. The rest ... Read more ...
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Climate change threatens outdoor workers in tropical regions, study finds - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Sep 2) |
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Sep 2 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
More than a billion people work in agriculture, construction, and other outdoor jobs in tropical regions around the world.
Parsons: “These are areas that are hot and humid either year-round or for many, many months out of the year.”
Luke Parsons is an applied climate scientist at the Nature Conservancy. He says doing heavy labor in very hot, humid conditions can cause illness or even death.
His team recently studied how often conditions in the tropics are hazardous for outdoor workers.
They found that, on average, the combination of ... Read more ...
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Free online tool kit can help small businesses prepare for climate change - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Aug 21) |
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Aug 21 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Corner stores, day cares, auto mechanics … small businesses provide vital services to communities.
But many are vulnerable to increasingly extreme weather as the climate warms.
Moritz-Chapelliquen: “As more and more disruptions end up happening … they have to face the reality that this is something that is only going to become more severe as time goes on.”
That’s Armando Moritz-Chapelliquen of the Local Initiative Support Corporation, a national nonprofit.
To help businesses prepare for climate impacts, the group works with chambers ... Read more ...
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He had his dream career. But was it good for the climate? - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Jul 26) |
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Jul 26 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Some kids watch a professional soccer game and dream of becoming a pro athlete when they grow up. Felipe Morales Ramírez wanted to build the stadiums that make the game possible. He also dreamed of hospitals, highways, and major urban infrastructure.
“Since I was a kid, I wanted to build big things,” Morales Ramírez said. “I was good at drawing and I just wanted to know how to build it.”
He chased that dream through his teen years and beyond. After high school in Mexico City, he earned a degree in civil engineering at Instituto Tecnológico de La ... Read more ...
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How much will climate change drag down the economy? - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Jul 1) |
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Jul 1 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
When Category 5 Hurricane Otis roared through Acapulco, Mexico, in October 2024, the city was left in ruins. Winds stripped facades from beachfront buildings and storm surge flooded lobbies. The storm killed at least 50 people and damaged 80% of hotels in the once-glittering resort town. Six months later, a Bloomberg reporter described “a grim scene,” with many buildings left abandoned and “swimming pools full of muck.”
And residents were still working to bring tourists back.
“If there’s no tourism, nothing happens,” Juan Carlos Díaz, a ... Read more ...
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Is climate action on extreme heat a human right? - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (May 30) |
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May 30 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Is climate action on extreme heat a human right?
It was a provocative opening question that I posed to the science education graduate students in my climate justice course at San José State University. Put another way: Is a government’s failure to take action on the climate crisis a violation of human rights?
The question of human rights, climate justice, and vulnerable groups recently emerged in the news in two different cases an ocean apart, with drastically different outcomes. However, they were connected by an ever-pressing issue: extreme ... Read more ...
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West Virginia man works to boost solar industry in his home state - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (May 14, 2024) |
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May 14, 2024 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Conner Marshall is a senior at Wayne High School in Wayne, West Virginia. One day a week, instead of going to class, he heads up onto rooftops to help install solar panels.
Marshall: “I lay the panels, get the panels ready to be laid, pack the panels up the ladder.”
Marshall is part of a paid apprenticeship program with Solar Holler, a solar developer.
Conant: “It’s not a stand around and look kind of apprenticeship. It’s get in there, get your hands dirty, and you’re really installing as part of the team.”
Dan ... Read more ...
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How to prepare your finances for an extreme weather disaster - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Apr 10, 2024) |
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Apr 10, 2024 · In a webinar on April 19, we'll explore how climate organizations are currently using storytelling in their work, the impacts of these stories, and lessons learned from other movements.
Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
During an extreme weather disaster, your home could suffer costly damage and your place of work could close for weeks or months.
There’s no way to make it easy, but you can take steps now to make your financial recovery smoother.
Before extreme weather is in the forecast, make sure your insurance coverage is up to date. And take photos of the rooms in your ... Read more ...
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The plastics industry’s carbon footprint has doubled in the past few decades - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Mar 26, 2024) |
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Mar 26, 2024 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Plastic is used in many products - from containers and bags to electronics and vehicles. And it’s a significant source of climate-warming pollution.
Cabernard: “Plastics production at the moment, it contributes to 4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.”
Livia Cabernard of the Technical University in Munich, Germany, explains that almost all plastics are made from oil, natural gas, or coal. Extracting and transporting those fuels emits carbon pollution.
Then, more fossil fuels are burned to supply the heat and electricity used to refine ... Read more ...
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How can I make my retirement plan climate-friendly? - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Mar 25, 2024) |
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Mar 25, 2024 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
If you’re worried that your retirement plan might include investments in fossil fuels, here’s what you can do.
The first thing you’ll want to do is research what’s in your 401(k). Which stocks and bonds are in the mutual funds in your plan now, and which other funds are available through your employer’s plan?
Try FossilFreeFunds.org’s tool called Invest Your Values, which allows you to plug in the name of a fund and see what percentage of its investments are in fossil fuels, deforestation contributors, gun manufacturers, and the like. If you ... Read more ...
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Your 401(k) might be feeding the climate crisis - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Mar 25, 2024) |
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Mar 25, 2024 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
People often debate the best things individuals can do to help solve the climate crisis - ditch your combustion engine car for an electric vehicle? Stop eating meat? Go solar? Vote? Though each of these can add up to a big impact, there’s another action that people haven’t paid much attention to until recently: steering money saved in their retirement accounts away from fossil fuels.
U.S. residents are saving more than $7 trillion in 401(k) retirement plans offered by corporate employers, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. When ... Read more ...
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We must cut carbon from industry. Here’s how we can do it. - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Feb 27, 2024) |
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Feb 27, 2024 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
In “Zero-Carbon Industry: Transformative Technologies and Policies to Achieve Sustainable Prosperity,” Jeffrey Rissman focuses on how to cut carbon-warming pollution from industry, a sector often overlooked in climate conversations. It’s available starting today from Columbia University Press. This excerpt has been lightly edited and graphs have been omitted.
Worldwide, there is growing agreement that eliminating human-caused greenhouse gas emissions is essential to securing a livable climate for humanity. China, the world’s largest emitter, has ... Read more ...
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Inside my quest for a climate-friendly bank - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Feb 08, 2024) |
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Feb 08, 2024 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
I grew up knowing that when you had extra money, you put it under a bed, stashed it in a book or a clock, or, if there was enough of it, it went into a savings account at a bank.
It hadn’t occurred to me that my bank account could be contributing to the climate crisis until I learned that since the adoption of the Paris agreement in 2015, 60 of the world’s largest banks have invested $5.5 trillion into the fossil fuel industry. And they’re using our money to do it.
When we deposit our paychecks, the money doesn’t just sit there. Generally, ... Read more ...
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A four-day workweek could be better for health and the climate, companies find - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Feb 07, 2024) |
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Feb 07, 2024 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Lots of people feel refreshed after a three-day weekend. How about having one every week?
Almost 200 companies around the world have completed six-month trials of a four-day workweek, with no reductions in employee pay. So far, the results are promising.
Schor: “Stress, burnout, mental health, physical health … job satisfaction … all of those going in the right directions.”
Juliet Schor is an economist and sociologist at Boston College and is leading the trials in collaboration with the nonprofit Four Day Week Global.
Their results ... Read more ...
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A cash crop that never runs out - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Jan 17, 2024) |
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Jan 17, 2024 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
The tall grass prairie of the Flint Hills provides food for cattle and on the Ferrell Ranch, wind to power 50 turbines. The 7,000-acre ranch in Beaumont, Kansas, was started by Pete Ferrell’s great-grandfather in 1888. But ranching is hard work, and success is dependent on the weather, so in the 1920s, Ferrell’s grandfather sold leases to extract and sell oil from the land. Those wells helped the ranch survive years when drought dried up income from the ranching operations.
But now Pete Ferrell is extracting another form of energy: wind. Since 2005, ... Read more ...
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Climate change could cost Montana’s economy millions - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Jan 10, 2024) |
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Jan 10, 2024 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
People around the world come to Montana to enjoy big sky country.
Szollosi: “People, come here to hunt elk. They come here to fly fish. They come here to ski downhill. … It’s what makes Montana, Montana.”
Frank Szollosi is the executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation.
Outdoor recreation is an important part of Montana’s economy.
But the Wildlife Federation has released a report warning that many of these outdoor activities are threatened by climate change.
Warmer water threatens cold-water fish like trout - and ... Read more ...
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Take this to HR: Remote work is good for the climate - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Dec 15, 2023) |
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Dec 15, 2023 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Driving into the office used to be a normal part of the workday. Sipping coffee from a travel mug and turning up the radio or audiobook while sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic was a daily ritual.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed that, and now many employees and companies are embracing remote and hybrid work. And that can sharply reduce their carbon footprints.
Cornell and Microsoft researchers found in a recent study published in the journal PNAS that switching from working on-site to working remotely five days a week led to a 54% reduction in a ... Read more ...
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More than 3 million U.S. workers have clean energy jobs, report finds - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Dec 07, 2023) |
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Dec 07, 2023 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
When people hear the phrase, “clean energy jobs,” many think of solar panel installers or wind turbine technicians. But those are just two of many careers in clean energy.
Keefe: “Think about the manufacturers that produce, for instance, energy-efficient appliances, who produce electric vehicles … construction workers … who go out and make our homes, our offices, our schools more energy efficient through better insulation, through better windows and doors, through better lighting systems, better HVAC systems and that sort of thing. That’s actually the ... Read more ...
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How climate change is affecting every U.S. region - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Nov 20, 2023) |
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Nov 20, 2023 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Climate change is making the weather weird in every region of the United States.
That’s a key takeaway of the new fifth National Climate Assessment, a sweeping, U.S.-focused report in which top climate scientists summarize the latest research on climate change science, impacts, and solutions.
As the climate warms, most of the Eastern United States is becoming wetter and thus faces increased flood risks. At the same time, the Western states are mostly becoming drier, the risk of droughts and wildfires is rising.
The National Climate ... Read more ...
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Green careers can provide a new way forward after prison - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Nov 15, 2023) |
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Nov 15, 2023 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Kerry Vadasz was sent to prison when she was 20. For years behind bars, she struggled to find direction.
But she says her life changed when she got involved with an environmental literacy and green job training program called Roots of Success.
Vadasz: “It offers opportunity for men and women to actually find a path forward in their life and not have to go back to their old lives.”
Roots of Success is offered at prisons, schools, and job training centers. It exposes participants to career paths in renewable energy, green building, clean ... Read more ...
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In wildfire-prone areas, homeowners are learning they’re uninsurable - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Oct 26, 2023) |
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Oct 26, 2023 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
It wasn’t the first summer Justin Guay went outside and choked on smoke. Or the second. But by the time wildfire season seemed to last year-round, he decided to move his family away from California and back to Utah, where he’d grown up.
In 2020, Guay bought a house in Wasatch County near the jagged mountains, where he thought the worst climate impacts would be warmer winters with higher snow lines. An avid skier, Guay thought that was bad enough. But this spring, a letter arrived from his homeowners insurance company, brokered through Progressive. ... Read more ...
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The world’s poorest people won’t be able to migrate to escape climate disasters - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Sep 26, 2023) |
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Sep 26, 2023 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Climate change will cause more intense droughts, extreme flooding, and crippling heat waves in many parts of the world.
In response, some people may become climate refugees.
But Hélène Benveniste of Harvard University found that as conditions become more extreme, it will get harder for many of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people to move. So some will be unable to escape.
“It’s costly to move, particularly if you’re going to move further away, and especially if you’re going to move across borders,” she ... Read more ...
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The Inflation Reduction Act is reducing U.S. reliance on China - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Sep 20, 2023) |
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Sep 20, 2023 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Do you plan to take advantage of clean energy tax credits?
Tell us about it in this brief survey.
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. Over a year later, its climate provisions remain a hot topic.
The law’s proponents argue that it’s created a boom in domestic manufacturing jobs within the United States while paving the way for significant climate pollution cuts. Its opponents claim that by accelerating the transition to clean technologies like electric vehicles and solar panels whose main ... Read more ...
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Report card: Biden’s accomplishments on climate justice - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Jun 02, 2023) |
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Jun 02, 2023 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Do you plan to take advantage of clean energy tax credits?
Tell us about it in this brief survey.
With President Joe Biden’s election came a slew of promises related to climate justice: During his campaign, Biden made commitments to reduce oil and gas drilling, transition the country toward renewable energy and electric vehicles, and center environmental justice in all aspects of federal climate policy and finance. And since his election, his administration has set its sights on communities in Appalachia, along coastlines, and the Gulf South, all ... Read more ...
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Baltimore residents get career training in urban forestry - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (May 23, 2023) |
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May 23, 2023 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Like in many cities, wealthy neighborhoods in Baltimore have lots of trees that provide shade and help cool the neighborhood on hot days. But other parts of Baltimore have few trees.
“Specifically, minority neighborhoods, neighborhoods that have been historically disenfranchised and disinvested in, those are the neighborhoods, unfortunately, that have a very low tree canopy cover,” says Ryan Alston of the Baltimore Tree Trust.
The group hires Baltimore residents and trains them to become neighborhood forestry technicians. These technicians plant ... Read more ...
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Flooding is pummeling the Southeast U.S. These organizers are fighting back. - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Feb 17, 2023) |
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Feb 17, 2023 · Stay in the know about climate impacts and solutions. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Yale Climate Connections
Beverly May, retired nurse practitioner and current epidemiologist at the University of Kentucky, lives maybe 100 feet from the house she grew up in Floyd County, Kentucky. She characterizes her community as “hillbilly country,” an area in central Appalachia that once served as a critical cog in the coal industry’s wheel. When historic floods ravaged the area in late July 2022, May decided to trade in her medical work for flood research and activism with the nonprofit community well-being organization Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.
“I’ve lived here ... Read more ...
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Utility workers are seeing the consequences of increasingly extreme weather firsthand - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Feb 03, 2023) |
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Feb 03, 2023 · Yale Climate Connections
When extreme rain hits, water utility workers need to respond quickly to keep communities safe from flooding, sewer overflows, and other hazards.
“These folks are in the trenches, literally dealing with extreme events,” says Katerina Gonzales, a researcher at the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership.
She’s helping Seattle Public Utilities find ways to engage their front-line workers in preparing for more extreme weather.
“Oftentimes, planning for adaptation is siloed in planning departments or policy departments, and they don’t value the lived experience of the front-line workers,” Gonzales says.
But she says ... Read more ...
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Shift in tuna populations could cost small Pacific islands $90 million a year - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Dec 20, 2022) |
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Dec 20, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
In Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, and other small Pacific island nations, the tuna fishing industry is a linchpin of the economy.
“It is very significant … mainly in revenue for the countries,” says Sangaalofa Clark, CEO of the Parties to the Nauru Agreement Office.
The organization was created by an agreement among small Pacific islands to collaboratively manage the region’s tuna fishery.
Fishing vessel owners from around the world pay access fees to fish in these nations’ waters. And in several of the countries, that money provides more than 40% of government revenue each year.
But as oceans warm, tuna populations are ... Read more ...
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Wisconsin program aims to boost diversity in clean energy economy - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Nov 23, 2022) |
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Nov 23, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
The clean energy and green building industries are growing rapidly.
And Baltazar De Anda Santana of the Latino Academy of Workforce Development in Madison, Wisconsin, wants to make sure people of color share in the benefits.
“I want to see Latinos, I want to see African Americans, doing solar installation,” he says. “I want to see them out there, making the money that is going to help them not just support their families, but for them to be able to have options, to have opportunities.”
So to equip people with the knowledge they need to break into the industry, his group helped lead a pilot program for minority contractors.
The ... Read more ...
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Five countries have cost the world $6 trillion in global warming losses - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Nov 16, 2022) |
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Nov 16, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
Climate change is a global problem. So when one country produces carbon pollution, it causes warming in other countries, too. That can cause economic losses - for example, by making it harder to grow crops.
Christopher Callahan is a Ph.D. student in the climate modeling and impacts group at Dartmouth College. His team analyzed how much individual countries have contributed to global warming and the effects of that warming on other countries and their economies.
“We found that individual major emitters have caused substantial economic changes across the globe,” he says.
According to the study, warming caused by just five countries - ... Read more ...
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Detroit nonprofit inspires young people to pursue environmental careers - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Oct 07, 2022) |
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Oct 07, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
Learning to care for the environment can help inspire young people and give them a new sense of purpose.
That principle helps guide youth programming at the Green Door Initiative, a Detroit-based nonprofit.
The group runs a paid summer program in which young people from underserved neighborhoods learn about pollution, flooding, and other environmental issues.
They also learn about careers in fields such as green building and natural resource management, and get experience with hands-on skills like water monitoring, invasive species removal, and carpentry.
Green Door founder Donele Wilkins says the program can empower and ... Read more ...
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Thinking of buying an EV? Hurry up … and wait … or? - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Sep 28, 2022) |
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Sep 28, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
The rush to buy for many is on when it comes to thinking about electric vehicles, EVs.
Hurry and buy now? Maybe.
Wait and buy later? Maybe.
It’s complicated.
And that’s not just because of the new Inflation Reduction Act. Many states also have incentive programs designed to get residents to buy electric vehicles. And there are all kinds of state and federal one-off endeavors designed to lay groundwork so you can actually use the EV when you buy it.
Yup – it can get very, very complicated and would-be EV buyers are going to have to spend time and effort figuring it all out.
“I don’t know how it’s going to look moving ... Read more ...
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Stuck with the bill: Local governments deluged with rising climate damage costs - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Sep 21, 2022) |
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Sep 21, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
Much of Columbus, Ohio, was without power for days this past June as the local electric utility struggled to manage simultaneous impacts of powerful storms and a heat wave. Many buildings lost air conditioning, and the city faced a potential public health crisis. Officials directed residents to several cooling centers, including a museum that was paid $60,000 per day to open its doors to the public.
According to Columbus City Council member Rob Dorans, this fee is just one of the many expenses added to the municipal books as rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns have strained the infrastructure in the Ohio capital. Since 2019, ... Read more ...
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70% of recent home buyers considered disaster risk in deciding where to live - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Sep 16, 2022) |
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Sep 16, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
Prospective home buyers usually consider how many bedrooms and bathrooms a house has and its price per square foot. But that’s not all.
“Seven out of 10 recent home buyers considered natural disaster risk when deciding where to live,” says Sara Brinton of Realtor.com.
She says many buyers are growing particularly concerned about wildfires.
So the real estate website now provides information on wildfire risk with a third-party tool called Fire Factor.
It ranks properties on a scale from one to 10 based on their risk of being damaged by wildfire over the next 30 years.
The ranking is based on projected regional fire risk as ... Read more ...
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Colorado program helps homeowners reduce wildfire risk - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Sep 14, 2022) |
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Sep 14, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
Of the five largest wildfires in Colorado history, four have happened since 2018.
“With a drier climate, with higher temperatures … the chance for these catastrophic wildfires is going to increase over time. … People are scared and they need somewhere to turn for assistance,” says Jim Webster with Wildfire Partners, a Boulder County program.
When a homeowner signs up, a specialist inspects their property for free - looking at everything from the spacing of the trees to what’s under their deck and in their gutters.
Then the specialist gives the homeowner a personalized list of action items.
Once the homeowner completes everything ... Read more ...
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As green jobs boom, the Green Workers Alliance wants to make sure workers are paid fairly - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Sep 05, 2022) |
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Sep 05, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
As the U.S. works to reduce its carbon pollution, green jobs are booming. More than 3 million workers across the country are now employed in the clean energy industry.
As lead organizer for the Green Workers Alliance, Nico Ries (they/them) wants to make sure opportunities in clean energy continue to grow and that companies provide workers with fair wages and safe conditions.
“So often we see folks talking about, 'Oh, we need better jobs,’ but it’s at the expense of climate, and then climate ignoring issues in labor,” Ries says. “So we’re really trying to be this kind of conduit between the two and saying, 'No, we need to aggressively fight ... Read more ...
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Coal communities are changing, so a project is capturing residents’ stories - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Jul 29, 2022) |
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Jul 29, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
For generations, many Ohio residents have worked in the coal industry.
“I personally am a coal miner’s daughter. My grandfather and my great grandfather were both miners,” says Gwynn Stewart of the Ohio State University Extension in Noble County.
She says the coal industry shaped people’s lives and identities. But as the country transitions to cleaner forms of energy, many coal mines and power plants are shutting down.
So Stewart is part of an effort to explore what coal communities are going through and share their stories through exhibitions and performances.
The team, led by Jeffrey Jacquet of Ohio State, has collected photos ... Read more ...
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Apprenticeship program trains people for clean energy jobs - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Jul 08, 2022) |
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Jul 08, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
The clean energy industry is booming. And companies need more licensed electricians who can install solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, battery storage, and more.
Vaughan Woodruff is director of workforce development at New England-based ReVision Energy. He says the workforce needs to grow quickly in size and diversity.
“We need more women involved. We need more representatives from communities of color involved. We need folks with disabilities, and veterans, and across the board,” Woodruff says.
But many people cannot afford to stop working to take outside training programs, or they have family commitments that conflict with ... Read more ...
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As electric cars gain popularity, states will need to make up lost gas-tax revenue - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Jun 15, 2022) |
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Jun 15, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
States use revenue from gas taxes to help pay for road and bridge maintenance, but electric vehicles do not use gas. So as hybrid cars and electric vehicles become more popular, states may find themselves short on funds.
“When we get to a certain level, no doubt it’s going to be impacting our revenue and start constraining our ability to maintain our roads and bridges,” says Michelle Godfrey of the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Her state is one of many that is exploring solutions.
“Every state in the nation is experiencing the same problem,” Godfrey says. “It’s universal.”
Since 2015, Oregon has offered drivers the option ... Read more ...
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Massachusetts group works for diversity in the offshore wind industry - Yale Climate Connections - Economic (Jun 07, 2022) |
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Jun 07, 2022 · Yale Climate Connections
Massachusetts is going all-in on offshore wind power. The state’s already working to obtain enough for a quarter of its annual electricity. And that figure is expected to grow.
As the offshore wind industry takes off, it’s expected to create tens of thousands of jobs.
“And I think they’re a mix of different jobs. So we have to make sure that we’re training people up and tooling them up to be ready,” says Kerry Bowie, executive director of Browning the Green Space, a group that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion in the clean energy industry.
His organization is working with Xodus, a consulting firm, to reach out to women, people ... Read more ...
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