11/15
Energy Science
With school out, construction crews work in earnest
Campus may have depopulated for the summer, but construction workers have moved in to begin or accelerate work on projects both big and small. Here, an overview of what’s in progress on Penn’s campus—and beyond.
Solutions to mitigate climate change, from the IPCC
The latest assessment offers both a harsh reality check and a path forward. Experts William Braham, Peter Psarras, and Michael Mann offer their thoughts.
Talking energy at Penn
Energy Week 2022, hosted by the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and the Vagelos Institute for Energy Science and Technology, runs April 4-8. It includes student presentations, along with conversations about renewables, energy and the war in Ukraine, and much more.
Four takeaways from the IPCC’s report on climate adaptation and vulnerability
The assessment gets explicit about the effect of climate change on people, places, and ecosystems. Experts from Penn weigh in on what it means.
An investment in energy and sustainability ‘for the survival of humanity’
Significant new support for research and hires will bolster Penn’s existing strengths in developing the energy and sustainability solutions of the future.
Four things to know about the latest IPCC climate report
The assessment describes ‘unequivocal’ human influence that no doubt caused ‘widespread and rapid changes’ to the atmosphere, oceans, and more. Professors Mark Alan Hughes and Michael Weisberg discuss the findings, plus how we can avoid passing the point of no return.
Penn Engineering’s ENIAD sets new world record for energy-efficient supercomputing
ENIAD, named after ENIAC, the world’s first digital computer, which was developed at Penn 75 years ago, took the top spot among a list of 500 of the most energy-efficient supercomputers reported in the world.
The alternative fuel life of everyday items
Researchers in the Goldberg Group, including Karen Goldberg, Vagelos Professor in Energy Research, and Drew Newman, doctoral candidate in chemistry, focus on alternative fuel sources for items that are part of everyday life.
The infrastructure bill could fix trucking for the long haul
As the country explores major infrastructure investments, urban truck ports have the potential to increase the fuel efficiency of trucks, reduce air pollution, and improve the lives of truckers who deliver our critical goods.
Empowering refugee communities with access to clean water
With project Maji, seniors Martin Leet and Leah Voytovich will use their President’s Engagement Prize to install a solar-powered water tank and provide agricultural and first aid training for members of the Olua I community.
In the News
Exxon CEO wants Trump to stay in Paris climate accord
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences voices his concern about the possibility that the U.S. could become a petrostate.
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Amid Earth’s heat records, scientists report another bump upward in annual carbon emissions
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that total carbon emissions including fossil fuel pollution and land use changes such as deforestation are basically flat because land emissions are declining.
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New report accuses Citibank of funding fossil fuel projects amounting to environmental racism
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that from an ethical standpoint banks and investment firms should no longer be financing new fossil fuel infrastructure.
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Demand for rare elements used in clean energy could help clean up abandoned coal mines in Appalachia
John Quigley of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that the things that have created climate change can be a solution for it if handled smartly.
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Dirty water, more pollution, and oil wells on public lands: How a second Trump term would torpedo the environment
Michael Mann of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Project 2025 would completely undermine any U.S. action on climate and signify an abdication of American leadership to the world.
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Could Florida electric bills go up because of a fuel made from manure?
Danny Cullenward of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the Weitzman School of Design says that federal and California state subsidies have led to a gold rush of companies trying to get into the business of renewable natural gas around the country.
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