Nina Turner

Nina is a graduate of the Energy Management and Design program at Sonoma State University. She has experience in non-profits that specialize in sustainability and volunteerism. Nina is currently the Energy Program Coordinator and produces the bi-weekly Clean Power Exchange newsletter.
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‘Tip of the iceberg’: Is our destruction of nature responsible for Covid-19?

by John Vidal, The Guardian Highlights: As humans continue to encroach on wildland for development, the exposure to more zoonotic diseases increases, which could cause more pandemics:  As more people log, mine, and develop roads and towns in tropic forests and other important wildlife habitats, humans increase their chances of contracting diseases and unknown viruses … Read more

Categories Public Health
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Traffic and pollution plummet as U.S. cities shut down for Coronavirus

by Brad Plumer and Nadja Popovich, The New York Times Highlights: Major cities across the United States are experiencing decreases in traffic and, subsequently, decreases in air pollution due to self-isolation mandates in various areas. Nitrogen dioxide emissions have dropped dramatically and traffic jams have virtually stopped in Los Angeles. Traffic was reportedly moving 71 percent faster than … Read more

Categories Public Health Transportation
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How changes brought on by coronavirus could help tackle climate change

by Glen Peters, The Conversation Highlights: Carbon emissions are dropping due to reduced energy consumption, but previous financial crises and events have led to lower emissions only temporarily. At best, a financial crisis delays emissions growth a few years.  So far forecasts still indicate the global economy will grow in 2020. For example, the Organization … Read more

Categories Business Network Public Health
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An economic crash will slow down the electric vehicle revolution … but not for long

by Laura Millan Lombrana, Jess Shankleman, and Akshat Rathi, Bloomberg Green Highlights: Due to the current pandemic of COVID-19, vehicle sales are expected to plummet, effecting the growth of electric vehicles (EVs)  for consumers. Vehicle sales have dropped 44% in China during January when the virus began to spread globally, but sales in Europe are … Read more

Categories Transportation
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U.S. clean-energy tax breaks sought in the virus stimulus package

by Ari Natter, Bloomberg Highlights: Clean energy advocates are pushing for consumer tax credit extensions for renewable energy, storage, and electric vehicles to be included in the stimulus package: With many business sectors taking losses from the impacts of coronavirus, the renewable energy sector says they are feeling losses as well The demand for solar … Read more

Categories Clean Energy
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Turns out Democrats and Republicans agree on something – microgrids

by pxhere.com, no attribution required

by Elisa Wood, Microgrid Knowledge Highlights Massachusettes based think tank, Civil Society Institute, conducted a survey that shows Independents, Democrats, and Republican voters have an interest in microgrids: Around 1,000 voters were surveyed and more than half had never heard of the concept After receiving a short description of the concept, more people became interested … Read more

Categories Clean Energy Community Energy Resilience
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Goat herd as ecosystem reclamation tool – profile in land and management

by Gregory Horner, Tomkat Ranch Highlights In Wyoming, goats were used to restore the habitat destroyed by oil well facilities. The company, Goat Green, was hired by Chevron to graze the land after herbicides and machinery failed to help restore the land to it’s previous conditions Over 1000 goats were able to eat the weeds … Read more

Categories Carbon Sequestration Fossil Fuels
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Study: Climate change is pushing giant ocean currents poleward

Wave by Emiliano Arano

by Bob Berwyn, Inside Climate News Highlights: Wind-driven ocean currents are moving towards the poles, causing impacts such as sea-level rise and storms. The shift in poles will affect sea-level rise on the East Coast of the US and disrupt salmon fishing waters on the West Coast Gyres, which are large systems of ocean currents, … Read more

Categories Clean Energy
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Senators energy package continues fracking and drilling

by Zoya Teirstein , Grist Highlights: Senators Lisa Murkowski (R) and Joe Manchin (D) revealed the  American Energy Innovation Act of 2020:  The bill does not stop drilling or fracking but does develop more solar and other renewable energy as well as carbon capture Portions of the bill mention exporting natural gas, a known emitter … Read more

Categories Clean Energy
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Study: Carbon taxes would boost jobs across the U.S.

by Mark Fischetti and Amanda Montañez, Scientific American Highlights: Marilyn A. Brown and Majid Ahmadi of the Georgia Institute of Technology modeled a $25 and $60 tax on each metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted by the U.S. energy system. The $25 tax resulted in more jobs, but substantially less emissions reductions (see charts below). Brown … Read more

Categories Clean Energy