Energy and Environment News Roundup – 1.23.14

A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world.

CLIMATE 

Climate takes center stage at World Economic Forum (via National Journal)

Europe, facing economic pain, may ease climate rules (via New York Times)

Massachusetts invests $50 million in grid, coastal climate resiliency (via CleanTechnica)

TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL 

EU may scrap green fuel law in boon for tar sands industry (via InsideClimate News)

TransCanada calls Keystone XL “safest pipeline to date” (via The Hill)

TransCanada’s 2013 lobbying topped $1 million (via Bloomberg)

RENEWABLES 

Global utility-scale solar capacity climbs past 21GW in 2013 (via Renew Economy)

European Union relaxes renewable energy target (via Houston Chronicle)

Latin America gets its first concentrating solar plant (via Sustainable Business)

A U.S. offshore wind farm, made in Europe (via New York Times)

U.S. appeals court won’t revisit California ethanol ruling (via Reuters)

Honda ramps up U.S. wind power capability (via BusinessGreen)

OIL 

Federal appeals court rules Arctic oil lease sale flawed (via Washington Post)

Big Oil, small jobs: A look at the oil industry’s dubious job claims (via Center for American Progress)

North Dakota governor says new national safety standards for oil trains needed sooner than 2015 (via Inforum)

TRANSPORTATION 

The U.S. government keeps predicting we’ll drive more than we actually do (via Washington Post)

Silicon Valley workplaces rage when more EVs than charging stations (via Autoblog Green)

$50 million for advanced EV tech and more (via CleanTechnica)

GRID 

California aims to increase energy efficiency, demand response (via Renew Grid)

How Harry Reid delivered a 235-mile long transmission line to Nevada (via National Journal)

Another 40MW of grid scale energy storage in the California pipeline (via Greentech Media)

New York looking to catch up with California’s lead in energy storage (via Greentech Media)

NATURAL GAS/FRACKING 

Moniz: Natural gas risks can be “managed” (via Houston Chronicle)

Proposed fracking in Virginia national forest meets broad opposition (via Los Angeles Times)

EMISSIONS 

South Korea to tax coal for power, lower LNG and fuel oil tax from July 1 (via Reuters)

Europe divides over more ambitious pollution limits (via Bloomberg Businessweek)

Institutional investors concerned about climate risk, “stranded assets” (via Breaking Energy)

Divesting from Big Oil – and making money (via San Francisco Chronicle)

NUCLEAR 

Ohio nuclear plant reports radioactive leak (via Columbus Dispatch)

ENVIRONMENT 

Historic California drought called a red flag for future of U.S. (via Christian Science Monitor)

Second chemical leaked during West Virginia spill prompts new probe (via The Guardian)

ENERGY POLICY 

Pennsylvania governor releases all-of-the-above energy plan (via Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Internet and cable giant Comcast will soon sell electricity in Pennsylvania (via Greentech Media)

GREEN BUILDING 

New report compares economic payoffs of white, green, or black roofs (via Phys.org)

OPINION 

10 questions to ask about scaling on-grid renewable energy (via World Resources Institute)

Finally, a reason for some optimism about climate change (via Washington Post)

Green Home Service Does the Hard Work for You

Green Home Service: Pono Home

Having a green home can feel easier said than done, right? For folks in Hawaii, a new service helps homeowners out!

Pono Home is a Honolulu-based company that offers green home consulting. They do everything from auditing your pantry for unhealthy food and GMOs to changing your light bulbs.

'Pono' is a Hawaiian word that means righteousness. It can also mean morality, excellence, and success, which I think makes it a really fitting name for a green home service. Greening your home is all about protecting the planet and your health while saving money, and what could be more excellent than that?

I love baby steps, but if you want to completely overhaul your home, this service looks like an amazing way to make it easy peasy! Check out their video:

As they mentioned in the video, Pono Home is looking to expand their green home consulting and even start franchises in other areas! Right now, only folks in Hawaii can get a Pono Home consultation, but their mission is to expand their company to more and more cities. If you want to help them with that mission, check out their Indigogo page.

Disclosure: Scott Cooney - one of the founders of Pono Home - is a friend and a coworker. We work together at Important Media. I was not compensated at all for this article. I just think this concept is a super exciting way to meet your green home goals without having to do any of the research or comparison shopping.

Green Home Service Does the Hard Work for You

Green Home Service: Pono Home

Having a green home can feel easier said than done, right? For folks in Hawaii, a new service helps homeowners out!

Pono Home is a Honolulu-based company that offers green home consulting. They do everything from auditing your pantry for unhealthy food and GMOs to changing your light bulbs.

'Pono' is a Hawaiian word that means righteousness. It can also mean morality, excellence, and success, which I think makes it a really fitting name for a green home service. Greening your home is all about protecting the planet and your health while saving money, and what could be more excellent than that?

I love baby steps, but if you want to completely overhaul your home, this service looks like an amazing way to make it easy peasy! Check out their video:

As they mentioned in the video, Pono Home is looking to expand their green home consulting and even start franchises in other areas! Right now, only folks in Hawaii can get a Pono Home consultation, but their mission is to expand their company to more and more cities. If you want to help them with that mission, check out their Indigogo page.

Disclosure: Scott Cooney - one of the founders of Pono Home - is a friend and a coworker. We work together at Important Media. I was not compensated at all for this article. I just think this concept is a super exciting way to meet your green home goals without having to do any of the research or comparison shopping.