Changing the Game: Boulder’s Clean Energy Goals, and How a Lego Game Shows How To Reach Them What if there were a way for Boulder to visualize what would happen if the city were to take more aggressive action for reducing carbon emissions, or to map what it would look like to meet its renewable energy targets through municipalization? Lego blocks and “Change Cards” provide just such a tool, offering insight into the technological, economic and political challenges to making Boulder’s clean-energy and carbon-reducing visions a reality. By Marisa McNatt
Scandinavian-Style Sustainability Wind turbines, bikeable cities, clean air and water. How do they do that? By Dan Haugen
Is burning garbage green? In Sweden, there’s little debate While waste-to-energy incinerators remain a controversial topic among U.S. environmentalists, there’s been little such debate in Sweden as the country increased its waste burning capacity over the past decade. By Dan Haugen
As Midwest cities mull congestion pricing, Swedish drivers are already sold As a city of islands, Stockholm was in a unique position, geographically speaking, to implement congestion pricing for motorists. Just 18 crossings exist where cars and trucks can enter or exit the inner city. When it comes to politics, though, the city had no special advantage. By Dan Haugen
Drought-Hardy Barley Could Save Your Beer As Oktoberfest rages on, German scientists are working out a way to protect a key beer ingredient from climate change. By Tim McDonnell
Once dismissed as ‘sewing circle,’ Swedish co-op creates a stake for women in wind industry In an industry whose leadership still skews heavily towards men, it’s very likely Qvinnovindar is the only company of its kind anywhere in the world. By Dan Haugen
How Denmark turned an efficiency obligation into opportunity In the U.S., there’s rising anxiety and speculation about how flat or falling electricity demand could affect utilities’ long-term business models. Here in Denmark, though, electric companies have long operated in a slow- or no-growth market, and they continue to invest in further lowering customers’ energy use. By Dan Haugen
Green Economy Series: "Smart Growth - The Green Revolution" By Ralf Fücks (center) speaking at the event // Photo: Heinrich Böll Foundation
Writing About the Energiewende Writing about Germany’s clean energy transition is notoriously difficult – for a number of reasons. And writing about it in book form is probably the hardest of all. Paul Hockenos reviews four recent titles that tackle the topic.