(May 19, 2020). Electric Bus, Main Fleets and Projects Around the World. Retrieved November 16, 2020 from https://www.sustainable-bus.com/electric-bus/electric-bus-public-transport-main-fleets-projects-around-world/

The adoption of electric bus technology into public transportation was kickstarted in China. Impressively, 340 electric busses were added to the roads each day in China in 2016. Currently, the country is leading the world with electric bus technology as 17% of their total fleet is electric, a far greater number than in the rest of the world. Many cities in China have committed to using electric busses. For example, Shenzhen has already achieved a fleet of 16,500 electric buses and Beijing aims to have a fleet of 10,000 of their own electric buses by the end of this year. Use of electric buses in other parts of the world has been much slower to take hold, with the largest fleet of electric buses in all of Europe being just 100. With this being said, the city of London does have plans to convert its entire fleet of 8,000 busses to electric alternatives by 2037. In the United States, the current reality for electric buses is much worse as there are only 1,000 electric buses in use throughout the entire country. Although electric buses have not been significantly adopted outside of China — a situation which has been made worse due to the pandemic, experts agree that the potential future for the technology remains bright and many predict it will take off in the near future. 

Currently, the electrification of bus fleets around the world has been slow to take hold, with the notable exception of China. In China, a substantial percent of their total fleet of busses is electric, however this is not the case in the rest of the world. In the United States and Europe — two potentially large markets for electric busses, the technology has yet to make a significant impact. Although the present state of electric buses may not seem optimistic, I believe the future for the technology is still hopeful. This is because, for cities looking to reduce their carbon emissions, electric bus technology kills two birds with one stone: buses in general help to reduce carbon emissions by lowering the number of individual vehicles on the road and electric buses would further reduce emissions by ensuring that the buses themselves do not pollute. Furthermore, as the technology matures and the upfront price reduces, electric buses will reach a point where they are less expensive than gas powered buses when you factor in the lower maintenance and charging costs.

(November 12, 2020). Geothermal Energy Information and Facts. Retrieved November 16, 2020 from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/geothermal-energy/

Geothermal energy is power that comes from the heat under Earth’s surface. This energy has been used for millennia in some areas where it is particularly abundant to cook and heat. Geothermal energy is used presently to directly cool and heat homes via a geothermal heat pump. This zero-emission uses the constant heat within the Earth to pump hot air into homes in the winter and pump hot air out of homes in the summer. In some cities, hot water from under the Earth’s surface is even pumped through pavement on streets and sidewalks to melt ice. Geothermal energy is also used to create electricity by drilling pipes into the ground which harness steam and hot water to turn turbines and generate power. This energy source is used throughout the world but is most effective in countries that have many volcanoes or geysers. Iceland for example has 25 volcanoes and geysers which allows the country to create 30% of its energy from geothermal sources. Because it does not require the burning of fossil fuels, geothermal energy produces one sixth the carbon dioxide produced by the cleanest natural gas plants. Another advantage of geothermal energy is it provides power no matter the time of day or weather conditions, unlike other renewable power sources such as solar or wind. With this being said, the production of geothermal energy does release hydrogen sulfide, the gas which smells like rotten eggs. 

Similarly to the previous article, this article outlines geothermal energy as a source of renewable electricity. Before reading this article, I thought geothermal energy was only applicable in specific countries with widespread volcanoes and geysers so I was surprised to learn how widespread the energy source is around the world. In my opinion, the energy source can provide a reliable source of clean energy for cities, as it is not dependent on the weather or time of day like solar and wind energy is. Also, it has the potential to be used on an industrial scale to generate electricity similarly and power entire cities or an individual scale to cool and heat single homes, unlike wind energy which is only profitable on a large scale.

(November 12, 2020). Wind Power Information and Facts. Retrieved November 15, 2020 from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/wind-power/#close

From pushing sails or powering pumps, wind has served as a source of power for humans throughout history. In the present, wind is used to spin turbines which provide an emission free source of power for the ever growing population. Unlike other energy sources, wind turbines have almost no operational costs and the initial cost of production is dropping as methods of mass production are being implemented. With this being said, the energy source has some key drawbacks that have limited its implementation, the most notable of which is the fact that its energy output can vary widely based on weather conditions. Similarly to how solar panels generate less electricity on a cloudy day, wind turbines do not generate electricity if it is not windy. Thus wind turbines are only applicable in locations with windy conditions year round. 

Although the megawatts produced by wind energy has increased from 17,000 in the year 2000 to 430,000 in 2015, the source still only makes up a small portion of our total energy production. In 2015, China surpassed the European Union in installation of wind turbines and continues to lead in this sector of renewable energy. 

This article gives insight into the past and present of wind energy as well as the pros and cons of wind turbines. Although wind energy can provide a large amount of renewable energy, it is less applicable than other sources of energy. Unlike solar panels which are easy to install and are useful in most locations, wind turbines are too large and expensive to install on an individual scale and are only profitable in very windy locations. It is hard to imagine a city filled with rooftop wind turbines as is the case with solar panels. With this being said, wind turbines have the advantage of providing renewable power 24 hours a day (given the correct wind conditions) whereas solar panels only provide a power source when the sun is up and thus need battery infrastructure or fossil fuel power plants to provide electricity at night. Given wind turbines advantages and disadvantages when compared to other sources of renewable energy, in my opinion, the best replacement for the current fossil fuel dependent system is not one source of green energy. Rather, the best alternative is a solution which combines many forms of renewable energy such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric to create a grid powered by numerous sources of zero-emissions energy.  

Peter, Sigal. (June 6, 2020). How Automakers Plan to Avoid CO(2) Fines in Europe. Retrieved November 15, 2020 from https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/how-automakers-plan-avoid-co2-fines-europe

Starting this year, carmakers in the European Union were required to have carbon dioxide  emissions of at most 95 grams per kilometer driven. This reduction is dramatic as the average CO(2) emissions in the European Union in 2018 was 120 g/km. If manufacturers do not reduce their emissions by 21 percent, they will face hefty fines of up to 33 billion dollars for some automakers. This fine is large enough that it forces car companies to make dramatic changes in order to reduce their emissions. The change most car manufacturers are implementing is creating electric alternatives to their gas powered vehicles. The Volkswagen group for example is ramping up production of electric cars starting with the sale of the ID3, an all electric hatchback that rivals the wildly popular VW Golf. By selling zero emissions cars, manufacturers can bring down their total emissions and avoid a large fine which would otherwise cut into their profits. Ultimately, this regulation will help lead the European Union to a sustainable future by driving car manufacturers to create more environmentally friendly products. 

This article highlights one way the European Union is seeking to reduce their emissions and create a sustainable future. In a society where company’s choices are driven by profit, one of the best ways to force them to change their actions is to threaten their profits. The regulation in the European Union does this well by instating large fines on car companies if they do not comply with very strict rules. The rules are strict enough that they cannot be met by making small changes, instead, manufacturers must use new technologies such as creating electric cars in order to avoid fines and remain profitable. In my opinion, fines such as these will be a key way to motivate car manufacturers to make more sustainable products. This is because without being pushed, car companies would likely be reluctant to change their products, as gas cars are less expensive to produce and less risky than electric vehicles. 

Douglas, Broom. (October 9, 2020). 60% of Cars Sold in Norway Last Month were Electric. Retrieved November 15, 2020 from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/norway-electric-cars-majority-sales/

In Norway, two thirds of all cars sold in the month of September were electric and when including hybrids that tally increases to 89 percent meaning Norway leads the world in the number of eco-friendly cars on its roads. Generous tax incentives when purchasing an electric vehicle and price reductions for tolls, parking, and ferries help the country reach their goal of having all new cars sold be electric by the year 2025. On a global scale, the sale of electric vehicles has increased in recent years due to the drop in battery prices as the technology improves; from 2010 to 2019 the price of lithium-ion batteries fell 89%. Although very generous tax cuts of up to 90% have kick started the electric car boom in the country, the Norwegian government now wishes to reduce the incentives in order to bring electric cars to the same purchase price as their gas powered counterparts. Although this may seem counterintuitive, the price of electric cars will still be far more affordable than combustion engine vehicles as they cost much less to run over time. Ultimately, the actions of the Norwegian government has helped the country create a clear path towards a sustainable future . 

This article depicts how the country of Norway has managed to kick start the sales of electric vehicles much faster than other countries. Although in its current state, the price of electric cars is higher than comparable gas cars because of the high price of batteries, through tax incentives and perks throughout the country they have managed to make electric cars less expensive than gas cars. This resulted in the country leading the world in the sale of electric vehicles with 89% of cars being sold last year being electric or hybrid. In my opinion, the actions of the Norwegian government should be replicated in other countries around the world in order to create a sustainable future. Until the price of battery technology and subsequently electric cars fall enough that they are similar to that of combustion engine cars, tax incentives will be necessary to increase their sales.