In Marfa, Texas, prior to 2017, a house made of adobe bricks was appraised in the same way as any other house made of any other material. Now, following an update by the county tax assessors, inhabitants of adobe structures pay 57% more in taxes than other homeowners. Let’s …
What if your phone, your car, your home and office could be charged by the sun? Transparent solar technologies have the potential to transform cities from massive energy consumers to energy producers. What is “transparent solar” anyway? Transparent solar is cutting-edge technology that absorbs and utilizes light energy …
I recently started work for the data team at Bright Power, a company with a mission to help meet and track energy efficiency needs for various multifamily building clients in an effort to combat climate change. What drew me to Bright Power was their clear commitment to that mission, so …
We all produce waste, but where it goes next is often left out of the picture. For many, the path our waste takes after we discard it does not play a role in our daily lives. However, the massive amounts of waste we generate pose serious issues in terms of …
Unexpected changes in direction are not uncommon when starting new projects. At the get go, you inevitably have an idea of what you think the inputs and outputs of the project should look like. It’s easy to latch onto these expectations and garner a lot of momentum in one direction. …
Reflecting back on my 6-month internship at the Alliance to Save Energy, one element stands out above all others: my coworkers. The Beginning of My Internship This was my first “real” full-time job, and by “real,” I mean business attire, 9-5, 5 days a week, office computer work. It …
As part of the Bard Center for Environmental Policy’s (CEP) Master’s program, we students are required to do a 4 to 6-month internship at an organization related to environmental or climate science and policy. This internship gives us the opportunity to apply what we’ve learned in our first-year coursework and …
Have you recently invested in energy-efficient technology? Do you believe that you’re consuming less energy and lowering your carbon footprint? (You can calculate your personal carbon footprint here). If you answered yes to both of these questions, you probably haven’t heard of the rebound effect in energy efficiency. The rebound effect …
Carbon dioxide is the chief culprit causing climate change. The greenhouse gas is released through a variety of human activities, including tillage, deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. Although the gas naturally circulates among the planet’s oceans, atmosphere and plants, human activities have produced carbon dioxide in excess of …
A lot has happened since my last post in July. My internship at NYSERDA ended in August when I a took a job as the Project Coordinator for the Multifamily team, also at NYSERDA. This change coincided with more responsibilities but also a continuation of the research and development I …
