The power sector is the highest emitter of greenhouse gases each year, accounting for approximately 40 percent of overall atmospheric pollution. Fossil fuels make up 67 percent of the electricity generated in the world, a number that contributes substantially to climate change. More electric companies are beginning to turn to renewable energy as these resources become more efficient and cost effective. Currently, 24 percent of electricity comes from renewable sources and this number is predicted to increase in the coming years. According to Project Drawdown, this sector can be reformed through three strategies: to enhance efficiency, shift production, and to improve the system.
This collection of stories (see below) demonstrates several ways that communities and countries have been limiting their carbon footprint by relying increasingly on renewable energy. In Kenya, local communities are using their natural surroundings of geothermal activity to provide clean energy. India is bringing electricity to villages, while reducing their land-use (and carbon) footprint by installing solar panels in canals. Paris has transformed entire areas to have almost zero emissions by using a combination of power sources such as solar and wind, and the Danish island of Samso generates 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources. Solutions in this sector are Drawdown Ecochallenge actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are featured in the Campus Ecochallenge.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/23/business/geothermal-energy-grows-in-kenya.html
Amy Yee
The New York Times
23 February 2018
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Kenya harnesses geothermal energy to power the nation. By developing naturally occurring geothermal areas at the East African Rift, they were able to supply almost half of the country's energy needs in 2015.
https://www.eco-business.com/news/in-pursuit-of-self-determined-development-borneos-indigenous-tribes-turn-to-homegrown-renewables
Tim Ha
Eco-Business
21 January 2021
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An indigenous-led nonprofit group called Tonibung installed a micro-hydro electrical system for a village deep in Borneo’s rainforests. The project not only supplied much-needed energy for the villagers of Kampung Buayan, but it is also protecting the surrounding ecosystems, creating jobs for people, and encouraging youth to get involved. “We want to advocate for native rights to self-determination and empower indigenous groups to choose the kind of development that meets the aspirations of their people,” says the founder of the organization.
https://ensia.com/articles/paris-is-building-the-eco-community-of-the-future-right-now-heres-how
Susannah Shmurak
Ensia
23 May 2018
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Setting the bar high for environmental sustainability can encourage innovation and experimentation. Developers of Paris’ new Clichy-Batignolles eco-district are reducing the neighborhood’s carbon footprint in nearly every way imaginable. Solar panels and vegetation cover the energy-efficient buildings, the water table under the 10-hectare (25-acre) park provides geothermal heating, deliveries are directed to a central drop-off site, and much more.
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2017/0416/The-world-s-greenest-island
Tom A. Peter
Christian Science Monitor
16 April 2017
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Samsø, a small island in Denmark, has done what no other city has reached; energy independence. People on the island use a combination of wind, solar, and biomass, energy. How is such a large feat accomplished? Local leaders say it wasn’t because of technological breakthrough, but through collective action.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200803-the-solar-canals-revolutionising-indias-renewable-energy
Kalpana Sunder
BBC
3 August 2020
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Covering canals with solar panels has allowed Indian communities to save land, water and carbon emissions, and even bring electricity to rural villages. The solar panels are suspended on metal structures over the canal, which can generate electricity for farmers and be fed into the state grid or sold to public utilities. While these canal-top solar power plants can be expensive to build, so far, eight Indian states have commissioned canal solar projects.
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