Author: Alex Tabibi

Global Solar Additions to Fall for First Time in 2026 For many years now we have seen consecutively larger increases in the solar additions but it looks like this is coming to an end (halt?). Introduction to BNEF’s Solar Forecast BloombergNEF (BNEF) has long been one of the most trusted names in clean energy research, tracking how renewables reshape the global energy system and when their analysts speak, investors, policymakers, and sustainability leaders usually lean in. So when BNEF recently projected that global solar additions will decline in 2026 — the first drop in years — it raised both eyebrows…

Green Stocks Are Big Winners as Tech Boom Drives Energy Demand Introduction to Green Stocks and Their Rise in Popularity A few years ago, investing in green stocks might have seemed like a niche pursuit — the kind of play reserved for idealists or early adopters. Today, they’re among the market’s brightest stars. Green stocks, broadly speaking, represent companies advancing renewable energy, sustainable technology, electric vehicles, and cleaner industrial processes – like firms building solar panels, producing wind turbines, or developing new battery chemistries. Over the past decade, growing awareness of climate change, supportive government policies, and let’s face…

Atmos Zero: The Startup Electrifying Industrial Steam and Redefining Clean Manufacturing When most people think about electrification, they picture cars, homes, and gadgets running on clean electricity. But there’s a less visible player behind every manufactured good — industrial steam. From brewing beer to making chemicals, steam is the lifeblood of factories worldwide. And until recently, producing it without burning fossil fuels was considered nearly impossible. That’s changing fast, thanks to a Colorado-based startup called Atmos Zero. In less than four years, Atmos Zero has achieved what the industrial sector has struggled with for over a century: generating high-temperature steam…

For decades, coal has been at the heart of industrial power generation, but the emergence of low-cost, high-performance sodium batteries is setting the stage for a massive shift in global energy economics — one that could push coal’s long-standing dominance closer to extinction. As costs plunge and new projects scale up, sodium-based energy storage is emerging as a game-changing technology that complements wind and solar power, while accelerating the decline of fossil fuels. To ensure a sustainable transition, understanding the role of government policy can be pivotal in shaping recycling habits and energy policies. The End of Coal’s Comeback In…

Some good news is welcome for a change. In a groundbreaking move for marine conservation, nations worldwide have ratified the first-ever global treaty aimed at protecting ocean life. This monumental agreement seeks to combat the severe biodiversity loss and environmental degradation that threaten marine ecosystems. We finally have – through collective action, countries which are now poised to collaborate on preserving the health of our oceans. Why the Treaty Matters The Earth’s oceans are crucial for maintaining ecological balance. This cannot be underestimated as they absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide, regulate weather patterns, and provide habitat for countless species.…

Australia is a country I have been following for a few years now as they have done such a good job with home solar. In fact as of May 2025, over 4.1 million solar power systems were installed on Australian homes and small businesses, representing almost 40% penetration. Now Australia – known for its vast reserves of coal and other fossil fuels (as well as iron ore etc), is stepping into the spotlight with its ambitious commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 62% by 2035. The decision underscores a pivotal shift not only within Australia’s domestic policies but also…

Unfortunately but not surprisingly more bad news for environment from the Trump Admin. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Trump administration has decided to halt its efforts to track emissions from the country’s largest polluters. This decision has sparked significant concern among environmentalists and scientists, especially considering the global importance of tackling climate change. Monitoring emissions is crucial, as it allows policymakers to make informed decisions that could mitigate the effects of climate change and guide us toward a more sustainable future. Background on Emissions Monitoring Monitoring emissions involves tracking the release of greenhouse gases such as…

Understanding the Essential Role of Coral Reefs If you have had the good fortune of seeing a vibrant coral reef system let’s say ten years ago –  you should not take it for granted that they are still alive today  – or that they will be in short order. It is estimated that the oceans have absorbed as much as 90% of the energy of climate change – thus sparing us on land from even more heat that we would experience otherwise.. But the result is that below the surface finely tuned systems are suffering the significant warming of the…

Introduction to Iran’s Water Crisis This is a personal subject for me as I spent a few years in Iran as a child and I have friends who still live there and I hear their personal stories too. Today – across much of Iran, taps are running dry including in the capital, Tehran – a metropolis of 15 million people who have a sword hanging over their heads with talks of even an evacuation if rain does not come soon. Reservoirs sit low, with several at below 5% – while farmers watch as cracked earth replaces once-verdant fields, and towns…

Introduction to Global Temperature Rise Scientists released another sobering update: the world is still heading toward a 2.6°C rise in average global temperature this century. On a planetary scale, it’s enormous and in some locations the change is much greater. More importantly extreme heat events have already skyrocketed and will continue to do so – having now effectively accelerating past 1.5 degrees (which it kinda has). The difference between a livable Earth and one facing cascading environmental instability often falls within just a few degrees just like the human body. Imagine if your body is running at 2.6°C above normal.…

Facing the Heat: Understanding America’s Growing Climate Challenge As the summer sun blazes down each year, bringing with it the promise of barbecues, beach trips, and outdoor fun, there’s a darker side to this warmth that often goes unnoticed: the rising threat of extreme heat. We have all felt it – extreme heat when you start to feel bad and as if you cannot do anything to reduce your core temperature. Well, recently parts of the U.S. have experienced heat waves that are not just sweltering but sometimes deadly. The impacts of these scorching temperatures reach far beyond merely making…

Energy Policy and Fossil Fuel Promotion When you look out at the globe, you see many countries moving rapidly toward renewable sources of energy, with capacity expected to double worldwide by 2030. While this global “greenification” of energy production is often framed as a political or environmental movement, its true momentum stems from economics: solar and wind power are now among the cheapest forms of energy available, often undercutting coal and gas on price while producing far fewer emissions. Yet even as the world charts this encouraging trajectory, the second Trump administration has taken deliberate policy actions that threaten to…

Plastic-Munching Bacteria Found Across the Seven Seas Introduction to Plastic Pollution in Oceans If you’ve ever walked along a beach and spotted a tangle of plastic bottles, straws, and candy wrappers, you’ve glimpsed just a fraction of a much bigger problem. Every year, millions of tons of plastic waste flow into our oceans, forming swirling gyres of debris and breaking down into microplastics that infiltrate marine life — and eventually, our own food chain. According to recent estimates, some 170 trillion plastic particles now float across the world’s seas, a number that continues to rise as consumption outpaces cleanup efforts.…

Global Power Demand Is Surging Toward 2035 Many of us turn on the air conditioning or heating or lights without a second thought – and that quiet buzz of modern life — our devices, data centers, and climate control — all draws on an energy system now under growing strain as our need for energy globally increases from factors like developing nations using air conditioning to of course the ever accelerating demand for power from AI. According to Rystad Energy, global power demand is set to rise by almost one-third by 2035 which is an enormous leap, even for an…

Satellite Hunt for Superpollutants Wins $100 Million New Funding Not every threat to the planet is visible with some of the most powerful climate-warming gases being  colorless, odorless, and often overlooked—yet they trap heat thousands of times more effectively than carbon dioxide. These are the “superpollutants,” and a growing network of satellites is gearing up to find them from space. Recently, a coalition of climate organizations and philanthropists announced a $100 million boost to this effort, marking one of the largest investments ever made in high-tech pollution tracking with the goal being to sharpen our vision of what’s actually floating…

Understanding Outdoor Air Pollution As an ex-Oncologist who is often fixated on trends and numbers- the subject of the effects of human activity on human health is of utmost importance to me. Also given the increasing frequency of cancer it is clear that something in our environment and/or foods is increasing our chances of getting sick. We know for example that microplastics in the environment can lead to increasing rates of metabolic diseases. We also know that outdoor air pollution —  a mix of substances in the air we breathe that can harm health and the environment be it from…

Introduction to COP30 When world leaders, scientists, and activists gather in Belém, Brazil, for COP30 in 2025, they won’t just be meeting for another round of climate talks—they’ll be standing at a tipping point. COP30, short for the 30th Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), marks three decades of negotiating humanity’s response to a warming planet. These annual gatherings have shaped the global climate playbook, from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement. The setting itself carries symbolism. Belém, a gateway to the Amazon—the planet’s largest tropical rainforest and one of Earth’s…

The Great Barrier Reef and Its Struggle for Survival Stretching more than 1,400 miles along Australia’s northeast coast, the Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth — so vast it’s visible from space. It’s not just a tourist magnet or a marine marvel; it’s a crucial ecosystem that supports thousands of species, from tiny plankton to giant sea turtles. But over the past decade, this natural wonder has faced an escalating crisis. Repeated mass bleaching events, fueled by rising ocean temperatures, have left large sections of the reef drained of color and life. Scientists have watched with…

There is in my opinion something that in the conversations about the environment people seldom discuss or appreciate. That is that apart from climate change – there are other important reasons to reduce fossil fuel usage with an improvement in the air quality being primary. In fact in the US alone educing air pollution could potentially save up to 6,000 lives each year by 2030. Air pollution remains a significant environmental health threat, with particles and gases like ozone and nitrogen dioxide contributing to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. There is some growing awareness which has spurred policy initiatives and public…

The 2025 Formula One season is running red-hot—a campaign loaded with unpredictability, technical intrigue, and a rivalry that has seized every racing fan’s attention. McLaren, not long ago far closer to the back of the grid than the front, has become the architects of a narrative none imagined: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, two of the grid’s brightest young stars, are locked in a ferocious, point-for-point dogfight for the drivers’ world championship.  For the last four years, Max Verstappen has been the dominant force, ruling over the rest of the paddock with an iron fist. However, his Red Bull is…