The prime minister has called it an “energy security crisis” and signalled a review of New Zealand’s electricity market as wholesale prices spike and industries suffer. And he’s right – this year has seen pricing turmoil. August saw daily averages ranging between NZ$164.52 and $853.57 per megawatt hour (MWh). By comparison, August 2023 saw a Read more
Perhaps you are wondering, “What is Laudato Si’ Week?” And for that matter, what does Laudato Si’ mean? Laudato Si’ is medieval Italian for “Praise be to you.” It is a quote from St. Francis of Assisi’s beautiful Canticle of the Creatures: “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains Read more
Glasgow arts venue SWG3 has switched on a system that creates renewable energy from the body heat on its dancefloor. Dancers’ heat is piped via a carrier fluid to 200m (650ft) boreholes that can be charged like a thermal battery. The energy then travels back to the heat pumps, is upgraded to a suitable temperature Read more
The number of electric vehicles on the world’s roads is surging, hitting a record number last year. That would seem to be good news, as the world tries to wean itself off fossil fuels that are wrecking the global climate. But as electric cars become more popular, some question just how environmentally friendly they are. Read more
The Government is being challenged on its spending on renewable energy after the revelation that coal imports last year passed a point not seen in New Zealand in 15 years. Newly released data shows close to 1.1 million tonnes of coal was imported into New Zealand last year. That’s higher than the total of coal Read more
The Vatican has praised a Philippine diocese for becoming the first in the entire Catholic Church to adopt renewable energy. Vatican officials have released a document offering a guide for Catholics on how to take care of the earth as God’s creation and man’s “common home,” citing the diocese’s response to Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Read more
An innovative pilot project aimed at replacing diesel power with quiet and constant renewable energy systems has been established at The Bishop Koete Rural Training Centre on Nggela Sule Island in the Solomon Islands. For Rural Training Centres in the Solomons, the money saved by not having to buy costly diesel is a huge benefit. Read more
Pacific voices have been heard at the Climate Change Conference in Paris, COP21. “It is through the actions of civil society and small island nations that the agreement recognises we need to keep a global temperature limit well below 2C, and work towards a limit of 1.5C to protect the most vulnerable states,” says Caritas Read more
Two more parishes in Guam are installing photovoltaic energy-saving systems on their roofs in an effort to save money and help preserve the environment. The parishes of Our Lady of Peace and Safe Journey Church in Chalan Pago and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Agat have entered into a contract to purchase renewable Read more