{"id":4457,"date":"2015-12-28T16:16:31","date_gmt":"2015-12-28T16:16:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=4457"},"modified":"2015-12-28T16:16:31","modified_gmt":"2015-12-28T16:16:31","slug":"2015-the-year-that-was-environment-and-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/2015-the-year-that-was-environment-and-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"2015, the year that was: environment and energy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Martin LaMonica<\/a>, The Conversation<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

As we approach 2016, we look back at the big \u2013 even world-changing \u2013 stories of The Conversation\u2019s environment and energy coverage this year.<\/em><\/p>\n

The biggest story of 2105 from the environment and energy desk is a clear choice but, paradoxically, its impact is still murky.<\/p>\n

The COP21 United Nations climate summit in December yielded the Paris Agreement, which includes pledges<\/a> from nearly 200 countries to dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions in the years ahead.<\/p>\n

Most everyone can agree that it\u2019s a remarkable demonstration<\/a> of the world\u2019s commitment to combat climate change, but whether it\u2019s a historic turning point in greenhouse gas emissions is very much a matter of debate.<\/p>\n

Indeed, moments after the gavel went down in Paris amid much celebration, a number of questions arose, including how accountable<\/a> countries will be to their commitments and whether there will be sufficient money<\/a> to help developing countries adapt to the effects of climate change<\/a> and move off of fossil fuels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here in the US, the question was: could Congress and a subsequent president unravel or block Obama\u2019s signature climate policies<\/a>? (Short version: it wouldn\u2019t be easy.)<\/p>\n

How the energy system is changing \u2013 or isn\u2019t<\/h2>\n

In the run-up to Paris, The Conversation published a number of articles to explore the effects of climate change and how our energy system is (or isn\u2019t<\/a>) changing.<\/p>\n

Given how much capital is already invested in our fossil fuel-dominated energy system, it will take decades to replace the energy infrastructure<\/a>, even with climate-friendly policies.<\/p>\n

Our academics also explained why energy innovation is so slow<\/a>, what to do about earthquakes<\/a> linked to oil and gas drilling, why Tesla\u2019s home batteries<\/a> are such a big deal and how rooftop solar is disrupting the power grid<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The tension between our dependence on fossil fuels and climate change was a theme in many articles, including a look at the merits of hybrid solar-and-natural gas power plants<\/a>, the emissions cost of shutting down aging nuclear plants<\/a>, the slow progress on carbon capture and storage<\/a>, Shell\u2019s decision<\/a> to drop plans to drill<\/a> in the Arctic<\/a> and, most dramatically, the Obama administration\u2019s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From California to the Arctic<\/h2>\n

Much environmental news came from the West this year: California\u2019s punishing drought<\/a>, the rise of a giant El Ni\u00f1o<\/a>, the warm \u201cblob\u201d in the Pacific Ocean<\/a> that\u2019s wreaking havoc in surprising ways and the devastating wildfire season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a>
\n Making sense of a changing Arctic.<\/span>
\n NASA<\/span><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

In climate science, we published scientists\u2019 studies on melting ice sheets<\/a> in Antarctica, the so-called hiatus in global warming<\/a> and whether natural variability in the atmosphere and ocean masks the long-term warming trend<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere, we focused on the fast-changing Arctic.<\/p>\n

We unpacked the latest science on whether a warming Arctic can explain North America\u2019s brutally cold weather last winter<\/a>, how quickly polar bears can adapt<\/a> to warming, plans to open up commercial fishing<\/a> and whether the far North will shift from being a carbon sink to a source of carbon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Anthropocene<\/h2>\n

With all the changes humanity is bringing to the planet, we will most certainly hear more of the term \u201cthe Anthropocene,\u201d the notion that we are in a new geological epoch defined by our species’ dominance over the Earth.<\/p>\n

Our academics weighed in on various aspects of the Anthropocene, including the value of nature<\/a>, the ethics of \u201crewilding\u201d<\/a> large portions of the Earth and what preserving nature means<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest newsmaker in the environment came from an unlikely source this year: the Vatican.<\/p>\n

\n \"\"<\/a>
\n Making waves: Pope Francis speaks to the European Parliament earlier this year.<\/span>
\n European Parliament<\/a>, CC BY-NC-ND<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Pope Francis\u2019 encyclical on the environment known as Laudato Si\u2019<\/a> raised the issue of humanity\u2019s treatment of the Earth into the realm of moral philosophy<\/a> and reached millions of people<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also in politics and policy, we covered the link between the climate change-worsened drought in Syria<\/a> and its civil war.<\/p>\n

In Washington, DC we documented Obama\u2019s attempts to build a strong legacy on climate change<\/a> despite his political foes.<\/p>\n

What did our readers like? Certainly all of the above, but who doesn\u2019t like a good story about animals and wildlife? Here we had a number: eastern coyotes<\/a>, feral cats<\/a>, urban wildlife<\/a>, dogs<\/a> and elephants<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For more of what you liked, below you\u2019ll find links to the 10 most-read articles from environment and energy this year.<\/p>\n