The Payne Institute Earth Observation Group provided the satellite data research analysis for the recently released World Bank Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report in April 2021. According to the GGFR, gas flaring worldwide decreased by 5 percent in the pandemic year, mostly because of lower demand for oil. May 10, 2021.
Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian discusses big industrial networks, including the Colonial Pipeline, which has been down for three days following a cyberbreach, that fill vital everyday needs such as gasoline, clean water and electricity on a podcast with Scott Tong. The Joe Biden administration plans new cyber rules for agencies and contractors involved in critical infrastructure. May 10, 2021.
Patricia Romero-Lankao, Alana Wilson, Joshua Sperling, Clark Miller, Daniel Zimny-Schmitt, Benjamin Sovacool, Chris Gearhart, Matteo Muratori, Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian, and Daniel Zünd write about how the electrification of transportation and the integration of electric vehicles (EVs) with buildings connected to clean grids has been touted as one of the key solutions to the global decarbonization challenge. Cities are on the frontlines of current and future electrification, as they depend on and drive electricity generation, distribution, and use. May 6, 2021.
Payne Institute Fellow Ian Lange has been named to the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Scholars program as a mentor. The AERE Scholars program is an ambitious effort to increase diversity in environmental and natural resource economics, help the newest members of our community succeed, and create an inclusive culture that encourages members to give back to the organization and field. May 5, 2021.
Payne Institute Researcher Brad Handler and Director Morgan Bazilian write about how climate change has emerged as arguably the single most important driver for long-term investment performance. Broad swaths of the economy are currently impacted by the physical risks of climate change (e.g. from extreme weather), and transitional risks to lower-carbon sources of energy. May 4, 2021.
Payne Institute Senior Research Associate Dr. Sara Hastings-Simon has been named one of the 26 Canadian Climate Champions at the COP26, the UN climate change conference hosted by the UK, the British Consulate-General in Vancouver and the Canada Climate Law Initiative. May 4, 2021.
Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian contributed to this article about President Biden’s plan to rapidly shift to electric vehicles and renewable energy could find itself in conflict with another, less prominent commitment: improving the sustainability of the mineral and metals sector. April 30, 2021.
The interdisciplinary effort aims to improve understanding of challenges, opportunities related to the future of natural gas in a low-carbon economy. To confront this challenge, Colorado School of Mines and the Payne Institute for Public Policy have launched the Mines Responsible Gas Initiative. April 29, 2021.
The World Bank with research support from the Payne Institute Earth Observation Group released their world gas flaring overview. GGFR has now published estimates from satellite data, which show that global gas flaring declined by 5% in 2020. Oil production dropped from 82 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2019 to 76 million b/d in 2020, as global gas flaring reduced from 150 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2019 to 142 bcm. April 28, 2021.
Payne Institute Fellow Alex Gilbert writes about how space exploration is back after decades of disappointment, a combination of better technology, falling costs and a rush of competitive energy from the private sector that has put space travel front and center. Indeed, many analysts (even some with their feet on the ground) believe that commercial developments in the space industry may be on the cusp of starting the largest resource rush in history: mining on the Moon, Mars and asteroids. April 26, 2021.