Qualities like amazing tensile strength and electrical conductivity offer a huge range of uses for carbon nanotubes. In a new policy brief, fellow Rachel A. Meidl and her co-authors Dana Goerzen and Daniel A. Heller explain that to ensure carbon nanotubes’ role in a circular, sustainable economy, a coordinated system for classifying, testing, and identifying CNTs and a life cycle approach to risk assessments are needed to better understand impacts to facilitate consistent communication among researchers, industries, and policymakers.
Dana Goerzen, Daniel A. Heller, Rachel A. MeidlFebruary 28, 2024
With the 2024 presidential election, Taiwan faces a major decision about its energy future. A potential phaseout of nuclear power could put the island’s energy security and decarbonization efforts at risk, writes the Center for Energy Studies’ Shih Yu (Elsie) Hung.
"Decoupling” from China would come at the cost of American opportunity and influence, writes fellow Gabriel Collins. Instead, “de-risking” — loosening China’s grip on global supply chains without cutting ties entirely — would better serve American interests.
Are our views of sustainability becoming distorted by the often unsubstantiated “green” actions of companies and organizations? This brief explores why we urgently need a new framework for sustainability — one that relies on a holistic, cross-disciplinary, and multidimensional life cycle approach.
Rachel A. Meidl, Kenneth B. Medlock IIINovember 8, 2023
The author examines the various factors that contributed to the 2021 Texas electricity crisis, reflects on lessons learned from the event and provides recommendations to better prepare for extreme weather events and reduce the risk of widespread, long-duration power interruptions.