Tiny Oregon town hosts 1st wind-solar-battery 'hybrid' plant

A new kind of cash crop is turning Iowa into a renewable energy juggernaut — and preserving a rural way of life. With the help of federal incentives and renewable energy companies, farmers in rural Iowa are setting up turbines on their land to both make a profit, and offset crop losses during growing seasons.

After years of drought and land-clearing that left Niger with few trees left, the country now boasts about 200 million trees, which have mostly been reestablished naturally. While the effects of climate change could threaten the future of these trees, this method has also increased crop yields in villages. This model of letting trees grow back with little human influence could be implemented in other countries.

Vaan Island, off the coast of Indian in the Gulf of Mannar, is rapidly sinking. But scientists are working to prevent that erosion by replanting seagrass, which is an important plant in a marine ecosystem. Despite fishermen pulling up the seagrass with their nets, so far, nine acres of seagrass have been rehabilitated in the area.

After insurgents cut off the village of Maiduguri from the power grid, residents started switching to solar energy as a way to power their appliances. For many, using the solar kits have reduced their energy expenses, but, at the same time, they also require more battery maintenance and the upfront cost can be expensive. “It has reduced daily expenses in terms of fueling generators and monthly servicing,” says one resident. “All these things are off my neck.”

City Plants, an organization in Los Angeles, is partnering with other nonprofits, government agencies, scientists, and residents to create a more equitable urban forest throughout the city. By working together and using technology, they have planted more than 65,000 trees to combat climate change, systemic racism, and high temperatures that affect all Angelenos.

Louisa County schools in Virginia are delivering internet to students living in rural areas through solar-powered hot spots, built by the school's own students. The hotspot is powered by solar panels and receives internet connectivity through cellular or satellite means. Over 22 units have been placed in accessible places like church parking lots and the school district is sharing its blueprints and instructions with other schools across the state.

To increase renewable energy from wind, Texas is the site of many wind turbines across wind farms, which not only produce energy but also provide income to farmers who own the land. There are still some problems but by deregulating the electricity market, making use of the open lands of Texas, and the relaxed attitude of Texans toward living near turbines Texas is a major generator; while other states struggle behind.

The commercially-based Wind for Prosperity initiative may have devised a solution to meet growing demands for electricity in developing economies, where fossil fuels are expensive, difficult to access, and take a toll on environmental and human health. The venture works to refurbish wind turbines from Europe and re-deploy them in the developing world, providing clean and affordable power where it’s needed most.

With climate change continuing as a threat to the planet’s health, Germany has contributed efforts to curb greenhouse gases by installing wind turbines and solar panels to generate renewable energy. Germany’s commitment and financial investment in renewable energy beats other industrial countries but, at the present, the cost is still high.

Denmark occupies a seat in the vanguard of efforts to fulfill carbon emission reduction goals of the Paris Agreement, with DONG Energy -- co-owned by the Danish government, Goldman Sachs and shareholders -- building massive arrays of offshore wind turbines. While expansion across the EU remains a challenge because of a still-underdeveloped grid capacity, DONG's efforts show how Denmark's use of free-market demand and public-private collaboration provides an affordable, environmentally- sustainable option.