About the Author: Mary Claire McCarthy
Renewable Energy Continues to Break Records in 2022
Globally, the renewable energy sector continues to break records. Solar, wind and other clean sources generated 38% of the world’s electricity in 2021, surpassing coal (36%). For the first time, solar and wind generated 10% of this share of electricity, according to research from global energy think tank Ember. Taken together, wind and solar are now the fourth-largest source of electricity in the world. Renewable energy’s market share has doubled since the Paris Climate Agreement was signed (4.6%) in 2015. In 2021, wind and solar were also the fastest-growing forms of electricity worldwide for the 17th year in a [...]
Windlift Engineer & Chapel Hill Native Ellie Funkhouser
Meet Eleanor Funkhouser, also known as Ellie. As one of Windlift’s tech engineers, she splits her time between designing and testing individual components and subsystems of the Airborne Power Generator (APG) and testing the entire system as a whole. She joined the team in January 2021, quickly demonstrating tenacity and creativity in solving the many complexities of the APG. Ellie with her father on a hike. Ellie is a Chapel Hill native turned Bostonian for college at Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering. She worked as an applications engineer for three years at Accu Tech after [...]
Latest IPCC Climate Report Finds Nature as One of Our Best Solutions to the Climate Crisis
Credit: Lukasz Szmigiel The United Nations recently released a new climate report built upon a previous assessment released in February. The last IPCC climate report focused on climate change impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability; this report provides an updated evaluation of global mitigation strategies and pledges and examines emission sources. In other words, this report highlights the ways humanity can limit further climate change. IPCC overview The IPCC, or Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is the scientific group assembled by the United Nations to monitor and assess global climate change. This latest report is the final stage of the [...]
How You Can Take Climate Change Action
We can all play a role in combating climate change. While we need transformative change to limit warming below 2 degrees celsius, every action matters. Taking personal steps to limit your carbon footprint impacts carbon emissions and gives individuals a sense of agency. Below are a few ways to take climate change action in your own life. Save energy at home The majority of our energy is powered by coal, oil and gas. You can lower your household emissions by turning down the heat or air conditioning. Or by switching your bulbs with LED light bulbs, replacing old [...]
Reasons to Hope During the Climate Crisis
But first, check out a few ways to get involved in Earth Day. Earth Day is an international movement that celebrates the beauty and significance of our life-giving planet. It started in the 70s to generate support for environmental protections and has grown into an international movement that is increasingly important. There are plenty of ways to get involved. You can get great information on climate change, local clean-up events, and more at the official Earth Day website. You can also connect with your local environmental groups to learn how you can get involved in the ecosystems near you year-round! [...]
Flying Planes on and off the Clock
A little background Thomas Burroughs has been a Windlift employee since it was only a small team of five. He joined in 2018 after graduating from NC State University, where he studied aerospace engineering. A long-time Research Triangle resident, he lives in Durham with his fiancée and two dogs: A corgi and a pitbull – the corgi runs the show. Thomas is the Lead Test Engineer, managing all flight tests and the final stages of aircraft assembly for the Airborne Power Generator (APG). Thomas deeply “enjoys airplanes and anything that flies.” He creates and flies model aircraft or RC airplanes [...]