In a sunny stretch of the Andes in Chile, the solar industry is booming — and so is theft of solar panels, cables, and other equipment. What happens to these materials once they're stolen? @sovacool.bsky.social discusses with @bloomberg.com:

☢️ The High Cost of Nuclear Power - why 'new nuclear' is a poor investment for the US ☢️ Join @sovacool.bsky.social at the virtual Symposium on 1st June (19:00 EDT) to hear how we can advocate for a better energy future - together. Register here for the Zoom link; lnkd.in/eXn4Mh_6

"Energy justice is about the kind of injustices of many of the interventions we want to use to fight climate change, like electric vehicles and heat pumps and solar panels," @sovacool.bsky.social explains on the Signals of Change podcast. open.spotify.com/episode/7prF...

Thieves are stealing Chile's solar panels & cashing in on the black market. Prof. @sovacool.bsky.social highlights that Chile’s rapid expansion of solar energy has exposed new risks, as growing value & demand for PVs make them increasingly attractive to criminal networks. tinyurl.com/33md55ya

A single hyperscale data center can consume as much electricity as a city, IGS Director @sovacool.bsky.social says on Morning Wave in Busan, pointing to the higher energy bills and other negative effects residents living near data centers face. Full interview: spr.ly/63327BBdt0D

Last week Prof. @sovacool.bsky.social joined 'Morning Wave in Busan', Korea's early morning news programme, in a special interview discussing the social and environmental impacts of data centre development and AI. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZjW... @sussexunibusiness.bsky.social

A new study co-authored by Willis, @jjbuonocore.bsky.social, @sovacool.bsky.social, and colleagues reveals that the declining coal industry has mixed effects on human health. @busph.bsky.social

Nuclear power plants take up to 17 years to build. Utility-scale solar and wind come online in 2 to 5 years. The gap defines the trade-off. I set out the arithmetic. powerpeakdigest.com/new-nuclear-...

New research in Energy Research & Social Science features Bennett Institute Chair @efesce.bsky.social. The paper shows that organisational change, not just skills, is essential for on-the-ground installation firms to deliver low‑carbon transitions at scale. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

🧈 New Research | What Can Margarine Teach Us About the Future of Alternative Proteins? Thrilled to share our new article (w/ Cameron Roberts) in Global Environmental Change on the lessons that can be learned from the turbulent early history of margarine 🔗 www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

China is installing the wind and solar equivalent of five large nuclear power stations per week www.abc.net.au/news/science...

Hydrogen is often seen as a clean energy solution but the full evidence tells a more complex story. @sovacool.bsky.social's new meta‑survey shows lifecycle emissions can be far higher than assumed, with storage, transport & methodology choices making a huge difference. tinyurl.com/2ku4wuea

Fairness matters for climate action. A new study with @sovacool.bsky.social makes justice explicit in emissions scenarios, showing who benefits & who bears the costs of mitigation - or to design scenarios that reflect different societal views of fairness. tinyurl.com/3s5vs7sj

New Nuclear Is Too Late and Too Costly for the Climate Crisis. Dr Paul Dorfman, Bennett Scholar, makes a clear and evidence based case: new nuclear power cannot play a meaningful role in addressing the climate or energy crises. bennettinstitutesussex.org/stories/nucl...

Driving meaningful dialogue 🌍 @sovacool.bsky.social & @patriciafabian.bsky.social spoke at the Boston International Affairs Summit last month on #Sustainability in #GlobalContexts.

Supported by the Sloan Foundation, IGS's @sovacool.bsky.social & @drxdunlap.bsky.social have released two studies identifying sustainability concerns and illuminating opportunities for improved transparency and justice in solar and electronic waste recycling. Links below ⬇️

For anyone planning to attend Boston’s first Climate Week, a great panel discussing the controversial idea of solar #geoengineering Luma.com/4mxlhfyh Including @pkashwan.bsky.social @sovacool.bsky.social @sktalati.bsky.social Hosted by The Institute for Global Sustainability at BU

Your voice is needed! The White House's proposed FY2027 budget threatens U.S. scientific leadership with drastic cuts, undermining research in #geography, #climate, and spatial sciences. Contact your representatives to insist on national support for #geoscience. buff.ly/YPmyZ8T #GeoSky

How do people around the world imagine a future shaped by climate intervention? A new international study with @sovacool.bsky.social explores 299 imagined futures created by members of the public across 22 countries. The findings remind us there is no single climate future. tinyurl.com/tv6rb7ef

NEW STUDY: Phasing out coal can improve health by reducing exposure to pollution and dangerous working conditions. But the coal industry has also provided stable employment associated with increased average life expectancy. Results point to the need for replacement jobs for a just transition.

@sovacool.bsky.social has given THE most inspirational talk about compelling #research designs and publishing the ensuing papers. We are lucky to have him as a colleague!

New analysis by Bennett Scholar, @drpauldorfman.bsky.social and colleagues highlights that time, not cost, is now the critical factor in accelerating the energy transition. With Scotland uniquely positioned not just to join the renewables future, but to lead it. tinyurl.com/5ctpva8r

AI’s energy use is soaring but a new peer-reviewed study with @sovacool.bsky.social, @matthewagarwala.bsky.social and @efesce.bsky.social shows sustainable digitalisation is possible with smart policy, innovation, and coordinated global action. tinyurl.com/3cscars8 @sussexunibusiness.bsky.social

Rationing is a last resort and shows the severity of this crisis, on a scale not seen since the 1970s. It exposes a core weakness: reliance on imported fuels. Clean energy offers a way out. Once operational, renewables, heat pumps and EVs do not rely on ongoing fuel imports.

Call for Paper Abstracts and Other Proposals is NOW OPEN: March 3–April 30, 2026 Call for Paper Abstracts, Closed Panels, Making & Doing Sessions, Roundtables, and Meetups: www.4sonline.org/call_for_sub... Accepted Open Panels: www.4sonline.org/accepted_ope...

Just last week the German government gutted the heating law which was supposed to drive a transition away from gas. The timing could not have been worse: Gas prices are up 50% today and this crisis could worsen significantly. This will happen again and again and the consumer pays the price.

🎥 New Video Series from Prof. @sovacool.bsky.social breaking down complex issues in today’s energy landscape. Debunking myths, Inequality, Future, Justice, & 3 things you need to know about energy. 🔗 Find the video links on our LinkedIn page: www.linkedin.com/feed/update/... @sussex.ac.uk

Gas stoves can degrade indoor air quality. For the past year, researchers including @jonlevybu.bsky.social have been partnering with the city of Boston on a program to replace gas stoves with electric. The team is also studying how indoor air quality differs before and after replacement.

@sovacool.bsky.social, Bennett Director, was recently named one of Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers 2025. Here he explains why social science is essential to solving the climate crisis and how achieving research with impact requires four things: ow.ly/24vR50YciII @sussexunibusiness.bsky.social

🌳 The northeastern US #forest plays a critical role in the broader region's water, carbon & nutrient cycles. Human activities, including #deforestation, #agriculture, and #urbanization, have reduced forest cover. A new study helps illuminate potential effects on regional #biogeochemical cycles. 🔄

Many people assume solar PV degrades quickly. Long-term evidence suggests otherwise. This paper in EES Solar uses rare multi-decade field data to show that PV systems can retain a high share of their initial performance after 30 years, with lower degradation than often assumed. Link in comments.

'Bridging academia & practice showed me how policy research can drive real-world impact' 🌍 MSc in Sustainable Development student Rafael joined us as a Research Assistant whilst at @sussexunibusiness.bsky.social - a highlight of his degree & defining chapter of his journey tinyurl.com/w3wte9jk

@sovacool.bsky.social breaks down what the latest @ipcc.bsky.social findings really mean: energy transition is achievable, but only if we tackle political barriers & centre communities. Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-op shows how local action can accelerate climate goals. tinyurl.com/2s46tmby

In this new analysis, Ben Leffel + @sovacool.bsky.social argue that, "as national-focused orthodoxy in climate policy has proven insufficient to address the climate crisis, a shift is needed, centering cities as pivotal actors in global climate mitigation" -- and I COULD NOT AGREE MORE. Read here:

FREE webinar Thursday 🐦 Discover strategies to develop wind energy with birds in mind. IGS Director @sovacool.bsky.social & other experts in wildlife conservation and renewable energy will discuss real experiences from successful wind energy projects in South America. abcbirds.org/wind-webinar

Climate change is a growing health threat, yet only 6 of 55 cities meaningfully include health in climate plans. Research calls for stronger, clearer and more equitable health‑adaptation strategies. tinyurl.com/2t7aw2a2 doi.org/10.1038/s44284-025-00364-1 @sovacool.bsky.social

Looking forward to speaking at @bennett-innovate.bsky.social 2026 symposium on economics & energy - looks like it will be a lively debate! Register: bennettinstitutesussex.org/stories/2026... @sovacool.bsky.social

Our descriptive analysis on the use of garbage and plastic as household fuel in NW Nigeria www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @sovacool.bsky.social @efdinitiative.bsky.social #plastic #energy

Era of ‘global water bankruptcy’ is here, UN report says Overuse and pollution must end urgently as no one knows when whole system might collapse www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Spotted in this month's "Brink Bites" research roundup: The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has selected IGS Director Benjamin Sovacool (@sovacool.bsky.social) to help lead its next report. Learn more & get involved ⬇️

The 2026 Bennett Institute Annual Symposium will be held on 19 February at Bramber House. Staff and students are welcome, and the event is free! Learn more and Register here: https://bit.ly/4qEZrv8 #BennettSymposium #NetZero #EnergyPolicy #SussexResearch

Direct Air Capture (DAC) has immense potential, but it's also expensive and unproven at scale. “If we’re able to do DAC at scale, it could be the next huge energy transition," @sovacool.bsky.social tells @technologyreview.com regarding an ambitious new #DAC project in Kenya.

When women lead, ☮️Peace lasts 10-25 years longer www.unwomen.org/en/news-stor... 4 pillars align gender equality & peace 1 Prevent conflict 2 Protect rights/safety of women & girls 3 Participate All decisions re: peace & security, from local to intl, include women 4 Relief/recovery

When people argue that renewable energy sources are too expensive, remember that we don’t invade countries to seize wind farms and there are no solar cartels. Fossil fuels have enormous geopolitical, public health, and climate externalities.

Too soon?

A new case study based in Sierra Leone highlights Mirrors for Earth’s Energy Rebalancing (MEER), a novel intervention to #ExtremeHeat. By IGS Director @sovacool.bsky.social: spr.ly/63321Cui6f

A new comprehensive review on direct air CO2 capture and storage is the result of more than 2.5 years of work by 29 international experts, including IGS Director @sovacool.bsky.social: spr.ly/63322Cu3Du

Don’t let US go to war over⛽️Oil… Hmm, one more reason to vote 🗳️🔵for #Climate & switch to #Solar

Congrats IGS Director @sovacool.bsky.social on three major 2025 research citation honors! Stanford's list of "World's Top 2%" scientists: spr.ly/63320CuXAO ScholarGPS Highly Ranked Scholars: spr.ly/63323CuXAR Clarivate's Highly Cited Researchers: spr.ly/63325CuXAT