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Two strong potential candidates for the Next Big Thing in cleantech venture capital are nuclear and carbon capture and storage. I've spoken with numerous VCs recently who are looking for innovative ways to play in nuclear power. Bets have already been made by VCs in small-scale nukes, hot fusion, and technologies related to big-scale nukes. The hope is to find a low-cost solution that is practically zero carbon emissions and also provides reliable "base load" power. So in other words, the hope is for a lower-carbon replacement for coal power. The challenges are also significant, however, not least of which being time to market for any new innovations, as this interesting article illustrates. With the recent news that the DOE will be putting $2.4B into carbon capture and storage, and its inclusion in emerging climate legislation, it's also clear that CCS will be leaned upon as a hoped-for way of making our existing coal-fired generation infrastructure less impactful on the atmosphere, while still preserving its value as low-cost baseload power. So in other words, the hope is for a lower-carbon "fix" for coal power.

A surprising reaction from the UK Green Building Council to a policy change that appears to make a lot of sense.

One of the UK's leading housebuilders, Miller Homes, claims to have built a zero carbon house as part of the effort to combat climate change. Zero carbon means no emissions of the global warming gas, carbon dioxide. Over the next few years the rules on how green homes have to be are going to become gradually tougher. And there are warnings that they will push up the cost of buying a new home.

Platinum buildings = Zero emissions?

"Carbon neutrality by 2030 is the new standard for climate policies, and again the UK is leading North America in the climate debate with a bold national-level proposal about how to get there. The Centre for Alternative Technology just launched zerocarbonbritain2030 (ZCB2030), a collaborative project showing one possible scenario for making the entire UK carbon-neutral by 2030. ZCB2030 is a well-researched, well-written, and well-designed report on a set of possible pathways to a zero carbon Britain by 2030 (The goal, though bold, is not unique: Alex Steffen called for a very similar position for Seattle, a target which the Seattle City Council has included in their legislative priorities this year; and a variety of other nations and cities are approaching the same target, from Copenhagen to New Zealand). In 384 pages, CAT presents a comprehensive look at the kind of systemic changes needed to achieve dramatic emissions reduction in just 20 years in such areas as farming, energy generation, building codes, transportation planning, and economic frameworks. This report truly addresses the scope, scale and speed of the climate crisis and the solutions needed to create a bright green future. "

Two new branches of high street chain Marks & Spencer in Scotland are to be powered by windmills. The new shops, in Glasgow and Galashiels, have been branded the company's first "green" stores and include a series of eco-features aimed at reducing their carbon footprint.

The numbers don't seem to add up, but ...

The Energy Department today announced a new partnership between the Department's Challenge Home program and Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) on a voluntary certification process for homes that are so energy-efficient, they can offset most or al...