El Ignaciano / Septiembre 2026

Environmental Wins and Loses
Enrique Rodríguez

How Balcony Solar Can Help Renters and Homeowners Save Money

On May 29, Nice News referred to an article by Moncef Krarti, a professor of civil, environmental, and architectural engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, that reported the following:

Somewhere between 5% and 7% of U.S. households have rooftop solar panels. Many more Americans want them, but high costs, building locations, and landlord restrictions are key obstacles.

As someone who has designed and evaluated a wide range of building energy efficiency technologies, including integrated photovoltaic systems, I know that other options are available elsewhere in the world — and are becoming available in the U.S. Plug-in solar systems, also referred to as balcony solar systems, are alternatives to rooftop panels that still generate electricity from sunlight, but without complex and expensive installations.

Plug-in solar systems are designed to be used without requiring specialized technicians, construction permits, or permission from electricity utility companies. A typical system consists of small photovoltaic panels that can be placed on a balcony, in a backyard, or on a deck or roof area. They are connected to the home’s electrical system by simply plugging them into a regular power outlet.

The potential benefits of balcony solar systems vary primarily with the local cost of electricity. Buying these systems can cost between $1,200 and $2,000, but they can generate enough power to save several hundred dollars in electric bills each year.

Adding battery storage to balcony solar systems can also help households store extra energy from the daytime and use it at night, further lowering their utility bills, though buying batteries would raise the costs.

Novel Process Turns Saltwater Fresh Without Harming Sea Life

As reported by J. Adam Fenster in Nice News:

Researchers at the University of Rochester think they’ve come up with a new way to help more people access clean drinking water, using a star above our heads: the sun.

The novel process involves a solar-powered desalination device featuring laser-etched, superwicking black metal that pulls saltwater across the surface and distills it into drinkable water. Unlike other desalination methods, the technology doesn’t require pretreating the water with chemical additives, and the solar panel has a “passive” region that collects the brine in a solid form. This prevents it from returning to the ocean.
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Beyond desalination, Guo said the method could help extract other minerals from ocean water in the future, such as lithium, which helps power electric vehicles and other electronics. “Mining lithium from the earth has proven to be very taxing from an energy and environmental standpoint, so pulling lithium directly from saltwater could be a very important future route,” he added. Watch a video showing how it works.

Amazon deforestation hits lowest level since 2019

Jeronimo Gonzalez reported in YAHOO!NEWS, June 1, 2026: 

Deforestation of the Amazon last year fell to its lowest level since 2019, welcome news for Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Lula, on track for reelection in October polls, vowed to stem deforestation after logging soared under his rightist predecessor, who sought to curry favor with Brazil's powerful farming firms.

Still, "the rate of destruction remains breathtaking," DW reported, as around five trees are felled every second. In response, Brasília has sought to accelerate its preservation efforts, announcing a $2.6 billion public-private partnership to protect the Amazon. "We will show that Brazil remains on a path of controlling and reducing deforestation," the country's environment minister said.

How One Maryland Community Is Fighting Data Centers and Defending Democracy

SIERRA bulletin published in June 7 a report by Ashley Stimpson (a Maryland-based freelance journalist): 

Since 2021, residents of a Maryland town have been pushing back against the construction of data centers. They've cited concerns about rampant energy and water usage, as well as air and noise pollution. Now a group of locals is taking the issue to the ballot box in November.

Governments grapple with data centers

Dinah Voyles Pulver, of Climate Point, reports on July 24

New York became the first U.S. state to halt construction of large new data centers, Reuters reported. The state imposed a one-year moratorium after concerns the facilities are raising power costs, straining water supplies and burdening local communities, according to Reuters. That puts New York at the forefront of the growing national debate over how to manage the infrastructure needed to support AI.

In Georgia, the city of Augusta has extended a data center moratorium after public opposition. Henrietta, New York, also is grappling with opposition to a data center.

In Brazil’s Cerrado region, Indigenous fire practices reshape wildfire strategy

Nice News recalls on June 12 the following report by Gabriela Sá Pessoa, of Brazil (AP):

Fire began crackling like approaching rain on a recent morning in the Xerente Indigenous Territory in Tocantins in northern Brazil. But the Indigenous residents weren't afraid and didn't rush to put it out. The flames were intentional as part of a wildfire prevention effort planned by the Xerente in coordination with environmental officials before the peak dry months of August and September.

The Xerente live in the Cerrado, a savanna in central and northern Brazil. Every year, villages face the threat of large-scale forest fires, a danger likely to worsen with the arrival of El Niño, a phenomenon that prolongs drought and pushes regional temperatures higher.

After decades of experiencing prejudice, Indigenous leaders now coordinate with the government to apply ancestral knowledge to prevent large wildfires. "When applied with technical expertise, fire can significantly contribute to environmental conservation," said André Lima, secretary for deforestation control and land-use planning at the Ministry of the Environment. "In prescribed or controlled burns for agricultural production, for example, it can help prevent major disasters."

Energy Independence is Becoming Solar's Strongest Selling Point

As reported on June 17 in TIME by Alexis Abramson:

Americans are seeking out solar, batteries, and electric vehicles at a pace unlike anything the clean energy movement has seen in fifty years. In the 23 days after the Iran war began and the Strait of Hormuz closed, requests for home solar systems paired with battery storage jumped 21%. Used EV sales reversed course sharply, rising 17% in a single quarter after hitting their lowest point since 2022.  

This moment demands attention. Across the U.S. and globally, interest in clean energy is accelerating faster than at any point in history, and not necessarily because of anything the clean energy movement achieved on its own. Understanding why is critical.

Hot Water: The Danger of Warming Oceans

The Climate Reality Project reported on June 16:

The world's oceans are a vital component of Earth's climate system, acting as a massive heat and carbon sink. However, as human activities release increasing amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, these oceans are absorbing over 90% of the excess heat and a significant portion of the carbon dioxide, leading to profound and accelerating changes.

One of the most immediate and visible impacts of ocean warming is the thermal expansion of seawater, which directly contributes to sea level rise. As water heats up, its molecules move more vigorously and spread out, increasing the overall volume of the ocean.

While melting glaciers and ice sheets are also major contributors to sea level rise, thermal expansion accounts for approximately one-third of the observed global sea level rise since 2004.

Beyond direct sea level rise, ocean warming has devastating effects on marine ecosystems. Coral reefs, often called the “rainforests of the sea” due to their immense biodiversity, are particularly vulnerable.

Ocean warming also plays a crucial role in altering global weather patterns and intensifying extreme weather events. Warmer ocean surface temperatures provide more energy for tropical storms and hurricanes, leading to an increase in their intensity and destructive potential.

Threats against ocean wildlife are accelerating in American waters

Jacob Kopas and Ana Ibanez, of Earthjustice, reported on June 18;

On Thursday, President Trump issued a proclamation attempting to open three national monuments in the Pacific Ocean to commercial fishing.

Commercial fishing in our protected marine monuments would not only be disastrous for the environment, but also does nothing for the fishing industry. Safe havens allow marine life to maintain healthy populations and prevent corporate greed from stripping the ocean of life.

The first time Trump tried to illegally expand commercial fishing in the Pacific, we fought back in court and were handed an important victory, maintaining protections for 400,000 square miles of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.

Rest assured, we will see the Trump administration in court again.

Three major victories for protecting our public lands

Sierra Club reported on June 21:

Victory #1: We pressured Big Oil not to bid on the Arctic Refuge. The Trump administration tried to lease 1.5 million acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling. Years of public pressure turned this into a deal no major oil and gas corporation wanted to touch.

Victory #2: We protected the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Utah lawmakers tried to use the Congressional Review Act to gut the monument's plan and the protections it provides. It was the first attempt of its kind anywhere in the country. After thousands of calls, emails, social posts, and in person actions, the clock ran out and their fast-track plan failed.

Victory #3: We stopped the erasure of park history. A federal judge blocked the Trump administration's effort to erase history from our national parks by stripping signage and exhibits. The court ordered the removed material put back. The judge directly cited the scale of public opposition -- which included over thirty thousand comments from advocates like you -- in her ruling.

Solar and Wind Set Records This Past May

Julian Spector reported in Canary Media on June 23:

Here are four ways clean energy set new records this spring—and what these feats tell us about where the energy system is headed. While records reflect momentary successes amid ideal conditions, they’re worth noting because they push the boundaries of what’s possible and lay the groundwork for similar success across broader swaths of the year.

• • • • • US solar generation beats coal nationwide in May.
        • Clean energy romps after dark in California.
        • New York sets a solar record.
        • Texas set just about every clean energy record.

New York County Agency Tries to Force Data Center on Locals

As reported in Sierra by Lindsey Botts on June 24:

Bird Logan, a citizen of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation, has spent most of his adult life trying to keep an industrial development from polluting his nation’s reservation. The latest threat comes from a proposed 2-million-square-foot data center between Buffalo and Rochester, New York, that would abut roughly 1,000 acres of his nation’s land called the Big Woods. It's a maze of wetlands, hemlock, maple, and walnut, where there are no paved roads or even hiking trails. It’s also where nation members find medicines, hunt, and practice their traditions. Despite the data center’s proximity to this culturally significant ecological hotspot, Logan said the developer has yet to hold meaningful discussions with his nation.

In many ways, the rush to build the data center in the town of Alabama, New York, mirrors what’s happening across the country. Developers enter rural communities with big promises, massive energy and water needs, and little transparency. From Oregon to Maine, this has led to resentment that crosses political, economic, and racial divides. As of this year, more than 100 municipalities are considering data center moratoriums. And according to Data Center Watch, at least 75 projects were blocked or delayed in the first three months of 2026 due to local opposition.

Switzerland has turned its train tracks into solar power plants

On July 6, Good News reported:

The space between railroad tracks doesn’t usually do much of anything. But in a tiny village in Switzerland, Swiss inventors have spent the last year proving it can be used to generate clean electricity.

In April 2025, Swiss startup Sun-Ways installed 48 solar panels along a 330-foot stretch of active railway in Buttes, Switzerland. It is the first removable solar power plant on a working rail line anywhere in the world. The patented panels were designed to sit between the rails and can be easily removed whenever crews need to do track maintenance.

Court Upholds Life-Saving National Soot Air Quality Standard

Earthjustice reported on July 11:

We defended stronger safeguards against soot pollution after the Trump administration asked a court to side with polluters and throw them out.

New England invested in solar. It saved residents millions in electricity costs during a heat wave this month

Good News reported on Jul 22, 2026: 

The Acadia Center’s Grid Action Report looked at the heat wave that hit New England in early July, and estimated that during the week of June 28 through July 4, distributed solar projects contributed more than six gigawatts in electricity, saving New England ratepayers $130-149 million.On July 2 alone, the report found that solar arrays saved $39 million to $54 million.

A battle won to protect the largest surface freshwater system in the world

As reported by Earthjustice on August 07:

In a major victory for Tribal nations, Michigan’s Supreme Court just dealt Enbridge a stunning blow. The court overturned a key permit the Canadian company needs to build a massive four-mile tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac for its aging Line 5 oil pipeline.

Enbridge’s proposal to run a hazardous liquids pipeline through a confined underground tunnel has never been attempted anywhere else in the world. It would turn the Straits of Mackinac – a sacred site of creation for Anishinaabe tribes – into a construction zone for more than six years, threatening permanent destruction.

Enrique Rodríguez es arquitecto y urbanista (Catholic University of America -1967, 1970); Certificados: Movimiento cooperativista y desarrollo social (ICI, Panamá. 1969); Energía solar: diseño e instalaciones (CENSOLAR, España. 1992.); actualmente edita El Ignaciano.