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News & Views Curation

April 30, 2013

Four Lessons From Sandy

What worked, what didn't and what needs doing, not just talking, now

The Case For Big Alt-Energy

Is big-and-centralized better when it comes to developing renewable energy projects?

Giving While Living

A peek into the Bloomberg Family Foundation and some climate and urban directions it might take

Australia: Koalas Endangered

World's cutest marsupials threatened by climate-induced weird weather & habitat loss (even if they don't live in cities)

Green Marketing 101

Effective marketing terms for energy saving products are as polarized as our politics

Oslo: Wants Trash

Olso's waste-to-heat & energy plants face a garbage shortfall

Latin America: Clean Energy Magnet

Bucking a global down-trend, 2012 was a good year for clean energy investment in Latin America

EVs In The Big Apple

Scaling up numbers of electric vehicles on New York City streets is not just about the resident drivers, commuters & visitors will play a big part

Inhaling Underground

What gets inhaled down in a NYC subway is similar to what's breathed in anywhere in the city, except for one thing...

April 29, 2013

Rebuilding In Rockaway

An 80 acre site in Far Rockaway offers opportunities for sustainable, resilient community building

EV Feeds The Grid

In partnership with utility giant NRG, an EV at the University of Delaware sells its electric to the grid

Fracking Leaks Less

The EPA lowers its estimates of methane leaks from fracking operations

UK: Your Foot's Too Big

Concern grows that official claims about the UK's shrinking carbon footprint are an accounting mirage

Australia: Spending Like There's No Tomorrow

Money pours into the Australian coal mining industry, ignoring all climate concerns

UK: Travel By Plane Train

What explains the trend among UK domestic travelers to go by rail instead of fly?

The Energy Biz Today

Trends in today's fossil energy and alt-energy business by Bllomberg New Energy's Michael Leibreich

April 28, 2013

Carbon Market Optimist

The reported demise of the EU carbon emissions trading market might be premature

April 27, 2013

Germany: Red-Green Embrace

Facing tough election prospects, the German SPD flirts with the Green Party

Art Review: Maya Lin

Conceived in the wake of Sandy, Maya Lin's new sculptures fix on Mahattan's environment & history

Rx For Climate Fears

Fearing devastating climate chaos obliterates our ability to take affirmative action, (but it doesn't mean kumbayah on cures).

April 26, 2013

Beat The Bad Guys With PV

Distributed power, liker rooftop solar panels, is one way to protect against electric outages caused by terrorist attacks on the grid

British Columbia: Election Energy Implications

The outcome of elections in British Columbia could have global energy & carbon implications

Sustainable Cities

An infographic for an urban world

Code Compliance Counts

What's lost if a state passes an energy code but flunks on compliance?

Canada: Energy Official Attacks Climate Scientist

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver lashes out at US climatologist & activist Jim Hansen

Australia: Coal At Rock Bottom

Long-term low prices for Australian coal could be ending if they trigger production cuts and Japanese purchases

Book It

Scientific American reviews The Power Surge: Energy, Opportunity & the Battle for America's Future

Meet Methane Hydrate

What does methane hydrate, frozen natural gas found at the bottom on the ocean, have to to with our global climate and energy future?

Dump Dirty Fossil Fuel Stocks

The campaign to disinvest from fossil fuel companies gains traction in city pension funds

Science At Work: Super Solar

Scientists invent a solar cell that makes two electrons from one photon of sunlight

April 25, 2013

Carbon Tax: The Graduate Seminar

Questions and answers on the Carbon Tax Center proposal

Paint It White

At current rates of painting NYC rooftops white, it could take a 1000 years to paint them all

Scotland: Millions For Deep Water Wind

Deep water wind turbine foundation structures get a lift with a $23 million Scottish fund

Keep On Biking

A new political-action committee is dedicated to supporting bike and pedestrian-friendly streets in NYC

Corporate Climate Risk-Management

Which firms and business sectors practice climate risk management and why?

California: Getting To Zero

Honda to showcase new ideas to meet California's goal of net zero energy new homes by 2020

Obama: Not Much Green

Obama's second term has hardly any environmental bragging rights

April 24, 2013

Adaptive Reuse Lights Up

An 80 year old telescope is redeployed to bring sunlight inside the old observatory, now used as a Caltech climate change lab

Boosting Infrastructure Investment

What is discouraging more public private investment partnerships to upgrade US infrastructure and what's the solution?

There'll Be Some Change Made

NYC real estate owners & government regulators trend toward weird weather-resilient building codes

Crowd Sourcing Green

Trip Advisor adds a rating for sustainable hotels and B&Bs in the US

April 23, 2013

China: Solar Panel Price Shift

The price of Chinese made solar panels stabilizes due to rising domestic demand

Milan: Hanging Gardens On Skyscrapers

Should we plant trees on tall buildings and call that sustainable?

Follow The Money

Energy investment patterns indicate there's a change going on

China: Let's Frack

Non-Chinese energy experts make a case for developing a natural gas industry in China that deploys hydrofracking

Building A Lower Carbon Future In Australia

Consider the prospects for developing capacity and demand for zero carbon and low carbon homes down under

Mayoral Candidates On Green Panel

All nine of the current NYC Mayoral hopefuls appear at a forum on sustainability

Less Wiggle Room

Emission of GHGs besides carbon dioxide narrows the planet's climate action agenda

Sunrise For Rooftop Solar

Rooftop solar installations are popping up on New York City buildings, with 14 MW of power now on-line

Tomorrow's Cities: Fragile Or Anti-Fragile

Today, cities are starting to grapple with growing resilient on many fronts & at multiple scales

Putting A Price On Energy Efficiency

As New York contemplates the loss of major power suppliers, it seeks the right price for energy efficiency to fill any supply gap

April 22, 2013

Thrilla In Manila

A building made from plastic bottle and solar panels highlights environmental problems & opportunities

Save The Planet At Home

Six easy ways to cut your energy use at home

$1 Billion Solar Buy

Swiss industrial group ABB buys US solar panel maker for $1 billion

Glorious Green Buildings

Which cities get bragging rights for this year's AIA high performance building awards?

Two Horses of The Apocalypse

Resource scarcity and climate change are the twin drivers of 21st century conflict

50 x 30: Renewables Surge

Plunging prices are predicted to attract a wave of clean energy dollars, as new energy investment models arise that could mean 50% of the world's power coming from renewables by 2030

Celebrate Earth Day

What doesn't the environmental movement move people?

Green Consumerism - Meh

A close look at eco-attitudes in polls of US consumers is neither inspiring nor credible

April 20, 2013

Linked By Water

Fresh ideas for expanding ferry service in NYC

Build A Better Energy Mousetrap

What to expect in the next generation of big energy technology breakthroughs

April 19, 2013

The Tennis Wars

Tempers flare over plans to expand the Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Park and what the quid pro quo might be

Smart Grid Growth As Industrial Policy

In Korea, smart grid research & development is part of the nation's industrial policy

50 States With Solar Jobs

Solar jobs, state by state information

Too Big To Change

Are the world's fossil fuel companies so huge that tougher government climate action would shake global finances?

Gas Tax Blues

Federal gas taxes are inadequate for maintaining the highway system, but will this lead to new tax policies that foster fuel economy??

NYC: 100 x 2019

By 2019, NYC will shift all its street lights to LEDs, cutting energy use by 35%

Corporate Carbon-Cutting Pledges

10 companies commit to cutting their NYC carbon footprint 40%, mostly in 17 million square feet of leased office space, over the next decade

Haiti: Off The Grid

What are the prospects for renewables and microgrids to provide light and power in Haiti?

April 18, 2013

Quebec To Queens Power Line OKed

A 1,000 megawatt power transmission line running from Quebec to Queens is approved by the NY Public Service Commission and a look at the state's current energy profile

Expect Energy Gridlock

A sketch of the House Energy & Commerce Committee shows why Washington isn't going anywhere

Sun Power Leaders

Which US utilities are leaders in solar power and are they in your state?

Solar Power From Muni Roofs

NYC kicks off a public-private partnership to install solar panels on government building rooftops to create 1.85 megawatts of electricity

Wind Turbines Built To Last

Wind turbines proposed for offshore North Carolina are designed to withstand Category 3 hurricanes

Brazil: The Power Of Cheap Wind

Plummeting Brazilian wind power prices disrupt plans and pricing for natural gas-fueled power

Science At Work - Modeling The Heat

What lies behind the headlines that the world is unlikely to get as hot as some climate science models projected?

China: Climate Law In The Works

China is drafting a climate change law that could rely on regional cap and trade schemes

Why the Fisker EV Flopped

Technical and design failures, not its DOE loan, doomed the Fisker electric car

Australlia: Carbon Revenue Could Sink

In the wake of the EU's distressed carbon market, Australia projects a drop in its 2014 carbon tax receipts

April 17, 2013

Green Power Champs

EPA announces 50 organizations that are the nation's top green power users

Up On Green Roofs

Need good reasons for green roofs?

The Social Science of Pipeline Politics

Can psychology and sociology explain the dynamics between the opponents and supporters of the Keystone XL pipeline project

Still Dirty After All These Years

Global carbon emissions from energy production have not dropped in twenty years

Test Bed For Coastal Resilience

An 80-acre parcel of city-owned land in Far Rockaway will be developed for affordable housing that's both green and climate resilient

Carbon Market Failure

With EU carbon emissions markets on life support, can they be made to work elsewhere?

UK: Kids Concerned About Climate Change

A survey of British 11-16 year olds finds they are worried about the impact of climate changes on kids around the world

Full Disclosure

For anyone who thinks there are benefits to be gained from building energy benchmarking laws, read this

April 16, 2013

Climate Politics 101

Climate action in Washington will advance only when the political price of opposition kicks in

China: Eco Standards for PV Makers

China may set electric use and pollution limits for solar panel parts makers

B.C.'s Bigger, Better Carbon Tax

The incremental success of British Columbia's carbon tax offers reasons to expand it

Bi-Partisan Energy Efficiency

A bill with bi-partisan support that targets industrial and building energy efficiency gets another chance in the Senate

EU: No Rx For Carbon Market

The European Parliament votes down a proposal for propping up its troubled carbon emissions trading scheme

NY Ferry Futures

Can ferry service navigate past obstacles to become a major mass transit option in NY Harbor?

Not Easy Being CHP

Combined heat & power systems face strong headwinds, despite their many advantages

Visualiing Noise

Psst - maps of Manhattan's noise complaints

Climate Policy: Work In Progress

What's working and what's not in climate action policy around the world? In US, ferment at the state and local levels

April 15, 2013

The Price Of Deferred Spending

Lack of spending now on controlling climate change means huge bills later

Sign Up For Citi Bike

No time like the present to join NYCs new bike-sharing program

The End Is Near, Or Not

Will US power utilities adapt to the changes coming from distributed generation and how will consumers be affected?

Montreal: Walk About

Mapping Montreal's walkshed shows how people access mass transit

Parsing Obama's Budget

What are the ups and downs in the President's proposed environment and energy budget and is climate change off his agenda?

Soot And Sea Level

Make the connection between airborne soot and a rising global sea level

New Ways To Pay The Piper

Chicago's Infrastructure Trust raises private capital for city infrastructure, while keeping ownership in public hands - first project $101 million for upgrading muni building energy efficiency

Beijing: After The Airpocalypse

Residents of Beijing and other big Chinese cities need clean air, energy efficiency and better transport systems

April 13, 2013

Making Sense Of Microgrids

What are microgrids and who wants them?

Anthropocene 101

Get acquainted with concepts of the Anthropocene Era

Biophilia On The Block

A new Soho building will deploy both biophilia & sustainable structural design

Speed VIsit

Spend a day in NYC in just four minutes

April 12, 2013

No Time For Power Plant Rule

EPA misses its deadline for limiting power plant GHG emissions and has no new deadline in mind

Help Wanted

Columbia University has an opening for a senior research scholar on global energy policy

The Bitcoin-Climate Nexus

Bitcoin computations are so complex that computer energy use skyrockets

You Gotta Have Park

NYC park and open space advocates work on a to-do list for the next Mayor

Charge It

New York will be getting 360 electric vehicle charging stations

UK: Fix Carbon Market Our Way

England has its own ideas about how to fix the troubled EU carbon emissions market

Gore: The Man They Love To Hate

Media research finds climate deniers' favorite way to make their case is by mentioning Al Gore

Hot Enough Or Not

What lies behind an apparent slow down in the pace of global warming and what lies ahead?

Smart Power Generation

Explore this interactive, fully-loaded, graphic website

April 11, 2013

Copehagen: 0 x 25

Copenhagen works toward becoming carbon neutral by 2025, with heating/cooling systems playing a key role

Locating Urban Tranquillity

If you value a little urban peace and quiet, map it

School Kids Learn Eco ABC's

EcoHouse in Queens teaches school kids how to become energy efficient and go green

Same Data, Different Conclusions

Attention climate activists: behavioral economics wonders why people can draw opposing conclusions when presented with the same 'balanced news'

Leaves Do It, Trees Do It

What is artificial photosynthesis and could it be the ultimate renewable energy revolution?

ETA For A Global Carbon Price

Don't count on a global price for carbon anytime soon, even as the UK sets a floor price

Big Data Dominance

NYC vies with Seattle to become the capital of Big Data, which, BTW, can be deployed to make buildings smart and energy efficient

Another Solar Revolution

How could solar power bring down the fossil-fueled utility business?

Shadow Falls On Solar Project

Solar power prospects darken as developer of a 500 megawatt Mojave Desert project retreats

April 10, 2013

Asia: Costs Of Soaring Energy Demand

The Asian Development Bank flags risks to regional development of uncontrolled energy demand and offers some solutions

Up On Your Roof

Tips for choosing the best rooftop solar panel system for your needs

Build A Better Carbon Tax Model

Carbon tax modeling for the detail-oriented

Japan: PV Made In USA

A start-up US solar panel maker gets access to the growing Japanese market

Shoring Up Park Finances

Will revenues from commercial development on Pier 15 keep the Hudson River Park afloat?

A More Stormproof Mayor

Mayoral candidates offer ideas for making NYC more resilient in the face of more weird weather

London: Greasing Distributed Power

Kitchen grease will fuel East London sewage treatment plant operations

Weird Weather And You

Since 2007, weird weather disasters have put 80% of Americans in harm's way

Monopolies Are So 20th Century

Why the electric power industry could soon resemble the telecom sector, very different and more resilient

April 09, 2013

Asia: Capital Of Megacites

Seven of the world's ten biggest are in Asia and some are growing at warp speed

Quebec-California Carbon Link

California okays a link with Quebec's carbon emissions trading market

Japan: Life Without Nuke Power

What are Japan's energy options since shutting down its nuclear plants?

Socratic Art In LIC

Socrates Sculpture Park on the Long Island City waterfront embraces its great outdoors

Running On Sunlight

Lancaster, CA aspires to satisfy all its power needs with the sun

A Bicycle Built For You And You

NYC's bike sharing program is set to kick off in May

Earth Day At 43

What went wrong with the environmental movement & can it be fixed?

Benchmarking: It's Happening

Building performance benchmarking laws are becoming the new normal

Pivot Points For Energy Efficiency Choices

Seek the pivot points where an informed consumer will opt for energy efficiency

April 08, 2013

High-Flying Turbulence

Climate-induced changes in the jet stream will lead to bumpier airline flights

So-Long Suburbia

With signs that US suburbanization is in decline, what's the new frontier?

Yes We Can, No We Can't

A fight erupts over prospects for New York's conversion to an all-renewables power supply by 2030

Margaret Thatcher's Climate

Was Margaret Thatcher a climate skeptic?

PACE Bonds For Solar Power

Commercial properties can finance PV installations and other energy efficient equipment with PACE bonds

Post-Sandy Storm-Proofing

Can construction storm-proof homes being rebuilt after Sandy?

Fading Suport For Carbon Limits

Backtracking on GHG controls for the airline industry and a German freeze on renewable power tariffs signal that European commitment to a low carbon economy is waning

OiI Boom Drives Trains

The domestic shale oil extraction boom does wonders for rail freight

Fauna And Flora- NYC Style

Street murals may be the best way to see NYC's local wildlife

April 06, 2013

Speed Visit

Spend a day in NYC in just four minutes

April 05, 2013

Natural Gas Takes A Bow

With US energy-related carbon emissions at their lowest since 1994, the EIA credits natural gas replacing coal

NYC Biz Mulls Sandy

New York City business parlays on changes needed in the wake of Sandy's devastation

Peak Oil, Again

The latest round in the long-running peak oil debate

UK: Petrol-Pinching

Data suggest that UK motorists are driven by fuel efficiency

Germany: Political Cost Of Renewables

Facing re-election, German leader Angela Merkel loses energy utility support due to her pro-renewables policies

Paris: Race For The Power

The Paris marathon will be equipped with tiles that generate electric from racers' footsteps

Inside The White House

White House Chief-of-Staff Denis McDonough might be climate action's best friend in Washington

Be Prepard

The National Weather Service promises to upgrade its vigilance and storm alert capability this year

Brooklyn Archaeology

Could it be true that a 19th Century steam engine has been discovered under Atlantic Avenue?

April 04, 2013

Decarbonize The Cloud

Spiraling demand for data centers and the energy they use create the need for energy efficiency innovations to make the cloud more climate friendly

Stop The Leaks

Can methane leaks, among the worst climate impacts of natural gas production, be fixed?

Urban Gardening 101

Tips on growing an urban garden from a NYC can-do guy

Glasgow: Climate Change Costs More

Facing more climate-related floods, upgrading Glasgow's waste water system will cost more

Budget Cuts In Your Lungs

Federal budget cuts undermine EPA's power to write clean air rules

Turkey: Bullish On Nukes

Turkey to strike a $20 billion financial deal with either Chinese or Japanese sources for its second nuclear power plant

The Climate Among Friends

President Obama gives a shout out to climate action at a California fund-raising event, but signals it's tough to be green

US Biz Does Not Shine On Sustainability

A German sustainable investment rating agency give no stars to big US firms

April 03, 2013

Off-Grid Demand For World Bank Funds

Off-grid clean-power developers seek $500 million in World Bank funding to fill the gaps left by the private sector

Build A Better Battery

The race is on to build a battery up to the job of storing on-grid renewable power for use when it's needed

The New Home Economics

Ten tips for saving money and saving energy at home

China: Light On PV Maker Bankruptcy

Back in 2009, payment troubles with the founder's investor pals hit the now-bankrupt giant solar panel maker Suntech

Resilience From The People

The Sandy Regional Assembly drafts a post-Sandy plan for a more resilient New York metro area

Manhattan Gas Leaks

Leaking methane detected in Manhattan adds to concern over natural gas as a clean fuel, but is this reason to oppose fracking?

Seattle: Supergreen But Not Smelly

A tour in Seattle of one of the world's greenest office buildings confirms that the composting toilets are odorless

Climate Fatigue

Public alarm about climate change down 6% since October, maybe it's due to winter weather

April 02, 2013

Australia: Solar-Powered Solar Power

Plummeting installation costs help make Australia a global solar power

How Hot Causes Cold

Why does melting arctic ice, caused by a hotter temperatures, lead to cold spring weather?

Norwalk: PACE Bonds Live

Connecticut announces its first PACE energy efficiency deal for a Norwalk shopping plaza

EU: Rain Dampens CO2 Emissions

A rainy 2012 in Scandanavia boosted hydropower output, resulting in lower EU carbon emissions

UK: Energy Efficiency Pays

The UK will give steep tax discounts to industries that improve their energy efficiency

The Whys Of High Gas Prices

Why is it cheaper for gulf coast oil refiners to send gas to Brazil than to NY?

Japan: Power Sector Overhaul

Japan will restructure its monopolistic electric utility sector by separating generation from transmission

Needed: Nerd Boats

A call for added ferry service to link emerging NYC tech hubs gets Senator Schumer's support

April 01, 2013

US Coal Exports Soar

Even as domestic carbon emissions drop, US coal exports set records

Dumb Question

If sustainability is important to business, why is it so rare for financial executives to tout sustainability goals and sustainability executives to tout financial goals?

Germany: Solar Tipping Point

Germans have installed so much rooftop PV that the utility industry may never be the same

Fossil Fuel Firms For Carbon Capture

With financial backing from oil companies and the DOE, a carbon capture facility could be installed at a Texas cement plant

Missing Opportunities

US offshore wind power potential remains largely untapped

Pro Life Tailpipe Rules

By cutting a slew of emissions EPA's new tailpipe regulations will save lives and be cost-effective too

Trail v Rail

A proposal to convert an abandoned rail line into a high line park is challenged by a proposal to restore it to commuter rail service in Queens

Walk New York

Co-op City, another site to satisfy the irresistible urge to explore more of NYC