Something There Is That Doesn't Love A Carbon Tax
A federal carbon tax has everything going for it, except Congressional support
June 29, 2013
Greenland: MIA
Previous estimates of how much water was locked in polar ice are off by the size of Greenland's glaciers
June 28, 2013
UK: Billions For Nuclear Power
Fearing power blackouts the UK commits £10 billion in financial guarantees to build new nuclear power plants & reopen moth-balled ones
Wind Software Theft
A Chinese firm is charged with theft of US wind turbine software in federal court
Twilight Of The Power Grid
The solar power revolution is on the verge of blowing up the electricity business
Next-Generation Nuke Power
$3.5 million in federal funds goes to four firms for research & development of next-generation nuclear reactors
Congestion Pricing
A new toll-swap proposal would toll East River bridges, cut tariffs on the other City-owned bridges & tunnels, and add a congestion fee south of 60th Street
The Weather Channel Watch
While the Weather Channel was the only broadcast TV to carry Obama's climate speech, climate threats to people and the planet keep rising
Walking On Water
While technical solutions to prevent flooding in lower Manhattan are known, meeting political and budget demands might take a miracle
San Francisco: Eco-Districts
Four San Francisco neighborhoods could become urban labs that unify critical infrastructure systems for greener living
Australia: Energy Efficient Apartments
A new program to make apartment buildings more energy efficient kicks off in Sydney and Melbourne
June 27, 2013
Obama Taps Renewables Expert
President Obama nominates Ron Binz, a renewable energy advocate, to head the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Chicago: Benchmarking Bill
Chicago's Mayor Emanuel champions a building energy benchmarking & public disclosure bill
Today's Number
Weird Weatherproofing The Whitney
After Sandy flooded the construction site for the new Whitney Museum on the Hudson River, adding resilience design becomes a must
UK: Renewables IPO
The renewable energy industry expects a wave of new funding as an investment firm launches on the London Stock Exchange
Climate Change: The Political Problem
Will expert predictions of world energy use and carbon trends crash into political roadblocks?
Concentrate On The Coal Belt
Cut US air pollution by focusing clean energy growth in areas of the US now relying on coal-burning power plants
8x18
By 2018, non-hydro renewable energy is predicted to supply 8% of the world's power; with hydro, renewables will exceed the role of gas by 2016
June 26, 2013
Australia: Gillard Loses, Carbon Wins
The downfall of Australian PM Gillard does not bode well for the nation's carbon tax
How Cities Grow
Remote sensing data reveal that the world's cities are growing upward and outward, but the driving forces vary
Latin America: Low Use Of Renewable Resources
From Mexico to Chile, Latin America is blessed with renewable power capability but lacks the policies to make the most of them
Geneva: Insurers Alert To Weird Weather
The global insurance industry sees risks of weird weather becoming the new normal
Water Filtration Mess
Broken promises and a flood of cost overruns plague the yet-to-be-completed Bronx water filtration plant
June 25, 2013
Free Home Energy Efficiency Software
Now that I have your attention, news about evolving business model for solar panel installer
Empire State Building's A Wow
The renovated Empire State Buildings exceeds its own energy efficiency expectations and saves big bucks
Germany: High Energy Cost Alert
While praising Germany's long-term low-carbon energy goals, today's high energy prices put them at risk says IEA
New Opportunities In A Nation Of Cities
In praise of the function and economic opportunities of linking US cities with a high speed rail network
Upgrading Appliance Efficiency
What's on DOE's to-do list for improving energy efficiency standards of electrical appliances and equipment?
The Whole World Is Watching
Obama will have a global audience for his climate policy speech, but the EU could be listening the closest after its financial crisis pivot away from climate priorities
Reinventing Los Angeles
Founded in1781, Los Angeles, defined by both density and sprawl, is reinventing itself again
Climate: Not So Worried
Just 40% of Americans see climate change as a top global threat, which is less than people in 38 other nations, according to a Pew poll
The Obama Ask
It is reported that President Obama will ask the states for their carbon cutting ideas in his speech today, along with a call for more renewable energy projects on public lands and tighter standards for energy-efficient appliances. Also expect
June 24, 2013
Tel-Aviv: Electric Scooters
Tel-Aviv kicks off a 25 electric-powered scooter pilot program for city workers
PV Goes Pedestrian
Soon, New Yorkers will be able to use solar cell phone rechargers in public spaces
EU: Energy Makeovers Could Be Key
The EU examines if building energy retrofit policy could be the key to meeting its carbon reduction goals
Australia: Cap-Trade Compliant
Australian companies hand over carbon emissions allowances to comply with the cap and trade schedule
Greener Weddings
Hooray for happy couples planning greener weddings
Talking Up Obama's Climate Talk
Will Congressional carbon tax prospects grow once the President announces his own carbon reduction plan?
June 22, 2013
PACE Lives
The program that allows businesses to repay loans for installing renewable energy or energy efficiency upgrades as property tax add-ons is growing
June 21, 2013
Candidates On Congestion Pricing
Get the graphic about where NYC Mayoral candidates stand on congestion pricing
Calling All Resilience Designers
Enter to win a federal design competition for helping Sandy-stricken communities with new solutions to their ecological & environmental problems
Russia And China: Energy Deals
Russia will export $270 billion of oil to China and inks a $20 billion deal to invest in a Chinese LNG project
New Yorkers For Ferries
MWA launches a campaign to bring more ferry service to NYC
Germany: Russian Gas On Tap
Imported Russian natural gas gets a thumb up for replacing domestic German nuclear power
Science At Work - Cities
Learn why cities are a “special kind of social reactor", which evolve according to a small set of basic principles and feedback loops
UK: It's So Unusual
With wobbles in the jet stream, the UK might face a decade of weird weather
Stop Mercury
Legislation for the collection & recycling of mercury-containing thermostats seems poised for passage in New York. Here's the bill
June 20, 2013
Wag The Dog
A canine meme useful for explaining climate change to doubters
Not Everything's For Eating
A call for NYC's urban farmers to protect space for wildflowers and other inedible plants
ICYMI
A solar-powered plane on its night and day cross-country trip, landed in Washington DC on Sunday; next stop NYC
Israel: Natural Gas Exporter
The Israeli government okays exporting a $60 billion portion of its offshore natural gas reserves
India: Pricing Solar Right
An Indian solar developer wins over IBM and Dell, promising solar power will cost less than grid power
Trade Unions For Energy Democracy
Five global union federations from 18 nations meet to identify green opportunities in the global energy crisis
Measuring Brownfield Redevelopment
What are the environmental findings of a life-cycle analysis of a brownfield redevelopment in Chicago?
Living The Solar Life
Sustainable lifestyles attract a following with a plethora of new product ideas
New Leadership In NY
Audrey Zibelman has been named as the new chair of the powerful New York State Public Service Commission
June 19, 2013
PlanetSolar In NY Harbor
A solar-powered vessel moors in NY Harbor on its way to conduct oceanic climate research
Capping Carbon
Using regulations to limit carbon emissions from new and existing power plants could define Obama's climate strategy
UK: Wet Weather Ahead
What could possibly be the climate news content of predicting rain in the UK? [Hint: jet stream shifts]
Global Threat Of Our TIme
In Germany for the G-8 meeting, President Obama calls climate change the global threat of our time
Seattle: The Power Of Nega-Watts
The Bullitt Foundation in Seattle kicks off a new way to finance energy efficiency in older buildings
Europe: Utilities Just Say No
European power utilities extend plant shut-downs and delay investment in new fossil fuel facilities
June 18, 2013
Demark: Pension Funds For US Wind
A Danish pension fund invests $200 million in the once-controversial US Cape Wind project
India: Nuke Plant Goes Live
A Russian-built nuclear power plan opens for business in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu
Making Sense Of Good News
What explains the steady decline in carbon emissions since 2005?
Greens Delay Climate Lawsuit
Anticipating Presidential climate action, eco-activists delay their climate law suit
Obama's Climate Action Agenda
What?
Addiction Without End
A rebuttal to the study proclaiming the feasibility of ending NY's fossil fuel addiction with recommendations for a more incremental path (Don't just read the blog, read the study)
Save Energy When Saving Files
Cloud computing is a more energy efficient way to save and store electronic files
The Climate At CNBC
Fox is not the only major media outlet that occupies the anti-climate bandwidth
China: Urban Climate Vanguard
Chinese cities launch a carbon emissions permit market this month, with Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing as well as the regions of Guangdong and Hubei, leading the way
June 17, 2013
UK: Energy Effiiency Lifts Home Prices
Research finds more energy efficient homes are selling at a premium in the UK
Power Grid 101
Just what is the electric power grid and how can it be made smarter?
Innovation And The City
Introducing bright Ideas for a more equitable and sustainable urban future
San Franscisco: Park It
What measures 8x12 and costs $82,000 in San Francisco?
China: Sun Set For Sun King
How did China's economic development policy lead to the implosion of once-globally dominant PV maker, Sun Tech?
To-Do List For The Next Mayor
Make CitiBike a part of a tax-free mass transit program
June 16, 2013
Obama's Unused Climate Tool
NEPA could be a powerful tool to cut GHGs from federal projects if only the President would act
NJ: On and Off For Off-Shore Wind
The saga of bringing off-shore wind power to east-coast states continues
June 15, 2013
Pandora's Promise - Not A Film Review
Dave Roberts explains why he doesn't write about nuclear power
Meet MEETS
What is a metered energy efficiency transaction structure and why should energy efficiency fans care?
June 14, 2013
Israel: Captian Sunshine's EVs
Can Captain Sunshine succeed where A Better Placed in making a go of with with EV'?
Asia Loves US Clean Tech
What is driving Asian investment leadership for new clean tech in the US?
Sustainble Finance Winners
The Financial Times announces the winners of this year's global sustainable finance award
Carbon Tax Update
Could there be signs of life in the Senate for carbon tax hearings?
It's All About Relationships
The fate of Bloomberg's climate preparedness plan rests on working things out with the Army Corps of Engineers, Con Ed and others not under any Mayor's control
Microgrids: The Slide Show
Missed the Energy Storage & Microgrids Forum: Building A Better Grid? Catch up with the slide show
Australia: Renewables Rising
Australia gets more than 13% of its electric power from hydro, wind and solar sources, with investment of $4.2 billion in 2012
Show Us The Process
Vermont crafts a new process for public input into the siting of new energy-generating facilities
Tomorrow's Utility Business Plan
Consider Steven Chu's alternative to your grandma's model of the electric utility business
June 13, 2013
Seattle: Metering Enrgy Efficiency
A Seattle utility and foundation pilot meters to measure and sell real time energy savings in commercial buildings
Extra, Extra: Building Resilience In NYC
Urban Green Council serves up a menu of ways to make NYC more resilient and able to withstand a climate-challenged future
Critics Go Nuclear
Pro-nuclear energy documentary Pandora's Promise, won't be ignored and don't miss this The Nation piece
400. 1,127. 354
The numbers add up to the need for a sustainability agenda for corporate America
UN: Climate Talks Stall
The latest round of UN climate treaty talks go nowhere
China: Eco-Face Forward
Sustainability guidelines, include stakeholder engagement, for Chinese firms engaged in overseas development projects
NYC Flood Zone Maps
Zoom in on maps of the NYC neighborhoods most vulnerable to flooding
Making Bloom Boxes Bloom
The maker of high-tech fuel cells, Bloom Energy, raises $100 million from of the world's biggest investor-owned utility
June 12, 2013
Greenland: Dark Ice
Climate scientists explore the implications of Greenland's darkening ice
Europe: Coal Kills
Air pollution from Europe's 300 biggest coal-burning power plants is linked to 22,300 deaths a year
Germany: Grid Upgrade Needs Renewables Support
The German Prime Minister expects the renewable power industry to help fund modernization of the nation's power grid
A New Way To See NYC
Map the NYC photos taken by tourists and then will someone please overlay it on the new FEMA flood zone map
Their Feets' Too Big
Who are the top 100 carbon emitters in the US?
Costing Out New Nuclear Tech
Modeling the construction costs of small modular nuclear reactors yields no clear decision path
Georgia's Nuclear Twins
Do the twin nuclear power plants under construction in Georgia signal a revival or the end of an energy era?
A Nuclear Valentine
A film maker's advocacy tactics are questioned in a review of a pro-nuclear power documentary
Bloomberg Looks Ahead
Dive deep or skim Mayor Bloomberg's plan for making NYC more resilient in an era of climate chaos and weird weather
June 11, 2013
FEMA Doubles The Flood Risk
FEMA calculates 400,000 New Yorkers are in harm's way for flooding, nearly twice the previous estimate, so what should be done to make them safer?
Greening The Tax Code
What's the Master Limited Partnerships Parity Act and should renewable energy advocates support it?
From Russia With Floods
St. Petersberg's flood barriers to fend off Neva Bay storm surges could offer a model for New York City
June 10, 2013
Hubba Hubba
An update on developments at the Philadelphia Energy Efficient Buildings Hub
UK: Tide Power Project Questioned
A government report raises cost and impact questions about a $39 billion proposal for generating electricity from tide power
Central Europe: Extreme Flooding
The last time Passau, Germany flood waters rose above 40 feet was in 1501 [$ub]
Wouldn't It Be Nice
Envision the rebuilt Penn Station as a mid-Manhattan green oasis for mass transit users
BRT: Getting To Yes In Chicago
How to convince Chicago bus rapid transit, which means removing a lane of traffic and parking, is the right thing?
Carbon Market Price Ticks Up
A small cut to the total number of RGGI carbon emissions permits lifts market prices off the floor
Reality Checking
The IEA calls energy efficiency a key to keeping CO2 levels within climate-tolerable ranges, but not everyone agrees
Energy Efficient Browsing
Microsoft claims its new browser saves more energy than the competition
June 09, 2013
Eco-Engineering
New York City waterways get a new, green system of pollution prevention
June 07, 2013
Scotland: Carbon Goal Missed Again
Scotland's come a long way butfails to meet its carbon-reduction goals two years in a row
Frozen In Place
A bipartisan Congressional bill could stop the federal government from increasing flood insurance rates in at-risk coastal areas by retaining current subsidies
China: On The Edge Of Extraction
PetroChina is set to become the world's biggest investor in fossil fuel exploration
Film Review: Pandora's Promise
Pandora's Promise is a documentary about climate-activists who convert into nuclear power fans
Bi-Partisan Energy Efficiency Bill
Home mortgage lenders would calculate the value of energy efficiency under terms of a bipartisan bill introduced in the Senate
CA Nuke Plant RIP
The crippled San Onofre nuclear power plant in California will be shut for good and here's what is likely to replace it
Solar Summit 2013
Missed this year's NYC Solar Summit? Catch up here
What Energy Efficiency Needs
The movement for upgrading building energy performance needs better performance modeling to attract funding and gain credibility
June 06, 2013
The Bikeshare Problem
A NYC Citibike fan diagnoses the program's software docking problem
Finland: Path To Decarbonization
The IEA identifies nuclear and renewable power as mainstays of the Finnish path to a low-carbon energy future
Turning Green With Social Pressure
Behavioral science holds the keys to saving energy
China: Coal Cuts Possible
China will consider cutting coal burning in industrial areas 100 million tons annually by 2015
Meet The The Sulfur Battery
The new lithium-sulfur battery could be a better bet than lithium-ion technology, with 4 times the energy density
Save The Planet In Your Basement
Today, storage batteries for renewable energy can fit into building basements
Save The Planet In Your Basement
Energy storage batteries equipped with IT can fit into urban basements and kick in on hot summer days, but upfront cost is a barrier
Mississippi Utility Anti-Efficiency
In a state ranking 51st on energy efficiency, why would a power utility oppose rules to do better?
India: Private Funds For Wind Power
A Goldman Sachs venture fund invests another $135 million for wind power in India
Citizens' Polltuion Patrol
ICYMI - What did micro-sampling for air pollution detect in downtown Brooklyn?
June 05, 2013
Now Carbon Costs More
The Obama Administration recalculates the social cost of carbon and that's no small thing
Australian Shale Gas: Yes, But...
While Australia has immense underground shale gas reserves, exploiting them won't come cheap
$150 Million A Year, Maybe
A bill inches its way through Albany that would extend support for solar power, at $150 million a year for the next decade
Auction The Wind
The federal government will auction leases offshore from Massachusetts & Rhode Island for wind farm projects
UK: The Proximity Payoff
To encourage neighborhood acceptance, utility customers living near wind turbines could see their utility bills cut 20%
Bridges For Baby Falcons
Baby falcons nest on NYC bridges, so all together now, AWWWWWW
Israel: Solar-Powered Clean Water
Israeli solar power technology is deployed to clean up polluted water and desalinate it for drinking water
NYC: Not So Storm-Proofed
With another hurricane season looming, it's fair to ask, "Is NYC prepared for another Sandy?"
June 04, 2013
UK: Vote Near On Decarbonization
The UK Parliament is set to vote on a controversial bill that would set targets for decarbonizing the electric power industry
NJ Lights Up NY
660 MW of electricity coming from New Jersey starts illuminating Manhattan
MA: $100 Million Green Bond Deal
Massachusetts to issue its first $100 million in green bonds for for improving energy efficiency in state buildings, river revitalization & land acquisition
June 03, 2013
Money's Not The Problem
For he emerging energy efficiency industry the key is connecting the opportunities to the money
No Either/Or For Big Greens
Seven big US environmental groups unite over demands for Presidential climate action and opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline project
Climate Cap: More Or Nothing At All
Climate negotiators must devise a higher cap on global temperatures, because the old limit of 2 degrees C is not achievable
China: Climate Handshake With US
China and the US agree to explore ways to cooperate on taking climate actions
Watch TV With Less Energy
Once again, Energy Star standards raise the bar for televisions & VCRS - ClimateWire $ub
Coming Soon: NY Energy Week
Plug in to the first-ever NY Energy Week June 24-28
About Those Solar Tariffs
The number of solar manufacturing & installation jobs seems constant since the US imposed tariffs on PVs imported from China
June 02, 2013
EU: if They Snooze They Lose
Increasing energy efficiency" is profoundly altering the rules of the game for EU power utilities