The Heat's Still On
Don't take comfort in reports that global heating is on "pause"
July 31, 2013
Climate Inaction Is The Economic Threat
In her first post-confirmation speech EPA Chief Gina McCarthy> defines failure to regulate GHGs as an economic threat
Science At Work: Climate And Methane Leaks
Another round in the great fracking debate, which is worse CO2 or CH4?
Red, White And Green
A national environmental group launches a media campaign supporting the President's clean air & climate action plan
First Sandy, Now Sand
Check out this sand castle in the canyons of Lower Manhattan
Ride The Waves, Not The Rails
Added ferry service from Sunset Park to Manhattan will ease problems of R train riders facing a 14 month station shutdown
July 30, 2013
Seize The Opportunity
New EPA chief Gina McCarthy sees climate action and job growth as part of one grand opportunity
2013 Hurricane Season
Carbon Neutral Aviation
Can the global aviation industry go carbon neutral by 2020 at a cost it's willing to pay?
What If.....
What if it's more energy efficient buildings and vehicles & less energy demand - not natural gas - that explains the drop in US carbon emissions from 2011 to 2012?
Greening Historic Rowhouses
The manual for greening NYC's historic rowhouses, presented at the 2013 Passive House conference
France: Nuke Giant Exits US
French nuclear industry leader EDF pulls out of US, citing a price revolution linked to fracking for natural gas
JP Morgan's Energy Market Caper
JP Morgan could be close to settling federal charges stemming from turning inefficient power plants into profit centers
Climate Advocacy By A 90-Something
Former Republican Secretary of State George Schultz reflects on a history of Republican energy and climate policy and supports action now
July 29, 2013
Germany: Burn More Coal, See What Happens
German air pollution rises as more coal is burned to replace nuclear power
Recycling Mojo
One picture is worth a thousand words when it comes to recycling plastics
LEDs: A Gateway Drug
Consider Paris to see how conversion to energy efficient LED lights can be the first step toward a smart urban energy grid
China-Myanmar Energy Link
China now imports natural gas from Myanmar through a pipeline under the Indian Ocean
Aim For Carbon Revenues
While many climate policies focus on putting a price on carbon emissions, others target creating carbon revenues
No, No NOAA
A Congressional climate denier tries to defund NOAA scientific research
Climate Risks For Liquid Assets
Welcome Watermark, a new blog about water and climate change challenges
Do The Locomotion
What moves the New York Times about Mayoral hopefuls' transit ideas?
July 28, 2013
Cities Are Where It's At
Forget the White House or the State House, urban centers and big city Mayors are the engines of America
July 27, 2013
Adapt Or Go Away
A booming PV market signals creative destruction for the old-time electric utility industry
July 26, 2013
Germany: Heat Raises Prices
Energy prices soar during a heatwave in Germany
Renewable Hawaii
A new on-bill financing law makes it easier for home owners and renters to install solar power and make energy efficiency upgrades
Race, Class and Heatwaves
A look at how to beat the heat — or not — in neighborhoods like South Williamsburg
Another Kind Of Fossil
Polls finds an age-split among voters, with under-35's of both parties supporting Obama's climate action plan
CrystalCarbon Ball Gazing
In 2040, 80% of the world's energy will still come from fossil fuels according the the IEA, while others foresee "oil price shocks"
Amazon's A Green Laggard
Amazon isn't making the energy efficiency drives of other on-line giants
Bike Lanes In Brownsville
Changing attitudes about bike lanes in Brownsville through citizen support
The Macro And The Micro
What's is store for the relationship between macro-utilties and micro-trends?
Sensory Sanctuary
July 25, 2013
Arctic Methane Uproar
Controversy flares over the scientific quality of methane predictions in the Nature publication on climate-induced Arctic calamity
Climate Action Predictions
Can the President's executive branch-only path to effective climate action succeed?
China: Snaps Up US Solar Tech
A Chinese PV panel maker buys a US thin-film solar tech company
Australlia: Tide Comes In
A 40 MW tide-power project gets government approval in western Australia
Zoning Isn't City Planning
A New York Times critic decries the Mayor's proposed mid-town rezoning and readers weigh in
Philadelphia: Benchmarking Rules
Philadelphia issues rules for large commercial buildings to meet their energy benchmarking & disclosure requirements
Farm-Foods For NYers Goes Bust
A project bringing small and mid sized farm produce to NYC residents files for bankruptcy
Tick-Tock Tick-Tock
NY greens challenge Mayor Bloomberg to act on list of key environmental policies before leaving office
Climate Scientist Sues
After attacks on the honesty of his research by climate change deniers, scientist Michael Mann starts a defamation suit that advances in court
July 24, 2013
Droughts And Climate Change
Although droughts have complex causes, a hotter planet will magnify their impact
A Carbon Tax By Any Other Name
Now that Australia has ended its carbon tax, will cap and trade be an equivalent substitute?
$60 Trillion Time Bomb
Scientists warn that climate-induced Arctic warming will create $60 trillion of damage to crops, flood properties & wreck infrastructure elsewhere on the planet
Take The X Train
The 2013 NYC Mayoral race is a perfect time to take a close look at the Triboro-Rx subway proposal from 1996
Lovins: Things Are (Mostly) Looking Up
Energy guru Amory Lovins sees momentum growing for energy efficiency, renewables & distributed power
Milwaukee: Improve Now Pay Later
A new Milwaukee law allows building owners to improve energy efficiency and pay for it over time as a real estate tax add-on
Generating Resilience
Advice from the pros on how to keep urban buildings inhabitable after storms, floods and blackouts
Red-Hot Renewables Debate
ICYMI, the latest round in the fierce dispute over if, when and how renewables can zero-out fossil fuels
July 23, 2013
The Solar 12
Lessons worth learning from the twelve states with the most installed solar power
Hotter Under The Sea
Scientists see crucial climate change evidence in data on rising ocean temperatures
Investing In Your Future
The financial sector, particularly institutional investors, must re-allocate investments to cut global GHG emissions at a pace and scale that matter
Fun Facts About East Coast Wind Power
See if there's wind power on the way in your Atlantic state
Starchitect Prizes Solar Skins
World-famous architect, Sir Norman Foster, integrates solar panels into the exterior of buildings he designs
Solar Power With Union Labor
A New York solar power firm puts unionized workers on its PV installation jobs
Big Bucks For Mass Transit
Subway, bus & commuter rail service in the NY metro area get a multi-million dollar budget boost from the state
Electric Use Sets Record
Electric consumption in NYC hit an all time high of 13,322 MW last Friday, but it wasn't the hottest July 20 on record
July 22, 2013
NYC Dodges Disaster
Looking for buildable space in NYC? Here's an early 20th century proposal to fill in the Hudson River and more!
Majority Supports Obama Climate Plan
61% of American voters polled about President Obama's climate action plan give it a thumbs up
Social Science At Work: Benchmarking
Research on targeted transparency policy could enhance the impact of building energy benchmarking laws
California's Not Dreaming
California has a 40 year track record to show the other 49 state how to get energy efficient
UK: Re-Do The Energy Maths
Is it possible that renewable energy will soon become the cost-effective choice?
Thumbs Up For Negawatts
Resilience of the metro area's power supply during last week's heat wave owes a lot to effective demand response programs
Together Again
Could NYC's traffic czarina Janette Sadik-Khan & Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden have joint plans for an urban sustainability enterprise?
July 21, 2013
Electric Prices Soar With The Heat
Too Cool For School
Do you run your AC at the recommended 78 degrees?
July 20, 2013
Storing Sunlight
Is dawn breaking for the solar power storage industry?
July 19, 2013
Sunny Geothermal Italy
Italy produces more low-cost geothermal power than any other country in Europe
Rebuilding Rockaway
Four semifinalists named in the design competition to rebuild Sandy-ravaged Rockaway waterfront communities
EU: Nuclear Support
The EU considers rules to clarify how governments could offer subsidies to build and operate nuclear power plants
Taking Credit For Giving Credit
Co-ordinating federal loan programs could accelerate the President's climate action agenda
Hong Kong: Carbon Footprinting For Consumers
A voluntary product labeling scheme will educate Hong Kong businesses and consumers about their carbon footprints
So Long Snow And Ice
The hottest climate news of 2013 is the rapid melt of northern snow and Arctic sea ice
Energy Efficiency: Not A Done Deal
Why achieving scale remains an elusive goal for the building energy efficiency market
Gowanus Green Leases
A Gowanus Canal area property owner adds sustainability and other neighborhood-friendly provisions to his leases
Two Green Peas In A POD
Distributed power and renewable energy go together for greening data centers
July 18, 2013
Be A Safer Cycler
Two Kinds Of Power Shift
The rise of IT-enabled distributed electric & heat power production could raise the power of cities
WTC: Transit Hubba Hubba
The multi-billion dollar transit hub at the World Trade center site starts to shape up
California: Carbon Offset Deal
Utilities and green groups agree, foreign forest emissions offsets should be used in California's carbon cap & trade program
EU ETS: When Less Is More
Betting that fewer emissions permits on the market, prices rise for EU carbon trading
Urban Heat Islands
Cost Is The Killer
Are old nuclear plants too costly to repair and keep in operation, while new ones are too expensive to build?
July 17, 2013
Feds Walk-The-Walk On Energy Efficiency
A review of federal energy efficiency policy shows it's more than talk
Spain: Renewable Energy At Risk
Spanish developers fear cuts in government renewable energy support could bankrupt them
Shifting Power Supplies
Leaders & laggards from 2005-2012 in shifting power supplies by US electric utilities
The Cool Battery
Con Ed and other utilities to test out energy storage batteries to keep urban ACs going on the hottest days, without needing a bigger energy supply
Getting To Yes On Energy Disclosure
Boston discovers education & resources to act are the keys to real estate buy in on benchmarking, building energy disclosure laws
Carbon Tax - Fuggedaboutit
Conservatives launch an attack aimed at killing off chances for a federal carbon tax
LEDs Come Of Age
With prices dropping and light quality improving LED bulbs are ready for prime time
EU-ETS: The Cap's The Thing
Defenders of the EU carbon trading scheme claim it's carbon caps, not prices, that matter
July 16, 2013
State Energy Snapshots
New York State's energy snapshot is just one of 51 on this AEE web portal
China: Clean Energy Investment Sags
Chinese clean energy investments by equipment makers and utilities are predicted to drop by $49 billion this year
Saved By Oysters
Oysters, sand dunes, wetlands and other 'soft' coastal natural resources can protect vulnerable US coastlines for free
East River - Floating Pool
Could dreams of a floating, filtered-water pool in the East River become a reality?
Australia: PM Kills Carbon Tax
PM Kevin Rudd ends the carbon tax and speed up introduction of a emissions permit market, but revenues will drop
Republican Seeks Out Administration
Senator Vitter (R-La.) presses for testimony from the Obama Administration, not just scientists, at climate science hearings
Cooling Centers Go Unused
Few New Yorkers go to any of 500 cooling centers to beat the summer heat
July 15, 2013
Conventional Climate Economics Challenged
A new study undermines some givens of climate economics
The Climate Culture Calendar
New York's autumn cultural calendar features climate-themed events
Defining Your Goals
Where's the best place to locate a wind or solar power installation? It depends
Your Number Is Up
Infographic of NYC buildings' aggregate resource consumption
Senate Climate Hearings On Tap
The witness list for Senate Environmental & Public Works Committee "Climate Change: It’s Happening Now" hearings on July 18
UK: Stop Climate Chaos
Next year the UK climate movement plans to relaunch with high profile public mobilizations and engage in 10-15 Parliamentary elections
China-US: Carbon Friending
China and the US find several carbon-cutting actions to pursue together
India: Wind Gains Momentum
Ten reasons why wind power is making inroads into coal-generated electric power
Why Chicago Should Benchmark
NRDC makes the case for why Chicago should join the ranks of cities with building benchmarking laws
July 13, 2013
Storm Brewing Over Hurricane Science
A new round of controversy erupts among climate scientists over predicted changes in the frequency & severity of hurricanes
You Say You Want An Energy Revolution
With 500 separate owners of power transmission lines, improving the overall system by adding more renewable power could be impossible
July 12, 2013
Solar Georgia On My Mind
Regulators require Georgia Power to buy 525 MW solar power as part of their energy mix
Visit Now
Five famous sites on the National Trust for Historic Preservation list threatened by climate change flooding
China: Mad As Hell
A rising Chinese urban middle class targets pollution as a major source of discontent
Oceans: Deep Heating
Re-analysis of existing data finds sharply rising temperatures in deep ocean waters, a trend predicted by climate change science
Japan: Alarming Radioactive Leaks
Japanese regulators grow more alarmed over radioactive materials escaping from the shuttered Fukushima nuclear power plant
Another Blue Planet
NASA photo of HD 189733b, a planet 63 light years away
Promoting Greener B Schools
Seven practical ideas for integrating sustainability & a climate curriculum into MBA programs
July 11, 2013
More Money For Clean Energy
With China, South Africa and th US in the lead, global investment in clean energy is on the rebound
Hip-Hop Hooray
A history of hip-hop — where it grew up — in NYC parks
More Solar For Less Money
New York State solar power support programs are paying off
The Zombie Apocalypse
Behind the scare headlines lie numerous reasons for developing microgrids
Breaking The Emissions-Economic Growth Link
Cities are living labs for linking economic growth to energy efficiency instead of burning more fuel
Stuck In Carbon
The renewable energy share of the world's total energy use has not grown over the last 20 years
Demystifying Energy Futures
The short version of why future global energy predictions are all over the map and why that matters
Switzerland: 50% Polluters
50% of a Swiss town's carbon emission come from 21% of its households
The New Yellow Green Pages
The Green Business Directory will help companies find eco-friendly services and suppliers
July 10, 2013
Skanska Leaves The Chamber
Objecting to efforts to undercut LEED standards for federal building Skansa, a global project development and construction firm, quits the US Chamber of Commerce
More Good News - Sandy Success Stories
20 cases of planning and design that worked well in the face of Superstorm Sandy
Good News -- At Last
Utility-run energy efficiency programs get more funding and generate energy efficiency, while coal-burning decreases
20 Cities Track Their Progress
Citizens of 20 Minnesota cities can track annual GHG emissions and other environmental indicators on an interactive website
Scotland: Less Tide Power
Scientists find estimates of 14 GW of potential tidal power from the Pentland Firth should be cut to 1 -2 GW
Bulkheads v Noah's Ark
What to do about NYC neighborhood's subject to chronic flooding and in harm's way when storms hit and seas surge?
Power From The Desert Sun
Dust and distance are hurdles to making solar power from desert sites a new normal
July 09, 2013
One Graph Is Worth A 1,000 Words
See rising global temperature patterns decade-by-decade
Tesla Makes It On Wall Street
The stock of electric car maker Tesla enters the Nasdaq 100 Index
5 States To Teach About Climate
Rhode Island, Kentucky, Kansas, Maryland & Vermont adopt school science course standards that include teaching about climate change
Science At Work - Hurricanes
New research predicts more GHG emissions will lead to more and fiercer hurricanes in this century
Science At Work - Sea Ice
Uproar over getting the facts right about the melting of Arctic sea ice
145 Days
The EPA has been without a chief for 145 days with Gina McCarthy's nomination still stalled in the Senate
China: Coal Kills
Breathing air polluted by coal-burning power plants cuts 5.5 years off lives in northern China
UK: Hail To The Green Queen
Queen Elizabeth harnesses Thames River water to power
Windsor Castle and meters its energy use
Build A Better LED
Research on new materials to build more lovable LED light bulbs
July 08, 2013
Yogurt Power
Greek yogurt makers in New York have an electrifying way with 'whey'
Cute Energy Saving Clips
Cutting Carbon: Tall Order For China
Consider the challenges on China's path from pilot to national carbon reduction programs
Europe: The Water-Climate-Nuke Cost Nexus
As climate change warms the water resources used in southern Europe to cool down nuclear reactors, the cost of this non-fossil energy source will rise
Australia: Expect More Extreme Summers
Climate change impacts will be felt in the form of even hotter summers in Australia
Google Energy
Is Google adding big energy company to its corporate focus?
Meet Ethical Electric
Get acquainted with a new breed of electric power utility
Desiring A Streetcar
In Redhook, Brooklyn the desire for a streetcar might be fulfilled
July 06, 2013
Listen Up - The Message Matters
Climate Change - The Novels
Novels using climate change as the plot device don't register as a science fiction
July 05, 2013
Quivering Coal
Attack campaigns against the environmental movement by the coal industry suggest greens are winning
Conservatives Must Lean-In On Climate
Bob Inglis, a leading conservative for climate and energy action, offers a free enterprise agenda
UK: PM Cuts Offshore Wind Ribbon
Prime Minister Cameron launches the London Array, an offshore wind farm in a country with more installed capacity than the rest of the world combined
Big Solar - Big Questions
Can we count on the development of mega-scale solar power projects?
Asia: Planet Roast
Asian nations as well as the World Bank & the Asian Development Bank must make climate friendly choices, or else
Science St Work - Tracking The Jet Stream
Wiggles an wobbles in the jet stream over North America have a big impact on the weather
How Cities Can Help Distribute The Power
Making cities centers of distributed, district energy will require forward-thinking government policies
July 04, 2013
ETA Solar-Powered Plane
The cross country flight of a plane powered solely by sunlight is due to end with its NYC landing this weekend. Here's some backstory
Soot Masks Climate Impact
Research finds small air pollution particles mask climate-related rainfall increases, so less soot will mean wetter weather in soggy areas
July 03, 2013
Rooftop Farm Airport
In 1946, a NYC developer had plans for a 990-acre Manhattan airport 200 feet above street level
A New Green Home Challenge
A Chicago suburb house is the first in the nation to meet new high performance levels, the Green Home Challenge
Paris: Bank Signs Green Lease
The green lease idea gets space in Paris
Hong Kong: Micro-Carbon App
Now there's an app to help Hong Kong residents live smarter with a smaller carbon footprint
Hot Start To 21st Century
2000-2010 had the hottest temperatures in 160 years and plenty of weird weather too
Distributed Energy 101
Developmet and financing basics for urban distributed energy systems
Science At Work - Tap Water From The Sea
While desalinization is a standard technology, an energy efficient way to get drinking water from the ocean is brand new
For Computer Gamers
Long summer weekend ahead, time to play a computer game about sustainable energy resources
Cookin' With The Climate
As usual, Mark Bittman says it best
July 02, 2013
Less Carbon, More Work
How Obama's plan to cut carbon emissions could create more jobs, especially in energy efficiency
Light And Body Heat
A fifteen year old invents a flashlight powered with body heat
Grading Energy Efficiency
Is America getting more energy efficient? Here's a detailed report card
The Devil's In the Details
Key to meeting a building's energy efficiency goals is attention to detail during construction and in facility operations
High Performance Bikes
Think Lamborghini, not Citibike
Looking Ahead With Numbers
With predictions of US carbon emissions rising 2013-2020, consider the numbers and projections of what's needed to meet Obama's carbon reduction goal
UN: Nuke Industry Learns Its Lesson
The UN International Atomic Energy Agency sees a feasible future for nuclear energy because it's learned the lessons of Fukushima
Norway: Keep It In The Ground
A Norwegian economist wins an EU prize for proposing to combat climate change by paying nations for their fossil fuel extraction rights
July 01, 2013
New Uses For Old Infrastructure
Ideas for reusing old bits of Boston's infrastructure for 21 century urban needs
DOE: Don't Rule Out Coal
Federal energy czar Ernest Moniz says coal will remain a significant part of the nation's energy supply mix
Energy Efficiency Save Lives
One Marine was killed or wounded for every 50 fuel and water truck convoys in Afghanistan, and one in 17 of the convoys was disrupted by an improvised explosive device — that's unacceptable. Now, the USMC leads the way on innovative and energy-efficient gear
Renewables Ready For Prime Time
Four reasons why renewable energy is up to Obama's climate action challenge
China: More Offshore Wind
A Chinese company announces its prototype 6.5 MW offshore wind turbine is ready for action
Getting To Yes For Gina
Here's a pathway for Senate confirmation of Gina McCarthy to lead the EPA
ICYMI - Supreme Court On EPA Powers
The Supreme Court will hear a case next session that could reinstate certain EPA powers to regular CO2 emissions from power plants
Spain: Capping Renewable Profits
Spain will announce caps on allowable profits to the deeply indebted renewable energy industry
Melbourne/Sydney: Still Addicited To Carbon
Relying on coal-fired power plants located outside city limits, Melbourne & Sydney need a renewable energy revolution