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News & Views Curation

November 30, 2015

Paris: It's A Start

COP 21 can produce a viable climate action plan, then it's up to governments, citizens & institutions to deliver the results & patience is a must

Paris: Good Intentions Won't Save Us

When it comes to effective climate action coming out of COP21, you know the old adage about good intentions...

Obama's COP21 Speech

President Obama's speech at the Paris climate summit

What Americans Want

Signing a binding climate treaty to limit GHG emissions is favored by 2/3 of Americans

Paris: Carbon Tax Shout-Out

32 bold-face names sign on to a call for a carbon tax at the Paris climate summit

A Mad, Bad Idea

Let's fill in the Hudson River not!

Wrong On The Climate Facts

Misunderstandings about national security & El Nino, when it comes to climate change, clarified here

The Making Of A Climate Justice Activist

An interview with Wen Stephenson about his path to full-time climate activism & his new book What We're Fighting For Now Is Each Other

November 27, 2015

FEMA: Plan For Sea-Level Rise

Mapping sea level rise could become part of federal emergency management preparedness

India: No Fossil-Fuel Phase-Out

India would rejects any climate summit proposal to phase out fossil fuel burning by 2100

Domestic Climate Discord

“We believe you have a duty to acknowledge to negotiating nations at Paris 2015 that the centerpiece of the President's domestic CO2 reduction program is being challenged in court by a majority of States and will likely be struck down.” Patrick Morrisey, Attorney General of West Virginia, in letter to John Kerry, US Secretary of State

Latin America: Climate Action's Economic Benefits

Gains in Latin American economies make the case for the benefits of taking climate action

Barriers To An All Renewables World

If social & political blockages would melt, the world could be powered with 100% renewable energy by 2050

Oregon OK's New Energy Storage Rules

Battery storage ownership becomes an option for Oregon electric power utilities

November 25, 2015

How To De-Carbonize Investments

Peru v Germany

A Peruvian farmer sues a giant German utility, claiming its fossil fuel emissions endanger his family, livelihood & hometown

Paris: The Serious Comics

November 24, 2015

Speak Climate Better

The Hiatus That Wasn't

Think there was a pause in global warming starting 15 years ago? Think again

Explaining Persistent Climate Skepticism

Will you be surprised by this explanation of why many Americans are climate change doubters?

EU: Mind The Energy Revolving Door

The energy-industry-EU-energy-policy-making personnel revolving door ensures sustained focus on fossil fuel interests in a climate-challenged world

Portland: Resolved Against Fossil Fuel

A resolution calling on Portland, Oregon to oppose expansion of fossil fuel transit & storage facilities passes the City Council

Chicago: New Clean Tech For Old Building

Chicago's 85-year old Merchandise Mart keeps young by installing a money-saving energy storage battery

MTA: No Fare, No Way

The MTA nixes a free-shuttle bus proposal for service to La Guardia Airport that would cut car use

EfficienSEE

See the fuel & energy performance of your NYC apartment building

November 23, 2015

Voter Interest In Climate Action Rises

Maybe, just maybe commitment climate action could be a winning election strategy now

Grass Roots - Where The Action Is

True of false? Climate grass roots, not big green groups is where hope for big changes can be found

Prince: Syria War Linked To Climate Change

The UK's Prince Charles draws a connection between the war in Syria & regional climate change impacts

Legal Eagles: Public Trust And Climate Change

While upholding the 'public trust' doctrine for protecting natural resources, a Washington State court denies the climate claims of some atypical plaintiffs

GOP v GOP

The first head of the EPA (appointed by Richard Nixon), accuses presidential contenders Trump & Rubio of ignoring climate science for political gain

Why Numbers Count

Here's why passing the 400 ppm threshold for CO in our atmosphere matters to scientists

How To Keep Climate Hope Alive

By signing on to mechanisms that will compel carbon cuts after the delegates leave Paris, the climate summit will have done its job

50x30 in NY - Thou Shalt

NY's renewable energy goal, 50% by 2030, to become a requirement per Governor Cuomo

November 20, 2015

Power Grid At Risk

What are US power grid operators doing to secure this critical infrastructure from cyber attacks?

Portland: Bans New Gas Stations - NOT

Some news about the Portland, Oregon climate action plan is not fit to print

Heat Stress Kills

Death from chronic kidney disease of El Salvador sugarcane workers is tied to heat stress

US Climate Attitude Trends

A national survey finds Americans are talking to each other more about climate change

50 Nifty Climate Solutions

And now for some good news!

Australia: Wade Into Wave Power

Australia, the island continent, dips a toe into a wave energy microgrid

Hooray For The Millionth Tree

Get Comfortable While Cutting Your Carbon Footprint

Here's how NYC apartment dwellers can be not to hot & not to cold while doing their bit for cutting the city's carbon footprint

November 19, 2015

Paris: The Forgotten Climate Goal

Will global temperature cap goals, of such importance to low-lying island nations, re-appear at the Paris climate meetings?

For Energy Efficiency/Flow Chart Fans

Free In The Heart Of TX

Free nighttime electricity in Texas shows how the clean energy economy welcomes renewables & gives people more choice, convenience & control

Seattle: Reinvents The Sidewalk

Not only will formerly sidewalkless Seattle neighborhoods get their first ones, but they'll also be less costly to install

Solar Investors Are Big Losers

What up with plummeting solar stock values?

Something To Read When Pumping Gas

Gas pumps in North Vancouver, Canada will soon bear labels with climate warnings or climate action advice for drivers

UK: End Coal With Gas And N-Plants

Key to British government carbon-cutting policy is to end coal use by replacing it with natural gas- & nuclear-fueled power plants

Bonds For Carbon Capture

A bi-partisan Senate bill revives a 1970's bond scheme to finance carbon capture & storage projects

November 18, 2015

The Passive House Flip-Book

Take a virtual tour of NY Passive Houses

States Of Preparedness

UK: There Goes The Sun

UK solar power providers predict collapse of the domestic market in 2016

Climate Research Grants Withheld In Iowa

Two climate science research grants worth $5.17 million are held up, possibly without authority, by an Iowa Utilities Board

GOP Ramps Up Fight With Gov't Scientists

The GOP Chair of the House Science, Space & Technology Committee accuses NOAA of "publicizing" his demand for the internal emails of agency scientists & officials.

Road To Paris: Negotiations Milestone

The world’s wealthiest countries agree to end export credits for the least efficient coal plant technologies, starting 01.01.17

Taking Climate Action - Not

While a majority of Americans believe in human-forced climate change, they are not shifting their consumer habits yet

Shrinking Snowpacks Imperil Drinking Water

As climate change shrinks snow-packs , the drinking water supply of 2 billion people in the northern hemisphere will threatened

Honor Mother Earth In Queens

Sadhana, a NYC-based Hindu group, promotes environmental awareness in Queens & clean up of it beaches and Jamaica Bay

November 14, 2015

In The Eco-Politics Arena

Making the green case for a Clinton Presidency, not everyone will agree

Black Lives Matter - Clean Air Needed

Air pollution is a stealth killer in black communities

November 13, 2015

Watch It Here

Climate Change: No Safe Investors

Both in the short & long runno investment portfolios are safe from losses linked to climate change

Climate Threats To Exxon Investors

Damage to Exxon's coastal oil refineries threatened by climate change could be a big blow to the company's investors

India: Coal Imports Sicken

In Mumbai, India coal imports pose public health & environmental threats

Home Solar - Lower The Credit Threshold

A big solar panel company wants to lower the credit score homeowners need to qualify for its systems

Solar Power With Carbon Emissions

ICYMI, why California's utility-scale Ivanpah solar power plant uses natural gas and emits carbon dioxide

From Granite To Green

Can home energy retrofits be made as popular as kitchen remodeling?

Canada Ends Science Gag Order

Canada ends the restrictions imposed by the previous administration on its scientists' public communications

From Roofs To Streets - Combat The Heat

Resource guide for cooler cities

November 11, 2015

Saudi Arabia: Climate Action Plan

Everybody's getting into the act

Energetic Energy Leadership

Westside CB Sees Amsterdam Ave. Re-Do

Manhattan Community Board (CB) 7 warms to the City's Amsterdam Avenue redesign that would add a protected bike lane & pedestrian islands

Sun Not Causing Warming

Scientists explain why sunlight is not the current cause of a hotter planet

Methane Emissions: Global Climate Crisis

Making the case that leave-it-in-the-ground isn't the only solution to the global methane emissions crisis

Utilities Throw Shade On Solar

How some utilities undercut solar rooftop demand

Mainstreaming Renewables

Half the world's new power plants opened in 2014 use renewable sources

India: Huge Climate Challenges

Everyone recognizes India's immense climate risks & policy challenges, are there any solutions?

Put Exxon On Notice - Stop Bending Science

How does a corporation bend science and why NY's Exxon climate investigation could put a stop to it

November 10, 2015

The RECing Crew

Renewable Energy Certificates (REC's) are green gold, but what are they doing for renewable energy? (Note: 2007 publication, still relevant)

Our Newest Climate Milestones

The Climate's Changed

What today's record CO2 levels mean for all our tomorrows

Why The GOP Can't Support a Carbon Tax

Spoiler alert, you won't be surprised, even given the fate of the planet

NJ: Off-Shore Wind Power Leases

Rights to develop 344,000 acres for wind power offshore of New Jersey are awarded to two companies

Greens Growl Over Clinton Endorsement

A wave of dismay rises over the League of Conservation endorsement of Clinton for President

November 09, 2015

Australia And China: Study South Pole Ice

Understanding how climate change impacts Antarctic sea ice is targeted by joint Australian and Chinese scientific research

An Urban Thought Experiment

Picture what major world cities would look like in a 2 or 4 degree C hotter world

Coal Plunges

2015, the year global coal consumption fell between 90 and 180 million tons - the largest drop on record

Electrifying Public Art

What happens when renewable energy meets public art?

See Sun Rising By 2016

Global solar PV demand will rise 65.5 gigawatts by 2016, predicts market research firm

Deep Retrofit On Roosevelt Island

How to succeed at an ambitious energy performance upgrade at a fully-occupied apartment building on Roosevelt Island

Understatnding Keystone Activism

Why it's so important to keep clear on the distinctions between climate grassroots activism & climate policy making

Big Coal Consents to Risk Disclosure

Peabody Energy enters into an agreement with NY Attorney General Schneiderman to disclose risks to investors posed by declining coal markets & carbon-constraining climate policies

Clinton Picks Up Big Green Endorsement

The League of Conservation Voters is set to endorse Clinton for President

November 06, 2015

Obama Nixes Canadian XL Pipeline

Do the right thing by just saying no

Help Wanted: RGGI Director of Program Implementation

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, Inc. seeks to hire a Director of Program Implementation to be based in New York City. Full job description here


Exxon Knew

As a result of misrepresenting what it knew about climate science, Exxon may have harmed all of humanity

Vancouver: Gas Pump Warnings

Vancouver, Canada contemplates requiring gas station pumps to carry climate change warning labels

Renewable Energy To Double x 2030

The supply of renewable energy in eight major economies is predicted to double in 15 years

The Sunshine Revolution

China & the US are leaders in the solar power revolution that will change the way we use and pay for electricity

November 05, 2015

Weird Weather And Climate Change

Explaining 2014's weird weather events from a climate change perspective

Exxon Investigation Opened

The NY Attorney General opens an investigation into whether Exxon lied to the public about the risks of climate change or to investors about how those risks might hurt the oil business

Coal: Going, Going...

It's the economics that is undoing the coal industry

Exxon: We Didn't Mislead On Climate Science

Exxon's CEO denies that his company misled the public on what it knew about the science of climate change

Cities/States Defend Obama Climate Policy

Legal defense of the EPA Clean Power Plan already has over 2 dozen cities & states on board

Berkeley: GHG Reduction Assessment

First the good news, Berkeley, CA is rating its GHG-cutting efforts next the bad news, its far from meeting its targets

A Thought Experiment

Imagine a GOP thaw in its unwavering opposition to climate science & policy actions

November 04, 2015

Climate Science: Ozone Layer, Friend Of Climate Action

How the campaign to phase-out ozone-eatng substances helps mitigate climate change, but there's more to be done

Uppsala: Disinvestment Leader

Uppsala is the largest Swedish city, so far, to rid itself of fossil fuel investments

Stop Digging Up Fossils

Legal Eagles: Learning From The EU Energy Efficiency Experience

Seven types of recommendations for improving US building energy efficiency programs based on EU experience

Mixing Sun And Gas

What to make of the fact that California's giant Ivanpah solar power plant burns natural gas?

Goldman Sachs Ups Its Green Game

Goldman Sachs will increase its clean energy investments from $40 billion up to $150 billion over the coming decade

Climate Mitigation Unlikely, Climate Adaptation Necessary

If GHG emissions cuts are a distant prospect, then climate adaptation measures must be part of every nation's focus

November 03, 2015

Germany/England: Nuclear Futures

Compare & contrast the nuclear power paths of Germany and England

New Life Underground

Japan: Solar Sales Slump

Japanese-made PV panel sales sag in 2015, in part due to a weak domestic market

China: Putting Numbers On Renewables

China's renewable energy investments & installed capacity numbers signal a way greener tomorrow

Gov Dismayed By Nuke Plant Shut Down

Governor Cuomo isn't happy about the announced closure of an upstate New York nuclear power plant

NY: Plan For Steep Sea Level Rise

New York makes it official by creating new rules to help coastal communities construct more resilient buildings in the face of sea level rises up to 6 feet over the coming 75 years

NRP Ombudsman: We Dropped The Ball On Exxon

Exxon's on-going role as a climate denier, despite the climate research by its own scientists, should have been covered by NPR says its own ombudsman

November 02, 2015

Australia: Fossil Fuel Friends, Business Foes

Under the climate-hostile Abbott administration, clean energy investments in Australia plunged 31%

A Potent Climate Action Tool

While many emotions are powerful, shame is special in its potential to change corporate & political climate conduct

Quote of The Day

"We have probed the earth, excavated it, burned it, ripped things from it, buried things in it, chopped down its forests, leveled its hills, muddied its waters, and dirtied its air. That does not fit my definition of a good tenant. If we were here on a month-to-month basis, we would have been evicted long ago." - Rose Bird, Former Chief Justice - California Supreme Court (1936-1999)