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News & Views Curation

April 29, 2016

Climate Activists In The Crosshairs

A-List climate activists like Tom Steyer & Bill McKibben are under attack by America Rising Squared, a GOP opposition research group

Progress Toward OneNYC

What progress does the de Blasio Administration cite in meeting its OneNYC goals?

Go Ahead, Hug A Tree

Investors And The 2 Degree Stress Test

What would happen when investors apply the "2 degree stress test" to fossil fuel assets?

Store Energy With Gravity And Rocks

Effective energy storage doesn't have to be new-fangled

April 28, 2016

Solar Bankruptcies: Compare And Contrast

Lessons learned from the very different reasons for bankruptcy at solar firms Solyndra & SunEdison

New Ocean Worry

Evidence of declining ocean oxygen levels is a new worrying sign of the impact of climate change

Euro Lessons For Reviving US Rail

Building A Greener Battery

Can Energizer develop small batteries that are no longer big environmental polluters?

Cities Lead On Green Building

Deploying tools like energy benchmarking laws US cities are leading the way on green, high energy-performing building

Fight Climate Change, Buy Treasury Bonds

Senator Boxer (D-CA) proposes legislation for the US Treasury to offer 'climate change" bonds to individual buyers

Budget Appropriations - Where Things Get Sticky

Fly Solar, Fly Solo

While a solar-powered round-the-world flight is making history, multi-passenger solar flights are a long way off

April 27, 2016

Locating Energy Poverty

A-List Climate Writer Tackles Carbon Tax

Climate & energy journalist Dave Roberts on what it would take, politically, to create a carbon tax able do what's needed

Japan: Religious Record Reveals Climate Changes

$8 Million For Community Microgrid Idea

Governor Cuomo announces an $8 million engineering design & business plan competition for community microgrids as part of the NY Prize program

PV And Clouds, No Problem

Researchers find cloudy skies in cities like Buffalo, NY is no problem for rooftop solar power

Set A Plastic Bag Fee

A Crain's NY editorial supports NYC legislation to put a nickle fee on plastic bags

France: Carbon Price On Tap

France to set its own floor price on power plant CO2 emissions

Close The Green Finance Gap

Launched in the US, the Investor Confidence Project aims to to scale up energy efficiency financing in Europe by creating a standardized asset-class of energy efficiency projects

April 26, 2016

Urban Density v Solar Panels

Zoning for urban density might outperform PV to up the sustainability quotient of cities like San Francisco

NYC: Leads By EV Example

Cities & states can have a real clean air impact by purchasing EV fleets and NYC is a leader

San Diego: The Elephant In The Room

San Diego's GOP mayor, Kevin Faulconer, is pushing for his city to use 100% renewable energy by 2035

Climate Feedback

Explore this new website where climate scientists review online media articles, provide ‘feedback’ on the scientific accuracy of the information presented & readers can see these annotations directly alongside the original texts

Tunisia: New Wind Turbine, Ancient Carthage

Back To School

Is today's climate journalism getting a passing grade on the facts from climate scientists?

The Post-Paris Climate

What to expect now that the Paris climate accord has been signed by 195 nations?

April 25, 2016

There Must Be An App For That

Check out these apps for increasing your eco-informed options

Detroit: Climate Justice, Climate Action Now

Detroit decides that community-based climate action is not a luxury that can be put off for tomorrow

Firesale On Bankrupt Solar Firm Assets

UK-based Ecotricity enters the home solar power arena by acquiring a business from the bankrupt SunEdison

The Plastic Pacific

5 Flaws In Federal Energy Bill

Critics identify 5 faulty provisions in the recently passed Senate Energy Policy Modernization Act

Clinton To Koch, No

Hillary Clinton wouldn't accept an endorsement from climate-change denying Koch brother

Regional Systems To Modern Euro-Grid

Knitting together a fragmented electric power grid is key to European energy progress

Greener NYC Has Landlords Seeing Red

Mayor de Blasio's Earth Day Report, spelling out policies to make NYC buildings more energy efficient, rile up landlords' group

5 Cities To Watch Now

Singapore,Houston, Medellin & Vancouver

April 22, 2016

Broadway Congestion- 1870 Style

Needed: Carbon Revolution

2 cheers for carbon taxes but don't stop there if climate-saving carbon cuts & an energy revolution are the goals

Getting Technical About NYC's Low Carbon Future

The newest technical recommendations for transforming NYC buildings for a low-carbon future

Climate Accord: Shipping Out

China & the US get delays in cuts to shipping industry emissions as they sign Paris climate accord

India: Breathe Easier With Twitter

#Breathe gives Indian Twitter users real time information on their air quality

Appreciate The Odds

Understand the odds of climate-linked disasters in changing urban conditions

Travel Ideas

Do Los Angeles as an eco-tourist

NYC Earth Day Query

Is NYC doing its part on key climate action items?

April 21, 2016

What's Old Is New Again

It's a 1990's revival, Earth Day NYC 2016 means a Car Free Day (in 3 targeted zones) & a 21st C. chance to change

Fastest Growing Job

Wind turbine technician is the country's fastest growing profession, with jobs soaring 20% from last year

True, Even Self-Evident

The outcome of the 2016 Presidential race will be critical to the outcome of the Paris climate accord

Save The Planet With Data

Cities, states & corporations must honor pledges to disclose and verify their GHG emissions data or effective climate action will be impossible & here's how NAZCA can help

The Half A Degree Disaster

The differences between a world 1.5 degrees C hotter and one that's 2 degrees C hotter are huge & scary. Will the Paris Climate Accord save us?

REV'ing Up To A New Solar Era

April 20, 2016

Introducing More Molecular Benchmarking

A bill to lower the threshold size of buildings required to submit annual energy benchmarking reports to local government is introduced in the NYC Council. Intro 1163 would also establish a system for the Buildings Department to assist property owners with their reporting obligations

The Funnies

Nostrils Are Portals For Pollution

How climate change adds to American's health risks from breathing polluted air

Make Tomorow By Mapping It

Don't miss this Green Map, power tool for shaping the Lower East Side of the future

Needed: More Shoreline Resilience

Mayor de Blasio kicks off a coastal resiliency initiative to protect the most vulnerable NYers

More Than One Way To Make The Solar Case

A comparison of German & US pro-solar power positions sheds light on what works best is context=dependent

NYC Needs More Bike Equity

Citi Bike mobility must expand beyond NYC's upwardly mobile set

Fossil Threat Scares EU

The EU caves on climate policy upgrades when British Petroleum threatens an oil industry exodus

San Francisco Rooftop Solar A Must

The Climate Action Dashboard

Visit the NAZCA dashboard and discover what actions cities regions, companies, investors & civil society organizations have taken to fulfill their 11,000 climate pledges

April 19, 2016

Harvard Law Advocates For The Virtual

An Environmental Law Clinic at Harvard Law School urges Massachusetts regulators to green light 'virtual' power plants

The Cow Has Left The Barn, Climatewise

In light of current temperature increases was the Paris Climate Accord too little, too late?

Top Solar States

NY is #7 of the nation's top 10 solar power states

Melbourne: 1st Off Grid Test

April 18, 2016

Feds To Measure Shoreline Flood Risks

The Army Corps of Engineers will assess the risks of flooding linked to rising sea levels along 10,000 miles of US shorelines

Sweden: Energy Giant Exits Coal

Taking a loss, the Swedish firm Vattenfall sells its German coal assets & seeks sustainable energy alternatives

What's Old Could Be New Again

France: Renewables Rising Fast

By 2023, France plans to triple its solar power capabilities & to set a 40% renewables target for 2030

20 Year Old Urban Eco Star

Destiny Watford, a 20 year old from Baltimore, wins an international prize for stopping an incinerator plan in her home town

Enter To Win

Inspire climate action with your creativity! Apply to be part of the Human Impact Institute Create Climate Awards exhibit

Meet Proxy Carbon Pricing

Both corporations & government have compelling motivations to use a proxy carbon price, what are they?

UK: Dirty Diesels Nabbed

Another black eye for diesel-powered cars

How Exxon Can Avoid Kodak's Fate

Climate action & economic self-interest demand fossil fuel companies convert themselves into renewable energy providers

April 16, 2016

Help Wanted: City Hall Eco Job

Senior Project Manager for Citywide Environmental Quality Review

April 15, 2016

March Madness

Unraveling A Key Climate Policy Riddle

What should US climate policy do about methane?

US Solar Cheaper Than China's

After s $775 million upgrade, US made solar panels cost less than comparable products from China's top supplier

Dem Debate: Climate And Energy

Climate & energy got plenty of high-powered attention at the latest Clinton/Sanders debate

Solar-Powered Plane Will Fly Again

The Solar Impulse 2 is ready to resume its round the world flight, taking off from Hawaii next week

More To Chose With Solar Panels

A survey of solar panel installers finds many also offer their customers energy storage gear, but price remains a barrier

Quote Of The Week

Amsterdam: Going In Circles

Amsterdam drafts a road map to become the first city running on a sustainable circular economy

SunEdison Loses Its Shine

What explains the threatening financial woes of a solar power darling?

April 14, 2016

The Latest CO2 Numbers

This trend is not your friend

Pressure Mounts On Exxon

Newly disclosed documents add to the evidence about Exxon's decades-old knowledge of climate change along with efforts to thwart any regulations

France: More Wind Wanted

Renewable energy sector demands more French offshore wind projects as part of national policy

Glutted With Gas

Rx For The L Train

What's the right way to repair the L train, heavily damaged by Superstorm Sandy?

Hillary's EJ Plan

Environmental justice gets Hillary Clinton's attention

April 13, 2016

Getting More Bang For The Benchmarking Buck

What can NYC learn from the EU to give its building energy benchmarking law more clout?

Fossils Spend Millions On Climate Obstruction

Researchers find Big Oil spends $115 million annully on direct lobbying to obstruct climate action & on more indirect methods too

Watt's Used

Now yo can find out just how much electricity your gadgets & appliances consume

Be Prepared

Bankruptcy In Big Coal

Coal industry giant Peabody Energy seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

The Fracking Debate: Round X

Can fracking be successfully regulated or must it be banned?

April 12, 2016

Hansen On Climate Activism

Follow one scientist's path to climate activism

Los Angeles: Utility Threatens Blackouts

Is the Los Angeles electric utility threatening the city with summer blackouts to get what it wants?

Los Angeles: Utility Thratens Blackouts

Is the power company threatening Los Angeles with summer blackouts to get what it wants?

Cheap In The Heart Of Texas

Texas solar power is the cheapest in the US

Greenland: The Big Melt

Post- Paris: Fulfilling Cllmate Commitments

Take a first look at what countries can do to fulfill their Paris COP-21 climate action pledges

Needed: A National Grid

The solution to California's 'problem' of too much solar power, is building a national grid that can send renewable energy everywhere

Making Paris Climate Agreement Sticky

Will Obama's agreement to the Paris Climate accord bind the next President?

April 08, 2016

San Diego: 100 x 35

In setting a goal to buy 100% clean electricity by 2035, there's a lot to learn from San Diego

10 Years After

Ten years after An Inconvenient Truth opened, changes to our climate remains an inconvenient truth

Climate Alters French Cuisine

Climate changes changes everything, even fine French cooking

The Meaning Of The Tesla Model 3

Will the new mid-market Tesla Model 3 be the iPhone or the Blackberry of the auto industry?

Comoros: Volcano Power

Volcano-sourced geothermal heat may be tapped for carbon free energy on the archipelago nation, the Comoros

World Bank: Walking The Climate Walk

Every year, $16 billion in World Bank loans will go toward confronting climate change

April 07, 2016

Heathy, Active And Green

Activity-friendly urban design boosts public health & mass transit access cuts carbon emissions

Portland: Artisanal And Deadly

Two of Portland, Oregon's artisanal glass makers found to be hot spots of carcinogenic air emissions

Australia: Climate Scientists Seek Jobs

Up to 100 climate research scientists need new jobs as a venerable Australian research institute shifts focus to other matters

Auto Industry Slow On Fuel Efficiency

Why is achieving a 55 mph average auto fuel use standard so elusive?

NY Offers EV Rebates

NY is hoping a $2,000 rebate will spur sales of all electric & hybrid electric vehicles

April 06, 2016

21 Decouplers

21 nations see economic growth even as their carbon emissions drop

The Consensus Gap

In case you think public understanding of climate change now aligns with the scientific consensus, it hasn't

UK: Save Big Bucks, Stop Nuke Project

Calling it the most expensive building on Earth, a UK think tank recommends pivoting from the Hinckley Point nuke project and investing in solar & wind projects instead

Banks Flock To Clean Energy a Investing

$7 billion is pledged for new clean energy projects toward meeting a $10 billion goal and reduce financial risks for sustainable infrastructure

Renewables Crushing Fossil Fuels

What is powering the global domination of new renewable generating capacity over fossil fueled options?

April 05, 2016

Help Wanted

CERES, an NGO mobilizing business & investor leadership on climate, water scarcity & other sustainability challenges, has several job openings

Big Solar - Improved Output

The giant but troubled Ivanpah solar power plant is gearing up to meet its production targets

Substation Substitution

One Brooklyn neighborhood could make energy history as Con Ed ramps up efficiency & renewables instead of building a new substation to handle growing demand

EJ In NY Not Joined To Mayor's Hip

Environmental justice groups have some pointed comments on the De Blasio climate action blueprint

Sending The Wind

When it comes to transmitting wind-powered electric, become part of the solution! not the problem

April 04, 2016

Go West

The MTA resumes planning for a 41 Street subway station on the Far West Side that had been cancelled for budget reasons

Sydney: Green Lease Surge

60% of recent commercial leases signed in the Sydney, Australia CBD have "green" provisions & landlords are the trend drivers

No More Dirty Fuel At Home

Get inspired by the River Arts apartment complex that ended its use of high pollution heating oil with help from NYCEEC

Get Your Red-Hot EV

The pre-order frenzy for the new mid-price Tesla makes headlines even though ETA is 2017

Renewable Obstacles: Politics Not Price

The biggest obstacles to sustaining the booming spread of renewable energy is recalcitrant politics & foot-dragging financial commitments

Yes Virginia, Energy Benchmarking Works

Big corporate benchmarkers like Walmart & Coca Cola put this data to work cutting their carbon footprints

Old, White Male Climate Deniers

What's with old white guys who oppose market-based solutions to climate change & prefer blanket denial ism instead?

Life In The Anthropocene

With the profound impacts of human-induced climates change, maybe nature is not gone for good, but is it the same?

April 01, 2016

Show Us The Climate Financials

Making corporate disclosures about climate risk exposure a routine part of public financial filings is a top priority of Mike Bloomberg's climate action Task Force

Open-Sourcing Stops Here

The no-patent-sharing stance of EV-maker Whisker gets a thumbs-up from Trump

Fairfield: Solar Is Today's Granite Countertop

Fairfield, CT real estate brokers learn that rooftop solar attracts home buyers

Australia: Coal Puts Jobs Foot In Mouth

Courtroom testimony asserts a proposed coal mine project will create under 20% of the jobs projected by the mine owner

Cities For Clean Power

Cities & urban organizations mobilize to support the EPA Clean Power Plan that will cut the carbon in power plant emissions

Global Climate: Alarming But Not Yet Hopeless

The tattoo of alarming climate science news contains just enough hedges to spur bigger, bolder, faster GHG cutting actions