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News & Views Curation

September 29, 2017

Take Climate Action, Empower Women

A leading climate journalist never writes about the "population question" because its the wrong question

Everybody Talks About Food

What are Montreal supermarkets doing about it to grow urban sustainability?

Solar Options For Puerto Rico

What would it take to rebuild Puerto Rico's ravaged electric power system with solar power?

September 28, 2017

Tropical Rain Forests Now Part Of The Problem

Due primarily to human activity tropical rain forests now put out more carbon emissions than they absorb

Germany: Merkel's Next Act

Will Merkel be able to deliver on her campaign carbon cutting promises?

US v Free Trade

Imposing import tariffs on PV could cost US taxpayers big bucks

Philadelphia: 100x30 And More

100% of the power for Philadelphia municipal building will come from renewable sources by 2030 + the city has even more energy smart plans in the works

1st Time As Tragedy, 2nd Time As Even More Tragedy

If EPA Tosses Obama Clean Power Plan...

...What will replace it + what else might be on the agent's climate hit list?

2017 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard

Find out if your state is an energy efficiency leader or laggard + why

September 27, 2017

Power Resilience For Seismic Resilience

On site solar energy + storage gear could make San Francisco community buildings better able to carry on after earthquakes

NYC Active On Passive House

More Parks To Get Fixed Up

NYC adds 11 more parks to its restoration program

Pave, Pipe, Pump -- RIP

21st century ideas for flood-proofing cities

Build It Back Better

Reimagine Puerto Rico's power supply + grid, then rebuild it with sustainability in mind

Good Renewables News

Evidence from states with renewable energy requirements shows real growth in wind + solar, with benefits outweighing costs + more would be even better

September 25, 2017

It's Huge

Offshore Wind Bill

GOP + Democratic Senators, learning from state innovators, introduce a bill to aid the growth of offshore wind projects

Milan: Fashion Rolls Out The Green Carpet

The first ever green fashion awards is launched during Milan Fashion Week

Overcoming Climate Trauma

Feeling depressed, overwhelmed, angry as you try to resist the forces of climate disruption? Some helpful tips

Harvey, Irma, Jose, Maria

Are US climate politics finally at a tipping point?

Climate Rx: New Ideas, Not New Tech

Smart, scaled-up use of existing technologies can go far toward decarbonizing energy use while raising costs just 1% claims NRDC report

September 22, 2017

Solar Tariffs On Tap

Expect Trump to impose tariffs on solar panel imports, with the 4-0 International Trade Commission ruling

Science At Work: The Polar Vortex

While connecting cold winters to global warming seems counterintuitive, new research supports the idea

Africa: Mosquitos Spread More Than Malaria

In a climate warming Africa, mosquitos spreading the Zika, dengue + chikungunya viruses pose new public health threats

The Power Of Seeing

See the impacts of climate disruption on your life -- things won't look the same

NYC Real Estate Mum On Climate

Why would most of NYC's real estate industry stay silent on the imperative for climate action?

EV's - The Next Great Disruptor

Autonomous EV's carpooling with EV's, + ultra-low maintenance needs mean EV's could upend fossil fueled transit

Market Movers For Renewable Energy

Corporate procurement decisions are a major force in shaping renewable energy markets, but are small + mid-size businesses engaged?

September 21, 2017

Meet The Contenders

Make The Connection

Batteries Key To 80x50 For NYC

Energy storage batteries could replace fossil-fueled 'peaker' power plants + advance NYC's goal of cutting GHG emissions 80% by 2050

Don't Get Distracted By Paris

Keep your attention on gutting EPA climate action, not on the chatter about whether Trump will bail on the Paris accord

States Can Do A Lot For Offshore Wind

The future of offshore wind power at commercial scale can be shaped by state policies

PV End Of Life Planning

Can photovoltaic panels be recycled in an environmentally friendly way?

September 20, 2017

EV's Galore

Oil Companies Are A Public Nuisance

San Francisco + Oakland sue oil companies over the public nuisances created by rising sea levels due to climate change

The Biggest Doubt In Climate Science

How much carbon dioxide humans will dump into the air

Green Isn't Always Blue In CA

Labor support is a sometime thing in California climate politics

September 19, 2017

It's A Fact

It would take Niagara Falls flowing for more than 18 years to equal the amount of sea level rise brought by Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell, Peabody, BP + ConocoPhillips since 1980 - Union of Concerned Scientists

Writing On Trump's Wall

NY Energy Policy Stumbles

The future of distributed solar power in NY is dimmed by a state policy order

September 18, 2017

UK: Coal Is Going, Going...

By 2025, burning coal for electric power in the UK will be history

Australia: Hottest Winter On Record

With winter weather like this, imagine what summer will bring!

Survival Of The Biggest

The biggest electric utilities will be the most likely to survive with the rise of renewables in European power markets

NYC: Planning For Resilience

Here's why NY integrates climate projections into its planning + project developments

Addicted To Coastal Development

Coastal development keeps growing despite the clear + present dangers posed by climate change events

September 15, 2017

Unbreakable Addiction To Fossil Fuels

New federal agency forecasts for global carbon emissions in 2040 from fossil fuel durning point up not down

Hurricane Risks - Inland Flooding

Pushed by coastal hurricanes, dangerous floodwaters can be blown far inland

Moving The Dial On 80x50

The Mayor says NYC needs a law requiring property owners to make buildings more energy efficient in order to meet its climate protection goal of 80% GHG cuts by 2050

September 14, 2017

What Government Can Do

For protecting public safety security as climate disruption occurs, government plays an essential role in rethinking the ABC's of a nation's infrastructure

Sh*t Happens

Florida's sewage nightmare is an introduction to the collision of climate chaos + conventional infrastructure

September 13, 2017

Dear NY Public Service Commission

Here's why keeping our lights on means ensuring that Con Ed plans for climate change

Zero Waste Fashion

Circa 1960

Seoul: Confab On Urban Foresting

Delegates from 17 countries meet in Seoul, South Korea to explore the climate protection role that urban forests can play

Fed's Flawed Flood Maps

Federal Emergency Management Administration flood maps don't take a changing climate or sea level rise into account, but NYC flood maps do

Save the Earth With Money

Investors can lead the way on 'unstoppable' climate action says Al Gore

New Cornell Campus: Smart In Many Ways

Roosevelt Island is home to the new Cornell Tech, that's sustainable, energy smart + a magnet for tech innovators

September 12, 2017

What City Climate Financing Can Do

5 ways urban scale climate funding can make loans available + attractive for property owners to upgrade building energy performance

A Dirty Word In The White House

Science

If You Rely On Caffeine...

...Staying alert will get harder as climate disruption could cut Latin American coffee production 88% by mid-century

A Bit Of Good Luck For Florida

Irma's dreaded storm surge didn't happen, but that was a matter of good luck, not bad science, for Florida

September 11, 2017

Join The Line

Who's in line for receiving funds from California's carbon cap + trade auctions?

What She's Reading Now

5 top picks by Naomi Oreskes for reading about the climate change politics + why she chose them

UK: Offshore Wind Prices Plummet

Solar Ups And Downs

The utility scale solar power market is on an upswing, but residential solar is having its first downturn

Quote Of The Day

"You may not be able to change the world, but at least you can embarrass the guilty." Jessica Mitford

MIA

While the New York Times celebrates architecture's rising stars, just one gets points for sustainability + none get rated for climate resiliency

On 9/11 And Harvey

For horrors that happen, can rules + regulations delimit the awful harm?

China: EV Embrace, Car Maker Risk

The opportunities + risks for western car makers by making electric vehicles in China

September 08, 2017

Choosing To Put Florida In Harm's Way

While Florida is a natural hurricane target, the state makes choices that amp up the risk of havoc

18th Century Shoreline Could Reveal The Future

How Media 'False Equivalence' Works

GOP v everybody else on climate change

Oh, Germany

Germany is on track to miss its 2020 carbon-cutting targets, big time

Go Passive, Go Tall

What's needed to build + operate a 26-story tall Passive House residential building?

Science At Work: Nanochemistry

Reducing pollution + combatting climate change are 2 of the promises of nano materials chemistry

September 07, 2017

Rethinking City Streets

Green Mapping Gyounggi

The South Korean province of Gyounggi does a green map project + explores the ability to change perception, encourage personal growth + contribute to a more sustainable society

2nd Chance For Cross-Hudson Rail

Will a meeting between Trump + NY/NJ officials lead to resumed federal funding for the Gateway cross-Hudson rail tunnel?

It's Not Easy...

...being a green thought leader, here are some tips

September 06, 2017

Doom Loop Politics

It's not just the politics of climate change that's caught in the vortex of today's hyper-partisanship

Don't Blow The Carbon Budget

The world's already spent 73% of its carbon budget, can it avoid busting that budget now + avoiding climate chaos?

Albany: $1.5M For Energy Efficiency

Advancing building energy efficiency in Albany gets a boost with a $1.5 million grant from the NY Power Authority

Harsh Lessons For Cities From Harvey In Houston

Expect SNAFU's, assume critical systems fail, then plan + resource accordingly

September 05, 2017

Coping With Climate Dread

How to stop worrying + start coping with climate change

Denver: Green Roofs In Onto Ballot

Winning by 45 votes, a green roof measure makes it on to the Denver ballot

EU: Updating The Carbon Market

The EU's Emissions Trading Scheme will get an update with Germany + France taking lead roles

Help Wanted: Climate Law Fellowships

The Sabin Center for Climate Change Law accepting applications for 2-year fellowships commencing September 2018

CUSP: RIP

The Climate + Urban Systems Partnership, a force for NYC solutions-focused climate education, will close this year as its federal funding runs out

More Damaging Monsoons

Total rainfall levels may not be most disastrous thing about today's monsoons

Adventures In Energy Storage

Will hydrogen ace out batteries as the next big thing in energy storage?

September 01, 2017

Come To The Job Fair

Check out the 2017 EP Career Fair, an opportunity to present your skills to NYC's green leaders in architecture, engineering, real estate + interior design. SEPT 17

Ruined Landscapes/Ruined Lives

Think Dust Bowl + FDR's New Deal, now think Katrina, Sandy + Harvey and a Green New Deal

Georgia Stands By Its Nukes

Georgia bucks a trend by supporting completion of the Vogtl nuclear power reactors

Tax v Congestion Price

NYC's subways run on money, what's the best track for raising what is needed?

Call It Futurology...

...or call it climate porn, but don't dismiss this narrative of coastal cities deeply disrupted by climate in the 2020's-2030's + how to pre-empt it