Rail Projects Derailed By NIMBY
Imitation or contagion? Rail expansion projects are being slowed or stopped by local opposition
April 30, 2018
Legal Eagles: Pricing Carbon In The Wholesale Energy Market
An update on NY efforts to put a price on carbon in its wholesale electric power markets
East NY: Envisioning A Transit Hub
Area residents work on a proposal for East NY transit hub that won't be an engine of displacement + will be a path to good jobs
NY Top Lawyer: Hands Off Clean Power Plan
NY Attorney General Schneiderman threatens to sue the EPA if it abolishes a keystone climate rule, the Clean Power Plan
NYC: Green Infrastructure
Read the 2017 Green Infrastructure Report, see NYC in a whole new light
Swimming With Fishes, Lobsters Too
NY repurposes the old Tappan Zee Bridge, turning chunks if it into underwater reefs
Sustainable Building Awards
.@AIANational honors the top eleven sustainable buildings of 2018: https://t.co/uw21dn8BDG
— CenterForArch (@CenterForArch) April 27, 2018
April 26, 2018
Not All Sea Levels Are Created Equal
The US east coast is becoming a flooding hot spot, but why are as sea levels rising faster there?
UK: Soaring Support For Renewables
Hitting 85%, public support for renewable energy in the UK strikes a record high per new poll
City Council Votes Package of Green Bills
Speaker Corey Johnson announces a City Council vote for bills advancing NYC wind power + requiring City-owned buildings be 100% green energy-powered by 2050
April 25, 2018
The Drawdown Climate Solutions
What's the #1 climate solution proposed in Drawdown?, a very specific list of 100 effective actions for tackling climate change
The Arctic: Watch It Melt
See 15 years of Arctic ice melt in a 6 minute video
Trump Dumps On Socially Responsible Investing
Trump's Labor Department takes a swipe at socially responsible investment strategies for retirement accounts
New Models For Green Project Financing
Founded in 2014 by the UK, U.S. and Germany in partnership with major development finance institutions, key private sector actors + several climate finance donor governments, the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance is worth knowing about
Five Little Words
South Australia Sizzles
April heat sets records in South Australia, averaging 38.8 degrees Celsius (that's 101.84 degrees Fahrenheit)
What Weird Weather Could Do
A new model from the DOE predicts how extreme #weather caused by #climatechange will affect #energy systems. specifically how the energy sector would be impacted by high speed winds and temperature anomalies. https://t.co/XDkTto5nzd
— EESI (@eesionline) April 24, 2018
April 24, 2018
If You See Something Say Something
The US companies taking concrete climate actions see climate disruption risks to their supply chains or their reputations
China: EV Bus Spurt Hurts Oil
Every five weeks, Chinese cities add 9,500 electric buses to their fleets + this has gotten the attention of the oil industry
Climate-At Risk Cities Need Regional Resilience
Sea rise and extreme climate making urban planners regional planners; they confront civic leaders to see beyond city boundaries. Regional plans, zoning, and transportation should prioritize sustainable development at least 30 feet above sea level. https://t.co/npM25LaL0j pic.twitter.com/DOqLL5xO2F
— John Addison (@soaringcities) April 23, 2018
UK: Climate Action Innovator
Believe it or not, the UK's Conservative government promises bold carbon emissions cuts as coal use plummets, but will that be enough?
Dump Dirty Diesel
🚌 Electric buses in DC? Yes please! Now let’s make sure they run on renewables, NOT fracked gas — and a price on carbon would make that happen. #PriceItDC https://t.co/XgdTWTgcfC
— Put A Price On It DC (@PutAPriceOnItDC) April 24, 2018
Eugene Leff, Eco-Champion: 1944-2018
History making,Love Canal lawyer, Eugene Leff, dies at 73
April 23, 2018
Court Denies Trump Delay Gambit
A federal appeals court rules against a delay in raising car fuel efficiency fines by the Trump Administration
Life On The Edge And Off
Climate change is depressing coastal real estate prices, while it's also driving lower income residents inland
Belgium: Energy Transition
As Belgium exits nuclear power, it plans to double its offshore wind power leasing area
Brief History Of Wind Energy In The Arts
Did you know the first image of wind power is on an Egyptian clay vase dating to 3500 BCE?
Regulating Resilience
Demystifying the Administration claim that electric grid resilience will be improved by giving rate favors to coal + nuke power plants
Florida: Leasing Rooftop Sun Power
Regulators allow major solar company to lease home equipment https://t.co/N0nkHBXaye
— Naomi Oreskes (@NaomiOreskes) April 23, 2018
April 20, 2018
Cuomo Expands Energy Efficiency
NY to boost its energy efficiency goals, "New Strategies Will Increase Annual Electricity Savings to over 3% by 2025" according to his press release
PV Tariff Follow-Up
Global competition + positioning morph in the wake of Trump's solar panel tariffs
City Council's Eco-Agenda
Constantine Constantinides, chair of the NYC Environmental Protection Committee, has a to-do + a maybe-to-do list
The Serengeti Strategy
Climate science activist Michael Mann explains climate deniers' strategy for attacking people like him, 20 years after publication of the Hockey Stick graph
April 19, 2018
Schmutz On Ice
Pollution carpeting the edges of Greenland ice sheets raises risks of catastrophic melting
The Past Isn't Dead. It's Not Even Past
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Earth’s Past Climates @NMNH https://t.co/vubv0PlSNN via @SmithsonianMag pic.twitter.com/TSFyObeGEw
— Earth Institute (@earthinstitute) April 19, 2018
Europe: Hot Now
European temperatures soar + solar power surges
New Mexico - Wind Energy Winner
New Mexico leads the nation as the fastest growing wind energy building state
US GHG Emissions Dip
Does the 2% drop in US GHG emissions in 2016 give the Trump Administration bragging rights?
April 18, 2018
Climate Alchemy
For some, climate change is a chance to convert risk into profitable business ventures
That's BIG
Turbines the size of two football fields + shaped like palm fronds could be the next big thing in offshore wind power
An EJ Agenda For NYC
We are excited to announce the release of our NYC Climate Justice Agenda 2018! We demand the City & State take action on extreme heat, air quality, green infrastructure, & energy to ensure a #JustTransition! #climatejusticeagenda @NYCMayor @NYGovCuomo https://t.co/m1EbhhnM2P pic.twitter.com/yhP6ZoynWC
— NYC-EJA (@NYCEJAlliance) April 18, 2018
Big Oil Begins Long Goodbye To Fossil Fuel
Europe-based oil companies start investing in renewable energy assets, just hedging or real change?
April 17, 2018
Meet China's Energy Revolutionary
Wang Chuanfu, Chairman of BYD, is transforming China's energy landscape + beyond
Cuomo's Plastic Bag Thing
Why won't Governor Cuomo allow NYC to attack its plastic bag problem?
Going Backward On Climate + Technology
By turning back the clock on clean energy technology Trump is dimming America's future
New Podcast: Political Energy
Where political headlines meet climate + energy policies
Sizing Up RGGI Carbon Market Impact
RGGI, a 9 northeast states agreement to cap carbon emissions, has created local jobs + revenue, but has it cut emissions?
April 16, 2018
Council Seeks To Speed Solar Power
$789 million is what the City Council requests to accelerate NYC's solar power installations + meet its 100 MW goal
Ante Up Green For Green
“Developing countries were prominent in clean energy investment in Q1 of 2018, with China once again accounting for more than 40% of the world total and eye-catching projects reaching financial close in Morocco, Vietnam, Indonesia and Mexico.” https://t.co/yWOuNGmNsq
— BloombergNEF (@BloombergNEF) April 16, 2018
Scallops v Wind Turbines
The Long Island scallop industry is in federal court seeking to overturn NY's offshore wind power plans + siting
April 13, 2018
When Bigger Is Better
These huge new wind turbines are a marvel. They’re also the future. https://t.co/TmmRISeR6L via @voxdotcom
— Dana Nuccitelli (@dana1981) April 13, 2018
NY Needs Energy Efficiency For All
Governor Cuomo can make access to equitable energy efficiency a reachable goal for all New Yorkers
LA Embraces Transit Leadership Agenda
That's right, Los Angeles endorses an environmental group's plan for becoming a national transportation leader
Homeowners Sue Over PACE Loan Program
A group of Los Angeles homeowners sue the city over its PACE program, which helps pay for solar panels + other energy-efficient home improvements
Cli-Fi
Peruse this recommended climate fiction list
Mayor Vows Lead Paint Re-Inspections
Thousands of NYCHA apartments exempted from inspection in the '90's will be re-inspected after new tests revealed high levels of lead in some, Mayor De Blasio promises
April 12, 2018
Top 10 Energy Stars
Congrats to the cities leading the way on #ENERGYSTAR buildings - learn more at https://t.co/krKIlwwP0d. pic.twitter.com/Hm4VKxvhMP
— Cliff Majersik (@IMTCliff) April 12, 2018
Portugal: All Renewables, All Month
In March 2018, Portugal generated more electricity than it consumed from renewable sources
Bloomberg On Trump, "Meshuggener"
Mike Bloomberg campaigns to eradicate global coal mining + calls the Trump administration's climate stance "meshuggener"
China: Smarter Than Your Average Road
A new Chinese roadway will be able to recharge EV's on the move + have so much AI that autonomous vehicles will be right at home
Greens To Launch Methane-Detecting Satellite
New satellite will track #methane emissions from oil and gas fields, as well as agriculture and natural sources https://t.co/CarNIXsulf pic.twitter.com/0JExcesYZD
— Climate Nexus (@ClimateNexus) April 12, 2018
Invest In Sustainability, Make Money, Feel Good,
More private equity firms are working to prove a thesis that you can do well by doing good
A Plug For Plug Loads
To be a leader on energy efficiency, NY needs its own appliance efficiency standard, which will also save utility consumers money, + increase grid reliability
April 11, 2018
Scaling Up Passive House
What are the keys to advancing Passive House construction toward the goal of a new urban normal?
Bad News From The Atlantic
Circulation of enormous Atlantic Ocean currents is the slowest in a 1,000 years + that could alter life on Earth as we know it
Pinpointing CO2 Growth
If the US electric power supply is seriously cutting its carbon output, then what's become the biggest source of climate-disrupting emissions?
End Days For US Climate Diplomacy
If Mike Pompeo is confirmed as Secretary of State, expect US climate diplomacy to disappear
A Climate Impact Ick Factor
New paper shows that hundreds of wastewater treatment plants serving tens of millions of households could be inundated by rising sea levels. This is a massive infrastructure liability. https://t.co/xAssM1iecq pic.twitter.com/cyTucEu7pO
— Rob Moore (@RobMooreNRDC) April 10, 2018
April 10, 2018
Message For NY Earth Day Message
Environmental activists deliver tens of thousands of signatures urging @NYGovCuomo to adopt sting energy efficiency standards (e.g., 3% savings per utility) on Earth Day. pic.twitter.com/EfTfSFSPWf
— Mark Dunlea (@dunleamark) April 10, 2018
The SEC And Climate Disclosure
The SEC gives Exxon a pass, but not Chevron, regarding shareholder demands for corporate disclosure about climate risks
A Streetcar Not Desired
Prospects dim for the Brooklyn Queens Connector
April 09, 2018
Decongestion By Rail
Are decongestion opportunities at hand if NYC can bring more than today's 2% of goods into town by rail?
Make Friends With The Climate
Use less fossil fueled transport while decarbonizing transport + treating energy efficiency as a valued resource with research, policy + litigation
Offshore Wind Update
Massachusetts has lots to teachthe other 18 coastal facing states about developing wind power
Where Heat Will Kill
ICYMI: According to new research, human-caused global warming will become the main driver of most heat waves in the U.S. West by the end of the 2020s and in the Great Lakes region by the mid-2030s. https://t.co/Ah9esoLMix pic.twitter.com/TJIwkzqmqc
— NOAA Climate.gov (@NOAAClimate) April 8, 2018
Glasgow: Hot Stuff
Hot water flowing under Glasgow may be tapped for home heating
The Global Energy Future
Here's a safe energy future prediction, when China changes, everything changes
Finance Chief Urges Climate Risk Disclosure
The finance + insurance industries should conduct forward-looking stress tests regarding climate impact risks say European central bank chiefs
For Your Consideration
I hear this answer consistently when I ask experts (EPA and otherwise) to explain what will outlast Trump. Enviros likely to win long-term on regs, but Trump is hollowing out the environmental regulators https://t.co/Z2JCJLhZRz
— Rebecca Leber (@rebleber) April 8, 2018
Dog Bites Person Headline
Congestion Pricing Plan for Manhattan Ran Into Politics. Politics Won.
April 06, 2018
Whatchamacallit
We need new words to talk about the impacts of climate disruption, "drought" for example
Rules That Work
Without federal fuel economy standards for cars households would be paying $2,000 more a year for gas
Buddy Up
LAST CALL: Funded #EU - U.S. city pairings applications due today. Open to U.S. city staff to collaborate with a European city counterpart on #climateaction, #resilience, economic dev & more: https://t.co/URouDSMKQP pic.twitter.com/A307OEBWpe
— ICLEI USA (@ICLEI_USA) April 6, 2018
Become A Savvier Green Consumer
Interested in signing up for renewable electric power? Here are some consumer tips
April 05, 2018
Put Data Centers On An Energy Diet
There are signs that the super energy intensive data center sector is starting to get greener + more energy efficient
Economy Up, Carbon Down
Mapped: The US states ‘decoupling’ economic growth and emissions | @DrSimEvans https://t.co/KwPAuffGaa #archive pic.twitter.com/w26r5d2KdR
— Carbon Brief (@CarbonBrief) April 5, 2018
Losing The War On Science
Climate science gets shellacked by the GOP, will courts or elections change that?
A Crack In The Shell
Shell Oil's own analysis of fossil fuels + climate risks goes back decades +predates its efforts to block climate action policies
Illinois: 25 x 25
By 2025, Illinois will purchase 25% of its electricity from renewable energy producers , including 666 MW's from community + distributed solar sources
Decongesting Seattle
Tolling car traffic to cut GHG emissions + unclog streets is a goal of Seattle's mayor
April 04, 2018
Lisbon: Museo da Agua
Here' a museum that spotlights an environmental fundamental + the infrastructure a city requires
Here's Lookin' At Renewables
Spectacular falls in the cost of #wind, #solar and #battery technology mean that clean energy is increasingly pushing #coal and #gas out of the world’s electricity generation mix in a “chilling” development for the future of #fossilfuel power generation https://t.co/ZHlKoBrR3K
— Will Yeates (@WYeates) April 4, 2018
Warning: Infrastructure Upgrades SLOOOW
MTA L train replacement plans get slapped with a law suit by West Village residents
Parsing Auto Industry Self-Interest
Why do car makers support fuel efficiency rollbacks? Could it be political opportunism?
The EPA Swamp
Recent EPA hires that skirt personnel SOP's are raising ethics eyebrows
April 03, 2018
Green Lending Growth
Commercial property mortgage lenders + borrowers learning to embrace energy efficiency
Scotland: Renewable Energy Wow
Relying on a mix of wind + wave energy, Scotlands produces 68.1% of it electricity from renewable sources
Storm-Proofing Houston
A strategic plan for upping flood resilience in Houston, with useful ideas for many coastal cities
Weaker CAFE
If proposed roll-backs of US vehicle fuel efficiency standards go into effect, will they slow down US technological advances? be copycatted in other jurisdictions? lead to years long domestic litigation?
April 02, 2018
Antarctica: Ice Retreats
10% of Antarctic coastal glaciers are shrinking, just 1.9% are growing
Shell Oil: Climate Change, Yes, But...
Wondering what to make of Shell Oil's 2070 climate action target?
Egypt: History's Climate Lesson
Ancient Egypt failed to find ways to respond resiliently to climate-linked drought, any useful lessons for us?
China: US Solar Manufacturing
Chinese investment in a tariff-free PV plant in Florida makes headlines
Public Support For Clean Energy
With public worries about energy affordability + access at new lows, a Gallup poll finds rising support for environmentally aware energy development
Update On NYC Flood Control
Remember the Big U flood control proposal post-Superstorm Sandy? here's an update
Efficiency For Earth Day
What NY could achieve if Gov. Cuomo makes a bold commitment to energy efficiency on Earth Day 2018