The question last week was whether or not renewables were going to be left behind in the tax deal in Washington. It is a testament to the maturity of the industry that they were not. The key federal grant program, and some other supports for renewables, were extended. One perspective has it that thousands of […]
I wrote about how a number of participants in Cancún felt that some sense of faith had been restored in the UN process. The reviews are still coming in, but it appears that progress was indeed made, that some highly useful, indeed critical mechanisms have been advanced, and that ongoing negotiations are going to take […]
UN Climate Change Conference in Cancún delivers balanced package of decisions, restores faith in multilateral process is the official word. The UNFCCC delegates, without all the hoopla of Copenhagen, appear to have materially advanced the cause of saving the planet – and all its people, now and for the future – from the depredations of […]
I’m very happy that I’ve got a two-part article, starting today, in DeSmogBlog, the prestigious environmental blog, voted Canada’s “Best Group Blog.” I’m looking once again at the Canadian tar sands, from the point of view of energy security this time. It turns out that American security is diminished by the use of tar sands […]
Like a lot of progressives, I’m not over the moon about the “deal” that’s been struck in Washington on taxes. There are, however, some justifications for President Obama letting a lot of things fall out of what should have been a whole new approach to how we, the American taxpayers, are asked to invest in […]
Christina Figueres and Ban Ki-moon (Reuters) COP 16 winds up at the end of this week. It is not the blockbuster that Copenhagen was last year – and that’s no surprise. All the foofaraw from last year has been replaced by a bit more focus and many fewer expectations. There are far fewer people as […]
It’s a great little world we live in …. Well, for Ella Fitzgerald and the Gershwins love was the key. Can’t argue with that. Second best? Clean tech. Here are a smattering of recent articles that show that things are indeed looking up: Special Report: Turning Over New Leaf: Get Ready For EV Era – […]
I went to a debate on nuclear energy on Monday evening sponsored by the Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia. The Center is headed by Mike Gerrard, a force of nature in environmental law for over thirty years. “Should nuclear power be an important component of U.S. strategy to combat climate change?” The pros, […]
The estimable Bill McKibben and the hard-charging activists at 350.org have organized 350 Earth – “the world’s first art exhibit large enough to be seen from space.” There are photographs, videos and text here to suit any palate. As the late, great Phil Ochs said: …you must protest you must protest it is your diamond […]
There was an excellent op-ed this weekend in the NY Times that reminds us that we’re in a race. As the climate system continues to show unmistakable signs of a warming world – signs that are accelerating – we need to bring greater focus to how to get ahead of the curve and do what […]
“Fact: The only sustainable path to growth is a low-carbon path.” Felipe Calderón, President of Mexico The last newsletter of the year from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has useful information on a number of subjects including adaptation, finance and technology. Here is President Calderón in a clear, succinct message before the […]
Further to my post from yesterday in which I noted that researchers were recording ever-increasing carbon dioxide emissions from China and, to a lesser extent, India, there have been some articles recently on the rapid rise in China’s coal consumption. The graphics here are from Elisabeth Rosenthal’s article yesterday in the NY Times about how […]
Or, as my grandmother used to say: “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.” So, with that in mind, here are two stories representing the bad and the good. First, the bad news: 2009 carbon emissions fall smaller than expected is the headline from the BBC. In a letter to “Nature Geoscience,” leading researchers […]
I wouldn’t be the first person to analogize Americans’ thirst to fossil fuels to an addiction. The arch-environmentalist George W. Bush said the US was “addicted to oil” in his State of the Union address in 2006. What we do for the Mexican drug gangs in terms of addiction to their products while advancing their […]
Being a lifelong and avid NY Giants fan, I am not generally given to blowing the horn for the Philadelphia Eagles. However, there was a great story in the NY Times yesterday about how the Eagles’ stadium, Lincoln Field, is going to be tricked out with a particularly impressive array of renewable energy upgrades. This […]