Climate & Energy

The U.N. Men’s Club

Why are women being left out of climate decision-making? 5
Posted 8 Mar 2010 8:25 AM By Elizabeth Becker, Suzanne Ehlers On International Women's Day, two activist leaders ask why women have been excluded from an important new U.N. group tasked with working on climate financing. Will U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon step up and fix this oversight?
flocked up

Is ‘Birdemic’ the best/worst apocalyptic thriller of all time? 0
Posted 5 Mar 2010 4:15 PM By Ashley Braun Once you've seen the trailer for "Birdemic: Shock and Terror," you'll realize there is no cure for this epic film (can we call it that?). The mix of, um, unforgettable acting, eye-gouging special effects, and enviro-tastrophe will have you flocking to (or from) the theaters.
little grouse on the prairie

U.S. stops short of protection for western sage grouse 0
Posted 5 Mar 2010 2:01 PM By Agence France-Presse U.S. officials on Friday stopped short of giving endangered species status to the sage grouse, an iconic bird that is at the center of a dispute over oil drilling and other energy development in the western United States.
People like trains and CAFE rules better than they like cap-and-trade

Why not structure climate bills to win popular support? 5
Posted 5 Mar 2010 1:42 PM By Gar Lipow Mainstream environmentalists tackling the climate crisis prioritize pricing greenhouse gas emissions over alternative policies to cool our fevered planet. Since these bills claim to be shaped by political practicality, and focus on an emissions price, emissions pricing must be incredibly popular compared to alternative policies. Right?
Alaskan deal breaker

Murkowski to Senate: Drill the Arctic or my state gets it! 0
Posted 5 Mar 2010 11:50 AM By Daniel J. Weiss Senator Lisa Murkowski (D-Alaska) gave a long impassioned speech when she introduced her “Dirty Air Act” – a Congressional Review Act resolution that would overturn EPA’s scientific finding that carbon pollution threatens public health and the environment. One of her complaints was that the threat of impending EPA Clean Air Act implementation would force the Senate into action without ample time for deliberation. But Sen. Murkowski’s aversion to threats does not extend to threats that she makes.
carbon's atomic weight

E.U.‘s ‘carbon fat cats’ get rich off trading scheme, study finds 3
Posted 5 Mar 2010 9:54 AM By Agence France-Presse Europe's system for industrial carbon quotas has enriched the continent's biggest polluters, with 10 firms together reaping permits for 2008 alone worth $680 million, a new report revealed.
Wally Green World?

Putting Wal-Mart’s green moves in context 13
Posted 4 Mar 2010 10:39 AM By Stacy Mitchell On the one hand, you have Wal-Mart's sustainability program, which proposes to reduce the emissions associated with some of the products its sells. On the other hand, you have Wal-Mart's core business model, which ensures that we have to replace those products far more often.
It burns!

Stupid things senators are saying about the Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman proposal 21
Posted 4 Mar 2010 2:41 PM By David Roberts Over the weekend, Kerry, Graham, and Lieberman released some details about their upcoming "tripartisan" energy/climate bill. (I wrote about it here.) This has prompted a flurry of press coverage, as various senators and interest groups react to the proposal. The result? A torrent of confusion, nonsense, and outright falsehoods. Hooray for the Senate!
Murkowski wants to save Alaska by destroying it 2
Posted 4 Mar 2010 1:42 PM By Brad Johnson As Senators John Kerry, Lindsey Graham, and Joe Lieberman work to craft comprehensive climate legislation that can overcome a fossil-fueled filibuster, swing vote Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is trying to dig the carbon hole deeper.
But can you buy them on Etsy yet?

Hand-made electric cars serve a niche market in Japan 2
Posted 4 Mar 2010 10:38 AM By Agence France-Presse While auto manufacturing giants spend millions to develop environmentally friendly electric cars, one Japanese company has taken a more low-key approach, crafting hand-made "green" cars.