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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
What we can afford and can't afford not to
Galbraith argues against the bailout and in favor of public investement |
David Roberts |
25 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| I cited James Galbraith last night while arguing that the financial mess should not deter us from making substantial investments in our future. (By the by, you should read Galbraith's new book, The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too.) Today, Galbraith has a kick-ass op-ed in the Washington Post asking the question everyone else in D.C. is too scared to ask -- "Is this bailout still necessary?" -- and mappi ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, economy, investing, Wall Street (all these topics) |
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West for the Weary
Western states announce proposal for cutting GHG emissions |
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23 Sep 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 3:07 PM on 23 Sep 2008 Participants in the Western Climate Initiative on Tuesday announced specific plans for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions 15 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. The seven states and four provinces will initiate a cap-and-trade program, establishing a carbon market that applies to industries and utilities by 2012 and transportation, heating, and other fuels by 2015. The proposed program is ... |
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| Topics: Arizona, business, California, Canada, carbon trading, climate, climate change mitigation, Montana, New Mexico, news, Oregon, Utah, Washington (all these topics) |
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Standard & Poor Form
U.S. biz waiting for regulation before cutting emissions, report shows |
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23 Sep 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 1:32 PM on 23 Sep 2008 Only about one-third of leading U.S. companies have set targets to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, compared to 74 percent of global corporations, says the sixth annual report from the Carbon Disclosure Project. CDP, an influential initiative backed by 385 institutional investors, received input from 64 percent of the Standard & Poor's 500 U.S. companies (a jump u ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, greening biz operations, greenish companies, investing, news, regulation (all these topics) |
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Dethroning finance
Production and ecosystems are more important than the financial sector |
Jon Rynn |
23 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Over the past eight years or so, the so-called 'masters of the universe' in the financial sector seem to have swallowed their own hype. Arguing that money equals wealth and the freer the market the better, they have led the charge to offshore our manufacturing base while hopping on the biggest bubble in history, the real estate market of the '00s. This philosophy of 'finance first' (never mind country) has its origins in the Reagan revolution, which we now see coming full ... |
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| Topics: politics, climate, business, economy (all these topics) |
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Beyond the Fail
Failing to address climate change could hurt industry, report finds |
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22 Sep 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 6:37 PM on 22 Sep 2008 Failing to address climate change could significantly hurt many industries in the world economy that are together worth around $7 trillion, according to a report by the United Kingdom's Carbon Trust. The report examined six different sectors of the world economy -- aluminum, automotive, building materials, consumer electronics, oil and gas, and, uh ... brewing -- and found that b ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, climate change mitigation, economy, news (all these topics) |
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Crises
Is the financial crisis more dire than the climate crisis? |
Joseph Romm |
22 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Not even close. If there's no action before 2012, that's too late. What we do in the next two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment. So warned IPCC head Rajendra Pachauri last fall when the IPCC released its major multi-year report synthesizing our understanding of climate science. And remember, Pachauri was handpicked by the Bush administration to replace the 'alarmist' Bob Watson. It's the facts that make scientists alarmists, not ... |
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| Topics: climate change mitigation, climate, business, economy, Wall Street (all these topics) |
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It's a Clean Job, But Somebody's Gotta Do It
California air agency says cutting emissions will boost economy |
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18 Sep 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:47 AM on 18 Sep 2008 California's 2006 law requiring the state to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 would help boost its economy and save residents more money in the long term than doing nothing, according to a report by the influential California Air Resources Board. The state's draft plan for reducing emissions focuses on requiring utilities to generate ... |
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| Topics: business, California, climate, economy, news, politics (all these topics) |
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Hot, flat, and badly reviewed
Gregg Easterbrook still knows nothing about global warming -- and less about clean energy |
Joseph Romm |
15 Sep 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Slate magazine is seen as liberal, but is in fact just another status quo publication promoting a do-nothing policy on clean energy and global warming. Why else ask for a review of Tom Friedman's new call to action, Hot, Flat, and Crowded, from the American Bjørn Lomborg? And I don't mean that in a good way. I'm speaking about Gregg Easterbrook, well-known fountain of climate and energy misinformation. I've already commented on Friedman's must-read book here. T ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, climate change impacts, energy, energy efficiency, renewable energy, tax incentives (all these topics) |
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Industry Try Again
Industry groups sue Interior over polar bear |
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29 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 1:13 PM on 29 Aug 2008 The U.S. Interior Department has been sued yet again over polar bears, this time by five industry groups that say the agency's regulations for protecting bears unfairly single out Alaska businesses' contribution to climate change. When the polar bear was declared a threatened species because of climate change, Interior went to great lengths to note that the ruling should not be used to block greenho ... |
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| Topics: Alaska, business, climate, Department of Interior, greenhouse-gas emissions, litigation, news, polar bears (all these topics) |
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Chamber cheap shot
Study claims shareholder and climate activism are bad for stock prices |
Erik Hoffner |
18 Aug 2008 |
Gristmill |
| You know that an organizing tactic which targets business practices is effective when the U.S. Chamber of Commerce opens its big yap about it. Recent actions getting these guys' attention include activist shareholders at a recent Bank of America shareholder meeting decrying its coal investments, including mountaintop removal, and a resolution supported by Dow Chemical shareholder heavies like TIAA-CREF and NYC Pension Funds (in part thanks to their members and Amnesty ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, economy, investing (all these topics) |
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To Everything: Term, Term, Term
Wal-Mart urges Federal Trade Commission not to define 'carbon offsets' |
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07 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 8:52 AM on 07 Aug 2008 In comments to the Federal Trade Commission earlier this year, Wal-Mart asked the agency not to define the terms "carbon offsets" or "renewable energy certificates" in order to keep the terms flexible and to retain their "less tangible nature." The Federal Trade Commission has been in the process of updating its green-marketing gui ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, green living, news, Wal-Mart (all these topics) |
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Green Groups Doing a 'Face Plant'
Two coal plants given go-ahead by green groups after concessions negotiated |
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07 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:00 AM on 07 Aug 2008 Environmental groups dropped their opposition to two different coal-fired power plant expansion projects in Wisconsin and Texas this week after the utilities agreed to a range of concessions designed to limit the environmental impacts of the plants. In Texas, power company NRG reached an agreement with Texas Clean Air Cities Coalition and the Environment ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, business, climate, coal, Environmental Defense Fund, news, Sierra Club, United States (all these topics) |
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Dell and Good
Dell Inc. claims carbon neutrality |
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06 Aug 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 2:50 PM on 06 Aug 2008 Dell Computer's worldwide business operations are now carbon neutral, the company announced Wednesday. True carbon neutrality is, of course, a chimera for a giant IT company; notes business analyst Clive Longbottom, "You have to question whether they have taken all their workers' commuting into consideration and the materials in making a computer, going all the way back to zinc mining." Perhaps not, but ... |
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| Topics: business, carbon neutral, climate, greening biz operations, greenish companies, news, tech (all these topics) |
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Retire your carbon, offset your guilt
Carbon Retirement sees opportunity in European allowances |
Joseph Romm |
24 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Carbon Retirement -- you read it here first (or maybe second). I don't normally endorse individual companies. But I have long thought European allowances were the best alternative to offsets and am delighted someone has made a business out of it. The business opportunity is clear -- offsets suck. At a policy level, they can destroy the environmental value of climate legislation. At a personal level, lots of vendors are selling very dubious offsets, includ ... |
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| Topics: business, carbon offsets, climate, greenish companies (all these topics) |
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West Foot Forward
Western states unveil draft cap-and-trade scheme |
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24 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:53 PM on 24 Jul 2008 The Western Climate Initiative has unveiled a draft proposal for a regional cap-and-trade program that would kick off in 2012. The 11 states and provinces involved -- Arizona, British Columbia, California, Manitoba, Montana, New Mexico, Ontario, Oregon, Quebec, Utah, and Washington -- would impose an as-yet-determined greenhouse-gas emissions limit on industries and utilities, then allow laggards ... |
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| Topics: Arizona, business, California, Canada, carbon trading, climate, climate change mitigation, Montana, New Mexico, news, Oregon, Utah, Washington (all these topics) |
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No icebergs required
Smart economic development policy for the 21st century |
David Roberts |
23 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The following is an elaborated version of the brief talk I gave at my Netroots Nation panel. The U.S. economy is in serious trouble, mired in a period of slow growth and high prices -- i.e., stagflation. Worse, high prices can largely be traced to escalating fossil fuel costs that are almost certain to continue rising for the foreseeable future. Our trade debt is enormous, as we, in Gore's words, borrow money from China to buy oil from Saudi Arabia. We're shedding ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, economy, green building, green jobs (all these topics) |
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Mark His Words
New Nature Conservancy prez chats about jumping from Goldman Sachs to the green scene |
Amanda Griscom Little |
17 Jul 2008 |
Grist Feature |
| The stereotypes of biz-begrudging enviros and planet-pillaging business leaders were upended years ago. These days, green groups and corporations team up on everything from preserving land to pushing for climate regulations. Now, in the latest example of cross-pollination, they're even swapping executives. Mark Tercek Photo: Mark Godfrey/The Nature Conservan ... |
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| Topics: biodiversity, business, climate, economy, environmental movement, Nature Conservancy, wilderness, wildlife (all these topics) |
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On a Wing and a Prayer
Aviation industry is into greening, to an extent |
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16 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:25 AM on 16 Jul 2008 The aviation industry talked up greenness Wednesday at the world's biggest air show in Farnborough, England. At a sustainability summit, Giovanni Bisignani of the International Air Transport Association called climate change an "emergency situation" and said airlines are the best suited to address it: "No other industry is as responsible, united, and ambitious." Indeed, t ... |
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| Topics: air travel, business, climate, climate change mitigation, fuel efficiency, news (all these topics) |
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Glow Your Own
Nuke-power company Exelon announces big emissions cuts by 2020 |
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15 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:35 AM on 15 Jul 2008 Nuclear-power company Exelon today launched a program it says will reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by over 16 million tons a year by 2020 -- more than the company's current total annual emissions. The company's plan calls for buying renewable-energy credits to offset some of its emissions, generating a small amount of electricity from alternative sources such as landfill gas, wood, or c ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, news, nuclear power (all these topics) |
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Toil Conservation
How to green your day job |
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08 Jul 2008 |
From A to Green |
| Simple steps are the key to a greener office. Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to waste we go. Nope, those aren't the lyrics the Disney dwarves belted out en route to the daily grind, but in today's world they're right on the money. Most skyscrapers, offices, and cubicles are eco disaster areas, squandering massive amounts of energy, water, and paper while spewing out toxins and trash. It's enough to make a person downright weepy (not to mention g ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, energy, green jobs, green living, greening biz operations (all these topics) |
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TGIT
State workers in Utah will enjoy mandatory three-day weekends |
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07 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 3:16 PM on 07 Jul 2008 Starting in August, thousands of Utahns will begin enjoying mandatory three-day weekends. Some 17,000 government employees will switch to a compressed workweek -- four days a week, 10 hours a day -- as the state undergoes a yearlong experiment aimed at reducing energy and fuel costs as well as greenhouse-gas emissions. While employees of various U.S. counties and cities mandate a shortened week, ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, energy, greenhouse-gas emissions, innovation, news, progress, Utah (all these topics) |
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Milking sustainability
Sustainability goals for the U.S. dairy industry |
Meredith Niles |
03 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Last week, we witnessed the dairy industry hold their first ever Sustainability Summit for U.S. Dairy. The week long conference culminated in the announcement of an industry-wide commitment and action plan to reduce milk's 'carbon footprint' while simultaneously increasing business value (translation: profit) from farm to consumer. But how truly 'green' are their efforts? Sustainability -- ah, it sounds so good doesn't it? In recent years it has become the buzz ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, food, greenhouse-gas emissions, organic food (all these topics) |
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The Air Over There
Airlines must pay for emissions, E.U. says |
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27 Jun 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:30 AM on 27 Jun 2008 All flights into, out of, and within the European Union will be included in the bloc's emissions-trading scheme as of 2012, the E.U. Parliament decided Thursday. If the plan is given final approval, airlines will have to cut emissions 3 percent in 2012 and 5 percent per year from 2013 on. Airlines would buy 15 percent of their emissions permits from the E.U.; the rest would be allocated for free. Big ... |
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| Topics: air travel, business, carbon trading, climate, climate change mitigation, European Union, greenhouse-gas emissions, news (all these topics) |
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Mountain Madness
New coal plant approved in Virginia, may fuel mountaintop-removal mining |
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26 Jun 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 11:53 AM on 26 Jun 2008 An embattled $1.8 billion coal plant slated for Wise County, Va., was granted pollution permits Wednesday by a state regulatory board, allowing construction to proceed. The company that will be building the 585-megawatt plant, Dominion Resources, promised local officials it would only source coal from within Virginia; that move is expected to fuel increased mountaintop-remo ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, coal, energy, news, Virginia (all these topics) |
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Business sense
BP, Shell, Airbus, and other multinationals call for 50 percent emission cuts by 2050 |
Sara Barz |
25 Jun 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The CEOs of 100 large multinational corporations -- including companies from carbon-intense industries -- have signed a World Economic Forum statement [PDF] that calls on the G8 to create a strategy to cut global greenhouse-gas emissions by at least 50 percent by 2050. The G8 will be meeting in Japan next month, and Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda will be pushing hard for an agreement on climate change. Notable signatories to the statement: Airbus, British Airways, ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, economy, G8 (all these topics) |
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