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| Headline |
Author |
Published |
Section |
Salzburg Global Seminar: prelude
Dave heads to where the hills are alive |
David Roberts |
08 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| On Wednesday, I leave for Salzburg, Austria, where -- thanks to the generosity of a Knight Foundation Fellowship -- I will be attending a session of the Salzburg Global Seminar on "Combating Climate Change at Local and Regional Levels: Sustainable Strategies, Renewable Energy." I am of course excited about the substance of the event, ... |
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| Topics: Austria, climate, climate change mitigation, movies, music, video (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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Sachs Education
Jeffrey Sachs, economist and eco-problem solver, chats about his plans to save the world |
Amanda Griscom Little |
08 Jul 2008 |
Grist Feature |
| Jeffrey Sachs speaks at the University of North Carolina. Photo: Kevin Tsui Jeffrey Sachs -- the renowned economist who devised a grand plan in 2005 to rid the world of poverty -- is now focused on an even broader ambition: saving the planet and all of us who call it home. His new book, Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet, explores the crises ... |
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| Topics: books, climate, environmental movement, international politics, United Nations (all these topics) |
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To Half and to Hold
G8 nations agree to cut emissions 50 percent by 2050 (sort of) |
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08 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:51 AM on 08 Jul 2008 At this year's Group of Eight meeting in Japan, the world's richest nations more or less agreed to cut greenhouse-gas emissions 50 percent by 2050. While the agreement is notable since it means President Bush has budged ever-so-slightly on the climate issue, the group's statement on the cuts is little more than a carefully worded pledge to keep negotiating. At last year's G8 meeti ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, G8, international politics, news (all these topics) |
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'Cooling a fevered planet' in Z Magazine
Economics, policy, and vision for fighting global warming |
Gar Lipow |
07 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Z magazine has published an extended article by me on the politics and economics of global warming. It begins: Nobody, except for a small lunatic fringe, still disputes that human-caused climate chaos endangers all of us. Further, most serious scientific and technical groups who have looked at the question have concluded that we have the technological capability today to replace greenhouse-gas emitting fossil fuels with efficiency improvements and clean energy -- usua ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, climate equity, economy, politics (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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'I don't think we're going to make it'
Venture capitalist John Doerr shares four lessons on climate change |
David Roberts |
07 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| I don't know how it is that I've never seen this John Doerr talk from TED, but I'm glad I finally did: |
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| Topics: climate, video (all these topics) |
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Unpacking the Panglossian economy
Is a consumer choice necessarily the best choice? |
Ryan Avent |
06 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Jim Manzi, climate change voice of non-denialist conservatives, writes: But consider this at a common-sense level: you are forcing people, through rationing, to use something like 80% less of a substance that they choose to use because they believe that it creates net economic utility (prior to externalities) as compared to any available alternative. There is a respectable (though as I've argued in many articles, incorrect) argument that the negative externalities ... |
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| Topics: carbon trading, climate, economy (all these topics) |
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Polluter appeasement
Should we question the patriotism of deniers? |
Joseph Romm |
04 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Independence Day may be the best day to ask ourselves -- what is the greatest preventable threat to Americans' life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness (LLPH). The answer is simple: human-caused global warming. Certainly there are other major threats to LLPH, the gravest of which is probably terrorists using weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapon, in this country. Between Homeland Security and the Pentagon, we spend billions of dollars every m ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate science, energy, fossil fuels, holiday, politics (all these topics) |
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Giving
Chemical in flat-screen TVs is worsening climate change |
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04 Jul 2008 |
News |
| "Vast Wasteland" a Whole New Meaning Chemical in flat-screen TVs is worsening climate change Posted at 2:27 PM on 04 Jul 2008 If you didn't feel guilty about your TV habits already, here's a new reason: a chemical used in making flat-screen televisions has been found to be a potent greenhouse gas, 17,000 times stronger than carbon dioxide. In a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, atmospheric chemist Michael Prather called nitrogen trifluoride, or NF3, & ... |
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| Topics: climate, news, TV (all these topics) |
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Climate change imperils July Fourth (again)
Drought conditions in West and Southwest inspire new fireworks bans |
Joseph Romm |
03 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Global warming threatens our White Chistmases with winter heatwaves. And our Halloweens with poor pumpkin crops. And our Arbor Days with record wildfires. And our immoral myopia threatens Father's Day. At this rate, the only holiday left will be the gas tax holiday -- for oil companies! But I digress. Last year, Independence Day fireworks fizzled out for many thanks to ever worsening droughts. And MSNBC reports the droughts have done it again this year: Autho ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change impacts, holiday, severe weather (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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Driver down
How to reduce California auto emissions faster than Pavley |
Ken Johnson |
03 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Last update: 7/22/2008 In my last post I touted the benefits of a fully refunded emissions tax. Let's take a look at how it could work in California. When it comes to a refunded tax, more money for industry doesn't mean less money for consumers. Case in point: Today's gasoline prices in California are averaging $4.58/gal, which equates1 to $536/MT-CO2e. That's how much California drivers are currently paying to emit CO2 -- and how much they could save from fue ... |
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| Topics: California, carbon tax, cars, climate, fuel efficiency, greenhouse-gas emissions (all these topics) |
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Summit like it hot
G8 leaders head to Hokkaido where Bush and his sherpa will provide climate guidance |
Kate Sheppard |
02 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| On Monday, George W. Bush will travel to Hokkaido, Japan, for his eighth and final G8 summit, where climate change is likely to be the subject of heated (ahem) talks. At last year's meeting, leaders agreed to seriously consider a goal of cutting global greenhouse-gas emissions 50 percent by 2050. But the Bush administration continues to resist mandatory targets, and in a speech on Wednesday, Bush made sure to again emphasize 'technologies' over regulation. 'I'll ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, G8, George Bush, international treaties, Muckraker, news, politics (all these topics) |
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'There is no box'
Lester Brown unveils plan for 80 percent cuts by 2020 |
Jon Rynn |
02 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Lester R. Brown, President of the Earth Policy Institute and author, most recently, of Plan B, Version 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, released a new study today called 'Time for Plan B: Cutting carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2020.' I was invited to participate in a conference call in which Lester explained many of the highlights of the plan; I will do my best to share what he said (any mistakes are my own). First, it appears that the only comprehensive plan to ... |
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| Topics: cap-and-dividend, carbon tax, carbon trading, climate, energy, greenhouse-gas emissions, public transportation, renewable energy (all these topics) |
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Sally 4th
Sierra Club prompts voters to call legislators about energy bills over the holiday weekend |
Kate Sheppard |
02 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The Sierra Club began running radio ads this week in six states whose U.S. senators are key votes for energy legislation. Though both Republicans and Democrats were hoping to have accomplished something so they could go home for the holiday and claim victory, Congress went into recess for the 4th of July holiday this week in a deadlock over energy policy. Sierra Club's ads are intended to prompt voters to call their senators about two pieces of legislation: the Co ... |
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| Topics: climate, Congress, legislation, Muckraker, news, politics (all these topics) |
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No shame in our game
Climate policy isn't a pill to swallow, it's a way off a sinking ship |
David Roberts |
02 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| This Ezra Klein post echoes what has rather rapidly become conventional wisdom among progressives on climate legislation, and it makes me want to tear my hair out. The idea is that climate legislation will inevitably hurt people financially in the short-term, in order to secure environmental benefits in the distant future, so the only way to get it through is with a bunch of obscurantist double-talk to bore or distract people in the hopes that you can sneak something ... |
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| Topics: climate, economy, gas prices, legislation, oil, politics (all these topics) |
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The dogma whisperer
A possible consensus perspective on the tax vs. cap debate |
Ken Johnson |
02 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Last revised: 07/10/2008 In his recent Congressional testimony, James Hansen talked about a 'perfect storm' of climatological tipping points that may soon converge to yield global cataclysm. But another kind of perfect storm is brewing: a technology storm that could rapidly displace fossil fuels and restore global climate sustainability. Effective regulatory policy could provide the kind of incentives and stable investment climate that are needed to facili ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change impacts, climate science, greenhouse-gas emissions, James Hansen (all these topics) |
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A Penguin for Your Thoughts
Penguin declines don't bode well for the rest of us |
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01 Jul 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 3:49 PM on 01 Jul 2008 Penguin populations are declining, which is bad news not just for the tuxedoed birds but for, well, the world in general. A new scientific review published in the journal BioScience shows that everywhere they live, penguins are suffering from a combination of climate change, ocean pollution, overfishing, tourism, and development. "Many penguins we thought would be safe because t ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change impacts, endangered species, news, scientific research, water pollution, wildlife, World Conservation Union (all these topics) |
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Tropical rainforests: From bad to worse
Satellite images show rapid deforestation in Papua New Guinea and Amazon |
Joseph Romm |
01 Jul 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The following post is by Ken Levenson, guest blogger at Climate Progress. Pushed from center stage by the expected record arctic ice and permafrost melt, tropical rain forest destruction has been elbowing its way back through the smoke and into view. This Mongabay article, 'Papua New Guinea's rainforests disappearing faster than thought,' is one such look: Previously, the forest loss was estimated at 139,000 hectares per year between 1990 and 2005. But now ... |
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| Topics: Amazon, climate, deforestation, greenhouse-gas emissions, Papua New Guinea, rainforests (all these topics) |
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Moore rules on greenhouse gas emissions
Georgia judge finds that coal plant must obtain emissions permit from state EPA |
Joseph Romm |
30 Jun 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The AP has the bombshell news. A judge has finally used the Supreme Court decision that carbon dioxide is a pollutant: The construction of a coal-fired power plant in Georgia was halted Monday when a judge ruled that the plant's builders must first obtain a permit from state regulators that limits the amount of carbon dioxide emissions. Read Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore's ruling [PDF]. What did the judge find? E&E News ($ ... |
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| Topics: climate, coal, Georgia, greenhouse-gas emissions, politics (all these topics) |
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Anti-science conservatives must be stopped
New global warming denier article in Salon |
Joseph Romm |
30 Jun 2008 |
Gristmill |
| That's the title of my new article in Salon. I had proposed 'The political fight of the century,' but the editors wanted a stronger headline -- and subhead: Americans must not allow global warming deniers to block the policies needed to avert catastrophic climate change. Our future is at stake. Now that the relevant science is settled -- namely that failing to quickly embrace strong greenhouse gas reduction policies would be the greatest act of self-destructi ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change skepticism, climate science, greenhouse-gas emissions (all these topics) |
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A Coal New World
Landmark ruling halts Georgia coal plant on basis of CO2 emissions |
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30 Jun 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 2:38 PM on 30 Jun 2008 A Georgia coal plant cannot go forward until it receives an air-pollution permit limiting its carbon-dioxide emissions, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore ruled Monday. The ruling marks the first time a judge has used the Supreme Court's classification of CO2 as a pollutant to regulate emissions from an industrial source. Moore's decision overturns a p ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, climate, coal, energy, Georgia, greenhouse-gas emissions, litigation, news, progress (all these topics) |
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Cover the Waterfront
15 green books you can actually read at the beach |
Michelle Nijhuis |
30 Jun 2008 |
Grist Feature |
| Green books that are fun to read? What a novel idea. So maybe you'll finally have a chance to catch up on some reading this summer. But so many of those books about the environment seem kind of ... well, homework-y. What's a vacationing enviro to do? Turn to Grist for advice, of course! Here are 15 recent page-turners just perfect for stuffing in your hemp beach tote. Got sunny-day suggestio ... |
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| Topics: books, climate, green living, lists, wilderness (all these topics) |
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White-Out House
White House tries to keep EPA from showing how greenhouse gases could be regulated |
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30 Jun 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 12:29 PM on 30 Jun 2008 The White House is trying to block the U.S. EPA from releasing a document that shows how the Clean Air Act could be used to regulate greenhouse gases, reports The Wall Street Journal. The draft document, a formal response to a Supreme Court decision that greenhouse gases are pollutants and can thus be regulated under the Clean Air Act, must be OK'd by the White Hou ... |
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| Topics: air pollution, climate, greenhouse-gas emissions, jackassery, news, politics, regulation, US EPA, White House (all these topics) |
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