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Author |
Published |
Section |
We'll always have Hollywood
No American-made car meets China's fuel standards |
Joseph Romm |
25 Mar 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The Toronto Star reported an alarming factoid earlier this month: No gasoline-powered car assembled in North America would meet China's current fuel-efficiency standard. That's mainly because: Currently, their standard is much higher than ours. Their standard is a minimum-allowable efficiency standard rather than a 'fleet-average' standard like ours. Our lame car companies don't make their (relatively few) most efficient vehicles in this country. As for ... |
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| Topics: cars, China, energy, fuel efficiency, international politics, legislation (all these topics) |
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Biodiesel in the dumps
To survive, producers wanly import feedstock and export fuel |
Tom Philpott |
21 Mar 2008 |
Gristmill |
| At this point, serious greens still promoting biofuels are in a tight corner. Global grain stocks are at all-time lows and prices at all-time highs. That means heavy incentives to clear new land to plant crops -- in precious rainforest regions in South America and Southeast Asia that sustain indigenous peoples and store titanic amounts of carbon. These lands are also concentrated centers of biodiversity. Sacrificing them for car fuel is a heinous crime. Anyone who ... |
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| Topics: agriculture, biofuels, business, energy, international politics (all these topics) |
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Latest hot commodity: coal
As coal prices rise, U.S. coal exports boom |
Tom Philpott |
21 Mar 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Environmentalists have helped scuttle more than 50 coal-fired power plants in the U.S. in the past year. That's fantastic. But the movement to stop coal won't help the climate unless it can globalize; for the climate, coal burned in China traps just as much warmth as coal burned in Texas. Nor will stopping more U.S. coal-fired power plants help save communities in the mining zones of Appalachia from environmental and economic devastation. That's because U.S. coal ... |
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| Topics: business, coal, consumerism, energy, international politics (all these topics) |
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The Even Sterner Review
Australia's pivotal Garnaut climate report to back 100 percent permit auctions |
David Roberts |
21 Mar 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The bar for national climate policy just inched up again. In April of last year Australia's State and Territory Governments commissioned a comprehensive independent study from economics professor Ross Garnaut. The Garnaut Climate Change Review is meant to be Australia's version of the U.K.'s influential Stern Review: it will examine the economic impacts of climate change and recommend policy responses. The final report isn't due until September -- right in the heated ... |
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| Topics: Australia, carbon tax, carbon trading, climate, international politics (all these topics) |
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Why a climate bill in 2008? Part III
The world is waiting for us to lead the way |
Tony Kreindler |
18 Mar 2008 |
Gristmill |
| This is the third in a series on why we should push for climate legislation this year. See also Part I and Part II. Why push for a climate bill in 2008? I've already offered some reasons in my previous posts: the politics will be much the same in 2009 (Okay, David offered that one), we don't want to squander the current momentum, and in any case, we simply can't afford to wait. But if those aren't reason enough, here's another: The world is waiting for u ... |
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| Topics: climate, international politics, Kyoto Protocol, legislation, politics (all these topics) |
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G20 Questions
G20 climate meeting ends, accomplishing nothing |
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17 Mar 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 2:31 PM on 17 Mar 2008 In case you've been wondering what happened at this weekend's gathering of the G20 biggest-polluting countries, the answer is: pretty much nothing. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair formally announced his goal to eke out a meaningful climate agreement, and declared, "We have reached the critical moment of decision on climate change. There are few, if any, genuine doubters left." There ... |
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| Topics: climate, international politics, news, politics (all these topics) |
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The B-Team
Tony Blair to lead international climate team |
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14 Mar 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 7:06 AM on 14 Mar 2008 Photo: Monika Flueckiger / World Economic Forum Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he's heading up a new international climate team with the goal of securing a meaningful agreement on climate change in the next two years. Blair said he thought he could get the major emitting countries of the world, including the United States and China, to agree to a plan to cut carbon emissions 50 percent by 20 ... |
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| Topics: climate, international politics, news (all these topics) |
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Other carbon tax shifts
A quick survey of carbon taxes outside of Cascadia |
Alan Durning |
12 Mar 2008 |
Gristmill |
| British Columbia's bombshell announcement of a carbon tax shift last month made me want some context. Here's a rundown of other carbon taxes elsewhere in the world. As I noted, none of them is as consistent and comprehensive as B.C.'s, though some do have higher tax rates. In most cases, these levies came in tax shifts that reduced payroll taxes, business taxes, or other energy taxes. B.C.'s starts at $10.10 per metric ton of CO2 equivalent and rises in steps to $30.30 ... |
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| Topics: British Columbia, Canada, carbon tax, climate, climate change mitigation, greenhouse-gas emissions, international politics, politics (all these topics) |
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How can we make the war in Iraq more eco-friendly?
The Onion with another masterful satire |
Sarah K. Burkhalter |
07 Mar 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Oh, Onion. You make me laugh and want to cry: In The Know: How Can We Make The War In Iraq More Eco-Friendly? |
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| Topics: funnies, George Bush, international politics, Iraq, politics (all these topics) |
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Border wall brings peace in the Middle East
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David Roberts |
04 Mar 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Fighting the border wall, that is. |
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| Topics: politics, international politics, Israel, Palestine (all these topics) |
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The natural resource curse is such a bitch
Oil and the status of women in the Middle East |
Nathan Wyeth |
03 Mar 2008 |
Gristmill |
| I'm not sure this falls under my 'campus news' beat for Grist, but I heard it at a seminar at a college campus, and it's compelling enough that I'm going to say that because it falls within academia, it counts. Michael Ross is a political scientist at UCLA who was published in the February 2008 American Political Science Review with the assertion (PDF) that much of the gender inequality in the Middle East relative to the rest of the world can be explained not by tradi ... |
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| Topics: Africa, Middle East, international politics, politics, environmental justice, energy, oil (all these topics) |
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Ready to Barack and Roll
Obama says will move immediately on international climate pact |
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11 Feb 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 5:05 PM on 11 Feb 2008 Prior to his weekend wins in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Barack Obama promised to begin developing the U.S. position on an international pact to halt global warming now, instead of waiting until 2009. "I've been in conversations with former Vice President [Al] Gore repeatedly, and his recommendation, which I think is sound, is that you c ... |
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| Topics: Barack Obama, climate, climate change mitigation, elections, international politics, news, politics, presidential race 08 (all these topics) |
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When You
U.N. General Assembly holds climate gathering in New York |
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11 Feb 2008 |
News |
| "Assemble" You Make an Ass Out of 'Em and ... Oh, Never Mind U.N. General Assembly holds climate gathering in New York Posted at 8:24 AM on 11 Feb 2008 The United Nations General Assembly convened a two-day climate conference, starting today, at U.N. headquarters in New York City that it hopes will keep up and/or spur momentum in the lead up to a meaningful post-Kyoto climate agreement by 2009. The event is being billed as a "thematic debate" and has attracted celeb ... |
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| Topics: climate, international politics, news, United Nations (all these topics) |
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Whale Played
Aussies release gruesome footage of Japanese whale hunt |
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08 Feb 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 2:30 PM on 08 Feb 2008 There's a new twist in the twisty tale of Japan's off-then-back-on-again whale hunt: the Australian government has released gut-wrenching footage of what it says is a mother and baby minke whale being harpooned and hauled aboard a Japanese ship. An unamused official at Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research denied that the large and small whales were a mother and calf, and warned that the Austr ... |
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| Topics: Australia, international politics, Japan, news, oceans, whaling, wildlife (all these topics) |
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Masdar
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David Roberts |
05 Feb 2008 |
Gristmill |
| I know you can never bank on these things until they're completed, but if this goes as planned it sure will be righteously cool: Groundbreaking is scheduled for Saturday for Masdar City, a nearly self-contained mini-municipality designed for up to 50,000 people rising from the desert next to Abu Dhabi's international airport and intended as a hub for academic and corporate research on nonpolluting energy technologies. The 2.3-square-mile community, set behin ... |
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| Topics: energy, international politics, politics, renewable energy, solar voltaic power, United Arab Emirates (all these topics) |
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As I Lei Dying
Hawaii climate conference ends, scant progress made |
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01 Feb 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 6:50 AM on 01 Feb 2008 The U.S.-led climate talks in Honolulu, Hawaii, ended yesterday without much fanfare and without much progress achieved. By most accounts, it was a closed-door, bureaucratic nothing-fest wherein delegates from the 17 biggest-polluting countries spoke about the need to act, but no one actually did. The United States finally agreed to take part in forming climate-change plans with the rest of the ... |
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| Topics: climate, international politics, news, United States (all these topics) |
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Global warring redux
New report compares military and climate spending |
David Roberts |
31 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The Institute for Policy Studies has a new Foreign Policy in Focus report out: "The Budget Compared: Military vs. Climate Security." As you'd expect from the name, it's a close look at how federal dollars are allocated for military vs. climate protection, and as you'd expect from, you know, being awake, there's an enormous disparity. It's pretty astonishing nonetheless. Here are the reports major findings: FINDING: For every dollar allocated for sta ... |
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| Topics: politics, international politics, national security, climate (all these topics) |
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Take Me Down to Paradise City
U.S. sets low expectations for this week's climate meeting |
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28 Jan 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 10:13 AM on 28 Jan 2008 Leaders from the world's major economies will fly big planes to Honolulu this week for a chat about reducing global greenhouse-gas emissions. Ironicalicious! Even better, the Bush administration, which is hosting the meeting, isn't expecting much out of it. "I think these will be iterative discussions, which the initial goal will be to lay out a variety of options witho ... |
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| Topics: climate, international politics, news, politics (all these topics) |
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Dr. Hansen to Dr. Merkel
Carbon is forever -- so ban new traditional coal plants now |
Joseph Romm |
24 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Another clear statement (PDF) from the nation's top climate scientist on the scientific need for a dramatic change in global coal policy -- this time addressed to the German chancellor, a fellow physicist. He points out that: The fact that energy and climate advisors, in Germany, the United States, and elsewhere, do not understand the problem is starkly illustrated by repetition of goals to reduce CO2 emissions by a percentage (say 40% by 2020, 80% by 2050, or o ... |
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| Topics: Angela Merkel, climate, climate science, energy, greenhouse-gas emissions, international politics, James Hansen, politics (all these topics) |
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Under pressure
E.U. considers pollution charges on imports from U.S. and other climate scofflaws |
Patrick Mazza |
23 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| U.S. failure to enact limits on global warming emissions could cost American companies that export to the European Union. E.U. President Jose Manuel Barroso on Sunday said the European Commission is considering a charge on importers from nations without carbon limits. Companies from those countries may be required to buy carbon emissions allowances on exports into the E.U. This is intended to level the playing field with European companies who are already part ... |
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| Topics: business, climate, economy, European Union, international politics, politics, state politics, United States (all these topics) |
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The Chopping Bloc
European Union unveils detailed plans to cut GHG emissions |
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23 Jan 2008 |
News |
| Posted at 6:18 AM on 23 Jan 2008 European Union leaders today unveiled detailed draft plans to reduce E.U.-wide emissions 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020. The plans would require utilities to buy all of their greenhouse-gas emissions permits beginning in 2013, as opposed to the current practice of allocating nearly all of them for free, which companies can then sell at a profit. Also starting in 2013, other heavil ... |
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| Topics: climate, climate change mitigation, European Union, international politics, news, politics (all these topics) |
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Papua ooh mau mau
The real story behind the world's favorite scolding of the U.S. |
David Roberts |
22 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Last month, Kevin Conrad became somewhat famous representing Papua New Guinea at the Bali climate talks. Confronted yet again with U.S. intransigence, Conrad said: I would ask the United States, we ask for your leadership. But if for some reason you're not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us. Please get out of the way. The way the story's been told, Conrad's bold moral cry shattered the wall of U.S. indifference and broke the logjam. Naturally, the realit ... |
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| Topics: Bali 07, climate, international politics, politics, United States (all these topics) |
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Act two
Second 'major economies meeting' this month in Hawaii |
David Roberts |
18 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| You know, there's something I don't get about these kabuki 'major economies meetings' Bush is holding. Obviously, in reality it's about creating the illusion that Bush is doing something on climate. But usually when something is done purely for looks, there's some sort of plausible cover story, a purported rationale that can be put out to the media. But the Bush administration has always said that all countries should determine their own strategies for addressing cl ... |
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| Topics: politics, international politics, climate (all these topics) |
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Another desperate addict
Bush asks Saudi king to open oil spigots |
Joseph Romm |
17 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| The president who said 'America is addicted to oil' now begs the Saudis for another fix. Like some binge-drinking, pill-popping starlet -- is there any other kind? -- the president is prostrate before his top foreign 'dealer,' begging for more, even at the risk of public humiliation: The Saudi oil minister, however, waited only a short time before announcing that oil prices would remain tied to market forces -- a direct slap at Bush. Wow! When even your dea ... |
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| Topics: energy, international politics, oil, politics (all these topics) |
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Soliciting the House of Saud
Bush and big U.S. banks beg for help from the oil barons |
Tom Philpott |
16 Jan 2008 |
Gristmill |
| Bush has been doing some fast talking in the court of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, imploring His Majesty to boost oil production to so that gas prices for U.S. consumers can come down in time for the fall election. As part of his charm offensive, Bush has promised to bolster the dictatorship's arsenal with '900 sophisticated satellite-guided missiles.' He also rattled his tattered saber against Iran, Saudi Arabia's archenemy. While Bush and the King talk bombs, ... |
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| Topics: economy, energy, international politics, oil, politics (all these topics) |
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