Canada: Embrace That Pipeline
Bill Clinton blames the project builder for US opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline and says it can be done right
February 29, 2012
Climate Skeptics Flunk Econ 101
If cost-benefit ratios are not the right tool for calculating the value of acting on climate change, what is?
Scienctists At Work
Scotland: Blowing Off The Donald
Donald Trump's opposition to a wind power installation near his golf club development draws green fire
End Of PV Price Slump
Deutsche Bank predicts the end is near for sagging worldwide PV prices
LEEDing Market Fundamentals
With a lagging market for office rentals in New York City, will a LEED label matter?
What We're Thinking Now
Don't miss the latest survey of US and Canadian public opinion on climate change
EPA Whiffs On Carbn Rule
The EPA will not complete its long-delayed rule on GHG emissions from oil refineries this year.
Blowing Into Town
New York City could be seeing the beginning of a wind power surge
Left, Right Or Neither
Is location on an ideology spectrum the wrong way to think about the political dynamics of climate policy?
February 28, 2012
Europe: Energy Efficiency Controversy
While there is strong support in the European Parliament for passing an energy efficiency law, the measure also faces vigorous opposition
IEA Makes It Official
IEA, the eminent information source on the global energy industry, will start to issue annual market forecasts for renewables this year
Mid-East: Green Bonds
Banks are developing bonds that comply with Islamic rules on debt to finance a move away from oil dependency in Mid-East nations
February 27, 2012
Mind The Climate Gap
Are there good ways to make the scientific consensus on the reality of climate change credible to a skeptical public?
EPA Thinks Big
The EPA will keep its high threshold for permitting facilities that emit GHGs, citing states' inability to deal with more small sources
Power Placement
A Electric Power Research Institute-sponsored DOE study finds numerous sites around the US suitable for building nuclear or 'advanced' coal-fired power plants, but just a handful of suitable sites for siting solar-thermal plants
Japan: Solar Lining To Nuclear Cloud
With most of its nucelar power plants off-line, Japan might move to the head of the line on solar power installations and cities urge post-nuclear power planning
Getting Up To Zero Speed
Net-zero energy homes, apartments & campuses are outgrowing their one-of-a-kind phase
Shale Gas - Fuggedabout It Or Not
Thoughts on why the world should curb its enthusiasm for extracting and burning natural gas. Thoughts on why the world should keep natural gas in the mix
Energy Jousting In DC
Battles over defining the cause of rising gas prices, the federal energy budget & a court hearing on climate regulation heat up in Washington this week
What Streep Wore
While adding to her Oscar collection, Meryl Streep put eco-friendly couture fashion in the limelight
Destination: Sustainable Cities
Starting with Singapore, here's a three-part path for growing sustainable cities where people want to live
Ford Favors Mobility
Will Ford Motors lead to way on smarter, networked cars able to cut gridlock and enhance overall transportation mobility?
South Korea: Carbon Control Setback
The South Korean legislature delays a vote to establish a carbon cap trade program that would roll out in 2020
February 24, 2012
How To Obfuscate
Scientific straight talk about the climate denier's SOP
World Doesn't Revolve Around US
Things have changed and today global oil prices are not driven by US demand
Australia: Driving That Train
The vast Chinese and Indian appetite for Australian coal drives construction of new rail lines from remote inland mines to shipping ports
NJ Gov Raids Green Funds
Governor Christie wants to empty out New Jersey's RGGI kitty along with $210 million from another clean energy program and put the money in the general fund
Urban Green and Urban Safety
Researchers in Philadelphia find a link between vacant lot greening and improved public safety by bringing focus to areas previously neglected and isolated.
Responding To Feedback
Pilot studies in nine US and EU locations find that utility customers respond -- or don't -- to real time electricity use data
Ukraine: Open For Fracking
The Ukraine will permit the use of hydrofracking to develop its shale gas reserves
Getting From A To B
Plans for New York's future energy highway start to emerge
February 22, 2012
Romney Funder Is Climate Supporter
A biggest donor to a Romney super-PAC is also a green group guy and supports a climate cap and trade law
Trending High Performance
Six high-performance building trends that reflect real-world conditions in 2012
Fossil Fuels Are So Over
Energy visionary and debunker of conventional wisdom, Amory Lovins, always has something memorable to say
CA On-Bill Financing
California considers an on-bill financing law to make it easy for homeowners to pay for energy-efficient upgrades on their utility bills, but what should happen if repayments are not made?
UK: Accelerating Green
A UK venture capitalist is selecting cleantech start-up firms for incubation and funding
February 21, 2012
Trouble In Mind
AAAS President Nina Fedoroff said about the spread of the anti-science movement in the US and around the world, "We are sliding back into a dark era," she said. "And there seems little we can do about it. I am profoundly depressed at just how difficult it has become merely to get a realistic conversation started on issues such as climate change or genetically modified organisms."
UK: We Want Your Carbon
Firms are competing for the right to operate the UK's carbon emissions permit auctions
What Ever Happened To....
It hasn't been easy for designers of a hydrogen-powered fuels cell technology in the wake of Washington's cold shoulder
Climate Leak Story Boils Over
The latest on the admission and apology by Peter Gleick over how he obtained the Heartland Institute plan to discredit climate science education and listen to NPR's To the Point
Germany: Blown Off-Course
Missing construction deadlines for connecting offshore wind turbines to the power grid could imperil deadlines for closing German nuclear power plants
London: Corporate Carbon Disclosure
The London-based Carbon Disclosure Project annually seeks information on corporate carbon emission reduction efforts on behalf of 92 banks and other financial institutional investors
Indian Point Heats Up
As the date nears for relicensing or shutting down the 40-year old Indian Point power plant, is the debate over its future generating more heat than light?
February 20, 2012
A Make-Over In Queens
Here's a preview of the transformation of the traffic-immersed Queens Plaza into a pedestrian and bike-friendly urban asset
Sao Paulo: Model Trains
Sao Paulo's subway system, while smaller and younger than NYC's, has many lessons for mass transit mavens
The Value Of Zero In NOLA
Some of the $179K sale price for zero-energy, pre-fab houses will go to building 150 LEED Platiumun homes in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans
Don't Abandon Hope
How can an abandoned London warehouse be converted into a vertical urban community garden?
China Is Here
Check out this list of ten Chinese investments in US cleantech start-ups
Eco Sustinabiity IS Financial Sustianability
Identify the business opportunities in the energy and climate megaforces that are sending the business costs of environmental impacts spiraling
Bay Area Disarray
With its 110 cities and towns, the San Francisco Bay area has been unable to forge a climate adaptation plan
England: Water Swapping
A story about drought fears from from damp, foggy England that caught my attention, along with a map
India: A 19% Solution
India is close to imposing a 19% tariff on imported power generating equipment, especially gear coming from China
February 17, 2012
Out Of Town
February is Eagle Cam time!
France And England: Nuclear Embrace
France and Britain agree to cooperate on developing new nuclear power capacity in the UK
Gone With the Wind Energy Tax Credit
With Congressional failure to reauthorize the wind energy tax credit, thousands of jobs will likely vanish
February 16, 2012
The Climate Spectrum Syndrome
Are climate analysts at war with climate advocates, or is something more complex happening?
Solar Loan Bad, Nuclear Loan Good
The Congressman who lead hearings on the $535 million DOE loan to a now-bankrupt PV maker, rejects calls for hearings on an $8.3 billion loan guarantee for nuclear power plants in Georgia
Campaign 2012: Follow The Money
What is the relationship between some Obama-supporting venture capitalists and DOE energy funds?
UK: What's In A Name
Eight Nobel Prize winners seek Prime Minister Cameron's support for labeling fuel from Canadian tar sands 'highly polluting'
Non-Partisan Green
Despite headline-grabbing setbacks, in 2011 clean energy and efficient measures got green-lighted in states with Republican and Democratic governors
How Things Work
Everything you wanted to know about concentrated solar power technology but were afraid to ask
Tax Breaks On Ice
Consideration of renewing tax breaks for clean energy and efficiency must wait until after the 2012 elections
Sparks Fly Over MA Wind Power Deal
Governor Patrick faces flak over higher utility rates projected to result from a new Massachusetts wind power purchase agreement
China's Urban Future
Can Chinese cities, already home to 1.35 billion people and reliant on property sales rather than property taxes, transform their environmental impacts with green design and sustainable growth?
The New Normal Is Hot
Data shows summertime extreme heat in the US is already becoming the new normal [Climate Wire $ub]
England And Scotland: Getting Closer
An undersea electric cable will transmit renewable energy from Scotland to England and help meet renewable power goals.
February 15, 2012
The Heartland Scheme
Leaked documents, believed to be from the Koch Brothers-supported Heartland Institute, reveal a campaign to undermine climate science in US schools. But wait, there's more
Tweaking Cap and Trade
Massachusetts considers improving RGGI carbon cap and trade performance by shrinking its marketable and bankable emissions permits
February 14, 2012
Scoring An Analogy
Is our understanding of climate change and extreme weather advanced by using the analogy of steroids and home runs?
Iceland: Smarter, Cleaner, Greener
Iceland attracts energy-intensive data storage centers powered by geothermal and hydroelectric sources
The New Military-Industrial Complex
Defense Department investment in solar power boosts domestic industry
Obama's Energy Budget
Get the highlights of the President's proposed budget for energy projects without wading through the fine print
What Money Will Buy
The environmental movement splits over energy industry donations to the Sierra Club
Battery Breakthrough
Dropping prices for storage batteries could make them price competitive with natural gas at peak power demand times
The Odd Couple
What links success of the new shale oil and gas boom and the dollar's international value?
EU: Carbon Trading RIP
The ETS carbon market, the centerpiece of the European Union climate effort, is at risk of collapse
February 13, 2012
Tell Me Why
Seven reasons why cap and trade can work to cut carbon emissions
100 Year Storm Becomes The 20 Year Storm
Dive in to a New York City routinely flooded by ferocious storms
Urban Retrofits And Liquid Assets
Public infrastructure and private building retrofits can use innovative financing to control storm runoff and clean up urban waterways
Australia: Waiting It Out
Whether climate chaos caused the floods devastating Queensland and New South Wales may not be fully known for a decade
The Envelope Please
DOE announces three winners of its America's Next Energy Innovators competition
Drawing Conclusions
Some argue Japan's failure to reduce GHG emissions even with stringent cuts in electric use post-Fukushima, shows the limits of energy efficiency, others say, don't rush to conclusions for the US
A Second Coming For Wind Power
Left for dead, the federal production tax credit for wind projects could be reviving
Spain: OK On Subsidy Cuts
Spain's largest on-shore wind power company welcomes a government tariff-subsidy freeze, citing overcapacity and fears of retroactive cuts
February 10, 2012
Japan: Place Making
Japan sets an example of how to use transit centers to sustain neighborhoods
Mapping A Clean Energy Planet
Zoom around this Renewable Energy Lab map of the world's renewable energy resources
Getting Personal
What is a personal carbon allowance and how would it work?
Court Overtuns Energy Efficiency Law
The Albuquerque, New Mexico energy efficiency code is struck down by a state court on the basis of federal pre-emption
Australia: Solar Reprieve
French utility giant Areva, the lead developer of a solar thermal project in Queensland, gets an extra six months to line up financing
February 09, 2012
Grid On A Roller Coaster
Buying electricity on the grid has become a high stakes, high-risk economic activity with unprecedented price volatility
Transportation Bill Running Out Of Gas
Prospects dim for passage of a House transportation bill that's hostile to mass transit and relies on revenues from oil drilling
Dear Mr. Nocera - Wrong On Keystone
What are the fatal flaws in New York Times columnist Joe Nocera's support for the Keystone XL pipeline project?
The Science Of Public Opinion
Research finds the most important factor in influencing public opinion on climate change is “the elite partisan battle over the issue...It is the political leaders in Washington who are really driving public opinion about the threat of climate change. The politics overwhelms the science" 'Nuf said
Canada: Energy Policy In Formation
Starting in Alberta (home to oil-sands extraction), who's working to forge a Canadian national energy policy?
A Different Super Bowl Review
No, not Super Bowl the game, but Super Bowl, the advertising opportunity for corporate environmental responsibility
China: The NY Solar Gain
Why are Chinese solar stocks soaring on the New York Stock Exchange?
Nuclear Economics
Utility customers are already paying for nuclear power generators that the NRC will vote on today whether to green light construction BREAKING NEWS: NRC approves project by a 4-1 vote
Funding Pipeline For Grimm
Queens Congressman Michael Grimm, took $3,00 in campaign contributions from energy company after sponsoring a bill to run a natural gas line in his district
Generating The Next Frontier
After Bonneville Dam pulled the plug on local wind power producers, it's clear that the next frontier in energy policy is get smart about batteries and source integration
February 08, 2012
Waiting For The Perfect Wave Generator
The long drought in US development of an ocean wave power industry could be ending
UK: Media Matters
The Guardian launches an on-line hub for reporting on leadership in advancing sustainable business
Israel: Solar Tulips In Spain
Tulip-shaped, Israeli-made solar devices generate power and heat in Andalucia even on cloudy days
Mixed Labor Message On Pipeline
The reality of union members' views on President Obama's Keystone XL shale oil pipeline stance is more complex than some say
Weather Or Not
Is it just weird weather these days or a taste of climate chaos?
South Korea: Climate Action
South Korea is closing in on a climate law to cap carbon emissions and create a market
Propelling The Agenda 21 Plot
What drives the Tea Party belief in a UN sustainability plot, though its Agenda 21, to ruin America?
Mass Transit Funding Fight
Get the latest on the battle over mass transit in the transportation funding bill moving through Congress
Nevada City Finds Sunshine Pays
The municipal debt and operating expenses of Boulder City, Nevada will be paid by revenues from local solar power plants
February 07, 2012
The Contrarian's Conundrum
A new book uses the 'rebound effect' to bludgeon hopes that energy efficiency is a key to limiting climate change
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The "so what?" industry response to potential problems with the US shale gas industry is not the right one
Hubba Hubba For Philly Energy Efficiency
Don't miss the second story on the race at a research hub in Building 661 in the Philadelphia Nay Yard Building to solve the puzzle of how to make buildings energy efficient [Climate Wire $ub]
UK: The Opposite Of Transparent
Accounting firm KPMG refuses to release full findings for a leaked report used to attack government renewable energy policy
China: When Too Cheap Matters
As China's ultra-low energy prices fuel its economy, expect the country to emit 50% more GHGs by 2015 than the US
Take The Stairs
New York Road Runners organizes a race to the top - of the Empire State Building - a chance to cut energy use and raise money for medical research
EU: China Must Pay
Reacting to a Chinese government refusal, EU officials insist the nation's airlines must pay an aviation carbon emissions fee
Stirred By Shaking
Cities with tall buildings have good reason to earthquake-proof them and here's your chance to see what's shaking
What To Expect In 2012
Still time for making predictions about the year's top sustainability stories
February 06, 2012
NY Power Storage: Down But Not Out
A bankrupt power storage company that received a DOE loan guarantee, gets a new owner and stays open
Fool Some Of The People Some Of The Time
Today, you can't fool all of the people all of the time, when it comes to climate science
Fossil Fueling For Romney
Never too soon to start following the flow of fossil fuel dollars in the 2012 Presidential campaign and don't overlook climate, Congress and cash
Facebook Campaign v Free Speech
Penn State University resists an 'astroturf' campaign on Facebook to disinvite climate scientist Michael Mann from giving a public lecture
EU: Renewables Rising
Last year, 71% of all new EU electric power projects were built to use renewable sources like wind and solar
China: Government Makes It Official
The Chinese government bans the country's airlines from paying the EU carbon aviation fee
Antarctica: NYC-Size Iceberg
See the fissure in a fast-melting Antarctic glacier likely to spawn an iceberg bigger than New York City
London: Hacking For The Green
Using open source or other permitted data sets, the Green Hackathon in London disseminates ideas for using a world of data to save the planet
February 04, 2012
Sierra Club Had Gas
From 2007-2010, the Sierra Club got $25 million from the natural gas industry, but now rejects natural gas as a bridge to a low carbon future
February 03, 2012
Australia: Mining Magnate Taps Climate Denier
An Australian coal and iron ore executive appoints a climate change skeptic geologist to her corporate boards of directors
Higher, Greener Education
Learn about STARS, a streamlined tool to rank American colleges' green achievements
Let There Be Solar - Not Good Enough
New solar technology is not the only solution to get electricity to people who need it most
Love Those Quantum Dots
Quantum dots could be the newest way to increase PV panel energy output
San Jose Shines In The Sun
San Jose is California's solar star with home PV installations rising 45.4% last year
Science At Work
Nobel Prize-winners explain how climate science can be both reliable and incomplete
UK: Energy and Environmental Minister Out
Chris Huhne, the minister for environment and energy, resigns due to criminal charges arising from a speeding ticket scandal
Revealing Climate Risks
New York and other states' regulators will require climate risk impact disclosures by insurance companies
February 02, 2012
China: Shrinks Solar-Demo Support
Citing declining PV prices, China cuts back on support for pilot solar power projects
Vienna: Smartest City
Vienna is rated the world's smartest city due to its innovative technologies to save costs and energy and increasing its quality of life
End Of The Road For Climate Summits
A US climate negotiator predicts the cancellation of future international climate change summits [Climate Wire $ub]
Ground Hog Day 2012
"NEWS FLASH: Groundhog Day cancelled! Phil says he's pretty sure spring *already* arrived in western PA, preempting tomorrow's event," joked climate scientist Michael Mann in a Twitter post yesterday.
Obama and the C Word
Why will the President be pressed to start talking about climate change again?
Wisconsin Loses Focus
Wisconsin stops funding its Energy in Focus program, which offered incentives to homes and businesses for installing renewable energy equipment
Germany: Billions For The Eco-Economy
A state-owned German economic development bank deployed $30 billion in 2011 for climate-friendly energy projects, a third of its total annual outlay
States Are Right
Nearly every state and territory has been active on the clean energy and efficiency fronts, despite federal inaction and a weak economy
Mothballing Baseload Power
Germany has a plan to solve the fundamental power system problem of baseload (dirty or detested) v intermittent (clean and renewable) power
February 01, 2012
Germany: PV Maker Back From The Brink
After striking a deal with bondholders, Q-Cells, the financially imperiled PV maker, sees stock prices soar
Europe: Airports Combat Climate Change
55 airports, with half of Europe's passenger business, are part of a program to cut their carbon emissions
Like Dentists Practicing Cardiology
38 top climate scientists don't place much much stock in the Wall Street Journal's climate denialism
What's Shaking At Indian Point
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will require the Indian Point nuclear power plant to update its ability to withstand earthquakes
Scotland: 500 Wind Turbine Jobs
Samsung projects 500 jobs will be created at its Scottish of-shore wind turbine factory
Good News
Expect lower CO2 emissions to be durable because they are not just the result of the Great Recession
Building Blocks For Tomorrow
The urban block is a fundamental micro-unit for developing resilient and sustainable cities
PV In A Global Economy
See the twists and turns of the global PV industry through a US-China lens
Climbing Out Of Urban Data Silos
Smarter cities need better energy use measurements and the ability to apply them to urban planning ideas