If Winter's Here...
The final segment of the High Line park is scheduled for 2013 completion, opening spring 2014
December 31, 2012
Demand for Energy Finance Parity
A Senate bill would establish parity for financing fossil fuel and renewable energy projects by way of master limited partnerships
Euro Debate: Europe Lags On Green Growth
European observers argue over green growth dynamics and prospects
2012: A Banner Energy And Climate Year
Gushers of cheap shale gas, Obama's re-election & a 4% drop in US carbon emissions were 2012 climate highlights (Note: some readers will disagree)
Not Crying Wolf
Facing a planetary emergency, Bill McKibben makes an urgent call for 2013 climate action
France: Wind Farm Sale
Facing financial pressures, Spanish wind power giant Iberdrola sells 32 French wind farms to a GE consortium & sheds two US companies
Cheers For Urban Eco-Leadership
Ring out the old year with bold, bright green ideas for America's cities
California: State's Right
Optimism and jitters abound as California's climate law, AB 32, takes effect in 2013
December 28, 2012
Recalculating The Cost
The utility calculus that made post-disaster repairs rather than system upgrades the business decision of choice is facing new math in the wake of Sandy
Japan: Review No-Nuke Pledge
The new Japanese government will reconsider a pledge to end reliance on nuclear power
Washington DC: Environmental Capital
Washington DC the city shines as an environmental leader
Urban Climate Perserverance
2012 showed cities continued to be climate action leaders and the price they paid for federal inaction
Why Jackson's Leaving
Is the Obama administration stance on the Keystone pipeline and climate action the reason for Jackson's departure from the top EPA job?
After The Editorial - Read the Comments
Comments responding to the New York Times editorial calling for Presidential climate action make interesting reading
Blogging Sustainable Cities
Five top blog posts of 2012 about sustainable city innovation and building makeovers
Gowanus Clean-Up
The EPA releases its $500 million Superfund clean-up plan for the 1.8 mile long Gowanus Canal for public comment
UK: Chilling The Climate Committee
A lesson in how UK politics neuters its own climate change advisory committee
Subway App Arrives
The MTA releases an app to provide train arrival times on 7 of its 24 subway lines
December 27, 2012
UK: Sun Shines On Solar Power
It's official, British energy policy embraces photovoltaics
Fact Checking Renewable Energy Predictions
Compare 2012 renewable energy business predictions with actual outcomes
Private Public Parks
Consider this boomlet in urban parks that are publicly owned but funded and operated by private concerns
EPA Chief Steps Down
Lisa Jackson, EPA's top administrator, calls it quits, leaving a mixed legacy. Who might replace her?
UK: More Heat Coming
The UK Met Office lists 2012 as the ninth hottest year on record with a hotter global 2013 on the way
Hydrofracking On The Cusp
Expect New York to issue hydrofracking rules in February and stay tuned to see what Governor Cuomo does about his moratorium
2013 Energy Efficiency Resolutions
Make some New Year's home energy efficiency resolutions based on this list of doable ideas
2012's Green Good Guys
Leading with Bill McKibben, Marc Gunther's list of the year's top climate and sustainability good guys (yes, all guys)
Obama Signs Energy Efficiency Bill
December 26, 2012
UK: Refrigerator Revolution
At least one British supermarket chain doesn't have cold feet about enclosing refrigerated products & saving on energy bills
Los Angeles: Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda
An exhibit explores a Los Angeles that never got built
After Sandy - SUDS
SUDS - Send Us Your Dirt - is a research project to discover what kinds of pollutants were spread around by Sandy's sludge
Barcelona: Bio-Concrete For Vertical Gardens
Researchers develop a new kind of concrete that could foster vegetated walls and vertical gardens
Cheap Natural Gas v Renewables
In North Carolina, record-low natural gas prices could undercut utility payments supporting renewable energy
US: Year's Top Environmental Stories
The world's biggest environmental news in 2012 from from a US perspective
UK: Year's Top Environmental Stories
The world's biggest environmental news in 2012 from a British perspective
Smart, Green Businesses 101
Start-up or well-established in business, new ways to do well by going green
December 25, 2012
Not All Buildings Are Equal
Energy use of NYC's big office buildings is all over the map & benchmarking data has surprises for some certified green buildings
Getting On the A List
After Sandy's unforeseen flooding, will NYC neighborhoods get moved to mandatory evacuation A zones?
December 24, 2012
A Different Type Of Drone Deployment
Post-Sandy, NY metro-area utilities may buy drones to provide faster information on disaster impacts and speed up system repairs - and that's not all
Renewable Funding Slump
Is the 2012 drop in global renewable energy investment a hiccup or the start of a trend?
EU: Climate Hopes For Kerry
An EU official & US lawmakers express hope that as Secretary of State, John Kerry will tackle climate change
Yule Log Forever
Celebrate the holidays with the pollution-free yule log that forever burns
Winter Solstice Solar Power
Wintertime solar power production sets records in California
Antarctica: Heats Up Fastest
Data from 1958-2010 finds that western Antarctica is one of the fastest heating places on Earth
More Green For Less Green
Passive house-type affordable housing find buyers in Washington DC
5x30
Maine has plans for 5 gigawatts of floating offshore wind power by 2030
December 22, 2012
Google Analytics
Did Google searches for Hurricane Sandy have an impact on climate change searches?
December 21, 2012
Energy Efficient Illinois Code
Starting January 1, a controversial (to some) Illinois energy efficient building code will take effect
Spain: Unsubsidiized Solar
Benefiting from crashed equipment prices, develops might build large solar power plants in Spain without using subsidies
Ireland: Winter Solstice
Built around 3,20 BC, the Newgrange astronomical calendar in Ireland still perfectly marks the winter solstice
Needed: Ciimate Can-Do Cities
To wrap up the year, we are reposting Mayor Bloomberg's 02.12 speech about the key role of cities in creating a sustainable global tomorrow
The 2012 Review
Another year of shattered climate records, notable energy news & some critter stories
A Warm New Year
A much warmer than average 2013 is on tap according to UK experts
Climate On Obama Agenda
President Obama cites climate action as one of his top three agenda items
NYC Waste To Niagara Energy
A deal is pending to export NYC waste to a Niagara Falls to fuel a power plant for local businesses
December 20, 2012
The Carbon Cliff
With annual global carbon emissions still rising, prospects fade for limiting how hot the world will get
Top Energy Stories of The Year
Pix and prose about the eight biggest energy stories of 2012
Dim View Of US Fossil Fuel Futures
As many project endless gushers of US shale gas and tight oil, a contrarian weighs in
UK: Big Bucks For Offshore Wind
Britain's Green Investment Bank inks a $365 million loan to develop off-shore wind power
Sustained Ferry Service
With high rider demand, East River ferries will get an added five years of City support and maybe more ferries
Keep All Our Kids Safe
A post-Newtown meditation that reaches to climate change and protecting everyone's kids
Sandy's Brownfields
Damaged fuel storage tanks create new Brownfields cleanup woes on
Long Island
Reasons To Cheer
Americans act to reduce their carbon footprints & talk about climate change
December 19, 2012
Germany: Power Autobahns
The German cabinet supports construction of three transmission systems to send renewable power from north to south
UK: Carbon Decision Delay
The British government puts off decisions on transportation carbon targets until after the next general election in 2016
Don't Just Rebuild - Rethink
Will federal funds for post-Sandy rebuilding rethink long-standing premises and embrace climate-smart standards?
NYC Building Resilience Launch
A 100-member Task Force for making recommendations about NYC building code changes to increase weird-weather resilience has its first meeting
In Praise Of Zeronauts
Zeronauts, a new book by a corporate consultant, makes the case that incrementalism is the wrong path to meaningful climate action
UN: Blurry Vision For Climate Fund
The UN-initiated, privately-financed Green Climate Fund seems unsure of its purpose and how to proceed
Eat That Wall
Bring greens, edible and otherwise, into urban building sites
Demand Release of Health Fracking Study
Environmental groups call for the public release and chance to add input to a government study of the impact of fracking on New Yorker's health
Get Carbon Off Campus
Join the debate over the campus movement to make universities sell off their fossil fuel stocks
Care And Feeding Of Green Buildings
Like many things, high performance buildings work best with continuous monitoring & ongoing improvements
December 18, 2012
Learning From Storm Survivors
The NYC Planning Department looks at buildings that survived Sandy to help formulate better building codes & the NYC Council drafts flood-proofing legislation
Sweden: Could Miss 49x20 Target
Lack of transmission capacity for wind power could make Sweden miss its 2020 target of 49% renewable energy
Parsing The Polling
What is the significance of recent public opinion polls detecting shifts in the climate views of US conservatives?
Decoding Smart Cities
To figure out what makes a city smart, take a walk and read some books
A Tale Of Four Megacities
How do Shanghai, Cairo, Mumbai and Bogota confront the challenges facing today's megacities?
Australia: Framing The Future
An Australian White Paper blazes trails for producing & consuming energy as part of restructuring the national economy
Climate In Obama's 2nd Term
The probable appointment of climate-hawk John Kerry as Secretary of State could signal a tilt toward action by Obama
Coal For Steel And Cement
The IEA projects electric demand to make steel and cement will raise global coal consumption to parity with oil
Congressional Energy Caucus
A bi-partisan Congressional caucus will examine why funds to make federal buildings more energy efficient remain unspent
Reasons To Love New York
New York Magazine Reason No. 35 — a shout-out for Queens West, a Long Island City waterfront development on former brownfields, kept its thousands of residents superstorm-safe by accounting for sea-level rise
December 17, 2012
Northeast Winter Forecast
Climate scientists predict that winters in the northeast will get warmer, wetter and less snowy
Brazil: Wind Power Bargains
What is the secret of rock-bottom prices for wind power in Brazil?
Toronto: Managing Climate Risks
To face changing climate conditions and costs, Toronto reviews its infrastructure with an eye toward resilience enhancements
Japan: Election Elates Utility Stocks
The Japanese election victory for the nuclear-power friendly LDP, boosts electric utility stocks
The Dark Side of Solar Power
California utilities cry foul over the net metering costs of rooftop solar power
Green Investment Contrarian
Not everyone's on board with the investment value of renewable energy
The Science Of Memes
If memes are the basic unit of cultural transmission, what's the best meme for mobilizing climate action?
LEDs Shine, Incandescents Dim
A global trend toward LED lighting puts the squeeze on old-fashioned bulb makers
Loathed Landfill Redeems Itself
The ex-Freshkills Landfill protected nearby neighborhoods from Sandy's wrath and should get fast-tracked to reopen as a park
December 14, 2012
India: A Better Way To Beat The Heat
An energy-sipping fan can help beat the heat and tread lightly on India's overstressed power supply
UK: No Free Clean Power Lunch
Increased renewable power will raise utility prices 54% by 2020, including the cost of upgrading transmission lines
Pessimism On Obama Climate Action
While there are bight spots on the climate action front, the White House is not one of them
Shifting Science-Skeptics Sentiments
Belief in climate change is growing fastest among American science-skeptics a new poll finds
Old Amsterdam Lessons For The New
New Yorkers have much to learn about Amsterdam's long battle to keep the sea at bay
Fabricating The Lowline Maps
Lucky enough to visit the Lowline Park installation this fall? Now, see how the Manhattan maps were made
Climate Skeptic Leaks New IPCC Report
The fifth IPCC report, due for publication in 2013, is posted on-line by a US climate skeptic who thinks cosmic rays disprove climate science
Antarctica: Fuggedaboutit
Scientists describe how the higher, colder part of Antarctica will add to, not prevent, more sea level rise
December 13, 2012
Dredge Tour In NY Harbor
What are the impacts & implications of dredging in New York Harbor?
Building For Tomorrow
With the right technical & financial capacities, better building for a climate-changing world is achievable
Mexico City: GHG Control
C40 calls out Mexico City as an innovator in measuring and controlling its GHG emissions
Uptick In Mass Transit
Mass transit ridership in the US rises 2.6% with trains doing better than buses
UK OK's Fracking
With 'stringent' controls, the UK approves fracking for shale gas
Jordan: Green Agriculture
Jordan will build a solar-thermal system that evaporates sea water to get fresh water for agriculture
Stricter Code For Climate Concerns
A Quinnipiac poll finds that after Sandy New Yorkers want stricter building codes to face climate chaos at home
December 12, 2012
Disaster Rx: Better Building Codes
If a disaster knocks out electric power, energy efficient building codes can help keep you safe
Rachel Carson - And More - Reconsidered
Rachel Carson rocks, but she was no saint and neither is the current environmental movement
Tracking Sandy By Satellite
Without polar-orbiting satellite data, forecasters would have been way off in predicting where Sandy would make landfall
UK: Smart Grid Privacy
The UK is working on rules to protect the privacy of electric utility customers with smart meters
Cutting Costs With Policy
How can the relationship between lowering production costs of green tech products and public policy be improved?
Make Room For Recycling
To boost recycling, New York City soon could require new residential buildings to provide more materials storage space
The Case For Optimism
Reasons for cautious optimism for climate-friendly US and global energy policy action
Solar Market Heats Up
US installation of solar panels rises 44% over 2011 levels
December 11, 2012
Hong Kong: 25x30
The Hong Kong Green Building Council calls for cutting energy use 25% by 2030
Beyond RGGI
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative has delivered on many of its promises, but now it's time to move on
Faiure To Managae Climate Risk
A global survey of corporate climate risk-management give low scores to US firms
Germany: Transmission Investment Needed
Investment is needed to upgrade the German electric transmissions system to carry rising renewable energy inputs
Asia: Changing Energy Roles
Major Asian nations are shifting global patterns of energy supply and demand
25 Energy Efficiency Tips
Practical suggestions for walking-the-walk on energy efficiency
Solar From Sandy
Use of solar panels after Sandy emergency deployment could become habit-forming
Harlem: LEED Gold Eatery
Harlem gets a (soon to be) LEED Gold-rated Applebee's restaurant
Chicago: Energy Clusters
New York is not the only city with a Mayor advancing climate-friendly energy policies
December 10, 2012
Hotter Than Ever
January - November 2012 US hot weather regional rankings
Saudi Arabia: Solar Power
More signs that solar power has matured from the margins to the mainstream
In Praise Of Pigou
If consumption taxes are a time-tested way to change behavior, then a carbon tax should be a tool for climate action
Detroit: Urban Farming Or Not
Detroit confronts a controversy over a plan to sell vacant land for use as an urban farm
Doha: Lessons Learned
Don't expect nation states to be the leaders on climate action. BREAKING NEWS Former SSRs may exit Kyoto treaty
Stormproofing With CHP
Lessons learned from buildings with combined heat & power systems that rode out Superstorm Sandy
Solar CHP Saves Water
Concentrated solar power systems that generate heat and power have the added benefit of conserving water in operations & maintenance
UK: Long Term, Lower Cost Energy Contracts
The UK commits 25 million pounds to long-term contracts for energy from waste and biomass at favorable prices
Reskinning
New exteriors for old buildings help make them energy efficient
December 08, 2012
Doha Focus: Turkey
Turkish energy policy still relies on fossil fuel imports and exploration
December 07, 2012
Vietnam: Coastal Erosion
Residents of Vietnam's central coast and the Mekong Delta in the south face the same threat of losing their homes as the sea level rises. In this six-part series, Thuy Binh of Hanoi Radio and TV looks into how their environment is being changed by fiercer storms and how they are coping
Rethinking NewYork
The great debate begins over how a city can plan for climate chaos
December 06, 2012
Levy Oil to Fill Climate Fund
In Vienna at the upcoming meeting of OPEC on 12 Dec., a proposal will be made by Ecuador to put a levy on every barrel of oil sold by OPEC members to help fund projects that cut greenhouse gases.
UK: Offshore Wind Better Than Gas
Economy would be 20 billion pounds ($32 billion) larger by 2030 if the nation uses offshore wind to meet power demand instead of relying on gas
Introduced By Al Gore
Mayor Bloomberg spoke at "STEM in the City: Powering New York's Future" summit hosted by U.S. News & World Report, New York Daily News and City University of New York. Here are his remarks as delivered
December 05, 2012
The Carbon Tax Slug Fest
Join in for another round on the great carbon tax debate: Komanoff v Roberts
December 01, 2012
First Lease Sales for Wind
All-of-the-above strategy continues to expand US domestic energy production, DOI and BOEM announced first competitive lease sales for renewable energy development in two wind energy areas (WEAs) in federal waters. BOEM proposes leasing nearly 278,000 acres offshore RI, MA and VA for wind energy