Unplug On March 1
It may not be easy but try to take part in National Unplugging Day
February 28, 2013
China: New Nuke Surge
40% of the world's nuclear power plants now in development are located in China
All Tomorows' Flood Protection
Tune in to a multi-sided discussion of the Dutch style harbor barrier idea to protect New Yorkers from all tomorrows' floods
Save Water, Grow Jobs
Here's how water conservation projects can be a good way to grow green jobs
Japan: Re-Nuking
Closed since Fukushima, Japan will restart its nuclear generator fleet this year
Science At Work - Weird Weather
New research finds climate-induced slo-mo airflows explain weird weather events in the US and Europe
NYC Green Infrastrcuture Grants
Consult the map to see if you are eligible to apply for a NYC Green Infrastructure grant
Imagination Seizes Power
Some people just have the best ideas about carbonfree energy
Resilient Shelter In A Storm
The NYC Building Resiliency Task Force spotlights clean distributed energy as key to making urban structures safer in a storm
February 27, 2013
UK: Boiling Over
Gas-fired home boilers and fossil-fueled vehicles must be phased out by 2050 for the UK to meet its carbon-cut commitments
Thin-Film PV Maker Slips
First quarter earnings miss targets for the world's largest thin-film PV panel maker
Australia: Politics And Carbon Prices
Handicapping the price of CO2 emissions after elections in Australia this fall
Chu's Energy Bequest
What will be the most lasting energy initiatives from Steven Chu's tenure at DOE?
Climate Learning Opportunities
Someday, politicians in the Capitol will learn climate action lessons from the advance work done in California
Fed Nuke Watchdog Doesn't Bark
Post-Fukushima disputes over safety rules and industry muscle roil the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Climate On GAO High-Risk List
The GAO adds climate change and weather satellites to its list of things that put federal installations at high risk
Decongestion Pricing
The cost of a new car in New York City could discourage ownership
Video Diaries
Harlem Education Action Fund youth eco-interviews now on YouTube
February 26, 2013
The Tideline Project
Australia: Dim Outlook For Climate Politics
When American climate activism seems more politically effective than its Australian counterpart, that's not good
Solar Football For San Francisco
The new San Francisco 49ers stadium scores with 400 kW of solar power
Going For Gold In Times Square
A LEED-Gold tower in Times Square leases 70% of its office space and 100% of its retail space
Canada: We Can Have It All
The premier of Alberta Canada, home to the XL Keystone project, sees no conflict between fighting climate change and exploiting its tar sands
Millions For Upstate Energy Efficiency
New York State makes grants of $4 million for three energy efficiency projects in the Buffalo-Niagara region
Fossilist Financial Bias
Finding the pro-fossil fuel biases in the financial system
Germany: E-Buses Go Wireless
Mannheim, Germany hosts the newest pilot program for electric-powered buses that recharge wirelessly
Bi-Partisan Energy Research
Republicans and Democrats alike love ARPA-E's cutting-edge energy research, but alone it can't be a game changer
February 25, 2013
Taking The Heat
If climate science is right, why haven't air temperatures soared over the last decade?
Japan: The Body Electric
Fujifilm invents a nano-technology that converts body heat into electricity
3D For PV
A revolution in 3D printing could transform solar panel industry
The Trend In Current - Decentralization
Why distributed, decentralized power supplies could become the new normal
Venture Capital Repositions
Silicon Valley venture capital is shifting from financing renewables to demand response by way of smart grid technologies
Retail Efficiency
How is Macy's pursuing its energy efficient better buildings goals?
Take The J Train
Here's why the subway is a great way to explore NYC
Energy Market Flaws Hurt Flow
Structural flaws in New England's power market lie at the root of recent electricity shortages
Australia: Snapping Up Shale Gas Assets
US fossil fuel giant, Chevron, spends $349 million on Australian shale gas resources
February 23, 2013
Out Of Oil
Bill McKibben makes his case for the oil disinvestment movement
The Long March
The environmental movement has energy, what it needs is power
Affordable Heat And Power
Affordable housing in a former Bronx hospital building saves everyone money with a combined heat and power system
Not The Next Big Thing
Climate policy reliant on energy tech innovation won't be our silver bullet
February 22, 2013
UK: Prince Of Wales' Waste Gas
Methane from a biogas plant on land owned by Prince Charles will be sold into the national grid
Maryland Moves On Offshore Wind
A bill to foster development of offshore wind passes a key vote in Maryland
Going Dutch
How is Holland using natural systems to face threats in the 21st century?
China: Blistering PV Sales
Yingli, a Chinese solar panel maker, is on track to become the world's biggest
Korea: Big Green Bond
Korea issues its first $500 million bond deal to finance projects promoting 'low carbon and climate resilient growth'
Oops, There Goes The Permafrost
Scientists fear a major, methane-releasing meltdown of the Earth's permafrost is on the way
Scoring Congress
The League of Conservation Voters scores Congress in 2012, state by state, including NY
Learning From Keystone
Win. lose or draw, what are the organizing lessons from the battle over importing Canadian tar sand oil?
Renewable Power Surge
January 2013 saw 1,231 MW of new renewable power capacity, almost triple that of last January
February 21, 2013
Australia: What Goes Around
Australian use and export of coal outstrips the climate impact of its domestic carbon tax policy
Kerry's Climate Shout-Out
Secretary of State Kerry spotlights the importance of taking action on climate change in his first big speech
Sandy's Silver Lining
Smart grid advocates spotlight rebuilding lessons to be learned from Superstorm Sandy
February 20, 2013
Last Leg Of The High Line
Photos show the progress in building the final section of NYC's High Line Park
Japan: Seeking US Shale Gas
Prime Minister Abe will ask President Obama to allow the export of US liquefied natural gas to Japan
EU: Carbon Market Quakes
Skepticism about the impact of an EU vote sends carbon emissions permit prices down 20%
Obama's EPA And Energy Picks
The President will name Gina McCarthy to lead the EPA and Ernest Moniz to head the Department of Energy
Rx For Vulnerable Port Cities
Urban planners & port authorities rethink what's needed to keep their cities safe and their assets operational as weird weather encroaches
NJ: Business As Usual Is Not Enough
New Jersey's biggest power utility proposes, in the wake of Sandy's devastation, to invest $4B for growing system resilience
Climate Uproar
Few things are as controversial as climate action agendas where they cross with fossil fuel projects
Get Ready For The 17th Century
Climate scientists foresee an America without New Orleans and coastal cities like Boston retreating to their 17th Century footprint
February 19, 2013
What An Energy Czar Can Do
Richard Kauffman, New York's new Chair of Energy Policy & Finance speaks about the rise of distributed power and the role of a green bank
Advocates For A Climate Tool
Section 115 of the Clean Air Act could be a potent legal lever for combating climate change according to an NYU Law School-linked petition to the EPA
China: Shale Gas Gloom
China is unlikely to meet its goals for producing shale gas industry and moving toward energy independence
UK: Green Tech Fails To Thrive
The UK low carbon, high tech sector is not keeping up with the competition and calls more more government R&D
Smart Fenestration
Today, laboratory researchers are developing first generation high performance windows
The Green Jobs Climate
Letters-to-the-Editor tackle a Leonhardt NYT column about the climate-green jobs nexus
Gaming Power
Think Enron-type scams of energy prices are a thing of the past?
Canada: Oozing Pits
Leaking pits that store waste from tar sands drilling in Alberta, Canada contaminate ground water
February 18, 2013
Clean Tech Investing RIP
Reports of the death of clean tech investing are premature
Mind The Gap
The federal GAO reports on worrying gaps in US weather satellites' data reporting abilities
Engineers To The Rescue
What are the prospects for bioengineering and carbon capture to slash global GHG emissions?
Global Cities: Killing Streets
As global city traffic grows, solutions to soaring pedestrian fatalities are needed
Liverpool: Offshore Wind Shipyard
A venerable Liverpool shipyard gets 10-15% of its revenues from handling equipment destined for offshore wind projects
China: More City Solar
The Chinese city of Xuchang gets $115 million to install 60 MW of rooftop solar power by 2015
Argentina: Solar Dawn
For the first time, Argentina plans to grow its solar power capacity
February 17, 2013
Soft Solutions
Creating or restoring soft edge ecosystems can play a big part in flood-proofing Manhattan
February 16, 2013
Turn Down, Screw In, Unplug
Tips from NYERSDA & Con Ed for making homes more energy efficient
February 15, 2013
Renewables Take A Bow
The recent rise of on-tap renewable power plays a real role in cutting the US carbon footprint.
Europe: Nuke Power Unplugged
Intersecting forces are shutting down prospects for nuclear power in Europe
90x50 In The Big Apple
The Urban Green Council spells out how NYC can cut its carbon footprint 90% by the year 2050
Real World For Virtual Power
What is a virtual power plant and who is investing?
Welcome Elementa
Now there's a new open source journal dedicated to the science of the Anthropocene Era
February 14, 2013
The Energy Waste Problem
We don't have an energy supply problem, we have an energy waste problem and here's how to solve it
Climate Tipping Point
Experts ask how much time is left before climate damage from burning fossil fuels is irreversible?
Shell To EU: Zero For Zero
Royal Dutch Shell points out to the EU that a near-zero carbon emissions permit price will accomplish zero
London: Low Emissions Zone
The Mayor of London wants to create the world's first center-city area where vehicle access is only for ultraclean fuel users
Shifting The Conservative Climate
Former Congressman Bob Inglis is a man on a mission to convince conservatives that climate action is the right thing to do
Welcome Minneapolis
Minneapolis joins the growing list of US cities with a building energy benchmarking law
The Ultimate Make-Over
Are you an architect with ideas for revitalizing NYC? Here's the competition for you
February 13, 2013
EU: Aviation Carbon Down
GHG emissions from European air travel drop as fuel efficiency - and crowded seating - rise
Australia: Climate Denial Drooping
Climate change deniers in Australia seem to be losing steam
Energy Efficiency: Learn By Doing
Lessons learned by the founder of a New York green buildings energy retrofit program launched in 1996
Millions For Urban Sustainability
NYU is gifted $40 million for a new a cities and the urban environment institute
Meeting Obama's 50x30 Goal
Ideas for attaining the President's SOTU call for buildings to cut energy use 50% over the next two decades
We Love A Climate Tax
Valentine's Day could be the day for Senators Sanders & Boxer to announce a climate tax bill
Hoboken: Rethinking Disaster Rules
Hoboken, NJ asks whether the old emergency response playbook for hurricanes should be rewritten for high-rise cities and embrace resilient distributed power systems
Sandy Subway Salvage
Closed since being inundated by Sandy, the South Ferry subway station might bere-opened for awhile
Microsoft Prices Carbon
Click here to find out how Microsoft put its own price on carbon on its path to carbon neutrality
February 12, 2013
Brazil: How Sweet It Was
The price of ethanol-from-surgarcane futures outpaces the raw sugar price on Brazilian markets
The Big Melt Speeds Up
Thawing of the world's CO2 trapping permafrost happens faster the more it melts
MD Offshore Wind Prospects
Chances for a stripped down offshore Maryland wind farm pick up speed
Be My Infrastructure Valentine
Time to give the urban infrastructure the love and attention it needs - and we need
You've Come A Long Way Baby Sustainables
Women at the forefront of urban sustainability share what they've learned by doing
Sea Level Isn't Level
Why will global sea level rise flood coastal cities in different ways?
GE Wins On Wind
GE is now the world's biggest wind power equipment maker, toppling a Danish firm from its #1 position
Fossil Fuel Fossils
Oxford University to study fossil-fuel dependent facilities at risk of becoming stranded assets in a greener economy
What My Administration Is Going To Do
Speculation on what Obama will say about climate action in his State-of-the-Union speech and what his administration can do
February 11, 2013
Help Wanted
UK: Pension Buys Into The Wind
A Canadian pension fund invests £500 million in the London Array offshore wind farm
Rooftop Wind, Maybe Not
Wind power is wonderful, but wind turbines on roofs or in building structures, maybe not so great
Here Comes More Sun
For the first time, global solar power capacity tops 100 gigawatts
UK: Tory Warning On Fossil Fuels
A former Conservative-government minister warning against investing in fossil fuel firms in a fast-changing climate
Rating RGGI
With a more rigorous cap & trade RGGI program on the way, what has it achieved so far and what could it do next?
The Lukewarmer Fallacy
Lukewarmers aren't worried about the evidence of climate change, they should be
China and US: Renewable Benefits
The US and China have good reasons to cooperate on developing clean energy industries, but are good reasons enough to make deals?
US Offshore Wind Update
Barely a breeze stirs the US offshore wind industry
February 08, 2013
UK: Decarbonization Duel
A Labor Party amendment to end the use of fossil fuels by electric utilities is excised by Conservatives
Nothing Cheap About Climate Chaos
The costs to cities of storms, droughts and other weird weather are immense
Out Foxed
Sometimes sarcasm is the best way to confront Fox News coverage of solar power
Smart Grid 2.0
Will the next big thing in smart grid development be open source software?
Europe: Buying Cheap US Coal
Cheap US black coal floods European energy markets and countries burn more dirty brown coal too
Save Billions By Saving Energy
US homes and businesses could save billions of dollars every year through energy efficiency
God Created Transit
February 07, 2013
Morocco: Wind Power Coming
A French utility develops a 300 MW wind power project in Morocco for the local market
RGGI: Let There Be Less
If adopted, a model rule drafted by a coalition of northeast states will shrink its cap on carbon emissions 45% from 2015-2020 while containing permit costs
Let There Be Daylighting
With sophisticated daylighting controls and underfloor ventilation the New York Times building is a proving ground for energy efficiency
Manhattan's Blue Ribbon
The Manhattan Borough President announces an East River-side open space plan
Smarter, Safter After Sandy
How can we cut economic losses and taxpayer exposure in a post-Sandy weird weather world?
Global Metro Mega-Sprawl
Put names and numbers to the truism that the world is sprawling urban, big time!
Japan: Import US Natural Gas
Japan is on a path to import US liquified natural gas, signaling a shift in US energy export policy
Bloomberg To Cuomo - Meh
Mayor Bloomberg is not a fan of Governor Cuomo's proposal to get people to move out of risky flood zones
Science At Work - Understanding Sensitivity
At the leading edge of climate research, calculating how much temperatures will rise given stipulated levels of atmospheric CO2
February 06, 2013
New York Times - Green Star
With five years of operating and cost data, the New York Times building proves it's a real energy efficiency star
Time For Nuclear Sunset
The nuclear power industry faces energy policy and economics challenges for both new construction and repairs
Manila: Gearing Up For Bike Sharing
Starting a bike sharing program in Manila that folks will take to requires stamina
Nuclear Off-Ramp On Energy Highway
Will Governor Cuomo's Energy Highway plan mean the end for the Indian Point nuclear power plant?
Super Sustainable In Seattle
The Bullitt Foundation in Seattle has sky-high performance goals for its new Center
Get It REIT
A Pennsylvania-based real-estate investment trust (REIT) benchmarks the energy performance of 129 properties
Boston: Sandy Scenarios
Mapping the impact of 5 and 7.5 foot storm surges in Boston
What Can Data Do
With soaring data-gathering capacity, can big data tell us about whether we are succeeding or how to plan for tomorrow?
February 05, 2013
UK: Sea Urchins Solve Carbon Crisis
University researchers discover how sea urchins store CO2, opening the way to new carbon capture techniques
Melbourne: Water Supply Woes
With its desalinization plant down and costly to fix, Melbourne, Australia might fill its water supply gap with recycled stormwater - Sydney & Adelaide, heads up!
What Henry Wants
Congressman Henry Waxman forms a Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change and has a to-do-list for Congress and the President
Investing In Eco-Goals
Disinvestment & deep-green investment are two trendy ways to protect the climate and still make money
Clearing China's Urban Smog
Desmogging the air in Chinese cities requires effective fuel regulations for cars and trucks
Fracking: Attacking Or Backing
To-frack-or-not-to-frack grabs center stage at New York State Environmental Conservation budget hearings
San Francisco: Going Inland
Preparing for rising seas and storm surges, San Francisco plans a strategic highway relocation
Now In A Sink Near You
For the first time since the 1970's New Yorkers can install garbage disposals in their sinks
February 04, 2013
Right-Of-Way Wrongs
Gas pipelines and electric transmission lines are just two of the energy transport systems running into opposition through challenges to eminent domain
Climate: Changing The Conversation
The path to climate progress can't rely on the old regulatory tool kit
Super Bowl Coal
The coal industry sees its chance in the Super Bowl blackout
Connect To FERC
Federal regulators consider revising rules for small power generators seeking connection to the grid (not for the faint-hearted)
Australia: Slice Solar Costs
By 2020, the price of solar thermal electric in Australia could be 50% cheaper than today
Hotter v HOTTER
Become sensitive to the critical climate debate, how hot will it get?
Mass Transit and Rezoning
NYC's plan to finance a west side extension of the 7 line subway relies on new property taxes the recession wiped out
UK: Chinese Nuke Money
The UK's door is ajar for Chinese investors to help finance construction of 4 nuclear reactors
India: Climate Change Signals
Strange things have been happening in the Himalayas
February 02, 2013
Upbeat On Down Numbers
Overall. US emissions and energy trends are good climate news
Chu On This
What's the takeaway on Steven Chu's tenure at the Department of Energy?
February 01, 2013
California's A Green Guinea Pig
AB 32 is California's field experiment in what a state can do to protect the climate
Belgium: Energy Storage Isle
Belgium will build an island dedicated to storing North Sea wind energy
Another Reason To Love Delaware
Delaware's the state with the biggest drop in CO2 emissions from 1994-2010
EPA Tackles Fuel Fraudsters
The EPA seeks to clean up its blighted biofuels program
Comparative Gas Taxes
Yet another reminder that the Americans pay lower gas taxes than almost anyone else
It's A Bird, It's A Plane...
But is there a chance for a federal carbon tax?
Crappy Diem
Colbert flays today's do-nothing climate fatalists and makes you laugh too