Brazil-US: Climate Buddies
Presidents Rousseff & Obama announce new climate and clean energy goals
June 30, 2015
Trouble Ahead
Why the Supreme Court decision striking down EPA's air toxic rule could make carbon rule-writing harder
Demand A Recount
Turns out, official numbers on US solar power omit a big piece of the action
June 29, 2015
Supreme Court Toxic Ruling - Meh
Why striking down the EPA mercury emission rule may be a 'pointless' Supreme Court decision
Paying The Price For Climate Inaction
As nations ramp up low-carbon climate actions stranded assets like coal mines will cost countries like Australia dearly
Why Wind Matters
Passing a MA offshore wind bill is necessary for the northeast & here's why
Walking In Grids
Map of the De Lancey farm, c. 1775. It had its own street grid (which can still be walked today)! #AmRev #history pic.twitter.com/12rJSClrn4
— Discovering NYC (@discovering_NYC) June 29, 2015China: Stepping Up On Climate
Media reports China about to announce bold climate action steps
Australia: Everyone But Abbott
Business & labor, left & right back strong climate action & push-back on current government policies
NY Utilities Eager Over REV
Energy efficiency, customer engagement & distributed resources top NY utilities' application lists for REV demonstration projects
Supreme Court Blocks Pollution Action Plan
In a 5-4 decision the Supreme Court blocks EPA's rules for cutting mercury & other toxic emissions from coal-burning power plants
June 26, 2015
NY REV Energy Goals
Alberta: Carbon Tax Going Up
A center of oil production,Alberta, Canada, will double its carbon tax by 2017
Scotland: 49.8% Renewables Now
As off-shore wind energy grows, Scotland's overall renewable energy use nears 50%
Gingrich: Green Is Good For GOP
Environment & energy issues can be GOP ballot box winners says Newt Gingrich
Brazil/US Climate Talks
When Presidents Rousseff & Obama meet next week, climate change is on their agenda
Getting Energy Efficient 3/3
Getting Energy Efficient 2/3
If improving building energy performance solves so many problems & is cost effective, how can we prove it?
June 25, 2015
Getting Energy Efficient 1/3
While a report cited in the New York Times that is highly critical of building energy efficiency programs makes some valid points, it misses crucial facts
Green For Smaller Multi-Famiy Builidngs
NYC kicks off a Green Housing Preservation Program aimed at improving the energy performance of small & mid-sized apartment buildings with $45 million
Googling Alabama
An old coal-burning power plant site in Alabama will be converted into a renewable energy data center by Google
You Don't What You've Got Til It's Gone
Airflow Adds To Temperature Woes
Scientists link changing atmospheric air flow patterns to extreme heat & cold incidents, but the changes may not be climate-change related
June 24, 2015
LEED's Latest Roll-Out
What is a LEED Dynamic Plaque & what can it do for owners & occupants in existing buildings?
How To Succeed At Climate Adaptation
When failure is not an option, don't ignore key competing interests when making climate adaptation plans
Climate Carbon Tax Prediction
Senator Schumer (D.-NY) says a federal carbon tax could become a reality with a Clinton Presidency
Solar Flight Delay
A cross-Pacific leg of the Solar Impulse round the wold flight delayed again by bad weather
Give A Hoot For Wind Power
Scientists study owls wings to figure out how to make wind turbines quieter
Netherlands: Court Rules For Climate
Ruling on citizen climate suit, a Dutch court orders the government to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 25% by 2020
Flat Power Demand Predicted For NY
The organization that calculates how much electricity NY needs, cites the role of distributed power & energy efficiency in flat-lining peak demand on the grid over the coming decade
June 23, 2015
Retrofitting Affordability Launch
Urban Recycling Now
Hey NYC, lots of other US cities are way ahead of you on recycling, even if they're not perfect
Science At Work: A Fine Distinction
To understand how climate change affects weird weather, scientists distinguish between dynamics & thermodynamcis
Green Enegy Anxiety
Why are some electric utilities hot and bothered about renewable power & energy efficiency insurgency? "It's a Hannah Arendt thing".
Recycling With 3D-Printed Buildings
Recycled paper and tires could be the raw materials for tomorrow's 3-D buildings
Expect More Extreme Weather Ills
Consider the health impacts of the incidence of extreme weather events forecast for coming years
The BMT At 100
Serving Brooklyn since 1915, the subway line that changed the borough
Australia: 59x40
Regardless of public policy, Australia will get 59% of its power from renewable sources by 2040 & also see BNEF report
Netherlands: Eco-Multitasking
Installation of solar power & noise-blocking panels along highways & rail lines gets a test run in Holland
June 22, 2015
Santiago: Air Pollution Emergency
Dirty air in Santiago has Chilean officials declare an emergency, shutting down industry & keeping 40% of cars at home
Climate Inertia Will Be Costly
The EPA puts a price tag on the cost of climate inaction -- and it's very, very big
NYC: Energy Messaging Mavens
A top-ten list of New York's energy-issue communicators for 2015
Reno: Rebranding With Tesla Batteries
Reno hopes for an image makeover as the new home of Tesla's giant battery plant
Poland: Carbon Carve-Out
Will coal-reliant Poland seek an opt-out from the EU climate pact?
Carbon Capture Innovation Accelarates Climate Action
Solar Innovation Accelerates Climate Action
Due to 40 years of innovation, solar PV generation is an increasingly cost-competitive option http://t.co/xAIAtpWize pic.twitter.com/V6uhhWPHke
— IEA (@IEA) June 22, 2015REV: Next Round Of Fine Print
The NY Public Service Commission issues the next installment of REV, its re-do of the rules of the game for electric power suppliers, an Order Adopting Dynamic Load Management filings with Modifications
June 19, 2015
Senate Committe Targets Eco-Budgets
A Senate committee approves a budget bill that is $400 million less last year's funds for EPA and Interior and falls $2.2 billion below what Obama proposes
Singapore: EV Taxi
A next generation EV taxi that recharges in 15 minutes & has seat-specific AC, hits the roads of SIngapore
Solar YieldCos Raise Millions
Solar power investors put $420 million into new-fangled investment tools in a stock launch on NASDAQ
Toronto: LEED Gets Dynamic
A LEED Platinum-rated Toronto office tower ramps up to LEED Dynamic, a near-real-time monitoring tool for displaying building performance across five categories
Before The BQE
Sketch of Brooklyn Heights, 1854. All of this was obliterated when the BQE was built #Brooklyn #history pic.twitter.com/YZ9JjahXay
— Discovering NYC (@discovering_NYC) June 19, 2015The Cost Of Water 5/5
Go with the flow, the impact of 8 million toilets on NYC's waterways
Hottest May On Record
NOAA finds "The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for May 2015 was the highest for May in the 136-year period of record"
Climate Facts - Just A Click Away
A website full of climate change facts & charts from a federal agency always facing chronic budget cuts
June 18, 2015
Sun Rise For Buffalo
The SolarCity PV plant, the largest in North America & being built in Buffalo, NY, will energize an entire local supply chain
Tesla Locks Up Battery Brain
Tesla inks an exclusive relationship with a leading battery expert in an effort to cut energy storage costs
Yes, There Is An Afterlife...
June 17, 2015
The Real Climate Science Consensus
A meta-study of the peer review literature published 2013-2014 finds a 99.9% agreement among scientists on climate change
House Committee: Eco-Obstacle
The House Appropriations Committee votes to cut the EPA budget by 9% & block proposed environmental protection rules
China: The Sponge City Bet
China is counting on urban infrastructures designs that will soak up rain & support resilient cities during floods and droughts
Microgrids Mean Power To The People
The disbursed distribution of microgrids holds the promise for ending utility monopolization of the power supply
We'll Always Have Paris
Pros & cons on whether an inadequate agreement at the U.N. Paris climate summit is better than none
More Reasons To Love Green Roofs
Just looking at nature can help your brain work better, study finds http://t.co/omQ71BXCIN pic.twitter.com/wVpshaFzhH
— Post Green (@postgreen) June 17, 2015Japan: Offshore Wind Wins
By adding a 7 MW turbine , a floating, offshore wind power project in Fukushima Japan will be the world's largest
The Cost Of Water 3/5
After decades of planning & protest NYC opens its drinking water filtration plant at a cost of $3.5 billion
June 16, 2015
$4 Billion For Clean Energy
The Obama Administration stakes $4 billion to create a new fund that links investors with clean energy companies
Say You Want A Revolution
New Carbon Tax Bill In Senate
Blown Away
Which European country gets most of its power from wind? http://t.co/5XAviUFxJP #energy #climatechange #renewables pic.twitter.com/pGOlJ7uQlc
— World Economic Forum (@wef) June 16, 2015Paris: A Car-Free Right Bank
The Mayor of Paris to create a car-free zone along a Seine-side section of the Right Bank in 2016
Bloomberg Gift Includes Green
Mike Blooomberg's $100 million gift to the Roosevelt Island campus of Cornell University will help fund an academic building designed to be self-sufficient in energy use
The Cost Of Water 2/5
The biggest, longest underground pipe that brings drinking water to NYC is leaking
Zero x 50
Does a proposal to power the nation with 100% renewables by 2050 pass the laugh test?
Leading With The Good News
The IEA, a leading global energy association, reports energy-related emissions flatlined in 2014...now for the other findings
June 15, 2015
Stepping Up Solar In The Sunshine State
Florida's biggest power utility plans for a commercial-scale solar power & research project
Carbon Divestment - Feel The Burn Or Not
BBC News: Can the divestment movement tame climate change? http://t.co/Jlr5ZSfTC1 pic.twitter.com/QJsPMFR2Ex
— ECIU (@ECIU_UK) June 13, 2015Honey, I Shrunk The Nukes
Federal officials look to a next-generation of 300 MW modular nuclear reactors as key to future energy policy
CA: Net-Zero x 2020
What is California's plan for getting all new homes to use no more energy than than they create by 2020?
Solar Flight Is A Wow
The Solar Impulse 2 round the world flight continues to amaze
Science Historian As Climate Hero/Lightning Rod
Read It Now
Climate Shock, The economic Consequences of A Hotter Planet makes singular contributions to the climate action agenda says Yale economist William Nordhaus
The Cost Of Water 1/5
The best things in life are rarely free, including NYC's unfiltered drinking water
June 13, 2015
Big, Tall And Passive
The Cornell-Tecnion campus on Roosevelt Island will be home to the world's largest, tallest Passive House residential building
June 12, 2015
India: Solar-Paneled Trains
Hoping to cut its diesel appetite, India's rail system starts testing solar panels to light rail coaches that carry 23 million passengers daily
Urban Transportation, No Nostalgia Necessary
Steam train going down 11th Ave at 54th St, 1927. A "west side cowboy” rides ahead to warn pedestrians #history pic.twitter.com/awCl4fGZiU
— Discovering NYC (@discovering_NYC) June 12, 2015Legal Eagles: Using The Clean Air Act To Cut GHGs
Is Section 112 or Section 11(d) of the Clean Air Act the better way to cut GHG emissions?
Watch Out Enviro Deadbeats
NYC businesses that fail to pay their Environmental Control Board fines could lose their licenses with passage of a proposed City Council bill
A Green City Street Is A Resilient City Street
There's even more to gain from greening city streets than summertime shade
Japan: Addicted To Coal Subsidies
Japan's refusal to endorse an end to coal subsidies, stalemates an OECD proposal
Australia: Unstoppable Solar Power
Australians' embrace of rooftop solar panels unfazed by loss of government support. And talk about embrace, a bonus koala story for our readers
NYC: Cool Places To See For Free
New mosaic murals in the 191 Street, Washington Heights subway station
June 11, 2015
Googling Gotham
Seeing opportunities to improve city life, Google starts up a new company, Sidewalk Labs, headed by Dan Doctoroff
June 10, 2015
NY Passive House 2015
Court Rejects Challenge To GHG Rule
The D.C. federal appeals court rejects a bid by red states, coal companies and other industry groups to block the EPA from finalizing its greenhouse gas standards for existing power plants. The judges unanimously ruled the petitioners could not challenge the regulation since it is not yet finalized
June 09, 2015
China-EU: Climate Pact
On June 29, China and the EU will sign a climate pact crafted to foster closer ties in using low-emission tech, developing carbon markets & sustainable cities
London: 24/7 Rush Hour
What explains London's jam-packed mass transit system & its links to changed work patterns
Detroit: A Climate-Changed Tomorrow
Hard-luck Detroit faces a climate-disrupted future
Climate Action Based On Insurance
The challenges of climate change, it's global. long term, irreversible & uncertain mean effective action is a type of risk insurance policy
Incredible Shrinking Shale Oil
Why is the once-booming US shale oil industry tumbling now?
The MTA Capital Budget Plan Maze
While underfunding is a huge problem for the MTA and the NY metro-region, so is slow capital budget spending
Frogging On Staten Island
Urban ecologist discovers a new amphibian species on Staten Island, the Atlantic Coast Leopard Frog
De Blasio Blasts NJ-Exxon Settlement
Mayor de Blasio wants NJ to modify a proposed $225 million settlement with Exxon because it's worth just 3% of the damages
North Carolina: Renewable Energy Battleground
The outcome of the fight to protect the North Carolina renewable energy portfolio will be felt outside the state
June 08, 2015
Best Headline Of The Century
Here Comes Solar NYC
Interested in powering your home with the sun? Start here
Sandy's Not Over Yet
Nearly 2 years after Superstorm Sandy blew into town, impacts linger in NYC
Guide For The Carbon Tax Perplexed
Since modeling a carbon tax is at least as contentious as imposing one, the debate starts here
Carbon Tax - Just Say No
The anti-carbon tax position of a climate activist
G-7: Merkel Aims High On Climate
German Chancellor Merkel presses G-7 members to adopt tough climate action goals
This Is Dense
210 years of Manhattan population density in a 2 minute animated map
Waste Not With Compost
Soon, much more of NYC's food waste could be converted into useful compost, but where?
June 07, 2015
7 Cheers For A Carbon Tax
Endorsement of a carbon tax by six big fossil fuel companies gets editorial kudos from the New York Times
June 05, 2015
Norway: Dump Coal
The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund will divest from most of its coal investments
Hybrid Electric Buildings
How AMS, a woman-owned start-up, connected with Tesla on a hybrid electric building deal
From Portland To Washington
Former Portland, OR Mayor Sam Adams takes his climate agenda to Washington, DC
More Green For Green
Sustainable investment rises in the US, jumping 76% from 2012 to the start of 2014
Promises, Promises
31 advanced industrial nations are falling far short of their GHG reduction pledges
NOAA Says No Warming Pause
A NOAA re-analysis of existing global temperature data knocks down claims of a warming hiatus
June 04, 2015
The Limits Of Renewable Energy
Replete with charts & graphs, a dollar and cents case for the limits to renewable energy growth
Australia: Hope Revives For Renewables
After a tough year and government hostility to climate action, investment in the Australian renewable energy sector sees better times ahead
What, We Worry - Not
Big coal uscathed by international fossil fuel disinvestment campaigns -- for now
Rick Santorum And The Pope
California's Ambitious Climate Bill
The California Senate approves legislation to set new renewable energy targets, cut gasoline use & boost building energy efficiency
Buffalo Embraces Musk
An editorial in The Buffalo News favors government assistance to develop Elon Musk's SolarCity, a full-service solar power systems business
Paris: The Risks Of Getting To Yes
Diplomatic success for an international climate agreement at the upcoming Paris meetings could come at the price of non-binding GHG cutting goals
Big Bucks For Big Renewables
To grow utility scale renewable energy projects, New York outlines a $1.5 billion, 10-year plan
June 03, 2015
The Weird-Warm Nexus
Getting clear on the probability link between extreme weather events an global warming
Energy Cluelessness
Since people care about saving energy, why are they clueless about how much they're actually using?
Funding Energy Storage Projects
As part of NY's ambitious make-over of its utility sector, REV funding is on tap to scale up projects or demonstrate how energy storage can help transform the electricity grid
Climate Action Plan Nears Completion
The EPA sends its draft carbon emissions rules to the White House for review and finalization by August
Speaking Sternly About Climate Agreement
Economist Nicholas Stern isn't prepared to call prospects for success of the Paris climate negotiations a failure but economist William Nordhaus insists a stiff tariff on imports from non-signatory nations will be needed if there's hope for avoiding the worst
June 02, 2015
The Biggest Disruptor
Even more than pending CO2, emissions regulations the rise of distributed power generation could be the biggest challenge to business as usual in the utility sector
Japan (2): 26x30
Japan pledges to cut its GHG emissions 26% from 2013 levels by 2030
Japan (1): Biggest Coal Lender
Japan beats China as the world's biggest coal project lender
Turning Information Into Cash
How building energy performance data can be valued when it comes time to sell your home
ICYMI -- More Thoughts On Going Passive
Building codes & industry inertia are the greatest obstacles to making passive house design the new normal, so what can be done?
The City Energy Project
10 US cities pioneer a national initiative to improve the energy efficiency of buildings & support innovative and practical solutions to cut pollution, grow local economies and foster a healthier environment
June 01, 2015
Top Cities For EVs
The 10 best US cities for electric car ownership
Katrina: Ten Years After
Reflections on the most devastating hurricane season ever
Ahmedabad: Heat Action Plan
An urban heatwave early warning system pioneered by the Indian city of Ahmendabad
Climate Risks For Western Utilities
With nearly half of the power supply in western states facing an array of climate-change related risks, only energy efficiency looks like a sure thing
Clarifying The Climate Denial-Faith Link
What is it about certain religious beliefs that tie in with denying the reality of climate change?
Whitney Plans For Dry Art
Just steps away from the Hudson River, the Whitney Museum builds in flood-proofing features
GOP: Same-O On Environmental Protection
Republicans are nothing if not consistent in their vow to roll back Obama's environmental and climate protection rules
France: Not As Nuclear
The dominance of the French nuclear power industry is no longer a sure thing
Japan: Solar Flight Delay
Solar Impulse, the first attempted round the world flight by a solar-powered plane, delayed by bad weather in Japan