Bill de Blasio - Park Killer
True or false? Bill de Blasio is woefully mismanaging NYC parks just as the pandemic makes them more precious to city residents than ever
August 31, 2020
Tracking NYC's Climate "Progress"
A major green advocacy group finds NYC isn't progressing on key climate indicators + has actually abandoned some of them
August 29, 2020
Electrifying e-Commerce
UPS, Fed-Ex + Amazon accelerate electric vehicle buys for making local package deliveries
August 28, 2020
Brave Green Heart
Help Wanted: Communications Director
The Leap is hiring its first Communications Director. This is a full-time permanent, remote position - applicants can be based anywhere in US. Compensation is $75-$80,000 USD + benefits (including a 4-day work week!)
Application deadline: September 14, 10am ET
August 27, 2020
Quote For Some Other Day
"When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road." William Least Heat-Moon, travel writer
NYC Parks: From Green To Garbage
Just as New Yorkers rely on their parks more than ever, budget cuts mean more garbage + less maintenance
We've Run Out Of Presidential Terms To Waste
August 25, 2020
EU: Call Me Green, Please
Fossil gas + nuclear power lobbyists fight to get an EU green investment seal of approval
It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's A ...
...Car-free bus lane in Brooklyn, NYC's first
Meet Verdi Square Citizen Gardeners
Verdi Square, a verdant triangle of NYC green, gets love from its volunteer gardener squad + gets loved by the community
Small Nuke Plants, Big Headaches
The first US maker of long-awaited small-scale nuclear reactors stumbles
Streets Where Kids Can Play Safely
COVID-safe streets for kids to play in start sprouting in Brooklyn
August 24, 2020
Parks To Composting - Drop Dead
Already slashed by brutal budget cuts, NYC's composting sites face eviction by the Parks Department
Peakers Are The Pits
Plans to build another "peaker" power plant to supply electricity on hot summer days in NYC should be scrapped, greener + healthier alternatives are on tap
Raising Monarchs
One guy's story, might lift your spirits
Sustainable Cooking 101
Sustainable cooking. What's that got to do with climate change?
Investor Pulls $91 Billion From Climate Harming Companies
Storebrand dumps oil and mining stocks over climate change lobbying https://t.co/iA0b1nzfJe via @financialtimes
— Ben Caldecott (@bencaldecott) August 24, 2020
August 21, 2020
Trump's Magical Thinking
How Trump appointees made a government research report on electric grid modernization disappear
If You Remember NY's Plastic Bag Ban...
...then you will want to read about this new court decision
The Causes Of California's Blackouts
California to analyze the major causes of its latest rolling blackouts. Hint: renewable energy not the culprit + demand response a big plus
I Have Not Read Carbon Captured, But I Should
My new book Carbon Captured is out! In it, I explain differences across countries in the timing and substance of their climate reforms. A quick 🧵here on one of the book's key arguments - something I call the logic of "double representation" 1/https://t.co/Cw7pEgxhhb
— Matto Mildenberger (@mmildenberger) February 19, 2020
August 20, 2020
Help Needed: Director Of the Public Realm
What is a "public realm" + why is the Muncipal Arts Society calling for a new office in NYC government?
Untermeyer Gardens: Staycation Paradise
Visit Untermeyer Gardens, it's super-special, it's in Yonkers
August 19, 2020
Now Hear This: Voices From The Future
Lessons to learn from people who have found themselves on the frontlines of the climate crisis
Multi-Challenges To School Openings
The pandemic + the climate crisis pose similar challenges to safely re-opening schools
Act Against Climate Change Vulnerabilities
NY's Con Edison prepared "Climate Change Vulnerability Study" on how to prepare for heat waves, floods, storms, etc. https://t.co/4Kq2t5tB1Y All utilities should do this, and citizens should press for it, as we did with Con Edison. https://t.co/hyVPtumeBZ https://t.co/UhwVhaLUEt
— Michael Gerrard (@MichaelGerrard) August 16, 2020
August 18, 2020
The Holy Grail For EV's
I realize people think I'm crazy when I say that EVs will be cheaper to own and operate than gasoline vehicles even if gasoline were free. But people also told me I was crazy about future solar prices in 2010 and 2015. I'm used to it. :) https://t.co/W7Osfa9WVT (3/3)
— Ramez Naam (@ramez) August 18, 2020
August 17, 2020
Canada: Mounting Methane Emissions
Canada's methane emissions from fossil fuel drilling are higher than previously thought +controls aren't keeping up
Composting - Down But Not Out
Despite budget cuts that shut down NYC Sanitation Department organic waste pick ups, you can still drop off your waste for composting at designated sites in every borough except Staten Island
The Apian Question
Why would city life make bumblebees grow bigger?
Much Ado About A Green Building Law
COVID 19 is making the steep learning curve for complying with Local Law 97, NYC's groundbreaking building energy efficiency law, steeper
For Whom The Bell Tolls
It tolls for NYC if soaring projections for car use + plunging projections for mass transit ridership prove right
August 14, 2020
Urban Coastal Flooding: Ho Chi Minh City And Bristol
There's much to learn from comparing the options for coastal flood management in two very different cities, Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam and Bristol, England
An Eyeball-Grabbing Headline
"DOT guts its own bus lane project", means Staten Island smacks down City Hall. Mass transit's the loser
Asia/Pacific: Facing A Tough Climate Future
What are the climate risks facing Asia/Pacific? Are there effective + achievable mitigation strategies?
August 13, 2020
Good Mass Transit Will Remain Good Business
Yes! Well-funded urban mass transit is good for both the business climate + the planet's climate. (Comment: True, pre-COVID + will be true post-COVID)
The Annual AC Refresher Course
Tips on staying cool without spending a fortune
Tropical Soil: Fear Of Methane Release
Scientific attention turns to the climate threat of more methane releases from tropical soils as the world gets hotter
Turn Off The Natural Fossil Gas
What can cities do to end their addiction to fossil gas?
August 12, 2020
Even Aardvarks Aren't Safe
Rising heat + drought are harming desert-dwelling aardvarks
August 11, 2020
NY'ers Get Their Own Climate Law Tracker
Now you can track progress in both New York State (CLCPA) + City (CMA) climate action laws, thanks to the Sabin Center, Columbia Law School
Dear Dr. Fauci
As a climate scientist, I feel your pain for the media abuse, political hacks + the death threats hurled at you, Michael Mann
August 10, 2020
Connect To The Wind
Designing a transmission grid is a key component to deliver on the promise of offshore wind power. Watch this webinar + discover what's on the drawing board
Keep Cool, Your Life Depends On It
TIPS TO BEAT THE HEAT: NYC has issued a #HeatAdvisory through Wednesday. Here are some tips to stay safe from the #heat during COVID-19. #Heatwave #HeatWarning #ExtremeHeat #HeatKills Download here: https://t.co/u4ObcfSgRb pic.twitter.com/ff3rOqkyeY
— WE ACT for EJ (@weact4ej) August 10, 2020
Bad News For Vermin
NYC's got new rules for putting trash out for collection, rats won't like it, but you will
Germany: Facing EU Challenge
If you think Germany is got a firm grip on getting all members to meet EU climate goals, think again
NY Bans PA Fracking Waste
NY closes a loophole in its anti-fracking laws by banning the import of fracking waste water from Pennsylvania
Streets Should Be For...
Had my first dinner out at a street-sited restaurant, time for NYC to catch up with other cities in ending its auto addiction. There are so many better things to do with all that urban space
August 07, 2020
Ocasio-Cortez And Harris Together On Climate Bill
Is there a message about Democratic unity, as Congress member Ocasio-Cortez + Senator Harris team up on a bill that targets climate action + social equity?
Bus Delays
The NY Post reports the Mayor's ballyhooed busway program for speeding up transit is delayed
Biking Barcelona
With its hills + hot summers, Barcelona's success at rapidly becoming a bike-friendly city demands our attention
NYC Still Needs Transit Oriented Development
It's been said before, + in this time of a pandemic-driven 'carpocalypse', it's time to act on the fact that NYC needs to drive mass transit-oriented housing. Here's how
Green Bonds Grow For Home Buying
Fannie-Mae expands its Mortgage Backed Securities program to encourage green home purchases
August 06, 2020
A Properly Ventilated School's A Healthy School
What's actually known about the performance of ventilation systems + the operability of windows in NYC schools, now that students + teachers are expected back next month in the face of ongoing COVID-19?
Park Size Skewed By Race And Income
Some of the best things in life may be free, but parks in majority white areas are double the size of parks in minority + lower income neighborhoods
The Green New Deal Technical Manual
MacArthur "Genius" Saul Griffith makes a thrilling technical + finance case for how to massively electrify the economy + solve to the climate crisis
August 04, 2020
Germany: Electric Highways
Electric highways starting to pass the laugh test in Germany, with the possibility of a 4,000 K autobahn
Immobilizing Mass Transit
Disappearing mass transit ridership + plummeting revenues makes federal funding more important than ever, but that doesn't mean help is on the way
Don't Zero Out Zero-Waste Goals
Defunding NYC's organics waste collection in the 2021 budget, doesn't have to mean closing the books on zero waste programs + goals
Dire Climate Prediction Looks Robust
The possibility is strong that high end climate crisis temperature predictions are "the most realistic for planning purposes"