Conservative policy group ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, threatened legal action against activist groups that accuse it of denying climate change. While ALEC does not deny that presentations skeptical of climate science have occurred at meetings in the past, they insist that their new leadership is open to debate and welcomes members who support… Keep reading →
On Friday, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz made the following statement regarding Dr. Fatih Birol’s confirmation to be the next Executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA): “As the new Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Dr. Fatih Birol is an ideal candidate to lead the Agency in a time of global energy transformation.… Keep reading →
Germany’s Munich Re, one of the world’s largest and leading reinsurers, released on January 7 its review of natural catastrophes in 2014 – measuring the economic impact of natural catastrophes on its reinsurance business bottom line. Attributing the much lower 2014 financial losses vis-à-vis previous years to the “absence of very severe catastrophes and a… Keep reading →
The debate about the development and deployment of geoengineering technologies is slowly creeping into the mainstream media, as both analysts and commentators seem to increasingly doubt the international community’s ability to agree on a comprehensive and effective international agreement at UNFCCC COP 21 in Paris. With many countries facing political and/or economic obstacles to pursuing… Keep reading →
Again and again, severe weather events wreak havoc around the globe and thus tend to dominate international newspaper headlines. No continent has been spared with the strongest storms swirling both in the Pacific and Atlantic basins, in addition to extreme droughts and massive floods geographically well diversified. Knock-on effects seem straightforward and include spread of… Keep reading →
According to some, the power of greed shapes and drives our capital markets, and it is this greed that has led to the industrialization of the global society and ultimately to the buildup of excessive levels of Green House Gases (GHGs). Can the same capital markets save us from catastrophic climate change? Our answer to… Keep reading →
Russian and Chinese leadership signed a host of preliminary agreements yesterday covering everything from oil & gas, to nuclear power, finance, satellite navigation and high-speed rail. Russia has long been skeptical about cozying too close to China, which is both a huge market and potential business partner, but also a competitor and potential rival. It… Keep reading →
In this video Dr. Robert Stavins, Professor of Business and Government at Harvard University’s Kennedy School succinctly discusses some of the obstinate challenges facing governments – from the local to national level – regulators, corporate entities, scientists, the environmental community and other relevant stakeholders when considering how to deal with climate change. He discusses the… Keep reading →
The National Climate Assessment – reportedly the most detailed yet – finds widespread climate impacts and says that while actions are underway to mitigate the effects and adapt to new conditions, these efforts are likely insufficient to avoid some of the most extremely negative consequences associated with anthropogenic global warming. “A team of more than… Keep reading →
Here’s an interesting discussion of ExxonMobil’s involvement in the “stranded asset” debate. Robert Rapier seeks to clarify Exxon’s worldview and the company’s response to recent climate action shareholder resolutions. He asks, how much time per day do you devote to planning how you’ll spend your lottery winnings? “You may fantasize about what you would do… Keep reading →
