After analyzing the EPA’s ‘Clean Power Plan’ proposal for the Scientific American, David Biello aptly concludes that in order “to burn coal or even natural gas without exacerbating global warming requires CO2 capture and storage whether in India or Indiana. The EPA, because of the cost of such CCS technology, will not go that far.”… Keep reading →
China’s highly anticipated pilot carbon markets are up and running, with the notable exception of Chongqing, but already the lack of transparency, pressure from big business and government-owned enterprises, manipulation of data and over allocation of allowances are proving to be hurdles for success. High levels of liquidity are not the end-goal for a… Keep reading →
Energy issues are more complex and interconnected than ever before, and for this reason energy has become front and center in many debates unfolding on national and international stages. This complicated mixture of issues – viewed through an energy-focused lens – can be summed up with 3 “C’s”, as described by Norwegian oil & gas… Keep reading →
A Conversation on Carbon: How two seemingly opposed forces from ExxonMobil and Sierra Club united over a carbon tax David Bailey and David Bookbinder have an interesting story. At one time, these two climate experts were at odds with each other, working on opposite sides of the tracks—Bookbinder worked as the chief climate counsel for… Keep reading →
To stave off temperature increases that could pose immense risk, more forceful action is needed to trim anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions – beginning now – according to the latest in a series of new reports from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The report says the required remaking of the global energy picture can… Keep reading →
Today the White House announced its inter-agency strategy for cutting methane emissions from landfills, coal mining, agriculture, and oil & gas systems as part of the Obama administration’s Climate Action Plan. “Taking action to curb methane waste and pollution is important because emissions of methane make up nearly 9 percent of all the greenhouse gas… Keep reading →
We’ve increasingly seen celebrities voice their views on energy-related issues and recent Academy Award winner Jared Leto just joined the crowd when he signed an open letter to Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to recommend Keystone XL pipeline permit disapproval to President Obama. The dramatic letter compares Kerry’s Keystone decision to his 1971… Keep reading →
When you’re talking about trends, it’s usually the major cities in the U.S. that create them. From there, the smaller towns around the major city adopt the trend and it continues to spread onward. The green movement has done just that, with cities being the first to implement recycling programs and finding sustainable solutions to… Keep reading →
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments yesterday in a case regarding whether the Obama administration acted within its authority when it used the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions – carbon dioxide specifically – as pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Unable to advance their climate change mitigation strategy in Congress, the administration has… Keep reading →
As the dust settles from the weeklong for the Chinese New Year, complete with fireworks, here are some of the top environmental issues to watch in the Year of the Horse. Provincial leadership Local governments combating rising rates of pollution and a dissatisfied populace are not waiting for Beijing to take action. Provinces are limiting… Keep reading →
