NASA has just released a new map which shows the carbon stored in the forests around the world.  While it doesn’t show us exactly which forests are at risk of deforestation – thus turning the current stored carbon into carbon pollution that causes global warming – it does provide us with a visual of what is at risk if we don’t successfully halt deforestation.  It is a very useful and critical assessment which will provide solid information in tracking efforts to address deforestation.    This assessment couldn’t come at a more critical time as deforestation rates in Brazil have recently …

The megacity of Sao Paulo, Brazil.Photo: Luiz Henrique Varga AssuncaoCross-posted from ThinkProgress. Leaders of the world's megacities are meeting in Sao Paulo this week for a major climate summit, the fourth meeting of the C40 Climate Leadership Group. From Michael Bloomberg of New York City to Kuma Demeksa of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the mayors and top deputies attending represent 297 million people -- 4 percent of the world's population, 10 percent of global greenhouse pollution, and 18 percent of global economic output. In 2005, the former mayor of London, Ken Livingston, founded the C20, comprised of 20 of the largest …

It's Bike to Work day. Now all you bike commuters know how secretaries feel on Administrative Professionals Day: “One DAY? I’ve been doing this day in and day out all year!” The rate of Amazon deforestation has been declining in recent years; this year, it climbed again. The Brazilian government is -- rightly -- freaking out. The head of Tokyo Electric Power, the company responsible for handling the Fukushima meltdown, resigned today. Rumor has it that BP CEO Tony Hayward has already invited him to join the new, quickly growing Ex-Heads of Disastrous Energy Companies club. (Motto: “We Just Want …

Like those bridges and roads and trains tracks you've got there? Want to keep them? That'll be $2 trillion. That's how much the Urban Land Institute estimates the U.S. needs to invest in infrastructure just to keep what's already in place from falling apart. Everybody else in the world gets this. In Europe, countries realize that investing in infrastructure might just create jobs while promoting economic growth further down the line. India, China, and Brazil are investing in roads and sewer systems and dams at a pace that will quickly outstrip the one set by our huff-puffing, faltering empire. To …

A new study [PDF] released by GLOBE international -- a coalition of legislators from around the world -- found that "climate change is featuring prominently on the legislative agenda across the 16 major economies." The study, conducted by the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at the London School of Economics, documents the kinds of actions that countries are taking at home to reduce their emissions. While it doesn't tell us the impact of those measures, it does show a growing commitment of countries to change their laws, policies, and regulations to address their carbon pollution. This is a focus that …

As Dave Roberts pointed out in his post earlier today, if this country has any hope of getting serious about energy security, we're going to have to get serious about transit. But what form should that transit take, exactly? If you look around the world, you'll see a lot of cities embracing Bus Rapid Transit. BRT systems have dedicated bus lanes and prepaid boarding, and they have been a key part of the transportation scene in Latin American cities like Curitiba, Brazil, and Bogotà, Colombia, for many years. Advocates say they can provide many of the benefits associated with rail …

The future's looking sooty.Photo: Tami Heilemann, DOIInterior Secretary Ken Salazar announced yesterday an enormous expansion in coal mining that threatens to increase U.S. climate pollution by an amount equivalent to more than half of what the United States currently emits in a year. A statement from Wild Earth Guardians, Sierra Club, and Defenders of Wildlife put the announcement in perspective: When burned, the coal threatens to release more than 3.9 billion tons of heat-trapping carbon dioxide, equal to the annual emissions from 300 coal-fired power plants, further cementing the United States as a leading contributor to climate disruption ... Salazar’s …

President Obama will be travelling through Latin America March 19-23, 2011 with stops in Brazil, Chile, and El Salvador.  This is a region that has countries that are: major emitters, key players in global warming negotiations, taking action and ripe for further action, and on the front lines of the impacts of global warming.   As he meets with leaders in South and Central America he has an important opportunity to advance action on global warming.  The Latin American region is an important source of carbon pollution accounting for around 12% of the world’s global warming pollution.*  The majority of these …

"It was not an accident!"Graphic: Massa CríticaLast week I wrote a post asking the question, "Why do people in cars hate people on bikes so much?" On Friday night in Porto Alegre, Brazil, there was a horrific manifestation of the type of rage I was referring to. During a peaceful Critical Mass ride on the city's streets, a driver suddenly accelerated through the middle of the crowd at high speed. Riders piled up on the car's hood before being thrown to the pavement. Amazingly, no one was killed. Eight people were taken to the hospital. If you choose to do …

Coca-Cola has pledged a "gigaton-scale commitment" to phase out HFC refrigerants by 2015.Photo: The Coca-Cola companyIf there's one thing Americans agree on in these divided times, it's the urgent need to move toward cleaner energy. Polls taken as recently as November show a majority of Americans favoring comprehensive energy reform that limits pollution, develops domestic sources, and stimulates renewable power. We're not likely to get comprehensive reform in the year ahead, but I still see strong paths toward a cleaner, more sustainable economy. That's because smart entrepreneurs are taking the lead. They see the "green" in green, and don't want …