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Not waiting on Copenhagen

As the leaders, and eyes, of the world converge on Copenhagen, questions are swirling like storm clouds. Will developed countries agree and commit to a meaningful greenhouse gas emissions reduction target? Will Those Most Responsible pony up some serious dough for a “Green Fund” to help those most affected develop clean energy supplies and climate […]

Copenhagen cops cast pall over the city

Danish police in riot gear.Photo: Courtesy Matthew McDermott via FlickrCOPENHAGEN — Snow is falling in Copenhagen this afternoon, a quiet symbol of peace in what has turned into an unlikely police state. Sirens wale. Helicopters graze the skies. The Danish police are out in force. They patrol the city on motorcycles and bikes, in vans […]

Desmond Tutu (with a little help from the scientific community) explains Africa's position

There’s been so much bad journalism written from Copenhagen that it boggles the mind. The problem has been particularlly acute with respect to the developing world’s refusal to quietly accept the wealthy world’s many and various moves to evade its obligations. In fact, the Africans have good reasons for their uncompromising positioning.  To see why, […]

Desmond Tutu (with a little help from the scientific community) explains Africa's position

There’s been so much bad journalism written from Copenhagen that it boggles the mind. The problem has been particularly acute with respect to the developing world’s refusal to quietly accept the wealthy world’s many and various moves to evade its obligations. In fact, the Africans have good reasons for their uncompromising positioning.  You can see […]

Things have changed

With so much angst afoot in the green world, it’s easy to lose perspective on just how different this administration is from the previous one. Two examples in my inbox today drive the point home. First, the president said this today: You know, our nation’s buildings, our homes and our offices, consume almost 40 percent […]

Gore proposes climate action timeline

Al Gore speaking to delegates at the Copenhagen climate conference is hardly big news in green circles, but the former VP and No. 1 climate crusader did manage to make a bit of news with his remarks Tuesday. First, he talked optimistically about there being sufficient votes in the U.S. Senate to pass a climate […]

Big business’ climate conundrum: lead, follow or obstruct

Is that government out front, or big business?iStock PhotoCOPENHAGEN — The most popular American CEO here these two weeks, at least among other business leaders, has been Duke Energy chief Jim Rogers. Which doesn’t make much sense, as Duke generates most of its electricity from coal, the dirtiest of fossil fuels. Consider Rogers’ own confession: […]

Overwhelming U.S. public support for global warming action

Two new polls issued today confirm that an overwhelming portion of Americans want domestic action and an international agreement to reduce global warming pollution. More than half the respondents want to do a great deal to reduce the threat of global warming, while only one-quarter oppose action. Associated Press/Stanford Univ. poll; conducted 11/17-29 by GfK […]

Natural gas as a near-term CO2 mitigation strategy

Discussions of CO2 reduction tend to start from a presumption of near-term economic disruption coupled to long-term investment in green technology. The presumption isn’t right. The U.S. could reduce its total CO2 footprint by 14-20 percent tomorrow with no disruption in our access to energy services, without investing in any new infrastructure. The Waxman-Markey proposal […]

The Governors are Coming

What do a thousand jailed demonstrators, President Obama, a dozen Fortune 100 CEOs, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, and a melting ice sculpture of a polar bear have in common? Two things. First, they are all part of the climate talks in Copenhagen that finally start in earnest this week after ten days of street […]