Climate Climate & Energy
All Stories
-
Reducing emissions isn’t an economy killer
I am a little boggled by this comment in the New Yorker, by David Owen. It’s written from the perspective of someone who seems to be bothered by the threat of climate change, but who repeatedly makes the exact argument embraced by power and oil companies everywhere — slow climate change if you will, but […]
-
Cap-and-rebate is more robust in the face of carbon high prices
The other day, I used the fanciful example of $50,000-utility bills to illustrate how cap-and-rebate schemes can inspire energy efficiency and conservation. The numbers were deliberately exaggerated, but they highlight one of the features of cap-and-rebate that I like: the robustness of the system in the face of higher carbon prices. The political battle over […]
-
George Monbiot cautions against grasping for environmental miracle cures
George Monbiot is the best environmental writer in English. On biochar: Whenever you hear the word miracle, you know there’s trouble just around the corner. But however many times they lead to disappointment or disaster, the newspapers never tire of promoting miracle cures, miracle crops, miracle fuels and miracle financial instruments. We have a bottomless […]
-
The ocean does represent a major source of energy, just not the one you’re thinking of
In the minutes after midnight on March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez poured 10.8 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound. The spill turned pristine spruce-lined waters into a sticky death trap for countless animals, including a quarter of a million birds. Yet two decades later, the lessons of Exxon Valdez have not […]
-
We need responsible planning for electrical transmission lines
In recent weeks, there has been a flurry of activity surrounding new transmission lines. With hearings and legislation in Washington, D.C. and multi-state transmission corridor projects on the drawing board, there are a lot of questions. Are they needed? Can low-carbon generation be met otherwise? Is the project just an excuse to expand the reach […]
-
![]()
![]()
Twenty years after the biggest oil spill in the U.S., we still have a lot to learn
The Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound, March 1989. Tuesday marks 20 years since the Exxon Valdez dumped nearly 11 million of gallons of crude oil into Alaskan waters, resulting in the most severe impacts on the environment of any spill anywhere. I was there and will attest to the graveness of the situation […]
-
Van Jones: Talk to Eric Mathis About Green Jobs in Appalachia
Dear Van Jones: You need to travel to Mingo County, West Virginia and meet Eric Mathis, a scrappy young economist in the Appalachian coalfields, who is putting together one of the most dynamic green jobs consortiums in the country. Their underfunded but clear-eyed, desperately needed and brilliant project–JOBS, or Just Open Businesses That Are Sustainable–is […]
-
Chicago tries to meet 20% renewables commitment with 20-year-old rip-offsets
At one time, Chicago was a serious contender for America’s greenest big city. Now they appear to be mostly contending for biggest greenwasher. I didn’t learn the stunning story about what Chicago is trying to get away with until I was interviewed by a Chicago Tribune reporter. His story “Chicago’s ‘green’ promise fades: Chicago taxpayers […]
-
Heaven is solar powered
If the Wall Street Journal says it, it must be true.
-
![]()
![]()
A key climate and clean energy pick by Obama: Wellinghoff for energy commission chief
President Obama has stacked his administration with experts and advocates for strong action on global warming and clean energy. Now he has added one more — in an unusually important position as the Washington Post reports: Add a new name to the list of Obama appointees devoted to aggressive action on climate change. President Obama […]
