Climate Climate & Energy
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Agriculture interests push ambitious renewable-energy goal
A few more strange bedfellows have recently been coaxed into the sack with the enviros, hawks, and labor advocates pushing for a smarter U.S. energy strategy. The newbies include growers of corn, soy, wheat, trees, and even dairy cows, all of which could play a role in cultivating homegrown energy sources. Farmers have gotten wind […]
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Who Let the Catastrophe Out of the Bag?
Earth warming, ice melting, seas rising, umpteenth study says Cutting greenhouse-gas emissions could — maaaaybe — stave off a catastrophic rise in sea levels that in coming centuries could return the earth to conditions last seen 129,000 years ago. We would never have guessed, but fortunately scientists keep pointing it out — as in this […]
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Do You CEO What I CEO?
American firms lag on addressing climate-change risks, study finds Looking for a smart 21st-century investment strategy? Consider how 100 of the world’s largest companies are preparing to compete in a “carbon-constrained world.” A new report from Ceres, a coalition of environmentalists and institutional investors, concludes that European and Asian firms operating in countries already regulating […]
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Chain, Chain, Chain … Chain of Food
An oil crunch will upend our food system, not just our transportation The end of cheap oil is the topic du jour in environmental circles these days. Blogs devoted to peak oil are popping up like fungi; even mainstream outlets like CNN are devoting air time to it. But discussion seems to focus entirely on […]
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Yeah, Right, and Greenland Is Melting
Study confirms that rising ocean temps mean more intense hurricanes A major new study in Science confirms the findings of previous studies: rising ocean temperatures are the primary factor behind stronger, more intense hurricanes in the last few decades. Since 1970, global sea-surface temperatures have risen by 1 degree Fahrenheit, while the yearly number of […]
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Pop songs about global warming
A while back, Jamais noted "Manhattan in January" (MP3), a cheeky song about global warming by Jill Sobule, written in response to Al Gore's now-famed presentation on the subject. Jamais asked, "Is this the first pop song about global warming?" Ever since then it's been nagging me, and I finally remembered why.
I give you "Sleeping In," by the Postal Service -- in particular I draw your attention to the second verse:
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Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm Is Scared
U.S. insurers wake up to financial risks of global warming OK, pound a shot of espresso so you can stay awake for this story, ’cause it matters. Honest. Last week the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, an umbrella group of state insurance officials … hey, come back here! … voted unanimously to assess the potential […]
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Campuses across the country turn to renewable energy
"Leadership in sustainability could give [University of Florida] the edge it needs to be a Top 10 public university." That's the beginning of an article from UF's student paper The Alligator. Now read it again. (Just do it. Work with me, people!) Do you understand what that means? Let me spell it out for you: Sustainability = Mad Props. Really. That's what it says.
And apparently it's a growing trend; colleges are seeing green cred as an important factor in attracting students and getting high rankings from Those People Who Decide Which Colleges Are the Best and Which Ones Suck. And one way many schools are going for the green is by powering up renewable energy on their campuses. (Ha! "Powering up" ... you love it!)
Schools ranging in size from community colleges to major Ivy Leagues are moving toward renewable energy use (and gaining loads of green cred in the process):
- Napa Valley College has installed Northern California's largest solar array to provide 40 percent of its power.
- The Massachusetts Maritime Academy is erecting a wind turbine in hopes of cutting electric bills in half.
- Yale plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent below 1990 levels (hello, DIY Kyoto!) by investing in energy conservation and alternative energy sources.
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(Tell Me Why) I Don’t Like Tuesdays
Scientists report even less Arctic ice, even more greenhouse gas In the wake of unprecedented summer melts, Arctic sea ice has failed to grow to its typical winter reach for the second year running. Researchers fear this signals — stop us if this sounds familiar — an irreversible amplification of the effects of climate change […]
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Heart and solar
My advice to all you Dig This-diggers out there: Hop on the solar bandwagon. Big things lie ahead.
Indicators include the news that Solar Night Industries intends to start churning out "portable power supplies, home and energy power grid solutions, consumer outdoor/indoor products, portable 110V plugs, solar sporting solutions and many more." Currently Solar Night Industries specializes in the very lovely but not particularly, um, useful fiber optic daylily (pictured above).
Indicator two: Solar power makes homeowners happy. Am I the only one who thinks that's just about the cutest headline ever? The article begins, "Today's solar home buyer is not a stereotypical green enthusiast." That's good news, people. It goes on to report on a small survey of residents of new solar home developments in California (of course):