Climate Politics
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Pelosi and pals tell world: ‘Blame the Senate’
COPENHAGEN—Seven Democratic leaders from the U.S. House of Representatives made an appearance in the Bella Center on Thursday, spreading the message that treaty negotiations have the support of the House along with President Obama. Photo evidence: Congress cares! Speaker Nancy Pelosi (center, in red … duh) brought along six fellow Democrats to make sure everyone […]
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Winter growers get some love from the USDA
It’s tempting to hear the news (and watch the video!) telling us that the USDA will study winter gardening and wonder why the USDA needs to study something that Eliot Coleman, a farmer in Maine, has been doing successfully — and writing about — for decades and something that Will Allen’s urban farming company Growing […]
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USDA sustainable-ag czar Merrigan hits youtube
Way back in August 2006, I wrote a column arguing that farmers in northern areas could grow a lot more vegetables in the winter, if the USDA would invest in research and infrastructure for it. I wrote: If we wanted to make that vision come true for the nation’s northern climes, all it would take […]
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Is the ‘climate debt’ discussion helpful?
I’m intrigued by this notion of “climate debt,” but before I get into it I want to make one thing clear: the transfer of substantial resources from rich to poor countries is necessary for a successful international treaty. It’s necessary for a successful attempt to address global climate change. Nothing below is meant to suggest […]
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Walking the tightrope on climate action: getting to success in 2010
John Kerry delivered a speech in Copenhagen yesterday. It was inspiring, but look past the uplift and it reveals just how tricky the path forward will be. Here’s the needle Obama and Kerry are trying to thread: 1. Copenhagen talks end in substantial political agreement. That means developed countries will need to offer enough financing […]
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Getting at the roots of unsustainable U.S. ag policy
Cross-posted from Civil Eats. Around one third of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the way we produce, process, distribute, and consume the food we eat according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Meanwhile, farmers the world over will be the most affected by climate change, as higher carbon in the atmosphere and […]
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Only the numbers count — and they add up to hell on earth
Cross-posted from the Guardian. COPENHAGEN — The Bella Center is a swirl of chatter, the streets of Copenhagen are a swirl of protest. Depending on what hour you listen to the news bulletin, the U.N. climate negotiations have “come off the rails” or are “back on track” or have “stalled” or are “moving swiftly.” Which […]
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VIDEO: Activists beaten by police after march from Bella Center
Youth activists were beaten by police this morning in Copenhagen after they marched out of the Bella Center, shouting “Reclaim power!” and “Climate justice now!” During the second week of the COP15 talks in Copenhagen, the number of activists allowed to attend the talks has been drastically reduced. By Friday, when President Obama arrives, the […]
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Counting the world’s capacity for emission reductions
Delegates in Copenhagen are struggling through the difficult start of the second week of talks, with charges and counter-charges that one party or another is not doing their part to save the planet and the future of humanity thick on the ground. This is not atypical in the history of the U.N. climate meetings, but […]
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Two moves by the U.S. and China that could unlock the Copenhagen chess game
Co-authored with Barbara Finamore, NRDC’s China Program Director The Copenhagen climate summit is coming to its moment of truth, and all eyes will be on the United States and China. Together these two countries account for 42 percent of world CO2 emissions. One is responsible for the largest share of past emissions; the other for […]
