Climate Change

When I was at the Urban Green Expo last fall, the Energy Maha Guru Amory Lovins gave a riveting talk.  He said:  “The Renewable Revolution has been won.  Sorry, if you missed it.”  I let out a yell.  Well, as I’ve been noting here, this is not mere hyperbole.  Here’s more evidence. In Europe, they’re […]

Larry Hagman, forever known as J.R. Ewing from “Dallas” (but better remembered by me as Major Tony Nelson, master of Jeannie the genie) is doing a series of ads for SolarWorld, one of the biggest PV manufacturers.  Hagman has the largest solar array of any residence in the US, maybe the world.  He has also […]

The Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) is an information and analysis tool on global climate change developed by the World Resources Institute.  It contains a truly impressive array of databases and graphics, excellent for delving deeply into questions of who, what, when, where and why greenhouse gases are being produced.  It has data for the […]

After some reflection, I can think of nothing good to say about the Alberta tar sands.  The best thing that most people say here is that Canada is not Saudi Arabia or Venezuela and therefore if the US is importing billions of barrels a year (4.28 in 2009), then we’re getting more (900 million) from […]

Amid all the doom and gloom that the media and some of the major environmental groups promulgated before, during and after Copenhagen last December, some voices pointed out that there were important breakthroughs.  One important group, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), noted that “… for the first time, all major economies, including China, India, […]

President Obama announced a major commitment to solar production this morning:  loan guarantees to large solar power facilities –  a 280 MW concentrated solar power plant (CSP) and two photovoltaic (PV) factories, with a combined output of 840 MW annually.  See this fact sheet from the White House.  The CSP plant will be built by […]

I noted in my post earlier this week, The British Are Coming, that in spite of a stubborn, wasteful sticking to its guns on nuclear power and CCS, the new coalition government headed by the Conservatives has got an awful lot to recommend it – certainly on paper.   Well, David Cameron has lived up to […]

I mentioned my visit to the local British Consulate-General yesterday and some discussions there.  I also mentioned the enviable climate and energy politics across the pond in “Oh, to be in England” a while back.  The three major parties in the UK have had their differences, but as can be evidenced by the new coalition’s […]

With apologies to Longfellow, not to mention Paul Revere, I want to recount my recent, close encounters with the British here in New York.  As I mentioned in passing here, I was invited to a discussion at the Consulate-General to talk about my thoughts regarding the state of play on climate change; what you, gentle […]

Further to my last post below on the Alberta tar sands, here is a hopeful bit of news from Stacy Feldman at the excellent SolveClimate on a hard-hitting letter from Congress to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  50 members of the House, no doubt all with very high LCV ratings, warned the Secretary of the […]

I have never been one to diminish the chutzpah of folks trying to protect their special interests by embellishing the truth. I’m actually reading a particularly compelling – often horrifying – book right now called Merchants of Doubt.  There are all sorts of obfuscation, misinformation, disinformation, lies, and other forms of wrong dealing documented in […]

This is just too good – and painful – to pass up: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c An Energy-Independent Future www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party