Climate scientist James Hansen gave a 30 minute talk in Sagaponack, NY on Friday, Aug 2. He backs a fee and dividend approach to reducing fossil fuel use. This idea has been taken up nationally by the Citizens Climate Lobby. A national carbon fee would slow rise over time; 100% of these proceeds would be returned back to citizens.
He cited Friday's New York Times Op Ed, A Republican Case for Climate Change, by former EPA administrators who back Obama's new climate plan. ... See entire news item
For almost as long as I can remember we have been saying that the United States, with 5 percent of the world's people, consumes a third or more of the earth's resources. That was true. It is no longer true. Today China consumes more basic resources than the United States does.
Among the key commodities such as grain, meat, oil, coal, and steel, China consumes more of each than the United States except for oil, where the United States still has a wide (though narrowing) lead. China uses a quarter more grain than the United States. Its meat consumption is double that of the United States. It uses three times as much coal and four times as much steel.
These numbers reflect national consumption, but what would happen if consumption per person in China were to catch up to... See entire blog item
LONDON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Markets in water rights are likely to evolve as a rising population leads to shortages and climate change causes drought and famine.
But they will be based on regional and ethical trading practices and will differ from the bulk of commodity trade.
Detractors argue trading water is unethical or even a breach of human rights, but already water rights are bought and sold in arid areas of the globe from Oman to Australia.
"... See entire news item
By Labor Day, we need a dramatic new set of economic policies to jump-start the 21st century green economy. Green jobs can put millions of Americans back to work, boost America's war-torn foreign image, and combat climate change.
Democrats are likely to lose a significant number of seats in November if they do not aggressively push a new vision and action plan for the future. The Obama Administration is weighed down by foreign wars, a liquidity starved economy, a collapsed housing market, wrenching unemployment, and the BP oil fiasco.
Having destroyed one of the world's great fisheries, the oil industry will pledge to redouble its efforts and offer up millions of dollars for safety and improved technologies. ... See entire blog item
If you feel that Barrack Obama is not even close to solving this economic crisis, then take a look at Nick Robins' The Ecology of Growth. His British-slanted review of a half-dozen authors offers a cogent summary of green macroeconomics.
1. We need significantly better measures of economic performance. GNP and GDP are woefully inadequate for the 21st century.
2. We need to scale up "investments in resource efficiency, clean technologies, and ecosystem enhancement." Industrialized nations spend 15-20% of their... See entire review
Like most cities, New York City is facing a severe budgetary crisis. Later in 2009, the MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority, which runs the regional mass transit) plans on significantly increasing fare rates to cover a budget shortfall. The likely consequence will be a noticeable reduction in ridership which will further erode the MTA's financial health in future fiscal years. If fewer people use mass transit, then... See entire blog item
Here is a summary of various discussion centered on the Al Gore speech of July 17th:
Gore Challenges the Nation to Dream Big. By Ron Fournier and Dina Cappiello, AP, July 17, 2008. "Just as John F. Kennedy set his sights on the moon, Al Gore is challenging the nation to produce every kilowatt of electricity through wind, sun and other Earth-friendly energy sources within 10 years, an audacious goal he hopes... See entire blog item
Fossil Fuel
