Climate 411

Banks Consider Risks in Financing Coal Plants

By Mark Brownstein / Published: February 4, 2008

Mark BrownsteinThis post is by Mark Brownstein, Managing Director of Business Partnerships at Environmental Defense.

A little over a year ago, Environmental Defense, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Ceres sent a letter to the three lead banks financing the TXU deal we helped broker. We said the banks no longer could ignore CO2 in their investment decisions.

Today we are seeing the culmination of this effort. The three banks – Citigroup, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Morgan Stanley – have announced that they will require utilities seeking financing to prove the new plants would be economically viable under an expected federal cap on greenhouse gas emissions.

This will make it much harder for utilities to build conventional coal plants.

Read More »

Posted in News / Read 1 Response

Links for Nerds and Smart Dressers

By Sheryl Canter / Published: February 1, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

Belkin’s Conserve Surge Protector – At the Consumer Electronics Show this month, Belkin showed a new surge protector called Conserve that can shut off six of its eight outlets with a switch, or with a handy remote control (in case you don’t like climbing under your desk). Standby or “phantom” power from devices such as TVs, computers, and battery chargers, can account for up to 20 percent of your electric bill. This device could save you money, as well as reduce your carbon footprint.

Eco-Fashion – It used to be only hippies who cared about natural fibers and sustainably produced clothing, but no more. Now top designers have gotten into the act. One company in Denmark, Earth A’Wear, does nothing but.

Posted in What Others are Saying / Comments are closed

NYS Commission Approves Congestion Pricing Plan

By Sheryl Canter / Published: January 31, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

NYC - picture by David ShankboneNew York City suffers from some of the worst traffic congestion in the country, costing workers and businesses billions of dollars a year in lost time, and heavily contributing to New York’s nearly worst-in-the-nation air quality. One in eight New Yorkers suffer from asthma. And New York is expected to add one million residents by 2030.

New York State charged a commission of elected officials, and environmental and planning experts with solving New York City’s traffic crisis. Andy Darrell, Regional Director for Living Cities at Environmental Defense, was one of the commissioners. Today the commission voted to approve an historic plan to protect New Yorkers’ health.

A key element of the plan is congestion pricing, where an electronically-collected fee system charges drivers more for using the most congested roads at the most congested times. This encourages drivers to instead use mass transit or to reschedule their trip. Cities around the world are successfully using congestion pricing to reduce traffic and pollution from vehicle exhausts.

Read More »

Posted in Cars and Pollution / Read 1 Response

Why a Bill in 2008: Good versus Perfect

By Tony Kreindler / Published: January 30, 2008

Tony KreindlerThis post is by Tony Kreindler, Media Director for the National Climate Campaign at Environmental Defense. It’s the second in a series on Why a Bill in 2008:

 

1. Same Politics in 2009
2. Good versus Perfect
3. The Price of Waiting
4. The World is Waiting
5. Best Answer to High Gas Prices

Why support the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act (CSA)? It’s pretty good, but not perfect. If we wait until after the election, maybe we can do better.

Or maybe not.

Waiting doesn’t guarantee a better bill, and going with CSA doesn’t mean we’re stuck with all its current provisions. Don’t let the "perfect" be the enemy of the "good". We’ve made this mistake before.

Read More »

Posted in Climate Change Legislation / Read 8 Responses

10 House Members to Watch on Global Warming

By Sheryl Canter / Published: January 29, 2008

Sheryl CanterThis post is by Sheryl Canter, an Online Writer and Editorial Manager at Environmental Defense.

If (when) global warming legislation is introduced in the House, it will first be debated in the Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA). If it passes after mark-up, it will then go to the full House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Rep. John Dingell (D-MI).

Rick Boucher and John Dingell are among the most influential players in the House when it comes to global warming. Who are some of the others? Check out our list of House Members to Watch on Global Warming.

Posted in News / Comments are closed

Storms May Be Fewer, But Still More Fierce

By Lisa Moore / Published: January 28, 2008

Lisa MooreThis post is by Lisa Moore, Ph.D., a scientist in the Climate and Air program at Environmental Defense.

Last week, scientists published a study about global warming and hurricanes in the U.S. The authors found a weak downward trend in the number of landfalling U.S. hurricanes, but concluded that future trends will depend on the spatial distribution of ocean warming.

In its coverage of the study, the Miami Herald said that "global warming actually is diminishing the number of hurricanes that strike Florida and the rest of the United States – and the phenomenon is likely to continue." This is not exactly what the study said. Here’s the full scoop.

Atlantic Hurricanes
Atlantic hurricane tracks, 1980-2005.

Read More »

Posted in Extreme Weather / Comments are closed