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October 4th, 2012
This November, voters in Michigan have the opportunity to choose where their energy comes from and ensure that utilities make investment decisions that are good for consumers’ pocketbooks and their health. Winning a ‘yes’ vote on Proposal 3 will raise Michigan’s renewable electricity share from 10 percent by 2015 to 25 percent by 2025. And, as a just-released study makes clear, Prop 3 makes smart economic sense for Michigan electricity consumers. Read More
August 21st, 2012
It was very disappointing to get news today that the D.C. Circuit court has vacated the cross state air pollution rule or CSAPR (also known as the Transport Rule) which was designed to limit emissions of SO2 and NOx from coal-fired power plants. The court ruling comes as a rude shock after the EPA worked so carefully and thoroughly to address all aspects of the rule and its impacts in accordance with the provisions of the Clean Air Act. Read More
August 9th, 2012
The impact of the 2012 drought on U.S. crops and livestock has been in the headlines for weeks now. Today the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released its monthly food price index, showing a sharp increase of 6 percent in July, which raises serious concerns that we might be on the brink of a global food crisis. Read More
August 1st, 2012
When I was growing up in Delhi, we were well accustomed to daily summer power outages, euphemistically called “load shedding.” These blackouts were regularly scheduled every evening and often created an atmosphere of genial neighborly fun — people out on terraces enjoying cold drinks, talking with neighbors over walls, taking walks, kids playing in the street — and they didn’t seem particularly inconvenient. But all that was another time and a far cry from the catastrophic two-day power crisis that India experienced earlier this week. Read More
July 25th, 2012
We’re in the midst of an epic drought, the worst drought the country has experienced in the last half century. Twenty nine states across the West, Midwest and Great Plains are experiencing drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
This post is the first in a series on the 2012 Drought in America and highlights its far-reaching impacts on U.S. agriculture. Stay tuned in the coming days as UCS experts on climate science, economics, agriculture, energy and biofuels explore the wide-ranging implications of this historic event. Read More
June 20th, 2012
Twenty years ago, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was one of the major outcomes of the original Rio Earth Summit. It has since been ratified by 195 countries, including the United States. Now world leaders gather once again in Rio de Janeiro at the Rio+20 Summit. The fundamental issue hasn’t changed. The solutions remain clear as ever. And they are even more urgently needed. Read More
June 11th, 2012
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)’s Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2011, and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21)’s Renewables 2012 Global Status Report were both released today. The reports highlight that 2011 was a very strong year for renewable energy despite the ongoing global economic crisis.
May 29th, 2012
Last week the EPA held two public hearings for the recently announced draft carbon standard for new power plants. The public outpouring of support was truly impressive. Hundreds of people turned out in Washington D.C. and Chicago to show their support for this standard. And, so far, more than 1.4 million people have written in comments in favor of it. Read More
May 11th, 2012
With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, I’ve been thinking a lot about all that my Mom did to give me a great start in life and how I’d like to do the same for my kids. I’d certainly like them, and all kids everywhere, to grow up in a world that’s healthy and safe. But climate change poses a real threat to our kids’ futures and it’s up to us Moms (and Dads and aunts and uncles and responsible adults) to do something about that. Read More
May 8th, 2012
Last week NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) released updated data on U.S. weather/climate disasters from 1980-2011, which show that total losses for the period exceeded $880 billion. Since 1980 there have been 134 disasters where overall costs were $1 billion or more. In 2011 alone, there were 14 “billion dollar” disasters that led to 764 deaths and costs of over $60 billion! Read More
© 2013
