March, 2021

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Despite Pledges to Cut Emissions, China Goes on a Coal Spree

Yale E360

China is building large numbers of coal-fired power plants to drive its post-pandemic economy. The government has promised a CO2 emissions peak by 2030, but the new coal binge jeopardizes both China’s decarbonization plans and global efforts to tackle climate change. Read more on E360 ?.

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The Rise and Fall of the “Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation”

Real Climate

Two decades ago, in an interview with science journalist Richard Kerr for the journal Science, I coined the term the “Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation” (AMO) to describe an internal oscillation in the climate system resulting from interactions between North Atlantic ocean currents and wind patterns. These interactions were thought to lead to alternating decades-long intervals of warming and cooling centered in the extra-tropical North Atlantic that play out on 40-60 year timescales

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Understanding the High Cost of Military Drone Use Using a Rebound Effect Model

Environmental and Urban Economics

The Economist Magazine's March 13th 2021 issue has a great story about drone use and drone expenditure. The piece starts by talking about Tom Cruise in the movie "Top Gun" and says that manned airplanes are expensive. One justification for substituting such flights and instead using drones is to save costs. Per hour of flying drones are cheaper than manned aircrafts (even if Tom Cruise isn't the pilot!

2021 100
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How to Become a Sustainability Consultant: Gaining the Knowledge and Skills (post 2 of 3)

Eco Coach

In the second of the three-part series, I will be looking at ways to gain the knowledge and skills that you need if you aspire to become an environmental sustainability consultant. If you missed the first of the series, be sure to check it out here. That first blog walked through the steps to gaining clarity to help you decide whether environmental sustainability consulting is truly a career for you. 1.

2006 98
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Implementing D.E.J.I. Strategies in Energy, Environment, and Transportation

Speaker: Antoine M. Thompson, Executive Director of the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition

Diversity, Equity, Justice, and Inclusion (DEJI) policies, programs, and initiatives are critically important as we move forward with public and private sector climate and sustainability goals and plans. Underserved and socially, economically, and racially disadvantaged communities bear the burden of pollution, higher energy costs, limited resources, and limited investments in the clean energy and transportation sectors.

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Nagashiki Shipping bulk carrier spill causes ecological crisis off the coast of Mauritius

Corp Watch

MV Wakashio, a Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier owned by Nagashiki Shipping and chartered by Mitsui OSK Lines, hit a coral reef off the coast of Mauritius in late July. Over the course of the next few weeks, the vessel split in two spilling fuel oil and creating an ecological disaster. Four separate and ongoing investigations are still trying to unravel exactly what happened to the MV Wakashio and how to determine who has to pay how much for the damage.

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Now We Know What is Killing the Birds

Greenbuilding Law

A cause is now known for bird deaths that eluded scientists for more than 25 years. It is beyond dispute that there are human activities that have a known negative impact on the natural environment, but sometimes events come together, only in part arising from human activities, to create unknown environmental consequences. During the winter of 1994, 29 bald eagles died at DeGray Lake in Arkansas, the largest undiagnosed mass mortality of bald eagles in the United States.

More Trending

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A potential rule of thumb for hourly rainfall?

Real Climate

Future global warming will be accompanied by more intense rainfall and flash floods due to increased evaporation, as a consequence of higher surface temperatures which also lead to a higher turn-around rate for the global hydrological cycle. In other words, we will see changing rainfall patterns. And if the global area of rainfall also shrinks, then a higher regional concentration of the rainfall is bound to lead to more intense downpours (the global rainfall indicator is discussed here ). .

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The Resurgent Consumer City by Fall 2021

Environmental and Urban Economics

I really like Paul Krugma n's NY Times piece from today. It focuses on his predictions about the short term future of cities. Here is a quote from the Nobel Laureate. "So the best bet is that life and work in, say, 2023 will look a lot like life and work in 2019, but a bit less so. We may commute to the office less than we used to; there may well be a glut of urban office space.

2021 130
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Recycled plastic bags turn into fabrics

Successful Green

Engineers at MIT have developed self-cooling fabrics from polyethylene, a material commonly used in plastic bags. The team has published their findings in the journal Nature Sustainability. Polyethylene is thin and lightweight, and could keep... The post Recycled plastic bags turn into fabrics appeared first on successful GREEN.

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How to Become a Sustainability Consultant: Gaining Clarity on Your Direction (post 1 of 3)

Eco Coach

One of the questions I am often asked is how to become a sustainability consultant and support organizations with implementing sustainability and going green practices while getting paid for it. I’ve been a environmental sustainability consultant for 15 years, and there are a few things that I have learned along the way. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, there is a lot that goes into becoming a environmental sustainability consultant.

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Shaping a Resilient Future: Climate Impact on Vulnerable Populations

Speaker: Laurie Schoeman Director, Climate & Sustainability, Capital

As households and communities across the nation face challenges such as hurricanes, wildfires, drought, extreme heat and cold, and thawing permafrost and flooding, we are increasingly searching for ways to mitigate and prevent climate impacts. During this event, national climate and housing expert Laurie Schoeman will discuss topics including: The two paths for climate action: decarbonization and adaptation.

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Seagrasses Turn Back the Clock on Ocean Acidification

Science & Climate

Seagrasses Turn Back the Clock on Ocean Acidification. Expansive Study Shows Seagrass Meadows Can Buffer Ocean Acidification. featured image by Melissa Ward/UC Davis. Spanning six years and seven seagrass meadows along the California coast, a paper from the University of California, Davis, is the most extensive study yet of how seagrasses can buffer ocean acidification.

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The Oil Well Next Door: California’s Silent Health Hazard

Yale E360

Unlike other oil-producing states, much of the drilling in California takes place in residential neighborhoods, often in Spanish-speaking communities. Despite mounting complaints about pollution from the wells, the state has failed to take action to address this public health problem. Read more on E360 ?.

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Covid Pandemic Exposes More Children to Toxic Lead

Greenbuilding Law

Covid-19 school closures and lockdowns resulted in thousands of children having increased blood lead levels. In a study of this consequence of Covid-19, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to describe blood lead level testing among young children during the Covid-19 pandemic, the CDC analyzed data reported from 34 state and local health departments about blood lead level testing among children aged 6 years and under.

2020 85
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Some Urban and Environmental Economics Links

Environmental and Urban Economics

I have moved my climate change economics blogging over to Substack. In February 2021, we published our urban economics book ; You can read chapter One and watch several relevant urban economic growt h videos posted here. Next week, Yale University Press will publish my new book This book has already won a prize and you can learn more here. I am eager to market both books.

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Sustainability at Retail

Sustainability impacts every nation, company, and person around the world. So much so that, in 2015, the United Nations (UN) issued a call for action by all countries to work toward sustainable development. In response to this and as part of a global Sustainability at Retail initiative, Shop! worked collaboratively with its global affiliates to address these critical issues in this white paper.

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Swiss retailer Migros lists product sustainability

Successful Green

A sustainability scale is now listed directly on the packaging of all Migros brands, rating the various dimensions of sustainability such as animal welfare or climate with 1 to 5 stars. Customers can see... The post Swiss retailer Migros lists product sustainability appeared first on successful GREEN.

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How to Become a Sustainability Consultant: Getting Experience and Paying Clients (post 3 of 3)

Eco Coach

If you have determined that environmental sustainability consulting is a good fit for you, and that you have at least some of the knowledge and skills required to get started, the next step is to get experience and paying clients. If you are reading this and wondering whether sustainability consulting really is for you, be sure to check out the first post in this blog series , which walks you through three questions to ask yourself to determine whether this is the right career path for you.

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Here’s what you need to know about the Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark climate decision

Eco Justice

Less than a week after Conservative party members voted to deny the reality of climate change, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) handed down one of the most significant climate-related. Read more. The post Here’s what you need to know about the Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark climate decision appeared first on Ecojustice.

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Stealth Chemicals: A Call to Action on a Threat to Human Fertility

Yale E360

In an interview with Yale e360, epidemiologist Shanna Swan talks about how falling sperm counts and other fertility problems are linked to chemicals in consumer products and explains why the Biden administration needs to follow Europe’s lead in restricting these substances. Read more on E360 ?.

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When ‘Eradicated’ Species Bounce Back With a Vengeance

Science & Climate

When ‘Eradicated’ Species Bounce Back With a Vengeance. Climate Change From Science to Solutions. featured image by Edwin Grosholz/UC Davis. Some invasive species targeted for total eradication bounce back with a vengeance, especially in aquatic systems, finds a study led by the University of California, Davis. The study , published today in the journal PNAS, chronicles the effort — and failure — to eradicate invasive European green crabs from a California estuary.

2013 80
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Must CEQA Compliance Precede Project Approval? When State Water Board Water Quality Certifications Are Involved, The Answer Is As “Clear as Mud”

CEQA Developments

“The more I know, the less I understand/All the things I thought I’d figured out, I have to learn again” – Don Henley, “ The Heart of the Matter”. One of CEQA’s bedrock principles is that environmental review must precede project approval. (E.g., POET, LLC v. California Air Resources Board (2013) 217 Cal.App.4th 1214; CEQA Guidelines, § 15004(a).) To reverse the order and “put the cart before the horse” would be anathema, i.e., to sanction uninformed and undemocratic lead agency decision makin

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Switching to green energy default can have a lasting effect

Successful Green

Electricity providers have a simple way of encouraging households and companies to procure power from sustainable sources. This can help lower CO2 emissions. Private households, but also self-?employed people and SMEs, are more likely... The post Switching to green energy default can have a lasting effect appeared first on successful GREEN.

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Getting Others on Board with Going Green: Leading by Example (post 1 of 5)

Eco Coach

One of the obstacles many of my clients encounter is how to get others at work on board with going green. In some organizations, it may seem like a heavy lift, and it may feel that much tougher when you aren’t in a management position. In this and the following four posts, I will be addressing this topic. I could write a book – or two – on the topic, but this needs to be digestible and actionable, so I’ll be keeping it to five short posts.

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If B.C.’s emissions were a household budget, we’d be overspending. New targets could change that.

Eco Justice

British Columbia released new sectoral targets on March 26, 2021. Unfortunately, the province squandered an opportunity for more accountability on climate action by setting targets that lack specificity. In this. Read more. The post If B.C.’s emissions were a household budget, we’d be overspending. New targets could change that. appeared first on Ecojustice.

2021 81
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Regulators Ban Fracking Permanently in the Four-State Delaware River Watershed

Yale E360

The regulatory agency in charge of managing the Delaware River and its tributaries voted last week to permanently ban natural gas drilling and fracking within the entire four-state watershed, which supplies the drinking water for more than 13 million people in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York. Read more on E360 ?.

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Fortescue ‘strong-arming’ Western Australia aboriginal group to sign iron ore lease

Corp Watch

Fortescue Metals Group, an iron ore mining company based in Perth, Western Australia, withheld $1.9 million in royalty payments from the Wintawari Guruma aboriginal peoples after the tribe asked the company to provide details of extraction plans on their traditional lands that contain many sacred cultural sites.

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Texas Supreme Court Update: The Court Decides Issue of First Impression Related to the Scope of an Oil and Gas Lease’s

The Energy Law Blog

Free-Use Clause and Further Interprets Conflicting Royalty Clause Provisions The Texas Supreme Court recently issued its anticipated decision in BlueStone Natural Resources II, LLC v. Randle , affirming in part and reversing in part the lower court’s ruling. No. 19-0459, 2021 WL 936175 (Tex. Mar. 12, 2021). The Court (1) affirmed that the lower court correctly concluded the oil and gas lease at issue explicitly resolved conflicting royalty provisions in favor of a gross-proceeds calculation; a

2019 52
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European summer droughts extreme since 2015

Successful Green

Recent summer droughts in Europe are far more severe than anything in the past 2,100 years, according to a new study. The results are reported in the journal Nature Geoscience. An international team studied the... The post European summer droughts extreme since 2015 appeared first on successful GREEN.

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Back in Black: Creating positive changes by focusing on a short-lived pollutant

HumanNature

Guest Post By Erin Boedicker , 2020-2021 Sustainability Leadership Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Chemistry You’re driving down the road on a beautiful day, maybe your windows are down and you’re listening to your favorite music. From behind you hear a sudden sputtering sound and an old car passes by, leaving you in a black cloud of exhaust.

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Climate-legislation delay is causing a crisis of confidence

Eco Justice

This article was originally published by iPolitics. Legislation is stalled in Ottawa, and political parties have resorted to blaming each other for the delay as they posture ahead of a. Read more. The post Climate-legislation delay is causing a crisis of confidence appeared first on Ecojustice.

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EV Turning Point: Momentum Builds for U.S. Electric Vehicle Transition

Yale E360

Driven by GM, Tesla, and the Biden administration, the U.S. is now poised to press ahead in the transformation to electric vehicles. Big challenges still loom, but technological advances, government support, and growing consumer appeal will drive the inevitable switch to EVs. Read more on E360 ?.

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Massachusetts Governor Baker Signs New Climate Legislation

Capaccio

On 3/26/21 , Governor Baker signed comprehensive new legislation to support its commitment to Net Zero emissions by 2050, and builds on previously issued 2050 Decarbonization Roadmap and Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2030. The legislation, announced in a Press Release , updates the greenhouse gas emissions limits related to the 2008 Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act, and commits Massachusetts to achieve Net Zero emissions in 2050.

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Texas Supreme Court Update: The Court Decides Issue of First Impression Related to the Scope of an Oil and Gas Lease’s Free-Use Clause and Further Interprets Conflicting Royalty Clause Provisions

The Energy Law Blog

The Texas Supreme Court recently issued its anticipated decision in BlueStone Natural Resources II, LLC v. Randle , affirming in part and reversing in part the lower court’s ruling. No. 19-0459, 2021 WL 936175 (Tex. Mar. 12, 2021). The Court (1) affirmed that the lower court correctly concluded the oil and gas lease at issue explicitly resolved conflicting royalty provisions in favor of a gross-proceeds calculation; and (2) affirmed the lower court’s interpretation regarding application of the

2019 52
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Palm oil map to aid in sustainable planning

Successful Green

Researchers have used satellite imagery from the European Space Agency to produce a map of the extent and year of detection of oil palm plantations in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand that will help policymakers... The post Palm oil map to aid in sustainable planning appeared first on successful GREEN.

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Moving beyond climate ‘silver bullets’ in agriculture

HumanNature

Guest Post By Shelby McClelland , 2020-2021 Sustainability Leadership Fellow and Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology The foodie’s dilemma There is no debate about it: I am a foodie through and through. My love for food and agriculture is undoubtedly a result of my upbringing on a small ranch in northern California.