The Climate Minute

A court ruling stops the pipeline tax-and maybe the pipeline! The Climate Minute Podcast

A court ruling ends the plan to finance new natural gas pipelines by means of a ‘tariff’ on electricity bills. This is a victory for the Massachusetts consumer and for clean energy, especially since it will become much harder to build this kind of decades-long-lived fossil fuel infrastructure. Listen in as we discuss the implications of this important decision.

Check out live  links at our blog, http://www.massclimateaction.org/blog.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre

MA Senate rolls out a shiny new Omnibus: The Climate Minute Podcast

The Massachusetts Senate passed an Omnibus Energy bill that mandates 2GW of wind power, increases the use of renewables by 2% a year and bans the ‘pipeline tax.’ This is good news!  Next comes joint work between the House and Senate to reconcile the two different versions of the bill passed by each body.  Climate Hawks should urge their legislators to put the Senate’s vision into the final bill.

Check out live  links at our blog, http://www.massclimateaction.net/blog.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre

Omnibus or Minibus? The Climate Minute Podcast

The Massachusetts State House of Representatives released a draft Omnibus Energy Bill that would call for 1.2 GW of offshore wind, and about half the Quebec-Hydro the Governor has requested. The bill also dodges the question of the ‘pipeline tax’- neither supporting or rejecting it. Plus, UMASS divests and Exxon continues denial as usual. What a week!
Listen in!
Check out live  links at our blog, http://www.massclimateaction.net/blog.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre

Landmark ruling will shape MA energy policy: The Climate Minute Podcast

In a landmark ruling, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (the SJC) clarified the definition of the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA), and ordered the state to impose a limit on greenhouse gas emissions, not just attempt to do so! This is a big deal, with implications and ramifications that will take years to work out. It is a great start for Massachusetts to become a clean energy leader!

The important conclusion is from p38 of the ruling:
Although the department [of Environmental Protection]'s cited regulatory initiatives are important to the Commonwealth's overall scheme of reducing greenhouse gas emissions over time, they do not fulfil the specific requirements [of section] § 3 (d.)  The purpose of [the GWSA]  is to attain actual, measurable, and permanent emissions reductions in the Commonwealth, and the Legislature included [section]  § 3 (d) in the statute to ensure that legally mandated reductions are realized by the 2020 deadline.  Accordingly, we vacate the judgment of the Superior Court and remand the matter for entry of a judgment declaring that  [the GWSA, section] § 3 (d), requires the department to promulgate regulations that address multiple sources or categories of sources of greenhouse gas emissions, impose a limit on emissions that may be released, limit the aggregate emissions released from each group of regulated sources or categories of sources, set emission limits for each year, and set limits that decline on an annual basis.
So ordered.
Listen in!
Check out live  links at our blog, http://www.massclimateaction.net/blog.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre

Catching the Omnibus with Carol Oldham: The Climate Minute Podcast

The Omnibus Energy Bill is making its way through the Massachusetts Legislature. We talk with Carol Oldham, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN) about the good and bad of the “still to be defined” bill. Despite the huge win over Kinder Morgan there is still a lot of work to be done.  (Spectra Energy: you’re next.) If you want to call your State Rep, see the link below!

Check out live  links at our blog, http://www.massclimateaction.net/blog.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre

News to watch in 2016: The Climate Minute Podcast

Welcome to 2016.  Climate hawks march into the New Year with recent successes and real opportunities. In order to help you keep track of events, we discuss the trends, topics and issues to follow this year. Happy New Year to all!

Check out live  links at our blog, http://www.massclimateaction.net/blog.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre

2015 leaves a framework for hope and work: The Climate Minute Podcast

2015 was a big year for Climate Hawks. From the Vatican to Paris, some (potentially) historic events occurred. We review the last twelve months to gain  perspective on where we are and where we are going. Even though we failed to mention the President’s rejection of the Keystone Pipeline (put that under preparations for Paris, and a tribute to grassroots activism), there was a ton of good news to consider. Listen in.

Check out live  links at our blog, http://www.massclimateaction.net/blog.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening

Repost- Dispatch from Blockadia: The Climate Minute Podcast

This podcast was first posted just after Thanksgiving, but technical issues prevented a broad audience. It  is re-posted here in case you missed it the first time around.

What's next in a post-Keystone world? The Climate Minute Podcast

The Keystone victory has left us smarter and stronger. What is next? We can fight pipelines, support new wind projects and demand to stop extraction of fossil fuel on Federal land. We discuss.
Check out live  links at our blog, http://www.massclimateaction.net/blog.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre

WHO doesn't like meat? The Climate Minute Podcast

Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that various meats are bad for your health. Did you know they are also bad for the planet? The carbon footprint of meat is very large. According to the Guardian, “The global livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, planes, trains and ships combined..”  So eating less meat is good for you and the planet. There a lot of other meaty stuff going on for Climate Hawks, so we make a lightening review of TPP, CPP, COP21, Solar caps and Pilgrim. If that alphabet soup makes no sense to you, listen in and we’ll catch you up!

Check out live  links at our blog, http://www.massclimateaction.net/blog.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre