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The Climate Minute examines current news on global warming, climate change, renewable energy and the prospects for progress on international negotiations, carbon taxes and clean energy policy.
Episodes
Friday Jul 01, 2016
MA Senate rolls out a shiny new Omnibus: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Jul 01, 2016
Friday Jul 01, 2016
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
Friday Jun 24, 2016
A watery future for downtown Boston? The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Jun 24, 2016
Friday Jun 24, 2016
A new report says that Boston is at greater risk of sea level rise than previously thought, with the possibility that places like Faneuil Hall could go below sea level. Even with that looming possibility, Exxon is contesting the subpoena issued by the MA Attorney General. Locally, there were new arrests at the West Roxbury pipeline site, and our Senators sent a letter to FERC. On top of all that, you can RSVP to the MCAN’s really cool tour of the Deer Island renewable energy installations at the link below. 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
Friday Jun 10, 2016
Magical Methane Mystery: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Jun 10, 2016
Friday Jun 10, 2016
This week, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed what they called an Omnibus Energy Bill. At best it is a half-loaf, where many useful amendments were quietly withdrawn. The bill now goes to the Senate. A recent report shows that many methane leaks in MA we dropped from the utility tracking list. How can that be? Finally we discuss the latest #OilBomb train. 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
Friday Jun 03, 2016
Carbon Pricing to the rescue! The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Jun 03, 2016
Friday Jun 03, 2016
Our state government is now required to reduce carbon emissions, and the DEP is working on rules. While fixing gas leaks and improved efficiency are good steps, the idea of a statewide carbon tax is very appealing. We discuss.
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
Monday May 30, 2016
Omnibus or Minibus? The Climate Minute Podcast
Monday May 30, 2016
Monday May 30, 2016
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
Friday May 20, 2016
Landmark ruling will shape MA energy policy: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday May 20, 2016
Friday May 20, 2016
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
Friday Apr 08, 2016
Here comes the sun: Solar legislation on the The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Apr 08, 2016
Friday Apr 08, 2016
While an “Omnibus” energy bill is still in preparation, a solar policy bill has been advanced on its own. The solar bill is an improvement on the original possibility, but it will require further improvements in the next round. Also, see below the jump for a link to find your state rep’s phone number and a script to ask her to oppose the proposed tariff (AKA tax) for the pipeline. 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
Friday Mar 25, 2016
Is CH4 the new CO2? The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Mar 25, 2016
Friday Mar 25, 2016
US emissions of methane (aka natural gas, aka fracked gas, aka CH4) may be nearly as dangerous as carbon dioxide. New studies show that methane itself, before it is burned as a fuel, is leaking from fracking wells (and pipelines) at rates much higher than were expected. The leaked methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2, even as it spends less time in the atmosphere. On the whole, the damage done by these methane emissions rivals that of CO2. Bill McKibben points this out in a new article and calls for Climate Hawks to oppose the extraction and use of methane. He concludes” The global warming fight can’t just be about carbon dioxide any longer.” 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
Friday Mar 04, 2016
Building the clean future: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Mar 04, 2016
Friday Mar 04, 2016
Building a clean energy future means creating good policy in the present. We discuss pipeline, wind and solar battles right here in Massachusetts.
(REMEMBER TO SIGN UP FOR THE UPCOMING ANNUAL CONFERENCE! )
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
Monday Feb 22, 2016
Monday Feb 22, 2016
Editor’s Note: Here is a better version of the podcast. Thanks to Dan for tipping us off and sorry for any ear-pain.
In the growing nation-wide war on solar power, one insidious argument made by the utilities is that people with solar panels on their roofs are somehow ‘free riders’ taking advantage of their fellow ratepayers. This is a psychological ploy to pit ratepayers against each other, while the utilities reap the benefits of continued climate stalemate. The reality is that solar power provides benefits to the grid that the utilities don’t want you to think about. We think about them anyway and conclude that Massachusetts should encourage a vibrant, flourishing solar power industry.