The Climate Minute

The Clean Power Plan and the next SCOTUS pick: The Climate Minute Podcast

The President’s Clean Power Plan is on a steady path to the Supreme Court. By June of 2017, the constitutionality of the Plan will be determined. The court making that determination may have only eight members, or it might have a new ninth member who will have a big impact on the final ruling. We discuss the climate implications of who that ninth justice might be, and how it all might play out. (Emphasis on the word might.) Listen in!
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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

Jane Kleeb to keynote MCAN conference! The Climate Minute Podcast

Jane Kleeb of BoldNebraska was instrumental in the fight against the Keystone XL pipeline. Now, at a time when pipelines are proposed all around the state, she will be the keynote speak at the Local Environmental Action 2016 Conference on March 13 at Northeastern University. If you want to fight a pipeline, here is your chance to learn from the best.This week the Baker Administration release $15M for solar upgrades which is a step in the right direction for the Governor. However, folks across the state are rising up to oppose the new pipelines he seems to prefer- like the North East Direct, the Algonquin Pipeline, the Q-1 Loop, the Medway Peaker Project  and the liquefied gas storage facility in Acushnet. We discuss.

Where have all the pipelines gone? The Climate Minute Podcast

Governor Baker couldn’t quite bring himself to mention Massachusetts’ two gas pipeline projects (proposed by Spectra Energy and from Kinder Morgan.) They were  the proverbial un-acknowledged elephant in the energy section of his State of the State address. His silence may have been due to the possibility that under public scrutiny the pipelines would be unpopular. On the other hand, the State Senate passed a bill setting intermediate targets for the GWSA. On a different topic, we wonder if the civil disobedience of the Delta Five is a model for the rest of us? Maybe, but DR worries about the legal ramifications of a successful necessity defense. Finally, we discuss the global record temperatures and recent blizzards. 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

KXL owner demands $15B for “loss of expected profit”: The Climate Minute Podcast

Sometimes the zombie doesn’t stay dead. This week, TransCanada tried to re-invigorate the Keystone XL effort by extorting $15B from the US government under NAFTA rules. As Bill McKibben says, NAFTA is not a ‘global suicide pact,’ and the TransCanada suit is repugnant. The NAFTA rules are similar to the TPP rules and exemplify the risk of accepting the TPP as the law of the land.  If you like the idea of self-determination and national sovereignty, the TPP is problematic.

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

Porter Ranch and the Public Trust: The Climate Minute Podcast

California’s Porter Ranch methane leak is out of control and may remain so for months. Back here in Massachusetts, the SJC prepares to hear a suit based on the “Public Trust Doctrine.” The ruling could have far reaching consequences. Listen in as 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

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.

A dispatch from Blockadia: “No Pipelines in MA” - The Climate Minute Podcast

“Blockadia is a place where the future of the environmental movement is being negotiated” according to a recent blog. Across the country, local activists are taking a stand against new fossil fuel infrastructure.  From the tar sands in Canada to kayaktivists in Seattle to pipelines in Massachusetts, resistance is growing. This week we go to the front lines and talk to a Climate Hawk who is working to stop the proposed Algonquin Pipeline in Southern New England.  With a recent study concluding there is no need for the pipeline, an oversized design intended to support the export of gas, and a financial charge to electric customers to pay for Spectra’s pipeline, the Algonquin Pipeline is a bad idea whose time has passed.  We discuss the nuts and bolts of opposition to these kinds of projects, and what motivates us to take action. Despite it’s diversity, the inhabitants of Blockadia share a state of mind that demands a sustainable future.
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

Making clean energy sausage on Beacon Hill-The Climate Minute Podcast

There is an old saying that goes “You don’t want to watch either sausages or laws get made.” However, sometimes an unpleasant sight can spur a response. The Massachusetts Legislature is locked in a stalled process to raise the solar energy ‘net-metering’ cap, with the House and Senate discussing a bill that is either really bad (House version) or acceptably bad (Senate version.) You can let your representative know we need to support solar fully by checking the ‘Where do I vote?” link. The MA Attorney General commissioned a study the shows we do NOT need new pipelines, which is a boon to activists. Finally, DR notes a concrete example of the harm that might come from the ISDS clause of the TPP.
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

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

Keystone is more than a victory: The Climate Minute Podcast

The President recently denied permission to build the Keystone XL pipeline and it is clear that the pipeline opposition movement was crucial to the Mr Obama’s decision. This has been a big, transformative moment for climate activists, and a little self evaluation is worthwhile? What have we Climate Hawks learned about ourselves from all the effort over the last few year? We discuss a few possible answers.
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