The Climate Minute

The MCAN Climate Minute – Snow Day Edition

Oh my goodness it's snowing!  Winter Storm Nemo is barreling down on New England bringing giddy weathermen (I swear I heard one giggling during his forecast) and between two and three feet of snow.  Being the good New Englanders that we are, Ted and I have stocked up on bread and milk, and are settling in to a leisurely MCAN Climate Minute for February 8, 2012.  As everything is closed and the Governor has practically ordered us to stay home from work today, we had some extra time to chat.  Get a coffee, toast up that bagel, and buckle in for a half-hour of local, state, and national climate talk on this week's MCAN Climate Minute. As always, click on the “MCAN Climate Minute” picture to the right to start the recording in a new window. Here are some links to go along with our talk this morning. The RGGI states have agreed to a new, lower carbon caps bringing the regional cap on emissions from stationary sources (read: power plants) from 165 million tons to 91 million tons in 2014 and 2.5% lower each successive year.  MCAN supported this lower number in our comments to RGGI, which you can see here. This of course isn't the final word, as the proposal has to be accepted by each state. We talked about new proposals to fund transportation infrastructure through various vehicle miles traveled (VMT) proposals.  Politico has a story about the bi-partisan discussions going on in Washington over the need to find new revenue sources for transportation funding.  For an interesting read on "pay as you drive" insurance, a related concept to VMT charges, and their potential impact on miles driven and thus climate impacts, check out this MIT and Conservation Law Foundation report. For an update about what's going on in Falmouth, there are several stories up on the net.  Here's a story that says the cost of removing the turbines could be as high as $11 million!  This story suggests that the average homeowner would face a tax increase of $53 to $66 per month.  Of course, there would ongoing costs to the town in terms of the lost revenue from electricity production.  Interestingly a cross section of responses on the Cape Cod Times facebook page show strong support for keeping the turbines. As I said on the podcast, I was at a meeting where some testimony was read from a Board of Health hearing in Cape Cod.  One person was recorded as saying the her sleep disturbances continued, even after the turbines had been shut off during the night time hours.  To paraphrase, "even the fact that they're there is enough to keep me awake."  In my humble, non-medical opinion -- that's not the fault of the turbines, and that doesn't seem to be a problem just taking down the turbines will solve... For information on buses available to DC for next weekend check out 350ma.org, and stay tuned to our Facebook page for any updates on where we'll be on Sunday the 17th. Well, I'm off to enjoy the snow.  We'll have a separate post up regarding our annual conference (with our announced Keynote speaker -- sorry, gotta listen to the podcast for that little tidbit) and another one about last night's presentation on the Waste-Climate Connection later in the day. Here's a little something to keep you chuckling though the shoveling... [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR7A7KRpMe8?rel=0] As always -- remember, for these reasons we have discussed, the United States must place a price on carbon.

MCAN Climate Minute - A Time to Plant

A time to sow, a time to reap.  That's what this week's Climate Minute is about.  What seems like a lull in the action is really the calm before the storm.  A lot of what happens 6, 12, or 18 months from now will be ordained by actions we take today.  So let's get busy! Click on the “MCAN Climate Minute” picture to the right to start the recording in a new window. Here are some links to keep you busy in the meantime. As we mentioned, Rep. Tom Conroy and Sen. Michael Barrett proposed a carbon tax legislation, currently numbered House Docket 3422, but it will eventually be assigned a "real" number and sent to a committee.  To follow legislation as it makes its way through the process, check out the Massachusetts legislature's webiste at www.malegislature.gov. For some interesting speculation on Senator Secretary Kerry's role in the Keystone pipeline approval, check out The Energy Collective's post here.  If you've got a right-leaning friend who you'd like to convince to oppose Keystone, send them this story about a couple of Texas landowners, including a 78 year old grandmother who are being bullied by the pipeline company and having their land "stolen" under eminent domain.  Yeah, you read that right -- a Canadian company can use Texas law to take someone's private property for their use.  Great democracy you got going there... We've got ourselves another Senate race in Massachusetts, with Congressmen Markey and Lynch already in the fray, and rumors swirling about possible Republican contenders (Brown again?  Scot Lehigh has been jonesing big-time for another run by erstwhile Governor [and God's gift to reporters] Bill Weld). As you know by now, February 17th is the big day down in DC.  People will come from around the country to protest the Keystone pipeline, and you can be there!  Ted's been checking out the train schedule and of course 350MA is putting together buses. MCAN will have a speaker about the Waste and Climate connection at our next Climate Education meeting next week on February 7th in Lexington.  More information on the Lexington meeting, or our March 10th conference at Northeastern can be found on the MCAN Climate Action Calendar.  To register for the conference, go to the registration site here. For all manner of climate activities, remember to check out our climate calendar.  Catch us on Twitter, or Facebook, or just drop us an old-fashioned email at comment@massclimateaction.net. Well, that's it for this week.  As always -- remember, for these reasons we have discussed, the United States must place a price on carbon.

Climate Hawk's Companion - National Climate Assessment Report

In this edition of the Climate Hawk’s Companion we discuss the National Climate Assessment (NCA). The NCA is required to be updated every four years by the US Global Change Research Association.  This year's report is the product of over 240 researchers and scientists. In this podcast MCAN President Ted McIntyre discusses the contents of the report. In order to hear the podcast, click on the "Climate Hawk" icon. Here are a few useful links to topics mentioned in the podcast. Some background on the US Global Change Research Program that produced the National Climate Assessment is here. Some discussion of the National Climate Assessment itself is here.  Go here to download chapters or offer comments on the report. If you don’t want to read the whole report, here is a review from ThinkProgress. If you prefer a discussion of the graphics in the report, go to Grist. The League of Conservation Voters press release is here. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is a passionate voice calling for the Senate to address climate change. This link will give you is a taste of the impact of Sandy on NYC. NPR has made several reports on the Mississippi’s low level in the ongoing drought. Go here to learn about the Townhall Meeting schedule.

…Ted McIntyre

Forward on Climate - the MCAN Climate Minute

Good morning from the pink and orange coffeehouse.  Certainly a heady week for climate activists; both the President and his designee for Secretary of State mentioning climate change as a compelling and high-level problem our government needs to address. These statements come mere weeks before the expected decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, fueling hope among the faithful that the President will do the right thing on the pipeline. In today's conversation Ted and I discuss Keystone, the some of the pressures on the President, and what we can do.  Click on the “MCAN Climate Minute” picture to the right to start the recording in a new window. Here's some further reading on some of the issues we touch upon in this week's Climate Minute. Darren Samuelsohn argues in Politico that the President will focus on smaller profile, administrative actions fully within his control instead of engaging a large-scale battle with Congress over new legislation. Comedian Jim Meyer has a deliciously sarcastic piece in Grist outlining the true story of how tar sands become usable oil and gasoline.  The facts are true, and the tone may be just the right thing to have it impact your favorite climate skeptic/denialist. ThinkProgress has the data, and wind beat everything else last year in terms of new installed capacity.  Your humble commentator must mea culpa though, I was off on the number of natural gas facilities represented by 8,700 MW of capacity -- it's really 94 (I thought it was more 10-15!), which means the average is 92 MW, which is a fairly small gas plant.  Most likely there were a large number of smaller "peaker" units sited, which may actually play an important role in our future energy mix as we rely more heavily on intermittant renewable sources like wind and solar. (And you'd much rather have natural gas peakers than diesel fuel peakers...) Keep an eye out for the Sierra Club's "100 Days of Activism."  You can follow their plans for events here.  For an interesting interview with Michael Brune, Sierra's national Executive Director, check out this NPR story. And this weekend is the Portland, Maine protests against Tar Sands pipelines through New England.  For more information on the events scheduled, check out 350MA.org. Tomorrow kicks off Brookline's 2013 Climate Week, and MCAN will have a speaker about the Waste and Climate connection at our next Climate Education meeting on February 7th in Lexington.  More information on the Lexington meeting, or our March 10th conference at Northeastern can be found on the MCAN Climate Action Calendar.  To register for the conference, go to the registration site here. For videos of the Northeastern University "open classroom" discussions on climate and energy, go here.  Next week's discussion in on mitigation and features MIT Sloan School professor Henry "Jake" Jacoby. For information about getting your town in the Solarize Mass program, check out their website.  The first deadline (for a submission of community interest) is Feburary 6th. Here's a non-podcast bonus (think of it as a Jon Stewart-esque "Moment of Zen"), check out this story about the gas flaring from North Dakota oil wells being seen from space. The story itself is an awful testament to waste, greed, and disregard for environmental consequences, but contains the following incredible video of the Earth as seen from the International Space Station. My, my does it look lovely from a distance. Too bad we get the up close view... As always remember, for these reasons we have discussed, the United States must place a price on carbon.  Have a great weekend. [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip2ZGND1I9Q?rel=0]

Fresh Starts, the Presidential Inauguration

Good morning from the pink and orange coffeehouse. Today is a day of new beginnings and fresh starts. President Obama takes oath of office (well, an ersatz oath, the Constitution requires the president to be sworn in on the 20th of January*) and a new two-year session of congress begins. Today Ted and I talk about our hopes and dreams on this day which is uniquely suited for that. This is a day to press the "reset" button and start fresh. Will the folks in Washington be able to put this contentious campaign season behind them and move forward in the best interest of the nation? Click on the “MCAN Climate Minute” picture to the right to start the recording in a new window. There's plenty of reading you can do while waiting for the pomp and circumstance, here are a few things we've been reading over the past couple of days. A concerned grandmother has rewritten the President's Newtown speech to orient it toward climate change. This is a speech we'd love to hear the President make. The National Journal puts high stakes on this year's State of the State speech, scheduled for February 12th. Will he draw a line in the sand on climate, or miss the opportunity? Politico has a nice collection of opinions on what the President might say (or not) or do (or not) on climate change. Rachel Maddow talks about "Organizing for Action," the reboot of Obama for America as an issues-based non-profit. Well, that's it for this week. Grab the kids, sit them down in front of the TV or radio and let yourself get goosebumps as the Brookline Tabernacle Choir performs the Battle Hymn of the Republic. This is a day for all Americans -- let's see how long we can stay "Americans" before we start falling back into division... As always -- remember, for these reasons we have discussed, the United States must place a price on carbon. * Well, specifically the 12th Amendment. Here's a little inaugural trivia for you: the last two Presidents to be inaugurated on a Monday after a private swearing-in on a Sunday were Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower in 1981 and 1953, respectively. The next "fake" swearing in will be in 2041.

Climate Hawk's Companion - Inspiration from Martin Luther King

While we may view our task in fighting climate change as daunting, Martin Luther King faced challenges even more difficult than ours. He was arrested for civil disobedience in Alabama. In response, he wrote the Letter from a Birmingham Jail, which is a document we can still learn from today.  Later he received a Nobel Prize.  His comments on the moral arc of universe are in A Testament of Hope. We should take inspiration from Dr. King’s words and actions in our own struggle against climate change. Many thanks to Greg Greenway for permission to use his music. See him in concert with Brother Sun sometime soon. Thanks as well to Tony Berg and Pamela McIntyre for their reading of Dr. King’s words. As always, in order to hear the podcast, click on the "Climate Hawk" icon.

…Ted McIntyre

Climate Hawk's Companion - Solarize Massachusetts

In this edition of the Climate Hawk’s Companion we discuss the Solarize MA program. As the website says “ Solarize Massachusetts (Solarize Mass) is a program that encourages the adoption of small scale solar PV by deploying a coordinated education, marketing and outreach effort, combined with a tiered pricing structure that provides increased savings as more people in the community go solar.” Our podcast guest is Carolyn Barthel, who volunteered to be the “Solar Coach” for the program in the town of Mendon. As a community activist, she has some interesting insight into how to pursue this program. In order to hear the podcast, click on the "Climate Hawk" icon. The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center provides some examples of the presentations and survey used in the most recent Solarize Mass cycle. If you are interested in more about residential solar, read this. Both individual residences and small business are permitted to participate in the program. One of the businesses in Mendon that is installing PV is a great place for kids, the Southwick Zoo. As of last November, the program has facilitated contracts across the state for 802 projects totaling 5.1 MW of solar power. The next round of the program is underway, and Green Communities need to express their interest by February 7th, and complete their application by February 20, 2013. Solarize Mass is one of a number of opportunities for grants and assistance that is provided to Green Communities. In order to become a Green Community, a town must satisfy five criteria but then becomes eligible for valuable aid in becoming more sustainable. Here (see “Meet the Green Communities”) is some information about which towns are already Green Communities and what aid they have received. MCAN is ready to assist if you want your town to go the Green Community Status. Good Luck!

…Ted McIntyre

The MCAN Climate Minute – Let's Get To Work

Good morning from the pink and orange coffeehouse.  Two Thousand Thirteen unfolds before us awash in possibilities.  This edition of the MCAN Climate Minute looks forward with hope and energy...  At least until February, right? Click on the “MCAN Climate Minute” picture to the left to start the recording in a new window. Here’s more information about some of the things we talked about in this edition of the Climate Minute: Apparently you weren't imagining it, 2012 was the hottest year on record, both locally and nationally.  National Geographic discussed the national figures, while our local records were covered in this report from WWLP Channel 22 in Springfield. For more information about the Westborough TransCanada protest (and to make a donation to help defray the legal costs of the protesters), go to their website here.  The direct link to their donation page is here. Speaking of natural gas leaks, our great friends at the Conservation Law Foundation have prepared a report on the environmental and economic impacts of natural gas distribution leaks.  They have an excellent blog post about the issue here. It's conference time again!  You can register for the Mass Climate  / Toxics Action Center Local Environmental Action Conference here. Check out the MCAN calendar for upcoming climate-related events including our February 7th climate education meeting.  You can even post your own events.  For more information on the Northeastern University's "Climate Change. Challenges.  Solutions" open classroom series, go here.  In addition the Northeastern Environmental Law Society is hosting a series of evening lectures on climate and energy issues this winter as well. Congratulations to Amesbury for adopting the Stretch Energy Code -- and particularly to Councillor Christian Scorzoni who championed the cause. For information on tar sands and Keystone pipeline events, check out 350Massachusetts' site.  There is a January 15th deadline for signing up for a bus to Portland, Maine. Again, a huge "thank you" to all those who donated in December helping MCAN achieve it's best donation month ever.  We're 18.75% to our goal of $40,000 for the 12 months from December '12 to December '13.  If you haven't been able to give yet, please consider clicking that big, blue button at the end of this post.  Your tax deductible donation will go help fight climate change on the local level throughout Massachusetts. Finally, on a hopeful note, if we foul up Earth too much there are apparently a number of planets we might be able to move to.  Well, there goes the neighborhood... For those of you coming over from Facebook or listening off the blog, you can now subscribe to this podcast on iTunes.  Check us out in the iTunes Store (searching for MCAN or Massachusetts climate will find us), or go here. Well, that's it for this week.  As always -- remember, for these reasons we have discussed, the United States must place a price on carbon.  Have a great weekend and we look forward to talking with you again next week!

The MCAN Climate Minute - Cliff Notes

Good morning from the pink and orange coffeehouse.  So, Fiscal Cliff averted, at least for the time being but what about the climate cliff?  Well, it's cold enough this morning that we're ready to declare victory over Global Warming... Just kidding!  This week we talk production tax credits, deathbed conversions, and the return of the Massachusetts legislature. Click on the “MCAN Climate Minute” picture to the right to start the recording in a new window. Here’s more information about some of the things we talked about in this edition of the Climate Minute: We touched on Rep. David Deier's "deathbed conversion" to climate believer from lousy climate voter in a blog earlier this week.  For a borderline wonky discussion of the wind production tax credit extension, check out PeakOil.com's writeup.  Dave Roberts over at Grist is proclaiming that 2013 will be a huge year for wind due to the extension of the credit and the equally cloudy outlook for the future of the credit. Governor Chris "Never a Dull Moment" Christie was reduced to blasting away in a press conference as the House dallied on Sandy relief. Thought we were free of fiscal cliff talk?  Well, only for a couple of months.  As The Economist points out Congress and the president merely put off a couple of thorny issues, including the debt limit and fund sequestration which are yet to be resolved. This does give us some hope that a future deal may include some form of carbon tax, which as Elizabeth Kolbert of the New Yorker points out in an excellent new piece, is still gaining traction on both sides of the philosophical (if not political) aisle. For a more pessimistic view of what the Fiscal Cliff issue says about our (in)ability to deal with the Climate Cliff, Joe Romm has an excellent piece up at Climate Progress. Monday will see the release of the latest Transportation Finance Commission report detailing possible solutions to the state's transportation morass.  More funding is a generally accepted need for everything from the MBTA to the state's crumbling bridges and roadways.  The Governor says he will be keeping his powder dry until his State of the State address in a couple of weeks, but look for rampant speculation as to which increased taxes or new funding sources will be recommended. For more information and to sign up for buses to the Portland, Maine pipeline protest, check out 350MA's page here.  Check out the MCAN calendar for upcoming climate-related events including our January climate education meeting when it is announced, and for more information on the Northeastern University's "Climate Change. Challenges.  Solutions" open classroom series, go here.  In addition the Northeastern Environmental Law Society is hosting a series of evening lectures on climate and energy issues this winter as well. (Can you tell who's a proud alum?) A huge "thank you" to all those who donated in December helping MCAN achieve it's best donation month ever.  We're 18.75% to our goal of $40,000 for the 12 months from December '12 to December '13.  If you haven't been able to give yet, please consider clicking that big, blue button at the end of this post.  Your tax deductible donation will go help fight climate change on the local level throughout Massachusetts. Finally, we at MCAN extend our most heartfelt condolences to the family and loved one of Rebecca Tarbotton, the executive director of the Rainforest Action Network who passed away in a swimming accident in Mexico the day after Christmas.  She will be missed but her impact will continue to be felt for years to come. Well, that's it for this week.  As always -- remember, for these reasons we have discussed, the United States must place a price on carbon.  Have a great weekend, stay warm, and we look forward to talking with you again next week!

The MCAN Climate Minute - What lies ahead in 2013?

Well, it's our final MCAN Climate Minute of the year.  It's been a great experience, from our early (and horribly sounding) efforts in June, to getting onto iTunes this month.  In this final installment Click on the “MCAN Climate Minute” picture to the right to start the recording in a new window. Here’s more information about some of the things we talked about in this edition of the Climate Minute: American Electric Power announced the retirement of their "Big Sandy" powerplant in eastern Kentucky in 2015, as the cost of pollution control equipment made the plant uneconomical. "The Prize" is a 2008 book by Daniel Yergin which offers a wonderful look at the world of oil, money, and power. NRDC has an excellent webpage discussing the issues with fracking. For more information about how to get active on fracking and shale gas pipelines, check out 350ma.org. And, we didn't mention this in the podcast, but here's our prediction for the Superbowl this year: Patriots over Green Bay, 34-31.... Again, we've enjoyed our conversations with you in 2012, and look forward to coming at you from the pink and orange coffeehouse, or places yet to be discovered, in the new year. And, as always -- remember, for these reasons we have discussed, the United States must place a price on carbon.  Have a great weekend, and we look forward to talking with you again next week!