Climate Change and Civil Society

To keep fossil fuels in the ground requires treaties like the  Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and the will of nations to act.

There is a movement that has the potential to help the world reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That movement is the rapidly growing divestment from fossil fuels. More than 1,000 institutions that represent over $8 trillion in assets have committed to divestment. By the end of 2014, only 181 institutions with $50 billion worth of assets committed to divestment. There are over 43 cities that …

Today is Earth Day, the one day of the year set aside to celebrate our planet. It’s a curious aspect of human psychology, assigning arbitrary rotations of the planet to construe meaning, focus awareness, and inspire action; as such, the tactic is marginally effective. Every New Year’s Eve we resolve to do better, each birthday passes with renewed hope of a full, gratifying life, another …

The Green New Deal introduced into Congress is effectively dead, but that does not mean that ambitious plans to tackle climate change are dead in the U.S. States, cities, and counties have developed plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with commitments to 100 percent clean energy.

Sobering, unsettling, and at times startling climate change-related news emerged in Antarctica, Canada, Iceland, and Australia this past week.

Over 95 percent of U.S. coal ash ponds are unlined. Nearly all of them are leaking toxins into groundwater that is considered safe to drink by the EPA.

The light-emitting diode, more commonly known as an LED light bulb, is incredibly efficient. They use at least 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting, according to the Department of Energy. Widespread use of LEDs could save about 348 TWh, which is equivalent to the annual electrical output of 44 large electric power plants and savings of over $30 billion. …