Unprecedented federal court ruling elevates environmental justice over demands of industry
An unprecedented federal court ruling this week validated the way the Obama administration measures the social cost of carbon (SCC), a decision that could have wide-ranging impacts on the future of the energy industry and the way the United States addresses environmental justice. On Monday, the Chicago-based 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals unanimously rejected an industry-backed request to overturn a 2014 Department of Energy (DOE) regulation that set efficiency standards f
Tax carbon, California — the rest of the nation will thank you
California’s cap-and-trade program to restrict greenhouse gas emissions has hit a major political roadblock. Extending the current program beyond its 2020 expiration most likely requires new action on the part of the Legislature, and majority support looks dubious. And even a majority might not be enough. Many legal and policy analysts believe the state’s cap-and-trade regime is functionally a tax, and that reauthorizing and extending it requires a two-thirds majority vote of
Environmentalists, Labor Advocates Call on Congress to end Oil Subsidies
More than 40 organizations wrote an open letter to Congress requesting that Congressional leaders pass the FAIR Energy Policy Act, which would phase out tax breaks for the fossil fuel industry. Signatories said the industry receives $4 billion an year in tax breaks. That’s money that could create more jobs in solar and wind or improve education throughout the country. “Most of these tax preferences are exclusive to the oil industry and represent a conservative picture of the
Elon Musk Says Even Libertarians Should Back A Carbon Tax
For years, the notion of building the “price” of carbon emissions into the real-world economy via a carbon tax has been a controversial issue, as many new taxes tend to be. Earlier this month, fossil fuel giant ExxonMobil surprised many by lobbying for a “revenue neutral” carbon tax. But the debate rages on, with many preferring to use the carrot of increased energy subsidiesover the stick of a carbon tax. Recently Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk discussed both subsidies and a car
EARTH'S HOT STREAK CONTINUES WITH WARMEST MAY SINCE AT LEAST 1980
According to preliminary readings from NASA, May 2016 was the warmest such month on record for the planet, dating back to 1880. Global average surface temperatures were 0.93 degrees Celsius, or 1.67 degrees Fahrenheit, above average for the month, beating out the old record, which was set in May 2014. FULL ARTICLE #NEWS #ALL
CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS IN ATMOSPHERE FORECAST TO SHATTER MILESTONE
Atmospheric concentrations of CO2 will shatter the symbolic barrier of 400 parts per million (ppm) this year and will not fall below it our in our lifetimes, according to a new Met Office study. FULL ARTICLE #NEWS #ALL
ATMOSPHERIC CARBON DIOXIDE JUST REACHED A HUGE RECORD HIGH
"The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reached a new record in May. It also increased more in a single year than it has since we began to monitor it in the late 1950s..." (Washington Post, 6/7/16) FULL ARTICLE #NEWS #VIDEOS #ALL
5 SHORT CLIMATE CHANGE VIDEOS UNDER 5 MINUTES
Here are 5 short videos about climate change that were hand picked by the staff at ClimateStore. FULL ARTICLE #VIDEOS #ALL
CCA INFORMATIONAL VIDEO
Learn more about CCA and the direct impact climate change has on business. #VIDEOS #ALL
IS CLIMATE CHANGE TOO BIG FOR BUSINESS?
Frances Beinecke, the former president of the National Resources Defense Council, argues that while every sector will be involved in curbing carbon emissions, public policy must set the right framework. #VIDEOS #ALL