Categories: Policy

Dispatch from Copenhagen: Heading Towards Nopehagen?

Posted by: Mark Scott on December 17

Global leaders woke up in Copenhagen on Dec. 17 to find a blanket of snow covering the ground. But it was inside the Bella Center—the conference hall where delegates from...

Dispatch from Copenhagen: Why Trade Matters

Posted by: Mark Scott on December 16

This entry is cross-posted from Europe Insight. With protestors staking out the climate talks and politicians continuing to point fingers at each other, one issue isn't getting much play in...

Dispatch from Copenhagen: Protestors Try to Storm Talks

Posted by: Mark Scott on December 16

This entry is cross-posted from Europe Insight. Snow was thick on the ground in Copenhagen on Dec. 16, but that didn't put off thousands of protestors who tried to force...

Countdown to Copenhagen: US & China Announce Carbon Reductions

Posted by: Mark Scott on November 26

The world had been waiting years for the U.S. and China to agree to carbon cuts. And in less than 24 hours, that's exactly what happened. On Nov. 25, U.S....

Countdown to Copenhagen: Focus on Finance

Posted by: Mark Scott on November 11

There's less than a month before policymakers gather in Copenhagen to hammer out a post-Kyoto agreement on climate change. Things don't look good. Since the last big get-together in Bali...

Top tales: Universal cell phone chargers, AEP captures carbon & more Americans doubt global warming

Posted by: Adam Aston on October 30

As the week closes, three developments of note... 1/ This week a universal cell phone charger was adapted by the International Telecommunication Union, the industry's standards setting body. Sounds boring?...

What's Needed From Climate Change Talks

Posted by: Mark Scott on August 12

We're half-way through a week of negotiations for a post-Kyoto agreement on curbing global greenhouse gases. The United Nation's top climate change official warns the world is running out of...

Should the military lead US green efforts?

Posted by: Adam Aston on May 18

Over at Money & Politics, BW's blog from inside the Washington DC beltway, Steve Levine writes about a report, released today, from a panel of high-ranking retired military leaders. They...

Tenessee rep prods Gore about profit motives in climate bill

Posted by: Adam Aston on April 28

The debate over climate change policy is going to get ugly very quickly. Here's round 1, or maybe just a warm-up, since we're still weeks, maybe months or even years...

At HBS, GE's Immelt, Other Big Shots Demand Greener Energy Policy

Posted by: Adam Aston on October 13

My colleague, Cathy Arnst, is up at a Harvard B-school confab this week and sent in the following snapshot. Big business leaders are clamoring for strong green investment policies from...

Are high energy prices good or bad for climate policy?

Posted by: Adam Aston on October 07

I think it all depends on just how bad the economy gets. I've been wrestling with this question more and more as election day draws nearer. Congressional Quarterly has a...

More Support for High Energy Prices

Posted by: John Carey on September 29

In early August, Business Week ran a cover story pointing out the benefits of expensive energy. For instance, high oil and gas prices water the flowers of innovation, stimulating everything...

Politics vs. Policy on Energy

Posted by: John Carey on September 12

A group of Senators is making a noble effort to craft a bipartisan comprehensive energy bill that includes both more drilling and extending tax breaks for renewable energy. The group...

Will economic blues derail green goals?

Posted by: Adam Aston on August 18

There's an interesting story over at planterark.com speculating on the prospects for the next round of UN climate talks. Though the story is focussed on the international debate on climate...

Climate video contest

Posted by: Adam Aston on August 04

Brighter Planet and 1Sky are sponsoring a video contest to help shape the upcoming election cycle. The Climate Matters Video Context has already attracted some funny, sharp homemade videos. Besides...

US climate policy, what now?

Posted by: Adam Aston on June 13

No one I know expected last week's Senate climate debate to go anywhere, but the sense of disappointment over the utter lack of meaningful discussion is still discouraging. The question...

Parsing the economic impact of the Climate Security Act

Posted by: Adam Aston on May 23

Abstract as it may be, economic modeling is likely to become a hot topic in the upcoming debate on the Climate Security Act. Already, countering claims are flying: critics from...

EPA Does White House Bidding

Posted by: John Carey on May 20

Who is calling the shots at the Environmental Protection Agency? The EPA has recently denied California’s request for tougher auto pollution standards, even though most legal experts think the denial...

My Retro Biofuel Fantasy

Posted by: Arthur Eves on May 02

Last year I was inspired by Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma to visit Joel Salatin's Polyface Farms where I saw beyond-organic natural grass-farming in action. He uses active management...

Green Jobs and the Future

Posted by: Heather Green on February 27

It's a good night for the green economy when two presidential hopefuls list creating green jobs as a key part of their proposals for economic growth. Both Clinton and Obama...

Carbon calculators: Some good advice

Posted by: Adam Aston on January 16

Check out Greenwashing.com which debuted in time for the FTC summit that my colleague Heather Green blogged about last week. Run by EnviroMedia Social Marketing in partnership with the advertising...

Presidential race: A guide to candidates' tech & green policies

Posted by: Adam Aston on December 22

There's an easy-to-read guide to the presidential candidates' policy proposals on science, technology and green issues up at Popular Mechanics, including links back to each candidate's published statements in case...

Gas Tax: Courage We Won't See in 2008.

Posted by: David Kiley on November 15

Every sane person knows that the only way to significantly change the impact of our driving on the environment is through gas taxes that make gasoline over, say, $5 per...

GreenWords -- Top eco-tales to check out

Posted by: Adam Aston on October 05

With the weekend nigh, two quick sets of links to check out First, a funny. Further evidence that going green need not be so damn earnest... Have a read of...

Want to Implement Carbon Pricing? Couple it with Optimism

Posted by: Heather Green on September 26

The Nathan Cummings Foundation sponsored a survey on attitudes towards tackling global warming by putting a price on carbon emissions. The results are frustrating and revealing, but in the end...

How efficient is your state?

Posted by: Adam Aston on June 05

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy just released its scorecard of states’ efficiency efforts. If your state is an energy producer, odds are it’s an efficiency laggard. If it’s a net energy consumer, it’s more likely a leader in encouraging efficiency.

Why NYC’s Yellow cabs took so long to go green

Posted by: Adam Aston on May 24

For the city, hybrid taxis mean cleaner urban air, less energy consumption, and lower costs. So why didn't the shift happen sooner? Consider the simple economic savings this move promises. The city estimates the plan will save 22 million gallons of gas -– and related emissions -– in the first year alone. For a hack driver making the switch from a 10-mpg Crown Victoria to a 30-mpg hybrid, daily savings in fuel costs could hit over $100 on a 12-hour shift, particularly with gas going for $3.50 or more at city stations. Those savings go straight into drivers’ pockets and lower the pressure to increase taxi fares down the road.

Welcome to GreenBusiness, BW's newest blog

Posted by: Adam Aston on May 22

Welcome to Green Business, BusinessWeek.com's latest blog. Our aim here is to explore the business side of energy, the environment and climate change. They’re fast changing issues, and highly divisive--perfect...