New York’s energy system is making a complex, tense, and urgent shift away from fossil fuels toward cleaner, renewable sources of power. That’s the official line, anyway. And the shift is supposed to accelerate over the next few years. A new state policy requires utilities to get half of their electricity from renewables such as […]
Climate change
Posted inMovies
Director Josh Fox preaches to the choir
With his film climate change documentary “How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change,” Josh Fox aims to fire up people to take action.
Posted inNews & Opinion
Scouring sacred texts for climate guidance
The scientific approach to nature and the environment is a clear one, rooted in measurement, observation, and data. Religion’s connection to the natural world is more fluid; just how the environment fits into a faith depends on teachings and interpretations, both formal and personal. Science is the factual authority on the environment. But increasingly, religious […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
The evolution of Earth Day
The event ain’t what it used to be, but that’s not a bad thing
Posted inNews & Opinion
Cuomo calls for significant investment in infrastructure
Governor Andrew Cuomo just wrapped up his State of the State speech and budget presentation. The address was something of a shotgun blast of proposals: a high-level overview that touched on everything from tourism promotions to criminal justice reforms. He appealed to the image many New Yorkers’ have of themselves: that we persevere through tough […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Paris may be last, best chance to achieve carbon cuts
All eyes are on Paris. The world reacted to the horrific attacks that killed 129 people and injured many more with shock, grief, anger, and fear. But many people also look at the City of Light with optimism; Paris refused to let the violence prevent it from hosting the crucial United Nations climate treaty talks […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Feedback 11/11
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Posted inNews & Opinion
10 stories the media missed
From the illegal dumping of fracking waste water to popular resistance to corporate water-grabbing.
Posted inNews & Opinion
New York’s carbon emissions dropping
New York’s energy sector has the lowest per capita carbon emissions, 8.1 metric tons, in the US.
Posted inNews & Opinion
Pope makes moral appeals to Congress
Pope Francis just wrapped up his address to Congress and instead of excoriating the members over gridlock, economic inequality, and inaction on climate change, he spoke of opportunity and hope. (Text of the speech should be available soon on the Vatican website.) The pope, speaking gently and plainly, called on politicians to work together to […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Town’s rained out and tapped out
On June 15, 3.3 inches of rain fell within 40 minutes in the Ontario County town of Richmond. The “gully washer,” as Supervisor Ralph Angelo calls it, busted out 22 culverts along town roads, with East Lake Road taking the worst hit. If that sounds familiar, there’s good reason. On one July day last year, […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
White House releases final Clean Power Plan
The Obama administration has finalized its plan to cut emissions from the nation’s power plants. Yesterday, President Barack Obama and Gina McCarthy, administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, released the final rules for the federal Clean Power Plan. Under the plan, carbon emissions from power plants would drop 870 million tons by 2030, according to […]
