Using Insurance Costs to Advance Action on Climate Change

One of the best ways of changing public attitudes on climate change is by letting people bear the real costs of insurance. This argument suggests that higher insurance costs may be the best way to advance action on climate change.

According to a report by Ceres titled, "Inaction on Climate Change: The Cost to Taxpayers," climate change already costs every American taxpayer $300 and going forward the costs will be debilitating. The report further indicates that every dollar spent on prevention saves four dollars in damages.

A Large and Growing Chorus is Calling for an End to Fossil Fuel Subsidies

As we move past the threshold of 400 parts per million of atmospheric CO2, fossil fuel subsidies appear even more unconscionable. These subsidies could be used to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy. In addition ending subsidies could   decrease carbon pollution by 13 percent.

A number of prominent organizations including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and the United Nations (UN) are calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies.

In March, 2013, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a report that called for an end to fossil fuel subsidies. The IMF report titled, Energy Subsidy Reform: Lessons and Implications, indicates that these subsidies account for almost nine percent of all annual country budgets, amounting to a staggering $1.9 trillion.

Event - 2013 Annual National Environmental, Energy And Resources Law Summit

The 2013 Annual National Environmental, Energy And Resources Law Summit will take place on Thursday Jun 20 to Fri Jun 21, in Yellowknife, NT. at The Explorer Hotel, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. This summit is set against the backdrop of Canada’s arctic region. This engaging program is designed to provide private practitioners, in-house corporate and government counsel, regulators, and other professionals with an annual update on the hottest issues in the environmental, energy and resources law field.

Comprehensive Summary of US Green Legislation

It is essential for businesses to keep abreast of the legal imperatives that impinge on their operations. Keeping up with green legislation in the US is no easy task. To help make this effort easier, Greenful has put together a comprehensive summary of environmental legislation from the Clean Air Act (CAA) which was passed in 1967 to Corporate Average Fuel Economy (Cafe) of 2012. Here are 27 links that cover all major green legislation and related amendments:

Course - Environmental Law & Regulation

The course Environmental Law and Regulation takes place on March 27, 2013, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m (Check-in time: 8 a.m.)in New Brunswick, NJ.

Redesigned and updated for 2013, this interactive course is "TEAM" taught by NJ's top environmental attorneys, regulators and consultants. Case studies in the areas of air, water and land use will be presented in a way that demonstrates the different roles and viewpoints of all members of the team. A client's perspective will also be incorporated into the case studies. The team leaders for each featured topic will present a lightning-round overview of the important statutes, regulations and case law related to their subject areas so that all discussions have context. The consultant and agency representatives will coordinate with the team leaders to present a real-world view of the operation of the law in question from a permitting, enforcement and litigation point of view as they affect both businesses and individuals.

CPAC 2013: Leading Conservatives Don't Want Change

The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) came together for their annual gathering and they have once again snubbed climate change, green jobs and a sustainable US economy. CPAC is hosted by the American Conservative Union Foundation (ACUF), a 501(c)3 charity.

The conference was founded in 1973 by the American Conservative Union and Young Americans for Freedom. The majority of attendees are young people under the age of 30, appropriately the theme in 2013 is “America’s Future: The Next Generation of Conservatives.”

Aside from a few derisive comments, there was no mention of climate change, clean energy or the environment.

Those who did mention climate change did so with the intent of undermining the green agenda. Speaking at CPAC on Friday March 15, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) tried to disprove climate change by noting that President Obama wore a jacket during his chilly inauguration in January!

Video - Webinar on US Energy Efficiency Policies

Energy and climate policy in the United States are being proposed at a fast pace, and it is difficult, even from people working in energy, to keep track of all the new proposals. This webinar reviews the impacts of some of the current proposals and bills on energy efficiency. The presentation will include both federal and state level considerations.

Green Excerpts of President Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address

President Obama has reasserted his commitment to addressing climate change in his 2013 State of the Union address. Here are climate and energy related excerpts of the President's address.

The American people don't expect government to solve every problem. They don't expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue. But they do expect us to put the nation's interests before party. They do expect us to forge reasonable compromise where we can. For they know that America moves forward only when we do so together; and that the responsibility of improving this union remains the task of us all.

And those of us who care deeply about programs like Medicare must embrace the need for modest reforms.

Video - Energy 2030

This video outlines the impact of doubling energy productivity by 2030, which is the goal of the Alliance Commission on National Energy Efficiency Policy.

Event - Feed-in Tariffs Policy: Market Certainty, Diversity and Growth

This event will take place on February, 5th 2013, in the UK. This seminar will review Feed-in Tariffs: findings from the Comprehensive Review and the way forward. This event will be a timely opportunity to assess the next steps for small-scale low-carbon electricity generation in the UK following a year of uncertainty. Guest of Honour: Thomas Buss, Head of Microgeneration, E.ON Sustainable Energy.

Obama Administration's Wind Energy Leases

Although the Obama administration has offered offshore oil leases, it has also announced that it is offering competitive lease sales for wind energy development in areas off the coasts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Virginia. What makes this announcement so important is the fact that this is the first time that a portion of the outer continental shelf will be leased for renewable energy development.

As explained in EcoWatch, the area off the coast of Virginia alone can support more than 2,000 megawatts of wind generation, which can power an estimated 700,000 homes. The areas off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island are expected to be able to support about an additional 2,000 megawatts of wind generation.

US Climate Change Policy: Hurricane Sandy, Drought and Rising Sea Levels (Video)

Hurricanes and drought in the US this year make it difficult for Americans to ignore the costs of climate change. It is hoped that President Barack Obama will elevate the national climate change conversation, but he is constrained by a Congress that is resistant to the idea of making climate change a national priority.

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Hopes for Environmental Action in President Obama's Second Term

President Obama's second term will likely be more audacious than his first. In the President's own words, "the best is yet to come." In his first term, President Obama laid down stricter fuel economy standards and through the EPA more stringent requirements for coal plants. In his victory speech the President said, “We want our kids to grow up in an America… that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet.”

Now that the President's environmental achievements from the first term are safe, we can expect more from the President in his second term. Optimism springs from the fact that the President does not have to face another election which frees him to undertake bolder action on the environment, climate change and clean energy.

Here are eight things the President can support to show leadership on the environment:

Infrastructure Summit 2012: New Policy Technology and Finance (Event)

The Infrastructure Summit will take place on November 6th 2012 in London, UK and will once again bring together 150 leading policy-makers, business, academics and experts from transport, energy and digital communications. The event will explore new approaches to infrastructure and takes a strategic view of infrastructure opportunities in Europe and the UK.

As Europe's economy stagnates, infrastructure development offers one of the critical devices to generate growth. Yet we need new ideas. Traditional approaches are simply not working. We need to rethink our policies, embrace new opportunities offered by technology and rethink how we finance these.

Governments and Sustainability

Difficult economic times have not arrested the growth of sustainability. Despite recent economic difficulties, states and localities have increased the number of sustainability directors as well as the number of new technologies deployed to monitor energy consumption. According to a Government Technology survey of senior policymakers and managers, more than half of the respondents said their jurisdictions have appointed someone to lead sustainability efforts.

Twenty percent of respondents said they have created dashboards and metrics to monitor energy consumption in government buildings, and another 16 percent said they are considering such deployments.

National Governments Seen to be Lacking Political Will on Sustainable Development

There is a profound lack of confidence in national governments to act on climate change, these same governments are perceived to be lacking the political will to act. When experts were asked to rate a wide range of different groups on sustainable development, National governments received the worst rating. More than three quarters of sustainability experts surveyed said they think it will take an apocalyptic event to move governments forward.

According to 2012 survey released by GlobeScan and SustainAbility, more than 76 percent of sustainability experts think a major catastrophe will have to occur for national governments to take action on sustainable development. The survey was conducted by GlobeScan and SustainAbility who interviewed 1,603 sustainability experts in 117 countries.

Environmental Collaboration Transforming Government

Environmental issues are forcing governments to collaborate both internally and externally. Management of the vast number of interconnected environmental concerns demands that government collaborates both between various departments and with other governments. Focusing on collaboration between and within various agencies is a matter of efficient governance. Clearly environmental issues do not respect national boundaries. To get serious about containing climate change we must manage intra-governmental conflicts as well as transnational issues.

Sustainability Supported by Government Leadership

Tough economic times over the past few years didn’t stop states and localities from appointing sustainability directors and deploying new technology to monitor energy consumption, according to a new survey of senior policymakers and managers.

More than half of the respondents to a recent [2012] Government Technology survey said their jurisdictions have appointed someone to lead sustainability efforts. Twenty percent of respondents said they have created dashboards and metrics to monitor energy consumption in government buildings, and another 16 percent said they are considering such deployments.

The results are based on responses from 113 members of the Governing Exchange, an online community of government executives. The new survey findings track with an analysis of 2012 State of the State addresses released April 11 by the National Governor’s Association. More than 20 governors talked about energy priorities, according to the NGA, and nearly 20 mentioned environmental goals.

Making Climate Change an Issue in the 2012 Presidential Election

Despite a petition asking Jim Lehrer, (the moderator of the first presidential debate), to put climate change on the agenda, the question was never raised. The petition contained 160,000 signatures and was drawn up by a coalition of nine different nonprofit groups.

"If the debate is intended to cover our nation's most important challenges, climate change must be part of the discussion," said Steve Cochran, vice president of climate and air at EDF. "The threat to our environment is simply too great to ignore."

Conservative Confusion about the Role of Government in Support of Green Jobs

According to traditional conservative doctrine, governments do not create jobs only free markets can do that. However, economists around the world contradict that facile and dated logic. Investment in green job creation is a short term strategy that helps green industries to grow. Helping green industries to achieve economies of scale reduces costs, enhances competitiveness and provides jobs. Government investments also drive innovation.

The jobs creation potential of the green economy is unparallelled and governments all around the world see the wisdom of helping to grow their tax base by supporting green industry. Green-collar jobs are high paying positions that benefit the environment while cutting pollution and reducing waste.