Coronavirus Augurs Hope for Climate Action

The coronavirus will augur change and while it is far too early to say with any certainty, it may very well drive the kind of radical transformation that we need to address the climate crisis. People are coming together to face this modern day plague. We are seeing a return to multilateralism and perhaps even a reversal of the trend towards increasing polarization. In the first few weeks of the pandemic we also began to see a reduction in climate change causing emissions.

To be clear we have little reason to celebrate at present. Health care systems are being overwhelmed and people are sick and dying. To make matters worse this pandemic is unfolding against the backdrop of the Trump administration's tragic mishandling of the crisis and a global economic meltdown. The stock markets are experiencing unprecedented volatility and U.S. job losses have spiked to a record 3.3 million making recession a virtual certainty.

Feedback Loop Between Extreme Weather and Fossil Fuels Makes the Case for Clean Energy

As clean energy continues to grow storms continue to highlight the dangers of oil and gas. Fossil fuels and storms are locked in a perilous relationship that sees each contribute to the destructive force of the other. Extreme weather events have repeatedly ravaged Texas oil infrastructure.

Storms wreak havoc with both the economy and the environment. Preliminary estimates put the economic cost of Hurricane Harvey at $190 billion, making it the costliest natural disaster in US history. There are also costs in the fossil fuel sector associated with Hurricane Harvey passing right through the hub of the US petroleum and natural gas industries in southeast Texas.

Mother Nature Strikes Back: A Review of Extreme Weather in 2016

Extreme weather is a deadly corollary of climate change. A UN study found that between 1995 and 2015, 600,000 people died from natural disasters. Global warming is known to exacerbate the intensity of extreme weather events. We are already seeing clear evidence of climate change playing a role in a growing number of natural disasters. Thanks to advances in attribution science we can now see the role that climate change plays in driving a succession of increasingly severe extreme weather events.

The Eye of the Storm: Hurricane Matthew, Attribution Science and Climate Change (Video)

It is widely accepted that warmer seas contribute to hurricanes but there are also a number of other factors that contribute to extreme weather events. Here is a review of the evidence linking climate change and Hurricane Matthew.

Matthew has already wreaked havoc in Cuba and the Bahamas and it has killed almost one thousand people in Haiti. Four Americans are known to have died due to the storm. There are currently states of emergency in effect in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

Although Matthew has been downgraded from a level 5 to a level 1 hurricane it still packs a punch.  It looks as though central Florida was spared the worst, but cities along the East Coast are bracing for the storm.

Primer on Sustainability in Small Businesses

There are a number of things that small businesses can do to be more environmentally sustainable.  This both lowers costs and enhances the reputation of your enterprise. A growing number of companies are reducing the environmental impact of their businesses, so engaging sustainability is also about remaining competitive. Increasing consumer interest in sustainability makes it ever more important for small businesses to be able to meet burgeoning demand now and in the future.

Why Small Businesses are Engaging Sustainability

The size of the market opportunities is driving small businesses to engage environmental sustainability, as are concerns about survival and long term success. In addition to improving profits, reducing costs and mitigating against risk, engaging sustainability affords opportunities for collaboration and innovation.

While big corporate sustainability initiatives steal headlines, the small business community is also going green. For example, operational efficiency practices are increasingly commonplace even in small companies.

The rationale for engaging sustainability is largely about meeting and anticipating consumer demand. This translates to more customers, increased sales, higher revenues and even price premiums. Sustainability contributes to the crafting of a unique selling proposition, it helps to differentiate a company from the competition, and it offers a competitive advantage. Sustainability provides a host of reputational benefits. The latter contributes to word of mouth marketing, greater trust, improved loyalty, and enhanced employee recruitment and retention.

Why Small Businesses are Well Suited to Sustainability

Small businesses and sustainability are a perfect match. Yet their are a number of reasons why they are not adopting sustainability at the same rate as their corporate counterparts. Just like their larger corporate cousins, small businesses should adopt sustainability policies. There are good reasons why it is easier to engage sustainability in a small business as compared to a large corporation.

While they may not have the deep pockets of big corporations, a small business is more nimble and able to change directions more quickly than large enterprises.

Why Small Businesses are Not Engaging Sustainability

Many small businesses fail to realize the value of sustainability and as a consequence they are not adopting sustainability as quickly as large corporations. Despite the convincing business case for sustainability, small businesses have yet to engage in large numbers. Small business owners commonly perceive sustainability to be overly complex and too costly. The result is that small businesses are often absent from discussions about sustainability.

The inaction of the small business community does not appear to be due to disinterest in environmental responsibility. According to a Lloyds’ survey, 61 percent of small and medium business leaders practice sustainability at home, while only 43 percent incorporate eco-friendly practices at the office.

Video - Years of Living Dangerously (Premiere Full Episode)

Watch the world premiere of the new series, "Years of Living Dangerously" which involves celebrities and respected journalists as they span the globe to explore the issues of climate change and cover intimate stories of human triumph and tragedy. The "Years of Living Dangerously" takes you directly to the heart of climate change issues in an awe-inspiring, cinematic documentary series event.

Infographic - Climate Change: Threat or Opportunity

Infographic - Extreme Weather (Pakistan, East Africa, Pilippines)

Senators All Night Vigil Urging Action on Climate Change

Starting on Monday, March 10 and concluding on Tuesday, March 11, 28 Senators (26 Democrats and two independents) will be speaking all night to urge action on climate change. Immediately following votes on the evening of Monday, March 10 until approximately 9 am ET Tuesday, March 11, Senators from the Senate Climate Action Task Force will be holding the Senate floor to urge action on climate change.

Secretary of State Kerry Compares Climate Change to Weapons of Mass Destruction

Here are excerpts of US Secretary of State John Kerry's Sunday February 16th speech in Jakarta, Indonesia, in which he compares climate change to weapons of mass destruction.

Think about this: terrorism, epidemics, poverty, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction — all challenges that know no borders. The reality is that climate change ranks right up there with every single one of them.

Secretary of State Kerry: Climate Change is a Catastrophic Threat

Secretary of State John Kerry gave a speech in Indonesia on Sunday February 16. In this speech he made some of his most powerful statements to date about the threat posed by climate change.

Here are some highlights from his speech in Jakarta:

It’s not an exaggeration to say to you that the entire way of life that you live and love is at risk.

"Catastrophic" Ice Storm Slams the Southeast and Heads North

The US southeast from Alabama through South Carolina was hit with a very unusual ice and snow storm. Officials and forecasters in several states in the Deep South called the storm "catastrophic." The storm is being blamed for at least 15 deaths in the South and hundreds of car accidents.

The winter storm has impacted an area stretching from northern Florida all the way to Maine, but it is being felt most in the South where people are least accustomed to ice and snow. 

Already three quarters of a million people are without power and that number is expected to increase as more ice and snow fall. These power outages could leave people in the cold, dark for days. An ice storm in the Atlanta area in 2000 left more than 500,000 homes and businesses without power. After a snowstorm stranded thousands two weeks ago, the mayor of Atlanta, urged people to stay home. This left the business district virtually devoid of life. The area includes the headquarters for companies like Home Depot, UPS, Delta and Coca-Cola.

Video - A Satellite View of Weather in 2013

This is what a year's worth of weather looks like on Earth. In this video you can see Super Typhoon Haiyan, October’s freak blizzard in the Midwest, powerful windstorms in Europe in November and December, and tropical storms throughout the year.

Report - Top 10 Energy Management Predictions for 2014

Do you want to know what will be the major energy management trends that will impact corporates and utilities in 2014? Look no further than this complimentary report. Verdantix has compiled years of research into energy technologies, energy services and power utilities, as well as conducing extensive interviews with 500 energy managers in 2012 and 2013.

In 2014 Verdantix predicts:

Freak Weather: Alaska is Warmer than Alabama

The weather in the US has been turned upside down with the far north being warmer than the deep south. At the end of January 2014, the temperature in northern Alaska reached an all time high according to the National Weather Service in Fairbanks. While a warm air mass in Alaska is breaking records in the far north, southern states are suffering under the influence of another polar vortex. It is a twisted climatic irony that Alabama is far colder than Alaska.

Event - Venture Summit West

This event will take place on February 12, 2014, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. The summit content will include discussions and educational tracks focused on cleantech. The Second annual Venture Summit West, presented by youngStartup Ventures, is the premier industry gathering connecting venture capitalists, corporate VCs, angel investors, technology transfer professionals, senior executives of early stage and emerging growth companies, university researchers, incubators and premier service providers.

Predictions for US Energy Efficiency in 2014: Growth and Obstacles

What can we expect from energy efficiency in the US in 2014? Insight into some of the major trends in energy efficiency for the year to come and beyond (this article is a followup to US Energy Efficiency in 2013: Success Stories and Barriers).

Efficiency will have an even greater impact on both residential and industrial energy consumption this year compared to 2013. This is driven by policy at the federal, state and municipal levels. Net-positive energy buildings is another trend expected to grow in 2014. Other specific initiatives that will define energy efficiency in 2014 relate to financing, data usage, operational savings, and equipment integration.