Policy & Government

The two-week COP14 climate talks which start today in Poznan Poland, are the halfway mark in a two year negotiation effort by no less than 190 countries on a replacement for the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The new concept is way more ambitious than Kyoto which was signed by only 37 industrialized countries who committed to [...]

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Government leaders, environment officials and many others are converging on Poznan, Poland for the latest round of global climate change talks. Seeking to advance towards ratification of a post-Kyoto Protocol global accord and action plan to mitigate and adapt to climate change, the results of the Poznan meeting take on even greater urgency and significance in light of the financial system crisis and impending recession.

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It’s been a long time coming, but there’s a chance that bi-partisan Congressional support will soon give US drivers a choice of liquid transportation fuels at the pump. As “Big 3″ auto industry execs cry wolf and beg for billions more on Capitol Hill, senators and House reps are considering an Open Fuel Standards Act.

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The U.S. healthcare system is in sorry shape. The Commonwealth Fund Commission gave the U.S. healthcare system a score of 65 (out of 100) when compared to other industrialized countries. The overall performance of the healthcare system did not improve from 2006 to 2008, and access to healthcare decreased. The efficiency of the healthcare system [...]

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Much as LEED™ has transformed the building industry, the people behind the STAR Community Index hope to transform the way local governments set priorities and implement policies and practices to make their cities more sustainable. The STAR Community Index isn’t the first to try and rank or rate the greenness of cities. SustainLane for example [...]

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The world economy is in severe trouble – just how committed to fighting global warming will nations turn out to be? Next week’s climate talks in Poland are going to be a test.

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Over the last five years, health insurance premiums for employers increased almost five times faster than inflation, and four times faster than wage growth, according to a study by the National Coalition on Healthcare (NCHC) released last February. Premiums are rising at double digit rates which makes it harder for businesses to provide health insurance [...]

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This post continues my reveiw of some key points from the discusion forum I attended earlier this month “After the Election: Where is Clean Energy Headed Now?” hosted by TiE at their Silicon Valley headquarters. My last post focused on the presentation by Chris Flavin, president of Worldwatch Institute. In this post we’ll review what [...]

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The three automakers are too big to fail (some say), but is a federal bailout the way to go? Lyle Gramley, former Federal Reserve Board governor and senior economic advisor at the Stanford Group, said, “As a general principle, I don’t think that bailing out individual companies is a good idea. Under present circumstances, you’re [...]

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When Rick Wagoner, CEO of GM, was asked what it would mean if the U.S. automotive industry failed, while appearing before Congress last week, he responded, “the cost would be catastrophic in jobs lost, income lost, government tax revenue lost, and a huge blow to consumer and business confidence.” Robert Mardelli, CEO of Chrysler, told [...]

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This is fantastic news – and another sign that the stars are aligning for some serious sustainability-oriented policy changes to take place in Washington… Automakers’ closest friend kicked out of chairmanship It’s the end of an era — Michigan Democrat John Dingell has been officially toppled from his post as head of the House Energy [...]

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Last week I attended a discussion entitled After the Election: Where is Cleantech Headed Now? hosted by TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) at their Silicon Valley headquarters. The event was moderated by Andrew Chung of Lightspeed Venture Partners with presentations by Chris Flavin of Worldwatch Institute and Dr. Dick Swanson, founder of SunPower. Needless to say, the [...]

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San Francisco is the first city in the U.S. to have implemented a plastic bag ban, but there are many other cities up and down the west coast and across the nation who have enacted or are discussing similar measures (including Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, and New York). As opposed to S.F.’s ban on plastic, [...]

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This weekend leaders of the world’s 20 biggest economies gather for the G20 summit. Gary Gardner and Michael Renner, Worldwatch Institute senior researchers, believe the G20 summit should discuss creating a Global Green Deal. The strategic objectives of the GGD, as outlined by Gardner and Renner, are transitioning to a renewable energy economy, launching an [...]

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Since the credit crisis began, many experts have called for ‚ÄòA Green New Deal’ to rescue us. But how will green solutions be our savior, and why – at the end of the age of oil and a time of increasingly dangerous human-caused climatic instability – is this type of policy package so crucial for President Obama to implement during his first 100 Days?

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Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced this week his Green Jobs Initiative for consideration in the 2009 legislative session. The initiative offers a range of tax incentives for companies that produce renewable energy, manufacture renewable energy system components, or make green building products. The definition of green jobs could also include those in the service sector [...]

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by Rick Bunch, Beijing, October 22: If there is such a thing as a tipping point, in the sustainability realm one has to believe it’s near at hand when 1000 CEOs (and Cameron Diaz – no kidding!) get in the same room to be jawboned by Walmart CEO Lee Scott. For those of us who [...]

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Will Barack Obama’s administration create green jobs? Absolutely. By exploring his energy plan, we highlight 5 areas where green jobs will thrive.

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In anticipation of an Obama victory, investors scooped up insanely cheap renewable energy stocks on the day before and the day of the election. The solar sector saw some of the most impressive gains, with stocks like Evergreen Solar (NASDAQ:ESLR) climbing 44 percent, and Solarfun Power Holdings (NASDAQ:SOLF) picking up 49 percent.

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Americans have heard a great deal about hope and change during this election season. Together, those two words evoke a compelling vision for the future of our nation. Once the election is over, the questions for our policy makers (at all levels) will be how to move the nation towards this positive future, especially in the face of an economically challenged present.

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Fifty-two high profile investors announce the beginning of a massive letter writing campaign to urge businesses to sign on to the UN’s Global Compact

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Last week marked the 60th anniversary of the World Conservation Congress. The Congress is a ten-day forum for leaders in academia, business, government, NGO’s and the UN. Led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), this year’s event in Barcelona drew over 8,000 participants. Julia Marton-Lef√®vre, Director General of the IUCN, declared, “The [...]

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By Inimai M. Chettiar We don’t yet know who will win the White House on November 4th. But what we do know is that the next administration will need to deal with a triplet of crises in the economy, environment, and energy. We’re watching the upward tick of the cost of a gallon of gas, [...]

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In July, San Francisco launched GoSolarSF a 10-year solar rebate program designed to accelerate the build out of the city’s clean energy infrastructure. On September 30th, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that applications for new solar installations have quadrupled since then, putting the city on track to double its installed capacity by next year. Under the [...]

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As the credit crisis slows investment in clean energy development – the seeds of the emerging green economy that YOU are helping give birth to if you’re reading this blog – it’s time to get vocal and (1) demand some accountability here, and (2) step up to become part of the greater policy solution.

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A post by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom: At this vital juncture in our country’s history, it’s clear that we must take climate change seriously. America is spending more than $200,000 per minute on foreign oil — $13 million per hour. More than $25 billion a year goes for Persian Gulf imports alone. Our dependence [...]

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As part of Prime Minister Gordan’s reshuffle, a new department was created that is likely to boost growth in the renewable energy industry, while addressing climate change. The UK is a country that is particularly vulnerable to the affects of climate change and has identified it as an issue of vital national importance. The EU’s [...]

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San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is on a roll with initiatives aimed at placing the city at the forefront of urban sustainability. At a press conference on Tuesday, September 30, the mayor discussed his commitment to “actionable implementation,” something he said was currently lacking at the state and federal levels. Under his leadership, Newsom believes [...]

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Even as the US is at the cusp of a $700 bn bailout of Wall Street and stock prices are fluctuating like crazy, both closing keynote speakers former California Governor Jerry Brown and Vice President Al Gore remain optimistic about the state of the US economy. The danger we are facing is quite grave, but [...]

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McCain and Obama’s energy policy advisors squared off today on energy policy at a Carbon Disclosure Project global forum, where the CDP also released the results of its latest survey and research on emissions disclosure and policies among the world’s largest corporations.

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