The people who still support coal, basically have one argument: that it’s a necessary evil, being the only source of energy within reach that is sufficiently abundant to keep up with our enormous and ever-growing appetite for energy. We have so much coal, they reason, and we need lots of energy, so how could we not take advantage of this resource? They could be right, as much as those of us who care about the environment hate to admit it.

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The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which has been collecting GHG emissions data from companies for nearly a decade, recently released a report which revealed that there is a gap that exists between the carbon reduction performance of companies and that of their suppliers.

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Apple Skin Skies examines the idea that our atmosphere is thin relative to the size of the planet and the number of humans on its surface. A connection is drawn between the thickness of an apple skin relative to its diameter and how with this simple mental exercise it becomes more clear how human activity could bring about global warming.

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More than half of insurers that responded to a National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) climate disclosure survey  named market segments that may be affected by climate change. A third of the insurers surveyed mentioned climate-affected geographies in their portfolio. However, only 11 reported having formal climate change policies, and over 60 percent of the [...]

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Organic produce and pasture based meat and dairy have less of an environmental impact than their conventionally produced counterparts, a recently released report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) found. Titled A Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate Change and Health, the report includes lifecycle assessments of 20 popular types of meat, dairy and vegetable proteins. [...]

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Developing countries are pledging larger greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions than developed countries, a new study for Oxfam by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) discovered. The study, commissioned as part of Oxfam’s GROW campaign, estimates that over 60 percent of emissions reductions by 2020 are likely to come from developing countries. China is the number [...]

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The Carbon War Room, the Sir Richard Branson non-profit organization that encourages and develops market-driven climate solutions, has announced the winners of their Gigaton Awards at the Cancún Climate Summit. According to the CWR, “The Gigaton Awards seeks to bring prestige and recognition to companies showing leadership in emissions reductions and sustainable practices, thereby engendering [...]

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Just when you thought it might be safe to go hiking in West Virginia’s mountains or along its streams, the EPA apparently has caved to the interests of Big Coal by signing off on one Clean Water Act permit for a mountaintop coal mining project in that state and preparing the way for the eventual [...]

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Showing a fine sense of message and timing, the United States entered the first day of the crucial climate change conference in Copenhagen armed with a potentially game-changing decision from the Environmental Protection Agency:  Greenhouse gases threaten public health and the environment and must be regulated. EPA’s announcement Monday sent a sharp signal to the [...]

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Kohl’s Department Stores is going all-in on carbon neutrality. The Wisconsin company says it’s the first retailer to commit to reaching a net zero greenhouse gas emission as part of a partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leader program. It’s a bold assertion but Kohl’s appears ready to back up it with action. It [...]

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In the grand scheme of things, if neither next month’s Copenhagen summit on climate change or pending U.S. legislation on the same topic fails to establish firm, enforceable consensus on carbon reductions, accounting and reporting, it may not matter very much. That’s because the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has already done most of the heavy [...]

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SC Johnson, maker of a variety of household products that include Glade, Drano and Scrubbing Bubbles, says in its latest sustainability report that it has reduced greenhouse gas emissions 27 percent at its worldwide factories over the last eight years. In the U.S., the Racine, WI, company reported a 17 percent reduction in GHG emissions [...]

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If you’ve ever shopped at one of Costco Wholesale Corporation’s massive retail warehouses, you already know that it’s pretty much a low-tech, do-it-yourself shopping experience. Paper or plastic is a question unasked at the checkout line; the best one can do is to opt for a recycled cardboard box that might once have contained kumquats, [...]

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Brown-Forman – parent of Jack Daniel’s and many other alcohol beverage brands – says in its second corporate responsibility report that after implementing a greenhouse gas reduction strategy last year, it reduced total energy use by 2.3 percent from its 2007 use. That’s a start, but over the same 2007-2008 period the company reported that [...]

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The European Union has found an unlikely helper in the fight to cut its greenhouse gas emissions: the recession. According to a Reuters report, the EU’s emissions dropped for a fourth straight year in 2008, largely due to decreases in industrial activity caused by the recession. Go figure….

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As long as gasoline-powered vehicles ply the nation’s highways reducing transportation pollution is perhaps the most critical element in the effort to slash greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report from group of federal agencies and advocacy groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund. Once that realization sinks fully in and actions are implemented it will [...]

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As much as it might want to, GM doesn’t stand for Green Motors. The legendary but gasping company should get a few props for trying though. The trick now for the General and other U.S. carmakers is to get greener fast while reorganizing, rolling through their bankruptcies and bleeding greenbacks. Sarcasm and skepticism is easy [...]

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A new study reveals that scientists are putting too much blame on cities for their contribution to the world’s greenhouse gas problem. Cities have massive potential for combining high quality of life with low greenhouse gas emissions.

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Fertilizer use and climate change. Unfortunately, choice words you rarely hear used in the same sentence. With so much focus given to emissions from transportation and industry, lesser known, but equally important factors like fertilizer use are often overlooked. To place things in perspective, the overuse of fertilizers releases an estimated 2 billion tonnes of [...]

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g8 talks get stuck because of China and India’s refusal to stick to 50% reduction of ghg by 2050. Story focuses on China’s export sector and its ghg production. Who shoudl be paying?

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As the need for climate change solutions continues to grow, so does the need for properly educated greenhouse gas management and measurement professionals. With the help of various media outlets most people understand and accept the most basic aspects of climate change – global temperatures are rising, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are extremely high and [...]

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U.S. District Judge Anthony Ishii of Fresno ruled on Wednesday the California has the right to regulate tail pipe emissions of greenhouse gases. As most here probably know, California was the first state to legislate greenhouse gas emissions from cars, a law that has been modeled in similar form by 16 other states across the [...]

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On hearing that the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) just named Jack Cogen, CEO of Natsource, as the their new chairman, I decided to do some research on the organization and the concept of emissions trading in general. What follows is a quick synopsis. The IETA fully supports the objectives of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Based on this [...]

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