[Source: CALmatters] A Harvard economist known globally for his work on climate change policy sat in the Sacramento office of the oil industry’s lobbying firm recently, making the case that California is fighting global warming the wrong way. The state has a good cap and trade system, Robert Stavins said, but some of its other Read More…
Newsroom
Affordable housing may be limited by new state environmental rules
[Source: CalWatchdog.com] A new rule designed to promote urban development and curb both car usage and greenhouse gas emissions may end up making cities less affordable and more congested, critics say. The rule would modify how traffic is evaluated during a critical phase for planning for building developments, shifting the focus from traffic congestion to Read More…
U.S. states where recession is a reality
[Source: Bloomberg Business] Dale Oxley doesn’t need to hear about rising odds of a U.S. recession to dread the future. For the West Virginia homebuilder, the downturn has already arrived. “Everyone is going to have to tighten their belts,” said Oxley, the 48-year-old owner of a Charleston-area construction company. “The next couple of years are Read More…
California’s drought adds $2 billion in electricity costs
[Source: The Sacramento Bee] A hydro shortage has raised California’s electricity costs by a combined $2 billion the past four years, according to a report released Tuesday by the Pacific Institute, a water policy think tank based in Oakland. In addition, the institute said the drought has contributed to climate change: California’s fossil-fuel power plants Read More…
Supreme Court blocks Obama carbon emissions plan
[Source: Reuters] The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday delivered a major blow to President Barack Obama by putting on hold federal regulations to curb carbon dioxide emissions mainly from coal-fired power plants, the centerpiece of his administration’s strategy to combat climate change. The court voted 5-4 along ideological lines to grant a request by 27 Read More…
California’s $400 billion debt worries analysts
[Source: San Francisco Chronicle] California has come a long way to dig itself out of budget deficits, but the state remains on shaky ground due to nearly $400 billion in unfunded liabilities and debt from public pensions, retiree health care and bonds, financial analysts say. “Yes, the state’s budget is balanced if you are looking Read More…
Is California a climate model?
[Source: The Sacramento Bee] Tom Steyer was on stage at the United Nations climate summit one recent afternoon, grinning at a small crowd. Many people in the audience had already heard the billionaire environmentalist “promoting California as an example” of leadership on climate change, the event’s moderator said. Still, Steyer came to dish some more. Read More…
Los Angeles: city of losers?
[Source: NewGeography] When I arrived in Los Angeles four decades ago, it was clearly a city on the rise, practicing its lines on the way to becoming the dominant metropolis in North America. Today, the City of Angels and much of Southern California lag behind not only a resurgent New York City, but also L.A.’s longtime Read More…
Making climate change fashionable – the garment industry takes on global warming
[Source: Forbes] As the COP21 climate change talks are underway in Paris this week, it’s nice to see real progress on fronts rarely discussed. Lots of industries other than energy production are important sources of greenhouse gas emissions – agriculture, iron and metal smelting, cement production, waste treatment and … the fashion industry. The apparel Read More…