Group items tagged

"The largest bike-sharing program in the United States is now active in New York City, providing thousands of carless and bikeless residents with a sustainable new form of transportation."

"Can Wind, Water and Sunlight Power New York by 2050?"

"New York wants to fight climate change through good farming. Here's the dirt."

"Each of the 125 leaders attending the New York climate summit this week has been given four minutes to speak to the world. They (or their aides) may well have dipped into the climate literature to add scientific ballast to their speeches. But they may not be as familiar with the vast array of academic studies on effective communication about climate change. They should be. If world leaders and climate advocates really want to improve the chances of mobilising political will and citizen action behind a new deal, they will need to think carefully about what sort of key messages actually work. Clearly there is a balance to strike between doom-ridden messages and "bright-side" opportunities, and uncertainties around the science and the expected effects of climate change must be factored in too. Can risk language help?"

"Last week, the New York Times reported that venerable Dow Jones Industrial Average component Coca-Cola Co. was awakening to the impact of climate change on its business. The increase in unpredictable weather, droughts, floods and other climate-related events was disrupting the company's product supply. Some of their "essential ingredients" are now under threat. Global warming, according to the article, is being seen "as a force that contributes to lower gross domestic products, higher food and commodity costs, broken supply chains and increased financial risk." This debate is no longer about whether global warming is real (it is) or whether humans are the most likely cause (you are), but rather, some very interesting and different questions that might be more professionally relevant to finance: How is this going to affect business? What are the investing consequences? Who will be the financial winners and losers of climate change?"

"It will come as no surprise to hear that only a tiny fraction - less than 1 percent - of cars driving along American roads are fully electric. What might be more surprising is the fact that this wasn't always the case. In 1900, 34 percent of cars in New York, Boston and Chicago were powered by electric motors. Nearly half had steam engines. What happened? Why do we end up embracing one technology while another, better one struggles or fails?"

"Playing Out is a UK initiative to close streets temporarily for motor traffic in order for children to play outside. The City of New York has a Play Streets initiative which has regular (weekly or more!), scheduled road closures all across the city for children to play."

I am writing with Hurricane Sandy having brought devastation to New York and the East coast of the United States. Much has been written on the politics of climate change. But until a few days ago, a severe weather event affecting the Presidential poll in the world's largest economy and second largest emitter of greenhouse gases, would have been regarded as creative fantasy or another average Hollywood script.

"The United States has seen quite the bike boom over the last decade or so, and it doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon. According to the Christian Science Monitor, bike commuting grew by 47% nationwide between 2000 and 2011. Unsurprisingly, it was Portland, Oregon that took the lead with 250% growth, followed by Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, and New York City. Still, only 1% of Americans are biking on the regular, compared to 26% of people in the Netherlands, 10% of Germans, and 19% of the Danish population. The growth in the United States is of course still positive, and a great indication that there will be widespread public support as more cities begin to integrate cycling into the transportation grid."

"Josh Fox explains how he came to oppose the natural-gas industry's practice of hydraulic fracturing. Josh is an American filmmaker who wrote and directed the documentaries Gasland and Gasland Part II. gaslandthemovie.com/ This video was recorded on 4/29/13 in New York, NY as part of the Dish's "Ask Anything" interview series." For more see https://vimeo.com/album/2455766

"What's wrong with what we eat: Mark Bittman on TED.com - In this fiery and funny talk from the 2007 EG (Entertainment Gathering) conference, New York Times food writer Mark Bittman weighs in on what's wrong with the way we eat now (too much meat, too few plants; too much fast food, too little home cooking), and why it's putting the entire planet at risk. (Recorded December 2007 in Los Angeles, California. Duration: 20:08.)"

"I would like to see our renovated Headquarters complex eventually become a globally acclaimed model of efficient use of energy and resources. Beyond New York, the initiative should include the other United Nations headquarters and offices around the globe."

"People never seem to question science when it underlies something easily valued - like iPhones and other handheld devices. We either take it for granted or celebrate science-based products like G.P.S., Global Positioning Systems, which guide drivers and pilots and allow heavy machinery or a farmer's tractor to be operated with a precision that approaches ballet. And people are always eager to take advantage of the latest advances in medicine."