For many years, climate change has displaced millions in the developing world – and now America is seeing its first climate refugees. Over 180 native communities in Alaska are under threat as ice melt, rising seas, and erosion threatens their traditional way of life. A new report by the US Army Corps of Engineers predicts that Alaskan villages such as Newtok (located on the western coast of Alaska and 400 miles south of the Bering Strait) could be completely underwater as soon as 2017.

Read the rest of America’s First Climate Refugees are Native Alaskan Communities

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Post tags: alaska, Arctic Council, bering strait, Climate Change, climate refugees, erosion, glacial melt, global warming, newtok, ninglick river, obama administration, us army corps of engineers, water issues

Japan has hemmed and hawed about closing its nuclear reactors after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. At first there was talk of closing down all reactors, but the motion was whittled down to affect just those that fail rigorous safety testing, and finally none at all. A panel of seismic experts just announced that one of Japan’s oldest reactors sits on a highly earthquake-prone site and should be shuttered permanently – and the government is taking the first steps towards shutting it down.

Read the rest of Japan Takes Steps to Permanently Close First Nuclear Reactor Since Fukushima Disaster

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Post tags: earthquake nuclear reactors, Fukushima disaster, fukushima japan, fukushima meltdown, fukushima nuclear power plant, fukushima reactor, Japan closing reactors, Japan ending nuclear power, japan nuclear power, Japan nuclear reactors, nuclear power concerns

A new United Nations report makes the startling assertion that disasters have resulted in $2.5 trillion in damage within the last 13 years alone. Those losses fall principally on the private sector, warned UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who said at a New York City launch event for the report: “Governments bear the responsibility for disaster risk reduction. But the level of risk is also related to the where and the how of investment by the private sector, which is responsible for 70 to 85 percent of worldwide investment in new buildings, industry and critical infrastructure.”

Read the rest of UN Report Says Disasters Have Cost $2.5 Trillion Since 2000

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Post tags: ban ki-moon, Climate Change, disaster risk reduction, extreme weather, GAR, global warming, UN, UNISDR, United Nations

Until this past Friday, the U.S. was the only Arctic nation that lacked a formal strategy in its approach to the region. In advance of Wednesday’s Arctic Council meeting in Sweden, the Obama Administration just put forth a vague Arctic policy that seeks to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the region, while recognizing that an undisciplined approach to exploring those new opportunities could threaten national security, interests and the global good.

Read the rest of Obama Administration Sets Forth Vague Policy on the Future of the Arctic

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Post tags: arctic council meeting, center for biological diversity, earthjustic, economic opportunities in the arctic, erika rosenthal, marine oil pollution preparedness and response, new fishing in the arctic, oil and gas exploration in the arctic, rebecca goblin, secretary of state john kerry, shell oil drilling in the arctic, threat to the arctic, tourism of the arctic, U.S. formal policy on the arctic, u.s. state department

In order to help reduce carbon emissions by 2020, the UK government recently opened the Green Investment Bank (GIB) in Edinburgh, making it the first bank in the world focused entirely on lending to clean energy developments. Capitalized with over 3 billion pounds, the GIB financed eleven projects over its first five months, the majority of which had to do with generating energy from waste. The bank reported that it was able to utilize 1.7 billion pounds of third-party lending, helping to spark a new, sustainable private sector.

Read the rest of Britain’s Green Investment Bank Loans $1 Billion in First Months of Business

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Post tags: biomass, britain, carbon emissions, edinburgh, gib, green deal, green investment bank, investment, loan, market, private sector, UK, vince cable

As a college student, you would hope to attend an institution that values enlightened ideals and sound investments. However, at many universities across the country, portions of large endowments have long been used to support the fossil fuel industry. Joining over 300 schools around the US, Brown University is seeking to divest from dirty power. Receiving support from such organizations as 350.org, the Sierra Club, the Responsible Endowments Coalition, and As You Sow, the student-run campaign is asking the administration to pull its money from 15 coal and mining companies.

Read the rest of Brown University Joins Growing Movement to Divest from Fossil Fuels

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Post tags: 350.org, arch coal, As You Sow, big tobacco, brown divest coal campaign, brown university, chris bull, coal, college, duke energy, emily kirkland, hei hotels, midamerican, mining, npr, Sierra Club, South Africa, sudan, the advisory committee on corporate responsibility on investment politics, the responsible endowments coalition, university

It has only been a couple of days since the Liberator 3D-printed gun was successfully fired in Texas by Defense Distributed. But after the gun was downloaded over 100,000 times in just two days, the State Department told founder Cody Wilson to take down the blueprints from the company’s servers immediately. The sheer number of downloads is not what is causing concern for the federal government – they are concerned as to who is doing the downloading. The web-based plans are subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations that do not allow the “export [of] any defense article or technical data for which a license or written approval is required without first obtaining the required authorization from the DDTC (Directorate of Defense Trade Controls).”

Read the rest of State Department Steps in to Block Access to 3D-Printed Liberator Gun Blueprints

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Post tags: 3D-printed gun, blueprints, Brazil, California, Chuck Schumer, Cody Wilson, ddtc, Defense Distributed, directorate of defense trade controls, download, germany, international traffic in arms regulations, leland yee, liberator gun, mega, New York., server, Spain, steve israel, texas, UK, US, us state department

There are those who will only let their firearms be taken away from their cold, dead 3D printers. Defense Distributed, a group of IT professionals, students, and engineers located in the US and Germany, have reported to Forbes that the downloads for its Liberator gun have reached 100,000. Earlier this week, they had demonstrated their product being discharged successfully in Texas. Since then, California Senator Leland Yee has been taking steps to ban the weapon, attempting to outlaw the manufacture of 3D-printed guns.

Read the rest of Blueprints for 3D-Printed Liberator Gun Have Been Downloaded 100,000 Times in Just Two Days

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Post tags: 3d printer, 3D-printed gun, BluePrint, Brazil, California, Chuck Schumer, Cody Wilson, defcad, Defense Distributed, download, ebay, germany, liberator pistol, New York., plastic, senator leland yee, Spain, steve isreal, texas, UK, US, us bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms, us undetectable firearms act

Many of us would love to own a shiny new car, especially if that vehicle were at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. Electric vehicles seem like an enlightened way to get around without having to resort to a gas-guzzling jalopy or sacrifice personal freedom. Unfortunately, if you are considering buying an EV, you will almost certainly come away from the dealership with a much lighter pocketbook. In an effort to lessen the sting of going green, California Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi has proposed a bill that would use the post-purchase value of the car to reduce taxes and fees for plug-ins.

Read the rest of California Bill Introduced to Lower Sales Tax on Plug-in Electric Vehicles

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Post tags: ab-1077, assemblyman al muratsuchi, California, credit, electric vehicle, ev, ford, hermosa beach, legislation, plug-in, revenue and tax committee, sales tax, Toyota

Five months after re-election, President Obama is finally filling out his second term cabinet appointments. White House officials say that the president is planning to nominate Anthony R. Foxx, the mayor of Charlotte, N.C., to be the next Secretary of Transportation, replacing Ray LaHood, who will be stepping down as soon as the next appointee is confirmed by the Senate.

Read the rest of Obama to Appoint Anthony R. Foxx, the Mayor of Charlotte, the Next Transportation Secretary

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Post tags: anthony r. foxx, barack obama second term cabinet, light rail, mayor of charlotte, nominating anthony r. foxx, nomination of next transportation secretary, ray lahood, streetcars, sustainable transportation, transportation secretary

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to the single use plastic bag issue since the finer points of each problem can be different and unique to each location. What this interactive map showcases are the stories behind the laws, bans, and taxes imposed in locations all over the world and it makes it easy to track the movement. Click on one of the color-coded pins to find out more about why various locations have a law on the books that prohibits plastic bags, uncover where efforts to implement a bag ban were unsuccessful, and discover the path various locations have taken which led them to put a tax or fee in place on single use plastic bags. This interactive resource offers breaking news and current information that makes it easy to examine and scrutinize the always changing, varied and wide-ranging solutions municipalities and governments put into action to resolve the same problem – how to address the abundance of single use plastic shopping bags.

+ Plastic Bag Ban Community Page

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Post tags: eco maps, interactive maps, maps, plastic bag bans, plastic bag map, plastic bag policy, plastic bags

Recently, states such as New York, Montana, North Dakota, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri have passed  laws that seek to outlaw or limit undercover farm investigations that have been dubbed “ag-gag bills” by activists. But there are still many people who refuse to remain silent in the face of animal and human abuse. The Food Integrity Campagin and The Government Accountability Project have this week published a pair of affidavits from USDA inspectors reporting the unsafe use of chemicals in poultry processing plants and their effects on worker safety.

Read the rest of USDA Whistleblowers Warn of Chemical Hazards in Poultry Plants

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Post tags: affidavit, chemicals, contamination, inspector, iowa, Kansas, Missouri, montana, New York., north dakota, offline processing, online processing, peracetic acid, poultry, processing plant, the food integrity campagin, the government accountability project, usda, whistleblower, worker safety

In March, the State Department issued a controversial analysis of the Keystone XL Pipeline that stated the project would have no significant impact on the environment. Needless to say, this raised the hackles of many concerned citizens and environmental groups. The US Environmental Protection Agency also took issue with the assessment, and this week released a document criticizing the State Department’s report. In a letter, the agency remarked that there was not enough evidence to give credence to the State Department’s conclusions concerning safety, emissions, and alternative routes. The formal objections could complicate the approval of the $7 billion project.

Read the rest of EPA Wants State Department to Reassess Their Analysis of the Keystone XL Pipeline

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Post tags: Alberta, arkansas, assessment, canada, CO2, environmental protection agency, global warming, gulf of mexico, kalamazoo river, Keystone XL Pipeline, mayflower, Michigan, oil, president obama, spill, state department, tar sands

There once was a time when cap and trade plans looked like our best hope for limiting carbon emissions. But recent fluctuations in the European carbon market seem to indicate trouble in paradise. The prices of carbon allowances — necessary for any company that plans to produce more emissions than allotted — have dropped down to 10% of what they were once worth. While that’s bad news for investors, it also gives polluters a cheap way to continue polluting as usual.

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Post tags: cap and trade problems, carbon market dropping, carbon market failure, eu cap and trade, EU carbon allowances, EU carbon market, European cap and trade, European carbon allowances, European carbon market, global warming solutions, market solutions for warming

In this economy, it isn’t just students and homeowners who are having trouble paying back their loans. In a statement on Monday, the US Department of Energy said that it had seized $21 million from Anaheim, California-based electric car maker Fisker Automotive, Inc. on April, 11. The DOE said that it will continue to seek repayment from a loan agreement made back in 2009. A payment was due this week, but was not met. This decision came several weeks after the company laid off three-quarters of its workers and had part of its $529 million loan frozen back in 2011.

Read the rest of US Department of Energy Seizes $21 Million from Fisker Automotive

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Post tags: anaheim, aoife mccarthy, California, congress, DOE, Finland, Fisker Automotive, House of Representatives, hybrid car, karma, loan, solyndra

Google has long been at the forefront of technological advancement, and now the Silicon Valley giant has come up with a plan that could potentially take the renewable energy market to the next level. In a post published on the company’s blog, Google Director of Global Infrastructure Gary Demasi announced a plan that would create a special tariff for clean energy. Working with Duke Energy, the company is establishing a rate for its data center in Lenoir, NC. By establishing this new designation, Google hopes to make it easier for large businesses to take advantage of clean energy.

Read the rest of Google Announces Renewable Energy Data Center Plan

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Post tags: "clean energy", data center, gary demasi, Google, lenoir, north carolina, ppa, REC, renewables, silicon valley, tariff

A new Kansas state house bill introduced by the Committee on Energy and the Environment is seeking to outlaw sustainable development. Although some believe that green infrastructure can ensure a high standard of living for future generations, others see sustainable development as a government plot to redistribute wealth and compromise freedom. Opponents cite the United Nations’ Agenda 21 established in Rio back in 1992. While the document promotes progressive ideas ranging from cost effective-energy systems to public transport, many right wing conspiracy theorists have come to view it as a global takeover of rights and personal property.

Read the rest of Kansas Seeks to Outlaw Sustainable Development Through State Law

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Post tags: "sustainable development", agenda 21, american policy center, bill, bill no. 2366, bloomberg, cj online, Conspiracy, dennis hedke, Kansas, legislation, personal property, right wing, rio, tom deweese, tom randall, United Nations

For a country phasing out its nuclear plants, you might expect a downturn in energy production. But Germany has actually seen its power output quadruple between 2011 and 2012. Europe’s leading economy has been pushing for a green revolution, becoming one of the largest markets for solar voltaics and where support for renewables is subsidized by taxpayers. The country’s Federal Statistics Office reported a surplus of 22.8 billion kilowatt hours over the last two years. The government has set a goal to source 80 percent of its electricity from green technology by 2050, leaving the old fossil fuel-based utilities behind. Holland, Austria and Switzerland were the country’s main customers for the extra energy.

Read the rest of Germany Quadruples Energy Surplus Over the Last Two Years

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Post tags: Austria, czech republic, Denmark, Electricity, fossil fuel, france, germany, holland, power, renewable energy, Reuters, surplus, Switzerland, utilities

Due to a thirty-year-old law, Exxon will not be paying into the federal fund that will pay for the cleanup of 12,000 barrels of crude oil that leaked from its Pegasus Pipeline in Arkansas. The pipeline, which transports oil from the tar sands region of Canada, ruptured in Mayflower, Arkansas, where cleanup crews have been finding evidence of harm to local wildlife. The loophole that enables Exxon to avoid paying an eight cents per gallon tax into the cleanup fund? Technically the pipeline was not transporting—and did not leak—oil.

Read the rest of Exxon Will Not Pay for Cleanup of 12,000 Barrels of Crude in Arkansas as Leak is Not “Oil”

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Post tags: alberta canada, arkansas oil, dilbit, diluted bitumen, environmental destruction, Exxon, exxon mobil, keystone xl, mayflower arkansas, oil spill clean up, oil spill leaks, Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, oil spills, oil taxes, Oill Change INternational, pegasus pipeline, pipeline leaks, pipelines, tar sands

After reaching record levels of production in 2012, the world’s wind power capacity is projected to grow to reach 300,000 MW by the end of 2013. With major projects announced in the past few months, China, Denmark the EU and the US remain among the primary producers of the world’s wind power, while Japan hopes to soon become home to the world’s largest offshore wind farm as nations in Eastern Europe and Latin America begin to harness their own wind potential. Currently operating wind turbines can already—at European levels of production—provide carbon-free power for over 450 million homes world-wide.

Read the rest of Global Wind Power Production to Break 300,000 MW This Year, Could Top 425,000 MW by 2015

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Post tags: "wind power", california wind farm, china wind, denmark energy, global wind power capacity, offshore wind, palm springs wind, renewable energy, wind capacity, wind power production, world wind power generation