From Heathrow to the Paris Accord: The Climate Minute
A British court enforced the Paris Agreement to stop a planned new runway in London. We discuss.
The reading list:
- BBC Explainer: What is the third runway?
- Grist: 3rd runway won't fly under Paris
- Guardian: Why 3rd runway may never happen
- Guardian Opinion on flight shaming
- NYT on future of loyalty programs
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Environmental Justice at risk in East Boston: The Climate Minute
Environmental justice is at stake in the historic community of East Boston. Eversource is trying to build an electrical substation (read: “unnecessary fossil fuel infrastructure”) in a community already heavily burdened by industrial facilities and the support of Logan airport. We speak with two activists from GreenRoots to better understand the issues. You can take action on March 11 by attending a meeting with the EFSB at East Boston High School. Listen in.
The reading list
- Wikipedia on East Boston
- Telemundo: Preocupacion por futura subestacion electrica en East Boston.
- Commonwealth Magazine: State should reopen review of East Boston substation. Neighborhood already burdened by environmental hazards
- Union of Concerned Scientists: East Boston and Power: An Environmental Justice Community in Transition
- Union of Concerned Scientists: East Boston, a Controversial Substation and Opportunities Ahead
- Union of Concerned Scientists: A Clean Energy Alternative to a Risky Proposed Substation in East Boston
- Union of Concerned Scientists: Open Letter Demands Clean Energy Alternative to Risky Eversource Substation
- WBUR: Some East Boston Residents Are Wary Of Proposed Electrical Substation
- The Boston Globe: Piling on the Burdens in Chelsea and East Boston
- A link to Green Roots
- GreenRoots Facebook page
- The EJ bill in the MA Statehouse
- Governor Patrick's EJ policy currently in place
- gov on the EFSB
- Hurricane Sandy: Video of Explosion at NYC Con Edison Plant
- Contact for Secretary Theoharides (otherwise know as @ClimateKatie, phone number 617-626-1000 x 81015)
- Details on the March 11 EFSB event at East Boston High
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Corona versus the Climate: The Climate Minute
The Corona virus gives us an interesting perspective on climate change issues. We discuss.
The reading list
- The Weather Channel on Climate as a health issue.
- David Wallace Well points out the adaptation/mitigation perspective on Corona Virus
- NYT on pollution drop in China from epidemic
- Columbia blog on how climate accelerates new diseases
- Ice Age bird thaws out.
- Kate Aronoff points out impact of lifestyle on carbon pollution
- Gizmodo on globalization
- Pray for the scientists
- NASA animation of Milankovitch cycles
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
A Letter from Larry: The Climate Minute
The call to financial institutions to stop funding fossil fuel grows louder. Blackrock is a huge ‘money manager,’ and it’s boss- Larry Fink- is calling on corporations to be aware of the risk to their bottom line from climate change. We discuss.
The reading list:
- The Letter from Larry
- The NYT analyzes the letter
- "The Daily" podcast discusses the impact of the Blackrock letter.
- McKibben's New Yorker piece on the connection of finance to climate
- The Climate Minute on Fink's letter in January
- Stop the Money Pipeline
- The stock market performance of fossil fuels
- Ensia discusses how to tell if a corporation is serious about climate
- Attend MCAN's Local Environmental Action conference, March 7 at Northeastern
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Root causes and long term solutions: The Climate Minute
We discuss a thought-provoking essay about the deep social and historical roots of climate change and what they mean for our movement. Listen in.
The reading list
- Heglar's thought provoking piece.
- Klein on solutions that neglect inequality
- The Drilled podcast
- Mariah discusses her book
- Heglar on existential threats
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
And the winner is... The Climate Minute
The fallout of a hunger strike, cascading trigger points and how climate snuck into the Oscars. Listen in!
The reading list:
- Nathan Phillip on his hunger strike
- More arrests in Weymouth
- Wet'suwet'en protest across Canada
- Multiplying trigger points
- A worst case future
- A best case future
- Is Parasite a climate movie?
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Ten billion things to unpack: The Climate Minute
Jeff Bezos of Amazon has established a $10 Billion dollar fund to address the climate crisis. We have ten billion questions to ask. Listen in.
The reading list
- NYT on the Bezos Earth Fund
- 2019 article on organizing in the tech industry
- VOX on Amazon's employee sustainability efforts
- VOX on Bezos 10B$ fund
- HEATED on Bezos
- Carnegie Libraries
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Confusing pathways on the search for truth: The Climate Minute
Action on climate depends on estimating what CO2 levels will exist in future decades. Scientists use assumptions about, for example, CO2 levels in the year 2070 in order to perform calculations of warming. Recently, there has been discussion about the plausibility of the highest emission 'pathway.' We consider some of the implications.
https://soundcloud.com/massclimateaction/confusing-pathways-on-the-search-for-truth-the-climate-minute
The reading list:
- The original 'Comment' piece in Nature- note this was not peer reviewed.
- Inside Climate News discusses the issue
- CarbonBrief explains RCP8.5
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening. See below for some links to more on the science.
Read moreInjustice in Canada, leverage in Massachusetts: The Climate Minute
An environmental injustice is happening in British Columbia, where yet another pipeline is being built against the wishes of the indigenous people. The names are different but the story line is familiar. One common theme is that banks like JP Morgan Chase are providing the funding. This gives us an opportunity to fight far away injustice right here at home.
The reading list
- A report from Unistoten Camp on violent arrest
- RCMP planned to clear camps
- Canadian newspaper reports on the pipeline status
- Man-camps for CGL represent danger to native women
- Sympathy protest across Canda
- Coastal GasLInk website
- CBC on arrests
- Osage Murders and the formation of FBI
- Globe and Mail on BC politics
- Canada pushing for tribes to surrender title to the land
- Unistoten supporter tool kit
- JP Morgan Chase is funding the Coastal Gaslink pipeline
- Greenpeace on how to tell Chase to stop funding pipelines
- Signup for April 23 "Stop the Money Pipeline" actions
- Nathan Phillips ends two week hunger strike
Upcoming events
- PSR webinar on Radioactive Fracking fluid.
- Feb 19 protest at Weymouth Compressor
- MCAN's annual conference March 7 at Northeastern
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
MCAN helps local light plants: The Climate Minute
Municipal Light Plants (MLP) in Massachusetts are a great opportunity for reducing emissions and experimenting with new ideas. MCAN recently held a summit of activists from MLP towns. Listen in as we learn from MCAN’s Clean Energy Program Director.
The reading list
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for a building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist the United States transform it’s energy sector, over the next decade, under a just and equitable plan, that uses regulations, investments and a price on carbon to safeguard our collective future.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre