How can we make it easier for the grid to transition to clean energy? The Forward Clean Energy Market can help. Listen in to MCAN’s expert explain this new idea.

The reading list:

• MCAN's toolkit to learn and comment on the FCEM proposal
• The FCEM proposal from DOER
• Some power plants failed to keep their promise to be ready over the Christmas 2022 holiday
• UtilityDive on Forward clean energy markets
• The Climate Minute on de-mystifying ISO and the grid
• The Climate Minute on RECs
• Find the current global CO2 ppm here
• How many days ‘til 2030?

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 that protects environmental justice communities.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

If you want to understand the transition to clean energy, you need to understand Renewable Energy Certificates. We talk to MCAN’s Clean Energy Director to find out more about what a REC is, and why they matter.

The reading list:

• The EPA on Renewable Energy Certificates (REC)
• EnergySage on Renewable Energy Certificates (REC)
• RECs explained
• Find the current global CO2 ppm here
• How many days ‘til 2030?

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 that protects environmental justice communities.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

We can make a plant go extinct in order to have EVs, or we could allow bison herds to capture CO2 from the air by rethinking our economics. The future is ours to choose.

The reading list:

• Is your EV worth an endangered species?
• Re-wilding nature has climate benefits, but would we do it?
• The Climate Minute on Green Growth vs deGrowth
• The Climate Minute talks to people on the ground at the Lithium site in Nevada
• The Climate Minute talks with an author who thinks about envisioning the future
• The Climate Minute talks to an inventor proposing hi-tech ways to pull CO2 out of the air
• Its bison, not buffalo
• Find the current global CO2 ppm here
• How many days ‘til 2030?

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 that protects environmental justice communities.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

In a warming world, our futures will be determined by our decisions in the present. However, two starkly different visions- one of a sacrifice free continuation of the present using renewable energy and a second of a radically downsized and more humane economy- might guide our thinking. Which way should we go?   We discuss “Green tilted glasses” from truthdig.

The reading list:

• com's 'Green tinted glasses' article
• The Guardian on Jacobson
• Wikipedia on de-growth
• Parrique on degrowth in the IPCC report
• Commentary on Parrique
• Real GND site
• Right leaning Manhattan Institute
• Resource panel
• The Climate Minute on lithium miningFind the current global CO2 ppm here
• The Climate Minute on envisioning better futures
• How many days ‘til 2030?

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 that protects environmental justice communities.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Humans may need to go beyond reducing carbon emissions to actually removing CO2 from the atmosphere. “Carbon dioxide removal” is the buzzword. We talk to a someone with a new idea about how to approach this gargantuan task.

The reading list:

• The idea explained in detail
• Wikipedia on Carbon Dioxide Removal
• Reactive Surfaces website
• MIT: US says CDR is essential
• McDaniels's paper in “Journal of CO2 Utilization" describing the life cycle assessment of the idea
• Find the current global CO2 ppm here
• How many days ‘til 2030?

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 that protects environmental justice communities.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

The unsettling IPCC report inspires a poetic response. Then we discuss some climate related reports.: Astroturf off Martha’s Vineyard? Why re-wild the planet? How about daylighting rivers? What could go right? Listen in here for all the latest.

The reading list:

• The IPCC’s AR6 Synthesis Report
  • https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-cycle/
• Link to the Jorie Graham article that got Steve to read his own poem
  • https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/05/jorie-graham-poet-to-2040-book/673493/
• Steve’s poem “This Branch”
  • https://www.quietpoet.com/2023/03/this-branch.html
• What does IPCC report mean for MA?
  • https://blog.greenenergyconsumers.org/blog/the-latest-ipcc-report-what-it-means-for-massachusetts-rhode-island
• Healy appoints new DPU
  • https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/03/17/science/with-new-commissioners-healey-aims-reshape-an-agency-seen-critical-climate-reforms/
• Oil uses astroturf groups to oppose wind
  • https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/04/05/metro/whale-tales/
• “Ministry for the Future” book link
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ministry_for_the_Future
• Miles Howard links
  • https://massclimateaction.podbean.com/e/day-lighting-a-river-is-good-for-the-city-and-the-soul-the-climate-minute/
  • https://massclimateaction.podbean.com/e/urban-hiking-on-the-frontiers-of-climate-change-the-climate-minute/
  • https://www.bostontrails.org/about.html
• Justin Bean link
  • https://www.justincbean.com/
• The Climate Minute discusses the book “What could go right” with the author
  • https://massclimateaction.podbean.com/e/a-better-question-what-could-go-right/

• Grid impact of Green hydrogen
  • https://static1.squarespace.com/static/634abba43f1e2f4dfd5e07dc/t/6400f4e00845db41f84ddc36/1677784292826/GridImpactofGreenHydrogen+-+3-6-2023.pdf
• The Climate Minute disusses the reprot with the authors
  • https://massclimateaction.podbean.com/e/hydrogen-for-home-heating-is-a-dead-end-solution/
• rewilding
  • https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27032023/rewilding-animals-carbon-storage/
• See the page that collects all the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html
• Find the current global CO2 ppm here
• How many days ‘til 2030?

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 that protects environmental justice communities.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

In his new book, our guest invites listeners to ditch the cynical narratives we’ve become accustomed to, urges us to envision an ideal future, and offers the tools to build it. Listen in for a fun conversation.

The reading list:

• What could go right? on Amazon
• What could go right? on Barnes and Noble
• Justin Bean's personal site
• A video on the Renaissance and views of the public space
• Piketty Capital in the 21st Century
• Toffler's Future Shock
• Find the current global CO2 ppm here
• How many days ‘til 2030?

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 that protects environmental justice communities.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Massachusetts’ natural gas distribution companies (Eversource and National Grid) want to add hydrogen to your home heating gas supply. A new report makes plain this is a bad idea. Using our state’s shiny new wind turbines to produce enough green hydrogen to allow us to put that H2 gas into the utilities’ pipelines and then burn it to heat our homes is “a dead-end climate solution that will fail to meet our state mandated emissions reduction goals at huge costs to ratepayers.” Listen to the report’s authors discuss the issue.

The reading list:

• Report: Impact of Green Hydrogen Production on the Availability of Clean Electricity for the Grid
• One-Pager on the report
• Gas Transition Allies website
• Background on the issue from InsideClimateNews
• The Climate Minute with Dr. Seavy on the fees in you gas bill
• The Climate Minute talks to Dr. Seavy about why utilities want to replace pipelines
• The Climate Minute: A Billion Dollar Brawl

• Richardson and Butterworth make the case in Commonwealth Magazine
• Brett defends Green Hydrogen
• Find the current global CO2 ppm here
• How many days ‘til 2030?

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 that protects environmental justice communities.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Massachusetts must renovate 500,000 homes in the next seven years if we want to meet our climate goals. How to accomplish this enormous task? We speak with the Interim Executive Director of MCAN to learn about an elegant proposal- the Zero Carbon Renovation Fund- that would jump-start a commercial market to meet the challenge.

The reading list:

• MCAN on the ZCRF
• The ZCRF legislation
• MCAN on embodied carbon
• Primer on home electrificationhttps://www.masscec.com/
• The Climate MInute talks to CLF about the Clean Heat Commission report
• The Climate Minute talks to Acadia Center about the Clean Heat Commission report
• Find the current global CO2 ppm here
• How many days ‘til 2030?

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 that protects environmental justice communities.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

America’s senior citizens hold most of the wealth and have released most of the carbon. Now some of those seniors are calling for change, by demanding big banks stop financing fossil fuel expansion. Recently ‘Third Act” led a day of protest in Boston at Chase and Bank of America to call for divestment from fossil fuels. We talks to some of the marchers.

From “Stop the Money Pipeline”: Since the Paris Agreement was adopted, Wall Street banks have provided $1.4 trillion to the fossil fuel industry. Big asset managers are the world’s largest investors in coal, oil, and gas. Insurance companies provide insurance for new fossil fuel projects without which they could not be built. The fossil fuel corporations driving the climate crisis depend on this support of the financial sector. That’s why we’re pushing banks, insurance companies and asset managers to end fossil financing. If we stop the flow of money, we stop the flow of oil.

The reading list:

• Third Act Day of Action 3/21/23
• Third Act additional actions
• Stop the Money pipeline
• We have emitted as much CO2 since 1990 as in all previous history
• McKibben's original New Yorker article " Money is the oxygen.."
• Analysis of the McKibben article.https://thirdact.org/our-work/banking-on-our-future/
• WBUR: Activists call for divestment
• WHDH: Activsts protest Chase Bank
• Guardian: dirty bank protest
• Find the current global CO2 ppm here
• How many days ‘til 2030?

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 that protects environmental justice communities.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre