A recent article by Carolyn Kormann in the New Yorker reviews the issues around the costs of climate change. We discuss the observations, plus more.

The reading list:

• Kormann's New Yorker article on the economics of climate change
• Baker Testifies about climate

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

A document, saying in part “That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that it is the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal..” will be placed before Congress. The document outlines more detail of what a Green New Deal actually entails. Listen in as we discuss what all this means!

The reading list:

Read the actual proposal here

Roberts at Vox discusses the text

Holthaus at Grist on the GND

NPR's Inskeep reports on the GND

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

In this episode, we discuss the content of MCAN’s scorecard of the state’s municipal utilities. Oriana Reilly, the Muni Program Coordinator at MCAN gives us some insight into the findings and what to do next.

The reading list:

Get the MLP scorecard!

Sign up for the Webinar Feb 6!

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Municipal light plants are power utilities owned by the local town. They represent a significant fraction of the electricity used in the Massachusetts. MCAN has provided a scorecard to help guide these electricity suppliers to more climate friendly practices. Listen in to the first of two episodes as we discuss this groundbreaking new study with Oriana Reilly, the Muni Program Coordinator at MCAN.

The reading list:

Get the MLP scorecard!

Sign up for the Webinar Feb 6!

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Governor Baker recently approved an important permit for a natural gas compressor in Weymouth. We discuss why this bit of fossil fuel infrastructure is a mistake.

The reading list:

• com, home of FRRACS
• Globe report on approval
• Medium on the Compressor
• July 2017 report on call to Baker
• "My hands were tied"

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Given what we know, how should we address climate change? Is it a Green New Deal or a New Apollo project? Are those different things? Bill McKibben, Naomi Oreskes, and Daniel Schrag chatted with Boston’s own Christopher Lydon about the Green New Deal. We do our best to keep up, analyze their conversation and break some ground of our own.

The reading list

• Christopher Lydon and podcasts
• Open Source with Oreskes, McKibben and Schrag
• NASA timeline
• Climate Leviathan
• SCOTUS, Healy, Exxon
• Wind headquarters in Boston
• PG&E declares bankruptcy
• Bloomberg on PG&E
• Green Muni event, 1/26 plus more
• Mass Power Forward Lobby Day 1/24

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening, and send us a comment at [email protected]

…Ted McIntyre

Does a ‘short term’ view of time represent a threat? Should we use the ‘discount rate’ or ethical principles to assess our impact on the far future? Listen in as we discuss a recent article from the BBC: The perils of “short-termism"

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

The crystal ball in our podcast studio says that the Green New Deal is 2019’s topic to watch. Listen in as we discuss why!

Reading list:

• A committee is formed
• Dave Roberts Explainer at Vox
• Investor Business Daily attacks
• Emergent Properties
• HOW TO CONTACT YOUR LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

2018 brought a continuous barrage of news for the Climate Hawk. What did it all mean? What were the lasting bits? Our rearview mirror says that the recognition of real-time climate effects was the big takeaway. Does that lead to grief or hope? And what it hope? Listen in.

The reading list:

• Vox on this year’s disasters
• The Climate Minute Podcast (TCMP) on the NCA
• TCMP on the IPCC report
• TCMP on CA fires (#1)
• TCMP on Merrimack Valley
• TCMP on Grayson
• TCMP on Bomb-o-genesis
• Attribution
• Roxbury complex gets gas supply back
• Climate Grief
• Kate Marvel on grief and hope
  • You may have heard that we have 12 years to fix everything. This is well-meaning nonsense, but it’s still nonsense. We have both no time and more time. Climate change isn’t a cliff we fall off, but a slope we slide down. And, true, we’ve chosen to throw ourselves headlong down the hill at breakneck speed. But we can always choose to begin the long, slow, brutal climb back up. If we must argue about what the view will be like when we get there, let’s at least agree to turn around first.

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Gary Rucinski’s campaign slogan “Make Climate History” worked on a lot of levels. He ran for Congress in the Massachusetts 4th Congressional District with a goal of being “..the kind of dedicated and knowledgeable voice for climate action our country needs.” Listen in for a real life case study of a candidate for Congress in the 2018 election. Win or lose, a little bit of climate history was made here.

The reading list:

• Rucincki campaign website
• The Patriot Ledger reports on the Rucinski-Kennedy debate
• Citizens' Climate Lobby's Boston chapter website
• Individible's Congress on Offense guide

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre