Environment

By Richard Holden | – World leaders and about 30,000 others from assorted interest groups will converge on Glasgow in November for the United Nations’ 26th annual climate summit, COP26 (“Conference of the Parties”). It will be five years (allowing for a one-year Tokyo 2020-style pandemic hiatus) since the Paris Agreement adopted at COP21 in […]

Climate Crisis

Green Energy initiatives in Dem Infrastructure Bill infinitely Cheaper than a gradualist phase-out of Fossil Fuels

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The green energy proposals in the $3.5 trillion Democratic Party infrastructure bill now being heatedly debated have been attacked from the Right and even the center as “costly.” That is wrong, wrong, wrong. The faster we put in solar panels and wind turbines, the more money we will save, to […]

Climate Crisis

A short History of Climate Change and Civilization that does not End Well (XKCD Webcomic)

contributors

Randall Munroe, XKCD: A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. Via Randall Munroe, XKCD: A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License.

Climate Crisis

U.S. Militarism’s Toxic Impact on Climate Policy

Medea Benjamin and Nicholas J.S. Davies

( Code Pink ) – President Biden addressed the UN General on September 21 with a warning that the climate crisis is fast approaching a “point of no return,” and a promise that the United States would rally the world to action. “We will lead not just with the example of our power but, God […]

Climate Crisis

At UN, Biden Pivots from 20-year War to Global Alliance against the Climate Emergency

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – President Joe Biden addressed the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, laying out his vision of the global challenges facing the United States and the world. Biden, as expected, used his speech to announce a pivot by the United States away from its 20-year “war on […]

China

China Emerging as Competitor to Tesla: Will it build the best Cars in the World?

The Conversation

By Tom Stacey ” Europeans and other western nations have dominated automotive excellence for over a century. Whether it is the satisfying thud of the door closing on a Volkswagen from Wolfsburg, or the beauty of a Ferrari from Modena, these brands are iconic – and very lucrative for their manufacturers. When we think of […]

Climate Crisis

UN: Earth heading to 16% Increase in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2030, Risking Climate Instability

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A United Nations study of the greenhouse gas reduction targets announced by the 191 signatories to the Paris Convention has come up with an alarming result. If countries follow through on their stated plans, greenhouse gas emissions will actually rise. In 2025, they will be 15.8% higher than in 2010 […]

Mass Extinction

Human Activity is Threatening 1/3 of Tree Species with Extinction

The Conversation

By Adrian Newton | One in three of the world’s tree species are at risk of becoming extinct, according to a recent report by the Global Tree Assessment – the first attempt to estimate the conservation status of all of Earth’s trees. Well-known species, including magnolias, oaks and maples are among those at risk. More […]

Climate Crisis

Western fires are burning higher in the mountains and at unprecedented rates as we heat the climate

The Conversation

By Mojtaba Sadegh, John Abatzoglou and Mohammad Reza Alizadeh | – The Western U.S. is experiencing another severe fire season, and a recent study shows that even high mountain areas once considered too wet to burn are at increasing risk as the climate warms. With more than 5 million acres already burned by early September, […]