30 Countries Get Help Turning the PAGE to a Green Economy
The UN's Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) will help countries develop national policies that foster a green economy.
Policy/Trends
Philippine Government Says Climate Change is Top Priority
The national Climate Change Act of 2009 and People's Survival Fund are two laws that will be implemented this year.
140 Countries Sign International Treaty on Mercury Emissions
The Minamata Covention phases out mercury from many common products, but installing pollution prevention equipment is mostly voluntary.
President Obama Uses the CC Phrase
Like everyone else in the green community, we fell back in our chair gasping.
World Headed for Perfect Storm: Climate Change, Income Disparity, Economic Weakness
WEF released its Global Risks 2013 report in advance of its meeting in Davos.
New York Gets Energy Czar, Lots of Cleantech Goodies
The state's first czar will coordinate NY's cleantech agenda, which is getting rather large.
How Will Clean Energy Fare in Upcoming Sequestation, Spending Cuts Fight?
The Department of Energy is a prime target for spending cuts, from clean energy research to energy codes.
Costa Rica, Leader in Green Economic Development
The country pays landowners to protect ecosystems that supply fresh water and absorb carbon.
Fiscal Cliff Deal Extends Some Green Programs, Gives Up On Farm Bill
Algae is now included for biofuel credits, among other tax extenders, and the farm bill has been kicked down the road, hurting sustainable agriculture..
Rio+20: Yes, Important Progress Made
By Rona Fried The lofty purpose of the Rio+20 Earth Summit was to “establish an institutional framework for sustainable development and to establish a green economy.. While not legally binding, the document that emerges from Rio+20 will serve as a roadmap for sustainable development.” With that kind of set up, the conference couldn’t help but disappoint – let’s solve the world’s problems with this one simple text that 180 countries will be happy to sign onto! Still, delegates managed to approve a 49-page document, “The Future We Want, ” which reaffirms much of the text from the same conference 20 years ago. In fact, the word “reaffirm” appears 59 times in the text! Complaints from the NGO community are its wishy washy language, lack of specifics, timetables or deadlines. Greenpeace calls it a “failure of epic proportions,” while the Pew Environment Group says, “It would be a mistake to call Rio a failure, but for a once-in-a-decade meeting with so much at stake, it was a far cry from a success.” Here’s an excerpt from the text: “We recognize that the planet Earth and its ecosystems are our home and that Mother Earth is a common expression in a number […]