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Grasping at Straws: A flimsy argument to attack upcoming EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants
The author refutes the argument that the EPA cannot regulate greenhouse gases from existing power plants because those plants are already required to control air toxics. The author asserts that section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act specifically allows for the regulation of "gap" pollutants—those that are neither National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) nor Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS)—and that the Senate's version of the 1990 amendments, which is the controlling law, confirms this authority.
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Document type: Statement
Africa needs a fair and equitable global climate agreement
The author contends that Africa's future depends on the intersection of its youth demographics and climate change, asserting that the impacts of climate change threaten to undermine the 'demographic dividend' by devastating the agriculture sector, which is a primary source of employment for young Africans. The text calls for a global climate agreement based on distributive justice and equity, specifically demanding increased funding for climate change adaptation and the transfer of technology for climate-smart agriculture.
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Document type: Statement
The country has greater renewable energy potential than the Clean Power Plan demands
The text asserts that the United States possesses renewable energy potential exceeding the requirements of the Clean Power Plan and advocates for a coordinated shift toward wind and solar technologies to prevent long-term dependence on fossil fuels.
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Document type: Statement
A Time For Action: 3 Reasons to Urgently Capitalize the Green Climate Fund
The authors call for the urgent capitalization of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), suggesting that an injection of finance would signal political commitment and rebuild trust between parties before the 2015 Paris agreement. They highlight the GCF's role in scaling innovative projects, such as the African Risk Capacity insurance mechanism and Chile's MAPS project, and emphasize the need to address the funding gap for adaptation in vulnerable countries. The text echoes calls for capitalization of at least US$10 billion to US$15 billion by November.
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Document type: Statement
Europejskie walki Zielonych
The text asserts that the transition to a sustainable society faces strong resistance from fossil fuel producers, agribusiness, and neoliberal interests. It argues that the European Union must remain unified and integrate social redistribution to effectively combat climate change and biodiversity loss, as nationalistic trends only benefit conservative forces. The author emphasizes that global climate leadership requires a determined EU that can first establish internal solidarity and social justice.
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Document type: Statement
Why We Don’t Really Measure Natural Capital but Really Should
The document contends that the global fixation on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the primary measure of national success is outdated and fails to account for the sustainability of national assets. It proposes the adoption of 'inclusive wealth'—a portfolio comprising produced, financial, natural, human, and social capital—as a framework for integrated decision-making. The author highlights that while Statistics Canada measures natural capital, which accounts for approximately 40% of Canada's national wealth, these figures are largely ignored by policymakers. The report suggests that failing to maintain these assets contributes to slowing economic growth and environmental crises, such as climate change. It outlines the International Institute for Sustainable Development's (IISD) commitment to integrating inclusive wealth into the UN Sustainable Development Goals and developing new macroeconomic modeling and expertise in ecosystem services measurement.
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Document type: Report
From the Green Industrial Revolution to the Ecological Revolution
The author contends that de-industrialisation is not a viable path to ecological goals, as industry is essential for financing welfare states, creating sustainable jobs, and providing the technology needed for the energy transition. The text advocates for a European industrial policy that internalises environmental costs via carbon pricing and ecotaxation, while ensuring social inclusiveness to overcome political resistance from carbon and nuclear lobbies.
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Document type: Statement
A nexus approach to soil and land management
The document advocates for a 'nexus' approach to land management to address the conflict between the need for increased agricultural productivity and the reality of land degradation. It highlights that while 24% of global land is degraded, a significant portion is improving through restoration. The proposed nexus approach seeks to move beyond the narrow goal of maximizing yields to reduce tradeoffs and build synergies between water, energy, food, and climate regulation.
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Document type: Research paper
Imagine a University
Amory Lovins advocates for universities to move beyond reductionist thinking by employing 'integrative design' to optimize buildings and campus systems. He suggests that by engaging students in hands-on, transdisciplinary projects, universities can transition from high energy costs to 'negative costs' through extreme efficiency and onsite renewables. The text emphasizes that the goal for all waste—energy, materials, and water—should be zero, transforming campuses into regenerative microcosms of a sustainable economy.
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Document type: Statement
How hospitality can shape the future of Europe
The document advocates for an EU based on 'hospitality' and international solidarity, moving beyond trade agreements to ensure freedom of movement and access to services for all citizens. It highlights the challenges posed by austerity and the rise of xenophobic nationalism, while calling for a Common Asylum System and recognition of climate change's role in migration.
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Document type: Statement
Migrants must become eco-citizens of the world
The author, Mayor of Sevran, critiques the French 'assimilationist' model of integration, arguing that it is disconnected from the reality of a multicultural society. He advocates for a federal Europe with common rights for all EU citizens to counter nationalism. Furthermore, he asserts that Europe must accept responsibility for environmental migration caused by global warming and transition toward a model where migrants are integrated as 'eco-citizens of the world' who contribute to local autonomy and sustainability.
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Document type: Statement
Migranci muszą stać się eko-obywatelami świata
The document critiques the French model of assimilation and 'Jacobinism', arguing that migration should be managed at a European rather than national level to ensure equality and break nationalist trends. The author advocates for 'co-integration' and a cosmopolitan policy that acknowledges the historical impact of colonialism and the rising phenomenon of ecological migration caused by global warming.
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Document type: Statement
Another food system
The author contends that the European food system is failing, as evidenced by the horsemeat scandal and the environmental impact of agriculture, which accounts for over 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The text advocates for a holistic approach to food policy that transcends narrow consumerist or ecological goals, emphasizing the need to place farmers at the center of change and promote food cooperatives to re-embed agriculture in society. It highlights a paradox where austerity leads to food bank reliance while obesity-related health costs rise, suggesting that food education and agro-ecological methods are essential for social justice and sustainable feeding of the global population.
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Document type: Statement
Women and climate change
The report asserts that climate change disproportionately affects women due to existing gender inequalities and their roles as primary managers of water and fuelwood. It argues that integrating gender perspectives into climate policies is essential for more effective adaptation and safeguarding livelihoods, as empowered women are generally less vulnerable to disasters.
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Document type: Report
Superstorm Sandy is a Wake-Up Call
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) calls for a fundamental shift in how the United States generates and distributes energy to address the increasing frequency and severity of climate-driven disasters. The author advocates for a 'moon-shot challenge' of energy transformation, emphasizing the need for a smarter, more resilient, and distributed power grid, as well as the integration of climate variability assumptions into all new infrastructure and building projects.
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Document type: Statement
Ecology as a way out of the crisis
The author contends that overcoming the crisis requires surpassing national sovereignty in favor of a federal European Union to regulate financial markets and climate change. The text proposes a green economy based on massive innovation in green technologies and building insulation to create non-delocalisable jobs and reduce climate imbalance. Finally, it argues for a departure from traditional political strategies based on GDP growth and consumption, citing the reality of a world with limited resources.
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Document type: Statement
Gasoline prices too high: use more biofuels
The author contends that increasing the ethanol blend rate from E10 to E15 would lower consumer costs and revitalize the domestic ethanol industry, which is currently facing production shutdowns due to market saturation. While the EPA has approved E15 for vehicles made in 2001 and later, the author warns that regulatory delays may prevent the fuel from reaching pumps for over a year, despite gasoline prices rising toward a projected $5.00 per gallon.
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Document type: Statement
GHG Regs Must Be Top Priority
The author asserts that setting CO2 performance standards for coal-fired power plants is the primary environmental and energy policy priority for 2012, as these plants are the largest stationary sources of carbon dioxide. While the Mercury and Air Toxics Rule (MATS) and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) protect public health, they do not reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The document emphasizes that building new plants without carbon controls is unjustifiable and that such standards are necessary for the U.S. to meet its commitment of a 17 percent reduction in emissions below 2005 levels by 2020.
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Document type: Statement
Reality Check: Honest Assessments of Our Energy Future
The authors assert that 80 percent of global energy needs could be met by renewables by 2050, as stated by the IPCC. They critique a New York Times op-ed by Robert Bryce, arguing that his claims regarding the environmental impact and land requirements of wind and solar are based on faulty calculations. The text highlights that a 33 percent renewable electricity mandate in the US would require approximately 800 square miles of land, which is less than one third of the forest area destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining. The authors advocate for a diverse energy platform including renewables, natural gas, and nuclear power, evaluated through honest life-cycle criteria.
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Document type: Statement
Natural Gas: Palliative, Not a Cure
The author contends that natural gas acts as a 'palliative' rather than a cure for climate change, noting that while it emits less CO2 per kilowatt-hour than coal, its long-term use without carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is imprudent due to carbon inertia. The text emphasizes the urgent need to eliminate methane leaks from gas, oil, and coal production, which are potent greenhouse gas sources. Furthermore, it warns against over-reliance on the 'shale gale' and the assumption that shale gas will remain cheap in the long term, urging a shift toward zero-carbon energy technologies.
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Document type: Statement