Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance – Stanford Law School

The Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance develops and explores economically sensible policy and finance solutions that advance cleaner and more secure energy.

As Stanford’s Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy & Finance expands its influence in clean energy, we want to let key players know more about our work. And so, welcome to our inaugural newsletter!

During 2014, the center’s faculty, fellows, and students have analyzed the potential for various government incentives and alternative sources of private sector investment in advancing clean energy. These range from Master Limited Partnerships, Real Estate Investment Trusts, and tax-exempt financing to endowments, pension funds, and family offices.

We’re also looking at energy policy and finance at the state level – throughout the country and across the political spectrum. And we’re digging into how countries such as China and India are developing clean energy systems.

At our home at Stanford’s law and business schools, we’re seeing growing awareness of energy issues among students. Enrollment is swelling in our clean tech and energy project development courses as interest in advanced technologies – from renewables and energy efficiency to fossil and nuclear – rises among business, law, engineering, and public policy students.

…(read more).

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

2014 Was Warmest Year Ever Recorded

VideoFromSpace

Published on Jan 16, 2015

Believed to be caused by increasing human contribution of carbon dioxide and heat-trapping gases, the steady increase in average temperatures peaked yet again in 2014. Since 2000, the record for warmest year has been broken 10 times. Full Story On Live Science: http://goo.gl/WqEFGw

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Falling Oil Prices Help Airlines & Auto Sales

VOAvideo

Published on Jan 16, 2015

Plunging oil prices are hurting oil companies and helping airlines and auto sales, but are not enough to get global economic growth back on track. VOA’s Jim Randle reports.
Originally published at – http://www.voanews.com/media/video/fa…

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Caller: ‘Greenhouse Gas’ Does Not Convey the Danger!

thomhartmann

Published on Jan 16, 2015
If you liked this clip of The Thom Hartmann Program, please do us a big favor and share it with your friends… and hit that “like” button!

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

The Bardarbunga volcano in Iceland: A masterpiece of Mother Nature

euronews (in English)

Published on Jan 16, 2015

Something extraordinary is happening in Iceland…

Lava just keeps on flowing from the Bardarbunga volcano. It started to erupt in August last year.

The lava field now spreads over more than 80 square kilometres, as amazing now aerial footage shows.

High values of sulphuric dioxide are still being recorded and this has, in the past, led to evacuations of local villages.

In 2010, a cloud of abrasive ash from the Eyjafjallajokull volcano, in a different region of Iceland, closed much of Europe…
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2015/01/16/th…

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Great Transition Network :: Topic: The Degrowth Alternative

and:

• The Degrowth Alternative, January 2, 2015

See related:

• Brian Czech – Degrowth Toward a Steady-State Economy – CACOR series
• Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy – CASSE
• Discover the Steady State Economy – Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy – CASSE
• Supply Shock: Economic Growth at the Crossroads and the Steady State Solution: Brian Czech, Herman Daly (introduction)

BBC News – Rate of sea-level rise ‘steeper’

14 January 2015 Last updated at 19:42

Different effects in different places can either mask or exaggerate the signal
Related Stories

• UN climate report: Key findings
• Antarctic ice volume measured
• Satellites trace sea level change

The rate at which the global oceans have risen in the past two decades is more significant than previously recognised, say US-based scientists.

Their reassessment of tide gauge data from 1900-1990 found that the world’s seas went up more slowly than earlier estimates – by about 1.2mm per year.

But this makes the 3mm per year tracked by satellites since 1990 a much bigger trend change as a consequence.

It could mean some projections for future rises having to be revisited.

“Our estimates from 1993 to 2010 agree with [the prior] estimates from modern tide gauges and satellite altimetry, within the bounds of uncertainty. But that means that the acceleration into the last two decades is far worse than previously thought,” said Dr Carling Hay from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“This new acceleration is about 25% higher than previous estimates,” she told BBC News.

Dr Hay and colleagues report their re-analysis in this week’s edition of the journal Nature.

Scientists have calculated the various contributions to sea-level rise, such as melting land ice

Tide gauges have been in operation in some places for hundreds of years, but pulling their data into a coherent narrative of worldwide sea-level change is fiendishly difficult.

…(read more).

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Obama Touts US Manufacturing Gains

VOAvideo

Published on Jan 15, 2015

From lowering unemployment to boosting manufacturing, President Barack Obama is expected to tout gains in the U.S. economy during his State of the Union address on January 20. The president also has called for increased American innovation to help grow the middle class and help the United States compete globally. VOA White House correspondent Aru Pande visited one company outside Washington that is exporting its product to countries like China, while offering competitive wages to its workers.
Originally published at – http://www.voanews.com/media/video/26…

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice

Obama to Strike Bullish, Optimistic Tone in SOTU

Associated Press

Published on Jan 15, 2015

When President Barack Obama delivers his 6th State of the Union address, he’ll do so with a new tone of optimism about American resurgence. He’ll tout areas for compromise with a new GOP Congress but continue to make the case for acting alone. (Jan. 16)

Global Climate Change
Environment Ethics
Environment Justice