Global Warming
Find Out Just How Badly You Treat the Environment Every Damn Day
With atonement and repentance in the air today, the transit advocacy nonprofit Transportation Alternatives released a feature on the Web site rollingcarbon.org that calculates the carbon footprint of New York City commuters.
Visitors to the site can choose one of seven transportation options (bus, car, hybrid car, taxi, subway/train, bike, walk) and calculate the daily carbon emissions of their commute. According to the site, a 10-mile train ride emits 5 pounds of carbon dioxide, while a car commute of the same distance emits 24.4 pounds.
In addition to calculating daily emissions, the site also has a few transportation factoids (did you know that one out of four transit trips in the U. read more »
Energy and the Sinking Economy
Last Thursday, former Vice President Al Gore joined the many voices that have been calling for a crash program-a "moon-shot" national effort to get us off of fossil fuels. Senator Obama applauded the speech saying "For decades, Al Gore has challenged the skeptics in Washington on climate change and awakened the conscience of a nation to the urgency of this threat."
At the moment, neither Senator Obama nor Senator McCain are taking as aggressive a position as Gore is taking. The energy industry doesn't know how to deal with this newest energy crisis. At the heart of the discussion is the impact of our current energy practices on our economic well-being and on national security. read more »
The Floating Cities Initiative Comes Home
When we walk down Broadway in Manhattan, we sometimes forget that New York is virtually surrounded by water. In fact, the five boroughs have 578 miles of shoreline. If global warming ends up melting enough sea ice at the poles to cause the sea level to rise, New York City is in a world of trouble. read more »
Bloomberg on Terrorism, Nukes and Global Warming
After giving a speech at the United Nations about climate change, Michael Bloomberg told reporters that stopping global warming "is just as important as stopping nuclear proliferation" and "fighting terrorism."
When I asked him to elaborate, Bloomberg said the dangers of terrorism and nuclear proliferation could be felt instantly, while the--also enormous--danger of global warming could be realized over a long period of time. read more »
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Earth Day Speech: 'A Greener, Greater New York'
Delivered April 22, 2007 at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. read more »
Twenty-First Century New York Forecast: Floods, Heat, Bugs
The big northeaster was a little preview; say goodbye to marshes, beaches and Battery Park City. read more »
