Great Environmental Blogs

grist.org

Grist.org is a great environmental blog that covers a variety of topics, from kids' school lunches, to sustainable fashion, to great new apps, to climate change policy. This blog does a great job of engaging its readers and posts articles that can introduce you to a topic you might not know about, as well as delve deeper if you want to learn more. The site is well-organized and colorful, so it won't feel like a chore to read it. I recommend this blog because it is great for the person who wants to live a greener life and be engaged in environmental issues.


celsias.com

As the headline says, this blog is about practical ways to combat climate change. It also has a huge archive of articles on the topics of energy, the environment,business and technology, and health. This is a great blog to follow because whatever you're curious about or need more information on, celsias.com has an article (or 500) explaining the topic. 


triplepundit.com

triplepundit.com is a blog about people,planet, and profit. They seem to have a goal of businesses working together with scientists to mitigate impact on the environment. They also work on making green energy affordable and competitive. It is a blog that focuses on practical, real-world applications of science to help the environment and stop climate change.


theguardian.com/environment/blog

The guardian environmental blog covers environmental news, everything from threatened species, public health, pollution, farming, and climate change. The Guardian is a British Newspaper so many of their articles are concerning environmental issues in the UK and Australia. I think it is important to read blogs about the environment outside of your country because it gives you another perspective on the issues and keeps you better informed.


Thehill.com

The Hill blog is about anything and everything politics and washington. It has news and videos about energy and environmental policy and regulation. The website breaks down their content into categories like the Senate, House, Administration, Business, and Opinion. It focuses on the politics and lawmaking of climate change policy, energy security, and regulation of carbon. This is a great blog not just for politics, but for anyone wanting to know about how our government is handling (or not handling) climate change.

Keystone XL Video

Informative articles about climate change current events and political inaction.

McKibbin, W. J., & Wilcoxen, P. J. (2002, Spring). The Role of Economics in Climate Change Policy. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 16(2), 107-129. Retrieved from http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/aea/jep/2002/00000016/00000002/art00006

The authors of this paper are analyzing the economic characteristics of climate change and argue that economic theory and policy can be applied to the problem of climate change. They argue that traditional market-based environmental policy will not work to effectively stop climate change and that cap and trade and a carbon tax is not politically feasible. They say that the best approach is a "hybrid" one that combines the best aspects of a trade able permit system and and a emissions tax. 

Davenport, C. (2014, May 13). Climate Change Deemed Growing Security Threat by Military Researchers. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/14/us/politics/climate-change-deemed-growing-security-threat-by-military-researchers.html

This article is based on a  report by the CNA Corporation Military Advisory Board. The government-sponsored group released a report that states that droughts and floods caused by climate change are causing serious disruptions in the Middle East and Africa over water, food, and land. The competition for these resources is causing a flare-up of centuries old ethnic and regional tensions. The report also says that millions of people living in coastal regions of India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh are extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels and will eventually cause mass refugee camps and displacement. U.S. Foreign Diplomacy will use this report to establish a strong tie between political stability, human rights, and climate change.

Davenport, C. (2014, May 12). Amid Pipeline and Climate Debate, Energy-Efficiency Bill Is Derailed. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/us/politics/bill-to-encourage-energy-efficiency-fails-in-senate.html?ref=earth

This article illustrates the political gridlock in Washington on climate change and energy policy. A bi-partisan bill sponsored by Senators Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, and Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire sought to create new standards on energy efficiency in homes, buildings, and appliances.The Senate votes 55 to 36, falling short of the 60 votes needed to bring the bill to vote. This is very discouraging news, as this bill was not making a big impact on climate change, so actual progress-making legislation will most likely never even make it to a vote from the precedent that has been set.

Davenport, C. (2014, January 23). Industry Awakens to Threat of Climate Change. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/24/science/earth/threat-to-bottom-line-spurs-action-on-climate.html

This article is about how the private sector, especially multi-national conglomerates we all know are responding to the threat to climate change and how it is affecting their bottom line and cutting into profits. Food and beverage companies that rely on cheap and plentiful land,water, and oil to produce their products are becoming very concerned with rising costs and agricultural instability. Nike's workers in East Asia could not come to work because of floods and droughts are greatly affecting crop yield of cotton. The article details how governments around the world are scaling back their commitments to climate change and energy innovation.

Revkin, A. C. (2014, March 31). U.N. Climate Report Authors Answer 11 Basic Questions. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/31/u-n-climate-report-authors-answer-11-basic-questions/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

This article is really an interview with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, in an effort to inform the public about climate change. The interviewer asks questions about climate change thresholds and mitigation, and how society will be changed by changes in climate. One of the many problems in affecting progress with climate change and energy policy is lack of public awareness and misconceptions about the science that is perpetuated by news anchors and politicians.

Climate Change and its dire consequences cannot and will not be addressed effectively if government and legislature is not actively involved. If politicians in Congress continue to deny climate change and the White House delays any substantial action presidency after presidency, we will continue to melt the icecaps, the oceans will continue rising, more people will die from air pollution, and droughts and hurricanes will become more and more frequent. Sweeping changes in our wasteful lifestyles and how and where we get our energy need to be made. This blog was created to discuss climate change policy and legislature, politicians who are fighting the good fight, and climate change in the news.