http://www.cchange.net Covering the transformations to social, environment and economic sustainability Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:08:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Sea Change Radio covers the transformations to social, environmental, and economic sustainability. Change is accelerating in positive and negative directions: the clock is ticking in the race to see which will tip first—the problems or the solutions. Join Sea Change's Host, Alex Wise, as he provides in-depth analysis to help our audience understand possible remedies and potential pitfalls. Sea Change interviews sustainability experts including Paul Hawken, Stewart Brand, Bill McKibben, Van Jones, Lester Brown, and many others. Sea Change airs on over 30 radio stations around the country. Alex Wise clean Alex Wise awise@cchange.net awise@cchange.net (Alex Wise) 2007-2011 Making Connections for Sustainability Sustainability, Climate Change, Human Rights, Environment, Corporate Responsibility, Socially Responsible Investing, Accountability, Stakeholders, Clean Tech, Renewable Energy, Green Jobs, Wealth Divide http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/cwr-images-archive/SeaChangeRadioTAG_square144_sm.jpg http://www.cchange.net Weekly http://www.cchange.net/2011/08/09/richard-heinberg-a-post-carbon-conversation/ http://www.cchange.net/2011/08/09/richard-heinberg-a-post-carbon-conversation/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:08:47 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=3661 http://www.cchange.net/2011/08/09/richard-heinberg-a-post-carbon-conversation/feed/ 0 alex wise,china,Climate Change,coal,end of growth,global economic slowdown,Richard Heinberg,sea change radio Author Richard Heinberg talks about the policies and conditions that need to be in place for our species to evolve in the face of ballooning population, dwindling resources and global climate change. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/rheinberg.jpg)What will a post-carbon tomorrow look like? Most experts agree that the end of the age of cheap fossil fuels will mark a fundamental change in human history. The question that no one can answer, though, is how well will our species adapt to these new realities. This week’s guest on Sea Change Radio, author Richard Heinberg (http://richardheinberg.com/about), believes that a key to better understanding the current global economic slowdown lies in how we gauge progress itself. The author of ten books, including Peak Everything (http://www.amazon.com/Peak-Everything-Century-Declines-Publishers/dp/086571598X) and Blackout (http://www.amazon.com/Blackout-Richard-Heinberg/dp/0865716560), Heinberg’s latest book, The End of Growth (http://www.amazon.com/End-Growth-Adapting-Economic-Reality/dp/0865716951/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312916165&sr=1-1) suggests that in order to thrive during this post-carbon transition, we need to realign our goals to promote human and environmental well-being, rather than continuing to pursue the almighty dollar. Sea Change Radio host Alex Wise (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Wise) talks with Heinberg about the policies and conditions that need to be in place for our species to evolve in the face of ballooning population, dwindling resources and global climate change. Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/24/podcast-exclusive-the-hardest-hit-by-climate-change-not-for-radio-distribution/ http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/24/podcast-exclusive-the-hardest-hit-by-climate-change-not-for-radio-distribution/#comments Fri, 24 Jun 2011 22:00:14 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=3516 http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/24/podcast-exclusive-the-hardest-hit-by-climate-change-not-for-radio-distribution/feed/ 0 alex wise,Climate Change,Greenpeace,sea change radio,sungevity,sungevity.com Sungevity founder and former Greenpeace campaign manager Danny Kennedy talks about the effects of climate change in a Sea Change Radio podcast exclusive. (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Maldives-150x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/hut-150x150.jpg)Founder of Sungevity (http://www.sungevity.com/) (a Sea Change Radio sponsor), long-time social entrepreneur, and a former Greenpeace campaign manager, Danny Kenned (http://www.sungevity.com/our-team)y sits down with host Alex Wise (http://www.cchange.net/about/alex-wise/) to discuss how global climate change is disproportionately affecting those who can least afford it. Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/21/flight-of-fancy-the-air-travel-dilemma/ http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/21/flight-of-fancy-the-air-travel-dilemma/#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2011 21:03:00 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=3502 http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/21/flight-of-fancy-the-air-travel-dilemma/feed/ 0 air transport association,airline industry,airline travel,alex wise,avondale partners,bob mcadoo,carbon dioxide,Climate Change,David Swierenga,george monbiot,people express airlines,sea change radio This week on Sea Change Radio, the first part of our two-part series on air travel. First, host Alex Wise talks to David Swierenga, the former chief economist for the Air Transport Association and now an airline consultant in Texas. Next, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Dave-Swierenga.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Bob-McAdoo.jpg)Airplanes transport over 2.2 billion passengers a year but they are also a significant contributor to climate change, producing approximately 600 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. One transatlantic flight for a family of four creates more CO2 than that family generates domestically in an entire year. And while the benefits of the smaller planet that airline travel has created are immeasurable, can it be justified in light of the potentially life-damaging effects of climate change? And if we can’t justify it, are we capable of stopping? George Monbiot writes, "When it comes to flying, there seems to be no connection between intention and action. This is partly because the people who are most concerned about the inhabitants of other countries are often those who have traveled widely.” This week on Sea Change Radio, the first part of our two-part series on air travel. We speak with two veterans of the airline industry to learn more about what steps airlines are taking to lessen the environmental impact of this revolutionary mode of transportation. First, host Alex Wise (http://www.cchange.net/about/alex-wise/) talks to David Swierenga (http://www.aeroecon.com/), the former chief economist for the Air Transport Association (http://www.airlines.org/) and now an airline consultant in Texas. Next, Alex speaks with Bob McAdoo (http://www.avondaleonline.com/individualbio?id=55), Senior Research Analyst at Avondale Partners (http://www.avondaleonline.com/) and previously the CEO of Vanguard Airlines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanguard_Airlines) and CFO at People Express Airlines (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PeopleExpress_Airlines). Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/14/solutions-for-a-changing-planet/ http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/14/solutions-for-a-changing-planet/#comments Tue, 14 Jun 2011 22:29:51 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=3479 http://www.cchange.net/2011/06/14/solutions-for-a-changing-planet/feed/ 0 alex wise,biolighter,changing health,changing planet,changing planet changing health,Climate Change,dan ferber,dogpatch biodiesel,harvard medical school,incredible adventures,joe marlin,paul epstein This week on Sea Change Radio, host Alex Wise talks with Joe Marlin, a biofuels station manager in San Francisco who thought their really ought to be a better way to fire up your summer grill. Marlin talks about his invention, BioLighter, and the great, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Joe-Marlin-130x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Dan-Ferber.jpg)This week on Sea Change Radio, host Alex Wise (http://www.cchange.net/about/alex-wise/) talks with Joe Marlin, a biofuels station (http://www.dogpatchbiofuels.com/) manager in San Francisco who thought their really ought to be a better way to fire up your summer grill. Marlin talks about his invention, BioLighter (http://biolighterbbq.blogspot.com/), and the great, unexplored potential for replacing petroleum-derived products with biologically-derived, cleaner, greener alternatives. Later, we hear from Dan Ferber, co-author of Changing Planet, Changing Health. The book focuses on the multiple detrimental impacts of climate change, but our conversation centers on what can be done on an individual, local and global scale to curtail the progress of disaster. Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2011/03/22/smil-and-the-whole-world-smils-with-you-part-i-of-vaclav-smil-interview/ http://www.cchange.net/2011/03/22/smil-and-the-whole-world-smils-with-you-part-i-of-vaclav-smil-interview/#comments Wed, 23 Mar 2011 03:09:41 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=3254 http://www.cchange.net/2011/03/22/smil-and-the-whole-world-smils-with-you-part-i-of-vaclav-smil-interview/feed/ 0 alex wise,Climate Change,energy expert,energy transitions,sea change radio,university of manitoba,vaclav smil This week on Sea Change Radio, a rare interview with renowned energy expert and futurist, Vaclav Smil (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Vaclav-Smil-150x150.jpg)This week on Sea Change Radio, a rare interview with renowned energy expert and futurist, Vaclav Smil (http://www.vaclavsmil.com/). A Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Manitoba in Canada, Smil is the author of 29 books dealing with energy, environment, population, history, and technical advances. In Part I of host Alex Wise (http://www.cchange.net/about/alex-wise/)'s two part discussion with him, Professor Smil delves into why he has shied away from radio and television appearances since being labeled a “climate change denier” by some environmentalists. He discusses his latest book on energy transitions and shares his thoughts on how long it may actually take for us to wean ourselves from a fossil fuel-based global economy. Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2010/11/17/climate-change-policy-in-a-changing-political-climate/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/11/17/climate-change-policy-in-a-changing-political-climate/#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:46:31 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=2988 http://www.cchange.net/2010/11/17/climate-change-policy-in-a-changing-political-climate/feed/ 2 alex wise,cap and trade,carbon tax,Climate Change,climate change policy,eric pooley,peter umhofer According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the first half of 2010 was the warmest January to July on record. At this point, to be skeptical of the overwhelming evidence of climate change is to "replace a faith in science with a b... (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Eric-Pooley-150x150.jpg)According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the first half of 2010 was the warmest January to July on record. At this point, to be skeptical of the overwhelming evidence of climate change is to "replace a faith in science with a belief in science fiction (http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2009/11/16/091116crbo_books_kolbert?currentPage=all)." With the wounds of the Copenhagen climate summit still open, what should we expect as the world goes back to the negotiating table in Cancún at the end of this month? If the continued lack of leadership from the US is any indication, probably not much. And the recent Republican takeover in the House doesn’t inspire much optimism, either. When asked about his party’s plans to address climate change last year, incoming House Speaker, John Boehner told ABC: “The idea that carbon dioxide is a(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/umhofer.jpg)carcinogen, that it is harmful to our environment, is almost comical.” It’s enough to make a person feel pretty hopeless. So what can be done? One of the first steps is to really understand the history, politics and policies behind climate change. This week on Sea Change Radio, we take an in-depth look at the key climate change proposals that have emerged from the past two decades of talks - cap and trade, and the carbon tax. First Eric Pooley (www.ericpooley.com/), the author of The Climate War (http://www.ericpooley.com/book/), lays out the players and the policies for us. Then, we speak to Peter Umhofer (http://www.kannerandassoc.com/principals.html), former advisor on energy and environmental issues to Senators Harry Reid and Tom Daschle, who gives an overview of the history of climate change policy in the US. Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2010/09/14/californias-prop-23-a-state-measure-with-global-implications/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/09/14/californias-prop-23-a-state-measure-with-global-implications/#comments Wed, 15 Sep 2010 04:08:58 +0000 Alex Wise http://www.cchange.net/?p=2809 http://www.cchange.net/2010/09/14/californias-prop-23-a-state-measure-with-global-implications/feed/ 0 activists,alex wise,ballot initiative,california assemblyman,Climate Change,democracy for america,environmental reporter,global warming,Janet Stromberg,la times,Margot Roosevelt,tom ammiano This week on Sea Change Radio, we take an in-depth look at Proposition 23. We hear from LA Times environmental reporter, Margot Roosevelt and speak to activists and legislators working to to defeat Prop. 23, including No On 23 spokesman, Steve Maviglio, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Janet-Stromberg-150x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Tom-Ammiano-150x150.jpg)When it comes to legitimate, progressive climate change policy, the U.S. has certainly dropped the ball on the global stage. In 2006, California began a bid to reverse this trend with Assembly Bill 32 - the Global Warming Solutions Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Warming_Solutions_Act_of_2006), that aggressively tries to address the climate crisis. Since California is the nation's most populous state and the world's 8th largest economy, its leadership on climate change can have a far-reaching impact. But the Global Warming Solutions Act is under attack. This Fall, Californians will vote on Proposition 23 (http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_23_(2010)), a ballot initiative designed to reverse the(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Steve-Maviglio1.jpg)measures of the 2006 climate law. This week on Sea Change Radio, we take an in-depth look at Proposition 23. We hear from LA Times (http://www.latimes.com/) environmental reporter, Margot Roosevelt (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/) and speak to activists and legislators working to to defeat Prop. 23, including No On 23 (http://www.stopdirtyenergyprop.com) spokesman, Steve Maviglio, California Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ammiano), and Democracy For America (http://www.democracyforamerica.com/)'s Janet Stromberg. To learn more about what you can do to help stop Prop. 23, check out StopTexasOil.com (http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/stop_texas_oil/) or Communities United Against Prop. 23 (http://communitiesagainstprop23.com/) Alex Wise clean http://www.cchange.net/2010/04/14/water-water-everywhere-nor-any-drop-to-drink/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/04/14/water-water-everywhere-nor-any-drop-to-drink/#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:42:11 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=2440 http://www.cchange.net/2010/04/14/water-water-everywhere-nor-any-drop-to-drink/feed/ 0 Climate Change,IBM,Sustainable Business,water,water footprint,water risk The title of today's show, which quotes Samuel Coleridge in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, aptly describes the dilemma companies are starting to face when it comes to water management.  Today, we speak with Jeff Erikson of SustainAbility, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/JeffErikson-150x150.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/CameronBrooks.jpg)The title of today's show, which quotes Samuel Coleridge in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, aptly describes the dilemma companies are starting to face when it comes to water management.  Today, we speak with Jeff Erikson (http://www.sustainability.com/about/profile.asp?id=21) of SustainAbility (http://www.sustainability.com/index.asp), a think tank that recently surveyed experts globally on corporate impacts on water (http://www.sustainability.com/downloads_public/MediaRelease_TSS_Sept%202009.pdf), and Cameron Brooks of IBM's Big Green Innovations (http://www-03.ibm.com/technology/greeninnovations/) team, which has been focusing on "Smarter Water Management (http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/water_management/examples/)." Water has been climbing up the corporate agenda as the next big sustainability issue, on par with climate change.  And companies are adopting increasingly sophisticated tools for managing water sustainably.  Examples include the  Corporate Water Gauge (http://www.sustainableinnovation.org/Corporate-Water-Gauge.pdf) from the Center for Sustainable Innovation (http://www.sustainableinnovation.org/index.html) in Vermont, the Global Water Tool (http://www.wbcsd.org/templates/TemplateWBCSD5/layout.asp?type=p&MenuId=MTUxNQ&doOpen=1&ClickMenu=LeftMenu=LeftMenu) from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (http://www.wbcsd.org/templates/TemplateWBCSD5/layout.asp?type=p&MenuId=MQ&doOpen=1&ClickMenu=LeftMenu), and launched just this spring, the Water Risk Index (http://www.wwdmag.com/World-Resources-Institute-General-Electric-Goldman-Sachs-Launch-Water-Initiative-newsPiece19852) from GE, Goldman Sachs, and the World Resources Institute.  And I recently edited a report (http://www.ceres.org/Page.aspx?pid=1200) from Ceres (http://www.ceres.org/Page.aspx?pid=705) on corporate disclosure of water risks. Water was recently identified as the most important sustainability issue for companies, followed by climate change, poverty, and biodiversity.  This was the finding of the 2009 Sustainability Survey (http://www.sustainability.com/downloads_public/TSS%20Media%20Release.pdf), a joint project between GlobeScan (http://www.globescan.com/) and SustainAbility, the UK-based think tank and consultancy.  So this year, the two groups followed up with a "pulse" survey focused specifically on water (http://www.sustainability.com/downloads_public/MediaRelease_TSS_Mar2010.pdf), which polled over 1200 sustainability experts in 80 countries.  Sea Change Executive Director Bill Baue (http://www.cchange.net/about/bill-baue/) spoke with Jeff Erikson, senior vice president of SustainAbility, who worked on the project -- and also worked together with Baue in 2007 on the first-ever Walmart Sustainability Report (http://walmartstores.com/sites/sustainabilityreport/2007/). Erikson discussed the Sustainability Survey findings, first and foremost that "experts have a strong preference for policy measures that reduce water demand over those that increase water supply."  The survey also found that "managing fresh water sustainably and equitably requires a multi-faceted approach," listing about a dozen strategies with more than 70 percent support from experts.  Interestingly, only 16 percent of sustainability experts thought privatization is a good solution, and 55 percent opposed it. This aligns with the growing sense that water is a basic human right, according to Erikson -- an opinion validated by the recent decision by Intel to explicitly confirm the human right to water (http://blogs.intel.com/csr/2010/03/a_water_policy.php).  Erikson also discusses the key role of “water footprinting (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_footprint)” across entire product lifecycles to provide complete sustainability context Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/17/resetting-thinking-on-oil-sands/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/17/resetting-thinking-on-oil-sands/#comments Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:16:00 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=2404 http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/17/resetting-thinking-on-oil-sands/feed/ 0 BP,carbon dioxide,Climate Change,oil sands,shareowner resolution,Shell,tar sands,trucost Lauren Compere, Director of Shareholder Advocacy at Boston Common Asset Management, discusses shareowner resolutions asking BP and Shell to report on the strategic risks of oil sands exploitation.  And Cary Krosinsky, Vice President of Trucost, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/LaurenCompere.jpg)(http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/carykrosinsky-150x150.jpg) Lauren Compere (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/lauren-compere/a/b62/b55), Director of Shareholder Advocacy at Boston Common Asset Management (http://www.bostoncommonasset.com/), discusses shareowner resolutions asking BP and Shell to report on the strategic risks of oil sands exploitation.  And Cary Krosinsky (http://www.greenbiz.com/bio/cary-krosinsky), Vice President of Trucost (http://www.trucost.com/), talks about its analysis of the carbon intensity and environmental impacts of companies operating in Alberta’s oil sands. We start things off with the commentary (http://www.csrwire.com/csrlive/commentary_detail/1945-Shareowners-Challenge-Shell-to-Report-on-Oil-Sands-Risks) that Sea Change Radio Executive Producer/Host Bill Baue (http://www.cchange.net/about/bill-baue/) recently wrote for CSRwire. Oil or tar: the first term suggests a productive (but polluting) energy source; the second, a sticky mess.  This linguistic difference captures the divide between proponents of exploiting Canadian oil sands (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_sands), or transforming bitumen deposits embedded in sand and clay in Alberta into usable petroleum, and those who question the financial, social, and environmental impacts of what they call tar sands.  That’s the term coined in the late 19th Century to describe the pitch-like substance that First Nations peoples had used for years to waterproof their birch bark canoes. Shell, for example, promotes its Athabasca Oil Sands Project (http://www.shell.com/home/content/aboutshell/our_strategy/major_projects_2/athabasca/) as a way to navigate the triple bind of rising global energy demand, diminishing supply of “easily accessible oil and gas,” and “[r]emaining within desirable levels of CO2 concentration in the atmosphere,” according to the company fact book (http://www-static.shell.com/static/aboutshell/downloads/our_strategy/major_projects/aosp/shell_oil_sands_factbook.pdf) on the project.  This language echoes the “More Energy, Less Carbon Dioxide” mantra of the Shell Energy Scenarios to 2050 (http://www.shell.com/home/content/aboutshell/our_strategy/shell_global_scenarios/dir_global_scenarios_07112006.html) report from late 2008. However, recent research (http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/4/1/014005?ejredirect=migration) finds that extracting and refining oil from tar sands produces three times as many greenhouse gas emissions on average than extracting and refining conventional crude oil.  Shareowner activists are calling into question whether Shell’s mantra is consistent with the carbon-intensity of oil sands exploitation. More than 140 institutional investors globally have filed a shareowner resolution (http://fairpensions.org.uk/sites/default/files/uploaded_files/documents/ShellResolutionRequest.pdf) asking Shell to report on the strategic risks of Canadian oil sands investments in the face of “future carbon prices, oil price volatility, demand for oil, anticipated regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and legal and reputational risks arising from local environmental damage and impairment of traditional livelihoods.” In the lead-up to the vote at Shell’s May 18 Annual General Meeting, support for the resolution has been gaining steam. Last week, a cross-party group of Members of Parliament in the UK advocated (http://www.responsible-investor.com/home/article/tar/) for their own Parliamentary Pension Fund back the resolution.  And last month FairPensions (http://fairpensions.org.uk/), the advocacy organization coordinating (http://www.fairpensions.org.uk/tarsands) the resolution-filing, launched a campaign (http://www.fairpensions.org.uk/tarsands/action) urging pension fund beneficiaries to email their fund managers to support the resolutions at Shell and BP.  (In the US, many other companies face oil sands resolutions, Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/03/democratizing-the-sec-to-address-sustainability/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/03/democratizing-the-sec-to-address-sustainability/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:23:59 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=2387 http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/03/democratizing-the-sec-to-address-sustainability/feed/ 0 Adam Kanzer,citizens united,Climate Change,corporate democracy,corporate governance,domini social investments,esg,Investor Advisory Committee,mary schapiro,securities and exchange commission Sea Change Radio Host Bill Baue talks with Adam Kanzer of Domini Social Investments about the new SEC Investor Advisory Committee, on which he represents the socially responsible investing (SRI) community.  SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro established the co... (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/AdamKanzer1-150x150.jpg) Sea Change Radio Host Bill Baue (http://www.cchange.net/about/bill-baue/) talks with Adam Kanzer (http://www.domini.com/about-domini/Management/index.htm#AK) of Domini Social Investments (http://www.domini.com/) about the new SEC Investor Advisory Committee (http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/investoradvisorycommittee.shtml), on which he represents the socially responsible investing (SRI) community.  SEC Chairman Mary Schapiro (http://sec.gov/about/commissioner/schapiro.htm) established the committee as one of her first initiatives (http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2009/2009-126.htm) after taking the helm of the Commission in 2009.  In the NewsAnalysis (http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/03/newsanalysis-dark-clouds-gather-over-sec-climate-regs/), Sea Change Headlines Anchor Tania Haldar Hart (http://www.cchange.net/about/tania-haldar-hart/) discusses conservative backlash against the interpretive guidance (http://sec.gov/rules/interp/2010/33-9106fr.pdf) the SEC recently issued (http://sec.gov/news/press/2010/2010-15.htm) on requirements for companies to disclose risks from climate change. The SEC Investor Advisory Committee met for the third time on February 22 (http://www.sec.gov/news/openmeetings/2010/ssamtg022210.htm), when it considered agenda items (http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/invadvcomm/iacmeeting022210-agenda.pdf) on proxy voting transparency (http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/invadvcomm/iacproposedresproxyvotingtrans.pdf) and a work plan for disclosure of environmental, social, and governance (or ESG) issues, as well as some unscheduled discussion of the significance of the January Supreme Court decision  in the Citizens United (http://www.scotuswiki.com/index.php?title=Citizens_United_v._Federal_Election_Commission) case that opened the door to unlimited corporate contributions to political campaigns. IAC committee member Adam Kanzer started off the interview with some background on the Investor Advisory Committee: when it was born (http://www.sec.gov/rules/other/2009/33-9037.pdf), and what its mandate (http://www.sec.gov/spotlight/investoradvisorycommittee/committee_mission.shtml) is.  He then went on to discuss the workplan on ESG disclosure that the Investor as Owner Subcommittee (http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2009/2009-197.htm) outlined. In the second half of the interview, Bill opened up the issue of the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case by quoting (http://216.250.243.12/so/020410release.html) corporate governance guru Bob Monks (http://ragmonks.blogspot.com/): "The bad news is that Citizens United represents the worst judicial decision since Dred Scott; the good news is that the Supreme Court of the United States has held that there is such a thing as corporate democracy.  Now is the time for shareholders to put that democracy to work to protect their own interests....” Bill asked Adam for his take on the Citizens United decision, and ways in which the Investor Advisory Committee might weigh in on it. Kanzer urged concerned citizens and investors to submit comments (http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/ruling-comments?ruling=265-25-03&rule_path=/comments/265-25-03&file_num=265-25-03&action=Show_Form&title=SEC%20Investor%20Advisory%20Committee%20Meeting) to the SEC Investor Advisory Committee. Bill Baue clean http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/03/newsanalysis-dark-clouds-gather-over-sec-climate-regs/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/03/newsanalysis-dark-clouds-gather-over-sec-climate-regs/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:22:26 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=2392 http://www.cchange.net/2010/03/03/newsanalysis-dark-clouds-gather-over-sec-climate-regs/feed/ 0 http://www.cchange.net/2010/01/06/climate-change-brings-an-ocean-of-change-to-our-seas/ http://www.cchange.net/2010/01/06/climate-change-brings-an-ocean-of-change-to-our-seas/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:11:17 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=2258 http://www.cchange.net/2010/01/06/climate-change-brings-an-ocean-of-change-to-our-seas/feed/ 1 Climate Change,COP15,ecosystem approach,NOAA,ocean acidification,Oceans Day,WHOI Today on Sea Change Radio, we cover Oceans Day, a side event at the recent Copenhagen Climate Conference (COP15) looking at the impact of climate change on oceans.  Sea Change Radio Climate Correspondent Cimbria Badenhausen, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/cop15_logo_img.gif)Today on Sea Change Radio, we cover Oceans Day (http://www.globaloceans.org/Oceans_day/index.html), a side event at the recent Copenhagen Climate Conference (COP15 Bill Baue clean 29:30 http://www.cchange.net/2009/12/23/cop15-wrap-up-climate-deniers-drowning-islands-and-hope-after-copenhagen/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/12/23/cop15-wrap-up-climate-deniers-drowning-islands-and-hope-after-copenhagen/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:31:08 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=2243 http://www.cchange.net/2009/12/23/cop15-wrap-up-climate-deniers-drowning-islands-and-hope-after-copenhagen/feed/ 1 ACES,Barack Obama,Climate Change,COP15,global warming,Waxman-Markey Climate Bill Sea Change Radio surveys a broad spectrum of opinions and outcomes of the UN Climate Conference (COP15).  We hear excerpts from a press conference there featuring a Republican contingent from the US House of Representatives, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/cop15_logo_img.gif)Sea Change Radio surveys a broad spectrum of opinions and outcomes of the UN Climate Conference (COP15 (http://en.cop15.dk/)).  We hear excerpts from a press conference there featuring a Republican contingent from the US House of Representatives, a speech by Tuvalu Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apisai_Ielemia), and an exclusive interview of European Commission Deputy Director-general of Environment Karl Falkenberg (http://ec.europa.eu/civil_service/docs/directors_general/falkenberg_en.pdf) by Sea Change Climate Correspondent Cimbria Badenhausen (http://www.cchange.net/about/cimbria-badenhausen/), who covered all 2 weeks of the conference on the ground. The UN Climate Conference, or COP15, ended in the wee hours of Saturday, December 19, resulting in a Copenhagen Accord (http://bit.ly/4FgskS?r=td) brokered by a “limited group (http://en.cop15.dk/news/view+news?newsid=3070)” of countries.  Critics have slammed the deal for falling short of the commitments needed to curb catastrophic climate change, not to mention its disregard for the legitimate negotiation process by ignoring the voices of those most affected by climate change, such as small island nations.  While many blame US President Barack Obama,  climate journalist Mark Lynas published an eyewitness account (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/22/copenhagen-climate-change-mark-lynas) of the late-night negotiations in the Guardian in the UK that places blame squarely on China for scuttling the more ambitious elements of the agreement. Our survey starts at the far right with the deniers and skeptics – in this case, a contingent of six Republicans from the US House of Representatives, who convened a press conference (http://www1.cop15.meta-fusion.com/kongresse/cop15/templ/play.php?id_kongressmain=1&theme=unfccc&id_kongresssession=2737) on the last day of the conference.  They led off by citing what’s known as “Climategate,” or the publishing of hacked emails and data from computers at the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia in the UK, widely considered the epicenter of climate research.   We hear from Rep. Joe Barton (http://joebarton.house.gov/Default.aspx) (R-TX), senior ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee (http://energycommerce.house.gov/); Rep. John Sullivan (http://sullivan.house.gov/) (R-OK); Rep. Fred Upton (http://www.house.gov/upton/) (R-MI), ranking Republican on the House Energy and Environment Sub-Committee (http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=130&layout=blog&Itemid=71); Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (http://capito.house.gov/) (R-WV), a member of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming (http://globalwarming.house.gov/). Sea Change Climate Correspondent Cimbria Badenhausen asked the Representatives to go on the record with their stance on the cause of climate change -- and its impacts on those most vulnerable. The Republican Representatives seem to advance a self-contradictory stance.  They vehemently protested the science underlying the conclusion that human-genarated carbon emissions cause climate change, undermining actions such as the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2454) or the Copenhagen Climate Conference that intended to reduce these emissions.  Then they embrace the idea of carbon reductions that align with their economic visions.  So which is it?  If you can make sense of this, please comment below or on the Sea Change Radio Facebook Fan Page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sea-Change-Radio/88996586621). (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/ApisaiIelemia-150x150.jpg)Also on the last day of COP15, Tuvalu Prime Minister Apisai Ielemia held a press conference Bill Baue clean 29:21 http://www.cchange.net/2009/12/15/cop15-dispatch-will-developed-countries-pay-their-due/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/12/15/cop15-dispatch-will-developed-countries-pay-their-due/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:37:55 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=2213 http://www.cchange.net/2009/12/15/cop15-dispatch-will-developed-countries-pay-their-due/feed/ 2 Climate Change,COP15,kyoto protocol,tuvalu proposal On Friday, at the UN Climate Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen, Deputy Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Crispin S. Gregoire from Dominica announced the release of draft amendments to the Kyoto Protocol. The draft, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/CrispinGregoire.jpg)On Friday, at the UN Climate Conference (COP15 (http://en.cop15.dk/frontpage)) in Copenhagen, Deputy Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS (http://www.sidsnet.org/aosis/)) Crispin S. Gregoire (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispin_S._Gregoire) from Dominica announced the release of draft amendments to the Kyoto Protocol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Protocol). The draft, which advances the Tuvalu Proposal (http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2009/cmp5/eng/04.pdf), seeks to stimulate negotiation toward adoption of a complimentary treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012. The amendments re-allocate responsibilities for addressing climate change to match their contributions to the crisis. “All countries have a responsibility but the historically responsible countries are the ones we focus on,” Gregoire told Sea Change Radio Climate Correspondent Cimbria Badenhausen (http://www.cchange.net/about/cimbria-badenhausen/). “The developed countries have not met their responsibilities.” Another goal of the amendments is to create a treaty that will keep the small island states from drowning beneath rising sea levels due to climate change. Already, island populations are becoming climate refugees; for example, Tuvalu residents consider migration to Australia, and Maldivians are moving to islands at higher elevation, according to Gregoire.  Another problem for island nations is fisheries moving to warmer waters. Gregoire stated that AOSIS felt "emphatically"  that temperatures must rise no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, "no warmer than 1.5 because our corals will all disappear. Two degrees, our corals are dead." Cimbria asked Gregoire about what it means for heads of state to attend this climate conference. She pointed out that this is the first time heads of state have joined the negotiation, and wanted to know how this will be handled. Gregoire explained, "ultimately the negotiators are working for the policy makers, they get their instructions from the political directories. The fact that the leaders are coming is unprecedented because never before have at the highest level taken so much interest in this. It's because every single country is affected. The leaders, especially those coming from the developing countries, have come in to be sure that there are commitments, whether they are legally binding or not, but they are commitments, to help them with two things: one, how to adapt, which takes money, and what is the technology commitment that countries who have the technology, are they willing to transfer it, and I think there is a great willingness on the part of the countries with the technology. The question is, how is that technology going to be financed." Thanks to our COP15 Series Sponsor The Cloud Institute (http://www.sustainabilityed.org/), as well as financial support from The ManKind Project (http://www.mkpne.org/) and the Institute for Nature and Leadership (http://www.natureleadership.org/), as well as other individuals. Bill Baue clean 3:02 http://www.cchange.net/2009/12/09/hell-breaks-loose-at-cop15-ambitious-legal-treaty-now/ http://www.cchange.net/2009/12/09/hell-breaks-loose-at-cop15-ambitious-legal-treaty-now/#comments Thu, 10 Dec 2009 04:27:16 +0000 Bill Baue http://www.cchange.net/?p=2203 http://www.cchange.net/2009/12/09/hell-breaks-loose-at-cop15-ambitious-legal-treaty-now/feed/ 0 350.org,carbon emissions,Climate Change,COP15,danish text,developing nations,kyoto protocol,United Nations "All hell is breaking loose." That's what Sea Change Climate Correspondent Cimbria Badenhausen skype texted to Executive Producer/Host Bill Baue from Copenhagen at 3:27 pm there on Wednesday December 9, the third day of the UN Climate Conference, (http://www.cchange.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/cop15_logo_img.gif)"All hell is breaking loose." That's what Sea Change Climate Correspondent Cimbria Badenhausen (http://www.cchange.net/about/cimbria-badenhausen/) skype texted to Executive Producer/... Bill Baue clean 28:00