China Threatens to Destroy U.S. Economy if “Naive” Trump Attempts Trade War
President-elect Trump has threatened to impose a 45 percent tariff on Chinese imports. Some say that move could spur a global recession.
President-elect Trump has threatened to impose a 45 percent tariff on Chinese imports. Some say that move could spur a global recession.
The Value of Water Coalition hosted an in-depth conversation at the Newseum in Washington DC on the current condition of water infrastructure in the United States, the consequences of letting leaky and failing systems worsen, and solutions to water challenges of today and tomorrow. Our water infrastructure systems, a matter of pride for over a
Regardless of the environmental and health challenge we face today, whether it’s global climate change, solid waste, or toxic releases, the root cause can reasonably be traced back to one thing: a growing human population with unsustainable wants and needs. The human population on Earth hit 7 billion 2 years ago, and we’ve been adding
Wrapping up my short series on 4 Senate candidates you should support and vote for (if you can), Chris Murphy of Connecticut is last but not least. Murphy has one of the best intro statements I’ve ever seen, maybe the best: “Chris has a real record of fighting for Connecticut’s working families and middle class. His
If you’re voting in the Massachusetts election today or tomorrow, you should be voting for Elizabeth Warren without any hesitation — she’s one of the best politicians I’m aware of. Here’s a quick rundown of how her and her opponent, Scott Brown, differ: Not many politicians are so dedicated to the people as Elizabeth
At the 11th hour here, I’m highlighting a handful of Senate candidates who I think are really outstanding potential congresspeople who I think deserve your support (your vote, and your help spreading the word and getting others to vote). #3 in this series is Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Mr Brown is a standout public
If you live in Wisconsin, I’d highly recommend that you do your best to get your friends, family members, and strangers on the street to go to the polls and vote for Tammy Baldwin. Tammy has a repertoire of great qualities and policies that should earn her a seat in the Senate, but for
This isn’t recent news, but it’s a great quote by Bill Maher that is as relevant today as ever. The quote, also above: “If you’re a working-class American who still votes Republican … you’re stupid.” More on that: “The moneyed elite in this country are dragging a bag filled with your future down the
Studies NOT conducted by TransCanada, the company wanting to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline Republicans in Congress have pushed through for expedited review with a payroll tax cut bill, show that the climate-change-disaster-of-a-project would create between 5000 and 6000 temporary jobs (State Department Study) or only 500 to 1,400 temporary jobs but that the long-term result
I previewed the “Story of Broke” a few weeks ago when.. the preview was released. The full “story”/video is out now, and here it is:
One of the big arguments for the Keystone XL pipeline, which will now be approved no earlier than 2013, if at all, is that it will create a lot of U.S. jobs. Well, to put the matter bluntly, that is horse s***. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) recently compiled a handful of points
There has been a recent decline in the global financial system as many countries are facing a severe financial hardship, high unemployment, and a decline in currency value. The global market relies on each country to import and export goods. This is needed to sustain the global economy. When one or more countries are not able to contribute to the global economy, then the impact trickles down to the rest. The global financial system is a balance that must be adjusted according to supply and demand. When a country begins to suffer a financial strain, then the chance of inflation increases. This forces other countries to adjust their monetary value to stabilize the market. These types of actions create the possibility of a crash in the financial system, as countries loose value in their currency.
Well, news that BP’s 3rd-quarter profits have doubled as gas prices have risen immediately made me think of this great image (Republicans and businessmen laughing about people believing them when they say “the wealth trickles down”): Here’s more on BP’s announcement and other facts from Climate Progress: by Noreen Nielsen BP announced early this morning
Way to pretend your citizens and their jobs don’t exist. Many environmentally minded folks (i.e. people who realize we need clean air, clean water, and a livable climate to survive and to have a high quality of life) had a little hope that Romney might be a “green” Republican presidential candidate, because he admitted that
If these lies were not given so much attention, our environment, climate, and eocnomy would be in a MUCH better condition. Watch this video from world-leading public policy expert and/or read the text below. Everything from here on is via Robert Reich’s blog: The President’s Jobs Bill doesn’t have a chance in Congress — and
This is one of the best, most succinct explanations of what Occupy Wall Street is about I’ve seen. And you might be surprised to find out that it comes to us from a former Congressman and economist from FL, Alan Grayson.
Worldwatch report assesses U.S. sustainability record and calls for renewed innovation and leadership
This is a guest post by a good online friend and long-time Planetsave reader, Jim Prues, who is launching a large, positive project I want to getting fully behind. As you can tell from the article below, Jim is a very pointed, clear, and positively motivated person. Enjoy! & get involved!
The tremendous (and growing) power and wealth divide in the U.S. is closely tied to our energy and environmental problems. Solving one must mean solving the other. Thus, this news about protesters try to start a massive, long sit-in on Wall Street is a good fit for Planetsave.
To keep it simple, just think about what is keeping us from quickly addressing important environmental issues:
I recently conducted this interview with The Wealth of Nature author John Michael Greer. Some really interesting answers. Happy he took the time to share with us! Here’s the interview:
We’ve covered a number of studies over the years showing that investment in bikes and public transit is better for the economy than investment in roads. Another one, created by Smart Growth America (SGA), recently came out showing that stimulus dollars spent on public transit went a lot further than stimulus dollars spent on new roads.
Boiling frogs — this is the U.S. citizenry today. How did it come about? First off, what do I mean by boiling frogs? If you’re unfamiliar with this apparent truth, if one were to put frogs in a pot of water and very slowly heat it, the frogs wouldn’t notice the water was heating to
Some of the top green living, activism, and clean energy stories from the past day or so: Activism Greenpeace Gives Facebook “Unfriend Coal” Deadline Greenpeace has been pushing Facebook to “unfriend coal” and go the route of clean energy for awhile. Facebook, for the most part, hasn’t listened. Greenpeace is now telling Facebook it should
Some top global warming and environmental news from the last day or so: Global Warming & Environmental Politics Time to Put People Ahead of Polluters Over on ecopolitology, Sierra Club’s Michael Brune had a good piece on why it’s time to put people ahead of polluters. Senate 2012 Race & Tea Partiers The conservative right
Some of the top clean energy, clean transport, and green living stories of the last day or so: Clean Energy China’s Green Economy Leadership “China sees green as the future engine of its economy. Although currently the world’s leading greenhouse gas emitter, China is serious about slowing greenhouse gas emissions and using renewable energy.” Green Jobs, Good
Some of the top climate change and environmental stories of the last day or so: Climate Science Graph of the Day: Greenland Ice Sheet Mass Changes Good info and graphs on the page above, but thought I’d share the 3 videos from the post here for you to check out just in case you don’t feel
Someone recently contacted me to see if I wanted to feature a couple of environmentally-related infographics on Planetsave. Of course, I love infographics (as most people seem to), and I said yes. Here is the second one, on cap & trade. A pretty good summary of the system. Enjoy. Created By WellHome Energy Audit Related Posts:
West Virginia coal miners have always taken pride in supplying energy to the world. Although their work hours are long and the hazards of the job are many. They reluctantly dig coal to support their families, because there are no other opportunities for these hard working individuals. In a state that is politically controlled by
Here’s some of the biggest global warming and environmental politics news and commentary from the last week or so, along with some fun cartoons. Rocket Fuel in Our Water? The inspiration for the cartoon above, among other things: information that there is rocket fuel (or a component of it) in water supplies across the U.S.
I’ve done an early read of reactions to Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address (full text) from leading green thinkers around the web. It is always interesting to see how different people with the same overall intentions view something — what they focus on can be quite different. Reflecting on and integrating some of
Yes, the ridiculous claim of Republicans (too many of them, at least) is that policies to address climate change and protect the environment we all need to live would kill jobs and hurt the economy. Well, really, where is the proof? Here’s a look at job losses with Bush as president and job losses and
A new study published in the January issue of the journal BioScience has found a strong correlation between global energy use and economic growth. The research has led the authors to infer that energy use limits economic activity directly, and that an “enormous” increase in energy supply will be necessary to meet the demands of
One good way to create jobs, as Obama and his secretary of transportation Ray LaHood know, is to invest in efficient, green transportation, like bicycles. One recent study in Wisconsin showed that bicycling adds $1.5 billion/year to its economy. Now, another study by the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, “Estimating the
I know, you are extremely curious to find out which posts on Planetsave got the most views in 2010. I was too. Here they are, the top 30. Did you read them all? 30. Amazon River (10 Friday Photos) People love pretty pictures, (especially of the Amazon). 29. Top Environmental Organizations in the United States (7 Green
One of the best things our society can do to address the many environmental challenges we are facing is switch to a low-carbon or clean tech economy. But part of doing so means innovation and improvement of clean technologies. The good news is that the Obama administration gets this and has been doing a lot
Turning your car’s air conditioning off when it starts becoming a little fresh outside could save a lot of fuel. [social_buttons]A new study undertaken by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA) on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) has determined that turning the air conditioning off in
Following up on a post in April by Josh, “Productive Farmland Should Grow Food not Fuel,” and a post this week by Beth, “Is Biofuel Always a Green Option? EU Regulations Indicate Not,” in this guest post below, Lester R. Brown of the Earth Policy Institute discusses how cars and people compete for our cropland
How long did the idea that green issues and the economy were in competition proliferate the US? For decades. Now, top-of-the-world entrepeneurs, the President of the United States, leading representatives in Congress, and research institutes are saying that green jobs and a green economy are the way to a healthy economy. Recent statements by Barbara
The planned closure of a wind turbine manufacturing facility on England’s Isle of Wight moved several workers to seize control of the plant on Monday night. [Update: July 21, 11:36pm GMT: Since workers first seized the plant on Monday night, 5 more workers slipped police lines to join the 25 workers already occupying the administrative
For the first time, the World Trade Organization (WTO) teamed up with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) to release a report outlining the relationship between trade and climate change. The report describes the multitude of ways in which climate change and trade intersect.
The G20 will meet next week in London, and while police are bracing for clamoring anti-globalization and climate change protests, organizers say all the planned events will be peaceful. [social_buttons] While the failures of the banking system will take the forefront (get used to hearing the phrase “Bankers are wankers”), organizers have also planned protests
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) recently re-launched the ‘McCruelty’ campaign against the fast food giant McDonald’s, saying of their treatment of animals, “I’m hatin’ it.” The original campaign against McDonald’s was launched in 2000, and after the company worked with PETA to make some basic animal welfare changes, the campaign was withdrawn.
There are few places in the world that have not been touched in some way by the faltering global economy. A tragic side effect of this phenomenon is the increase in abandoned pets and the resulting stress it continues to place on the shelters trying to care for them. [social_buttons] As someone who lives in
Taking advantage of the shriveling stock market, PETA has been purchasing more and more shares in meaty companies, including popular chain establishments like Domino’s Pizza, California Pizza Kitchen, and Sonics. The surge in stock purchases comes shortly after PETA’s call for donations not only to them, but to other animal rights organizations also hurting in
[Editor’s Note: This is Part 3 of Michael’s search for an entry-level job within an environmentally-focused non-profit or NGO] Make sure to read my last update on my job search if you missed it. On a whim, I ended up speaking on camera to a college newspaper writer in Chicago about my troubles finding a
A UK Professor Hopes His Genetically Modified Worker Bees Can Help Stop The Colony Collapse Disorder That Is Grossly Effecting the UK Economy Last week 140,000 protesters from the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) marched on Whitehall demanding $8-million in emergency funding from the Department for Environment to tackle alarming rates of bee decline. The decline
Others have been saying it for a while now, but former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev has put it most eloquently: there’s no fixing the economic crisis without also taking into account our environmental crises. “This financial turmoil, which will heavily affect the real economy, was absolutely predictable, and it is only one aspect of the