Op-Eds and Letters

In its November 2020 Financial Stability Report, the Federal Reserve stated, for the first time, that climate change adds uncertainty and risk to the US economy and its financial institutions (https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/files/financial-stability-report-20201109.pdf). The report updates the Federal Reserve’s assessments of vulnerabilities in the financial system, and factors or shocks that may affect them. Vulnerabilities include asset prices such as real estate values, and the ability of businesses and households to pay off debt. One such shock is climate change. The Federal Reserve report warns that acute… Read More »Report Underscores Need for Climate Action

In its November 2020 Financial Stability Report, the Federal Reserve stated, for the first time, that climate change adds uncertainty and risk to the U.S. economy and its financial institution. The report updates the Federal Reserve’s assessments of vulnerabilities in the financial system, and factors or shocks that may affect them. Vulnerabilities include asset prices such as real estate values, and the ability of businesses and households to pay off debt. One such shock is climate change. The Federal Reserve report warns that acute climate… Read More »Federal Reserve warns of climate risks

“Greenhouse gases” have reached a very dangerous level, worldwide. The science is clear; it’s not a hoax. Eighty-five percent of the world’s industrial energy comes from fossil fuels, and that causes temperatures to rise and rise. During the recent Paris climate accord meeting, Trump declared their goal was not “to save the environment. It was designed to kill the American economy.” “C’mon, man,” President-elect Biden urged, climate is no hoax. It is a Biden-administration top priority, after COVID, to reduce carbon gas emissions. And, when… Read More »Biden has Right Priorities

In the home stretch, Joe Biden leaned hard into the issue of climate change. He gave a televised climate speech and ran climate-focused ads in swing states. His campaign bet that this issue, once considered politically risky, would now be a winner. That bet paid off. Candidate Biden is now president-elect Biden. But, as is often the case, his party doesn’t have unified control across the whole federal government. That makes “working together” the order of the day. Encouragingly, Mr. Biden understands that people of… Read More »Climate change is a winning issue. Let’s work together to solve it.

In the Oct. 17, 2020 Pennsylvania Bulletin, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced its intention to approve the construction of a 1,240 MW electric power plant that would use natural gas and diesel fuel in Renovo, Pa. (http://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/secure/pabulletin/data/vol50/50-42/50-42.pdf). According to the information provided, yearly emissions from the facility would include up to 5 tons of formaldehyde, 20 tons of total combined hazardous air pollutants, 35 tons of sulfuric acid, 53 tons of sulfur oxides, 102 tons of volatile organic compounds, 212 tons of… Read More »Renovo Power Plant

When will weather reports start telling us what really is happening? How many excessive wildfires will it take? How many Greek named hurricanes will it take? How many droughts will it take? Weather reports need to make it clear that the weather we are experiencing is not merely “unusual” or “first-time ever” or “extreme heat” or “rare melting” or “record setting.” This is the climate crisis upon us and causing deaths, health problems and costs. We need to act now. It is hard to think… Read More »Putting Weather in Perspective

It’s been alarming to see the lack of discussion this election season over our most threatening challenge as humans: climate change, with barely a mention by candidates, indicating just how low it is on the minds of voters. I suppose a pandemic and economic collapse outweigh the threat. But unlike political polarization, it’s taken generations of greenhouse gas accumulation to show itself, as severe weather, encroaching sea level rise, drought, and stresses on already-fragile regions that exacerbate instability and migration. It’ll get worse. Read more… Read More »The Mother of All Threats

Nearly three-quarters of Pennsylvania voters favor the state’s entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state partnership aimed at reducing the production of carbon dioxide from power plants. That is based on a poll of 659 registered voters in Pennsylvania taken between September 8 and 11 on behalf of the Yale Program for Climate Communication. The margin of error is four percent. Fully 70 percent of those polled said they supported “regulations to reduce carbon dioxide pollution from power plants in Pennsylvania.” And… Read More »Poll Shows Broad Support for Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative in Pa.

Really, it’s the climate! The most important subject for voters this fall is voting for individuals who understand the factual science of climate change and will vote to do something about it. This is true at all levels. President Trump has said climate change is a hoax and that “it will get cooler.” Despite mountains and mountains of data going back over a hundred years, he thinks that seasons and weather are climate. Joe Biden knows better. Rep. Glenn Thompson has told me that “the… Read More »Time to Act Now on Climate Change

Recently, the American Fisheries Society released a historic document in which 111 aquatic scientific societies from around the world called for decisive action to combat climate change (https://climate.fisheries.org/world-climate-statement/). These societies, representing more than 80,000 scientists, produced this unprecedented plea to world leaders with a staggering amount of evidence showing the consequences of climate change. Scientists agree that increases in greenhouse gases are responsible for more extreme weather events such as droughts and flooding, which have harmed water supplies and water quality. Climate changes have been… Read More »Scientists Urge Action on Climate Change