pwarburg

Along with their tragic human impacts, wars such as Russia’s assault on Ukraine exact a devastating toll on our global environment. Here I argue that nations should be held accountable for the climate impacts of their military arsenals & operations.

Russia’s use of the Zaporizhzhia power plant as a defensive shield should cause us to think very carefully before embracing nuclear power as part of a global arsenal to combat climate change. Scroll down to see my letter.

For decades, above-ground renewables like wind & solar have captured public attention & policymakers’ zeal. It’s time to recognize the key role geothermal heating and cooling can play in cutting carbon emissions.

This article takes a crack at demystifying fusion power, gauging its current status and grappling with the hurdles that continue to confound its proponents.

With the the devastating impacts of climate change looming, coal companies’ efforts to stymie federal pollution control efforts may be aided by an acquiescent U.S. Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the higher U.S. birth rate called for by one Times columnist will only further expand America’s outsized carbon footprint.

Nuclear fusion remains a highly speculative experiment, yet proponents are touting it as nearing commercial viability.  Challenging this, I call for a stepped-up commitment to solar, wind, battery storage, and energy efficiency – proven technologies that stand a much better chance of steering us away from climate disaster.

Two enlightened enterprises work in collaboration with community activists to bring solar power to a majority-minority Boston neighborhood.

Worried about global warming? Take a good look at cryptocurrency’s explosive energy use before jumping on the Bitcoin bandwagon.

It’s time to hold cryptocurrency purveyors accountable for their vast carbon footprint. Would a global tax on cryptocurrency transactions tame this energy juggernaut?

America’s rooftops are a renewable energy goldmine, potentially supplying as much as 39% of our power needs nationwide. Let’s help bring this clean power resource to low-to-moderate income communities. It’s an energy justice opportunity that shouldn’t be squandered.

What America needs is not more people, but more people gainfully employed in reducing to net zero the carbon emissions of our economy. (Scroll down to second letter.)

Note to President Biden: Electrifying our vehicles is not enough. We also need to shrink their mammoth proportions.

GM CEO Mary Barra dreams of an all-electric future. For the climate’s sake, she should focus this dream on sensibly sized sedans, not the SUVs and trucks her company is so busy promoting. (Scroll down to second letter.)

With racial injustice and economic inequality gaining long-overdue attention, we need to look at the gap between established homeowners who have solar power on their homes and people living in more modest circumstances who can’t afford this climate-friendly investment.

In his just-released climate plan, Joe Biden has committed to zeroing out carbon emissions from U.S. power plants by 2035. He also vows to direct 40 percent of all clean energy and infrastructure benefits toward disadvantaged communities. In this letter, I call upon the candidate to serve both goals by bringing solar power within easy reach of low-income households.

Left unabated, commercial aviation by mid-century may produce up to a quarter of the carbon emissions our planet can tolerate if we are to avert the more devastating impacts of climate change. Pulling back on air travel’s throttle will take conscious & conscientious recalibration. Here I share some contrasting insights on the challenges of flying less.

With U.S. air travel down 94 percent, it will be up to us, the millions whose lives are newly grounded, to set a saner pace for commercial aviation’s future.  Steps toward trimming our airborne carbon footprint are explored in this article.

In this Q&A, I am joined by two other Boston University environmental voices in reflecting on what has and hasn’t been achieved in the half-century since the first Earth Day in 1970. We also give our perspectives on the challenges ahead.