Sustainability85
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Trade Deals and the Paris Climate Agreement
With the approval of the Paris Climate Agreement comes a key question: Do our trade and investment agreements—current and proposed—create the space, send the right signals, and clear the path for the U.S. and other countries to meet their Paris commitments?
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Solar New York
Governor Cuomo has set the goal that in less than a decade and a half, 50% of New York State’s energy will come from renewable resources. To some, that goal seems to be a stretch, but the chatter I’m starting to hear indicates we might even do better.
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Comments to SEC Encourage Environmental Risk Disclosure
Earlier this summer, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed changes to their disclosure requirements for publicly listed mining companies. The Columbia Water Center was among those submitting comments on the proposed new rules.
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Biofuels And Jet Travel
Global communication and global travel have transformed economic life in our world and have been important tools in improving quality of life for many. They have transformed our world’s culture in ways that we do not yet fully understand. Let’s take the first small steps in building the technology and business models most appropriate to…
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Pressure Mounts for Developing Countries to Leave Fossil Fuels in the Ground
Calls are intensifying to phase out fossil fuels, and that is now beginning to occur in many developed countries. This shift will have profound implications for the developing world, which has vast untapped fossil fuel resources, but may be unable to realize their value.
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Opening Up Land Contracts and Land Data … With Caution
Transparency isn’t an end goal, but greater transparency over certain types of land-related information can lead to better outcomes: for example, more informed decision-making and improved accountability.
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New York City’s Sustainable Dream
New York City is always in the global media and the images of this place are the inescapable backdrop of the emerging global culture. And that culture does not require the luxury consumer goods that are now available in all of the world’s major cities. Its core culture values a place that is safe to…
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Flaring Gas: How Not to Waste a Valuable Resource
Every year, oil fields around the globe burn, or “flare,” an estimated 3.5 percent of the world’s natural gas supply. The gas is produced alongside oil and must be disposed of during the production process. Eliminating flaring would reduce CO2 emissions by as much as removing 77 million cars from the road. Moreover, the flaring…
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MPA ESP Student Profile: Savannah’s Story
Savannah Miller, a student in the MPA in Environmental Science and Policy program, has witnessed the impact of climate change on three different continents. Prior to attending Columbia, Savannah completed fieldwork in Antarctica and sub-Saharan Africa. Last year, she attended the climate negotiations at COP21, in Paris, France, as a student delegate.
