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MindMover

MindMover's Journal
MindMover's Journal
November 25, 2013

How green bonds could unleash the Kraken of energy transition

The London-based Climate Bonds Initiative, a non-governmental organization (NGO) facilitating the growth of the green bond market, defines a green bond as "one for which the issuer declares that the proceeds will be applied (either by ring-fencing, direct project exposure or securitization) towards climate and/or environmental sustainability purposes."

As CEO and co-founder Sean Kidney wrote in a Nov. 1 post, "green bonds are about the 'green' qualities of the underlying asset, not whether a company is relatively green or not."

I asked Kidney why green bonds are necessary. "We have to rapidly speed up and scale up the capital that's flowing toward climate change solutions -- both mitigation and adaptation," he explains. "Climate scientists tell us we need a low-climate world by 2050, and we have to move quickly to get there. We have to be moving capital now."

"A big chunk of our work is explaining to government how they can finance a rapid transition. There's definitely not enough government money to do it all, as well as deal with the disasters we're going to have, especially if you look at the scale of what's just happened in the Philippines. We need to make everything we possibly can a private sector investment to free up public money for the more urgent tasks."

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/the-take/releasing-the-kraken-of-energy-transition/?tag=nl.e662&s_cid=e662&ttag=e662&ftag=TRE383a915

November 22, 2013

Which fossil fuel companies are most responsible for climate change? – interactive

All but seven of the 90 companies found to have caused the climate crisis deal in oil, gas and coal – and half of the estimated emissions were produced just in the past 25 years. Some of the top companies are also funding climate change denial campaigns.

Which companies caused global warming?

A new paper shows which companies extracted the carbon-based fuels that have caused climate change.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/interactive/2013/nov/20/which-fossil-fuel-companies-responsible-climate-change-interactive


http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/20/90-companies-man-made-global-warming-emissions-climate-change

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ChevronTexaco was the leading emitter among investor-owned companies, causing 3.5% of greenhouse gas emissions to date, with Exxon not far behind at 3.2%. In third place, BP caused 2.5% of global emissions to date.

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A must read ....

Can anyone say carbon tax loudly enough to be heard around the world .... ?

November 21, 2013

McCain: "For the last 2 weeks, I have reached out to the Democrats,

I have reached out till my arm is sore" ...

Yea, its a whole two weeks I have reached out since I heard about this crazy nuclear option idea ....

BULLHOCKEY

November 21, 2013

Bad Behavior Gets "Paid Forward" Even More Than Good

The psychology of chains of greed
By Michael Norton



Every few weeks, another heart-warming tale of regular folks deciding to “pay it forward” makes the news. People have tracked the longest pay-it-forward chains at tollbooths at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco – where one person pays the toll for next person in line, that person pays for the next person, and so on. And just last month Starbucks encouraged their customers to treat their fellow customers to a coffee: “Pay it forward, and Starbucks will pay you back," stated CEO Howard Schultz. There’s good reason to think that these warm-fuzzy chains might be common; after all, giving to others leads to happiness.

But as anyone who’s ever waited in line – whether for coffee or to pay a toll – knows, other people don’t always treat us with generosity. Sometimes, they treat us with greed – cutting us off as we maneuver into the toll lane or cutting in front of us to order their caramel macchiato. What happens when we are the victims of cruelty instead of kindness? Unfortunately, our research shows that we are more likely to pay greed forward than generosity.

Imagine being in the following situation. I tell you that I gave someone $6 and told them they could give as much or as little of it to you as they wanted (and keep the rest for themselves). I hand you an envelope that contains the amount they gave you. You eagerly open the envelope, shaking it to reveal your bounty, only to find that this previous person left you nothing. Zero point zero zero dollars. Take a moment to think how you’d feel – and what words come to mind to describe the guy who stiffed you.

Now imagine I then gave you another $6, and asked you give as much as you wanted to a new person and keep the rest. It’s like being cut in line: having been cut, would you turn the other cheek or make sure to cut somebody else? Would you pay the greed forward?

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=bad-behavior-gets-paid-forward-more-than-good&WT.mc_id=SA_CAT_MB_20131120

November 17, 2013

Upgraded my flash and lost full screen open on dual monitors ... ???

Used to be able to keep full screen open on both monitors but now have to stay on one screen with mouse to keep full screen open ...???

Wondering if there is a fix ... ???

November 17, 2013

Kauai County Council Override Frees Way For GMO Bill

After a cunning political maneuver, the Kauai County Council has overridden Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho’s veto of Bill 2491, freeing the way for the GMO-related bill.

Bill 2491, which passed a County Council vote on Oct. 16, will force agricultural companies to disclose when and where they spray pesticides, restrict spraying to a certain distance away from public areas, and disclose what genetically engineered crops they grow on Kauai.

Mayor Carvalho vetoed the bill two weeks after its passage, citing concerns over its legal standing. In a press release he said, “I have always said I agree with the intent of this bill to provide for pesticide use disclosure, create meaningful buffer zones and conduct a study on the health and environmental issues relating to pesticide use on Kauai. However, I believe strongly that this bill is legally flawed. That being the case, I had no choice but to veto.”

Supporters of the bill and many members of the County Council were outraged. When Carvalho appeared before the public, jeers and calls for his resignation emanated from the crowd.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/16/kauai-county-council-override_n_4289302.html

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