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Exiting Coal? / Maximilian Auffhammer, Energy Institute at Haas, 1/06/2015https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/exiting-coal/On March 11, 2011 I was sitting in a coffee shop in Berlin, dressed appropriately in a black turtleneck and leather jacket, reading about the terrible Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear disaster. The next day I read that the German government was pushing for “Atomausstieg,” which is German for “let’s retire all nuclear generating capacity.” 80% of Germans surveyed were in favor of this move. The nine remaining German nukes are being phased out and the last one will shut its doors by 2022...U.N. climate change talks can catalyze climate action in Latin America / Guy Edwards and Timmons Roberts, Planet Policy, 2/06/2015http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/planetpolicy/posts/2015/06/02-un-climate-change-talks-latin-americaThis week, the United Nations climate change negotiations reconvene in Germany, where countries are under mounting pressure to draft a new global climate agreement to be finalized this December in Paris. With the Bonn talks, there are just 20 negotiating days left before the Paris talks...The G-7’s Sustainability Mission / Caio Koch-Weser, Project Syndicate, 2/06/2015https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/g7-sustainability-low-carbon-economy-by-caio-koch-weser-2015-06In six months, representatives from countries around the world will gather in Paris in an effort to reach a global accord to fight climate change. When the G-7’s leaders meet next week in Germany, they should use the occasion to take the first steps toward avoiding the most dangerous consequences of global warming. With the world’s safety and prosperity at stake, the question is not whether or when to begin the transition to a low-carbon economy, but how to manage the effort...Seize the Sustainable Future / Simon Zadek, Project Syndicate, 1/06/2015https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/sustainable-development-financial-system-by-simon-zadek-2015-06For the first time in years, a healthy dose of optimism seems to be in order. The global economy – a few trouble spots aside – is finally moving beyond the financial crisis. Technological breakthroughs have put renewable energy on a competitive footing with fossil fuels. And the international community seems poised to forge critical agreements on sustainable development and the fight against climate change...