Coal, Oil, Gas: None Shall Pass

Coal, Oil, Gas: None Shall Pass

Retired professional photographer Rick Rappaport was standing in 6 inches of water on the overcrowded floating dock, watching the drama unfold before him. The Fennica, a massive Shell icebreaker ship, was inching down Oregon’s Willamette River en route to...
A Driving Force

A Driving Force

Back in 1898, New York City hosted a global environmental summit. Flummoxed, the assembled experts disbanded early without agreeing on workable solutions. What daunting crisis brought about this precursor of today’s big UN climate conferences? Fast-growing...
Don’t Get Burned by Coal’s Demise

Don’t Get Burned by Coal’s Demise

Stanford, Georgetown, and other universities are stripping coal stocks and bonds out of their endowments. Why? For starters, they don’t want to lose money. At least 200 U.S. coal-fired power plants have stopped operating since 2010, shrinking the total fleet by 40...
Lighting a Legal Fuse

Lighting a Legal Fuse

Climate action is finally gaining ground in Washington. No, not that Washington. Following their victory in a Seattle court, eight children are pressing Washington State’s Department of Ecology to crack down on carbon pollution. The agency has until August 7 to reach...
Francis vs. Washington

Francis vs. Washington

Pope Francis, the humble yet bold leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, has offered an inspiring 21st century vision to all people. It’s a vision that’s been sorely missing in the halls of power. In an encyclical focused on the environment,...