Swedish student-activist Greta Thunberg has challenged world leaders to address climate change like the existential crisis that it is, when she said to act like “the house is on fire.” Many agree, but few see a quick way to put out that fire. Here’s a simple two-part plan to save most of the “house” before it’s too late.

An open letter to our son as he graduates from medical school at George Washington University in Washington DC

Dear Jake

As you graduate from medical school this year, I trust you know how proud your family and friends are of your hard work and many sleepless nights.

Shakespeare said, “What’s past is prologue.” If the looming climate change related bankruptcy of the America’s largest utility is a precursor of things to come, the most damaging storms of our future will not be reported by meteorologists, but by economists.

During his campaign for president, Donald Trump bragged about the size of his penis. Since taking office, by any reasonable measure, he has made more wild, unsubstantiated boasts than any president in living memory. Is he just compensating for his political impotence?

As nations gathered recently in Bonn at COP23, scratching their heads over why the U.S. would be the only nation on earth to deny climate change science and to withdraw from the landmark agreement that was reached two years ago in Paris (in case you missed it, even Syria has now joined), there are strong signs that a low carbon future is not only inevitable, but will be the primary driver of economic growth in the 21st century.

Having recently enjoyed the “rockets’ red glare” on July 4th, our Declaration of Independence came to mind as a way to understand the evolving, and distinctly different, approaches to addressing climate change that are emerging in the US.

Fool’s gold glitters as brightly as the real thing, but a lot of valuable time and money can be wasted figuring out the difference. The proposal to price carbon pollution in America put forward recently by noted conservatives and fossil fuel companies may be a fresh, constructive way to tackle climate change, but make no mistake - - it is little more than a shiny object that could do more harm than good.

Joining the hundreds of thousands of marchers in Washington DC to highlight the need for global action on climate change, I could not escape noticing that it was the same day as President Trump’s 100th day in office. With news media (and many clever signs in the March) bombarding us with “first 100 days” report cards, I began thinking about what the next 100 days might look like and soon realized that Americans - - especially Trump supporters - - are about to become the big losers.

You would think a President who appoints the CEO of Exxon/Mobil and the former Governor of Texas to key cabinet positions would love the oil and gas industry. Perhaps he does, but his latest executive order amounts to an unintentional regulatory shot across the bow of Big Oil & Gas.

From what we’ve seen of the President-elect so far, he seems to like big, bold ideas. Here’s one that could change the world.

Here are two facts about the man who will soon be President of the United States, only one of which can be true. 

Shortly before the start of World War II, Adolf Hitler decided that every German should be able to afford a car, so he created and subsidized the Kraft durch Freude (Strength through Joy) Wagen. 

Traveling through the Middle East this week, I heard unprecedented pessimism from colleagues in government and the private sector about the health of economies that are mostly dependent on the flaccid price of oil. 

‘Tis the season of prognostications in the media for 2016, but how can anyone make serious predictions in a world full of uncertainties and surprises (think Trump, Paris terror attacks, and Kobe Bryant’s retirement)? To guide my own conjecture, I looked back at 2015 for signposts and found four big ones worth mention.

As the former Secretary of the California EPA, and in my current role as the President of Seventh Generation Advisors and Strategic Advisor to the R20 Regions of Climate Action, I have long been an advocate for the power of action at the state and local level in the fight to curb climate change. 

A new global agreement on climate change is in the works and could be completed later this month in Paris. It’s a good thing, because epic droughts, record-breaking heat and cold waves, and killer storms have become the new normal, along with countless other examples that validate the predictions that have been made by our best scientists for decades. But pledges from national governments alone may not be sufficient to solve this global existential challenge - - they must be backed up by action.

As the world gathers in Paris to hammer out a new comprehensive agreement to tackle climate change, the success or failure of that deal will rest to a great degree on the next President of the United States. Regardless of one’s political or economic views, or scientific understanding of the topic, a lot is at stake for the world’s environment and its economy, so our next choice of President matters. Here then is a summary of the candidates “climate IQ” (focused on those most likely to win their party’s nomination based on current polls*):

I have 10 kilowatts of solar panels on the rooftop of my home in Santa Monica, California, enough to power my energy needs most of the time. Instead of selling excess power to the grid (and buying energy at night when the sun isn’t shining) I’d like to install batteries in the garage, storing enough energy in daylight to power my home when it’s dark.

As recent news focused on stories and commentary about removing the Confederate battle flag from public property, there has been a little-watched movement by secessionists of a different stripe.   

Yes, a number of leaders are calling on states to secede from the union once again, at least as it applies to the national environmental laws that are designed to protect public health and save money. I’m tempted to compare these misguided politicians to Donald Trump, because their reasoning makes no more sense than a certain New York billionaire who is running for President, but let’s just call them the Carbon Confederacy.