Pragmatic Environmentalist of New York Menu
Posts on this blog are classified into different categories as summarized below. Clicking on the link in each category will take you to all relevant posts in that category. Note that none of the opinions expressed in any post reflect the position of any of my previous employers or any other company with which I have been associated.
Citizen’s Guide to the Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act (Climate Act)
The New York State Climate Act is an ambitious attempt to reduce New York State greenhouse gas emissions to meet artificial reduction goals based more on emotion than science. It will require lifestyle changes, increase the risk of blackouts, have no measurable effect on global warming, and raise costs significantly. The alleged benefits are imaginary and the avoided carbon benefit calculation methodology flawed. Despite the many advantages of natural gas and propane, the Climate Act vilifies them and includes mandates to prohibit their use. In order to meet the arbitrary schedule of the Climate Act, the implementation strategies depend on untried disruptive technologies.
Given the importance of the impacts of this legislation I have developed a Citizen’s Guide to the Climate Act that summarizes New York’s Climate Act impacts on New York’s future. The Pragmatic Environmentalist of New York blog has a page that lists over 100 articles on various aspects of it. For the most part those articles are overly technical for the general public so the Citizen’s Guide to the Climate Act provides a simpler and more user-friendly summary. Starting with a summary the Guide provides increasingly detailed descriptions that document the statements in the Citizen’s Guide as well as references to relevant articles on the blog and in the literature. In addition, links are provided to presentations and supporting documentation for them.
New York Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act
In July 2019 Governor Cuomo signed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act which is described as the “most aggressive climate law in the United States”. Suffice to say that the lack of a feasibility study before picking the emission reduction and renewable energy targets makes for a target rich environment.
These posts generally describe the CLCPA and its benefits.
This law does not provide for an analysis to determine if it can be implemented affordably and with no impact on reliability. Suffice to say that the lack of a feasibility study before picking the emission reduction and renewable energy targets makes for a target rich environment.
This page summarizes the results of my calculations of the observed costs of the environmental initiatives of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in general and the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in particular. I also provide links to estimates by others outside the Administration as I find them.
The CLCPA mandates regulations to support the implementation of the law. This page provides links to my posts on those regulations.
This page describes the implementation strategies proposed by the Climate Action Council advisory panels.
The difference between weather and climate is constantly mistaken by Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) advocates. This page references my evaluations of climatic effects that turned out to be weather events and examples by other authors.
This page provides links to Climate Action Council and advisory panel meetings.
This page provides links to the comments I submitted.
Accelerated Energy Growth and Community Benefit Act
This legislation provides expedited permitting for CLCPA renewable energy developments.
Pragmatic Environmentalist of New York Principles
Pragmatic environmentalism balances environmental impact and public policy risks and costs. I believe that pragmatic environmentalism is exemplified by these principles.
This page lists my posts on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). I have been involved in the RGGI program process since its inception and I blog about the details of the RGGI program because very few seem to want to provide any criticisms of the program. Before retirement from a non-regulated generating company, I was actively analyzing air quality regulations that could affect company operations and was responsible for the emissions data used for compliance. As a result, I have a niche understanding of the information necessary to critique RGGI.
NYS Carbon Pricing Initiative Page
The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has been evaluating a carbon pricing plan for New York’s electricity market. This page covers that initiative and other similar proposals. My background with trading programs and the electric industry has prompted me to delve into the details of this plan.
There is a movement underway to transform the New York State electric energy system because we have to do something about climate change. I am motivated to prepare blog posts on this topic so that there is at least one voice of the unaffiliated public whose primary interest is keeping the electric energy system as resilient and affordable as it is currently.
New York State Environmental Policy
New York environmental policy is too often driven by ideology and not science. These posts address example policies that are not a pragmatic balance of risks and benefits.
As a meteorologist I have the background, education and experience to have what I think is a learned opinion on the risk of global warming. These posts address the science of global warming.
Transportation and Climate Page
This page lists posts on transportation initiatives related to climate including those published at Watts Up with That.
This page lists posts on this blog that describe and archive my public submittals to various regulatory agencies.
My niche experience is air quality meteorology. These posts address particular topics in that realm.
Tom Shepstone frequently re-posts articles on the Natural Gas Now blog.
From time to time I have asked correspondents if I could post their concerns. This page lists those posts.
New York energy policy is too often about style rather than substance. Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) is the Cuomo label for clean and green energy policies. In 2018 I started a blog to address specific REV topics but the fast-changing political label game has mixed these efforts up with the CLCPA. This category link is to my other blog.
On January 15, 2019 New York State Governor Andrew M. Cuomo did his State of the State Address that included his version of the Green New Deal environmental agenda. Incredibly, in July 2019 the NYS Legislature promulgated an even more ambitious law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, that he signed into law. As a result, these posts are not the drivers of NY energy policy that I thought they would be. This page is no longer being updated.
National Grid Northeast 80 by 50 Pathway
With the passage of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act this blatant attempt by National Grid to curry favor with the Cuomo Administration and other politicians is so passé. Imagine only proposing to get an 80% reduction by 2050 when the race to the bottom to be the most aggressive is now set at 85% with 15% offsets – the 100% target. These posts describe this effort but it is no longer being updated
Pragmatic Environmentalist of New York 