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When it comes to discussing the optimal price of carbon, it can be notoriously difficult to determine how best to measure it. Nevertheless, putting a price on carbon is considered a critical first step in achieving meaningful climate change mitigation and adaptation. In Canada, one province has introduced a revenue neutral carbon tax, while two others have introduced a cap and trade system, as discussed in the Climate Imperative e-Dialogues.

When I first started working in the environment in the 1980s, population and consumption were integral to sustainable development discussions. The former was fraught with raging debates, deeply held values, gender and equity,never mind evoking reactions from one of the most powerful religions in the world.

French president Francois Hollande, has called for a “miracle” to happen later this year at the climate change conference in Paris, saying this would be needed for a world compromise to be reached on limiting greenhouse gases. Given the latest scientific evidence, it is now time for unprecedented government and business leadership to ensure global progress.

The International Monetary Fund estimates that the fossil fuel companies are subsidized by the equivalent of $10m a minute every day. The IMF calls the revelation “shocking” and says the figure is an “extremely robust” estimate of the true cost of fossil fuels. The $5.3tn subsidy estimated for 2015 is greater than the total health spending of all the world’s governments. No matter there is so much resistance to change for climate action--where is the incentive to change?

When you’re depressed, anxious or overwhelmed, even the most accessible resources can feel a million miles away. Young people are more prone to dealing with the aforementioned issues, since they’re under constant pressure and tend to feel a lot of social pressure to just ”deal”. Sam Fiorella lost his son Lucas to depression in October 2014. He chose to honour his son’s memory by getting together with two partners to create the Friendship Bench.

Another note from New York City: Vision42Design is a cool competition that challenges designers and architects to put forth a hugely ambitious and wildly interesting conceptual plan that dares to imagine 42^nd street with no cars in sight.

Makerspaces are a new form of community engagement. A makerspace, sometimes also referred to as hackerspaces, hackspaces, and fablabs are creative, DIY spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn.

Mayor de Blasio’s update to the city’s sustainability agenda, OneNYC, contains ambitious goals for economic inclusion. Imagine 800,000 fewer residents living in poverty, 25% fewer premature deaths and broadband Internet access for everyone.

An oil spill is a devastating occurrence, ecologically first and foremost, but also socially and economically. Soil contamination from landlocked spills presents quite the challenge when it comes time for remediation, but bigger still is the issue of how best to clean up oceans, lakes and rivers. One very simple design could go a long way towards addressing how to clean up spills. Check out this new technology, a mix of simple design and incredible scalability.

As a follow up to an earlier blog about big business pulling money out of fossil fuels and turning to greener pastures to generate profit, the Bloomberg New Energy Finance annual summit in New York shows concrete examples of exactly when and why the energy sector is moving in this direction.