Climate Change News Digest
Links to the latest news on global climate change
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Ethics and the Greenhouse
July 25, 2010
An ethicist explains why he dove into climate blogging.
Ten Nations at 'Extreme Risk' Because of Water Shortages, Report Says
July 25, 2010
Ten countries worldwide, including five African nations, are at 'extreme risk' because of limited access to clean, fresh water, according to a new global water security index. And the effects of climate change and population growth will exacerbate the stress on these water supplies, potentially threatening stability in many regions, according to the analysis by Maplecroft , a UK- based consulting group. Among the nations most at risk are Somalia, Mauritania, Sudan, Niger, and Iraq. Other nations at extreme risk - including Pakistan, Egypt, and Uzbekistan - are already facing internal and border tensions because of limited water supplies. Click to enlarge. Maplecroft. Global water security index 'There is a risk of water stress exacerbating future risks of conflict, although there is evidence that water scarcity may also help foster cooperation instead,' said Anna Moss, a Maplecroft environmental analyst.
'Resilient growth' for renewables
July 25, 2010
The building of new renewable energy sources outstrips new fossil fuel power plants in EU and US during 2009, a report says.
UK Guardian slams Morano for cyber-bullying and for urging violence against c...
July 25, 2010
I have previously written about The rise of anti- science cyber bullying and the role played by Swift Boat smearer Marc Morano - who believes climate scientists should be publicly beaten. The UK Guardian has posted an outstanding piece slamming Morano''s 'warped world vision' and the 'award' he just won: But that this award was announced within hours of Morano posting on his Climate Depot website the email addresses of a climate scientist next to a link to my story from last Monday about the said climate scientist, Stanford University''s Professor Stephen Schneider, receiving death threats and hate mail should cause you to throw down that coffee in disgust.
The challenge of China's green technology policy
July 25, 2010
I would like to close with an observation that I gained from watching World Cup soccer over the past few weeks. In particular, I was struck by the recurring juxtaposition of two advertising billboards in the background of the soccer pitch, one in red by an American company- Mc. Donald' s, the other in blue by a Chinese company- Yingli Solar. I thought to myself, this is the World Cup, the world''s biggest sporting stage, and China is proudly showcasing the future of its economy with a solar technology company. What is the U. S. best able to showcase? Hamburgers. I believe this image speaks volumes about the state of play not only in the global clean energy race, but also in the global competitiveness landscape.
Climate scientists: 'The urgent need to act cannot be overstated.' - "Climat...
July 25, 2010
Today, a large body of evidence has been collected to support the broad scientific understanding that global climate warming, as evident these last few decades, is unprecedented for the past 1000 years - and this change is due to human activities. This conclusion is based on decades of rigorous research by thousands of scientists and endorsed by all of the world''s major national science academies . Although uncertainties remain, they concern issues like the rate of melting of major ice sheets rather than the broader topic of whether the climate is changing. This is from an article in the Politico, 'The science behind climate science,' by four leading climate scientists ...
IPCC Fumbles Media Relations Strategy, Must Review Basic Principles of Public...
July 25, 2010
Andy Revkin''s revelations over the weekend about the botched media relations strategy deployed by the head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Rajendra Pachauri, demonstrate that the IPCC has failed to learn from its recent missteps in managing public communications. If you don' t have anything to hide, don' t act as if you do. Being thrust into the media spotlight and subjected to sudden intense scrutiny can rattle any organization, and the IPCC is hardly the first institution to be accused of resorting to a "bunker mentality" and evading media inquiries. But, as Revkin points out correctly, sheltering yourself from the press is bound to backfire, creating more skepticism about your activities when you should really focus on explaining your work more clearly and operating with greater transparency.
American Petroleum Institute's Revisionist History on Climate Change Position
July 25, 2010
API Energy Taxes. png The American Petroleum Institute, the trade group for the oil and natural gas industry, is trying to re- write history by claiming that it has remained "neutral" about U. S. climate legislation. Nothing could be further from the truth, actually. API orchestrated the entire "Energy Citizens" astroturf campaign last year precisely to fight against climate legislation. Greenpeace USA obtained an internal memo[ PDF] from the desk of API president Jack Gerard detailing polluting interests' plans to launch the nationwide astroturf campaign attacking climate legislation as "tax increases on our industry." The API memo requested API''s member companies to recruit employees, retirees, vendors and contractors to attend the "Energy Citizen" rallies in key Congressional districts nationwide during the August recess last year, no doubt hoping to be confused with a genuine grassroots uprising, much like the tea parties.
Senate Eyes Bush Plan on CO2
July 25, 2010
Senate leaders desperate for a climate bill close in on the Bush plan of a decade ago.
Biomass Britain: do fields of energy crops spell an end to grazing livestock?
July 25, 2010
A new vision to replace our grazing land with energy crops will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but many are unwilling to embrace its suggestions for our future diet and countryside
'Uneven' sea level rises threaten Indian Ocean coastal regions
July 25, 2010
Global warming is adversely affecting certain countries around the Indian Ocean with higher than average sea level rises, according to analysis published in Nature Geoscience
Review of the must-read book: Merchants of Doubt
July 25, 2010
In Merchants of Doubt, Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway take us on a fascinating trip down what they call Tobacco Road. Take the journey with them, and you' ll see renowned scientists abandon science, you' ll see environmentalism equated with communism, and you' ll discover the connection between the Cold War and climate denial. read more
Rising sea drives Panama islanders to mainland
July 25, 2010
CARTI SUGDUB, Panama (Reuters) - Rising seas from global warming, coming after years of coral reef destruction, are forcing thousands of indigenous Panamanians to leave their ancestral homes on low- lying Caribbean islands.
Senators craft scaled-back climate bill
July 25, 2010
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate''s two biggest backers of climate change legislation have scaled back ambitions for a broad attack on greenhouse gases with a new draft bill focusing on cutting pollution from electric power utilities.
Amazon storm killed half a billion trees: study
July 25, 2010
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A powerful storm destroyed about half a billion trees in the Amazon in 2005, according to a study on Tuesday that shows how the world''s forests may be vulnerable to more violent weather caused by climate change.
Cooling caused wars and drought in China
July 25, 2010
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - As Chinese policymakers grapple with an expected increase in extreme weather due to global warming, a study has found that periods of cooling between AD 10 to 1900 also caused a wave of disasters, war and upheaval.
Renewable Power Investments Outstrip Fossil Fuels in Europe and U.S.
July 25, 2010
The U. S. and Europe added more power capacity in 2009 from renewable sources than from conventional sources such as coal and oil, and this year or next the world as a whole will add more capacity to the electricity supply from alternative energy sources than from fossil fuels, according to two new reports. The reports, issued by the United Nations Environmental Program and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, said that in 2009 renewables made up 60 percent of newly installed power capacity in Europe and more than 50 percent in the U. S. Although global investment in green energy decreased in 2009, to $162 billion, some countries, such as China, saw rapid growth ...
Big freeze changes minds on global warming
July 25, 2010
A THIRD of Scots have changed their views on climate change due to the winter big freeze and the "climategate" scandal, a study for The Scotsman has revealed.
Power utilities want less of your business
July 25, 2010
Avoid mopping your floor, laundry and washing your dishes during the day and save energy in the process " that''s what power utilities in the U. S. are telling customers this summer. Heard this before? The difference is this year, heat waves have already caused blackouts and power- grid strain across the country, and it''s only mid- July. This begs the question: Do power utilities want less of your business? Heat waves last month meant increased cooling needs " up as much as 76 percent in some regions " which adds in turn to the threat of power outages.
Climate scientists respond to 'climategate' report
July 25, 2010
It''s time to abandon the black- and- white fiction that human- induced climate change is fact or conspiracy, they say
Law of hurricane power discovered
July 25, 2010
The intensity of hurricanes follows a simple mathematical law " a finding that could help us predict how they will respond to climate change
Is net energy peaking?
July 25, 2010
My latest column on Scitizen entitled "Is Net Energy Peaking?" has now been posted. Here is the teaser: When most people think of fossil fuel supplies, they think in terms of barrels of oil, cubic feet of natural gas and tons of coal. But in evaluating how much energy in the form of finite fossil fuels the world has left, these are no longer adequate measurements....Read more
'Moral duty' to tackle climate change
July 25, 2010
A gathering of international parliamentarians has been informed that 'climate change is a reality'.
New Weather Patterns Threaten U.S. Breadbasket
July 25, 2010
Climate change is expected to disrupt agriculture in the U. S. Midwest, with high carbon dioxide promoting crop growth but stronger storms, drought, floods and migrating yields dampening yields.
Pacific Islands Criticise Stalled Climate Financing
July 25, 2010
Despite the creation of a High- Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing (AGF), a group of hard- hit Pacific islands is expressing doubt that aid will be delivered in a timely manner.
Less meltdown, more manners
July 25, 2010
Polemical and partisan characterises the climate debate online - but at last night''s Guardian debate there was courteousness and a distinct warmth in the air. Something remarkable happened last night in the polarised world of "warmists" versus "sceptics": a candid but not rancorous public debate. I' m sure you' ll correct me if I' m wrong but, to my knowledge, never before have all sides of this frequently poisonous debate shared a stage. The outcome was illuminating. With no little effort, I had persuaded a star panel to convene to discuss the fall out from the "Climategate" affair which followed the exposure of 1,000 private emails between climate scientists at the University of East Anglia''s Climatic Research Unit and their international colleagues.
Google climate map offers a glimpse of a 4C world | Adam Vaughan
July 25, 2010
Interactive tool layering climate data over Google Earth maps shows the impact of an average global temperature rise of 4CThink it''s hot this summer? Wait until you see Google''s simulation of a world with an average global temperature rise of 4C. Using a map that was first launched by the former Labour administration in October 2009, the coalition government has taken temperature data from the Met Office Hadley Centre and other climate research centres and imposed it on to a Google Earth layer. It''s a timely arrival, with warnings this month that current international carbon pledges will lead to a rise of nearly 4C and the Muir Russell report censuring some climate scientists for not being more open with their data (but exonerating them of manipulating the scientific evidence).Unlike a similar tool using IPCC data that was launched by Google in the run- up to the Copenhagen ...
Drought threatens to close stretch of Britain's longest canal
July 25, 2010
British Waterways may enforce shutdown on Leeds and Liverpool canal as water levels in reservoirs plummet. Almost half the Leeds and Liverpool canal, the longest in Britain, will close because of the drought in the north of England unless rain tomorrow heralds St Swithin''s downpours. Narrowboat companies have started moving fleets from the 60-mile approaches to the Pennine summit of the canal after British Waterways announced the shutdown, which will affect the stretch between Gargrave, in the Yorkshire Dales, and Wigan from 2 August. The unusual move follows a precipitous drop in the seven moortop reservoirs that feed the 127-mile canal on either side of the watershed. British Waterways said levels were just under 30% of capacity instead of the usual July figure of 80%.Continuing drought would see stocks dwindle to 10% by the end of the month, and the closure " if implemented " will be ...
Lloyd's adds its voice to dire 'peak oil' warnings
July 25, 2010
Business underestimating catastrophic consequences of declining oil, says Lloyd''s of London/ ISS report. One of the City''s most respected institutions has warned of "catastrophic consequences" for businesses that fail to prepare for a world of increasing oil scarcity and a lower carbon economy. The Lloyd''s insurance market and the highly regarded Institute of Strategic Studies (ISS, known as Chatham House) says Britain needs to be ready for "peak oil" and disrupted energy supplies at a time of soaring fuel demand in China and India, constraints on production caused by the BP oil spill and political moves to cut CO2 to halt global warming."Companies which are able to take advantage of this new energy reality will increase both their resilience and competitiveness.
Negotiating a Climate Treaty--Common but How Differentiated?
July 9, 2010
Understanding the common but differentiated principle is the start of how the world has delegated responsibilities to the players around the globe in order to tackle the energy challenge of the 21st century. Approaching this principle is an important beginning in order to start working on the policy, business, research and development, and the environmental potential solutions. Stephen Eule and Julian Wong bring us their own angles on why and how this basic principle should be renewed and implemented to keep pace with a fast- changing and carbon- intense world. Read more here.
Climate unit 'did not hide data'
July 9, 2010
Climate scientists emerge from third inquiry with their reputations for honesty intact but with a lack of openness criticised.
Energy and Global Warming News for July 8: Heat waves could be commonplace in...
July 9, 2010
By 2039, most of the US could experience at least four seasons equally as intense as the hottest season ever recorded from 1951-1999, according to Stanford University climate scientists. In most of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, the number of extremely hot seasons could be as high as seven. Heat waves could be commonplace in the US by 2039, Stanford study finds Exceptionally long heat waves and other hot events could become commonplace in the United States in the next 30 years, according to a new study by Stanford University climate scientists. 'Using a large suite of climate model experiments, we see a clear emergence of much more intense, hot conditions in the U. S.
We're having a heat wave. New daily high temperature records beat new cold r...
July 9, 2010
'We' re getting a dramatic taste of the kind of weather we are on course to bequeath to our grandchildren,' says Tom Peterson, Chief Scientist for NOAA''s National Climatic Data Center. An 'excessive heat warning' has been issued this week for parts of the East Coast, home of the status quo media, so please send me examples of coverage - good or bad. Also, drink plenty of fluids and stay cool! I got a call last week from a Florida reporter. Did I know that it was so hot that Miami set the all- time monthly temperature record in June?
Climate scientist: 'Positive carbon-climate feedback is still very likely' -...
July 9, 2010
As the United States, like much of the rest of the world, bakes in record, killer heat, climate scientists continue to refine our understanding of the dire future of global warming in the years to come. The United Nations has named the 831 scientists who will author the fifth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, to be published in 2013 with new model runs and observations of the ongoing destruction of our habitable environment. They do this work despite the endless assault from the fossil- fueled right wing, weathering death threats and media and politicians who ignore, downplay, distort, or lie about the science.
NSIDC: In June, Arctic sea ice saw lowest extent and fastest rate of decline...
July 9, 2010
This year will almost certainly set the record for lowest Arctic ice volume ever recorded (see 'When things were rotten'). But whether it will set the less important - but more visible - record for sea ice extent is less certain. You can see how close 2010 is to 2007 now. On the one hand, the National Snow and Ice Data Center just issued their July report, which notes, 'June saw the return of the Arctic dipole anomaly, an atmospheric pressure pattern that contributed to the record sea ice loss in 2007.' On the other hand, they point out ...
Oceans Demise Near Irreversible
July 9, 2010
By Les Blumenthal A sobering new report warns that oceans face a fundamental and irreversible ecological transformation not seen in millions of years as greenhouse gases and climate change already have affected temperature, acidity, sea and oxygen levels, the food chain and possibly major currents that could alter global weather
Hot Weather in a Warming Climate
July 9, 2010
A look at how more hot extremes might, or might not, spur climate and energy action.
Was the East Anglia Incident a Crime?
July 9, 2010
Nearly eight months after thousands of e- mail messages and files of climate scientists were scattered around the Web, authorities have still not labeled the release a crime.
High Above the Earth, Satellites Track Melting Ice
July 9, 2010
The surest sign of a warming Earth is the steady melting of its ice zones, from disappearing sea ice in the Arctic to shrinking glaciers worldwide. Now, scientists are using increasingly sophisticated satellite technology to measure the extent, thickness, and height of ice, assembling an essential picture of a planet in transition. BY MICHAEL D. LEMONICK
Climategate inquiry: no deceit, too little cooperation
July 9, 2010
The official UK inquiry into the climategate affair confirms the "rigour and honesty of the scientists involved" but tells them to be more open
Prehistoric humans may have pushed climate change
July 9, 2010
Humans were fiddling with climate thousands of years even before we started farming " if we had a hand in the extinction of woolly mammoths
Climate change could drive crocs out of the water
July 9, 2010
Warming waters could mean crocodiles will struggle to find food and protection
A Bookful of Bookerisms
July 9, 2010
The climate change deniers are digging themselves an ever deeper hole over 'Amazongate'
Climategate scientists' honesty not in doubt, says review
July 9, 2010
The "rigour and honesty" of the scientists at the centre of a row over climate research, sparked when hundreds of emails were stolen from a world- renowned research centre, is not in doubt, an independent review said today.
Leading article: Climate change science is vindicated
July 9, 2010
Public scrutiny of science and the scientific method can never be a bad thing, especially when the research involves something as important as climate change. But there must come a time when the results are accepted by all reasonable people. This time has surely come in the case of the "Climategate" emails stolen from the University of East Anglia and posted on the internet last autumn with the evident purpose of discrediting scientists at the centre of the effort to understand climate change.
The North Pacific, a global backup generator for past climate change
July 9, 2010
Toward the end of the last ice age, a major reorganization took place in the current system of the North Pacific with far- reaching implications for climate, according to a new study published in the July 9, 2010, issue of Science by an international team of scientists from Japan, Hawaii, and Belgium.
Heat waves could be commonplace in the US by 2039, Stanford study finds
July 9, 2010
Exceptionally long heat waves and other hot events could become commonplace in the United States in the next 30 years, according to a new study by Stanford University climate scientists.
Financial Ties : Green Taxes
July 9, 2010
The Financial Times advises :- [link] cms/ s/0/5dca38e0-8ac1-11df-8e17-00144feab49a. html 'Environmentalists have had a disappointing year. The Copenhagen talks fizzled and the economic crisis has overshadowed all other considerations. But the need for countries to repair towering fiscal deficits is an opening for the movement. As treasuries look for ways to raise more revenues, climate change activists should make the case for green taxes.' So, environmental campaigners should be campaigning for green taxes to plug holes in public deficits caused by crashing banks ? I think not. Tax revenue that is collected on the basis of environmental pollution should always be hypothecated, committed to remediation and removal of environmental pollution.
MOZAMBIQUE: Women at Forefront of Resisting Climate Change
July 9, 2010
The Mozambican government has adopted various policies to address the effects of climate change, with special attention to women as studies show that they are more adversely affected by this phenomenon.
Germany targets switch to 100% renewables for its electricity by 2050
July 9, 2010
Germany already leads the world on renewable energy and could become first G20 country to kick the fossil- fuel habit Germany could derive all of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2050 and become the world''s first major industrial nation to kick the fossil- fuel habit, the country''s Federal Environment Agency said today. The country already gets 16% of its electricity from wind, solar and other renewable sources " three times' higher than the level it had achieved 15 years ago."A complete conversion to renewable energy by 2050 is possible from a technical and ecological point of view," said Jochen Flasbarth, president of the Federal Environment Agency."It''s a very realistic target based on technology that already exists " it''s not a pie- in- the- sky prediction," he said. Thanks to its Renewable Energy Act, Germany is the world leader in photovoltaics ...
The climate science scapegoats
July 9, 2010
Today''s report into the hacked climate science emails follows two previous investigations that cleared the scientists involved of fraud and corruption, but with charges of secrecy upheld. The publication of Sir Muir Russell''s report on Wednesday is the third and final independent review into the hacked University of East Anglia emails sent by climate scientists. On 31 March, the House of Commons science and technology select committee strongly criticised UEA for not addressing a "culture of withholding information" among its climate scientists and for not being more open with raw data and computer codes. However, MPs chose not to criticise Professor Phil Jones, the climate scientist at the centre of the affair."He probably wishes that the emails were never invented," said Phil Willis MP, the committee chair, who had earlier questioned Jones in person during a committee hearing.
10:10 Climate change campaign - the story so far
July 9, 2010
From Premiership teams to rock festivals, from governments and ministers to you - the 10:10 campaign has united a diverse band of carbon- cutters determined to slash emissions by 10% this year. Now, 3,000 businesses and 80,000 individuals have signed up " and there''s still half a year left to go
No more BPs: we must turn our deserts into solar power | Ulrich Beck
July 9, 2010
The Deepwater Horizon disaster should make us look to the sun, and start a revolution in how we meet our energy needs. Why hasn' t the Deepwater Horizon spill, one of the worst ecological disasters in US history, led to a storming of the Bastille of Big Oil? Why aren' t the most urgent problems of our time " environmental crises and climate change " being confronted with the same energy, idealism and optimism as past tragedies of poverty, tyranny and war? The current state of the oil industry is reminiscent of the ancien regime on the eve of the revolution. The Gulf of Mexico disaster has many faces.
Global emissions targets will lead to 4C temperature rise, say studies
July 9, 2010
Studies predict major extinctions and collapse of Greenland ice sheet with temperatures rising well above UN targets. The world is heading for an average temperature rise of nearly 4C (7F), according to analysis of national pledges from around the globe. Such a rise would bring a high risk of major extinctions, threats to food supplies and the near- total collapse of the huge Greenland ice sheet. More than 100 heads of state agreed in Copenhagen last December to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C-2C (2.7-3.6F) above the long- term average before the industrial revolution, which kickstarted a massive global increase in the greenhouse gases blamed for warming the planet and triggering climate change. But six months on, a major international effort to monitor the emissions reductions targets of more than 60 countries, including all the major economies, the Climate Interactive Scoreboard, ...
Climate change crop garden wins Hampton Court prize - BBC News
July 9, 2010
Climate change crop garden wins Hampton Court prize. BBC News... such as apples and herbs, are featured as well as plants including peaches and nectarines to highlight the potential changes global warming will bring. Climate change 'bringing new crops' to South East. BBC Newsall 3
Heat wave air conditioners of doom - Salon
July 9, 2010
Salon. Heat wave air conditioners of doom. Salon. AP An independent investigation of the Climate. Gate hacked e- mails that rocked the global warming debate in 2009 has found that the "rigor ...and more
Heat Wave! Is This Global Warming? - TIME - blog
July 9, 2010
Salon. Heat Wave! Is This Global Warming? TIME (blog) First of all, the usual caveat, which should be obvious but needs to be repeated: no single weather event can be said to be "caused" by climate change. ...Heat wave smothers climate skeptic jokes. Salon. Heat wave smothers climate skeptic jokes. Salonall 7
The climate bill endgame
July 9, 2010
by David Goldstein. Cross- posted from the NRDC Switchboard blog. The most important component of an effective climate bill- one that helps the economy recover and assures that greenhouse gas emissions will decline rapidly over the decades to come- is setting a cap on emissions. Opponents of a cap misunderstand how and why the cap will work, and their stated reasons for opposition reflect this misunderstanding. Typical of these self- described conservative arguments is made by Steve Everley at American Solutions. Everley tries to paint efforts to price carbon through a cap broadly as socialism, and narrowly as a tax.
How an energy bill could fuel more global warming
July 9, 2010
by David Doniger. Cross- posted from NRDC Switchboard. As President Obama and senators consider their options on energy and climate legislation, it''s important to be clear about what will move the country forward and what will move it backward. Will our leaders put us on the road towards the carbon pollution cuts desperately needed to take back control of our economic, environmental, and national security, or will they drive in the wrong direction and make matters even worse? As my colleague Dan Lashof shows here, the Senate can at least get us started towards the economy- wide carbon pollution reductions we need, by adopting a cap on utilities and other stationary sources along with robust policies to save oil and curb emissions from the transportation system.
Fannie and Freddie won't let this teacher green her home
July 9, 2010
by Jonathan Hiskes. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have shut down most of the nation''s programs using Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE), an innovative tool that helps Americans finance green improvements to their homes. Here''s a homeowner' s perspective on the story: Kayla Thomason spent last winter wondering if the furnace would hold out in her two- bedroom ranch home in Longmont, Colo. The middle- school teacher had plenty of need for it: Her home, built in 1963, has no wall insulation, little attic insulation, and original metal- frame single- pane windows. In the winter, heat seeps out through recessed kitchen lights, ceiling- fan connections, the garage door, the crawl space, and especially uninsulated heating ducts, she learned.
George Monbiot : Bunkum Masquerading As Insight ?
July 9, 2010
I was in telephone conversation with somebody in the Climate Change policy arena in the last two weeks (names will remain unnamed for obvious reasons), and they complained to me about George Monbiot''s position on Climategate. I could sense incandescent rage, even at the other end of the phone line, as the person expressed extreme displeasure with George Monbiot, and asserted that he was a 'nasty little man'. I don' t agree with that summary. For a start, George Monbiot is probably taller than the average Briton, so the epithet is literally inaccurate. I don' t even agree that George Monbiot is 'little' in terms of influential, public figures, either.
Climate scientists praise report on hacked email scandal
July 9, 2010
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Leading climate scientists on Thursday welcomed a British report that cleared researchers of exaggerating the effects of global warming and said they hoped it would restore faith in the fight against climate change.
Hot weather prompts Met Office heatwave health alert
July 9, 2010
The first weather health alert of the summer has been issued as temperatures are set to soar in parts of the UK.
Large blue butterfly moves to Cotswolds
July 6, 2010
Assisted by climate change, the ecologists who saved the butterfly from extinction are reintroducing it to its former haunts. It is the butterfly that was brought back from the dead and one of the most successful examples of insect conservation in the world. Now, assisted by climate change, the large blue butterfly is to be moved northwards in a bid to double its UK population. The ecologists responsible for reviving the large blue will next month release hundreds of caterpillars at two secret locations in the Cotswolds in an attempt to reintroduce them to the region for the first time in more than half a century. After the butterfly''s extinction in Britain in 1979, Jeremy Thomas, professor of ecology at Oxford University, and his colleague David Simcox successfully masterminded its return by collecting eggs from Sweden and reintroducing this rare and incredibly fussy insect in Devon and the Polden Hills, Somerset. ...
Invest in rail, not roads | Richard Hebditch
July 6, 2010
Arguing that rail investment is pointless because more people use cars ignores the reality of congestion and climate change. So the RAC Foundation''s Stephen Glaister argues that roads are missing out on the lavish attention spent on rail. The argument that the road network suffers in comparison with rail simply does not stand up. Rail, as part of a better integrated and supported public transport network, has to be the future priority for investment if we are to stop adding to congestion and climate change. The RAC Foundation''s arguments against rail seem to come down a circular argument that not enough people use rail, therefore it shouldn' t receive significant investment to expand its capacity, which will mean that not enough people will use it, which justifies not investing in it This just won' t do as the basis for deciding where scarce public investment should go. So why should we invest ...
Paris looks for power from turbines beneath the Seine
July 6, 2010
River currents could be harnessed at four bridges across the capital. The river Seine, the historical "sacred river" running through Paris, inspired Monet, Matisse and even the British painter Turner, who sat on its banks to capture the scenery. Now the landscape is to undergo a subtle change, with a plan to install eight turbines underneath the city''s celebrated bridges to raise energy from river currents. Paris city hall is to launch an appeal this week for power companies to come up with suitable projects to install the turbines, or hydroliennes."After a study by our urban ecology service and the French waterways, four potential sites have already been identified," Denis Baupin, the deputy mayor, told Le Parisien newspaper.
Shell: deep-water oil drilling will go on
July 6, 2010
Voser says rising demand forces search for new sites Storm threatens clean- up operation of BP''s Gulf spill. Royal Dutch Shell''s boss, Peter Voser, insisted that today it was not possible to satisfy the world''s growing energy demands without drilling for oil in deep- water reserves, despite the ongoing environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. At a conference in South Africa, Voser defended the oil industry''s push into deeper oil reserves and said Shell would continue to play its part, even as a tropical storm threatened to disrupt BP''s efforts to clean up oil off the coast of Louisiana."Given the rise in the population and the rise in the developing world of energy needs, we will have to develop those resources in deep waters, so my expectation is that we will go forward with it, but it will need some changes," Voser told the Fortune Global ...
American Public turns against offshore drilling
July 6, 2010
Ruy Teixeira, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, shows us how the oil spill has been shifting public opinion on offshore drilling, little by little, in this repost. The gulf oil spill disaster is starting to take a serious toll on public support for offshore drilling. Consider these data from a new Pew Research Center poll. Back in February of this year, 63 percent of the public supported more offshore drilling as a policy response to address our energy needs, compared to 31 percent who were opposed. Today a majority of the public-52 percent- opposes offshore drilling, and support has fallen to 44 percent.
When things were rotten: Arctic sees record sea ice shrinkage, headed toward...
July 6, 2010
Must- see video here for ice junkies, background here: 'Arctic Ocean is full of rotten ice.' 'Anomalies for each day are calculated relative to the average over the 1979 -2009 period for that day to remove the annual cycle.' [And yes, "anomaly" is a poor word choice for a long- term trend driven by human emissions.] Back in mid- May, I argued the Arctic is poised to see record low sea ice volume this year. Since then, volume has plummeted some 3000 km3 (relative to its recent historical average) to '19,000 km3, the lowest May volume over the 1979"2010 period, 42% below the 1979 maximum and 32% below the 1979"2009 May average,' according to the Polar Science Center, which has the best Arctic ice volume model around.
Climate Union : Sharing Principles
July 6, 2010
Image Credit : Gilbert & George, 'Nettle Dance', White Cube I' m in the Climate Union. Are You ? Soon we could all be, if the expansionist plans of a group of social campaigners come to fruition. Taking in the unions, faith communities and the usual rag- tag bunch of issues activists, the Climate Union aims to establish itself as a political force for Low Carbon. First of all, however, it has to tackle the uneasy and prickly problem of the exact name of the movement, and the principles under which it will operate. The flag has been flown ...
U.S. promises $136 million in climate aid to Indonesia
July 6, 2010
JAKARTA (Reuters) - The United States will spend $136 million over three years on environment and climate change programs in Indonesia, according to a statement issued by the White House on Monday.
Warming Climate Means Trouble For Southwest Plantlife
July 6, 2010
This month, fires have charred tens of thousands of acres in New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona. After more than a decade of drought, these large seasonal fires are increasingly a part of life in the Southwest, and fire can be revitalizing in many conifer forests.
'We Got that Deleted': Canada's Oil Sands Lobby Twisting Washington's Arm - i...
July 6, 2010
US politicians bend to foreign- backed pressure to soften climate bill.
Lebanese youth highlight impending climate change threat
July 6, 2010
BEIRUT: More than 200 young people gathered Saturday at Ramlet al- Baida beach to raise awareness about the threat that climate change poses to the globe, as they promote practical steps for Lebanese to change their environmental lifestyle. The activists, who largely consisted of members from Mercy Corps and the League of Independent Activists
Tina Gerhardt: The Canary in the Coal Mine: Stopping Climate Change - Ted Nac...
July 6, 2010
The Canary in the Coal Mine: Stopping Climate Change By Tina Gerhardt Climate Hope: On the Front Lines of the Fight against Coal By Ted...
'Carbon storage' faces leak dilemma - study
July 6, 2010
Dreams of braking global warming by storing carbon emissions from power plants could be undermined by the risk of leakage, according to a study published on Sunday.
Hot nights to bite Basmati
July 6, 2010
New Delhi, June 28 : Warmer nights may spoil the aroma of basmati and cause the rice to become sticky when cooked, scientists have warned after a study of how climate change may affect the quality of rice.
Harper rejects advice to budge on oil patch tax breaks
July 6, 2010
Prime Minister Stephen Harper rejected advice from his officials to eliminate tax incentives for the oil patch on a weekend that saw the world''s most powerful leaders disdain fresh attempts to combat climate change in favour of fighting deepening deficits.
AUSTRALIA: New PM Called On to Tackle Climate Change
July 6, 2010
Source: IPS Australias newly appointed prime minister, Julia Gillard, has hardly warmed her seat, yet she has already been urged to take action on climate change.
Scientists 'expect climate tipping point' by 2200
July 6, 2010
The global climate is more than likely to slip into an unpredictable state with unknown consequences for human societies if carbon dioxide emissions continue on their present course, a survey of leading climate scientists has found.
What would happen if we admitted to the high risk of deepwater drilling?
July 6, 2010
by Frank Ackerman. Was the Obama administration 'arbitrary and capricious' in imposing a six- month moratorium on deepwater oil drilling? U. S. District Judge Martin Feldman thought so. His June 22 order reversed the moratorium, citing the 'immeasurable harm' to 'the local economy, the Gulf region, and the critical present- day aspect of the availability of domestic energy in this country.' By immeasurable harm to the Gulf region, he meant the loss of oil industry jobs, not the loss of oil- free water and beaches. How could anyone be opposed to a time- out to figure out what went wrong in the Gulf of Mexico?
G8 leaders stand still on climate; will G20 backtrack?
July 6, 2010
by David Turnbull. It was a tale of two cities Saturday in Toronto for this climate activist. One of hope and the other of boredom. Saturday morning, I joined Greenpeace, Oxfam, the Canadian Labor Congress, and about 5,000 activists at a peaceful rally calling on G8 and G20 leaders to take stronger leadership on a variety of progressive issues. Signs amidst the crowd were pushing issues ranging from climate and poverty alleviation to Tibetan freedom and bank reform. It was an impressive mix of progressive activists all coming together to speak with one voice for global change. Despite the rain and nearly oppressive police presence, the spirit at the rally was ebullient and hopeful, and I walked away feeling excited as one often does from these rallies.
The End of Oil, and Government
July 6, 2010
The unsustainable U. S. economy and coast- to- coast consumer society that uses more oil than any other nation will keep up its energy gluttony until supplies give out. Because oil is the most critical part of our energy mix, and it supplies critical materials and chemicals besides fuels, a sudden, crippling oil shortage can paralyze most of the work, commerce and law enforcement going on in this country.
Climate bill gets GOP cold shoulder - Politico
July 6, 2010
Climate bill gets GOP cold shoulder. Politico. But he has since shifted to the right, going so far as to question the science linking humans to global warming. Like Mc. Cain, Brown, Gregg and Murkowski, ...Democrats Poised for Comprehensive Climate and Energy Approach. Firedoglake (blog) all 23
Byrd's death brings new problems for climate advocates - The Hill - blog
July 6, 2010
Telegraph. co. uk. Byrd''s death brings new problems for climate advocates. The Hill (blog)'Senator Byrd led efforts among coal state senators to devise global warming legislation that would smooth the transition for workers in their states,' said ...Byrd''s death could delay financial reform vote. Los Angeles Timesall 4,387
UK 'needs new climate policies'
July 6, 2010
The emissions- lowering recession is masking failures on carbon- cutting, and new policies are needed, say advisors.
How hot is it? So hot that 8 countries in Africa and Asia set all-time high ...
July 6, 2010
Before getting to the irony of the anti- science Tea Partiers canceling their big convention because the weather is too hot, let''s look at some of the staggering extreme weather events around the globe. In China, 'The Southern Daily said over 600 millimetres (24 inches) of rain fell in Guangdong''s Huilai county over a six- hour period on Friday, a 500-year record.' That''s two feet of rain in 6 hours! As Dr. Kevin Trenberth, head of the Climate Analysis Section at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, told me earlier this month: There is a systematic influence on all of these weather events now- a-days because of the fact that there is this extra water vapor lurking around in the atmosphere than there used to be say 30 years ago.
What if the public had perfect climate information?
July 6, 2010
Revkin asks me via Dot Earth, 'What if The Public had Perfect Climate Information?' Ahh, the hypothetical question that launches us into an alternative history. Reminds me of that Saturday Night Live routine, 'What if Spartacus had a Piper Cub?' I' d love your answer. Here''s mine. If the entire public had perfect information on all matters related to climate - the science and the solutions - we would certainly be on a path to below 450 ppm (see, for instance, Scientists find 'net present value of climate change impacts' of $1240 TRILLION on current emissions path, making mitigation to under 450 ppm a must).
BBC's Panorama falls into 'balance as baloney' trap in half hour climate show...
July 6, 2010
[I' d be very interested in the comments of other Brits upon watching the video. UK readers who want to make a complaint to the BBC will find contact info below.] The BBC''s climate journalism has declined in recent months (see BBC asks CRU''s Phil Jones the climate version of 'When did you stop beating your wife'). It just hit a new low in the half hour show, 'What''s up with the Weather?' All you need to know about how distorted and sensationalistic the BBC''s worldview has become is to read how BBC''s News editors describe the show ...
Can the world run on renewables, nuclear energy and geo-sequestration? The ne...
July 6, 2010
Editor's note: This article is a summary of a new paper published in Energy Policy, available at sciencedirect. com [link]. For a detailed discussion of renewable energy's limits see Renewable energy - Cannot sustain an energy - intensive society [link]. The author told Culture Change, "Central in the delusion system moving us to the brink is the unquestioned faith that renewables can preserve affluence and the growth society; it is extremely difficult to get anyone to think about this."
A Focus on Canada: Challenging Times Ahead
July 6, 2010
The recent G8/G20 in Canada and the relatively small amount of time spent discussing climate change has again brought some to question the intent of the Canadian Government with regards the issue. The reality is that successive Canadian Governments have struggled to formulate a policy mix which will suit the country, but at the same time Canada has been a great champion of overtly climate change technologies such as carbon capture and storage (CCS). As such, it is worth spending some time giving thought to the dilemma that is the Canadian economy and greenhouse gas emissions, particularly as the government continues to seek a policy mix that will deliver a meaningful reduction in emissions over the coming decade " at least as a first step.
Canadian oil lobby trying to kill US clean energy policy
July 6, 2010
mike- whately. jpg Who knew the tentacles of the Canadian oil lobby could reach all the way down to Washington, DC? And who knew they were so powerful? I am sure many Americans will find it rather disturbing that a foreign entity (no matter how friendly they may be - full disclosure: I am Canadian) is holding so much sway over the clean energy future of their country. In a lengthy and well- researched new expose on the Canada oil sands industry''s lobbying activities in Washington, DC, reporter Geoff Dembicki untangles a complicated web that includes former Republican insiders, dirty energy front groups and powerful politicians on both sides of the border that are doing their best to kill US clean energy legislation.
Sorting Out Climate 'Camps'
July 6, 2010
A flawed effort to sort views on global warming into "10 camps."
Global CO2 Trends Show Scope of Climate Challenge
July 6, 2010
Energy trends in developing countries are causing per- capita emissions there to relentlessly rise even as the rich world gets cleaner.
The IPCC underestimated Amazon threat
July 6, 2010
Challenging climate sceptics is good sport but we' re in danger of forgetting the deadly serious matter at hand. Well this becomes more entertaining by the moment. Those who staked so much on the "Amazongate" story, only to see it turn round and bite them, are now digging a hole so deep that they will soon be able to witness a possible climate change scenario at first hand, as they emerge, shovels in hand, in the middle of the Great Victoria Desert. Here''s the story so far. In January the rightwing blogger Richard North claimed that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had "grossly exaggerated the effects of global warming on the Amazon rain forest".
Us and the environment: what the Social Trend Survey says
July 6, 2010
Recycling and organic farming on the rise but so is white good energy use and overfishing. The popularity of dishwashers, televisions and the internet has seen the amount of electricity consumed by such items jump by 155% in four decades, according to the ONS report. Emblematic of this shift has been the rise of the home computer. Two- thirds of people buy goods on the internet now " the highest in Europe. Ten years ago less than one in 10 people had access to the internet at home. As significant is the environmental movement. In the 1970s Britain produced two- thirds of its electricity from coal, but smokestacks have been replaced by natural gas chimneys. However, the UK generates around 100 million tonnes of waste a year, most of which ends up in landfill.
Global warning: targets for tackling temperatures aren't working
July 6, 2010
Studies predict major extinctions and collapse of Greenland ice sheet with temperatures rising well above UN targets. The world is heading for an average temperature rise of nearly 4C (7F), according to analysis of national pledges from around the globe at the midpoint between two major international conferences aiming to tackle the problem. Such a rise would bring a high risk of major extinctions, threats to food supplies and the near- total collapse of the huge Greenland ice sheet. More than 100 heads of state agreed in Copenhagen last December to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C-2C (2.7-3.6F) above the long- term average before the industrial revolution, which kickstarted a massive global increase in the greenhouse gases blamed for warming the planet and triggering climate change. But six months on, a major international effort to monitor the emissions reductions targets of ...
Green tech investment surges
July 6, 2010
Global investments in clean energy companies rose 43% in Q2 on last year, says new Cleantech Group and Deloitte report. Green tech is back in the green. Global venture capital investment in green technology companies reached $4.04 billion in the first half of 2010, exceeding -- slightly -- the record set in the boom year of 2008, according to a preliminary report released Thursday by the Cleantech Group and Deloitte. Venture investment in the second quarter rose to $2.02 billion, up 43 percent from the year- ago quarter. Investments in the first half of the year spiked 65 percent from the same period in 2009.
Network Rail study to assess impact of climate change
July 6, 2010
Thousands of miles of railway track to be examined for ability to withstand storms, flooding and heatwaves. Potential safety threats to thousands of miles of railway from extreme storms, floods and heatwaves as the impact of climate change worsens are being investigated by railway engineers and meteorologists. A study by Network Rail will look at exposed coastal tracks, embankments and thousands of bridges to see whether they can withstand the increase in extreme weather events that climatologists have predicted over coming decades. The UK- wide investigation will cost £750,000 but railway executives believe that implementing its expected recommendations could save the industry £1bn over the next 30 years by improving safety and preventing emergencies. The climate change adaptation programme, commissioned by the rail industry safety board (RSSB) follows the intense storm that flooded the south coast line bordering the sea at Dawlish in Devon in 2004, and ...
UK government blocking green car take-up, say electric vehicle makers
July 6, 2010
Vince Cable fails to confirm green car subsidy status as climate advisers say electric vehicles are key to hitting carbon targets. Electric carmakers warned the government that it was jeopardising the switch to green cars that experts believe is vital to meet the UK's climate change targets. The warning came after the business secretary, Vince Cable, failed to confirm the fate of the former Labour government's pledge to subsidise new electric cars by up to £5,000. On the same day, the government's climate change advisers said such vehicles were one of four key areas of focus for the UK to hit legally binding carbon budgets. In a letter to be sent to Cable and the transport secretary, Philip Hammond, Citroen, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Peugeot and Renault write that "without the incentives, the UK will become a significantly less attractive market".
