NewsRack: newstrust/Global-Warming/Greenhouse-Gases

Too soon to tell - Le Monde Diplomatique

Rebecca Solnit — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Ten years ago, my part of the world was full of valiant opposition to the new wars being launched far away and at home — and of despair. And like despairing people everywhere, whether in a personal depression or a political tailspin, these activists believed the future would look more or less like the present. If there was nothing else they were confident about, at least they were confident about that. Ten years ago, as a contrarian and a person who prefers not to see others suffer, I tried (...) - Open page

7 Very Wrong Things About Climate Science And Energy In House Science Chair Lamar Smith’s WashPost Op-Ed - Think Progres

Ryan Koronowski — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

7 Very Wrong Things About Climate Science And Energy In House Science Chair Lamar Smith’s WashPost Op-Ed

Reasons to Be Hopeful a Decade After We Went Into Iraq - Mother Jones

Rebecca Solnit — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

This story first appeared on the TomDispatch website. Ten years ago, my part of the world was full of valiant opposition to the new wars being launched far away and at home—and of despair. And like despairing people everywhere, whether in a personal depression or a political tailspin, these activists believed the future would look more or less like the present. If there was nothing else they were confident about, at least they were confident about that. Ten years ago, as a contrarian and a person who prefers not to see others suffer, I tried to undermine despair with the case for hope. A decade later, the present is still contaminated by the crimes of that era, but so much has changed. Not necessarily for the better—a decade ago, most spoke of climate change as a distant problem, and then it caught up with us in 10,000 ways. But not entirely for the worse either—the vigorous climate movement we needed arose in that decade and is growing now. If there is one thing we can draw ...

‘We Would All Like Climate Sensitivity To Be Lower But It Isn’t’ Says Lead Scientist Of New Study - Think Progres

Joe Romm — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

‘We Would All Like Climate Sensitivity To Be Lower But It Isn’t’ Says Lead Scientist Of New Study

Koch Brothers Storing Oil Sands Waste on Bank of Detroit River - Crooks Liars

Diane Sweet — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Fox 2 News Headlines A Marathon spokesperson told Fox 2 they sold the pet coke. It is now the property of Koch Carbon. Koch Carbon is part of Koch Industries, run by Charles and David Koch. When the huge black mounds that sit on the riverbanks of southwest Detroit just appeared one day, residents were puzzled and concerned. “One of the biggest concerns when we saw the black piles is what is it, and where is it coming from?” said State Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit). She said residents contacted her worried that the black piles could be toxic. Freep.com : U.S. Reps. Gary Peters, a Democrat from Bloomfield Township, and John Conyers, a Democrat from Detroit, sent a joint letter to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality urging the agency to consider the material's potential impact on the river and nearby residents. "We fear the storage of petroleum coke along the river poses a potential threat to water and air quality. The material may contain trace amounts of ...

Drumbeat: May 20, 2013 - The Oil Drum

Leanan — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Wells Dry, Fertile Plains Turn to Dust Vast stretches of Texas farmland lying over the aquifer no longer support irrigation. In west-central Kansas, up to a fifth of the irrigated farmland along a 100-mile swath of the aquifer has already gone dry. In many other places, there no longer is enough water to supply farmers’ peak needs during Kansas’ scorching summers. And when the groundwater runs out, it is gone for good. Refilling the aquifer would require hundreds, if not thousands, of years of rains. This is in many ways a slow-motion crisis — decades in the making, imminent for some, years or decades away for others, hitting one farm but leaving an adjacent one untouched. But across the rolling plains and tarmac-flat farmland near the Kansas-Colorado border, the effects of depletion are evident everywhere. Highway bridges span arid stream beds. Most of the creeks and rivers that once veined the land have dried up as 60 years of pumping have pulled groundwater levels down by scores and even ...

Overheated rhetoric on climate change doesn’t make for good policies - Washington Post

Lamar Smith — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Climate change is an issue that needs to be discussed thoughtfully and objectively. Unfortunately, claims that distort the facts hinder the legitimate evaluation of policy options. The rhetoric has driven some policymakers toward costly regulations and policies that will harm hardworking American families and do little to decrease global carbon emissions. The Obama administration’s decision to delay, and possibly deny, the Keystone XL pipeline is a prime ...

India Ink: India Arrives at the Arctic - NY Times: World

By KABIR TANEJA — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Why does India’s inclusion as a permanent observer in the Arctic Council matter.

Letter: Cutting Carbon Emissions - NY Times: Editorials

Sun, 19 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Letter: Cutting Carbon Emissions

Big-thinking Cato Institute: 400ppm haz got what plants crave - NewsTrust Yahoo Pipes Feed

rss@dailykos.com (Hunter) — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Whatever keeps the checks coming, I guess The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) has recently reached a “milestone” of 400 parts per million (ppm). In some circles, this announcement has been met with consternation and gnashing of teeth. The proper reaction is celebration. It's not just the planet is getting warmer and that that's an awesome thing because woo, free heat; the even more awesomer thing is that fossil fuel pollution HAS GOT WHAT PLANTS CRAVE! There are two primary externalities that result from our emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere—1) an enhancement of the greenhouse effect, which results in an alteration of the energy flow in the earth’s climate and a general tendency to warm the global average surface temperature, and 2) an enhancement of the rate of photosynthesis in plants and a general tendency to result in more efficient growth and an overall healthier condition of vegetation (including crops). There’s incontrovertible evidence that the ...

A second chance to save the climate - New Scientist: Being Human

Sat, 18 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

A second chance to save the climate

Climate change isn't AN issue, it's THE issue - Daily Kos

rss@dailykos.com (Laurence Lewis) — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Home In 2005, the British government asked Stern to lead a team of economists in preparing a review of the economic impacts of climate change. The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change is the seminal work on the issue, and it is an overwhelming read. But he now says it is dated. He now says it underestimated the dangers and the damages. Last week, he succinctly summarized his new understanding of the depth and intensity of the climate crisis: It is increasingly likely that hundreds of millions of people will be displaced from their homelands in the near future as a result of global warming. "When temperatures rise to that level, we will have disrupted weather patterns and spreading deserts," he said. "Hundreds of millions of people will be forced to leave their homelands because their crops and animals will have died. The trouble will come when they try to migrate into new lands, however. That will bring them into armed conflict with people already living there. Nor will it be ...

Analysis-Airline Emissions Deal May Not Come Before EU Deadline - International Herald Tribune: Americas

By REUTERS — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Analysis-Airline Emissions Deal May Not Come Before EU Deadline

Abreviated Pundit Round-up - Daily Kos

rss@dailykos.com (Mark Sumner) — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

The New York Times adds its voice to the chorus crying out for action on climate change. The news that atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, the most important global warming gas, have hit 400 parts per million for the first time in millions of years increases the pressure on President Obama to deliver on his pledges to limit this country’s greenhouse gas emissions. America cannot solve a global problem by itself. But as Mr. Obama rightly observed in his inaugural address, the United States, as both major polluter and world leader, has a deep obligation to help shield the international community from rising sea levels, floods, droughts and other devastating consequences of a warming planet. In his State of the Union speech, he promised to take executive action if Congress failed to pass climate legislation. ... Mr. Obama has a firm grasp of the climate issue, and no one doubts that he cares about it. But as is often the case with this president, the question is whether he will ...

Editorial: Climate Warnings, Growing Louder - NY Times: Editorials

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Editorial: Climate Warnings, Growing Louder

Green diary rescue: Pedal power, electric cars, OFA on climate change - Daily Kos

rss@dailykos.com (Meteor Blades) — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Every week Daily Kos diarists write dozens of environmentally related posts. Many don't get the readership they deserve. Helping improve the odds is the motivation behind the Green Diary Rescue. In the past seven years, there have been 226 of these spotlighting more than 12,645 eco-diaries. Below are categorized links and excerpts to 64 more that appeared in the past seven days. That makes for lots of good reading during the spare moments of your weekend. [ Disclaimer: Inclusion of a diary in the rescue does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.] Mr. President, Arctic Ice Loss Portends a Climate Tsunami: The National Arctic Strategy is Suicidal —by FishOutofWater : "President Obama, your advisers just don't get it. We should be running as fast as we can from fossil fuels, not going out to sea to get more of them. The loss of summer sea ice portends a climate tsunami. The ice is keeping the Arctic cold, even in summer. Retreat of the ice is accelerating the ...

Hot and getting hotter - Salt Lake Tribune

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

by Mark Reynolds Published May 18, 2013 01:01AM MDT In the rarefied air of Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, 11,141 feet above sea level, scientists have charted the passing of a milestone that, if ignored, heralds a future for civilization both tragic and chaotic. I’m referring to the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which Charles David Keeling began monitoring in 1958. At that time, CO2 concentration was 313 parts per million. We are now at 400 ppm and that is not good news. Why is this number so important? For hundreds of thou... ...

May 18 Readers' letters: Governor's fixation on four-year graduation rates and California's overcrowded prisons - San Jose Mercury News: Letters

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Letters from Mercury News readers.

Obama's Arctic strategy sets off a climate time bomb | Nafeez Ahmed - Guardian: Science

Nafeez Ahmed — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

US National Strategy for the Arctic Region prioritises corporate 'economic opportunities' at the expense of everyone else One week ago, the Obama administration launched its National Strategy for the Arctic Region , outlining the government's strategic priorities over the next 10 years. The release of the strategy came about a week after the Office of Science and Technology Policy within the Executive Office of the President at the White House Complex hosted a briefing with international Arctic scientists . Despite giving lip service to the values of environmental conservation, the new document focuses on how the US can manage the exploitation of the region's vast untapped oil, gas and mineral resources in cooperation with other Arctic powers. US hinges success of Arctic strategy on diminishing sea ice At the heart of the White House's new Arctic strategy is an elementary but devastating contradiction between what President Obama, in the document's preamble, describes as seeking "to ...

5 Major Scandals The Media Isn’t Obsessing About - Think Progres

Igor Volsky — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

5 Major Scandals The Media Isn’t Obsessing About

Drumbeat: May 17, 2013 - The Oil Drum

Leanan — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Avoiding the 'Energy Abyss' John Hofmeister doesn’t call it ‘peak oil,’ instead he calls it the ‘energy abyss,’ the point at which the global economy ceases to grow because the oil industry can no longer meet demand. Hofmeister is the former president of Shell Oil, the same Shell Oil that is preparing to drill the deepest hole yet drilled to reach oil and gas 200 miles out in the Gulf of Mexico in 9,500 feet (2,900m) of water, surpassing the working depth of Shell’s Perdido rig, also located out in the Gulf and producing around 100,000 barrels a day. The cost of that rig: $3 billion. In his 2010 book, Why We Hate The Oil Companies, Straight talk from an energy insider , he wrote the following: “It’s inevitable. The industry that produces oil can’t produce enough, unless the world doesn’t grow. It’s possible that we will have such expensive oil that we will stymie growth. How many people will suffer? How many poor will become poorer, while rich become richer because we have failed rational ...

Global warming has not stalled, insists world's best-known climate scientist - Guardian: Environment

Damian Carrington — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Prof James Hansen warns public not to be fooled by 'diversionary tactic' from deniers Suggestions that global warming has stalled are a "diversionary tactic" from "deniers" who want the public to be confused over climate change, according to the world's best-known climate scientist. Prof James Hansen, who first alerted the world to climate change in 1988, said on Friday: "It is not true that the temperature has not changed in the two decades." Since 1998, when the Niño climate phenomenon caused global temperatures to soar, the rate of increase in warming has slowed, causing some sceptics to suggest climate change has stopped or that the effect of rising carbon dioxide levels on climate is not as great as previously thought. Prof Hansen, speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, rejected both arguments. "In the last decade it has warmed only a tenth of a degree compared to two-tenths of a degree in the preceeding decade, but that's just natural variability. There is no reason to be ...

Population growth and climate change explained by Hans Rosling – video - Guardian: Environment

Claire Provost, Claudine Spera — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Han Rosling demonstrates the dynamics of population growth, child mortality and carbon dioxide emissions

Claire Provost

Claudine Spera

Tipton high on Keystone Pipeline - Durango Herald

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

Witnesses at a House hearing Thursday on the Keystone XL Pipeline emphasized the pipelinex2019s safety compared with other methods of transporting fossil fuels.U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, led the House Committee on Small Business hearing, asking Congress to support the pipelinex2019s construction before other countries step...

U.S. Geological Survey: Warmer Springs Causing Loss Of Snow Cover Throughout The Rocky Mountains - Think Progres

Joe Romm — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:00 GMT

U.S. Geological Survey: Warmer Springs Causing Loss Of Snow Cover Throughout The Rocky Mountains