February - March, 2008

March 29, 2008 (Distribution date)

• Here's a follow up on my reference in the last posting about how companies and countries will try to game any program of CO2 emissions reductions, leading down that fateful road to a future need for impossibly rapid reductions in emissions to avert catastrophe - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/world/europe/22norway.html  See also the DotEarth blog for March 22 - http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/
• You may have heard some people say that recent data from the British MET Office Hadley Centre indicates that global warming has stopped.  Be cautious about accepting such statements without checking the facts - See http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/3/19/112626/765  and http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/myths/index.html  Joseph Romm, who wrote the Grist article is author of Hell and High Water: Global Warming - The Solution and the Politics and has his own blog - http://climateprogress.org/
• Here's an article about industry and legislative efforts to get around the recent refusal to permit a new coal fired electrical plant in Kansas - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/us/20energy.html  And, the saga continues: Gov. Sebelius vetoes the bill the Kansas legislature passed to bypass the environmental ruling - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/22/us/22kansas.html 
• Meanwhile, the cost of coal increases as worldwide demand bumps up against supply - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR2008031903859.html?hpid=artslot
• Amory Lovins (Head of the Rocky Mountain Institute and energy guru - http://www.rmi.org/) shares his knowledge about adapting for sustainability.  Here are two samples: "The US's electric bill could be halved through energy-efficiency measures and renewables that would mostly pay for themselves in a year. That's not a free lunch. It's a lunch you're paid to eat.  We will soon discover whether this bold evolutionary experiment of combining a large forebrain with opposable thumbs was really a good idea. Over the next decade, our species takes its university finals." - http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/ethicalliving/story/0,,2266535,00.html
• The European Union is drafting a climate action plan that is described as a "third industrial revolution," but it is hard to tell how much of it will turn out to be greenwashing - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7293436.stm
• A large chunk of the Wilkins Ice Shelf of the Antarctic Peninsula collapsed in February - http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN2529744920080325  See also the NYT editorial - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/28/opinion/28fri3.html?ref=opinion
• John McCain promotes himself as a green candidate, and he is compared to many other Republicans, but some of his recent actions lead to questions - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/27/johnmccain.uselections2008
• And, finally, after a lengthy deliberation, the EPA decides not establish rules about tailpipe emissions of CO2 as directed by the Supreme Court, but rather will open an extended public comment period to consider the effects of regulating CO2 on other EPA rules - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23833163/   Curiously, the Dept. of Transportation seems to be moving ahead on the issue - http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/newsprint.cgi?file=/news2008/0328-06.htm
• "Earth Hour" is tonight from 8 to 9 PM.  This global display of concern about global warming calls for lights out during that time period.  Let's join in!  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080329/ap_on_sc/world_lights_out_11;_ylt=AqqCU.6KQYQdr3LYxK9uTzdrAlMA 

March 19, 2008

• What with the tendency for industries and governments to game the system with regard to emissions reporting, we should probably expect that very large, very rapid reductions in GHG emissions will be required to actually prevent severe global warming.  Here's an informative article about emissions reductions from the Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/09/AR2008030901867.html
• The Heartland Institute conference designed to publicize the fact that some scientists (apparently somewhere between 19 and 23) doubt there is a human influence on global warming has finished in New York City.  The organizers were so generous that they paid participants to come to the meeting.  Here are a couple of links about the conference - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/03/AR2008030302781.html and
• So, maybe our addiction to oil is supporting patriarchal regimes and keeping women from making social advances - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/09/AR2008030901762.html
• It looks like there are serious problems dealing with pollution from plants producing 'biofuels' - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/us/11biofuel.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
• Well, it looks like the draft report on sea level rise has gotten into the national press - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/science/12coast.html?_r=1&oref=slogin  And meanwhile a new report from the National Academy of Sciences indicates that climate change will have costly effects on transportation infrastructure and operations - http://nationalacademies.org/
• And maybe now is a pretty good time to be rethinking the idea of low-interest government loans for coal fired electric plants - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/12/AR2008031203784.html
• How about tariffs on goods produced by countries that do not institute reductions in GHGs?  The European Union is considering sanctions against the world's two largest polluters, China and America - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23635644/
• Here's an informative article about how Arctic sea ice that has reformed this winter is thinner than older ice, about expecting another large summer Arctic sea ice melt in 2008, and about how Arctic sea ice influences global weather patterns - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23695810/
• Worldwide, glaciers continue to retreat at accelerating rates - http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/18/7755/
• One fifth of 6 billion is 1.2 billion.  That's the number of people that a European Union report says will be made homeless by climate change.  "The multilateral system is at risk if the international community fails to address the threats." - http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/10/climatechange.eu
• CCS: Carbon capture and storage.  Is it just another green scam?  George Monbiot sees evidence pointing in that direction in England - http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/18/fossilfuels.carbonemissions
• James Hansen suggests a target of 350 ppm CO2, with reduced emissions of CO2 beginning no later than 2015, if we wish to avoid "catastrophic effects of climate change" - See http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/back-to-1988-on-co2-says-nasas-hansen/ - and http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005119840 - and, for the draft paper that Andy Revkin refers to, http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/2008/TargetCO2_20080317.pdf

March 10, 2008

• According to James L. Connaughton, the US could agree to binding emission reduction targets, but only if China and India would also agree to make commitments and take measurable actions - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/world/europe/27climate.html.  See also the DotEarth piece - http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/white-house-to-world-well-sign-a-binding-climate-pact-theres-a-catch/index.html?ref=europe
• Here is an interesting article about climate change blogs from Andy Revkin at DotEarth.  He has some interesting points and some very good links - http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/the-other-times-picks-its-favorite-eco-blogs/
• Bill McKibben says "this is our final exam and we are failing." - http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/02/29/7369/
• One of the most curious things about global warming is the fact that temperature increases during deglaciations (transitions out of glacial phases of the earth's climate cycle) generally preceded increases in CO2 levels.  The following link gives a short description of what is thought to have been going on, including the Milankovitch cycles.  It is important to remember that no climate scientists have ever claimed that CO2 is the only cause of global warming! - http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/Image:Deglaciation_png
• Here is a thoughtful discussion of the economic and security implications of a thawing Arctic - http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20080301faessay87206-p0/scott-g-borgerson/arctic-meltdown.html
• James Lovelock thinks we're past the tipping point with regard to global warming and recommends enjoying life while we can - http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2008/mar/01/scienceofclimatechange.climatechange
• Meanwhile, according to a NYT editorial, diversion of food crops for biofuel production is doing a real number on food prices - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/opinion/03mon1.html?hp
• An important report from the US Climate Change Science Program (http://www.climatescience.gov/default.php) on "Coastal Elevations and Sensitivity to Sea Level Rise" has been released in draft form.  Here's a quotation from the Executive Summary: "Global sea level is rising and is expected to accelerate." See http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-1/public-review-draft/
• Stephen Johnson, head of the US EPA is taking a lot of heat these days - http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/newsprint.cgi?file=/news2008/0303-01.htm
• NASA's Earth Observatory is back online with news and amazing photographs.  Here's a confirmation of recent reports about ice loss in Antarctica - http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NasaNews/2008/2008012326052.html
• Alex Steffan, author of World Changing: A User's Guide for the 21st Century, has an interesting blog about "Who will tell the people? And How? - http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007852.html
• Well, well, here come the Southern Baptists, at least some of them.  What a nice development - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/us/10baptist.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1205157678-J0BPCcoKwo3YzmhsEdMQNA

February 19, 2008

• Penquins in and near Antarctica are having a hard time - http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/02/12/6996/
• President Bush proposes to increase the budget for satellites to monitor global warming - http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,328382,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/naturalscience
• The US thinks its continental shelf may extend far off the Alaska coast.  The article and comments at DotEarth on this topic are interesting. - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080211/ap_on_sc/arctic_grab;_ylt=AlcQvrXKhZLkB8WHZV9C9UlxieAA  and http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/arctic-melt-yields-hints-of-bigger-us-seabed-claim/
• Could Lake Mead go dry by 2021? - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23130256/
• Some climatologists expect 2008 to be another year of markedly reduced Arctic sea ice - http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/a/2008/02/12/national/a150504S64.DTL&type=printable
• Do rich nations have more rights than poor nations with regard to CO2 emissions?  The Chinese want to know (see attached)
• Chris Mooney outlines what steps the next president will have to take to avoid catastrophic global warming - http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=this_will_mean_the_world_to_us
• Could we really make gasoline from air? - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/science/19carb.html?_r=1&ref=science&oref=slogin

February 9, 2008

• A 2 hour show on global warming impacts will air Sunday, Feb. 10th, at 8 PM on the National Geographic Channel.  The show is based on Mark Lynas' 2006 book, Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet.  The show is called "Six Degrees Could Change the World" - http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/sixdegrees/
• Well, it looks like the idea of "clean coal" (coal generating power plants that capture and sequester their CO2) will remain a wishful thought for many more years - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/weekinreview/03revk.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
• Here's some information on climate tipping points.  Note that the study, done in 2005, is already out-of-date - http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/02/05/6864/
• Have you wondered about how the paleoclimatologists get so much information from ice cores?  NASA's Earth Observatory has a very good, short article on the ice core climate record - http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/Paleoclimatology_IceCores/
• New studies indicate that if the full emissions cost of biofuels is taken into account, the production of most biofuels ends up producing far more CO2 than is saved - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/08/science/earth/08wbiofuels.html
• Study of Patagonia cypress trees indicate that climate changes in southern South America in the last few decades are unprecedented in the last 400 - 500 years - http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN0631751920080208?sp=true
• Appellate court rules that EPA must obey the law regarding coal fired electric plant emissions - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/washington/09mercury.html 

[Note: Earlier archives will be added as time permits.]