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Climate Progress

British coal industry flack pushes geo-engineering “ploy” to give politicians “viable reason to do nothing” about global warming. Is that why Lomborg supports such a smoke-and-mirrors approach?

By Joe Romm on Aug 12, 2009 at 9:00 pm

Everybody from global warming delayer Bjorn Lomborg to the country’s worst science writer seems to be embracing geo-engineering schemes these days.  Geoengineering is “the intentional large scale manipulation of the global environment” to counteract the effects of global warming — such as injecting massive amounts of soot or mirrors into the air.

But why would you choose an experimental combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy that might make you sicker if your doctors told you diet and exercise — albeit serious diet and excercise — would definitely work (see “Geo-engineering remains a bad idea” and “Geo-Engineering is NOT the Answer“)?

Well, desperation drives some people to contemplate extreme things, and climate scientists are increasingly desperate to prevent the catastrophe we face on our current path of unrestricted greenhouse gas emissions (see “Desperate times, desperate scientists“).

But why do people who don’t believe anthropogenic global warming (AGW) is real or would be catastrophic push it?  Richard S. Courtney, British coal industry flack  (see bio here), is one such denier who spreads disinformation on various blogs (including this one today).   As BigCityLib informs us, Courtney recently made this remarkable admission:

I am firmly convinced that dangerous AGW is not a problem and cannot become one.  However, I do think the possibility of the geo-engineering should be supported.  My reason for this is a political ploy and I explain it as follows….

The politicians need a viable reason if they are to back-off from this commitment to the constraints [of GHGs] without losing face.

The geo-engineering option provides the needed viable reason to do nothing about AGW now….

This suggested political ploy is not fanciful and it has precedent.  Opponents of the nuclear industry have objected that there is no “safe” method to dispose of nuclear waste.  The nuclear industry has responded by asserting that the waste could be vitrified.  A practical method for the vitrification still remains to be developed, but assertion of the possibility of the vitrification has been sufficient to overcome objections to nuclear power in several countries for nearly 40 years.

Fool me once….

(See also “Geoengineering and the New Climate Denialism.”)

Geo-engineering remains a dubious set of schemes — literally smoke and mirrors.  Science advisor John Holdren told me in April that he stands by his long-standing critique:

“The ‘geo-engineering’ approaches considered so far appear to be afflicted with some combination of high costs, low leverage, and a high likelihood of serious side effects.”

Now uber-delay Bjorn Lomborg is embracing geo-engineering — and NYT‘s John Tierney is flacking that work (here).  What a surprise!

RealClimate just published an outstanding response, “A biased economic analysis of geoengineering” by Prof. Alan Robock.  Since Robock gave the best talk I ever heard on geo-engineering (here), and since this post is an excellent primer with numerous links, I am reprinting it below (with his permission):

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Politics

Specter protester Katy Abram advocates the repeal of Medicare and Social Security.

By Matt Corley on Aug 12, 2009 at 9:00 pm

At Sen. Arlen Spector’s (D-PA) raucous town hall yesterday, one of the “most prolonged rounds of applause” was drawn by Katy Abram, a stay-at-home mother from Lebanon, who told Specter, “We don’t want this country to turn into Russia.” On MSNBC’s Hardball today, guest-host Lawrence O’Donnell aggressively questioned Abram about her views on government, asking if she would like to see Medicare and Social Security repealed. After struggling to give a complete answer, Abram conceded, “yeah, there are programs in place, you know, the founders did not want to have here.” Watch it:

On Fox News yesterday, Abram said that she was worried about a future where toilet paper was rationed, saying, “I know that years down the road, I don’t want my children coming to me and asking me, ‘Mom, why didn’t you do anything? Why do we have to wait in line for, I don’t know, toilet paper or anything?’”

Politics

GOP Congressman: There are ‘death counselors’ authorized in the health care bill.

By Zaid Jilani on Aug 12, 2009 at 7:30 pm

Rep. John Mica (R-FL) told a Florida radio station today that the health care legislation being considered by the House of Representatives will authorize the creation of “death counselors“:

“They create a whole new category,” Mica, a Winter Park Republican, said on WDBO. “There are death counselors. There is authorization for reimbursement for those counselors for Medicare. You have a whole new cottage industry.

Mica joins several other conservatives in promoting the conspiracy theory that health reform legislation is secretly designed to kill old people. (HT: TPM)

Related Posts

Climate Progress

Tim Johnson (D-SD) supports climate and clean energy bill

By Joe Romm on Aug 12, 2009 at 7:20 pm

http://www.ncmtv.org/gala/vips/i/us_tim_johnson.jpgOkay, Senator Johnson (D-SD) may have had a Probability of a Yes Vote of 87% to Nate Silver (see “Epic Battle 3: Who are the swing Senators?“).   But others, like E&E News (subs. req’d), had him as a straight fence sitter with the likes of John McCain (R-AZ) and Richard Lugar (R-IN).

So it is a reasonably big deal for him to come out now and endorse a strong climate and clean energy bill.  Here is his full piece, “Climate Change Bill Could Bring Jobs, Prosperity and Clean Air“:

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Security

Holbrooke Emphasizes Agricultural Development In Afghanistan

By Peter Juul, Guest Blogger on Aug 12, 2009 at 7:06 pm

Special Envoy to Afghanistan Richard HolbrookeToday, the Center for American Progress hosted Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ambassador Richard Holbrooke and ten members of his interagency team at a public event here in DC. Aside from his “we’ll know it when we see it” remark on success in Afghanistan, the most interesting thing about the Holbrooke team’s presentation was its emphasis on agricultural development.

Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of the opium crop and the plans to dramatically increase the Department of Agriculture’s presence in Afghanistan. But from what Holbrooke and others said today, it appears the main force of the United States’ counterinsurgency effort in Afghanistan – beyond clearing locales of Taliban fighters – will be thrown behind rebuilding that country’s agricultural sector.

It was good to hear from Holbrooke himself that opium eradication efforts were futile and being phased out. Opium production is only a symptom of the much larger problems facing Afghanistan’s agricultural industry (such as it is) after decades of war. Since most Afghans rely on agriculture for their livelihood – 80 percent are involved in farming, herding, or some combination of the two – transitioning from an opium-based illicit agro-economy to a more sustainable and legal one will be critical if the United States is to have any success in Afghanistan.

The overall theory behind rebuilding the licit Afghan agricultural sector is relatively simple: help average Afghan farmers get back on their economic feet, and they’ll be more likely to support the Afghan government and less likely to acquiesce to Taliban rule. Of course security is a necessary component for such an effort, and it shouldn’t be out of sight and out of mind. It’s necessary if U.S. civilian personnel are to get “outside the wire” of security compounds, as Holbrooke pledged to do today. But rural development has long been a staple of counterinsurgency efforts in predominantly agricultural economies facing guerrilla wars. Read more

Politics

ThinkProgress At Netroots Nation

By ThinkProgress on Aug 12, 2009 at 6:30 pm

ap090528022347-1 The ThinkProgress crew — joined by The Wonk Room and Matt Yglesias — is spending the week in Pittsburgh, PA for the annual Netroots Nation conference. So if blogging is lighter than usual this week, just know that we’re soaking up tips on progressive messaging.

TP members will be out in full force during the conference, participating on various panels and workshops. If you’re also attending, we’d love for you to stop by, check them out, and say hello! Here are some places we’ll be:

A Warming Web: The Blogosphere and Climate Change
Thu, 08/13 – 9:00 a.m.

Global warming blogging is red hot: The Senate is debating climate change legislation. The Obama administration is pouring billions of dollars into clean energy and green jobs. Countries are maneuvering for position in this December’s crucial international climate treaty conference. And nearly every week scientists are revealing how global warming is changing the conditions of life on Earth — and how much worse conditions may become if we don’t slash our greenhouse gas pollution. At this panel, some of the top bloggers covering environmental politics and climate science will talk about what they do, how they do it, and why it’s more important now than ever before.
PANELISTS: Kate Sheppard, David Roberts, Tim Lange, Brentin Mock, Kevin Grandia, Brad Johnson, Amanda Staudt

The Pundit Project: Media Training By ThinkProgress
Thu, 08/13 – 3:00 p.m.

How do I get on TV and radio? How do I make winning arguments once I’m on the air? Learn all the tips to a successful TV/radio appearance from experienced pundits. Participants will be given on opportunity to appear on camera and receive constructive feedback on their performances.
PANELISTS: Faiz Shakir, Amanda Terkel, Nico Pitney, Jane Hamsher

Rx for Reform: Health Care Town Hall with Gov. Howard Dean
Fri, 08/14 – 9:00 a.m.

Join Gov. Howard Dean for a townhall style keynote session covering the topic of healthcare. This won’t be a one-way conversation. Gov. Dean will be answering your questions, as well as answering questions submitted in advance online. He’ll chat about obstacles and next steps. Who the leaders fighting for a public option really are and who aren’t. And what’s next in the Stand with Dr. Dean Campaign. The session will be jointly moderated by Mike Lux and Tanya Tarr.
PANELISTS: Governor Howard Dean, Mike Lux, Tanya Tarr
INTRODUCTION: Faiz Shakir

Global Solutions for Global Poverty
Fri, 08/14 – 1:30 p.m.

President Obama came to office promising “the millennium development goals will be America’s goals.” But the global economic crisis now threatens to undermine those goals. Gains in the fight against global poverty and hunger have begun to stall or even reverse. What can the Obama administration do to reinvigorate the fight against global poverty? How can advocates most effectively make the case that meeting the needs of the global poor ought to be American foreign policy goals? What policies best work for addressing global poverty?
PANELISTS: Matt Yglesias, Gayle Smith, Ray Offenheiser, Mark Leon Goldberg, Anita Sharma

Messaging Toward Unity: Moving a Progressive Agenda through Effective Storytelling
Fri, 08/14 – 3:00 p.m.

The Netroots and the progressive movement have never had a better opportunity to make inroads on a progressive policy agenda than we do in the next couple of years. But without a keen understanding of the stories and the language surrounding these fights, we will not be able to maximize the potential of the moment. Facts, figures and truths are only effective in social organizing when contextualized within compelling narratives that are packaged, disseminated at multiple levels in culture and repeated diligently. This session will look at instances where unified messages and compelling narratives have made the difference between success and failure.
PANELISTS: Ilyse Hogue, Faiz Shakir, Tara McGuinness, Karen Finney

Connecting the Netroots with Policy Idea Factories to Move the Progressive Agenda
Sat, 08/15 – 3:00 p.m.

The Netroots has established a robust network of blogs and social web outposts that now rival the influence of the traditional policy “elite.” Policy proposals and research from progressive think tanks also play a crucial role in shaping policy. Generally, think tanks have focused on influencing the traditional influentials, but the new challenge is how these policy idea factories can effectively engage and collaborate with the Netroots to more effectively advance a progressive agenda in a way that creates both broad-based and elite support for progressive policy. From blogs to the social web, these new communication channels and webs of influence can reshape the way we make policy, if we work together.
PANELISTS: Alan Rosenblatt, Matt Yglesias, Barry Kendall, Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Jill Miler Zimon, Andrew Rasiej

TP founder Judd Legum will also be giving a speech on his run for the Maryland House of Delegates on Thursday, 8/13, at 8:00 p.m., before the keynote address by President Bill Clinton.

Yglesias

Endgame

By Matthew Yglesias on Aug 12, 2009 at 6:13 pm

I’ll meet you in the street:

— Ignorance is no excuse for birtherism.

— Jon Cohn on the Colbert Report.

— It’s striking how many opponents of socialized health insurance are beneficiaries of America’s existing public sector health insurance system.

— Maybe people who drive cars should be pressured to follow the law.

— A compelling, coherent argument against health reform.

In honor of Netroots Nation, your song of the day is Le Tigre “Get Off The Internet”.

Politics

Limbaugh pushes claim that swastika at Rep. Scott’s office was ‘fake’: ‘I don’t buy this.’

By Matt Corley on Aug 12, 2009 at 5:45 pm

Yesterday, ThinkProgress noted that the Weekly Standard’s John McCormack legitimized fringe claims that the swastika found at Rep. David Scott’s (D-GA) office was “fake” by asking, “isn’t it more likely that this act of vandalism was committed by one of Scott’s supporters?” On his radio show today, Rush Limbaugh pushed the same idea, declaring, “I don’t buy this. This is too politically convenient.” “I think the Democrats are doing this themselves,” said Limbaugh. Listen here:

Earlier today, Scott told CNN that his office also received a fax with a picture of President Obama made up as the Joker that had a swastika on his forehead.

Health

AHIP Attempts to Portray Doctors as Villains

By Guest Blogger on Aug 12, 2009 at 5:25 pm

Our guest blogger is Emma Sandoe, Health Policy Intern at the Center for American Progress

In recent weeks, the Obama administration has refocused its campaign on current insurance market practices as the cause of rising costs.

Attempting to shift the blame to doctors’ fees, Karen Ignagni and America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) released a report yesterday on out-of-network physician billing. “No politician has asked how much is being charged,” Ignagni said. HR 3200 requires disclosure on out-of-network costs, reduces overpayments, and changes Medicare payment rates to doctors and hospitals.

The study compared out-of-network billing rates to Medicare rates. Out-of-network physicians are free to charge non-negotiated, often times higher rates. The study attempts to show the arbitrary nature of procedure pricing or as Dr. Uwe Reinhardt calls it, “lunacy”:

“Some out-of-network providers are charging exorbitant prices – several hundred or even over a thousand percent of the Medicare reimbursement for the same service in the same area. Recent examples: … $40,000 for a total hip replacement when Medicare would have paid $1,558.”

While physician fees are a part of the cost problem, this study does not show the role of private insurers in the billing process and fails to address in-network private insurance billing rates, which make up over 90% of claims. Including these lower in-network rates would undoubtedly prove that a vast majority of billing rates are lower than the excessive out-of-network rates.

Moreover, the procedures by the insurance industry are not comparable across Medicare and private insurers. Procedures such as hip replacement, coronary bypass, and cataract surgery are more common in the +65 year old population and oftentimes involve more expensive conditions in younger patients.

Highlighting Medicare as a comparison is deliberative. Back on the offensive, AHIP is resorting to their previous cost shift argument that the government reimburses too low forcing insurers to pick up the cost.

Climate Progress

NAM makes case for stronger climate bill, forecasts 20 million new jobs, $9 trillion GDP growth by 2030 under American Clean Energy And Security Act

By Joe Romm on Aug 12, 2009 at 5:15 pm

gigo.gifA “new” study by the National Asssociation of Manufacturers and the American Council for Capital Formation rehashes their analysis of the Lieberman-Warner Climate bill (see “Wrong Again 2: Delayers cry wolf with same old Garbage In, Garbage Out economic model“).  And both are just a rehashing of the analyses of the Clean Air Act sulfur trading program that were proven wrong by reality, which is to say by the ingenuity and technology of entrepreneurs.

But what is fascinating about the GIGO analysis by NAM/ACCCF is that even though they ignored the key cost-containment provisions in the climate bill — including virtually all of the international offsets and the strategic reserve — they still found that 20 million new jobs will be created in the United States by 2030 and GDP will be some $9 trillion higher, as Brad Johnson shows in the post below first published by Wonk Room.

So NAM has ironically made a solid case for strengthening the bill, for limiting the international offsets and setting a high ceiling price — since the climate bill manages to achieve these outcomes even with NAM’s absurdly high price estimate for  carbon allowances in 2020 of up to $60.  Even EIA, which uses a similar economic model as NAM/ACCF (but less biased assumptions, although EIA also ignored the strategic reserve), found a permit price in 2020 of $32 (see here), which was about double what EPA and I project and 50% higher than CBO’s projection.

A new analysis of the economic impact of clean energy legislation forecasts powerful job and economic growth through 2030. The analysis of the Waxman-Markey American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), commissioned by the right-wing National Association of Manufacturers and the American Council for Capital Formation (ACCF), finds that 20 million new jobs will be created in the United States by 2030, even under high-cost assumptions:

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