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Well, then, let’s talk about Sarah Palin and Gabrielle Giffords. Sarah has already scrubbed the map “targeting” Giffords from her website.
Follow along here:
http://palingates.blogspot.com/2011/01/sarah-palin-doesnt-believe-in.html
Just as predicted in early December, the cold snap in Europe came to a full stop right around New Years, and temps in many European countries are now WAY above normal, with major flooding from melting ice and snow on the way. London is forecast to see over temperatures over 60F in a few days, that is close to normal summer temperatures in the middle of January.
Hi all,
I’m a CP reader who has designed a Climate Hawk logo and sticker, and the idea to make a bumper sticker came in part from a weekend open thread a while back.
You can find the sticker here:
http://joeimmen.bigcartel.com/product/climate-hawk-sticker
As you can see there is an undeniable warming trend in the angle of the hawk’s wings :)
(Joe I snail-mailed a few to you this week)
Two Things:
Are people aware of the book ‘Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril’ (Kathleen Dean Moore and Michael P. Nelson, editors)? For some reason, I hadn’t heard about it until this week, when I saw it on the shelf in Borders while I was looking for something else. I’ve only started reading it, but it’s a great book with a broad and excellent collection of statements and brief essays from an amazing collection of folks. Has Climate Progress done a post on it yet? Joe, perhaps you could get one or both of the editors to do a guest post? In any case, it’s a great book.
Second, for anyone interested in the oil part of the problem, oil companies, ExxonMobil, and Rex Tillerson, if you haven’t done so already, do read the speech that Tillerson gave to the GCEP folks at Stanford about two years ago, in which Tillerson indicates and explains (in part) his support for a carbon tax! The speech is on ExxonMobil’s website, in the list of speeches (and links) in the “Investor” section of the site, if my memory is right. In any case, if you search the sight with “Tillerson, GCEP, Stanford”, you’ll find it, I assume. He gave it in early 2009.
Cheers,
Jeff
Only time will tell whether Rep. Giffords’ stand for renewable energy was a factor in her shooting. I would like to be profound in my discussion of how rational people can prevail in our society, but right now I can only think of things that I likely would regret recommending tomorrow.
Any productive thoughts from those of you more clever than me?
The concept of sustainability goes beyond climate change in that it includes depletion of finite resources, such as water, soil, forests, fish stock, etc., and of course also waste output.
A quantitative measure of sustainablity is provided by the total ecological footprint of the different countries of the planet.
According to Prof. William Rees of UBC (Univ. of British Columbia), the father of ecological footprint analysis, in order to achieve sustainability, countries such as the United States would not only have to abandon the concept of economic growth but reduce its GDP by a factor of 5, Canada by a factor of 4, the UK by a factor of 2.5, etc.
This conclusion is based on solid, peer-reviewed scientific research, not some extremist crackpot propaganda.
Anybody interested in sustainability should take a few minutes to view at least parts 1 & 2 of the following series of videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3F9cDA-R4J8
Richard Tol is up to something “Interesting”
http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2011/01/tolgate.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+scienceblogs/deltoid+(Deltoid)
http://bigcitylib.blogspot.com/2011/01/tolgate.html
From the Chinese news service
China to Push Electric Cars
There’ll be more charging stations for cars in Chinese cities – as authorities look to boost the use of electric vehicles. The State Grid Corporation of China will build a network of charging stations in four cities this year. http://www.newslook.com/videos/280981-china-to-push-electric-cars?autoplay=true
Is there a Rancho Mirage/Palm Springs meetup planned, for later this month?
Yes Anna! Sunday afternoon, the Climate Zombies will protest. I have been in contact with the township police, and the county sheriff’s office, and they are okay with it. I will be there with Mike Roddy. There are also other actions afoot, like an “alternative” conference across the street in another hotel sponsored by Common Cause, also Sunday – but Mike and I will be arriving Thursday, as rumor has it interesting things will occur. At some point we will hike at Joshua Tree National Park. Anyone who is interested to add ideas or obtain information is welcome to join up with our facebook group here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_184234551591819&ap=1
A lot of us have been left gasping by the Canadian prime minister’s latest ploy. He’s dubbed tar sands oil “ethical oil,” and his new environment minister Peter Kent, gave an interview the day after his appointment making it abundantly clear that his primary duty is to protect the tar sands. Weep for Canada. Weep for the world.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/3y3bnz4
[Copied from the humor thread, feel free to delete it there.]
I want to pass along a heads-up that a purge is underway at the Accuweather global warming blog, where Accuweather is using the “moderation” policy to silently eject participants who resist the deniar mantra. It appears that Brett Anderson, who has attempted to keep the blog somewhat sane, is being sandbagged by his management. They are using their “moderation” policy to boot members who offer even mildly-spirited rebuttals to the usual array of crackpot rants from cranks like Joe Bastardi.
I’m not sure there’s much to be done, but I wanted to at least alert the scientific community of what’s happening. While the site has always given more airtime to deniers than they deserve, this recent purge makes their editorial bias clear and is striking even for Accuweather.
The most recent victim was Dennis Hlinka, known for his low-key and content-rich comments. Since the moderators at the accuweather blog spank anyone who, for example, mentions that Dennis Hlinka has been removed (leading to the removal of THOSE participants), it would seem that not only are they conducting a purge but they also want the purge to be silent. “Regg” is another member under pressure, and I am now drawing “attention” (I blog there as “BrooklineTom”).
Some form of increased visibility might at least draw attention to this latest example of how the Accuweather corner of the denier world operates.
Here is their formal policy, as posted by their head moderator (Not Brett):
“Please note that we are not allowed to comment on former members or discuss them on the Forums, and any such threads will be deleted due to their personal nature. Doing so is a Warn’able offense.
“Members marked as ‘removed’ either asked for their account be be deleted or were banned in accordance with the Guidelines and the Warning FAQ.
“If a member is banned, 95% of the time it’s not for the reason you thought. And 99% of the time it’s not for the reason they said.
“Deletion is final; there is literally no way to restore a deleted user’s account, technically or legally.
“Banning is not something that is taken lightly, it requires giving the user several chances to improve their behavior, ususally above and beyond the stated ban threshold, and requires discussion from all Moderators and approval by the Adminstrators.
“P.S.: ‘Freedom of Speech,’ ‘Bill of Rights,’ ‘Democratic Society’ and other political buzzwords do not apply to these forums because we run a private server for a private company, not a government server where those things would reign supreme. As such we have a right to ask you to agree to terms when you sign up and terminate your account if you don’t abide by them.”
It looks like I’ll be hanging here rather more and there rather less.
Bob Lang #6
Thanks for posting that link of William Rees. I hadn’t seen it before, and started off listing to part one, but couldn’t leave the computer until I’d heard all 8 parts… I had two of his grad students come to speak to our community volunteer group training about the environmental footprint and urban planning–and they were dynamite. He’s amazing. They’re on the cutting edge there at UBC. They’ve had conferences on zero growth, which would be heresy here in the state…
I’ll share with others.
Brookline Tom, when Hlinka or Regg ask why they’ve been banned, & what aspect of the Guidelines/Warning FAQ they’ve run afoul of, what do Brett et al tell them?
(can you provide examples of what’s been considered unacceptable?)
It’d help, for others to judge.
(I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if the treatment was egregious, since in my community I’ve been de facto banned at the local denier’s blog, from making even 100% innocuous comments (and he’s refused to say why) – but w/o examples I don’t feel comfortable judging here.)
U.S. December Cold Records Exceed Heat Records
For the first time in 2010 since February, the December number of daily record low temperatures in the U.S. exceeded the number of record highs. The excess of cold records, however, barely made a dent in the cumulative excess of heat records which had built up to more than 7200 over the spring, summer, and fall. The cumulative excess finished the year 2010 at a little under 7000.
http://capitalclimate.blogspot.com/2011/01/us-december-cold-records-exceed-heat.html
Will#11, Harper is a proponent of the now ubiquitous Rightwing tactic, the Big Lie. Another master is Cameron, in the UK, who promised the ‘Greenest Government Ever’, but who, to my total unsurprise, is actually leading the most radically and fanatically anti-environmental regime in UK history. For but a couple of examples, he has opened the waters off the Shetlands to exploration, is allowing fracking for shale gas near Blackpool and is selling off ALL of England’s remaining forests, something he specifically and repeatedly denied he would do, when in Opposition.
The ‘Big Lie’ as we know, was recommended by a rather infamous German politician in the 1930s, who said it was very efficacious because the ‘common folk’ were generally honest (the fools!) and would not believe that anyone would have the audacity, impudence or all round chutzpah to concoct so monstrous an untruth, so they would be inclined to believe it. Is that not the very modus operandi of the anthropogenic climate change denial industry, and Rightwingers everywhere, and, nowadays, in all circumstances? We are being driven at break-neck speed to Hell aboard a juggernaut of lies, half-truths, deliberate distortions and misrepresentations by a cadre of rank psychopaths who are not just indifferent to the fate of humanity, but clearly hate them with a passion, a passion that is being expressed more and more in violence, intimidation and anger.
December Chill Caps Capital’s 4th Warmest Year;
Washington Has 30th-Coolest December
http://capitalclimate.blogspot.com/2011/01/december-chill-caps-capitals-4th.html
Here is one way to eliminate dirty coal:
http://bravenewclimate.com/2011/01/09/govt-intervention-ff/
Meltdown of Greenland’s ice-cap is almost unavoidable; 6-7 metre increase in world sea levels http://bit.ly/i3AlSP
Exactly fj3. Much worse and faster than predicted:
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=da&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.berlingske.dk%2Fdanmark%2Fgroenlands-afsmeltning-synes-ustoppelig
It all happens in Australia, while Queensland floods, South Western Australia experiences one of the worst droughts ever. Add to that floods in the North West.
But dont ask us to give up our coal!!!!
Six Myths about Climate Change and the Clean Air Act
It’s often said that the Clean Air Act is an inappropriate way to address climate change. It would undoubtedly be desirable for Congress to pass new legislation on the subject, but the Clean Air Act is a more appropriate vehicle than many people seem to realize. There are six common misconceptions about the statute that have led to confusion:
Myth #1: EPA has made a power grab by trying to use the Clean Air Act. Not true — the Supreme Court held that greenhouse gases are air pollutants and directed EPA to make a scientific judgment about whether climate change is a threat to human health or welfare.
Myth #2: The Clean Air Act is only aimed at harms from breathing air pollutants. Again, not true. Inhalation hazards are clearly important, but the statute also addresses hazards such as increased ultraviolet radiation from a weakened ozone layer; harm to paint from reacting with air pollutants; harm to lakes from acid rain; and harm to children from lead dust that has fallen on the ground.
Myth #3: The Clean Air Act addresses only localized pollution problems due to urban air pollution. Many air pollutants such as NOx and SOx can travel hundreds of miles, and harm to the ozone layer is global rather than local. Also, climate change will actually make “ordinary” urban air pollution worse.
Myth #4: EPA can only regulate if its finds decisive evidence of harm from greenhouse gases. No, the Clean Air Act takes a precautionary approach — it requires EPA to act if there is a reasonable likelihood of harm.
Myth #5: Regulation under the Clean Air Act relies on state implementation plans, which don’t fit with an international problem such as climate change. This is wrong on two counts. First, the Clean Air Act has a half-dozen provisions that do not rely on state implementation plans and in fact assume that a substance is not covered by state implementation plans. Second, even the requirements for state implementation plans make allowances for the possibility that substances may originate outside the United States.
Myth #6: Regulation under the Clean Air Act would be an economic disaster. The clearest evidence to the contrary is that EPA has been regulating American industry under this law for forty years without any noticeable harm to the economy. And the specific provisions that EPA is using all take into account whether emissions controls are economically and technologically feasible.
In short, the Clean Air Act is a broad statute that provides sensible remedies for anything which goes into the air and later causes harm. There’s nothing inappropriate about using the statute to address greenhouse gases.
Source: Six Myths About Climate Change and the Clean Air Act by Dan Farber, Legal Planet, Jan 8, 2011
http://legalplanet.wordpress.com/2011/01/08/six-myths-about-climate-change-and-the-clean-air-act/
One can also consider a FCOAD fee, applicable equally to coal, natgas and petroleum products.
FCOAD = Fossil Carbon Open Air Disposal
Burning Down the House
Does anyone know the status of the BP Thunder Horse rig? Just before the Deepwater Horizon went down in flames….there was a story developing about Thunder Horse failing to meet production goals and being shut down. I can’t find any mention of the current status.
Regulation under the Clean Air Act would be an economic disaster. The clearest evidence to the contrary is that EPA has been regulating American industry under this law for forty years without any noticeable harm to the economy. And the specific provisions that EPA is using all take into account whether emissions controls are economically and technologically feasible.
Anybody have good links to where we are in understanding consequences of the permafrost melting?
All I can find is “OMG it’s all over” or “we need more data”
Bought a climate hawk sticker for each of the family. Hoping to see lots of those around soon.
Anna asks:
“Brookline Tom, when Hlinka or Regg ask why they’ve been banned, & what aspect of the Guidelines/Warning FAQ they’ve run afoul of, what do Brett et al tell them?
(can you provide examples of what’s been considered unacceptable?)
It’d help, for others to judge. ”
Regg sent me the following PM:
“I think Dennis has been another victim from the ”Denial” moderation task force – lead by Jesse and JDRenken. Dennis unfortunatly questionned the moderator’s judgement on a previous post (the one you talked about) – and that is a ”criminal” offense. You’re not allowed to talk about a ”warning” you get/receive from the moderators.
“I’ve recently been a victim of such stupid judgment from Jesse and JDRenken. I’m still ”alive” but barely (been twice at 50% and i’m still at 40%) – so i must be very carefull at anything i post.
“Recently (in the past month to month and half), a new breed of users are popping in the GW forum (people like Box of Rock) and about 99.9% of them are on the denial side – i mean just look at all the old rants they are posting day in day out. They are usually aggressive a picking on specific user (mainly gw proponent), until that user gets fedup to answer and leave a sarcastic comments. Then he gets plugged by the abuse button from that ”task force” and he becomes under review or suspended.
“I call it ”doing a job” on a member. Very credible members have been suspended recently or have gone under review in such situations.
“That’s the way the moderating team is looking into it. And i think Brett is not aware of that kind of back stabbing on valuable members.
”
Meanwhile, here is the exchange between the head moderator (“Jesse”) and me (my comment is at the start, it was removed from the blog — I wish I knew a bit more about how to better format comments here):
” ‘[quote](Off topic)
‘I’d like to know what happened to Dennis Hlinka. It appears that his membership has been pulled.
‘He has been a long-term participant who has always been civil, even-tempered, and has always provided concrete, real, and valuable contributions.
‘I also notice that a recent exchange regarding the moderation policy (including a post of mine) has been removed.
‘I’d like a moderator to please illuminate what’s going on.
[/quote]
“Since you admitted it was off topic, you should have known better than to try to start this conversation in the thread. [url="http://forums.accuweather.com/index.php?showtopic=14733"]As noted here[/url], we are not allowed to discuss previous members.”
I was “warned” (moved one step closer to being banned) for merely asking what happened to Dennis. My comment asking for an explanation was simultaneously deleted.
The moderators of the Accuweather blog therefore remove the very evidence you quite reasonably request.
In the case of Dennis, in his last comment (which was removed), he observed that the claims of three blog deniers (about ocean temperatures and heat content) were in conflict with each other. He asked, quite reasonably, which one of the three mutually-inconsistent answers they wanted him to address.
For that, he was “warned” and his comment removed from the blog. I’m guessing that he then requested that his account be removed — but, as you can see, it is only my speculation since the moderators removed the evidence, remove any requests that the situation be explained, and punished me for asking.
I should emphasize, again, that Brett Anderson (the met who heads the blog) is being sand-bagged here. Brett is NOT a denier, and it would seem that his management has injected these “moderators” to do the bag-jobs that Brett resists. I think you have to look higher up in the Accuweather pecking order to understand the dynamics — specifically, at Joe Bastardi and his supporters in senior Accuweather management.
@#16 Mulga:
Your examples are apt. But I think the big half-truth has become even more important than the big lie. Certainly, those on the right side of the political spectrum have become adept at choosing words and phrases that frame their point of view in the simplest possible terms. Now Harper and his Conservatives have requisitioned the word “ethical” for their use, so that opponents become, by definition, anti-ethical. The political right is being out-communicated hands down by the political centre and left.
The centre-left folks have got to realize that simple sloganeering works, and is far more likely to win converts than reasoned argument. But it’s an uphill battle. The political right already “knows” at some gut level that phasing out fossil fuels will “ruin” the economy, that alternative fuels with “cost jobs.” Citing the need for environmental protection merely stamps us as “tree-huggers,” or “eco-nazis.”
The right has already scored most of the rhetorical points. The rest of us have a lot of work to do.
Sorry. I meant to say that the political centre and left are being out-communicated hands down by the political right. Should have hit the preview button and taken a second look. My bad.
4 jeff, here she is in a must see video on the moral issue of climate change…..
Kathleen Dean Moore – “Moral Ground”
http://oregonstate.edu/media/rxlxl
“Climate Ethics – What Are Our Moral Obligations to the Future?” – Kathleen Dean Moore speaks about the moral challenges of ecological emergencies.
Here is the official website….see Desmond Tutu….
http://moralground.com/video/
Climate Change Visionary Calls Youth to Action
Dr. James Hansen tells Westport audience the climate change clock is accelerating.
http://westport.patch.com/articles/climate-change-visionary-calls-youth-to-action
Dr. James Hansen, the visionary academic and NASA scientist whose prescient predictions of global warming in the 1980s were allegedly censored and watered down by both the Bush (I and II) and Clinton administrations, was in Westport on Wednesday, appealing to the young to rise up to defend the planet.
“I want to hear questions from the young, not the old,” Hansen told the standing-room-only crowd of nearly 200 assembled in the Westport Public Library.
One-line rebuttals now available as flashcards for study or play from Skeptical Science http://bit.ly/f7m4DC @AddThis
I recently read a book by Peter Ward called “Under a Green Sky”. I highly recommend it to all Climate Progress readers. I have never seen the book mentioned here. It seems to me that mass extinction is a relevant possible result of climate change and deserves far more coverage than it gets.
Line one for enhanced AGW could be
war in Iraq to supply oil- public demand
for cheap oil and Gov. demand.
Line two Gulf of Mexico oil spill could be
to supply oil- public demand for cheap oil
and Gov. demand.
Certainly the management at BP would
have heard the Senators saying on record
that the high price of gas was to hard on
the average consumer in America.
It would make sense that they would push
to increase the supply as quickly as possible.
That reads two strikes against the gas industry
and the Gov. being able to care for the future
of Earth. (the public ?)
Esop #2,
I wouldn’t go so far as 60F for London in the coming week, but daytime maxes of 10-12C widely over at least the southern half of the UK will have a positively balmy feel to them after recent weeks, so I don’t think many will complain!
Cheers – John
Hi Joe,
Thank you, this blog is a great service
and I think your work is in service to
the ability of progress.
Re – the Accuweather blog.
Like WUWT, it’s not a site I look at very often, and from what is being reported on here, I can think of better ways to spend time. It sounds as though the gang there are engaged in a wagon-circling exercise.
It’s sad when you see a previously interesting blog go such a way, but in some cases, there’s a lot to be said for having most of the fools in one place where they can post increasingly ridiculous stuff unchallenged. That way, their woeful lack of understanding of very basic aspects of science becomes all the more transparent as time goes by, to the point that increasing numbers of outsiders see it for what it is. Garbage.
Cheers – John
The fellow featured in the video below (Steve Quayle) is an irregular guest on climate change denier George Noory’s syndicated radio program (Premier Network). Keep in the mind the video is from 1998. Judging from the three-hour interview Quayle gave on Noory’s show just night before last, his outlook on life has worsened and his ilk have multiplied. As they say, it only takes one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4k5KCEnwP0
I mention it, in part, because there is a recurring discussion at this site about “messaging.” Among other things, the resulting, rapid response team appears to have been very successful. Congratulations. As perhaps the only C student here, my involvement in fighting climate change (and other) disinfo has been focused on appealing to other C students. We do, by the way, outnumber you, meaning, well, you get my meaning: it’s a lot of people with opinions who vote.
Anyway, when tracing the climate change disinfo that so often winds up being debated in scientific circles such as this one, I keep winding up back at George Noory’s radio show. Because it airs overnight, the program largely flies beneath the public radar despite commanding a large audience. His slate of guests is laughable; nevertheless, they and Noory are a major source of the disinfo that scientists spend a good of time fighting.
As for Quayle, a small group of listeners and very concerned citizens were successful in limiting his appearances by laughing and fact-checking him off the show for a couple of years. In fact, Noory even began to moderate his own tongue, but Quayle’s reappearance two nights ago signaled big trouble bubbling up from far below. Quayle’s militant, anti-science beliefs were lost in a bizarre, three-hour screed and clarion call to the insane. The program’s web site (CoasttoCoastAM.com) should be closely monitored for announcements of future appearances by Quayle.
Hey everyone,
My name is Ian and I’ve posted on CP a few times so maybe some of you will recognize me. Since its an open thread I’ll throw in my personal dilemma and hopefully its not too off-topic. I may disagree with some people here, but I trust all of you. I think we’re all deeply concerned and perhaps scared about our collective future.
I’m at a crossroads in my life and I don’t know what to do. It has taken me a while to fully accept the reality of our world and our ecological crises. But I think I get it now. Human beings have been destroying the environment for a long time and we are showing no signs of stopping until we reach a point of collapse. Most human beings in the world have little to no understanding of the situation we’re in. Even a stereotypical liberal-type may understand and accept the reality of climate change but has no understanding of the urgency required to address it or the underlying (insane) economic system driving it and many other modes of environmental destruction. Its all really, really, really sad and heartbreaking.
So, I don’t really know what to do with my life. I’m 25 and I had a lot of goals and dreams I wanted to chase but I’ve now given up on them because I realized our civilization is imploding. As Joe (and many others) have said numerous times, it is our moral responsibility to act. I want to do something significant and daring. I tend to lean toward acts of high risk for some reason but its something I’ve done throughout my life and I’m uncomfortable doing things people expect. I am not well suited to canvass or make phone calls working for an environmental organization because I think these actions are ineffective though important in their own way. I’m also thoroughly unsatisfied with improving my personal sustainability. Again, reducing one’s carbon footprint is essential, but will ultimately do nothing to stop our economic engine from burning up everything.
So, I’ve posed this question in different forms here on CP, but what do you guys think I should do? I’m thinking I could chain myself to the White House lawn every day for a year and hope someone from the Administration will talk to me. But thats probably pretty stupid because I’ll just go to jail many times and no one in a position of power will notice anyway. Or I could corner Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow and make them understand what is going on and convince them to only do shows about climate. Also totally unrealistic but maybe its worth a shot just to say I tried. Or I could find the CEO of ExxonMobil and somehow corner him and ask him why he’s so hell-bent on trashing our planet. Also pretty unrealistic. Or I could move to Oklahoma and run for the House of Representatives against any of their current Reps. on a platform of addressing peak oil and climate change. There’s no way I’d win or even be taken seriously but maybe I could shake things up a little and get some publicity.
I know all those ideas probably sound crazy but I would definitely be willing to do any or all of them. The stakes are just too high and I can’t live my life feeling like I’m doing nothing. I’m not at all expecting to go out there and completely change the world. No way that will happen but maybe there is some small part I can play in doing SOMETHING to help our planet.
Also, I have many people in my life that love me and care about me and I’m afraid for their future. I feel I owe it to them to help do SOMETHING.
What do you guys think I should do? Any suggestions? There isn’t a lot of time left, unfortunately.
Thanks everyone.
Sincerely,
Ian
The Weekend Australian has a good opinion article by Mike Steketee discussing extreme Australian and global weather events.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/global-weather-disasters-a-sign-the-heat-is-on/story-e6frg6zo-1225983256858
I normally wouldn’t post this link to an American site but there has been a lot of discussion of the Queensland floods and Neville Nichols has some pertinent comments on the current La Nina.
#33 (John): 16C (60.8F) was forecast for next Thursday by Jeff Masters (Wunderground). Has been adjusted to 15C (59F) now.
The mild weather has hit Scandinavia too, with temperatures well above freezing and heavy rain up here close to the Arctic circle.
Not quite in line with the “hell freezing over” January forecast by the astrology based global cooling alarmists.
In the UK the protestors who tried to close down a coal station were sadly found guilty, but it seems that the judge at least comprehended the nature of their motives and the expert scientific evidence they put before the court.
http://environment.change.org/blog/view/uk_activists_spared_jail_time_in_climate_change_trial
A tribute to Judy Bonds, who passed away last week after a bitter struggle with cancer. A West Virginia native, Bonds tirelessly fought against the practice of mountaintop removal and the destructive practices of Massey Energy and other coal mining companies. She is featured in a great documentary film, “On Coal River,” making its way around film festivals but not yet widely available. RIP, Judy. Here are a few of articles about her and her fierce spirit:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-novack/judy-bonds-mtr-activist-a_b_805489.html
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postmortem/2011/01/remembering-activist-judy-bond.html
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/422901/thousands_mourn_the_loss_of_judy_bonds%2C_leader_in_the_fight_against_mountaintop_removal_mining/#paragraph3
Esop #43,
Just been looking in more detail at Met Office charts. Of some interest is a possible 13C in places on Wednesday (SW England especially), but perhaps of more interest are the high overnight minima later this week – 10-12C widely. Classic Warm Conveyor setup, with orographically-enhanced rainfall leading to high totals over western upslopes and the potential for valley flooding, in conjunction with the warm temperatures. Classic Winter zonality at last!
Cheers – John
Ian,
I really appreciated your note. I am 57 and still sometimes reflect on what I was going through at your age. I had a lot of dreams and goals too, and went through a lot of disillusionment during Vietnam, Watergate, the cancellation of the Saturn/Apollo program, and so forth.
But on the other hand, a lot of the worst case scenarios for the environment were mitigated- Silent Spring didn’t come quite on schedule, some of the worst toxicities were mitigated, we got rid of leaded gas, acid rain and the ozone layer got addressed, and I have to say in some respects we have done better than I expected.
Okay, the problem we are coming up on now is getting down to fundamentals, maybe it’s worse, maybe our greed and selfishness and shortsightedness will prevent us from finding happiness while also limiting “growth.” But you really have to address your own life too and deal with the local and short term issues like paying the rent.
So here’s my advice, for what it’s worth.
Pick something you can do pretty well and don’t mind doing, and stick with it. Live close to work- walk there if you possibly can. Get a small place- share it if you can come up with a suitable arrangement. Don’t eat red meat very much. And, having made these small but very tangible contributions, don’t put up with it if you hear someone reciting Rush Limbaugh talking points. Speak up against it.
I live in David Duke’s former State Senate district in Louisiana, and I know the last point is sometimes the hardest, but sometimes it’s all we can do.
Meanwhile, torrential rain continues in south east Queensland:
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/torrential-rain-raises-alarm-for-maryborough-gympie-wide-bay-kingaroy-cooloola-and-brisbane/story-e6freon6-1225984664015
Joe, what happened to your NOAA “Carbon Tracker” post?
Today in Germany 10C! It’s Spring, http://wetter.spiegel.de/cgi-bin/wettersearch.cgi?pn=14193
German cities on high alert as meltwater swells rivers
Berlin – The western German city of Koblenz prepared for flooding on Sunday, as meltwater swelled rivers across the country.
Emergency services bolstered flood protection in Koblenz but water began flowing into some cellars, while the Mosel and Rhine rivers were expected to overflow at the point in the city where they meet.
Towns in the wine-growing area along the Mosel river, including Cochem and Zell, had already been inundated with several metres of water earlier in the day.
Across the border, in southern Belgium, emergency services issued the highest level of alert, the Belga news agency reported. Some local authorities distributed bottled water as the flooding contaminated drinking water. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1610343.php/German-cities-on-high-alert-as-meltwater-swells-rivers
To A face in the clouds (#40),
Over the years I’ve responded to some of George Noory’s programs dealing with global warming and oil. In the case of oil, he’s an abiotic oil promoter so he thinks there is an infinite amount of oil if the environmental wackoos would just get out of the way. For those who have the beliefs that he has, I’m not convinced that any amount of evidence would be sufficient to change their minds but it’s worthwhile to continue to provide evidence that counters their beliefs.
In the case of The Detroit News, which has historically denied global warming and promoted the infinite oil idea, there hasn’t been any editorials or commentaries about infinite oil in quite a long time, certainly over a year, and there hasn’t been either a commentary or editorial denying global warming for awhile now. I don’t know if my responses were a factor for them not having infinite oil or global warming denial commentaries or editorials but it didn’t hurt that I’ve repeatedly responded.
Roger Blanchard
Sault Ste. Marie, MI
According to some of the great conservative (Republican) minds of this generation,(please note sarcasm)there is a universal link between practicing Muslims and terrorism. If one applies their logic to the shootings yesterday you get, “All Republicans are assassins”.
The forces that are bringing us AGW denial are the same forces that precipitated this event. Sorry, I’m upset. This is a scary escellation.
Christopher #24,
Thunderhorse never did achieve the 250,000 b/d of oil production that was expected. Based upon estimates of ultimate recovery, it should have been able to produce 250,000 b/d for around 8 years before starting to decline. The first website below has a graph of production versus time for Thunderhorse showing that oil production started to decline soon after it reached a little over 200,000 b/d:
http://www.energybulletin.net/node/52659
It’s not unusual for deepwater fields to produce considerably less than expected.
The website below shows that the water cut for the field is rapidly increasing. I would expect Thunderhorse to continue to decline, in general. BP may drill some new wells into the field to temporarily increase production but that’s a short-term fix.
http://www.energy-facts.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Jz0MG1DqfME%3D&tabid=100
You may want to check out the Minerals Management Service website. They may have some up-to-date data on the field.
Roger Blanchard
Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Ian @ 41 – I am much older than you, but working through your dilemma, just the same. We should talk. If you are interested, go to my site and leave a messege. http://www.stockbridgegreen.com (I’m the bumper sticker guy. Joe did a post on me last week).
Ian, consider becoming an activist with Greenpeace, or the Center for Biological Diversity.
41ian have a look at my links in #31-33
RE # 41
Ian, you are working through the same dilemmas as are many, most, maybe all of us who contribute on CP.
What strikes me is your passion and writing ability and you are of the age when your life plans should be kicking into high gear. I suspect many your age who are literate and caring are suffering the same conflicts. Move ahead as if nothing is happening out there (the Wall Street path) or fold your hand and leave the table.
So, articulating your conflict to your age group will have real value because you’ll be sharing real conflicts and know you are not alone.
Ian, we are in your boat as well even if some of us are a bit older and on the downside of our life plan.
A word of caution: don’t trade your credibility for a moment of passionate anger. Think of the long term struggle. It won’t be won with outbursts as much as hard work and strategic thinking.
Keep in touch with your friends here at CP and think through how to give the 25ers a stronger voice. Write and be read. That’s a good place for you right now. Find other blogs. Create one. Keep sharing your concerns, conflicts. Get invited to schools in your region to address students formally or informally. Small steps but you will be in the game where we need persons such as yourself.
Keep a cool head. watch for real opportunities to make a difference.
One day you will be the voice many want to be because you have youth on your side and more skin in the game than many AGW believers.
Keep in touch and share your ideas!
John McCormick
Dear Ian (#41),
I would suggest you set realistic goals and expectations. Changing everyone’s mind and reversing climate change back toward a stable, moderate climate is an unrealistic expectation. Realistically, you can raise (a few) people’s awareness in a manner that helps them accept and prepare for the inevitable changes. Maybe you can help promote and pass some incremental policy changes to slow climate change (there is no policy change that can stop it).
In the meantime, don’t forget to enjoy your own life.
Good luck!
Sincerely,
Wonhyo
Peek-a-boo…
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1345508/VAT-rise-Petrol-stations-beef-security-amid-fears-increased-forecourt-thefts.html
There is also the point that going back
in the evolution process, the Earth will
Have to start somewhere to build life
back into the world. If the chicken that
Laid the egg gets killed then there is
still the egg so to speak. In the discussion
of possible human extinction, it is good
to remember that there are other life forms
dependent upon their own Earth conditions.
If the extinction process doesn’t go to far
Then there will be a starting place for life
forms. Scary thoughts, Bible does suggest
That life will survive revelations. Anyone
To show that life will survive AGW.
Pictures of the Australian flood:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/01/australian_flooding.html
http://blogs.sacbee.com/photos/2011/01/new-storms-soak-flood-weary-au.html
Perhap’s Joe can highlight the following report in this week’s commentary.
Monitoring Climate Change Impacts: Metrics at the Intersection of the Human and Earth Systems
The Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, part of the National Academies’ Division on Earth and Life Studies (DELS), has released a report that lays out 71 metrics or observations — such as sea-level rise, seasonal snow cover, and air quality — that when taken together may give advance warning of climate-related changes and their impacts across a range of both local and global scales.
For details about this report, go to:
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12965#description
Alaskan pipeline is shut down while repairs are made on Pumping Station 1 at Prudhoe bay. A commentator at The Oil Drum mentions that Valdez could have up to a 12 day supply stored in tanks. Production at Prudhoe has been cut down to 5%, but that is being kept stored locally until the pipeline is restored. Oil in the pipeline is heated to prevent certain types of ice from forming in the pipe – not sure how restarting the flow in cold pipes will work.
http://www.adn.com/2011/01/08/1638862/pump-station-leak-shuts-down-pipeline.html
Some might remember the 2006 shutdown due to a corrosion breach.
In the longer run, Alyeska is arguing that 500-600 thousand barrels per day must run through the pipe to maintain operational integrity. As the production in the current fields wind down, they are close to reaching that limit.
http://www.alaskajournal.com/stories/091710/oil_tav.shtml
Obama just needs to get on and declare a state of emergency….
The Economy and Climate Change Perceptions: Study Examines the Most Parsimonious Explanation for Public Skepticism
http://bigthink.com/ideas/25115
In the face of a still struggling economy, the most conservative electorate in history, and the most conservative elected Congress in history, what is needed is not more communication about the risks of climate change or the science behind those risks. No amount of additional scientific information will reach or influence a wider public, a majority of whom are deeply frustrated, anxious, and fear even making their next rent or mortgage payment.
Here’s another report that Joe may wish to highlight in his posts for this week.
Describing Socioeconomic Futures for Climate Change Research and Assessment: Report of a Workshop
The Committee on the Human Dimensions of Global Change, part of the National Academies’ Division on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, has released the proceedings of a conference that explored the state of science for considering socioeconomic changes over long time frames, and examined definitions and concepts designed to help facilitate communication across research communities.
For details about this report, go to:
http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13007#description
Four killed, 800,000 displaced in Sri Lankan floods and earthslides
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/southasia/news/article_1610393.php/Four-killed-800-000-displaced-in-Sri-Lankan-floods-and-earthslides
Brazil government says 100,000 displaced by floods
Heavy flooding in Brazil kills 35, leaves thousands homeless, and submerges nearly 60 cities in four states.
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=202822
To Ian: I am moved by your conviction and heartfelt desire to make a difference. I.too, share your concern and until recently have not been able to find an outlet to do anything about it. After reading great blogs like climateprogress.org and books such as Soul of a Citizen by Paul Loeb I have decided to become a small part in large organized groups including Greenpeace. This has allowed me to become a voice in a larger national and worldwide movement and has also given me the resources to organize groups of interested people on a local level. This is one way to bring concerns such as climate change to your local area and hopefully raise awareness of the issues in your community. With people behind you, perhaps you can make a difference.
To Ian –
Dear Ian,
You left your readers at a bit of a loss by not outlining more about your interests/skills and education level as well as what sort of work you’re doing now… Because your question is such a serious and worthy one, I for one would love to engage in a really substantive manner, and would rather know those particulars. But I do know a little from the amount that you’ve said so here goes….
1. If you really like risk, as in physical derring-do, please be in touch with Rainforest Action Network, or RAN. Based in San Francisco. They have a wonderful track record with physical stunts like unfurling huge banners on the face of Mount Rushmore two summers ago. Requires great rock climbing skills. RAN also staged some wonderful street theater in front of various banks that were/are funding mountaintop removal mining — that got actual results in less financing for MTR projects. So, you have to read up on RAN. Also, there are groups in the Appalachians which have handcuffed themselves at the equipment of coal mining operations (and there are others around the world that have messed with coal trains etc.). This sort of intervention is illegal, so don’t waste your powder on a stunt not knowing what it could cost to your long range purpose. I recommend legal action.
2. Activism is critical but politics is where long range change gets recorded for real. So my dearest desire is that YOUR AGE GROUP grasp its political power and stay engaged in as many elections as possible — as well as knowing more about science and technology with each passing season. What can you do to spread your passion around to others in your age group? Please know that politicians know that as your age group votes, the status quo is doomed. So your leverage, should you mobilize your age group (and get them more scientifically savvy) is huge. HUGE. Obama did that in ’08 but your age group stayed home in ’10 — so goodbye climate bill.
3. Since national action on GHG regulation is stalled for now, many activists are looking to local/state initiatives to cut down on GHG’s by for example stopping the construction of new coal plants (talk to Bruce Nilles at the Sierra Club) or moving for legislation enabling the implementation of feed-in tariffs to pay for rapid deployment of renewable energy (read up about that at Wind-works.org). FIT’s are taking flight in a lot of communities and can represent a breakthrough.
4. Perhaps move to the voting territory of an important legislator and try to build support for good local action and policy in that region. Fred Upton’s district needs to be writing to that man to get him to lead the energy and commerce committee in a way that benefits Michigan’s long range needs in manufacturing and climate. He *used* to be on the correct side of the issue, but the tea party has turned him into a toad. The Sierra Club seems to be moving on Upton’s territory. Perhaps your own home area has a “swing vote” senator who can be moved by movement in the local voting base. Ask around.
5. There is nothing like putting yourself into the orbit of an experienced activist who impresses you. See if you can find one and learn everything you can.
Best on your journeys and keep that passion going. Anne
Some in the Party of No are beginning to say yes as it addresses the need to convert our finite energy sources of fossil fuel to ones that consists of clean renewable ones. But does this view consist of a stalling approach for such change?
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/6173506/the_reserved_efforts_of_republican.html?cat=15
My answer to Ian.
I am 75 years old, well educated (BSEE, MSEE and course work for PhD at Stanford), creative (5 US Patents while a staff scientist at Motorola SPD). In disgust with Motorola’s emphasis on profit over creating better products, I left Motorola and bought my small (115 acres) farm in Camp Verde, Arizona. I have owned my farm for the last 40 years. I am totally self sufficient on my farm but the population of Phoenix is too close for me to be comfortable with what I fear is coming.
I am in total despair at mankind’s prospects. I think we are in the final phase of a ~6,000 year old experiment. “Can man use knowledge and cleverness to make life more comfortable while we expand our population and business activity?” I think the answer is, “No!”.
I have sold part of my farm ($1,200,000) and started investing in land on the Hamakua coast North of Hilo, Hawaii. I have the remainder of my farm for sale ($2,000,000 asking price).
I am certain that the Koch brothers, et al, will see to it that the American “lifestyle” that funds their businesses will continue and grow. The only way that can happen is for America to start seizing resources that are needed for the “Koch style growth”. I think that America can conquer any country(s) in the world that they choose. I believe that the last country that America will attack is Russia (Consider their 300 missile system and what sunk the Kursk submarine (the explosion of hydrazine rocket fuel in the forward torpedo compartment). Their experimental torpedo has an underwater speed of about 300 mph. It operates in a cavitation bubble to achieve that speed. What carrier group can be safe with a torpedo that travels at that speed?
I plan to move my research work to Russia because: Costs will be lower, there are many clever and well educated scientists there and Russia is least likely to be attacked by America. I am giving up on the long range prospects of becoming a local source of food on my farm.
I now read, write and speak passable Russian in addition to being fluent in English and Spanish. I have been in Ukraine and Azerbaijan. This February 2011, I plan to be in Russia on a business visa. I have many friends in Russia.
Comments, criticisms and suggestions are welcome.
Peter Robinson
Cabotool at yahoo point com
The devastating impact of the loss of phytoplankton needs to be brought up again. Anything new on this?
http://climateprogress.org/2010/07/29/nature-decline-ocean-phytoplankton-global-warming-boris-worm/
Another impactful talking point could be the decline of oxygen in the atmosphere. According to an older study by the Scripps Institute: .. as carbon dioxide (produced primarily by burning fossil fuels) accumulates in the atmosphere, available oxygen is decreasing.” http://blogcritics.org/scitech/article/atmospheric-oxygen-levels-fall-as-carbon/ It’s got to be more than .1% at 450 ppm.
Declining oxygen levels might be the motivation for conservatives to act. It would seem a simple argument to convey that oxygen levels are declining because creating CO2 take one atom of carbon, but TWO atoms of oxygen. It would stand to reason that burning fossil fuel at a rapid rate and destroying rainforests even faster leads to less O in the atmosphere.
I have written a blog explaining the mechanisms responsible for Stratospheric Cooling resulting from greenhouse gases. Please see:
http://www.skepticalscience.com/Stratospheric_Cooling.html
Bob
[JR: Thanks. It is on my repost list!]
This is for IAN.
I am VERY glad to read your post. You are exactly what we need. Everyone needs to stop fiddling about as if things are gonna be ok or they’re not really happening while we’re heading full force towards global crisis and environmental collapse. While organizations are tremendously important I do think running for office somewhere is what you should do. We need LEADERS who’s gonna put the environment as their top priority. While doing this, you can do all sorts of stuff in the meantime. Anything and everything you can think of. That is what I think.
TO Ian,
I admire your initiative in seeking advise on this important life question. I suggest you, first, hone in on your strengths, skills and interests (here’s a good resource for that: http://www.onetcenter.org/CIP.html) then follow your instincts. The job of young people like you is to create new ideas and strategies since, obviously what we’ve done up to now isn’t enough (sorry everyone). Being willing to take risks and think outside the box is important, but don’t be fooled by illusions of instant results.
Like Joe suggests, develop a strategic plan. Make it concrete but visionary and adjust it as you go along. And (as you’ve wisely done) keep reaching out to others on the same or similar paths. “Making a Living While Making a Difference” by Melissa Everett might also be a useful resource.
At 53 I’m, once again, reevaluating my own path as an ecologist/writer/activist and how to be more effective without compromising my physical and financial well-being. It’s the great personal challenge and what life is about I suppose. The greatest of luck to you!
Ian, While climate change is a tremendous threat that demands our attention, a more immediate threat to our civilization is electromagnetic pulse (EMT). NASA tells us that we should expect a massive EMP in the near future. The last such EMP was in 1921 and that was considered a 100-year event so we are due for another. Our electric grid is very vulnerable to EMP to the extent that most of it would be destroyed and, with it, our civilization. The public should be clamoring for our government to take steps to protect us, but they have barely any knowledge and understanding of this grave threat.
The House of Representatives has already passed legislation to fund this work, but the Senate has been silent. Our local communities are in the dark now regarding this and will be in the dark indefinitely if they don’t start preparations.
We need a Paul Revere to travel throughout the country crying out, “EMP is coming! EMP is coming!” One person can make a big difference waking up our citizenry to this threat. This is a bipartisan subject. House Democrats and Republicans have been working together on this. Both realize how dire our situation is.
You can learn about EMP at http://www.empactamerica.org/, http://www.empcoalition.org/ and http://empcommission.org/.
I am working hard on projects that deal with both EMP and climate change. I urge you to do the same.
From an essay by Derrick Jensen,(Orion Magazine)–
WORLD GONE MAD
“…those in power destroy sustainable communities– not just sustainable indigenous communities– If people develop new ways to live on the land more sustainably and those in power decide that land is needed for shopping malls or roads and parking lots, those in power will seize it. That is how the dominant culture works. Everything and everyone must be sacrificed to economic production, to economic growth, to the the continuation of this culture.
How sensitive are the members of this culture to the whole, to the needs of native forests (98% gone), native grasslands (99% gone), ocean life (90% of the large fish gone)? How sensitive is this culture to indigenous land claims?… able to anticipate the consequences of destroying forests, grasslands, oceans or denying indigenous land claims? With sea levels already rising and glaciers already disappearing, how capable are this culture’s decision makers of anticipating the consequences of Global Warming?!!!
Theodore (#35), I also just finished reading, “Under a Green Sky”. Around the same time I was also reading Gwynne Dyer’s book, “Climate Wars”. “Climate Wars” was a million times better! Very up-to-date info. with many interviews from various experts (climate scientists, anthropologists, military people, etc.) I LOVED the book “Climate Wars”! LOVED IT! LOVED IT!
This is for Ian. Trying to fix “the world” can be frustrating, at the very least. You are young and can think about ways to accomplish your goals. I would recommend starting small and local; find some like minded people and form a group to talk and become advocates. The begin to reach out to others in your region/state. For example, you might look into joining with the people in your local university extension office – they are almost always looking for volunteers. Do you have a Soil and Water Conservation District? Join with them, let them teach you what they can (and you persue educational opportunities are they arise). Speak out, but do so in a friendly win-win manner (ecology, carbon reduction, etc. are NOT zero sum games, everyone can win) Eventually you will have name recognition. Good luck.
Queensland rain and floods keep coming:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/10/3109385.htm
Joe Bageant is gravely ill from an inoperable cancer. A true and noble warrior of the Left, and a friend to the causes espoused here. See his website on
http://www.joebageant.com/joe/2011/01/a-note-from-joe.html
My thoughts are with you, Joe
Mond
In Tuscan, America has just crashed into the downside of the 2nd Amendment.
Maybe some of those many millions of unemployed Americans can find work, in the sure to be expanding, security industry.
All you need is love, according to most of the world’s great religions.
If love is good, hate must be evil.
Big-lie hate speech combined with media violence including electronic games is killing us with bullets in Tuscan and at the same time preventing us from joining together with the forward looking nations of the world to actually make some status quo changes in the way we produce energy and practice economics.
But we have no Ghandi showing us the way with love and they shot him anyway.
With the Big-Lie multimedia talk-fest, America has run up against the downside of the 1st Amendment.
We have laws against sedition and treason and computers can measure the hate content of speech using stress analysis. Why aren’t those devices being used? Why aren’t those laws being enforced?
Amplified hate speech has become amplified evil. The world can’t take much more.
Ian…. I’ve asked myself similar questions…. and I’m 75. My answer is not the least bit hopeful re: any major changes done via people organizing… or whatever. The global economy, as in, globalization, has too much momentum. There’s nothing that’s going to stop it. Too many people, in our country and around the world, want the “good life”…. the consumer life – a car, a home, leisure time to have fun, etc., etc. Without the sacrifices needed to reverse current trends…. even if that’s possible. Population growth will not recede enough. Employment pressures require a consumeristic world. On and on this goes….. Until….. I think implosion of some kind will occur, either economically or a combination of population pressures, need for food, WATER, employment – until major institutions collapse and there will be significant chaos worldwide….. lots of suffering, death……. and when the air clears, perhaps leaders with rise and people will begin to use science in the development of a world morality, a rational morality, void of the many, many conflicts, beliefs in magic, and ironies of religiously based cultures and morality.
In the mean time, what I’ve decided to do is to act in as positive and caring a way as possible, toward people in my immediate circle and beyond to the less fortunate, and toward the natural world, especially that around me. And try to be a responsible citizen. My son, about your age, and others in the future will just have to deal with what comes, and I hope you and he and others don’t simply get “run over” by the momentum I’ve mentioned……. the dire scenarios are plentiful.
Just got our first 6+ inch snowfall in 2 years here in Toronto. I don’t know if this is coincidence or not, but it seems whenever Europe is having unusually cold weather we lack snow, while when it is mild it is quite snowy here. 2008 was a very snowy winter here while mild in Europe, while 2010 and this past December we got below average snow while Europe was brutally cold. I know this doesn’t relate directly to climate change, but still understanding how weather patterns in one area effects another does matter since whatever one’s prediction, is we are only talking about global average temperatures, not what they will be in one location.
Bruce Cox @82: All you said is in fact true IMO but not inevitable. The one branch of government that has consistently put their lives on the line to save the Nation has always been the Military. Even for trumped up calls. With a real threat to the Nation, and the world… ??? Who do you trust more. The Military has proven ability too “manage” Corporations, as well as Capitalism for the success of the efforts. I would expect the next We All Win War to reflect the well being of all life so it will entail some sole searching on their part to make the transition but I am convinced that they can do it. In fact, they already are doing it with efforts to green the military. On site Power Generation will be the next PC. The civilization equalizer. The cash cow in every yard.
Current Military budget in the USA is ~$650 Billion dollars/year. Instead of giving the already rich the ~200 Billion tax break put a string on it. They have to invest that much money in a green branch of the military. A “CCC” type of thing that is devoted to minimizing Western Man’s Carbon Foot Print. A Clear Mandate with a Clear End. And NON-VIOLENT. No PTS syndrome. A healthy population with Green Infrastructure. Ready to look the Twenty First Century in the eye and say we have tried… and succeeded??
Beside the Military is the only entity that has more fire power than the Tea Baggers. Recent evidence shows that the Tea Baggers have a very real potential to become the western version of the Taliban. Financed by who? Western Petro Dollars. As Eastern Petro dollars in turn finance the Taliban. All financed by the American consumer with borrowed money from China.
Any wonder we are broke.
Joe,
Suggest you add the “Wott’s Up With That” blog [ http://wottsupwiththat.com/ to your Links list.
The author rebutes each piece of disinformation posted on wattsupwiththat on a real time basis.
Ian, In a world without food, without an economy, the man who can garden will probably not starve and might even have a bountiful life compared with others. The Peace Corp, among other organizations, would be an excellent way to learn gardening skills as practiced by those with no machinery, few tools or chemicals but always with the goal of survival.
To Ian…..here is my 2 cents from an old 58 year old guy.
1) chill a bit on the environmental and societal collapse doomsday thinking – don’t believe everything you read along this line. Humans have a psychological disposition to believe in doomsdays and no one seems to know why, but we do. Not to say that we don;t have some serious environmental problems – we do, but the earth system is also quite resilient.
2) Effective action on the environment is usually best done by collective action in teams rather than high profile individuals performing stunts- as others have suggested join an environmental group. Try it for awhile, but don’t be afraid to try something else if you aren’t happy. Consider a career in environmental science if you are so inclined – some of the biggest steps forward in climate change in recent years have come from continued pressure from scientists and policy makers are starting to listen to them.
3) you can also be successful in “modeling the sustainability way” for others – you may not think it does much, but people do watch and observe what others are doing and often will emulate your actions. We are a highly social species and tend to do what others do.
4) as others have also said, be happy yourself – find someone to love. Take time to find meaning and purpose in your own life, and again, find someone to share it with – have some kids and teach them to be environmentally responsible.
All the best in your life journey………
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/48956/
Israel Finds Natural Gas, Controversy Ensues
Dont you just love the MSM….
Climate change would continue without emissions: study
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110109/climate-change-study-110109/20110109/?hub=TorontoNewHome
Northern Pakistan has drought!
We are already in big phoo phoo….not our grandchildren.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Opinions/Columns/10-Jan-2011/Climatic-conundrums
The unprecedented flooding in northern Australia along with further flooding in the Philippines serve to indicate, among other usual natural phenomena, that extreme climate events are on the increase and, although not as ‘extreme’ in many ways, the current winter drought being experienced here in northern Pakistan is worrying indeed.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/48472/
Broken Glass Yields Clues to Climate Change
Drinking glasses and atmospheric dust particles break in similar patterns
So ~10yrs ago it was 1998.
Is there a link?
“We don’t have weather events like this,” Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said in an on-air interview with CNN. “I think the amount of snow we’re getting is probably a 10-year event for the city of Atlanta.”
Southern Storm Emergency Declarations: Flights Canceled, Roads Icy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/09/southern-storm-emergency-_n_806534.html
More like its re #89….
Climate change to continue to year 3000 in best case scenarios: research
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-01-climate-year-case-scenarios.html
OMG – Want to see flash flooding? Here is Toowoomba, Queensland, today.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/01/10/3109884.htm
Toowoomba, pop around 100,000, located in south east Queensland, west of Brisbane.
Alaskan Pipe Shutdown Cuts Oil Output, Raises Prices
Jan. 10 (Bloomberg) — Operators of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, shut Jan. 8 while a leak is repaired, can’t say when the pipeline that carries 15 percent of U.S. crude oil output will be flowing again.
The shutdown has forced oil companies including BP Plc to suspend 95 percent of production from the North Slope area. The system, an 800-mile network crossing the northernmost U.S. state, was closed at about 8:50 a.m. Alaska time Jan. 8, operator Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. said in a statement. The line was still closed as of 2:21 p.m. local time yesterday with no estimate of when it would return to service, Michelle Egan, a spokeswoman for Alyeska, said in a telephone interview.
The shutdown is a further setback for BP, whose well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico in April led to the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history. Crude prices rose 21 percent in the second half of last year, and reached a 27-month high of $92.58 on Jan. 3 on speculation the U.S. economic recovery will boost fuel demand in the world’s biggest oil-consuming country.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-01-09/alaskan-pipe-shutdown-cuts-oil-output-raises-prices.html
What have BP and Wikileaks in common?
They both Leak!
Update re Toowoomba flash flooding today – ABC News (@abcnews) reporting on Twitter:
One person dead and five others are missing as floodwaters sweep through the southern Queensland city of Toowoomba.
See video in my previous post, also news on the following link, putting the Toowoomba flash floods in context of the ongoing flooding in Queensland:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/10/3109846.htm
Floods return to Thailand & Malaysia
Thousands of people have been affected by flooding in Thailand’s southern provinces following six days of torrential rains, local media report.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159302.html
Thousands evacuated because of Malaysian floods; three dead
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1610476.php/Thousands-evacuated-because-of-Malaysian-floods-three-dead
Sri Lanka -
Batticaloa district recorded the highest rainfall of 312 mm during the weekend, according to Meteorological Department.
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=33365
Some areas of Queensland have had more than 13 inches (343 millimeters) of rain in the past 24 hours, the Bureau of Meteorology said Monday.
http://www.newsday.com/news/new-flash-floods-kill-1-in-australia-town-1.2598523
Australia is in a “La Nina” weather cycle, which brings above-average rainfall to the continent’s eastern seaboard.
Every 30 years or so, this seems to bring about extensive flooding to the NE quarter.
The Australian Board of Meteorology gives an overview of the history of the flooding of Queensland’s capital city river since the 1820s.
Brisbane’s river usually goes into major flood (>12ft at the City Flood Gauge) when most of Queensland is underwater — and it goes into major flood about thrice a century.
Such is the Order of Things.
Don’t most of us share something of Ian’s dilemma!
I agree with Joe and others: discipline and stamina are indispensible. A strategic plan obviously helps, but finding one that works for you may require some patience. As someone who’s willing to take risks, you shouldn’t be too concerned then if you find yourself heading down the wrong track and having to change course.
Patience, of course, has its limits (not least because time is a dwindling resource when it comes to acting on climate change.) There are many small acts that can add up. As somebody in the media, I have to say I’m impressed (and dismayed) by the determination of warming deniers to contribute when comments are opened up on website articles. Motivate yourself and ten of your friends to respond coherently and civilly to ever such blog post, newspaper article or radio call-in.
(Perhaps Joe can point us to a how-to website explaining how some of us might be able to mimic climateprogress in our regions. Does he take interns for instance? In any case, cultivating media skills – particularly social media ones – should be handy no matter what you end up doing.)
As for maintaining the passion and commitment, there’s no simple solution. Perhaps we should look to religion and sport (in Australia, sport is the dominant religion), for the clues to acquiring the habits and faith needed to carry us through the inevitable fluctuations in enthusiasm. Many people cling to a life-long following of their local football (or other sport) team – if only some of that psychology could be distilled and distributed!
While you’re sorting things out, set small goals that deliver observable results. I’m constantly frustrated by my own limits. Still, I try to make sure that if nothing else I plant several hundred indigenous plants each year that if nothing else will suck in some of the CO2 my family generates, and provide a habitat for critters.
And, as Jane Goodall would say: Never, never give up!
http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/images/stories/papers/originals/2010_warmest_on_record.pdf
Lord Monckton’s latest salvo. Apparently the world’s been warming for 300 years. Who knew?
Duke Energy to Buy Progress Energy for $13.7 Billion
Progress Chief Executive Officer William Johnson, 57, will lead the utility, replacing Duke CEO James Rogers, 63, who will retire.
Rogers has been a leading voice for the power sector in the U.S. climate legislation debate, supporting efforts last year for a federal cap-and-trade law that would also protect the financial interests of utilities.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-10/duke-energy-to-buy-progress-energy-for-13-7-billion.html
To Ian;
Presently I am trying to influence as many code departments as I amay to meaningfully enforce what many have at least adopted. O know of only one code department that presently enforces ACCA manual HVAC residential installations (Parker, Colorado). I work for Franklin, TN., and while we have adopted Energency Efficiency Codes (a prerequisite for Federal Monies under the Sustainability and Recovery Act?)we do not enforce it as it should be.
Want to know if the Energy Efficiency Code is being enforced as ddesigned in your area? See if the new homes, condos, and or apartments have transfer air duct openings out of the bedrooms into the hallways — they may be high or low, may look similar to old above door transom windows or be of a “jumper duct” variety and be an additional register (other than the supply air duct) in the ceiling.
I also apply for jobs wherever I see listings just to interview but gain an oppurtunity to proslyetise the department heads when interviewed (ususally by phone).
My point to Ian being, you carve your niche and you work it. Some 40+% of energy usage in this country is in buildings, a large % of that in residential, and within residential; when the ACCA manual HVAC provisions are not enforced (and trust me they are not in probably 95% of all code jurisdictions — due to ignorance, and difficulty in learning the ACCA provisions — which are not detailed in the code manuals — only referenced, ; and so necessitate additional and deliberate training and costs) fully 30% of the potential energy savings are left on the table!!
Finally, I do not fully sign off that no one person can make a difference. I have had an admittedly wild card, perhaps small chance notion that if “someone’
While I greatly appreciate the rigorous oversight on climate issues that Joe and this blog provide, there is one blind spot that continues to concern me, so here goes:
While I know we all want quick, and easy answers that fit the scale of the problem, bulldozing thousands of acres of intact desert to make way for massive centralized solar and wind fueled power plants is costly, inefficient and destructive. New evidence suggests it could actually end up producing more CO2 than it prevents (Please read, Harness the sun wisely: Don’t let solar projects trample the environment at: http://www.pe.com/localnews/opinion/localviews/stories/PE_OpEd_Opinion_D_op_26_allen_mchughen_loc.3518d2.html).
Be aware that Big Solar (Brightsource, Ivanpah, Tessera, et al.), are owned by BP, Chevron, Goldman Sachs, and the like – the same self-serving and irresponsible investor owned corporations that brought us the Gulf disaster. They have not wasted any time in using “green” energy as a tool to expand their energy portfolios/profits while further weakening environmental regulations.
The beauty of renewable energy is its ubiquity which readily lends itself to decentralized generation (DG). The arguments that DG is too slow, too expensive and not enough, frequently used in the US to justify Big Renewables, simply don’t hold up. If Germany can add 8 GW of distributed solar PV in 2010 (see:http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6B53L220101206), then what is really holding us back?
Mostly out of the public eye, US utility interests are aggressively opposing policies that incentivize the rapid deployment of distributed RE. As German solar advocate Hermann Scheer saw so clearly (see: http://slvrenewablecommunities.blogspot.com/2010/10/solar-energy-of-people.html), THE UTILITY INDUSTRY IS THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE, not those who oppose destroying the environment to save it, and who’s motives are for the most part misunderstood.
Over 80 comments (and rising) have been generated in the last few days in response to GreenTechMedia’s Jan. 5th article entitled “Dear Environmental Community: Please Shut Up” which was sited (but not linked) in this blog. It offers useful insights into the arguments against Big Solar as wrongly depicted by the author and repudiated by those on the front lines. You can read them at: http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/dear-environmental-community-please-shut-up/
I urge everyone who is serious about climate change to PLEASE get more informed so we can get beyond useless infighting and move more effectively forward. Here are links to more information on the DG vs industrial renewables debate to get you started:
http://www.grist.org/article/2010-11-05-focus
http://slvrenewablecommunities.blogspot.com/p/tessera-1041-app.html
http://solardoneright.org/
http://www.localcleanenergy.org/Community-Power-Publication
And one last comment. Do people realize that dirt (soil) has the potential to store more than 3x the CO2 currently contained in the atmosphere? The narrow focus on reducing CO2 emissions is perhaps distracting us from the vast potential that improved land management practices have in addressing climate change. This approach has the added benefit of simultaneously improving agricultural practices, food security and biodiversity. Fortunately, there is a dedicated group of very smart farmers and ranchers moving quietly forward with real solutions. I’m not saying its the only answer, but it seem to offer a path that doesn’t depend on unresponsive and misaligned political “leadership”. For more on this wonderfully down to earth approach to rising CO2, see: https://thecarbonranch.wikispaces.com/
Things down under have just gotten worse: an “inland tsunami” has killed at least eight with over 70 still missing.
I feared something like this over the Australian summer.
We’re the canary in the coal mine down here.
First the Black Saturday fires of 2009, now Queensland in 2011.
In the space of a few years we’ve had two major climate related disasters.
Ian, you are to be commended for your goal. Most of us activists wish we’d been able to accomplish more when we were younger. You need to determine your strengths, and whether you want to focus on individual effort, or working with a group. (That’s not to say you can’t do both, i.e. Utah’s DeChristopher.) 350.org can help you form a group in your area. Or start one on your own by naming it, and contacting everyone you know or barely know, and asking them to forward an invit to join. Meanwhile, figure out what you can start doing on your own to gain some cred. One very successful activist I know targeted a commercial situation which bothered her, picketed it alone (not the recommended method); wrote ltes, etc. with help from organization experts, and closed it down. 3 years later, she has 400 members in her group, has closed similar businesses, and is being asked to speak at nat’l meetings. Another took temps in big box stores, met with the managers and often the corporate leaders with evidence of what their too-hot-in-the-winter and too-cold-in-the-summer stores were costing them, the planet, and their uncomfortable customers, and ended up on a governmental committee. Follow your heart, go to it, and report back!!
#106 “Things down under have just gotten worse”
And worse still this evening with major flooding in excess of the 1974 levels predicted for Ipswich and Brisbane. Estimates are that 10,000 homes could go under. It could be worse if the rain does not clear up as predicted.
The nearest historical comparison is the Brisbane flooding of 1893.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/01/fishpocalypse-and-climate/
What do we make of the links between climate and massive animal die-offs?
The death of 2 million fish in the Chesapeake Bay is being attributed to climate change.
@82, Bruce Cox says:
The global economy, as in, globalization, has too much momentum. There’s nothing that’s going to stop it.
I think implosion of some kind will occur, either economically or a combination of population pressures, need for food, WATER, employment – until major institutions collapse and there will be significant chaos worldwide.
——————————–
I really, really wish I could disagree with Bruce Cox. But unfortunately, I cannot find one good logical reason to do so. I have come to essentially the same conclusion, for essentially the same reasons. I think Mr. Cox nailed it, and we are way past the point of no return, for a thousand different reasons, very few of them technical ones. The real problem is human nature.
I keep remembering a line from “Hands”, one of Jewel Kilcher’s songs: “In the end, only kindness matters.” That is my plan and my suggestion for what remains of my life, to try to be kind to other people, other living things, and what few tiny scraps remain of our natural environment.
It will not change the inevitable end, which Bruce Cox spelt out so elegantly. But perhaps at least a few of us can approach the now-unstoppable death of most life on earth with as much dignity and kindness as we can muster, until it is our turn to die as well.
-Gnobuddy
If anyone (else) is coming to Nevada City Calif this upcoming weekend for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival (link), please let me know…
also – Scam alert – “a group of criminals who
have been targeting the climate and environmental communities through email messages announcing fake conferences. The most recent…announcing the following “event”:
*Global Warming Conference Invitation*
*Fake> This is to announce the call for papers for the Global Warming
Volunteer Group Conference
Fake> & Expo 11(GWVG Conference & Expo 11), 4th – 8th February 2011 at Crown London Hotel, 45-51 Buckingham Gate London, SW1E 6AF United Kingdom.” (fake)