A round-up of the top climate and energy news.
Canada’s prime minister, Stephen Harper, faces a widening revolt by the country’s leading scientists against sweeping cuts to government research labs and his broadly pro-industry policies. [Guardian]
Andrew Weaver, a climate scientist at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, was even more pointed. “It’s not about saving money. It’s about imposing ideology,” he said. “What’s happening here is that the government has an ideological agenda to develop the Canadian economy based on the extraction of oil out of the Alberta tar sands as quickly as possible and sell it as fast as it can, come hell and high water, and eliminate any barriers that stand in their way.”
If you thought the first six months of the year were chock full of weird weather events, just wait — according to climate scientists there is an increasing likelihood that El Niño conditions will soon develop in the tropical Pacific Ocean. [Climate Central]
An Earth observation satellite conceived by former Vice President Al Gore — but banished to a Maryland warehouse by foes of climate change after George W. Bush beat Gore for the presidency — could get a ride into space as early as 2014. [Boston Herald]
New research has concluded that salty, mineral-rich fluids deep beneath Pennsylvania’s natural gas fields are likely seeping upward thousands of feet into drinking water supplies. [ProPublica]
A coalition of about a dozen environmental groups is preparing to file a lawsuit as early as Tuesday seeking greater protections as Shell prepares to begin drilling exploratory wells off the North Slope of Alaska this summer, spokesmen for the groups said. [New York Times]
BMW is lobbying to water down European plans to improve the fuel efficiency of cars at the same time as trumpeting its green credentials as the official car sponsor of the Olympic Games, according to internal documents seen by the Guardian. [Guardian]
Authorities failed to properly warn residents in the Black Sea region of floods that killed at least 171 people and left others scrambling for safety, Russia’s emergencies minister acknowledged Monday, adding to public outrage fueled by widespread mistrust of the government. [Wall Street Journal]
The national average for regular unleaded fuel rose 5.6 cents this week to $3.382 per gallon, AAA said Monday. [The Hill]
The House Energy and Commerce Committee this week takes up the “No More Solyndras Act” — a measure presumably designed to keep the U.S. from wasting money, especially on shaky start-ups based outside Republican congressional districts. [Businessweek]
Previous in TP Climate Progress
Language Intelligence: Lessons on persuasion from Jesus, Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Lady Gaga
Additional energy and climate headlines for July 10 are available at http://www.marcaccicomms.com/news/energy-and-environment-news-roundup-7-10-12/
“agenda to develop the Canadian economy based on the extraction of oil out of the Alberta tar sands as quickly as possible and sell it as fast as it can, come hell and high water”
And as far as the arctic, by analogy, a certain company wants to profit from developing that oil, “come sHell or High Water”
Cnnmoney recently reported about shell, “Over the next 10-20 years, the company expects oil from the arctic to be its largest source of crude””
I suggest we start calling it not “[Royal Dutch] Shell” but instead, the “sHell on Earth” company..that’s where they’re taking our climate in a handbasket..
Report: Chinese government to pump investments and subsidies to boost the country’s green cars industry
http://ecarvolution.com/item/report-chinese-government-to-pump-investments-and-subsidies-to-boost-the-country-s-green-cars-industry.html
Stephen Harper. In some way i feel sorry for such people who will feel the force of the mob at one point in life. It shows how inhuman one can be, but revenge is something people will take, even if it doesn’t change anything.
We have to act today – before it is to late.
Have a close look at that dissolute, arrogant, face, its curiously pursed lips and palpable air of contempt for all beneath it. Such is the visage of those driving us to Hell.
ATI and Horner expand their harassment campaign:
The ultra-conservative American Tradition Institute has expanded its legal pursuit of climate scientists, using transparency laws to try to flush out potentially damaging emails.
The strategy – used to seek records from prominent scientists such as Michael Mann – is seen by scientists as an excuse to try to dig up embarrassing or damaging communications that could be used to discredit climate science.
Now for the first time the media is being drawn in as well, with ATI seeking the release of scientists’ communications with specific journalists. The list of news organisations targeted by the request includes the New York Times, the Associated Press, Frontline and the Guardian.
Earlier requests focused on exchanges between scientists. “We view this as a new chapter,” said Jeff Ruch, a lawyer working with the Climate Science Legal Defence Fund. “Before they were going after interactions between individual scientists. This is basically a spying operation to see who are you talking to, but presumably the idea is the same: to find material that is potential of use in discrediting a scientist.”
Christopher Horner, the director of ATI’s environmental law centre, deployed the new tactic for the first time last week, in a 5 July 2012 open records request to two scientists at public universities in Texas.
Horner, who holds posts at the Competitive Enterprise Institute as well as ATI, has led the legal pursuit of climate scientists through open records laws.
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Why not turn this back on ATI? If ATI and Horner make you feel angry then make your energy count for something useful; contribute to the Climate Science Defense Fund.
Horner’s assault on Hayhoe made me mad enough to pony up another $250. How mad does this news make you?
Well, are they after the ‘ATI’ and Horner’s communications, too? The absolutely should be, by any means available.
Unfortunately it’s not a level playing field; FOIA applies to governments, not private entities even when they’re fed off the public tit via tax deductions.
IRS investigation might prove fruitful:
Who’s behind the ‘information attacks’ on climate scientists?
A lot of seemingly shady stuff. Full time employees supposedly not being paid, missing IRS submissions, etc.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for Stephen Harper to change course. His single-mindness is legendary, and he’s hell-bent on mining more of the tar sands and piping the heavy bitumen to the west coast for shipment to China, piping it to refineries in the U.S., piping it anywhere and everywhere that would enable the tar sands industry to make more money. Science that doesn’t support that objective will not be tolerated.
We had a similar creature, John Howard, as PM for eleven evil years. He was stubborn, inexorable and viciously determined, although frequently he had to lie about his ultimate intentions. Those who knew him knew when the truth was being tortured, because, as Yeats observed, ‘…the worst are full of passionate intensity’.
U.S. experiences warmest 12-month period on record–again
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2149
What are the emergency actions we are about to take?
Government brains have gone the same way as the robot that was sent to take the pulse of reactor 3 in Fukushima…… ——————————————————————————- ….