Climate Science Watch has a devastating and detailed debunking of Richard Lindzen’s April 16 op-ed in Newsweek, “Why So Gloomy?”

Let me expand on one point. Lindzen writes, “There is no evidence, for instance, that extreme weather events are increasing in any systematic way.” That is just plain wrong.

As far back as 1995, analysis by the National Climatic Data Center showed that over the course of the 20th century, the United States had suffered a statistically significant increase in a variety of extreme weather events, the very ones you would expect from global warming, such as more — and more intense — precipitation. That analysis concluded the chances were only “5 to 10 percent” this increase was due to factors other than global warming, such as “natural climate variability.”

And since 1995, the climate has gotten much more extreme. For instance, a 2004 analysis by the Center found an increase during the 20th century of “precipitation, temperature, streamflow, heavy and very heavy precipitation and high streamflow in the East.” They found a 14 percent increase in “heavy rain events” of greater than 2 inches in one day, and a 20 percent increase in “very heavy rain events”-best described as deluges-greater than 4 inches in one day.These extreme downpours are precisely what is predicted by global warming scientists and models.

The deluge that socked the mid-Atlantic and Northeast the last week of June 2006 fits this global-warming-type drought. Washington, DC, for instance, was drenched with over seven inches of rain in one 24-hour period. And this deluge happened at the same time that 45 percent of the continental United States as a whole was experiencing moderate to extreme drought.

For more on the global warming/extreme weather connection, read Chapter Two of Hell and High Water.

Jim Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy, summed things up quite well: “We really view energy efficiency as the fifth fuel.”

Luckily, cities, states, and utility companies across the nation have begun to recognize the plethora of benefits to energy efficient technologies: they demand more from less, reduce carbon dioxide emissions, are increasingly cost effective, and are available. At this point, reaping the benefits is a matter of making the commitment.

On the flip side, the United States is falling more and more behind in the industry for energy efficient technology. This week the European Union is releasing a paper that sketches how the EU will proceed to spark ‘”a new industrial revolution” that will “transform Europe into a highly energy-efficient and low-CO2 energy economy” by the mid-century.’

While we dwell and debate over our lagging 20th century technology, the EU is poised to burst out of the gates and and lead the industry in innovation and jobs. Already, the EU has access to an entire carbon market of which the U.S. is essentially shut out.

It’s time to make the ‘fifth fuel’ the first fuel.

An excellent and surprising interview by Grist. As Amanda Griscom Little notes,

“When Rupert Murdoch, the cantankerous and conservative owner of Fox News, enthusiastically joins the fight against climate change, you know we’re past the tipping point on the issue.”

Murdoch supports a mandatory cap on carbon emissions “to an extent.” He plans to take strong action at News Corp., his media empire, both in their own emissions and in their entertainment productions:

We want to help solve the climate problem. We’ll squeeze our own energy use down as much as we can. We’ll become carbon neutral for our own emissions within three years, and be entirely transparent throughout the process, publicly reporting our reductions and offsets. But that’s just a start. Our audience’s carbon footprint is 10,000 times bigger than ours, so clearly that’s where we can have the most influence.

We may yet see Jack Bauer, climatologist. Stay tuned!

Senate defeats climate change measure – BusinessWeek.com. The Senate “defeated a proposal requiring the Army Corps of Engineers to consider the impact of climate change in designing water resources projects.” No surprise — opposition was led by Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK).

Toyota says hybrid cost premium to disappear – Reuters. Good news from the world policy of top automaker: Efficient cars are getting cheaper.

Five years the key to planet’s future — WWF. The new report, Climate Solutions: WWF’s vision for 2050, says we can avoid catastrophic warming and lays out a strategy for doing so.

Australia Drought Forces Tough Decision on Jobs – Reuters. More grim news from Australia’s “thousand year drought.”

Banks are warming to global warming – TheAge.com (Australia). Quotable quote: “Australian companies lag behind European ones but are on a par with American ones in anticipating climate change.”