The NY Times and others blow the story of the century

The danger posed to the nation and the world by unrestricted emissions of greenhouse gases is truly the greatest story never told.

We had jaw-dropping science in 2010 (A stunning year in climate science reveals that human civilization is on the precipice).  We had gripping climatic disasters (Masters: “The stunning extremes we witnessed gives me concern that our climate is showing the early signs of instability”; Munich Re: “The only plausible explanation for the rise in weather-related catastrophes is climate change”).  And we even had major political theater — domestic (The failed presidency of Barack Obama, Part 1 and Part 2) and international (see The Cancun Compromise).

But, as we’ll see, the one-time paper of record didn’t have climate change in a single one of its largest lead headlines.  And analyses of multiple databases reveal that the rest of the media sheepishly returned to 2005 levels of coverage.  The Daily Climate’s Douglas Fischer reports:

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Climate change: Next security threat

Certain senators and the new Republican-controlled House are attacking the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to limit carbon pollution. This is likely to have devastating consequences for our environment and our national security.

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Fox News of all places calls out Rep. Upton (R-MI) for his flip-flop, as ThinkProgress reports in this cross-post (with video):

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Leading science denier now writes “the nation depends on nourishing [scientists] and the institutions that sustain them.”

One of leading right wing attackers of climate science and clean energy is now shedding crocodile tears over the decline of US science and engineering.  George Will — a ‘thought-leader’ for a movement that indiscriminately opposes essentially all increases in federal spending and that wants to put climate scientist on trial — has a Sunday op-ed in the Washington Post titled, “Rev the scientific engine.”

Will attacks science for a living (see “the Washington Post lets George Will reassert all his climate falsehoods plus some new ones” and links below).  But now he urges his fellow deniers, who now control of the US House of Representatives, to read up on the key role science plays in sustaining the economic vitality of the nation — and the crucial role government plays in advancing science:

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Climate de-crocker Peter Sinclair has the video, “The 8 Minute Epoch: 65 Million Years with James Hansen“:
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It was Reagan’s favorite joke. Worried that their son was too optimistic, the parents of a little boy took him to a psychiatrist. Trying to dampen the boy’s spirits, the psychiatrist showed him into a room piled high with nothing but horse manure. Yet instead of displaying distaste, the little boy clambered to the top of the pile, dropped to all fours, and began digging.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the psychiatrist asked.

“With all this manure,” the little boy replied, beaming, “there must be a pony in here somewhere.”

It’s only January 3, but I’m awarding John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, the 2011 award for unbridled optimism.  Looking at the new Congress, some might only see a room piled high with nothing but horse manure.  But in an EnergyNow interview, Holdren says he’s ready to dig for that pony:

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Incoming Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) ran as a tea party candidate, who claimed to be determined to change how business was done in Washington.  But the R-UT is already in the rut, as ThinkProgress explains in this cross-post.

On Fox News Sunday, Lee was asked by Chris Wallace why if his goal was to “drain the swamp” would he pick to have an energy lobbyist as his Chief of Staff? Lee responded that he wasn’t “scared” of lobbyists and that his lobbyist was “brilliant”:

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Turns out that while I was on vacation at Walt Disney World for five days, so was the governor of New Jersey.  It is a small world after all!  [Sorry, couldn't resist.]

I was able to keep doing the key parts of my job.  The Governor, not so much.  ThinkProgress has the story:

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