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Other NewsEditorialsObama has greens squirming a bit.When President Barack Obama promised this week to open 75 percent of potential offshore gas and oil resources to drilling and praised the controversial fracking method for extracting untapped oil reserves on land, a collective shudder went through his green constituency. Orange County Register Make sure shale-gas boom doesn't go bust.Obama and GOP should unite in driving the use of this abundant gas as a 'bridge fuel' to renewable energy. But they must be cautious in rushing to tap shale gas. If this year’s political competition leads to more government support of gas use, let it be smart support. Christian Science Monitor Chamber of Commerce crazy for climate.Far away, the citizens of Crazy conjure how consequences exist only for the-yet-unborn so what-me-worry and isn’t life grand? Far away? Naw. Straight from the land of Crazy—a vast supply of energy that we can frack into our cars and burn on up into the atmosphere. No regard for impact on climate change, none. Sacramento News and Review OpinionPolar explorer: Make America climate-literate.We need young people to be able to understand the basics of the Earth's climate system, to know how to assess scientifically credible information about climate, to communicate about climate change in a meaningful way and, most important, to be able to make informed decisions about actions that affect the climate. Minneapolis Star Tribune No need to panic about global warming.The oft-repeated claim that nearly all scientists demand that something dramatic be done to stop global warming is not true. In fact, a large and growing number of distinguished scientists and engineers do not agree that drastic actions on global warming are needed. Wall Street Journal Only civil society can save Rio 20, say activists.Large-scale social mobilization, including street protests and parallel activities, is the only thing can save the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) from ending in nothing but frustration, according to activists and analysts. Tierramérica |
Feds list First Nations, green groups as 'adversaries' in oil sands PR strategy.The federal government is distancing itself from its own lobbying and public relations campaign to polish the image of Alberta's oil sands, following revelations that an internal strategy document labelled First Nations and environmentalists as "adversaries" while describing the National Energy Board as an "ally." Montreal Gazette The 'wind rush': Green energy blows trouble into Mexico.The Isthmus of Tehuantapec, Mexico's narrowest point, is one of the world's most continuously windy spots. And because wind is a valuable commodity in a world seeking alternative energy, a "wind rush" – reminiscent of the gold and oil rushes of other eras – has swept into the isthmus. Christian Science Monitor Eider duck population declining in Arctic as polar bears devour eggs.Over the past three decades, climate change has caused sea ice to disappear, making it more difficult for polar bears to hunt for seals, their primary prey. To compensate, the bears have been raiding eider nests for food. Toronto Star EPA pushes to reduce impacts of huge West Virginia mountaintop mine project.The Obama administration has again questioned a huge mountaintop removal mine associated with the King Coal Highway - "among the largest single mining projects ever proposed in Appalachia" - and is pressuring state regulators and CONSOL Energy to reduce the mine's potential impacts. Charleston Gazette FirstEnergy closing 6 coal-fired power plants.FirstEnergy Corp. said Thursday that new environmental regulations led to a decision to shut down six older, coal-fired power plants in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland, affecting more than 500 employees. Associated Press Obama administration sweats legal response as turbines kill birds.Dozens of wind turbines crown a remote ridge 150 miles west of Washington, D.C., where Dominion and Shell WindEnergy's NedPower Mount Storm facility — 132 turbines in all — generates up to 264 megawatts, enough to power around 66,000 homes. But there's a problem: The whirring blades kill birds. A lot of them. Greenwire Obama-backed electric car battery company files for bankruptcy protection.Ener1, an electric car battery company that the Obama administration awarded a $118 million stimulus grant to expand its operations, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday after being unable to repay pressing debts. Washington Post Advocacy campaign takes aim at on-air climate skeptics.A new campaign aimed at exposing television weathercasters who present discredited climate science information to viewers has sparked a growing storm within the meteorological community. Climate Central Oil, gas industry opposes use of word 'fracking' for method.A different kind of F-word is stirring a linguistic and political debate as controversial as what it defines. The word is "fracking" as in hydraulic fracturing, a technique long used by the oil and gas industry to free oil and gas from rock. Associated Press Climate change: The new battlefield in science education.Reminiscent of the evolution-vs.-creationism clash, the overwhelming scientific evidence that says humans are causing the warming of the planet has emerged as the new battlefield in middle and high schools in the U.S. Climate Central |
Inside TDC
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ClimateWire 27 Jan
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Edinburgh Scotsman 24 Jan
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Yale Environment 360 27 Jan
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Billings Gazette 22 Jan
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Philadelphia Inquirer 27 Jan
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Portland Oregonian 25 Jan
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Friday, January 27 2012
Top ConsequencesEider duck population declining in Arctic as polar bears devour eggs.Over the past three decades, climate change has caused sea ice to disappear, making it more difficult for polar bears to hunt for seals, their primary prey. To compensate, the bears have been raiding eider nests for food. Toronto Star Tornado myths tough for forecasters to bust."Folk science" — a community's shared beliefs about how the weather works in their town — is a big challenge to forecasters and meteorologists. With climate change expected to bring more extreme weather in the future, creating more-effective warnings is a goal for many researchers. OurAmazingPlanet Already on the decline, will global warming hasten demise of big trees?Already on the decline worldwide, big trees face a dire future due to habitat fragmentation, selective harvesting by loggers, exotic invaders, and the effects of climate change, warns an article published this week in New Scientist magazine. Mongabay Britain ranks top risks posed by climate change.Coastlines, working patterns, and even the country's most famous meal are under threat from climate change, Britain said Thursday in its first-ever national assessment of the likely risks. Associated Press Top SolutionsThe 'wind rush': Green energy blows trouble into Mexico.The Isthmus of Tehuantapec, Mexico's narrowest point, is one of the world's most continuously windy spots. And because wind is a valuable commodity in a world seeking alternative energy, a "wind rush" – reminiscent of the gold and oil rushes of other eras – has swept into the isthmus. Christian Science Monitor Obama administration sweats legal response as turbines kill birds.Dozens of wind turbines crown a remote ridge 150 miles west of Washington, D.C., where Dominion and Shell WindEnergy's NedPower Mount Storm facility — 132 turbines in all — generates up to 264 megawatts, enough to power around 66,000 homes. But there's a problem: The whirring blades kill birds. A lot of them. Greenwire Obama-backed electric car battery company files for bankruptcy protection.Ener1, an electric car battery company that the Obama administration awarded a $118 million stimulus grant to expand its operations, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday after being unable to repay pressing debts. Washington Post Top CausesEPA pushes to reduce impacts of huge West Virginia mountaintop mine project.The Obama administration has again questioned a huge mountaintop removal mine associated with the King Coal Highway - "among the largest single mining projects ever proposed in Appalachia" - and is pressuring state regulators and CONSOL Energy to reduce the mine's potential impacts. Charleston Gazette FirstEnergy closing 6 coal-fired power plants.FirstEnergy Corp. said Thursday that new environmental regulations led to a decision to shut down six older, coal-fired power plants in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland, affecting more than 500 employees. Associated Press Top PoliticsFeds list First Nations, green groups as 'adversaries' in oil sands PR strategy.The federal government is distancing itself from its own lobbying and public relations campaign to polish the image of Alberta's oil sands, following revelations that an internal strategy document labelled First Nations and environmentalists as "adversaries" while describing the National Energy Board as an "ally." Montreal Gazette Advocacy campaign takes aim at on-air climate skeptics.A new campaign aimed at exposing television weathercasters who present discredited climate science information to viewers has sparked a growing storm within the meteorological community. Climate Central Oil, gas industry opposes use of word 'fracking' for method.A different kind of F-word is stirring a linguistic and political debate as controversial as what it defines. The word is "fracking" as in hydraulic fracturing, a technique long used by the oil and gas industry to free oil and gas from rock. Associated Press |
From the Daily Climate NewsroomThe scientist: Jim Hansen risks handcuffs to make his research clear.NASA's chief climate scientist built his career studying Earth's atmosphere and modeling humans' potential impacts on climate. Then he realized that laboratory work was only part of the equation. A Climate Query. more Low-carbon cement paves a development path (or sidewalk).Carbon emissions from cement are set to grow explosively as developing countries such as India create a "first-world" infrastructure. Scientists and entrepreneurs are struggling to push alternative technologies out of the lab and onto the street. more Pushed to brink, swans rebound with help from global warming.
(c) Jim Lawson
Hunted to near extinction in the 19th century, the trumpeter swan is taking advantage of warmer, longer summers to expand its range and numbers - one of the few good news stories of global warming, at least for now. more The skier: An industry exec takes stock of winter and prepares for change.Aspen Skiing Co. has a long reputation within the ski industry for efforts to reduce its environmental impact. Auden Schendler, the man overseeing Aspen's efforts, looks at the changes coming and says those efforts are not enough. A Climate Query. more Opinion: Much ado about methane.The climate change story has many frightening pieces. Methane venting from oceans and the Arctic has grabbed the public's imagination lately, but it is not the scariest part of the tale. more |
