In The News
Guardian UK: Yvo de Boer's resignation compounds sense of gathering climate crisis
Friday February 19, 2010
How can everything have gone so wrong so quickly? A year ago, the prospects for successful climate change regulation were bright: a new US president promised positive re-engagement with the international community on the issue, civil society everywhere was enthusiastically mobilising to demand that world leaders "seal the deal" at Copenhagen, and the climate denial crowd had been reduced to an embarrassing rump lurking in the darker corners of the internet.
Now there seems to have been a complete reversal. Obama is held hostage by a deadlocked Senate, which will agree to neither domestic climate legislation nor US participation in a new legally binding treaty. Copenhagen was a disaster from start to finish, and even the face-saving Copenhagen accord is winning at best lukewarm support even from the countries that helped draw it up. To add to the sense of crisis, the climate denial lobby is suddenly resurgent, and the conspiracy theories that underlie the hacked climate emails controversy are in danger of becoming popular received wisdom.
These are dark times. And the resignation of Yvo de Boer as executive secretary of the UN climate change secretariat today only compounds the sense of gathering crisis. De Boer has been a steady pair of hands guiding the international negotiations through some very rocky periods - not least the dramatic episode in Bali two years ago where he himself burst into tears on the plenary stage - and his trustworthy, solid presence will be sorely missed. Despite the official denials, there can be little doubt that this resignation indicates his frustration at the general unravelling of the process that was so depressingly evident at Copenhagen.
Now there seems to have been a complete reversal. Obama is held hostage by a deadlocked Senate, which will agree to neither domestic climate legislation nor US participation in a new legally binding treaty. Copenhagen was a disaster from start to finish, and even the face-saving Copenhagen accord is winning at best lukewarm support even from the countries that helped draw it up. To add to the sense of crisis, the climate denial lobby is suddenly resurgent, and the conspiracy theories that underlie the hacked climate emails controversy are in danger of becoming popular received wisdom.
These are dark times. And the resignation of Yvo de Boer as executive secretary of the UN climate change secretariat today only compounds the sense of gathering crisis. De Boer has been a steady pair of hands guiding the international negotiations through some very rocky periods - not least the dramatic episode in Bali two years ago where he himself burst into tears on the plenary stage - and his trustworthy, solid presence will be sorely missed. Despite the official denials, there can be little doubt that this resignation indicates his frustration at the general unravelling of the process that was so depressingly evident at Copenhagen.
A REPLY TO TOM FRIEDMAN
Wednesday February 17, 2010
In his column today, Tom Friedman of the New York Times wonders whether "we can have a serious discussion about the climate-energy issue anymore." From our end, we believe the answer is yes. That is, one can simultaneously see the good-humored fun in kids building an igloo in honor of Al Gore and legitimately question whether the IPCC-backed consensus on global warming - that a climate catastrophe is well-nigh upon us - suffers from serious flaws (think Himalayan glaciers). And we believe one can support an energy policy that draws on all of America's domestic resources-coal, natural gas, oil, solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear-and that such advocacy can be rooted in prudential concern for cost, jobs, energy security, and reliability, rather than rank corporate shilling.
We lament the fact that Mr. Friedman, justly regarded as he is for the eloquence of his prose and the force of his arguments, categorically dismisses those of a skeptical bent as given to "errors and wild exaggerations." Some may be, but many are not. Such a dismissal is simply incorrect - one thinks of the University of Alabama-Huntsville's John Christy or Australia's Ian Plimer - and contrary to the spirit of open intellectual engagement. Nevertheless, in hope of serious debate, we take issue with several of Mr. Friedman's assertions:
We lament the fact that Mr. Friedman, justly regarded as he is for the eloquence of his prose and the force of his arguments, categorically dismisses those of a skeptical bent as given to "errors and wild exaggerations." Some may be, but many are not. Such a dismissal is simply incorrect - one thinks of the University of Alabama-Huntsville's John Christy or Australia's Ian Plimer - and contrary to the spirit of open intellectual engagement. Nevertheless, in hope of serious debate, we take issue with several of Mr. Friedman's assertions:
Inhofe Family Igloo Captures Headlines across the Country
Tuesday February 16, 2010
Senator Inhofe and his family were in Washington DC last weekend as the blizzard hit the DC area. The Inhofe family had a little fun at the expense of Al Gore and global warming alarmists.
As Roll Call first reported, "While most Washingtonians took cover during the Blizzard of 2010 (or Snowpocalypse, or Snowmaggedon - whatever you want to call it) Sen. James Inhofe's family braved the storm to poke fun at former Vice President Al Gore. The Oklahoma Republican's daughter, Molly Rapert; her husband, Jimmy; and their four children built an igloo - roomy enough to fit several people inside - at Third Street and Independence Avenue Southeast. They officially dedicated the humble abode in honor of global-warming crusader Gore, even posting a cardboard sign on the igloo's roof reading "AL GORE'S NEW HOME" on one side and "HONK IF YOU [HEART] GLOBAL WARMING" on the other."
To our surpise however, the igloo caught not only Roll Call's attention, but most of the mainstream media as well!
As Roll Call first reported, "While most Washingtonians took cover during the Blizzard of 2010 (or Snowpocalypse, or Snowmaggedon - whatever you want to call it) Sen. James Inhofe's family braved the storm to poke fun at former Vice President Al Gore. The Oklahoma Republican's daughter, Molly Rapert; her husband, Jimmy; and their four children built an igloo - roomy enough to fit several people inside - at Third Street and Independence Avenue Southeast. They officially dedicated the humble abode in honor of global-warming crusader Gore, even posting a cardboard sign on the igloo's roof reading "AL GORE'S NEW HOME" on one side and "HONK IF YOU [HEART] GLOBAL WARMING" on the other."
To our surpise however, the igloo caught not only Roll Call's attention, but most of the mainstream media as well!
Wash. Post: Global warming's snowball fight
Tuesday February 16, 2010
The back-to-back snowstorms in the capital were an inconvenient meteorological phenomenon for Al Gore.
"It's going to keep snowing in D.C. until Al Gore cries 'uncle'," Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) exulted on Twitter.
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) posted photos on Facebook of "Al Gore's New Home" -- a six-foot igloo the Inhofe family built on Capitol Hill.
"Where is Al Gore?" taunted Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.).
"He has not been seen since the snow and the arctic blast have pummeled the Eastern Seaboard in America, turning it into a frozen tundra," reported Fox News's Glenn Beck, who also tastefully suggested hara-kiri for climate scientists.
As a scientific proposition, claiming that heavy snow in the mid-Atlantic debunks global warming theory is about as valid as claiming that the existence of John Edwards debunks the theory of evolution. In fact, warming theory suggests that you'd see trends toward heavier snows, because warmer air carries more moisture. This latest snowfall, though, is more likely the result of a strong El Niño cycle that has parked the jet stream right over the mid-Atlantic states.
"It's going to keep snowing in D.C. until Al Gore cries 'uncle'," Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) exulted on Twitter.
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) posted photos on Facebook of "Al Gore's New Home" -- a six-foot igloo the Inhofe family built on Capitol Hill.
"Where is Al Gore?" taunted Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.).
"He has not been seen since the snow and the arctic blast have pummeled the Eastern Seaboard in America, turning it into a frozen tundra," reported Fox News's Glenn Beck, who also tastefully suggested hara-kiri for climate scientists.
As a scientific proposition, claiming that heavy snow in the mid-Atlantic debunks global warming theory is about as valid as claiming that the existence of John Edwards debunks the theory of evolution. In fact, warming theory suggests that you'd see trends toward heavier snows, because warmer air carries more moisture. This latest snowfall, though, is more likely the result of a strong El Niño cycle that has parked the jet stream right over the mid-Atlantic states.
E&E; News: Senate moderates keeping distance from cap-and-trade bill
Tuesday February 16, 2010
Senate promoters of a comprehensive climate and energy bill are reaching out to moderate Republicans and Democrats, but they have little to show for it.
The nation's economic troubles and election-year politics are making a signature item on President Obama's domestic agenda a tough sell, despite the optimism expressed by the legislation's leading advocates, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.).
"I'm trying to avoid talking to people like ... Senator Kerry and all of the people that are the stalwarts on the [climate bill], because I think we've got other things we've got to finish up before we embark upon that," Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said earlier this month.
Even exchanges of legislative text are not breaking any ice.
Graham asked Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska earlier this year if she would write provisions to expand U.S. production of oil and gas -- so long as she also expressed support for capping the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.
The nation's economic troubles and election-year politics are making a signature item on President Obama's domestic agenda a tough sell, despite the optimism expressed by the legislation's leading advocates, Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.).
"I'm trying to avoid talking to people like ... Senator Kerry and all of the people that are the stalwarts on the [climate bill], because I think we've got other things we've got to finish up before we embark upon that," Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said earlier this month.
Even exchanges of legislative text are not breaking any ice.
Graham asked Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska earlier this year if she would write provisions to expand U.S. production of oil and gas -- so long as she also expressed support for capping the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.
WSJ: Even Boulder Finds It Isn't Easy Going Green
Tuesday February 16, 2010
BOULDER, Colo.-This spring, city contractors will fan out across this well-to-do college town to unscrew light bulbs in thousands of homes and replace them with more energy-efficient models, at taxpayer expense.
City officials never dreamed they'd have to play nanny when they set out in 2006 to make Boulder a role model in the fight against global warming. The cause seemed like a natural fit in a place where residents tend to be politically liberal and passionate about the great outdoors.
Instead, as Congress considers how to encourage Americans to conserve more energy, Boulder stands as a cautionary tale about the limits of good intentions.
Boulder's Greening PainsView Interactive
Here are some of the ways the city of Boulder, Colo., is trying to reduce its emissions.
.More photos and interactive graphics ."What we've found is that for the vast majority of people, it's exceedingly difficult to get them to do much of anything," says Kevin Doran, a senior research fellow at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
President Barack Obama has set ambitious goals for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions, in part by improving energy efficiency. Last year's stimulus bill set aside billions to weatherize buildings. The president has also called for a "cash for caulkers" rebate for Americans who weatherize their homes.
City officials never dreamed they'd have to play nanny when they set out in 2006 to make Boulder a role model in the fight against global warming. The cause seemed like a natural fit in a place where residents tend to be politically liberal and passionate about the great outdoors.
Instead, as Congress considers how to encourage Americans to conserve more energy, Boulder stands as a cautionary tale about the limits of good intentions.
Boulder's Greening PainsView Interactive
Here are some of the ways the city of Boulder, Colo., is trying to reduce its emissions.
.More photos and interactive graphics ."What we've found is that for the vast majority of people, it's exceedingly difficult to get them to do much of anything," says Kevin Doran, a senior research fellow at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
President Barack Obama has set ambitious goals for cutting greenhouse-gas emissions, in part by improving energy efficiency. Last year's stimulus bill set aside billions to weatherize buildings. The president has also called for a "cash for caulkers" rebate for Americans who weatherize their homes.
New Home for Former Vice President?
Friday February 12, 2010
This is a rush transcript from "Your World With Neil Cavuto," February 11, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
ERIC BOLLING, GUEST HOST: This is a Fox News alert. The snow keeps falling. You aren't looking at Washington or Chicago or Minnesota. Want to take a guess? That's Dallas, Texas — DFW Airport canceling hundreds of flights today, Dallas getting more than three inches of snow.
ERIC BOLLING, GUEST HOST: This is a Fox News alert. The snow keeps falling. You aren't looking at Washington or Chicago or Minnesota. Want to take a guess? That's Dallas, Texas — DFW Airport canceling hundreds of flights today, Dallas getting more than three inches of snow.
Wash. Examiner: Editorial: Inhofe getting last laugh on global warming, IPCC
Wednesday February 10, 2010
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-OK, was the object of much scorn back in December when he held an impromptu news conference in Copenhagen to declare that cap-and-trade was dead in Congress and the UN's IPCC global warming report a hoax.
At one point during the news conference, a German reporter told the Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that he was "ridiculous" for making such claims.
The Copenhagen scorn heaped on Inhofe was not surprising, considering the months and months of abuse Inhofe had endured throughout the campaign launched by Environment committee chairman Barbara Boxer, D-CA, on behalf of the cap-and-trade proposal. For much of that time, cap-and-trade had a look of inevitability about it, particularly after the House passed the Waxman-Markey version of the bill.
At one point during the news conference, a German reporter told the Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee that he was "ridiculous" for making such claims.
The Copenhagen scorn heaped on Inhofe was not surprising, considering the months and months of abuse Inhofe had endured throughout the campaign launched by Environment committee chairman Barbara Boxer, D-CA, on behalf of the cap-and-trade proposal. For much of that time, cap-and-trade had a look of inevitability about it, particularly after the House passed the Waxman-Markey version of the bill.
EPW POLICY BEAT: OUT OF AFRICA
Tuesday February 9, 2010
With Old Man Winter knocking again, EPW Policy Beat is packing up and heading to shelter. But before we leave town, we pause to wonder: Will global warming slash crop production in North Africa by 50 percent by 2020? The IPCC once thought so, but now it's thinking again. The question is: Will EPA?
As London's Sunday Times reported on February 7, Professor Chris Field, "the new lead author of the IPCC's climate impacts team," said "he could find nothing in the [IPCC's Fourth Assessment] report to support" the North Africa crop claim. "The revelation," the Times noted, "follows the IPCC's retraction of a claim that the Himalayan glaciers might all melt by 2035, dubbed 'Glaciergate' by commentators."
As we noted in a recent blogpost, the Himalayan claim was based not a peer-reviewed study, but on a 1999 magazine article, which itself was based on a speculative conversation with an Indian scientist. The more interesting tidbit from our standpoint was the fact that EPA's Technical Support Document (TSD), the scientific basis of EPA's endangerment finding for greenhouse gases, uses the Himalayan example as evidence cited by the IPCC of "regional impacts" caused by global warming. On page 162, EPA states: "Glacier melt in the Himalayas is projected to increase flooding and rock avalanches from destabilized slopes and to affect water resources within the next two to three decades. This will be followed by decreased river flows as the glaciers recede."
As London's Sunday Times reported on February 7, Professor Chris Field, "the new lead author of the IPCC's climate impacts team," said "he could find nothing in the [IPCC's Fourth Assessment] report to support" the North Africa crop claim. "The revelation," the Times noted, "follows the IPCC's retraction of a claim that the Himalayan glaciers might all melt by 2035, dubbed 'Glaciergate' by commentators."
As we noted in a recent blogpost, the Himalayan claim was based not a peer-reviewed study, but on a 1999 magazine article, which itself was based on a speculative conversation with an Indian scientist. The more interesting tidbit from our standpoint was the fact that EPA's Technical Support Document (TSD), the scientific basis of EPA's endangerment finding for greenhouse gases, uses the Himalayan example as evidence cited by the IPCC of "regional impacts" caused by global warming. On page 162, EPA states: "Glacier melt in the Himalayas is projected to increase flooding and rock avalanches from destabilized slopes and to affect water resources within the next two to three decades. This will be followed by decreased river flows as the glaciers recede."
EPW HEARINGS POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER
Tuesday February 9, 2010
UPDATE: The following Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing have been postponed due to inclement weather this week:
- The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife, will hold a hearing entitled, "Collaborative Solutions to Wildlife and Habitat Management."
- The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing entitled, "Global Warming Impacts, Including Public Health, in the United States."
Once the hearings are rescheduled information will be posted at www.epw.senate.gov
###
- The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife, will hold a hearing entitled, "Collaborative Solutions to Wildlife and Habitat Management."
- The Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will hold a hearing entitled, "Global Warming Impacts, Including Public Health, in the United States."
Once the hearings are rescheduled information will be posted at www.epw.senate.gov
###
