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Expressing energy in terms of oil is misleading

Pardon my smugness -- it comes from being raised in a land that uses the metric system. So this idea that's been making the rounds -- expressing energy content in "cubic miles of oil" -- don't impress me much. Why not cubic cubits?

Fortunately, someone's done the heavy lifting of criticizing this idea a bit more thoroughly:

Will Dingell obstruct on climate change?

Apparently, John Dingell is not sitting idly by as Nancy Pelosi sticks a thumb in his eye on global warming.

An editorial in the NYT mentions that he has sent out a "quiet little letter to the members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce ... he said he would put climate change at the top of the committee agenda this year and, for good measure, would invite Al Gore ... to testify first."

The editorial paints Dingell as less of an "obstruction" than others have:

What’s up with that?

In the midst of its unremarkable editorial urging Al Gore to testify to John Dingell if Dingell asks — bold, NYT, bold! — comes this point, which I’ve been wondering about: In recent years, serious discussion of climate change has been largely confined to the Senate. This probably demonstrates some sort of spectacular political naivete […]

Yes Man shakes it at Sundance, talks about next film

Is that … ? Oh Yes, Men. Caught a glimpse of one of the guys famed for convincing the WTO to use recycled human waste to solve global hunger, and other satirical hijinks, as he shook his groove thing at Saturday night’s documentary party. Later, in a conversation powered by the renewable fuel source Stella […]

They’re crumbling

What a pleasant surprise to see Jacques Leslie, a journalist and real expert on dams, with a long op-ed on the hallowed pages of the New York Times. Leslie, author of Deep Water: The Epic Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People and the Environment, highlights the threat posed by poorly maintained and increasingly failing dams around the country:

Unlike, say, waterways and sanitation plants, a majority of dams -- 56 percent of those inventoried -- are privately owned, which is one reason dams are among the country's most dangerous structures. Many private owners can't afford to repair aging dams; some owners go so far as to resist paying by tying up official repair demands in court or campaigning to weaken state dam safety laws.

Kinda makes you want to find out what is upstream.

LCV’s seen more stars than I have

The League of Conservation Voters is here at Sundance this week, and they have actually succeeded in meeting famous people and talking to them about climate change. LCV Senior VP for Political Affairs Tony Massaro has been in Park City this weekend for the opening of Everything’s Cool and for some on-the-ground filming with celebs. […]

Sounds … whaaa?

Under the headline "A Coalition for Firm Limit on Emissions," The New York Times writes about a new coalition of major corporations and "moderate" environmental groups.

As usual for the NYT, the lead is buried deep in the story:

A bit of environmental art to soften the day

Seeing as Grist likes to bring humor to environmental issues, I figure, why not art? So here is a climate-change-debate-inspired bit of original digital art. It is entitled "Global Warming on Enceladus (v. 1)."

Fun

I just got done appearing on a rightwing talk radio show, hosted by one of the B-list Limbaughs that fill the drive-time airwaves across the country. He was all in a lather about Heidi Cullen; it became clear during his intro that he’d invited me on because he assumed I’d defend her (after all, I […]

Or 7-Eleven, it seems

I took some time last night to wander the streets of Park City in search of a Gyllenhaal, or perhaps a Lohan, since I’d heard some assortment of famous folks would be in town. But pressing my face up against the glass of the posher eating establishments only succeeded in leaving grease marks. Then I […]