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Memo to Politico: Climategate is a flop

Today’s Politico headline from Copenhagen is: “Climategate distracts at Copenhagen.” This seems based on a very low bar for what constitutes a distraction. Is the international summit torn now between resolutions saying global warming is a moral imperative or a dastardly hoax perpetrated by the sinister scientist conspiracy? Hardly. Is there one country that previously […]

International Chamber of Commerce: ‘We’re not with stupid’

COPENHAGEN — There is numbingly little news coming out of most of the 20 or so daily press briefings at the Copenhagen climate talks. Officials from national delegations and research, policy, and trade groups seem to use them to restate their already-known positions, wrapping them in as much jargon as possible just to be safe. […]

Is the leaked draft a big deal or a non-issue?

Earlier this week, a leaked draft of proposed treaty text from Denmark caused quite a kerfuffle.  We asked our expert panel: Is it a big deal, or a tempest in a teapot? Here are edited excerpts from their responses: —– Andrew Light Senior fellow at the Center for American Progress Any veteran of the UNFCCC meetings […]

The Time for Coal Ash Regulation is Now

How many people have to be sickened or killed before we get strong coal ash regulations in the U.S.? I ask this during a week very full of news on coal ash – the by-product of burning coal for power. Our latest and biggest news is our notice today putting New Mexico’s San Juan Coal […]

Bill McKibben on skunks at Copenhagen’s garden party

Cross-posted from MotherJones.com. A demonstration in support of the islands of Tuvalu, the 4th smallest country in the world, which is holding out for a legally-binding treaty in Copenhagen.Photo and caption: Oxfam InternationalCOPENHAGEN — From the distance, you could hear a little noise and rhythmic chanting cutting through the train-station drone that is the normal […]

Time for Americans to 'raise their game' on climate change

Everyone should read this Matt Ygelsias post on the need for all of us to “step up our game” morally speaking as regards the climate. The climate change “debate” is a true gut check moment. And right now, we’re failing: CNN was running a climate change story yesterday with the chyron “Global Warming: Fact or […]

Antibiotic-resistant salmonella, school lunches, and Cargill’s dodgy California beef plant

In Meat Wagon, we round up the latest outrages from the meat and livestock industries. ——— Oh, dear. This case of salmonella poisoning seems to be resisting treatments.  • The USDA reports that a notorious California beef-packing plant run by agribusiness giant Cargill has yet again had to recall ground beef tainted with antibiotic-resistant salmonella–or, […]

Alaska teen testifies on climate change

That’s Cheryl Lockwood of Alaska Youth for Environmental Action testifying at a 2007 hearing, “Youth Leadership on Climate Change” of The Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.  At the time, Limbaugh mocked her for crying, as Media Matters discussed: LIMBAUGH: A lot of communities in trouble over a lot of things. Go to […]

China Challenging the United States for World Wind Leadership

This Eco-Economy Indicator is written by my colleague J. Matthew Roney, a staff researcher at the Earth Policy Institute. It stresses the importance of wind energy development. Leadership of the global wind market is about to change hands. The United States—the birthplace of the modern wind industry—has held the top spot in new installations since […]

Inside the youth movement at Copenhagen

Today is “Young and Future Generations Day” at the Copenhagen climate talks, where at least 1,000 youth from dozens of countries are in attendance. So far this week, youth activists have put on dozens of media stunts, such as dressing as green-faced “aliens” and asking passers-by to take them to their climate leaders. Young people […]