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New California law aims to cut CO2 emissions by discouraging sprawl

A brand new law in California, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) Tuesday night, aims to cut greenhouse-gas emissions in the state by discouraging sprawl. The influential California Air Resources Board will develop GHG-reduction goals for different regions in the state within the next two years and then regional planning agencies will compete for billions […]

Bad news for climate change

In August alone, loggers and farm interests leveled 300 square miles of Amazon rainforest, the Brazilian government reports (via AP). That’s a land mass larger than greater Chicago — taken out in the span of a single month. It also represents a leap of 228 percent over August 2007’s destruction. Two observations: 1) Higher soy […]

New study finds sun’s contribution to recent warming is ‘negligible’

Earth to deniers — global warming is caused by human emissions, not solar activity. The Naval Research Laboratory and NASA report that, “if anything,” the sun contributed “a very slight overall cooling in the past 25 years.” D’oh! The study ($ub. req’d), “How natural and anthropogenic influences alter global and regional surface temperatures: 1889 to […]

Why scientists aren’t more persuasive, part 1

Of all the talents bestowed upon men, none is so precious as the gift of oratory. He who enjoys it wields a power more durable than that of a great king … The subtle art of combining the various elements that separately mean nothing and collectively mean so much in an harmonious proportion is known […]

Letterman rages on global warming

I am (slightly) less pessimistic than David Letterman. If, however, it is indeed “too late” as he says, then he has certainly nailed the reason: “We have had no leadership.” But I’m going to view the glass as one-tenth full and take it as a hopeful sign that somebody relatively mainstream like Letterman would break […]

More Couric and Palin, on drilling and climate change

More excerpts from the Couric interview with Palin, on subjects including drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The trademark borderline-incoherence is in full effect: Here’s the transcript. Here’s the part on climate change, where she tries to back off or at least muddy up her skepticism: Couric: Is it man-made, though in your view? […]

It’s just that they keep talking about the causes of the problem …

It’s clear to anyone paying attention that much if not most of global warming “skepticism” is driven by political opposition to the solutions, but you rarely hear people slip up and admit it: “I do believe we need to be good stewards and I think we are, but some of the issues that I have […]

Snippets from the news

• Influential Australian economist urges decisive action on climate change. • Climate-change report urges reducing food consumption, particularly meat. • U.S. Chamber of Commerce details energy blueprint. • Feds propose listing 48 endangered species at once. • What environmental issues should the Army consider? • EPA issues radiation standards for Yucca Mountain. • Lawsuits filed […]

Everglades restoration going slowly, poorly, federal report says

The roughly $10 billion restoration of the Everglades is “making scant progress toward achieving its goals” due to built-in bureaucracy, funding troubles, and more, according to a report from the National Research Council. The report paints a bleak picture of federal and state rescue efforts, which together comprise the largest ecosystem restoration project in history. […]

Is coal with carbon capture and storage a core climate solution?

The goal of carbon capture and storage (CCS), also called carbon sequestration, is to take carbon dioxide that would have been emitted into the atmosphere from new or existing power plants (usually coal) and instead store it someplace, hopefully forever. It is an attractive idea across the political spectrum because it might allow us to […]