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Researchers aim to turn animal waste into plastic

File this under “ew”: Researchers in New Zealand have developed a process to convert animal protein waste — that’d be blood and feathers — into plastic. “The material we can produce has the strength of polyethylene, the plastic used in milk bottles and plastic supermarket bags, but it’s fully biodegradable,” says Dr. Johan Verbeek, adding, […]

Two scientists offer a grim preview of where humanity is headed

Feel like you’re just not depressed enough today? Read the last bit of this Dot Earth post: During a break, I asked [Nobel prize-winning atmospheric chemist Dr. F. Sherwood] Rowland two quick questions. The first: Given the nature of the climate and energy challenges, what is his best guess for the peak concentration of carbon […]

Forests and fires foster fearsome feedbacks

Previously, I looked at why the permafrost won't be perma for long. Then I looked at whether the potential destruction of the tundra represents the point of no return for the climate, necessitating that we keep atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide below 450 ppm or else risk going to 800 ppm to 1,000 ppm. Here I examine two local amplifying feedbacks that further threaten the permafrost: forests and fires.

Reduced snow cover and albedo (reflectivity) in the summertime Arctic landscape, caused by global warming, has added local atmospheric heating ($ub. req'd) "similar in magnitude to the regional heating expected over multiple decades from a doubling of atmospheric CO2." That same Science study warns "Continuation of current trends in shrub and tree expansion could further amplify this atmospheric heating 2-7 times."

A new blog takes on the enemy of the human race

This week marked the launch of Coal is Dirty. (It is “a joint project managed by The DeSmog Project, Rainforest Action Network, and Greenpeace U.S.A.”) The site is devoted to battling Big Coal’s PR machine. They’ve got some great writers involved, including Jeff Goodell (author of Big Coal) and Jeff Biggers. Bookmark it.

White House admits humans causing climate change

The White House has begrudgingly admitted that “most of the recent global warming is very likely due to human generated increases in greenhouse gas concentrations.” In a 271-page report — court-ordered and four years late — federal scientists have created a “one-stop shop” summary of potential climate impacts on the U.S. environment, economy, and public […]

Toward a civil, inclusive national conversation on food — over a savory tart

As the date for Slow Food Nation — the big sustainable-food conference scheduled in San Francisco this coming August — draws near, I’ve been thinking about attitudes toward food in the erstwhile Fast Food Nation. Like a big pot of water that’s been on high heat seemingly forever, our national conversation on food seems to […]

Inconvenient Truth gives an encore — as an opera

Climate change ain’t over ’til the fat Albert sings …

McCain to skip another crucial climate vote

Unbelievable. Sen. John McCain — who just weeks ago said of the Climate Security Act, "I hope it will pass, and I hope the entire Congress will join in supporting it and the President of the United States would sign it" — now says he won’t show up to vote on it. He won’t vote […]

Childhood lead exposure linked to criminal behavior, and more

Read the articles mentioned at the end of the podcast: For on the Floor Beyond the Palin Pb & Jail Now Taking Reservations Read the articles mentioned at the end of the podcast: The Drop Heard ‘Round the World Ounce For Ounce He’s Got the Remedy

U.K.’s former prime minister says symbolic vote on Boxer-Lieberman-Warner matters to the world

In March, British prime minister Tony Blair launched the Breaking the Climate Deadlock initiative to promote a new global agreement on climate change.

Today he has an op-ed the in the Washington Post, "Leading On Climate Change: How Action in Congress Can Move the World," in which he argues,