Latest Articles
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Two things that aren’t green, but rule
Just to give you some respite from all the, you know, earth-this earth-that:
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A new Gore idea
Short but intriguing: Former US Vice-President Al Gore called on Tuesday for Kyoto countries to bring forward by two years the start date of a new global warming treaty, to 2010, given the urgency of the global warming problem. ….. The United States pulled out of the pact on the basis of the possible costs […]
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Public divided over whether costly steps are needed
From the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA):
An international poll finds widespread agreement that climate change is a pressing problem. This majority, however, divides over whether the problem of global warming is urgent enough to require immediate, costly measures or whether more modest efforts are sufficient.
Read the rest at their website. One data point: 39 percent of Americans think global warming is an important threat, 46 percent think it is a critical threat, only 17 percent think it is not important at all.
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Umbra on oil and plastic
Dear Umbra, How much oil is used to make a pound (or some other comparable measure) of typical plastics? Melody Evans Paris, Ill. Dearest Melody, Ah, Paris. Is it as lovely in the springtime as they say? Yes, Ben, plastics … Photo: The Graduate (1967)/MGM Your question is a good and tricky one. Let’s start […]
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A reminder
Grist.org seeks an enterprising, sharp-witted, D.C.-based reporter to track and break environmental news in the political and policy arenas. We are seeking to hire an outstanding candidate as soon as possible. Job description: Grist’s political reporter will combine the best of the old and new media. From the old media: a dedication to accuracy, double-checking […]
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Gore looks to Capitol lawn for U.S. Live Earth concert
On 7/7/07, Al Gore hopes to rock the House. Yes, that’s House with a capital "h." Gore’s first choice for hosting the U.S. Live Earth concerts was the 300-acre National Mall, but turns out it’s double-booked already. The official National Mall Dayplanner says "annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival" and "rally by a religious group" (no details […]
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Join me for some navel gazing!
There is sometimes a fine line between opposing something and not supporting it; between believing that something should be advocated against and believing it should not be advocated for; between believing that something is bad and believing that there are several better options. Two examples come to mind. One is adaptation, as opposed to mitigation, […]
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Is it a communications failure?
Recent news articles have pointed out that we in the U.S. do not consider global warming a critical threat. Some bloggers have argued that this is the result of a communications failure (e.g., here or here or here).
The decision whether to worry about a looming issue is a value judgment, not a scientific one. You and I could agree entirely on the science of climate change, but disagree about whether it's something for our society to address.
For example, one argument against us worrying about climate change is that our descendants will be much richer than we are, so they will be better able to address whatever climate change occurs -- thus, we should leave the problem for them. At its heart, this is a moral choice.
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A teasing hint
Toward the end of an article on John Dingell’s ongoing CAFE obstructionism and the prospects of a cap-and-trade system getting through his committee, The Hill drops this tantalizing tidbit: It is a complex enough issue that Dingell has sought and received from Pelosi an extension on the July deadline to produce legislation, one lobbyist said. […]
