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Policy-wise, that is

As Andrew mentioned, the hurricane folks are saying that hurricanes are going to be the huge controversy when the IPCC report is released. Does climate change strengthen them? Yes? No? Kindamaybe with full takebacks? Does this consensus statement say we’re 51% sure while this other one says 49%? Let me ask a simple question: what […]

An insider’s view

Over at a great new website called Terry (part of the Science Creative Quarterly), Sarah Burch has a great post elucidating the inner workings of this beast we call the IPCC. It's worth a read for anyone bemoaning the inaccuracy, slothfulness, or inefficiency of this oft-cited but little understood organization.

The title alone speaks volumes: "IPCC FAQ PART I (BURCH REMIX) (OR TAMING THE LEVIATHAN: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE INTERGOVENMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE)"

Or global comfortabling?

… or global comfortabling? Comedian Sarah Silverman explains in A Very Convenient Truth, her take on Gore’s Oscar-nominated film:

It’s gonna be bigger than American Idol!

As I’m sure everyone’s aware at this point, the IPCC has released its Summary for Policymakers (PDF). We’ll have a piece going up later today [here it is] explaining the basics of what the IPCC is and why you should care. Then Monday we’ll have a piece from Andrew Dessler on what the report says […]

You, yes you, can act to fight climate change

If the wacky weather we’ve been having, the suffering of endearing creatures, the possible cancellation of this year’s Polar Bear Club swims, or the catastrophic melting of Arctic ice has you hot and bothered, you’re not alone. Though it’s easy to cower in your basement wearing your duct tape bodysuit and motorcycle helmet feel defeated, […]

Renewable uranium vs reality

Please be advised that nuclear power is neither a renewable nor a clean source of energy. For that matter, oil, coal, and natural gas are also not renewable or clean sources of energy.

Thusly does a letter from 100 groups and businesses admonish Mr. Bush for his cute "renewable" claim in the SOTU. That Bush is angling at subsidizing nuclear power under the banner of being green, though, is highly disturbing.

Ouch

Sen. Barbara Boxer invited the Governator to testify to the EPW committee about his state’s global warming regulations, but he … had urgent matters to attend to. “Meetings he can’t miss,” as it happens. Would you want to get stuck between Boxer and Inhofe if you agreed with the former and shared a party with […]

It’s a frenzy

Those of you waiting on the edge of your seat for the IPCC report — which will be released in about 3.5 hours — can kill time by reading Andy Revkin’s account of the last-minute negotiations going on in Paris as we speak. Everybody from scientists to industry groups to enviros to governments are haggling […]

The hype goes on

I used to follow the "eco-terrorism" hype fairly closely, before my gnat-like attention span wandered on to other things. Those of you still interested should check out this long and exemplary article on the subject by Matt Rasmussen in the current issue of Orion. It will catch you up on all the latest haps.

Small is beautiful.

Here is a fun article from The Green Wombat retelling the "solar-to-hydrogen" car story for the millionth time. I read stories like this in Popular Mechanics decades ago. The article talks about using solar panels to store sunlight as hydrogen to burn in internal-combustion-powered cars. Australia has a lot of sunlight and summers can be hot. It would be far more efficient to use that sunlight to power swamp coolers to air-condition homes than to throw 90% of that solar energy away converting it to hydrogen and then burning it in a 30% efficient internal combustion engine. Passing hydrogen through a fuel cell to power an electric car or light a home would also be a lot more efficient.