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Umbra on the climate-change literacy of Umbra readers

Dearest Readers, Happy Earth Day. I have mixed feelings as I look forward to the planet’s special holiday tomorrow. Happiness on the occasion of anniversaries: Grist (six years), me at Grist (three years), Earth Day (35 years). Sadness, for this column shall be my last edited by my august editor, and we are having an […]

What the warming world needs now is art, sweet art

Here’s the paradox: If the scientists are right, we’re living through the biggest thing that’s happened since human civilization emerged. One species, ours, has by itself in the course of a couple of generations managed to powerfully raise the temperature of an entire planet, to knock its most basic systems out of kilter. But oddly, though […]

From the Center for American Progress

The House may vote on the Energy Bill today. As I keep saying, the bill is a real monstrosity, one that encapsulates, as the Center for American Progress puts it, "Everything That's Wrong with Congress in One Bill." Read their wrap-up. And weep.

(Also, don't miss this site.)

Op-ed by editor Chip Giller debunks

Looky here: Grist editor Chip Giller has an op-ed in today's Boston Globe.

The piece approaches the "Death of Environmentalism" debate from a new, hopeful angle. It argues that environmentalism as a narrowly focused D.C. lobby might be struggling, but across the country, a conviction that sustainability is integral to our quality of life and our economic competitiveness is very much on the rise.

OK, that sounds kinda dense, but the piece is actually quite snappy. Really!

Earth Day goings-on don’t measure up to dark drama on Capitol Hill

Today, on the eve of the 35th anniversary of the first Earth Day, the House of Representatives is voting on, and widely expected to pass, a grossly porkified energy bill that would dole out billions in subsidies to fossil-fuel industries, shortchange alternative-energy and efficiency initiatives, and indemnify makers of the gasoline additive MTBE against liability […]

Government scientists now forced to raise money.

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility have a new press release:

Washington, D.C.-- Federal scientists working for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have been ordered to raise funds to support their research projects or face unfavorable performance evaluations, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The scientists are tasked with finding private, state and other federal sponsors to buy the scientists' time. [...]

These new "marketing performance standards" apply so far to approximately 30 scientists working within the Bureau's Ecological Planning & Assessment and Ecological Research & Investigations units located in Denver, Colorado. Similar entrepreneurial standards are being proposed for other units in the Bureau of Reclamation as well as other agencies within the Interior Department.

Now, the Bureau of Reclamation isn't exactly what it sounds like -- it's the federal agency responsible for managing dams, water, hydroelectric power in the American West. I'm sure there are some mixed feelings about the agency among Grist readers, but requiring the group that does the NEPA legwork to raise outside money strikes me as pernicious. The Ecological Research & Investigations unit already thinks in terms of outside "clients," however, so it may be a different case. But the main problem that PEER is trying to highlight seems to be that scientists shouldn't have to do fundraising in order to be considered in good standing as federal employees.

Thanks to Chris Mooney for the heads-up.

An interview with the author of three-part New Yorker series

The New Yorker will be running a three-part series on climate change by Elizabeth Kolbert, starting in this week's issue. It's not available online (yet?), but don't miss this interview with Kolbert. A choice bit:

BRICs

I've been trying to figure out a way of recommending this TriplePundit post without just repeating the whole thing ... without success. So screw it:

BRICs - An acronym for "Brazil, Russia, India and China" refers to the emerging combination of economic power weilded by those four nations. An outstanding analysis on Z+Partners weblog sheds some light on the growing influence of this bloc of nations, the rise of potential conflicts with the G7 group, and various environmental scenerios. A key quote:

Perhaps the prospect of a massively destabilizing and massively expensive competition for oil with the BRICs will be the tipping point the finally pushes the U.S. toward a true green energy revolution.

It’s a bloated, industry-friend piece of crony capitalism. And its breath stinks.

The House starts work on the monstrosity that is the Energy Bill today, and could vote on it as early as tomorrow.

It contains this hideous provision, a naked givaway to big industry that would "bypass Congress's normal spending process to funnel up to $2 billion over 10 years into research for recovering oil and gas from the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico."

And that's just the beginning. It's difficult to describe just how reprehensible this bill is -- an exquisite example of the crony capitalism and patronage network that have long since replaced responsible governance for the ruling party in this country.

Check out this Moving Ideas page on the bill, its specific provisions, and what you can do to stop it.

(And also check out this NYT editorial.)

Ten ways to turn that global frown upside down

Scientists estimate that we’ve already raised global temperatures by one degree Fahrenheit with our hapless spewing of greenhouse gases, and another one or two degrees are pretty much inevitable no matter what we do. Unstable weather, droughts, floods, and rising oceans are the likely result. We’re in the midst of the sixth great extinction, with […]