Articles by David Roberts

David Roberts was a staff writer for Grist. You can follow him on Twitter, if you're into that sort of thing.

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  • Political suppression of scientists continues apace

    CNBC asked to interview NOAA scientist Tom Knutson about the link between global warming and hurricanes. (Knutson believes there is one.) The request got passed up the chain at NOAA:

    "What is Knutson's view on global warming vs. decadal cycles?" [Commerce press secretary Chuck] Fuqua asked his subordinate.

    He's "a bit of a different animal" than the higher-ups at the NOAA, the aide responded.

    "Why can't we have one of the other guys on then?" Fuqua emailed back.

    NOAA ultimately denied CNBC the interview.

    You can read the relevant emails here. More here from ThinkProgress.

    Update [2006-9-19 12:14:7 by David Roberts]: Ah. Much, much more from Paul D. Thacker over on Salon.

    David Roberts Uncategorized

  • Billmon

    As always, your go-to source for sunny optimism.

    David Roberts Uncategorized

  • The most noteworthy features

    Just to follow up a bit on Amanda's post, it seems to me that there are three particularly newsworthy features of Gore's speech:

    • A "carbon freeze"? I've never even heard of that. But if we took it seriously -- if we really halted, immediately, the growth of our collective GHG emissions -- it would functionally amount to huge cuts. Those new coal-fired power plants in Texas would certainly be off the table. In fact, the coal industry would be forced to shift entirely to IGCC/sequestration. Needless to say, coal barons aren't going to like that.
    • With Gore's backing, a revenue-neutral carbon tax -- the best immediate policy available to us -- is now squarely in the mainstream. Thanks, Al!
    • He conspicuously failed to endorse nukes. He didn't oppose them, he just dismissed them as unworkable. That's just the right stance to take.

    More later, maybe, after I look at the speech more closely.

    Here, for your reading pleasure, is the speech in its entirety:

    David Roberts Politics

  • It won’t happen through fear

    Funny. I wrote this post last night and held onto it to post it later today -- and then John went and scooped me, saying many of the very things I had to say. Oh well. Consider this an addendum to his post.

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    Ibon at peakoil.net voices his worst fear:

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