Climate Climate & Energy
All Stories
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Is the IPCC so wrong their theories contradict a basic laws of physics?
(Part of the How to Talk to a Climate Skeptic guide) Objection: The so called “Greenhouse Effect” which is the underpinning of the entire theory of anthropogenic global warming claims that greenhouse gases in the upper atmosphere absorb outgoing long-wave radiation from the surface and reradiate it back, thereby warming the climate. But the upper […]
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National Biodiesel Board opens green building in Jefferson City, Mo.
The National Biodiesel Board built a new green building for its new headquarters, according to an NBB news release. Excerpt below the fold: The carpet comes from recycled materials. The paint is nontoxic. The parking lot lights are powered by the sun. But what really makes the new headquarters of the National Biodiesel Board so […]
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Big emissions gains require big investments; get over it
I’m not particularly invested in white roofs — the subject of several stories yesterday, reporting research showing that painting roofs white in several major urban areas would have a surprisingly large effect on warming — but Keith Johnson’s response on Environmental Capital makes me grind my teeth: The scale and cost of any program that […]
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Without coal, the most catastrophic climate scenarios may not happen
NASA’s latest analysis of the intersection of peak oil and climate change argues that oil and natural gas alone probably won’t get us to 450ppm. If we can constrain our use of coal fairly quickly, we probably can avoid the worst outcomes — unless of course, the impact of reduced global dimming or methane from […]
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A pipe dream
Data Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration From Architecture 2030
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Taxi!
Gas prices getting you down? Take a free ride in the Solartaxi. ….adding: just don’t try it in Alaska.
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So how much do renewables cost anyway?
One of the attractions of renewable energy is that for most renewable generators (except biomass power plants) the cost of the fuel is free. However, even more so than with a conventional power plant, much of the expense of a renewable generator is concentrated at the beginning of the power plant’s life. The cost of […]
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Old-growth forests absorb more CO2 than they release, study finds
Most of the world’s old-growth forests actively absorb more carbon dioxide than they release into the atmosphere, making them effective carbon sinks, according to a new study in the journal Nature. The new research, which relies on data from over 500 forests around the world, refutes the commonly held assertion that old-growth forests are merely […]
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Greenpeace protesters acquitted in coal-activism case
In a decision that anti-coal activists say is a gamechanger, six Greenpeace protesters have been acquitted of nearly $53,000 in criminal-damage charges for painting “Gordon” on a British coal plant. The activists climbed a 650-foot coal-plant chimney last year with the intent to paint “Gordon bin it” in huge letters, aiming to pressure Prime Minister […]
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NYT critiques alien biology
Last year, I posted an argument that not all alien species are bad, based on a study of the invasive aquatic plant Hydrilla; I got pretty bloodied, not only because it’s an unpopular notion in enviro circles, but also because of my clumsy presentation and defense of the idea. Yesterday’s New York Times ran a […]
