Climate Climate & Energy

Counter-Inuitive

Eskimos cast global warming as human-rights issue The Inuit people of the Arctic are trying to shift the debate on global warming, casting it as a human-rights issue rather than a purely environmental one. They plan to seek a ruling from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights that the U.S., by spewing greenhouse gases into […]

The Rise and Fall of the Bird Reich

Ten percent of all birds could go extinct by 2100 By the end of the century, 10 percent of all extant bird species may be extinct, with another 15 percent on the brink, according to a comprehensive new study. The analysis, reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, considered the fate of 9,787 […]

Downright Unalaskan

Shipwreck oil spill in Alaskan waters threatens wildlife refuge A cargo ship that ran aground Wednesday on the shore of Unalaska Island, 800 miles southwest of Anchorage, has begun to leak fuel into sensitive wildlife habitat. After an unsuccessful search for lost crew members, officials have begun to survey the damage from the wreck; the […]

Climate Wars III: Return of the Scientists

Legitimate climate scientists are at something of a disadvantage. They do careful research and publish peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals. Then a squadron of industry-funded pseudo-scientist hacks descends on the popular media to stir up doubt and confusion. By the time the scientists can defend their work in, say, Science, popular attention has moved on. Thus the false sense in the American public that there is real scientific uncertainty about the basic fact of anthropocentric climate change (when there really isn't).

Enter RealClimate.org, a new blog written by a group of bona fide climate scientists.  "We aim," they say, "to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary." Already they've got invaluable entries on the recent Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, the "hockey stick" kerfuffle, and the recent study showing that the stratosphere is cooling.

This is an essential resource -- one wishes experts in more areas would start similar blogs -- one that we'll be returning to frequently. Bookmark it.

Would You Like to Come Up for a CO2 Cap?

Bipartisan energy-policy panel calls for CO2 caps The notion of imposing mandatory restrictions on greenhouse-gas emissions in the U.S. continues to gather steam among those with no power to impose them. A privately funded panel of energy experts — including Republicans, Democrats, academics, environmentalists, and energy-industry representatives — wrapped up two years of study today […]

Hull to Pay

Delaware River oil spill elicits new criticism of single-hulled oil tankers Last weekend’s oil spill on the Delaware River — which U.S. Coast Guard officials now say may be considerably worse than previously estimated, involving up to 473,500 gallons of crude — is drawing attention to single-hulled oil tankers. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) calls them […]

Mister Sandman, Bring Me a Stream

Glen Canyon Dam releases flood waters in massive experiment An extraordinary experiment got underway this past weekend, as four large valves at the base of Glen Canyon Dam in northern Arizona were cranked open to release up to 41,000 cubic feet of water a second. Scientists hope that the water will push sand, silt, and […]

Whereof One Cannot Speak, Thereof One Must Cope Nonetheless

Inuit don’t have words for the species global warming sends their way Among the many cruel and unexpected ironies of the melting Arctic — and fasten your seat belts, kids, there are plenty more coming! — is the fact that the Inuit people who populate the region are quite literally unable to describe their changing […]

Next Up: Hybrid Zambonis

Canada vows to get tough on vehicle CO2 emissions The greenhouse-gas emissions of cars and trucks in Canada will be cut by 25 percent by 2010, according to a duo of Canadian government ministers. In a joint interview, Natural Resources Minister John Efford and Environment Minister Stephane Dion said that they were committed to the […]

Hydrogen Girlie Man?

D.C. beats California to host first hydrogen pump at gas station Despite California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s (R) big talk about pioneering a Hydrogen Highway, the District of Columbia has bested him on one key step: opening the first hydrogen fuel pump at a public gas station. Of course, it’s not likely to kick the hydrogen […]