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Gavin Newsom: Recharge America with Electric Cars

2008-11-21T19:10:31Z

Today, our country is facing a set of seemingly insurmountable problems:

• an economic meltdown of historic proportions
• a car industry crashing, because of a lack of innovation and growth
• oil dependence transferring our wealth abroad
• an extended military presence in the Middle East
• and climate change, which threatens the health of our planet

We are hearing daily of various proposed solutions -- industry bailouts and massive infrastructure projects -- geared primarily to avoid job losses and rising unemployment. These solutions promise to take us through this rough period, but take us where? What is the long term change?

When it comes to changes to the car industry itself we see only small steps after decades of resistance. Improving car mileage slightly over the next 4 years is not the transformative change that is needed. Converting the industry to hybrid cars 10 years after the Toyota Prius was delivered to market looks to the past, not the future.

Yesterday, joined by San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums I announced a nine-step policy plan for transforming the Bay Area into the "Electric Vehicle (EV) Capital of the U.S." In support of this initiative Better Place, a global electric transportation company announced that it would enter the U.S. market with California as its first state, beginning in the Bay Area.

Commercial availability of electric cars is targeted to begin in 2012, and Better Place estimates its network investment in the Bay Area will total $1 billion when the system is fully deployed. I welcomed Better Place's announcement and anticipate many other EV companies will focus on the Bay Area as a top-priority market.

Electric vehicles represent an overarching, game-changing solution that allows us to transform, and recharge the American transportation sector for the 21st century. By accelerating the conversion of the car industry from its oil dependent past, to a new electric century, we can jump start the car industry, eliminate our dependence on oil, reduce our required presence in the middle east, create millions of jobs, and eliminate a significant portion of our CO2 emissions.

This plan ties together a triangle of influence that can get our nation back on track: Detroit car makers who know how to scale production, working in concert with San Francisco's culture of innovation, aided by Sacramento and Washington DC policy-making. The goal is to create a sustainable strategic advantage for the US instead of a series of bailouts.

As California prepares to launch this electric recharge infrastructure project, it can also serve as a blueprint for a more widely integrated solution.

California can generate upwards of $2.5B in new investment in jobs and the economy for the infrastructure effort, with billions more in cars and battery sales to consumers. The nation as a whole can trigger tens of billions in infrastructure, manufacturing and innovation investment. At the same time, this conversion reduces the cost to the consumer and nation per mile we drive. California, followed by the western US states of Oregon and Washington are ready to drive this effort.

Listen to the Gavin Newsom Show this Saturday at 11AM PST on Green 960 AM. My guest this week is the director of "Milk" Gus Van Sant. Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California. The movie opens nationwide on November 26th.

David Sassoon: Post-Election, Wall Street Journal 's Identity Disorder Intensifies

2008-11-21T14:07:24Z

It's been almost a year now since Rupert Murdoch took over the Wall Street Journal, and the paper's newsroom leadership, its reporting style, its size and its look have all had a makeover. Murdoch has left its editorial page alone, however -- it's still spouting green-bashing, extremist free-market opinion -- and now post-election, the great financial paper's identity disorder appears to have intensified.

In the absence of professional diagnosis, we can only speculate that the stress of being out of step with history, combined with the collapse of the global financial system, has further unhinged the edit page's grasp of reality and its inability to accept the news carried in the rest of the paper.

Compare the story "US Car Makers Fail to Improve Resale Value" with the editorial that warns against "making Detroit a subsidiary of the Sierra Club," and the profound depths of the edit page's denial become alarmingly clear. Why do their opinion writers refuse to read and believe what their own reporters write? That's a question Mr. Murdoch ought to address before it tarnishes the reputation and value of the flagship brand of his News Corp empire.

Denial is a defense mechanism in which a person is faced with a fact that is too uncomfortable to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence.

The subject may deny the reality of the unpleasant fact altogether (simple denial), admit the fact but deny its seriousness (minimisation) or admit both the fact and seriousness but deny responsibility (transference). The concept of denial is particularly important to the study of addiction.

Perhaps even oil addiction?

Here's the news the Journal published about the declining resale value of Detroit's autos:

Kelley Blue Book, a well-known vehicle appraiser, plans to announce Wednesday its annual ranking of the top 10 brands for projected resale value -- and not a single one will be American. Kelley, which ran its calculations before the big car makers began pushing for government financial help, defines resale value as the amount of a vehicle's sticker price that is retained after five years of ownership. The typical Chrysler car, for example, is expected to retain just 24.2% of its original cost. By comparison, the top-rated Honda brand's vehicles are expected on average to retain 44.5% of their value.....

After the Honda brand, made by Honda Motor Co., Kelley Blue Book's top picks include the Toyota brand, made by Toyota Motor Corp.; Volkswagen AG's Volkswagen brand; the Subaru brand by Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.; and Toyota Motor's luxury Lexus brand. Rounding out the top 10 are BMW AG's BMW brand; Nissan Motor Co.'s Infiniti brand; Honda's Acura brand; Volkswagen's Audi brand; and the Nissan brand.....

Detroit's auto makers have posted lower resale values over the years because they tended to overbuild vehicles to gain market share. They also paid less attention to building high-quality small cars in favor of larger, fuel-thirsty sport-utility vehicles.....

And here's what the paper's editorial page had to say, on the very same day:

If Congress wants to ease the immediate burden on Detroit, it could also ease the onerous fleet-mileage standards (CAFE rules) that force the companies to make cars domestically that are unprofitable.

And for good measure, Holman Jenkins, Jr. had this to say, also on the same day, in a separate piece that carried his byline:

But the really giant sucking sound is the auto sector, getting ready to gobble up whatever hopes Mr. Obama might have had for an ambitious, forward-looking presidency.

He and Nancy Pelosi naturally insist that any "bailout" must hit multiple bogies. They want UAW jobs to be preserved. They want the shibboleth of energy independence advanced. They want "green" cars to please the Tom Friedmans of the world. They want to tell taxpayers they're getting more for their money than just a bailout of Detroit.

This man's thought process appears to be tainted with paranoia, as well as denial of the facts as to why other automakers are making the cars with the best resale value. It's got nothing to do with Tom Friedman or environmentalism.

In all fairness, the editorial page does conclude with a rational proposal: let GM and Chrysler file for bankruptcy. It's hard to evaluate it though, because the precedent ranting undermines credibility and offers no palatable persuasion.

For that, you have to turn to the New York Times' op-ed page -- on the very same day, as it turns out. There you'll find a piece by Mitt Romney called "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt." He writes as the son of a man who actually ran an auto company and from the perspective gained in a career as a successful management consultant. I did not leave his piece persuaded by his arguments, but they certainly had merit -- without the blemish of paranoia or denial.

Detroit's great protector in Congress -- John Dingell -- has now lost his powerful and long-standing perch as chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, to Henry Waxman. This is sure to exacerbate the accelerating symptoms of delusion on the Wall Street Journal's editorial page, and shareholders should be pressing Mr. Murdoch to apply a cure before the damage hits the stock price.

Related Stories on www.solveclimate.com

Greenhouse Asses at the Wall Street Journal

Mr. Murdoch, Please Make the Wall Street Journal Carbon Neutral

Wall Street Journal Editorial Page Is Laughingstock -- Of Its Own Conference

The Wall Street Journal's Anti-Business Agenda

WSJ Economics Writer: Send All of America's Garbage to Ted Turner's Montana Ranch

Fishy Smell from the Wall Street Journal

Wall Street Journal Projects Its Inhumane Theology Upon the World

Pressing Murdoch on the Journal's Climate Views (New York Times)

WSJ Launches New Environment Blog (Columbia Journalism Review)

Signal Fading from Wall Street Journal's Alternate Climate Universe?

Case Study: How Climate Skeptics Spoon Feed the Wall Street Journal

Paige Donner: Governors' Global Climate Summit: Thinking As One Planet

2008-11-20T16:38:53Z

Truly remarkable is the fact that this summit was an international meeting on climate change between regional leaders from around the globe. This truly remarkable element of the Governors' Global Climate Summit held in Beverly Hills Nov. 18th and 19th is what marks us on a path toward "thinking as one planet." What was heard at the Summit was a chorus of international voices.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Deputy Executive Secretary Richard Kinley, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle

California's Gov. Schwarzenegger assembled a "Dream Team" of U.S. and international Governors and delegates, according to Carter Roberts, CEO of World Wildlife Fund. It was the Governors' (not the Governor's) Global Climate Summit so each voice was given time, significance and merit.

"This is like a mini United Nations," commented Mary Nichols, Chairperson of California Air Resources Board when she described the intent of the Global Climate Summit Declaration signed by participating countries' delegates. Representatives were from Brazil, Mexico, China, Indonesia, Canada, UK, European Union and India.
Left to right: Federative Republic of Brazil State of Amazonas Governor Eduardo Braga, Federative Republic of Brazil State of Para Governor Ana Julia de Vasconcelos Carepa, Federative Republic of Brazil State of Mato Grosso Governor Blairo Maggi, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, CBS Correspondent Scott Pelley, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, Republic of Indonesia Province of Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, Republic of Indonesia Province of Aceh Governor Yusuf Irwandi, Republic of Indonesia Ministry of the Environment Secretary General Arief Yuwono and European Commission Deputy Head of Delegation Ambassador Angelos Pangratis

"I have a global mentality," said Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, "because I understand and relate to the fact that these countries have different challenges, struggles, histories and economies. We can find that sweet spot in Copenhagen [December 2009] but we must carefully listen to every single voice that has spoken. America, as the biggest polluter, has the biggest responsibility," said Gov. Schwarzenegger, and added, "We have no chance of leadership if we're the biggest polluter."

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday, November 17th, signed Executive Order S-14-08 to increase the state's Renewable Energy Standard to 20% renewables by 2010, 33% renewable power by 2020. It also calls to streamline California's renewable energy project approval process. Pres.-Elect Obama, in his video address to the Summit, also embraced the targets to reduce emissions to their 1990 levels by 2020 and to reduce them an additional 80% by 2050. L.A. Mayor Villaraigosa has set the same targets adjusting for 35% renewable energy sources by 2020 for Los Angeles. Executive Order

"Not every state is in sync in Canada," the Governor cited as an example, "just as not every state here in the U.S. was in sync with Bush." Video

The U.S.'s Dream Team

Co-hosts of the Summit were bi-partisan Governors Charlie Crist, Florida, Rod Blagojevich, Illinois, Kathleen Sebelius, Kansas and Jim Doyle, Wisconsin. "It will dramatically accelerate our efforts to have a partner in Washington," said Sebelius referencing Pres.-Elect Obama's video address to the Summit promising Washington's global cooperation on climate change.

Jim Doyle, Gov. of Wisconsin referenced Obama's promise of a Federal Cap and Trade system, "What gets credited, this will be a big fight. Wisconsin is a major forestry state. All our forests are certified sustainable. The states that signed the forestry agreement [Memorandum of Understanding] last night have common interests," he pointed out referring to Tuesday night's REDD signing ceremony, the agreement to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation.
Left to right: Federative Republic of Brazil State of Para Governor Ana Julia de Vasconcelos Carepa, Federative Republic of Brazil State of Mato Grosso Governor Blairo Maggi, Federative Republic of Brazil State of Amazonas Governor Eduardo Braga, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

States from the Federative Republic of Brazil and Indonesia, representing the largest tropically forested states in the world signed the MOU with the American States of Wisconsin, Illinois and California to work cooperatively to promote and develop joint REDD programs. A second signing ceremony took place Wednesday, the Declaration of The Summit, whereby 26 global leaders signed the agreement to partner on climate action.

The burning and clearing of tropical forests causes about 20 percent of total CO2 emissions - more than all the world's cars, trucks and airplanes combined.

The four largest nations that contribute the most CO2 emissions are: 1. China (first-time ever surpassed U.S.'s #1 ranking) 2. U.S. 3. Brazil 4. Indonesia.

In the case of Indonesia and Brazil, 90% and 70% of their C02 emissions respectively are directly from deforestation. In the panel discussion, "Climate Leaders Dialogue," Yusuf Irwandi, Governor, Province of Aceh, Indonesia, said, "We'll do our part. We'll reforest. We are the keepers of the forests. But I'd like to ask the developed nations to cut their emissions. But, really. Not just in the conference room. I personally have planted 3,000 trees to offset my Jeep Wrangler."

Governor Ana Julia de Vasconcelos Carepa of Brazil's State of Para said, "We want to achieve this reforestation in 5 years, using 1 billion trees. We need Copenhagen to include REDD," she added, significantly, "We need to combine this activity with the fight against poverty. The countries who have rainforests have responsibilities but the countries who emit the most carbon have responsibilities, too."

The Earth's ability to breathe comes directly from the world's tropical forests, according to Kevin Bryan, Environmental Resources Management, an environmental consulting firm to large corporations.

Governor Blairo Maggi, Brazil's State of Mato Grosso, said, "We need world help for a reforestation program so that people who live in the Amazon can have other forms of income."

"A Cap and Trade system is how we can help Brazil and the reforestation of their rainforests, with the carbon offsets. We have to listen to them," said Gov. Schwarzenegger. In Obama's video address, he said, "We will start with a Federal Cap and Trade system."

From Indonesia's Province of Jakarta, Governor Fauzi Bowo said, "We in developing nations need to be involved in Research and Development done in developed countries because we are the ones who are required to implement it."

Thinking As One Planet

Carter Roberts, CEO of WWF, promotes the notion of, "think as one planet." He said, "You Governors are moving us toward this carbon-free economy faster, in many cases, than the nations in which you exist. The ultimate prize is a global deal for Cap and Trade and Climate Emissions Reductions. We are witnessing now an increased sense of momentum. We are moving, even evolving, at an extraordinary rate. Even Darwin would be proud." He also noted that this is as much about saving ourselves as saving the planet.

Scott Pelley of CBS News who moderated several panels, stated, "Never in the course of the history of the world has it come together on a global level to solve a global crisis. We are separated by language but united by this issue of global climate change."

Governor Crist of Florida said, "I wasn't elected to mark time. I was elected to make a difference," and spoke about Florida's actions towards cultivating algae-based biofuels.

Governor Sebelius described her state of Kansas as "the Saudi Arabia of wind," and noted that many of their citizens are out ahead of their legislators on being informed about clean energy sources and technology.

Governor Eduardo Bours Castelo of the State of Sonora, Mexico, said, "Our new law: Whoever pollutes, pays." He stated they, too, have a project to produce ethanol by sea algae.

Barry Penner, Minister of Environment for British Columbia, Canada noted that for the first-time ever mountain lions were seen in the Arctic. "That's unheard of!" he noted. He shared that they have a program, "Tax less of what you earn, more of what you burn." He said their lowest income tax rates in Canada is what's attracting investment.

Arvind Kumar, Commissioner for the Government of Sikkim said, "The Himalayas as well as the oceans are the first to take the brunt of climate change. Glaciers provide drinking water for millions of people."

Governor Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan, State of Baja California, said to Governor Schwarzenegger, "We have firefighters ready to go whenever you need them." He added that they have two power plants in Mexicali that export power to California.

Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich said that they look to the West, to California as leaders on climate change initiatives and clean fuel technology. He mentioned they give tax credits to their citizens who drive flex-fuel vehicles.

Dr. Yufu Cheng, from China's Innovation Center for Energy and Transportation said that while different fuels can replace fossil fuels, not all are environmentally friendly. "Not all fuels are created equally. We want to give the government tools to measure cleaner fuels. We want to do the true green, not the so-called green."

Environmental Defense Fund's Annie Petsonk noted that three basic requirements must be met for collaboration on Greenhouse Gas Reporting: 1) Clearly stated mandatory caps on total emissions because that's what's important to the environment, 2) Transparent reporting systems, and 3) Verification and accountability: What are the consequences of surpassing your limit?

Governor Schwarzenegger concluded his two-day Governors' Summit by saying that "fairness and equity," are the key words. "We want to see that no one is held back. I see opportunities in crises," he said. He added that, "Technology is what needs to power change. Guilt trips don't work. We should still be able to drive the car we want but it should be powered by solar or electric." He also thanked his longtime adviser, Terry Tamminen, for "inspiring" him to become even more passionate about the environment after taking office as Governor of California, a state he said, whose "reach is like that of a continent's."

President-Elect Obama's Video Address to Summit

Kevin Grandia: Will Waxman the Big Tobacco Fighter Take on Big Oil?

2008-11-20T14:16:50Z

There's no doubt that it's new day for climate policy in the United States with Rep. Henry Waxman, a leading champion in Congress of laws to protect the environment and fight global warming, beating out Dingell who spent the last two years more interested in boosting the Big Auto lobby and fighting against higher fuel economy standards for cars.

The question for me is whether we will now see a sequel to the "Waxman Hearings" on Big Oil, like the ones he held on Big Tobacco.

In 1994 Waxman, who was Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Health and the Environment at the time, held a series of hearings that exposed a secret public relations campaign conducted by the tobacco companies to confuse and cast doubt on the scientific findings that linked tobacco to increased risks of cancer.

It was the work of the tobacco industries and their PR flaks that birthed the entire "junk science" and "sound science" movement, where fake grassroots organizations effectively convinced millions of Americans that science was merely one of many opinions in the public discourse.

The "junk science" movement made it possible for the work of industry-funded think tanks to be held up as a reasonable counter-argument to the conclusions of conventional peer-reviewed science. Unfortunately, when it was clear that tobacco had lost the PR war, the army didn't go away, but instead began applying their "junk science" judo to another topic that was threatening industry profits -- global warming.

Since the early 1990s think tanks with big funding from energy giants like ExxonMobil have been spinning the science of global warming, creating doubt and confusing the public with the same techniques they learned in the tobacco war. The Greenpeace US project, ExxonSecrets has documented millions of dollars going to hundreds of organizations that in turn pumped out reports and hit the media circuit with their global warming junk science message.

ExxonMobil wasn't alone, other companies who also stood to lose big bucks from climate legislation joined the attack.

The apex of the Waxman Hearings was when the CEOs of the big 7 tobacco companies were dragged in front of Waxman's committee and were absolutely pummeled for their deliberate attempts to confuse the public on the risks of tobacco smoke.

Waxman is now in a position to haul the energy executives onto to the floor and demand they release their strategy documents to confuse the science of global warming and expose this campaign just like he did with Big Tobacco. He now has the power to expose this campaign of confusion that has effectively delayed action on the most important issue we face today.

Jane Hamsher: Waxman Defeats Dingall, Blue Dogs Get Spanked

2008-11-20T12:03:54Z

In a stinging rebuke of the Blue Dog caucus, Henry Waxman has defeated John Dingell for Chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Why, it seems like only yesterday the conservative Blue Dogs were sniffing that the Steering Committee which recommended Waxman were a bunch of unrepentant hippies who didn't reflect the overall makeup of the Democratic caucus. (In fact, it was.)

This is a huge defeat for the Blue Dogs, who have become the primary recipients of the massive corporate donations which used to flow to the Republicans. They were were hoping to use Dingell as a roadblock to keep any meaningful change from happening with regard to issues under the Committee's jurisdiction -- telecommunications and health care, energy and environmental protection, interstate commerce and consumer protection.

Though she never took a public position, nobody has any doubts that Nancy Pelosi orchestrated this.

This week the Senate voted to remain an exclusive club of self-protection and entitlement by letting the corrupt Bush enabler Joe Lieberman keep his gavel, but the House voted for progress.

Anyone who thinks that other members of the House aren't soiling themselves over this huge blow to the traditional system of seniority and entitlement hasn't been paying attention.

Jane Hamsher blogs at firedoglake.com. Oh Heavenly Day video by Patrick Dwyer courtesy Howie Klein.

Bill Scher: Progressive Mandate At Work: Waxman Named House Energy Chair

2008-11-20T11:51:51Z

Last week, the progressive mandate was felt in the Senate, as right-leaning Democratic Senator Max Baucus proposed legislation to guarantee health care for all.

Today, the progressive mandate was felt in the House, as the Democratic caucus voted 137-122 to remove longtime global warming skeptic Rep. John Dingell as chair of the House energy committee, in favor of environmental champion Rep. Henry Waxman.

The close vote should not be interpreted as a sign of deep ideological division on the environment -- though some differences certainly remain -- but a victory for the public interest in passing strong global warming legislation over the self-interest of protecting an inflexible seniority system for key congressional posts.

Democratic caucus members clearly felt the unmistakable progressive mandate for urgent and bold action, in order to junk House traditions today. With great public demand for ending our dependence on oil, averting a climate crisis and building a clean energy economy, congresspeople recognized that there will be no excuses if they don't get it done.

And most importantly, they rejected the nonsensical argument that you needed a chair who was closer to conservatives and corporations on environmental matters in order to get anything passed.

To get things passed, you need effective legislation that generates strong public backing to overcome special interest-backed obstruction.

Waxman showed his commitment to strong legislation. Dingell constantly needed to be pushed and dragged to do anything remotely helpful, and the caucus recognized that was not going to satisfy the progressive mandate.

Yesterday, the incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said President-Elect Obama will "throw long and deep" to solve the major crises facing America, including energy.

Today, the House named someone who will catch the ball.

UPDATE: I think the blogosphere just exploded.

FireDogLake's Jane Hamsher: "This is a huge defeat for the Blue Dogs, who were hoping to use Dingell as a roadblock to keep any meaningful change from happening with regard to issues under the Committee's jurisdiction -- telecommunications and health care, energy and environmental protection, interstate commerce and consumer protection."

Calitics' David Dayen: "Waxman's Safe Climate Act sets the targets needed to mitigate the worst effects of global warming. It now becomes the working document in the House for anti-global warming legislation. And his constituency doesn't include a major polluting industry."

Washington Independent's Mike Lillis: "...could prove vital to the Obama administration's energy-policy successes..."

Huffington Post's Pete Cenedella: "Feel the balance of power shifting in the American energy debate? ... It's not a stretch to say that the Big 3's woes, and their woeful appearance yesterday seeking a taxpayer handout, may have loomed large in Democrats' decision today to consign Dingell to the junkyard."

New Republic's Brad Plumer: "Waxman won because Democrats are increasingly focused on global warming and think now is the time to act, to make a decisive break from the do-nothing approach of the Bush administration"

Washington Monthly's Steve Benen: "Just as Daschle and Baucus have made reform of the healthcare system more likely, Waxman's new committee chairmanship makes a meaningful energy bill more likely."

Folo: "Bucket up, kids, we're going places!"

Beyond Green: "It's a whole new day, folks."

Talking Points Memo's Josh Marshall: "Holy Crap."

Mother Jones' Kevin Drum: "This is change we can believe in."

OpenLeft's Matt Stoller: "Cue conservative whining."

Originally posted at OurFuture.org

Pete Cenedella: Dingell to the Junk Yard: Henry Waxman Deposes John Dingell on House Energy Committee

2008-11-20T11:10:35Z

Feel the balance of power shifting in the American energy debate? Bye bye MIchigan, hello California: The House Democrats have finally cleared some old spare parts out of the way in anticipation of President Obama's agenda. Henry Waxman, a reliably progressive and sometimes pleasingly combative liberal from California has deposed John Dingell of Michigan at the helm of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The Committee will play a major role in several key issues on Obama's to-do list: climate change, alternative energy development, retooling the American auto industry, and health care reform.

Rep. Dingell's three-decade reign has been characterized by his reliable support for the backward-looking lobbying efforts of the very auto industry giants who jetted in to DC with their hands out yesterday. It's not a stretch to say that the Big 3's woes, and their woeful appearance yesterday seeking a taxpayer handout, may have loomed large in Democrats' decision today to consign Dingell to the junkyard.

Waxman's work on the House Homeland Security Committee stands in stark contrast to stuffed-shirt Joe Lieberman's snoozy tenure on the Senate side. Waxman has aggressively gone after the Bush administration, while Joe the Senator has been running out the clock. With Waxman in place, several key aspects of Obama's agenda look to sail a little more smoothly (one wonders if the hand of Rahm Emanuel might not be at work behind the scenes on this).

Sarah van Gelder: Does Obama Have What It Takes To Confront Our Climate Crisis?

2008-11-19T21:41:47Z

President-elect Barack Obama is stepping up to the climate crisis, even before taking the oath of office. In a video address to the governors' climate meeting held in California he noted that "few challenges facing the world are more urgent than climate change."

It is a relief that we are now discussing how, rather than whether, to address this global crisis. But will Obama's actions be up to the crisis at hand?

The American people are ready. As we reported in the Fall 2008 issue of YES!, 79 percent of Americans favor mandatory controls on greenhouse gas emissions, and 75 percent favor clean electricity, even if they have to pay higher rates.

That being said, this is a question that may stretch beyond what is easily politically acceptable. The carbon we emit today can stay in the atmosphere for decades, and, as NASA scientist Jim Hansen has warned, if we don't reduce emissions adequately, we are leaving a planet to our children that will be past the point of return.

President-Elect Obama's target of reaching 80 percent reduction in 1990 levels by 2050 is great, but reaching 1990 levels by 2020 is not enough -- the 1sky initiative says we will need a 25 percent reduction by that date. And, while "clean coal" sounds promising, it is actually a dangerous distraction. There is no reliable means to capture and sequester coal CO₂ emissions at this time. And there is an enormous amount of inexpensive coal available to be burned (inexpensive unless you live near one of the mountains that's being blown to pieces for the coal or near one of the streams filled with the debris.) So it will be hard, but necessary, to just say no.

We must stop the construction of any new coal plants unless truly CO₂-free technology is proven. In the meantime, we should phase out existing coal plants and end any discussion of exploiting tar sands.

There are some great renewable energy production and conservation options available now. President-elect Obama is on the right course with the cap & trade proposal that will fund green jobs. Let's just make sure we charge polluters the full cost of carbon pollution, and that we're funding real solutions with the income. To do that will test Obama's willingness to stand up to special interests and make the changes needed to avert climate disaster.

This may be politically difficult and costly -- but less so than the increasing wild fires, mega-storms, droughts, flooding, and dislocation that will result if we (who are the largest greenhouse gas polluters) don't deal with this issue. And many of the necessary initiatives will help stimulate the economy, building the long-term foundations of sustainable future.

The American people are prepared to make changes, even if it involves some sacrifice. Thousands met with members of Congress this week to urge them to take tough action to confront the climate crisis. This will be among the first tests of leadership for the new president-elect.

Read more reaction from HuffPost bloggers to Barack Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential election

Mary Ellen Harte and John Harte: The Methane Bomb is Ticking: Here's an Energy Plan to Defuse It

2008-11-19T18:01:02Z

Writing for the Yale School of Forestry website a few weeks ago, award winning journalist Susan Stranahan interviewed a Norwegian scientist, who noted that methane is beginning to seep up from the melting submarine permafrost of the shallow Arctic continental shelf. What little data exists - methane levels hundreds of times greater than normal occurring over this continental sea shelf seen over the past five years - is attracting the attention of climate scientists. Although methane doesn't persist in the atmosphere as long as carbon dioxide, while it is there it is far more potent in fueling global warming. Geochemical evidence indicates that sudden massive atmospheric releases of methane on this planet in the past have wrought abrupt and massive climate changes. Scientists previously had predicted that the melting of the Arctic tundra would release enough methane to add a punch to global warming. Until now, however, they hadn't been expecting this second punch from beneath the sea, where massive amounts of methane are stored in or beneath the frozen permafrost. What many are wondering is, could this accelerate to a massive release of methane?

Why is a sudden increase in atmospheric methane particularly frightening? The standard assumption until now has been: stop adding man-made greenhouse gases to the atmosphere and their levels will fall, eventually dissipating the global warming effect. We could control global warming by turning off the human spigot that emits greenhouse gases. Heat the planet up fast enough, however, and you could accelerate enough ecological positive feedbacks that not only accelerate global warming but drive it. That is, we would no longer be in control - nature would. The conceivable scenario would be that a massive release of methane would heat up the planet suddenly, further melting the permafrost, causing yet a further and more massive release of methane, which... well, you get the idea.

The message is: we can't let it get that far. This is why a detailed energy plan needs to be formulated to stop greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible. Barack Obama has called for an 80% decrease of these emissions from current levels by the year 2050. Environment America (EA) has just released a report, Renewing America: a Blueprint for Economic Recovery, which outlines some ways of reducing emissions; so does our book, "Cool the Earth, Save the Economy" (free downloads available at www.CoolTheEarth.US ). Our goal is a more ambitious one than Obama's: reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030. We think it can be done without ethanol, nuclear power expansion, carbon sequestration, a carbon tax, and a cap and trade policy of enforcing a limit on emissions and trading in carbon credits.

How? Basically, concentrate on energy efficiency, produce carbon-free electricity from solar and wind power mostly, and power our transportation with carbon-free electricity. In more detail, such a plan would entail the following:

1. Enact a massive energy efficiency incentive program for all businesses and homes that includes energy audits, installing needed weatherization and insulation, and improvement in energy usage through behavioral changes and efficient appliances. Reward demonstrated decreases in energy use with tax cuts.

2. Install photovoltaic panels along with waste heat venting systems on top of all usable roofs (about 70% of all roofs) in the US. EA estimates the photovoltaic panels alone could take care of 70% of our energy needs. Adding systems that redirect the unused roof heat into the house for space, water and other heating uses would decrease energy demands much further at little extra cost. Because the electric energy would be generated where it is used, it would not require an instant upgrade of the national grid, and storage systems via batteries, plug-in cars, or an underground flywheel in each backyard could store energy for night time use. All consumers would have the up-front installation costs paid by the government, which would get reimbursed back monthly via estimated energy savings for every household or business. Redirect some of the monies previously used to finance oil wars for initially financing this project, which we estimate would have a total cost of roughly $1.6 trillion.

3. Redirect fossil fuel subsidies and incentives into a continuous federal subsidies and incentives program for developing energy efficient processes and renewable energy sources: wind turbine installations, solar thermal plants, and geothermal plants. Implement all sorts of policy tools to do the same thing at all levels of government. Reward the market winners in energy efficiency and renewable energy by withholding taxes on profits.

4. Invest in changing the current aging national energy grid into an expanded, updated and "smart" grid that receives energy from diverse sources, and sends as well as receives information from consumers. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that it will take roughly an extra $8.5 billion yearly over the next 20 years to achieve this.

5. Enlist the manpower to achieve the previous four steps through governmental and private organizations:
• Create an Energy Independence Corp that will enlist volunteers to become energy auditors, and weatherization and photovoltaic panel installers in exchange for job experience, low interest loans, and monetary grants towards college.
• Enlist and help nonprofit organizations such as the Apollo Alliance and Habitat for Humanity to train and implement energy efficiency measures and renewable energy installations.
• Devote the National Guard and Armed Forces, when not needed for military and emergency purposes, towards helping install renewable energy structures, upgrade the grid, and improve the energy efficiency of buildings.
• Create an Energy Efficiency Badge for boy and girl scouts.
• Train Peace Corps members to spread this technology internationally.

6. Conserve at home and abroad ecosystems that store vast amounts of carbon far more cost effectively and safely than any carbon sequestration effort will: forests, grasslands and peatlands.

7. Invest in education: 1) Develop curricula that inform students about how humanity depends on ecosystems for necessary services and resources, and how renewable energy systems work; 2) Teach all citizens through schools and marketing about living sustainably through recycling resources, reducing waste, and reuse.

In our book we show that the money we save by avoiding climatic catastrophes and wasteful energy use will more than cover the investment costs outlined above. As with any plan, there are challenges to overcome. But can we do it? Oh yes, we can.

Want more details? Download our book and start reading: www.CoolTheEarth.US

Macedonians Plant Six Million Trees In Single Day

2008-11-19T17:04:32Z

Thousands of Macedonians took to the hills and forests on Wednesday to plant six million trees in a single day as part of a mass reforestation drive in the Balkan country.

The main aim of the campaign was to replant Macedonia's forests after extensive wild fires over the past two summers, and organizers trumpeted the scheme's environmental benefits at a time of global warming.

"Our goal is to make Macedonia "greener" and make people more aware of the needs of this planet," said Macedonian opera singer Boris Trajanov, who initiated the project.
Read the full story here.

-OR-
Politicians Save "Potent Weapon Against Global Warming," Canadian Boreal Forest
UN Launches Plan To Save Tropical Forests

Politicians Save "Potent Weapon Against Global Warming," Canadian Boreal Forest

2008-11-19T16:31:42Z

Politicians actually listened when experts told them to protect Canada's boreal forest, a potent weapon against global warming, and the plan for this vast green area could work on some of the world's other vital places, scientists told Reuters.

Bigger than the Amazon and better than almost anywhere else on the planet at keeping climate-warming carbon out of the atmosphere, the boreal forest stretches across 1.4 billion acres (566.6 million hectares) from Newfoundland to Alaska.

More importantly, the boreal is in good condition, and the scientists' plan aims to keep it that way.

"There's not a lot of these really big chunks of ecosystem left," said Stuart Pimm, a conservation biologist at Duke University, said in a joint interview on Tuesday with several environmental experts.
Read the full story here.

Related:
Beetles Killing Trees In Colorado, Reviving An Industry
Obama Wants To Stay The Course On Climate

Gillian Caldwell: Climate Change Policy: The Good News and the Challenge Ahead

2008-11-19T16:08:24Z

When it comes to the outlook for climate and energy policy under President-elect Barack Obama and the 111th Congress, there's the good news, and then there are the serious challenges that we must work together to confront in the critical year that lies ahead.

The good news is that 30 national organizations working to combat global warming, including 1Sky and all members of the "Green Group" (the largest environmental organizations in the country), came together on a set of recommendations delivered to President-elect Obama earlier this month that emphasized the need to embrace the science-based targets for global warming emissions reductions outlined by the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). In that document, we said:

"According to the [IPCC], we have a reasonable chance of meeting this objective if developed countries as a whole cut their emissions 25-40% from 1990 levels by 2020 and at least 80% by 2050; within this time frame, major developing countries as a whole must also act promptly to slow their emissions growth and then substantially reduce their emissions. To be within this range in 2020, the U.S. would have to reduce its emissions by 35% from current levels."

It was the first time we were all standing together on the science, and it was an important way to begin the conversation with an impressive new ally in the White House and a new Congress to work with.

The other good news is that Obama addressed the Governor's Global Climate Summit yesterday and in his speech he committed himself very clearly to a new chapter in leadership on climate change, and to implementing a federal cap and trade system that would get us to the 80% reductions by 2050 the IPCC says we must achieve -- at a minimum -- to avoid cataclysmic climate impacts. He reinforced what we all know -- that climate change is irrefutable, and that it will continue to weaken our economy and our national security if we don't address it. And he reiterated his commitment to creating 5 million new jobs in this country (a direct embrace of the 1Sky Solutions) through energy efficiency and investments in solar, wind, and advanced biofuels.

So -- our work is done, right? Wrong.

In his remarks yesterday the President-elect reiterated his prior commitment to get emissions down to 1990 levels by 2020 -- when the IPCC has said clearly that we must achieve at least 25% reductions from 1990 levels by 2020, and our international counterparts are standing by awaiting leadership on that scale as they prepare for their negotiations in Poznan in December 2008, and in Copenhagen in December 2009. Obama's near term targets must be much stronger if we are to tackle this problem, and if we are to demonstrate the leadership he is clearly committed to providing at a global level.

The other challenge we face is that Obama reiterated his commitment to "clean coal" which, as I have said before, is a myth, and while he talked about continued reliance on nuclear energy, there was no mention of geothermal alongside wind and solar as smart, renewable energy alternatives. As my colleague David Orr is famous for saying, "nuclear is a very expensive way to boil water," not to mention the security risks it presents.

I hate to be the naysayer, because I am as excited as anyone else about the hope and potential President-elect Obama presents. But I take him at his word when he says we have to work together to get where we are going, and that he will be listening carefully -- most of all when we disagree. I was somewhat disheartened to see the slew of entirely celebratory press statements yesterday coming from my colleagues in the field -- none of which took issue with the ways in which Obama's remarks deviated from what we called for just a week ago in a unified set of recommendations.

But perhaps the biggest challenge we face is getting Congress behind the President-elect. We need 218 votes in the House to pass strong climate legislation, and depending on who is counting we are upwards of 150. And we need 60 votes in the Senate -- we don't even break 50 if we are talking about standing with the science. That is why yesterday, 1Sky, Energy Action, 350.org and a range of our other allies nationally mobilized more than 4,000 people to visit all 435 Congressional districts in every state in the country, welcoming the 111th Congress and urging them to work with President-elect Obama to:

Create 5 million new green jobs and pathways out of poverty focused on climate solutions and energy efficiency;

Reduce global warming pollution at least 25% below 1990 levels by 2020 and at least 80% below 1990 levels by 2050;

Impose a moratorium on new coal plants that emit global warming pollution and end our dependence on oil through strong standards and incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

We need you now more than ever -- we are about to launch our Climate Precinct Captains campaign, with a goal to identify and engage voluntary Climate Precinct Captains in all 435 Congressional districts in the country by early 2009, and to move from there into all 300,000 voting precincts nationwide. Sign up now and put yourself on the map!

Green Gift Guide: Low-Impact, Eco-Friendly Ideas For the Holidays

2008-11-19T11:53:55Z

The holidays can be a tricky time to go green. Green and red, perhaps, but environmentally conscious, not so much. Assuming you've got the food part covered - organic this, local that, you know the drill - the main challenge that remains is really the gifts. Copious gift-giving can seem inherently detrimental to the environment, as nary a gift is carbon-free. Luckily, there's no need to abstain completely as there are plenty of low-impact options that your friends and family will surely enjoy.

Homemade Goods: Everyone know it's the thought that counts, and what could be more thoughtful than a gift you made yourself. Nothing says "happy holidays" quite like a woolly hand-knitted scarf a tin of home-baked cookies. Here are a few other directions you might want to go:

1. DIY Recycled Paper Notebooks
Recycled paper notebooks make great gifts because not only are they good-looking - especially if you wind up using wrapping paper scraps and the like - but they are unquestionably useful. Consider making some that small enough for your friends and family members to carry with them - the better to jot down their ideas and New Year's resolutions. Meghan Mcclain and Jill Thomas of Design Sponge explain their fairly simple procedure, which begins with collecting scraps.

2.Organic Bath Salts
Martha Stewart proposes giving the gift of bath salts, which you can proffer in a recycled jar. A big glass pickle jar might work well. Apparently, Americans spends $300 million annually on conventional women's bath gift sets. This gift is green of course because it will introduce your friends and family to the virtues of organic bath products with recycled packaging. No need to spook up the bath with additives and coloring when simply salt and a drop or two of essential oil will do the trick.

Start with about 4 cups of sea salt or kosher salt. Mix in several drops of an oil such as peppermint or tea tree, available at your local natural food's store) or dried fragrant plants, such as lavender or eucalyptus. Voila: Bath salts.

3. House Plants
Kate Pruitti over at Design Sponge was frustrated with the "depressing lack of variety for hanging planters out there" and decided to make her own from old ceramic planters she found lying around her house. Click here for the full post and instructions.

I have opened up my collection of old knick-knacks to a world of possibilities with a wonderful gizmo: the multi-purpose drill bit for use on ceramic, porcelain, glass, tile, etc. I decided to make a custom hanging pot by drilling holes in a pretty pot.

This neat gift idea would enable your loved ones to bring a bit of green into their homes by suspending plants from their ceilings. You may want to include a plant. Not only do they look great but they can drastically improve a space's air quality. Treehugger's Bonnie Alter suggests a few particularly purifying - and handsome - specimen: the Rubber Plant, the Ficus Benjamina (weeping fig), english ivy, or boston ferns. When in doubt, consider the spider plant, which I like to think of as the carnation of houseplants: very cheap, and underrated. It grows remarkably quickly, too.

Low-Impact Gift Subscriptions: Rather than giving a gift subscription to a glossy magazine (all that paper and ink, not to mention the ramifications of cross-country shipping seems a bit wasteful - certainly online is the way to go), considered these quirkier eco-alternatives.

1. Library Style
As nice as it is to receive books for the holidays, as many as 20 million trees are cut down every year for American book production. Consider giving used books, or - better yet - look into BookSwim, which is like Netflix for library books. It's the first national online service that rents paperback and hardcover books to subscribers. BookSwim ships the books out to readers who can enjoy them at their leisure and then send them back, at which time more books are sent to them. Not only will this promote library book reading, but it's also a great way to save you gas (and time) driving to the library. The books are shipped for free in 100% recycled plastic bags.

But if the library and used books aren't doing it for you, or you're just set on giving a new book, try a green book. Chelsea Green, a founding member of the Green Press Initiative, has been printing on recycled paper since 1985. They've got some intriguing new titles out including: The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience, by Rob Hopkins and Open Spaces Sacred Places: Stories of How Nature Heals and Unifies, by by Tom Stoner and Carolyn Rapp. I can also recommend Sandor Ellix Katz's modern classic, Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods.

2. CSA Membership
Treehugger recommends the colorful and environmentally-friendly, not to mention highly practical gift of local produce.

Purple Cape cauliflower, Striped Toga eggplant, Bloody Butcher tomato, Chocolate Beauty pepper...who wouldn't love a weekly box of lyrical vegetables delivered via your gift of a CSA membership? Find a Community Supported Agriculture farm near you at Local Harvest.

3. Digital Edition
If you did have The New Yorker in mind, consider giving the new digital edition, which arrives in the recipient's inbox early Monday morning (hours - or days - before a paper copy would have arrived in their mailbox) with a considerably smaller carbon footprint.

It is Better to Give Than to Receive
Re-gifting is generally considered bad form, but that doesn't mean you apartment or house is doomed to overflow with all of your stuff plus whatever people give you. Uncluttered suggests a policy of out with the old, in with the new:

For the gifts that you do want, make sure you get rid of the old items in your home that they replace. If you receive a new pair of jeans, sell or donate an old pair. Likewise electronics equipment. Try and make the holiday season a zero sum gain in the accumulation of stuff. This advice won't apply to all gifts, such as one of a kind gifts and consumables. However, for clothing and toys, it is an easy way to get rid of old items that have been replaced.

But we've all received our share of dud presents. You can donate gifts that don't fit or don't suit your tastes to your local thrift shop or freecycle, a website that facilitates the exchange of free stuff from people in your area. If you really feel like you don't need anything, try to urge family and friends to give you something non-tangible, like an itunes gift certificate or better yet, a donation to a charity you're into. Planet Green suggests a few of their favorite eco-friendly causes:

A) Working in 10 countries, the Seva Foundation provides financial resources and technical expertise to help communities build sustainable solutions to poverty and disease.

B) Global Green was founded by President Gorbachev and seeks to resolve problems with climate change, weapons of mass destruction, and clean drinking water.

C) National Wildlife Federation encourages Americans to protect wildlife by confronting global warming and restoring natural habitats.

D) Oceana is the largest international ocean advocacy group committed to protecting and restoring the world's oceans and its inhabitants. Supporters can adopt a marine creature through Oceana's website. Gift recipients will receive ocean-themed cookie cutters and sea creature plush toys as a bonus.

Ben Carmichael: When Obama Takes Office The Climate Will Change

2008-11-18T17:27:09Z

It happened quickly, and almost silently, but today the United States entered a new era of leadership on energy and climate.

In a video addressed to the more than 600 leaders convened in Los Angeles for the opening sessions of the Global Climate Summit, President-elect Barack Obama stated his conviction in climate change. This was the first time, as the future president, and his conviction could not have been clearer. To open, he said:

"Few challenges facing America, and the world, are more urgent than combating climate change. The science is beyond dispute, and the facts are clear."

With this statement alone -- a clear throated acceptance of the basic science of climate change -- Obama did two things: he wiped away the ruinous environmental legacy of George W. Bush, and opened the door onto a new era of domestic energy policy and international climate agreements. No doubt, the forthcoming climate negotiations at Poznan and Copenhagen were made easier by Obama's remarks.

For those who have labored to raise awareness, to lobby congress, and to push through tough but equitable climate policy, Obama's statement comes with great relief. For the past eight years, President Bush has resided over a kind of Dark Ages in regards to climate change. For years, despite overwhelming scientific evidence, he denied the science. His Administration's systematically set out to gut environmental law. He cultivated a culture of distrust of science. As a result, we lost eight years that could have been devoted to substantive policy. As a result, we've lost more of our natural world than we'll ever know.

It is for these reasons, and more, that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, "George W. Bush will go down in history as America's worst environmental president." The article was called "Crimes Against Nature." It appeared in Rolling Stone.

The anticipation regarding Obama's climate policy has followed the arc of his election: they have run very, very high. And now, we find Obama plans to deliver substantive action on what can only be described as a leading national priority.

Throughout the campaign, Obama indicated that energy and climate were to rank high on his agenda. In his acceptance speech, Obama described the challenges facing this country as the "greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century." He talked about "new energy to harness, new jobs to be created." And then, following his victory, went into much deserved silence.

Today, his remarks clarified his position. His administration will ground its energy and climate policy with a regard not only for science, but for the broad spectrum of domestic issues that fall under the umbrella of climate and energy. In today's remarks, he made his position very clear:

"My presidency will mark a new chapter in America's leadership on climate change that will strengthen our security, and create millions of new jobs in the process."

This pairing of national security and economy echoed where he began his remarks:

"Sea levels are rising. Coasts are shrinking. We've seen record droughts, spreading famine, and storms that are growing stronger with each passing hurricane season. Climate change, and our dependence on foreign oil, will continue to weaken our economy, and threaten our national security."

To be clear, Obama's remarks were not addressed exclusively to the climate community -- to the NGOs, scientists, policy makers and citizens who already share his conviction. He addressed a number of different segments of the population.

He spoke to businesses, saying that any company willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington.

To governors, he said that anyone willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House.

And to delegates of the international climate community, he said: "Your work is vital to the planet... Once I take office, you can be sure that the Untied States will participate vigorously in these negotiations and help lead the world toward an era of global cooperation on climate change."

To close, he ended on a note of clear conviction.

"Now is the time to confront this challenge once and for all. Delay is no longer an option. Denial is no longer an acceptable response. The stakes are too high. The consequences too serious."

We are no longer in denial. The only delay we have to suffer now is the wait until January 20th.

Obama Wants To Stay The Course On Climate

2008-11-18T17:13:55Z

President-elect Barack Obama sent a video message to a summit meeting on global warming organized by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, implying that despite the continuing economic turmoil, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will remain a central component of Mr. Obama's energy, environmental and economic policies.

Many climate scientists would undoubtedly suggest some tweaks in the language in the statement -- the line about "stopping climate change," for instance. Keep in mind that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last year concluded that a freeze on global emissions now wouldn't have a measurable impact on warming rates for several decades. But the overall tenor of the message was clearly that the need to curb heat-trapping gases will not be a come-and-go issue in this administration.

Carl Pope: America Rejoins the World

2008-11-18T13:33:59Z

Los Angeles -- Today, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is hosting a bi-partisan, international Governor's Climate Summit in Los Angeles, and I have just obtained a copy of the taped remarks that President-Elect Obama will deliver. In these remarks, Obama repeats his commitment to an 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050, and an ambitious $15 billion-per-year investment in clean energy technologies and solutions. Thus Obama strongly signals that the U.S. will rejoin the world, stating that even though he will not be President when the international community meets next month in Poland, he will be there in spirit. "While the United States has only one President at a time, I've asked members of Congress who are attending the conference as observers to report back to me on what they learn there. And once I take office, you can be sure that the United States will once again engage vigorously in these negotiations, and will help lead the world toward a new era of global cooperation on climate change."

Obama goes on to make clear to the Governors, business leaders, and international delegates present in Los Angeles today that the era of federal resistance to their leadership on climate and energy is going to end on January 20. "When I am President, any governor who's willing to promote clean energy will have a partner in the White House. Any company that's willing to invest in clean energy will have an ally in Washington. And any nation that's willing to join the cause of combating climate change will have an ally in the United States of America."

See the President-Elect's remarks here.

Bill Chameides: A New Ice Age IS Coming ... but Don't Hold Your Breath

2008-11-17T18:06:16Z

Dr. Bill Chameides is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the dean of Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment. He blogs at www.thegreengrok.com.

Skeptics have been arguing that we should forget about global warming -- a new ice age is imminent. Maybe, some say, it's already started. In fact, a new study does predict the coming of an ice age, one promising to be more permanent than others. Is it imminent? Depends on how you characterize 10,000 years.

It may surprise you to know that in our current climate, ice ages are more the norm than not. Over the past three million years, covering the end of the Pliocene and the present Pleistocene epoch, the Earth's climate has oscillated between cold times (called ice ages or glaciations) and warmer times, interglaciations.

In the recent past (the last one million years or so) the ice ages have lasted for about 100,000 years, and the warmer periods tens of thousands of years. The last ice age ended about 12,000 years ago. The questions most relevant to us are: when will the next ice age occur and should we be concerned about a global cold wave or the current global warming? The answers lie in the mechanism behind the climate swings.

Read the full post.

Deanna Lee: Yes We Can: The Power of International Education

2008-11-17T17:24:23Z

When Barack Obama reached out in his Grant Park acceptance speech "to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores" -- proclaiming "our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared" -- he also reached a special group of American youth who couldn't be more excited about the world's and their future.

It's so easy to be cynical about the state of education in the U.S. (who wouldn't be, with new reports out seemingly each month on how far behind our students are compared to those in other countries, how they don't know about life outside America and how woefully unprepared they are for a global future) that to meet five smart, winsome teenagers who say things like "We are One" and "We're regaining hope in politics and finding our place in the world" -- is nothing short of Obama-worthy inspiration.

These kids are not only talking the talk; they're walking the walk in a big way. Having demonstrated an in-depth understanding of key issues in international affairs, they've gone on to propose solutions to some of the world's toughest challenges, from the effects of climate change, to the spread of tuberculosis -- solutions so innovative and creative that they've just been awarded $10,000 college scholarships from the Goldman Sachs Foundation.

Take 18-year-old Robert Ostrowski, who hails from Atlanta. Like so many of his peers, he's passionate about the environment and energy efficiency. "We're really excited about the next four years," he says, believing Obama will help "advance us into a new age of energy." But he's not waiting for solutions. In his winning essay, Robert discussed the stalemate between the U.S. and China, the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters.

His solution is a local model that "frees [parties] from the politics of who's going to act first" -- pointing to states and non-profits in the U.S. that are successfully working with Chinese provinces and universities. One notable example is Jiangsu Province, where a partnership with California led to shared best practices that allowed Jiangsu to avoid building 24 large coal-fired plants. Jiangsu, says Robert, is now being used as a model for the whole of China. His main point: there is "huge potential out there for international collaboration."

This kind of international awareness, to the point of knowing what is going on in one field in one province of China, is of course highly unusual for an American high school student. The problem, says Robert, "is a lack of exposure in the schools, not so much lack of interest on the students' part." His friends might not have known much about China, he explains, but they were curious and in fact became very interested once they read his essay.

Sarah Miller agrees. Upon her return from a trip to Nepal documenting human rights issues and covering the recent historic elections, most of her high school classmates did "not even know [Nepal] was a country." So, she made this award-winning video:

"I realized," says Sarah, that "you can put a screen in front of people and no matter where they're from they'll look at it. And my audience, which is largely the kids in America...you see photos and news about poor third world countries, but I think it really takes being there or seeing it from the perspective of someone who's really similar to you, to really understand."

Sarah compared her life and those of her middle-class peers in Westlake Village, California to the lives of people she met in Nepal. What she found surprised her... that she was "jealous" of the Nepalese and their huge extended families and close communities, and a "happiness" that comes not from material wealth, or prescription meds.

For Shaunak Kishore of Westchester, Pennsylvania, happiness means applying his mathematical abilities (he won a gold medal at the 49th International Mathematics Olympiad in Madrid) to "an extremely practical objective that's going to help people around the world." Growing up with almost all white schoolmates, he says, it "felt like we were missing out on the cultural -- it felt like there was another side of me that I didn't get out in my normal everyday life." He found an outlet for that other side, in India.

There, Shaunak researched and and built a mathematical model for maximizing treatments of tuberculosis while minimizing its spread. (I can't possibly discuss the science more accurately or eloquently than he, so please read his winning essay here.)

Shaunak points out that the findings have increasing relevance to all countries, as the cross-border spread of disease becomes harder to battle. "These issues," he says, "show how connected the world has become."

Thankfully for all of us, these youth feel their generation is up to the task of taking on the world. "We're growing to understand our place in the world," says Shaunak. "We understand we need help and support, and we need to help and support other countries around the world."

Don't miss the other winners of the 2008 Goldman Sachs Foundation/Asia Society Prizes for Excellence in International Education: check out this video, by 17-year-old Zane Scheuerlein showing parallels between environmental injustices in Little Village, Chicago and Mexicali, Mexico; and this essay by Imani Franklin on increasing understanding across racial and socioeconomic divides in Atlanta and Johannesburg.

Read more: Energy, India, Education, Nepal, Environment, Obama, Climate Change, China, Obama Transition, International Students, Asia Society, Politics News

Green Obama Wish List: 30 Groups And 7 Executive Orders

2008-11-17T12:49:13Z
Now that Barack Obama is on his way to the White House, it seems his to-do list is getting longer and longer -- and it's not all about the automakers or the Treasury. Environmental groups, many also holding long views of the financial and physical security of the United States, have started making up their wish lists for a greener administration.

Treehugger reports that the Center for Progressive Reform has put together a list of seven executive orders it would like to see define an early and strongObama energy, climate and health policy, including:

1. Reduce the Federal Carbon Footprint

The new President should issue an Executive Order requiring each federal agency to measure, report, and reduce its carbon footprint. Not only would the Executive Order have a meaningful impact on the federal government's carbon emissions, it could also lead to the creation of uniform, practical standards for measuring such footprints, standards that could be applied government-wide and beyond. Each of the provisions of this proposed Order is consistent with the goals of the National Environmental Policy Act.

4. Environmental Justice

The next President should amend or replace the original Executive Order [12898] on Environmental Justice. The new Order should require a meaningful analysis of the environmental justice impacts and implications of all major new rules; impose on agencies a substantive obligation to take affirmative steps to ameliorate environmental injustice; launch an affirmative Environmental Justice agenda; hold agencies accountable for carrying out their environmental justice obligations; and clarify key terms from the current Order, including "environmental justice communities" and "subsistence," to avoid the kind of narrow interpretation of the terms applied by the Bush Administration. As is the case with the existing Executive Order on Environmental Justice, these recommendations are consistent with the goals of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

And Grist reports that 30 green groups had assembled their wish list for Obama climate and energy policy:

Their plans are largely consistent with what Obama campaigned on, and the groups are encouraging both the president-elect and Congress to use those plans as part of a larger economic recovery program. They call for reducing emissions at least 80 percent by 2050 and plans to move the country toward 100 percent renewable electricity.

The groups also urge the incoming president to grant California a waiver for tailpipe emissions standards, and to "use the Clean Air Act to declare that global warming pollution endangers public health and welfare and to set standards for power plants, vehicles, and fuels" (which Obama's advisers have said he could do).

Among the desired policies were to "use the Clean Air Act to declare that global warming pollution endangers public health and welfare," which reminds us a bit of the recent significant EPA decision that will hold coal plants to stricter standards.

And that's not all.

The renewable energy industry is hoping to get something more closely resembling a level playing field with the fossil fuel industry, and they've outlined their Obama energy policy wish list, too.

Fortune's Green Wombat blog reports that it includes, among other things, a five-year extension of the production tax credit for the wind industry and a major infrastructure upgrade:

"If the administration and Congress can quickly implement these policies, renewable energy growth will help turn around the economic decline while at the same time addressing some of our most pressing national security and environmental problems," the green energy trade groups said in a joint statement.

No doubt those measures are crucial to spurring development of renewable energy and creating green collar jobs. But the major obstacle confronting the alt energy industry right now is the credit crunch that is choking off financing for big wind and solar projects and scaring away investors from more cutting-edge but potentially promising green technologies.

A focus by President Obama and Congress on restoring confidence in the financial system will most likely do the most for green investment as well as restore luster to battered renewable energy stocks like First Solar (FSLR), SunPower (SPWRA) and Suntech (STP).

Read more: Energy, Climate Change, Environment, Congress, Energy Policy, Barack Obama, Wind Power, Green Energy, Solar Power, Green News