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A Look Back at Earth Day 2000 and Climate Change: "Plus ça Change, Plus C'est la Même Chose"

Submitted by Nick Sundt on 22 April 2011 - 7:25am

On 18 April 2000 the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under President Bill Clinton, Dr. D. James Baker, marked Earth Week with remarks in New Orleans about climate change.  "Ignoring climate change will likely be the most costly of all possible choices, for our children and us," he said. During the intervening 11 years, climate science has advanced and the impacts of climate change are increasingly evident; but national policy has not kept pace. As Cajuns would say, "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."

Pay Now, Pay Later: A State-by-State Assessment of the Costs of Climate Change

Submitted by Nick Sundt on 20 April 2011 - 9:52am

The American Security Project on 19 April 2011 released a series of 50 reports -- one for each state -- on the economic consequences of not sharply curbing greenhouse gas emissions and slowing the pace of climate change.  "There will be costs to our economic security from climate change—and significant ones at that—if we do nothing but continue business as usual," says Christine Todd Whitman, President of The Whitman Strategy Group and co-chair of the Republican Leadership Council.

On Monday (18 April 2011) Thousands of Young Americans Take Their Views on Energy Policy to White House, Congress & Business

Submitted by Nick Sundt on 17 April 2011 - 10:01pm

On the fourth and final day of Power Shift 2011 -- an event held biennially in Washington, DC, to mobilize young Americans in support of sharp improvements in U.S. energy policy -- many of the over 10,000 participants will rally on Monday (18 April 2011) at the White House.  The morning rally will be followed by a march to the Chamber of Commerce and other business adversaries; and a second march to the Capitol for visits with Congressional members and staff.

Promoting Clean Energy is in China’s own Self Interest

Submitted by Lynn Englum on 12 April 2011 - 9:55am

China is the world's largest user of clean energy, the leading manufacturer of most renewable energy technologies and the largest recipient of clean energy investments.  China has embraced clean energy to tackle energy security and environmental problems, including climate change.    

Video: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says "Climate Change’s Potential Impacts are Sobering and Far-Reaching"

Submitted by Nick Sundt on 11 April 2011 - 1:38pm

Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the U.S. military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, discussed the global security environment on 1 April 2011 at the annual Rostov Lecture at Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC.   He identified energy and climate change as being among the constraints that "could place the United States at a strategic turning point."

After Two Consecutive Years of Decline, U.S. CO2 Emissions from Fossil Fuels Increased Rapidly in 2010

Submitted by Nick Sundt on 11 April 2011 - 7:13am

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported on 29 March 2011 that U.S. CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use increased sharply in 2010, after declining two consecutive years from peak emission levels in 2007. Partly attributable to the economic recovery -- and record high summer cooling demand, the increase in 2010 still left emissions at their second lowest annual level since 1998.

Extreme Texas Drought & Wildfires Sharpen Contrast Between Texas Congressional Delegation's Climate Views and Conditions at Home

Submitted by Nick Sundt on 10 April 2011 - 2:44pm

On Thursday 7 April 2011, all but one of the Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas voted for H.R. 910 to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gases.  The measure passed the House. EPA's authority to regulate the gases under the Clean Air Act rests on an "endangerment finding" that determined that emissions of those gases threatens the health and welfare of Americans with a wide range of impacts, including more frequent and severe droughts and wildfires.  Texas just experienced its driest March on record, nearly 98% of the state is experiencing drought conditions and the Texas Forest Service said yesterday (9 April 2011) that fire conditions today "could shape up to be among the worst in Texas history." 

Wrangling in Bangkok Climate Negotiations Delays Progress in UN Climate Talks, Says WWF

Submitted by Nick Sundt on 9 April 2011 - 5:03am

In Bangkok, Thailand, the latest round of United Nations climate negotiations concluded on Friday (8 April 2011) with little to show for the weeklong session.   “Instead of building on the fragile compromise brokered at the last talks in Mexico and using this session to address the unresolved issues, delegates leave Bangkok without progress," says Tasneem Essop, delegation leader for WWF.  "This is unacceptable. Too much is at stake for us to lose ground now.”

China Solidifies Itself as Clean Energy Powerhouse

Submitted by Lynn Englum on 7 April 2011 - 5:07pm

According to a new report, China has solidified its lead over the U.S. in clean energy investment and installed clean energy capacity. With record private clean energy investments in 2010, China ranks first for the second straight year, surpassing the U.S.

Reject Proposals to Roll Back Clean Air Act Protections, Says former EPA Administrator to Congress

Submitted by Nick Sundt on 7 April 2011 - 1:31pm

"The House of Representatives should reject H.R. 910 and any similar proposals to undermine the essential protections that the Clean Air Act provides for our collective health and welfare," says Russell Train, a former EPA Administrator under the Nixon and Ford Administrations, in a letter sent today (7 April 2011) to the leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives. "Representative Upton’s bill would effectively overturn both a scientific finding and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirming EPA’s authority and requirement to regulate dangerous greenhouse gas pollutants. This legislation should be opposed."

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