Archive - Jun 2008

Yesterday I wrote a pretty grim assessment about the consequences of inaction when it comes to climate change. But today I'm here to tell you that it's not all doom and gloom! Today I want to talk about some of the the exciting opportunities that tackling climate change presents.

It's clear that we need to take action on global warming, but it's also clear that our nation is in a deep recession. Can we fight global warming and rebuild our economy at the same time? The answer is an emphatic yes!

As you probably know, a few weeks ago the Senate added the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act to a growing list of climate change bills it has killed this year. The bill would've extended several tax incentives for the development of renewables such as solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and others. The public opinion backlash on this and other climate failures has been swift. Example: Earlier this week, NY Times foreign affairs columnist Thomas Friedman wrote a scathing column taking the Driller-in-Chief to task for his lack of leadership on renewable energy.

It’s easy to think of climate change as something that is happening way out there, somewhere beyond the realm of our personal lives. Yes, the climate is changing, some ask, but how will it change my life -- how will it affect me?

Yesterday, on the 20th anniversary of his initial testimony to Congress about human impact on the earth's climate, Dr. James Hansen was celebrated for his work as a "hero of science and our planet." (To read more about the 1988 hearing, check out yesterday's post from Luis).

Although it was a moment to honor his work, Dr. Hansen was quick to bring the conversation back to the science and the need for action now. As he put it, "This is not a time to celebrate."

Having finished my fellowship with Young People For, last week was my last "official" week at 1Sky. But before moving on, I wanted to post here one more time to say goodbye (or rather, see you later), and to share some (albeit chee-zee) thoughts with all of you.

Twenty years ago today, Dr. James Hansen gave his seminal testimony on global warming before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. In the middle of a horridly warm day -- even for Washington DC in the summer -- the man Rolling Stone calls "the Paul Revere of climatology" went before the committee, armed with evidence he'd collected as head of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies at NASA, and declared emphatically that "the greenhouse effect has been detected, and it is changing our climate now."

I'm going to tell you something and I want you to pay attention: Americans need to get smarter about what is really driving up the cost of gas and crude oil. Every day the news reports give clues but we're just not making the connections, even though we're hearing the words "trading," "market," and "conflict." So I'm going to give a short lesson on what's driving up the cost of gas.

From the nightly news to the blogosphere, we as environmentally concerned citizens are bombarded with global warming-induced tragedies: Extreme weather, loss of critical foodstuffs, and many others. There is no doubt that our current climate crisis is the most pressing issue of our time, but sometimes it is refreshing to read reports that highlight the goals of the climate movement and the benefits of passing bold legislation. Environment America's Global Warming Solutions Reports focus on examples of new science-based policies and practices that communities are adopting in order to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming.

In light of recent flooding in the Midwest that has sunk much of the region -- particularly Iowa -- underwater, a new report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program should be required reading for anyone concerned about global warming. The report confirms what other scientists have asserted before: Global warming is altering the frequency and severity of many extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts and hurricanes -- and the worst may be yet to come.

Just when I started getting into the new routine of my summer internship everything suddenly changed. No, it wasn’t the fact that I was wearing a suit and tie, although that did feel a little odd; it was the fact that five climate bills were on the table at today’s House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality hearing on Capitol Hill.