Year: 2009
A Public Lands Agenda for the New Administration
Given the overarching issue of climate change, it’s probably unrealistic to assume that the question of how best to manage the nation’s public lands will be an immediate priority of the Obama Administration. And the economic crisis currently confronting the U.S. likely pushes environmental issues off the top tier of the Administration’s priority list as …
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CONTINUE READINGAn International Renewable Energy Agency
Prometheus and Nature News report that on January 26th, 75 nations signed an agreement calling for the creation of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Its mission is to become “the main driving force in promoting a rapid transition towards the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale. Acting as the …
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CONTINUE READINGOcean Acidification and the Clean Water Act
Dan’s post today on ocean acidification discusses findings by an international scientific panel that ocean acidification is a very serious problem. This week, according to the nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), the U.S. EPA just agreed to review whether and how the federal Clean Water Act can or should be used to address ocean acidifcation. …
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CONTINUE READINGWhen the Seas Turn Sour
Just in case you didn’t have enough to worry about, the New York Times reports there is growing concern about the impact of CO2 levels on the oceans: The oceans have long buffered the effects of climate changeby absorbing a substantial portion of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. But this benefit has a catch: as …
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CONTINUE READINGA Jolt to the Economy
Perhaps unavoidably, the stimulus package that passed the House on Wednesday authorizes broad investment goals, but offers few details. In some instances, this leaves us with much opportunity for honest debate. Consider, for instance, the various authorizations related to improvement and expansion of the electric grid. With up to $8 billion in loan guarantees, $6.5 …
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CONTINUE READINGJody Freeman to White House
According to press reports, Jody Freeman, a Harvard Law School professor, will be the counselor for energy and climate change in the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change — in other words, a senior advisor to Carol Browner. Jody is well known to all of us, having been a long-time member of the …
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CONTINUE READINGFederal scientists could get increased whistleblower protection
Before it passed the economic stimulus bill on Wednesday, the House grafted on the text of the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act, H.R. 985, from the previous Congress. That bill, which passed the House last year, would (among other things) have extended whistleblower protection to federal workers who reveal the dissemination of “false or misleading” scientific …
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CONTINUE READINGGobama Bounce?
Two days ago, the Emmett Center hosted what we thought would be a tidy, manageable panel and “roundtable discussion” on SB 375, California’s new anti-sprawl law and the state’s latest legislative attempt to tackle GHG emissions from passenger vehicles. In line with turnout to similar past events, we booked a room that holds 90 people …
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CONTINUE READINGNew Jungles for Old?
The New York Times has an interesting article about the growth of new forests as poor people abandon farms and move to the cities in less developed countries. Carbon storage is complicated, so we don’t really know yet just how much effect this might have on climate. But it’s obviously a very interesting development.
CONTINUE READINGThe Bathtub Effect: A sobering assessment of where we are on climate change (but what does this mean for adaptation efforts?)
Andrew Revkin of the New York Times has posted an important essay discussing implications of the recent report by Dr. Susan Solomon and others documenting the profoundly serious impacts that will result from letting GHG concentrations in the atmosphere get too high before they are stabilized (the subject of this post below by Dan and …
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