John Kerry & Climate Change
Whatever else it might portend, Kerry's appointment as Secretary of State is certainly good news environmentally. The New Republic put it well: Kerry, long an advocate for the U.S. to lead on climate change prevention, has compared the threat posed by poor international effort to confront climate change to that of war. In an August speech on the Senate floor, he said, “We all know what’s happening with respect to Iran, and nuclear weapons and the possibility even o...
CONTINUE READINGThe Significance of NOAA’s Recent Proposal to Protect 66 Coral Species
Citing threats associated with climate change, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) proposed on December 7, 2012 to list 66 coral species under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”), and to reclassify two already-listed Caribbean coral species from “threatened” to “endangered.” According to NOAA Fisheries, this was “the most complex listing process NOAA has ever undertaken.” NOAA’s coral listing proposal is monumental for ...
CONTINUE READINGD.C. Circuit Denies Rehearing in Endangerment Case
Six months ago, the D.C. Circuit upheld EPA's finding that greenhouse gases endanger human health and welfare, triggering coverage under the Clean Air Act. Today, the full court denied rehearing to the three-judge panel's decision. There were only two dissents, which obviously were hoping to set the stage for a cert. petition to the Supreme Court. The dissents provide a preview of the kinds of arguments that will be made to the Supreme Court. One key point is that...
CONTINUE READINGGreat Expectations: A Dozen Views of Obama’s Second Term
As we approach inauguration day next month, I thought it would be interesting to pull together the advice that people are giving him about his second term. Here are some links if you're interested in what people are hoping for (or in some cases, dreading). From the N.Y. Times, the views of Carol Browner (advocating more use of natural gas and a federal-state partnership to regulate fracking) and Christine Todd Whitman (climate change should be front and center). Wha...
CONTINUE READINGThe Future of the Colorado
The Bureau of Reclamation has issued an important new report on the future of the Colorado River. The Colorado supplies drinking water to 40 million people and irrigation water to nearly 5.5 million acres of land. The report projects decreases in supply over the next fifty years, including a 9% decrease in average flow and a 50% increase in droughts lasting five years or longer. In the meantime, demand for the water is projected to rise and will probably exceed supp...
CONTINUE READINGAttitudes Toward Climate Change, Environmental Science, and Clean Energy
A new AP poll reports a sharp increase in the number of people who believe that climate change is happening and will be a problem for the United States. The biggest change was among the significant group of people who say they don't trust scientists. Here's the summary from AP: 4 out of every 5 Americans said climate change will be a serious problem for the United States if nothing is done about it. 57% of Americans say the U.S. government should do a great deal or ...
CONTINUE READINGNatural Gas Fracking: Don’t Worry, Be Happy!
When George Washington Law School's Richard Pierce talks about energy, I listen. And a few days ago he posted a short piece with the provocative title, "Natural Gas Fracking Addresses All Of Our Major Problems." (emphasis in original!). If you want to read the nutshell case for why fracking is good, then this is your logical first stop. It's well-argued, well-cited, well-organized, and well-written. How much it addresses the problems with fracking, however, is...
CONTINUE READINGFifth Circuit reverses Gulf of Mexico moratorium contempt ruling
You might remember that after the Deepwater Horizon blowout the Department of Interior issued a six-month moratorium on new deepwater exploratory drilling. An industry consortium challenged the moratorium, winning a preliminary injunction against its enforcement from District Judge Martin Feldman. (I criticized that decision here.) Interior withdrew that first moratorium but subsequently issued a second, nearly identical in its terms. Industry again sought relief from Ju...
CONTINUE READINGLastest IPCC assessment of future climate changes leaked in draft form
We knew the coming Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC, which I discussed briefly here, would make waves--just not this soon. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change produces these assessments every five to seven years. They are the most rigorous and prominent summaries of the science of climate change, crafted by leading scientists from many nations and used by policymakers worldwide. A draft of the Working Group I report, which is not due in final form u...
CONTINUE READINGA new twist in the Christmas tree debate — GloTrees!
(Warning -- tongue firmly in cheek.) Megan and Dan have written on how an environmentally-minded winter holiday enthusiast should choose between a real and an artificial Christmas tree. The comparison already isn't easy, but it could get even more complicated. What if the "natural" tree were genetically engineered to glow in the dark? Two UK graduate students say it could be done. Remember GloFish ("available in five striking colors"!)? The principle is the same -- p...
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