Climate News Live
Recently in Federal Category
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080922100148.htm
Transmutation, that noble quest of ancient dabblers in Alchemy, seems to be making a serious comeback. Armed with a modern knowledge of particle physics and atomic theory, modern dabblers in the ancient art of Alchemy have changed their tools from chemical potions to subatomic accelerators in bringing this once discredited field into the realm of modern science. In transmutation, the goal of these modern alchemists is not finding a way to turn base metals into gold but something that may eventually prove many times more valuable to society. Spent fuel from nuclear power plants currently contains significant amounts of radioactive elements (such as plutonium-239) which have half-lives of hundreds of thousands of years, meaning that they will remain hazardous to human and other life for twice that period. Therefore, such long-lived radioactive wastes must be contained or placed in safe isolation. Research is now underway to discover processes that will convert certain elements in nuclear waste into other elements with a much shorter radioactive lifespan. While this may not be the ultimate solution, the door has been opened to consider other methods and processes for dealing with nuclear wastes than simply burying them ad infinitum.
ScienceDaily; September 23, 2008
Submitted by R. Campbell
Arnold Schwarzenegger is no longer fighting villains in Hollywood as the Terminator. As Governor of California, he has taken a new role: fighting for climate change. Schwarzenegger has become a big advocate of climate change and Bush's administration decision to leave regulating greenhouse gases to the next administration has Schwarzenegger criticizing them publicly.
In an interview with ABC news, he criticized the Bush administration lack of actions towards a climate change and suggested that it is too late for the administration to do anything at this point.
"Well, to be honest with you, if they would have done something this year, I would have thought it was bogus anyway... because you don't change global warming and you don't really have an effect by doing something six months before you leave office" he said in the interview with ABC.
Schwarzenegger also praised Obama's move toward the political center and said that he would be open to a cabinet position in Obama's administration, even while endorsing Republican presumptive nominee, John McCain.
The Telegraph; July 14, 2008
Submitted by M. Lamarre
http://uk.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUKN0131191820080701
As the G8 nations prepare for their July, 8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan, The World Bank has agreed to establish two investment funds for them to consider during the meeting. The investment funds are to help developing economies switch to cleaner energy technologies to curb carbon emissions and to better enable poor countries to adapt to climate change.
World Bank President Robert Zoellick said the funds are part the Bank's response to climate change challenges.
"We think the (funds) will have a significant impact in generating even more financing for climate action," Zoellick said, "but also in demonstrating new approaches to address the current and future effects of climate change.
"These approaches will range from agriculture to water management, from transport to urban development, and from biodiversity to energy access," he said.
The World bank is optimistic about the future of the investment funds, as several nations have already came out in support of them. Indeed, climate change will be a heated topic during the G8 summit.
Reuters: Lesley Wroughton; July 2, 2008
Submitted by: M. Lamarre
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-intel26-2008jun26,0,5875448.story
The U.S. intelligence agencies have compiled a report on climate change and its possible future affect around the world. The report concludes that climate change may threaten U.S. security because of humanitarian crises such as illegal immigration and ethnic violence from politically weaker countries.
According to the report, the effects of global warming are likely to be most severe in sub- Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Central and Southeast Asia. Its authors warn that less rainfall and more volatile weather could cut agricultural output in some regions of Africa by as much as 50%.
Democrats and environmental activists praised the assessment, calling it formal acknowledgment by a key part of the government that the threat of rising temperatures is real.
But the report was also criticized, particularly by skeptics of global warming and people who oppose using U.S. intelligence resources to track something as amorphous as the environment
The report also concluded that U.S. infrastructure is weak and is not prepared to deal with climate change.
Los Angeles Times: June 26, 2008
Submitted by M. Lamarre
McCain has been considered one of the more "environmentally-friendly" Republicans in Congress, but his speech yesterday is sure to anger his allies both on the Hill and off. He says that in order to lower oil prices, we need to lift the ban on offshore drilling. Currently only a few places in the Gulf of Mexico and around Alaska permit this. McCain wants to give power to the states to regulate drilling off their coasts.
"With gasoline running at more than four dollars a gallon, many do not have the luxury of waiting on the far-off plans of futurists and politicians," McCain told cheering political leaders and oil industry executives in Houston yesterday. "We have proven oil reserves of at least 21 billion barrels in the United States. But a broad federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production. And I believe it is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions and to put our own reserves to use."
President Bush also supports McCain's idea, but unlike the Commander-in-Chief, McCain still opposes drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Democrats have blasted McCain, who wanted to uphold the moratorium in 2000 before our current energy costs began to surge.
Boston Globe; June 18, 2008
Submitted by B.Shapiro
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/columnists/story.html?id=594724&p=1\
Despite the overwhelmingly large number of data circulating supporting climate change and the popularity of climate change talks in governments' and businesses, Roger Pielke, political scientist at the University of Colorado, says there is nothing 'wacky' about the weather. Mr. Pielke examines the recent floods in Iowa and blames climate scientists and modelers for falsifying and exaggerating extreme weather patterns.
If all weather events are consistent with climate models, then no current weather events serve as any useful indicator of climate change or as a sign that climate change is happening.
Iowa floods are nothing new. Stories of failed levee maintenance, inappropriate settlement and development of flood regions are now emerging. Declining investment in bridge and river services create increased vulnerability to the inevitable and normal floods. A focus on climate change, which cannot be accurately singled out as the cause, can do no good.
Mr. Pielke even has a chart showing flood damages in the United States declining for the past 70 years. However, given Rex Tillerson's, head of Exxon, admit of paying organizations millions to downplay the impact of climate change last month, Mr. Pielkes will have to show a lot more data to convince climate change believers that there is nothing 'wacky' about climate change.
Financial Post: Terence Corcoran: June 18, 2008
Submitted: M. Lamarre
http://www.crosswalk.com/news/11576907/
Opponents of the climate security act says the bill, if passed, would be detrimental to the economy. Critics says that middle and lower class American will be the hardest hit because the bill would cut jobs in half. President Bush estimates that it will cost the American economy six trillions dollars and impede on its growth.
Myron Ebell, director of energy and global warming policy for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, said the bill would dramatically increase energy prices and slow economic growth. The poorest Americans would be hardest hit by the increased price of energy, Ebell said, making the bill an "economic train wreck."
"It will do very little to address the alleged problem of future global warming," Ebell told Cybercast News Service. "It has very few benefits and very high costs."
Opponents advocate the use of technology to halt climate change. However, proponents of the bill continues to argue that the technology to slow the impacts of climate change are not available and the consequences of climate change will be far more expensive than the estimate cost of the bill. What do you think?
CNSNews.com: June 5, 2008
Submitted by M. Lamarre
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-me-warming30-2008may30,0,4571589.story
The White House has joined the climate change movement. After a U.S. District Court ruled that the White House comply with the 1990 Global Change Research Act in August, the administration now concludes that climate change is indeed caused by greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion. For years, environmentalists have accused the administration of downplaying the impact of climate change, but Bush's top science advisor has just released a report admitting that climate change is real, which shows a shift in the administration's views.
"This report represents a stark shift in what the administration has been saying since 2001," said Philip Clapp, deputy managing director of the Pew Environment Group.
However, Sharon Hays, deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the report did not represent a changed assessment but "a rolling up of a whole bunch of reports on the science, showing that climate change is primarily caused by human activity of the last 50 years.
The 271-page report comes as the Senate schedules debate over climate change legislation in the upcoming week.
Los Angeles Times: May 30, 2008
Submitted by: M. Lamarre
The battle over who should receive profits made from the proposed climate change bill, S.2191 the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act, is ramping up and dozens of Fortune 500 companies, environmental groups, and leading figures from both parties in Congress. All argue that they know the best way to handle the profits.
Coal-burning utilities say they should be given the permits for free - otherwise, they argue, their customers will be whacked with much higher bills. Others, including candidates Obama and Clinton, say all the permits should be auctioned - why reward the polluters, they ask? Still others want auctions so that proceeds can be used for a variety of causes, ranging from investments in renewable-energy research to middle-class tax cuts to paying down the federal debt.
Environmental groups, meanwhile, worry that the fight over free allocations versus auctions threatens to get in the way of the most important part of the legislation - enacting strong emissions caps. "What we care most about," says Nat Keohane of the Environmental Defense Fund, "is establishing strong and declining mandatory caps that get us the emissions targets that scientists say we need."
The new cap-and-trade bill is expected to generate up to $150 billion in profits. Higher food and electrical prices are all being evaluated before deciding on the beneficiaries of the expected profit.
CNN; May 15, 2008
Submitted by M. Lamarre
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/comment/2216537/green-mbas
There is much debate over how to commence the "green jobs training program" that is necessary to assist with the expected wave of green-collar jobs. Many graduate business programs are beginning to ramp up their efforts to introduce business leaders to this emerging green market.
Two years ago the Worldwatch Institute indicated there were only four business schools in the US that focused on sustainability. Fast-forward to today and a simple Google search shows many more institutions have integrated sustainability as a component in their business school curricula.
Globally, institutions seem to be recognising the necessity of educating a next generation of business leaders who will have more than just financial returns and industry domination on their minds. Policies to lessen pressure on resources, improve management of environmental risks and increase the social equity of business practices and procedures are on the rise. Additionally, increased consumer awareness of environmental and social issues will continue to influence actions of corporations, governments and non-profits.
As these companies begin modifying the way they do their business to include greater environmental and social responsibility they will be seeking talent to help successfully shape these changes. Green collar jobs will likely be filled by labourers shifting from blue collar work and it seems that future C-level and upper management positions will need to be filled by leaders with working knowledge of sustainability.
BusinessGreen; May 15, 2008
Submitted by B.Shapiro
