Occupy Sandy: A Human Response to the New Realities of Climate Change

Occupy Sandy: A Human Response to the New Realities of Climate Change
"Call Bloomberg and urge him to protect public health by halting construction of the Spectra Pipeline! Tell him the not to allow the Rockaway Pipeline to be built! The People want to RebuildGreen. Call NYCHA, show up to pressure board meeting at NYCHA HQ on Dec 5th, 10am, 250 broadway (interoccupy.net/blog/november-27th-first-post-sandy-housing-action-citywide-call-from-nycha-residents/)"

Irony Alert: American Petroleum Institute Calls For Obama To Aid ‘Economic Catastrophy’ Due To Warming-Fueled Drought

Irony Alert: American Petroleum Institute Calls For Obama To Aid ‘Economic Catastrophy’ Due To Warming-Fueled Drought:  This summer’s historic drought hasn’t let up (in fact, it’s actually expanding in some areas) and it’s causing a lot of trouble in regions whose economies are driven by major bodies of water. The drought, coupled with a seasonal dry period, has caused water levels on the Mississippi River to fall to [...]/p

Fracking Our Food Supply | The Nation

Fracking Our Food Supply | The Nation
"In Pennsylvania, the oil and gas industry is already on a tear—drilling thousands of feet into ancient seabeds, then repeatedly fracturing (or “fracking”) these wells with millions of gallons of highly pressurized, chemically laced water, which shatters the surrounding shale and releases fossil fuels. New York, meanwhile, is on its own natural-resource tear, with hundreds of newly opened breweries, wineries, organic dairies and pastured livestock operations—all of them capitalizing on the metropolitan area’s hunger to localize its diet.

But there’s growing evidence that these two impulses, toward energy and food independence, may be at odds with each other. "

Why Are Cows Tails Dropping Off?

Why Are Cows Tails Dropping Off?
"In Pennsylvania, the oil and gas industry is already on a tear—drilling thousands of feet into ancient seabeds, then repeatedly fracturing (or “fracking”) these wells with millions of gallons of highly pressurized, chemically laced water, which shatters the surrounding shale and releases fossil fuels. New York, meanwhile, is on its own natural-resource tear, with hundreds of newly opened breweries, wineries, organic dairies and pastured livestock operations—all of them capitalizing on the metropolitan area’s hunger to localize its diet.

But there’s growing evidence that these two impulses, toward energy and food independence, may be at odds with each other."

Burning All the Carbon Will Burn Us All | Common Dreams

Burning All the Carbon Will Burn Us All | Common Dreams
"The annual United Nations climate summit has convened, this year in Doha, the capital of the oil-rich emirate of Qatar, on the Arabian Peninsula. Dubbed “COP 18,” an army of bureaucrats, business people and environmentalists are gathered ostensibly to limit global greenhouse-gas emissions to a level that scientists say will contain the global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius (3.8 degrees Fahrenheit), and perhaps stave off global climate catastrophe. If past meetings are any indication, national self-interest on the part of the world’s largest polluters, paramount among them the United States, will trump global consensus."

New Scientist Special Report: 7 Reasons Climate Change Is ‘Even Worse Than We Thought’

New Scientist Special Report: 7 Reasons Climate Change Is ‘Even Worse Than We Thought’: The NY Times isn’t the only major publication going apocalyptic on climate change. New Scientist has a new dedicated issue that makes the Times’ stories seem down-right Pollyannish. Nearly 3 years ago, the late William R. Freudenburg discussed in a AAAS presentation how new scientific findings since the 2007 IPCC report are found to be more than twenty [...]/p

Director Jeff Orlowski talks to “Viewpoint” host Eliot Spitzer about his experiences filming melting Arctic ice and glacial retreat for “Chasing Ice,” a documentary that focuses on the work of environmental photographer James Balog.

Leave the Carbon in the Ground: An Open Letter to Governments and Their Negotiators | Common Dreams

Leave the Carbon in the Ground: An Open Letter to Governments and Their Negotiators | Common Dreams
"2012 saw the shocking melt of the Arctic, leading our greatest climatologist to declare a 'planetary emergency,' and it saw weather patterns wreck harvests around the world, raising food prices by 40% and causing family emergencies in poor households throughout the world.
That's what happens with 0.8ºC of global warming. If we are going to stop this situation from getting worse, an array of institutions have explained this year precisely what we need to do: leave most of the carbon we know about in the ground and stop looking for more."

Conservative Groups Team Up To Fight Renewable Energy: ‘We’re Going To See A Knock-Out, Drag-Out Fight’

Conservative Groups Team Up To Fight Renewable Energy: ‘We’re Going To See A Knock-Out, Drag-Out Fight’: Six months after rolling out a disastrous billboard campaign that linked people who care about global warming to the Unabomber, the Heartland Institute is looking for another project to boost its profile. And what better way for the organization to mend its tarnished image than to go after a policy that Americans overwhelmingly support? The [...]/p

Exclusive: Since Election Day, Big Oil Lobby Dropped $3 Million On Ads To Protect Its Tax Loopholes

Exclusive: Since Election Day, Big Oil Lobby Dropped $3 Million On Ads To Protect Its Tax Loopholes: On election night, polluter-backed candidates lost in some of the most expensive races targeted by polluters, despite outside ad spending that tallied to $270 million. The American Petroleum Institute already has 2014 in its sights, and it is spending aggressively to protect the oil industry’s multi-billion-dollar tax breaks. Three weeks since election day, API has [...]/p

Rep. Lamar Smith, Who Criticized ‘The Idea Of Human-Made Global Warming,’ Set To Chair House Science Panel

Rep. Lamar Smith, Who Criticized ‘The Idea Of Human-Made Global Warming,’ Set To Chair House Science Panel: Climate advocates celebrated after winning nearly every Congressional race they targeted during the national elections, including four of the “Flat Earth Five” climate deniers in the House of Representatives. But with the balance of power essentially the same in Washington, many rightly worried that little would change moving into the 113th Congress. Case in point: [...]/p

'Alarming' Year of Extremes as Climate 'Tipping Point' Looms | Common Dreams

'Alarming' Year of Extremes as Climate 'Tipping Point' Looms | Common Dreams
"An "alarming" rate of Arctic Sea ice melt and "far-reaching changes" to the Earth from climate change follow a year of extremes, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday as the third day of climate negotiations take place in Doha, Qatar."

Study: Sea Levels Rising 60% Faster Than Projected, Planet Keeps Warming As Expected

Study: Sea Levels Rising 60% Faster Than Projected, Planet Keeps Warming As Expected: A new study, “Comparing climate projections to observations up to 2011,” confirms that climate change is happening as fast — and in some cases faster — than climate models had projected. The news release explains: The rate of sea-level rise in the past decades is greater than projected by the latest assessments of the IPCC, [...]/p

Watch: Bill O'Reilly-Loving Climate-Denier Breaks Down After Watching Documentary 'Chasing Ice,' Vows to Stop Climate Change | Alternet

Watch: Bill O'Reilly-Loving Climate-Denier Breaks Down After Watching Documentary 'Chasing Ice,' Vows to Stop Climate Change | Alternet
"Every now and then something comes along that can turn even the staunchest climate change denier into someone who finally sees the truth. Today that something is Chasing Ice , a moving documentary about a photographer trying to record the images of a fast-changing planet before it’s too late."

Right-Wingers File Suit to Delist Endangered Orcas

Right-Wingers File Suit to Delist Endangered Orcas
"When the resident orcas in the Puget Sound were listed as an endangered species back in 2005, it seemed inevitable that business interests -- who hate being restricted in their ability to ruin the environment at whim, including destroying the salmon runs on which the orcas' survival depends -- would try to overturn the ruling. And sure enough, within the year, the Building Industry Association of Washington filed a suit to try to delist them. It was thrown out in a matter of months.

Now comes yet another attempt, courtesy of a right-wing legal foundation filing another delisting attempt "

COP18: Permafrost Melts While Government Negotiations Stall | Common Dreams

COP18: Permafrost Melts While Government Negotiations Stall | Common Dreams
"Scientists report that significant thawing of the Arctic permafrost will "significantly amplify global warming," says a new UN report released Tuesday, which many hope will spur some agreement and action on the second day of negotiations underway at the 18th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP18)."

3 Terrifying Things About the Earth We're in Denial About | Alternet

3 Terrifying Things About the Earth We're in Denial About | Alternet
"Rarely does the release of a data-driven report on energy trends trigger front-page headlines around the world.  That, however, is exactly what happened on November 12th when the prestigious Paris-based  International Energy Agency  (IEA) released this year’s edition of its World Energy Outlook."

Marine Life Disaster Portended: Ocean Acidification Eats at Heart of Food Chain | Common Dreams

Marine Life Disaster Portended: Ocean Acidification Eats at Heart of Food Chain | Common Dreams
"Ocean acidification, caused by human-induced rising CO2 levels, is hitting the base of the marine food chain in the Antarctic and stands as an ominous sign for widespread impacts on marine life."

Climate Talks Resume Amid Warnings of Looming Calamity | Alternet

Climate Talks Resume Amid Warnings of Looming Calamity | Alternet
"Nearly 200 nations gather in Doha from Monday for a new round of climate talks as a rush of reports warn extreme weather events like superstorm Sandy may become commonplace if mitigation efforts fail.

Negotiators will converge in the Qatari capital for two weeks under the UN banner to review commitments to cutting climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions. Ramping up the pressure, expert reports warned in recent days that existing mitigation pledges are not nearly enough to limit warming to a manageable 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 deg Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial levels."

Ohio’s Next Big Decision: A Clean Or Dirty Energy Future?

Ohio’s Next Big Decision: A Clean Or Dirty Energy Future?: by Mary Anne Hitt, via the Sierra Club Now that the presidential election is over, the people of Ohio are facing another important choice — whether their state will embrace clean energy measures that will save money and lives, or continue wasting energy from polluting coal plants. To help get the message out far and [...]/p

Dear Senator Inhofe: Listen To Your Military, Climate Readiness And Hoaxiness Don’t Mix

Dear Senator Inhofe: Listen To Your Military, Climate Readiness And Hoaxiness Don’t Mix: by Anne Polansky Conservative Republican Senator James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, known internationally for his denialist viewpoint on climate change, and nationally for being a defense hawk, may soon be faced with the problem that his stubborn stance on the former conflicts with his ability to credibly pull off the latter. When he returns for [...]/p

Dear Senator Inhofe: Listen To Your Military, Climate Readiness And Hoaxiness Don’t Mix

Dear Senator Inhofe: Listen To Your Military, Climate Readiness And Hoaxiness Don’t Mix: by Anne Polansky Conservative Republican Senator James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, known internationally for his denialist viewpoint on climate change, and nationally for being a defense hawk, may soon be faced with the problem that his stubborn stance on the former conflicts with his ability to credibly pull off the latter. When he returns for [...]/p

Conservative Groups Team Up To Fight Renewable Energy: ‘We’re Going To See A Knock-Out, Drag-Out Fight’

Conservative Groups Team Up To Fight Renewable Energy: ‘We’re Going To See A Knock-Out, Drag-Out Fight’: Six months after rolling out a disastrous billboard campaign that linked people who care about global warming to the Unabomber, the Heartland Institute is looking for another project to boost its profile. And what better way for the organization to mend its tarnished image than to go after a policy that Americans overwhelmingly support? The [...]/p

Stand Still For the Apocalypse | Common Dreams

Stand Still For the Apocalypse | Common Dreams
"Humans must immediately implement a series of radical measures to halt carbon emissions or prepare for the collapse of entire ecosystems and the displacement, suffering and death of hundreds of millions of the globe’s inhabitants, according to a report commissioned by the World Bank. The continued failure to respond aggressively to climate change, the report warns, will mean that the planet will inevitably warm by at least 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century, ushering in an apocalypse."

While Germany Is Headed for 80% Renewable Energy, We're Getting Left in the Dust | Alternet

While Germany Is Headed for 80% Renewable Energy, We're Getting Left in the Dust | Alternet
"When you think of places with great potential for solar energy, what comes to mind? Maybe the American Southwest, perhaps the Middle East. What probably doesn’t come to mind is Germany — and yet Germany is leading a global revolution in renewable energy, with solar playing a key part.

In the U.S., we now get 6 percent of our energy from renewables, which is exactly where Germany was in 2000. And then it passed the Renewable Energy Act and jumpstarted a movement known as Energiewende. Twelve years later, Germany gets over 25 percent of its energy from renewables and it is surpassing all of its benchmarks to be 80 percent renewable-powered by 2050."

Why a Global Climate Treaty Remains Worth Fighting For | Common Dreams

Why a Global Climate Treaty Remains Worth Fighting For | Common Dreams
"Progress towards an international agreement on tackling climate change has been painfully slow, dogged by fundamental disagreements between the countries involved and exacerbated by the financial crisis. Little is expected of the upcoming COP 18 meeting in Doha – so is it time to abandon the idea of a climate treaty altogether? Why not give up and focus on national and regional efforts to tackle climate change?"

Fracking America

Fracking America
"Residents in Butler County, Pennsylvania share their fracking experience."

5 Crucial New Findings About Climate Change | Alternet

5 Crucial New Findings About Climate Change | Alternet
"Five new reports prove that if we don't take our heads out of the sand immediately, we'll be in really hot water."

Worldwide Anti-Dolphin Slaughter, Whale Hunt Rallies This Weekend | Common Dreams

Worldwide Anti-Dolphin Slaughter, Whale Hunt Rallies This Weekend | Common Dreams
"Anti-whaling activists announced Thursday that there will be a co-ordinated global day of protest this weekend against Japan's annual state-sponsored hunt and to the capture and slaughter of dolphins in the town of Taiji."

Why Fracking May Ruin Your Thanksgiving | Alternet

Why Fracking May Ruin Your Thanksgiving | Alternet
"Fracking is a controversial method of mining natural gas by pumping a mixture of water, sand and chemicals deep into the earth to break up rock formations and release the natural gas trapped within them. Sand is essential to keep the fissures in the rocks open and to allow the natural gas to escape. Specifically, fracking requires “frac sand,” sand made of round, strong granules of nearly pure quartz – exactly the kind of sand found throughout a large portion of Wisconsin."

Farmers Told To Buy Insurance If They Don’t Want To Get Sued By Corporations

Farmers Told To Buy Insurance If They Don’t Want To Get Sued By Corporations: Every year for the past 13 years, biotechnology giant Monsanto Company has sued about 11 farmers per year for patent infringement of their genetically modified corn and soybean seeds. Many of these farmers have had to pay a settlement to the corporation even when their fields were accidentally contaminated with GM seeds from a neighboring [...]/p

Food Bank Stocks Dry Up in Wake of Great Drought | Common Dreams

Food Bank Stocks Dry Up in Wake of Great Drought | Common Dreams
"he insufferable drought of 2012 continues to wreak havoc as food banks across the country feel the pinch. As the season of feasting gets underway, soaring food prices have cut government donations to the banks and soup kitchens that provide an essential safety net to over 50 million Americans who struggle to eat."

Nanotechnology Could Reduce Plant's Ability to Produce Food | Common Dreams

Nanotechnology Could Reduce Plant's Ability to Produce Food | Common Dreams
"Longterm use of nanotechnology to affect everything from stain-resistant clothing to more efficient fuel could reduce a plant's ability to produce food, according to a study of soybeans at the University of California-Santa Barbara."

Why Pepsi’s New ‘Fat-Fighting’ Soda Shouldn’t Be Allowed In The U.S.

Why Pepsi’s New ‘Fat-Fighting’ Soda Shouldn’t Be Allowed In The U.S.: Pepsi’s partner in Japan is marketing a new “Pepsi Special” drink abroad that claims to suppress the absorption of fat with a dietary fiber named dextrin. Although the company claims that Pepsi Special could be the first “healthy” soda — and the product has even qualified for a government-designated label in Japan that identifies it [...]/p

New Report Ranks States in Efforts to Reduce Oil Addiction | Common Dreams

New Report Ranks States in Efforts to Reduce Oil Addiction | Common Dreams
"The report shows that the 10 states that do the most to implement policies that reduce fossil fuel usage are: #1 California, #2 Oregon, #3 Washington, #4 Massachusetts, #5 New York, #6 Connecticut, #7 Maine, #8 Maryland, #9 Rhode Island and #10 Vermont.
The 10 states that do the least to curb oil dependence are: #50 Nebraska, #49 Alaska, #48 Mississippi, #47 Idaho, #46 North Dakota, #45 Arkansas, #44 Indiana, #43 South Dakota, #42 Wyoming, #41 Kansas and #40 Utah -- typically Republican controlled states."

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Smash Records Again: UN | Common Dreams

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Smash Records Again: UN | Common Dreams
"Greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere shattered all previous records in 2011,according to a new report by the UN World Meteorological Organization released Tuesday."

President Obama can and must take serious action on climate change with and without Congress

President Obama can and must take serious action on climate change with and without Congress
"The majority of the American people believe, the polls tell us, that climate change is a serious matter and that something should be doneabout it. President Obama has four years to get us moving down that path. He should put on his spurs. He'll need them. Delay is denial."

Journalist Naomi Klein on Capitalism and Climate Change

Journalist Naomi Klein on Capitalism and Climate Change
"But first, if you've been curious about why New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg endorsed Barack Obama for re-election, just take another look at the widespread havoc caused by the Frankenstorm benignly named Sandy. Having surveyed all this damage Bloomberg Business Week concluded: "It's Global Warming, Stupid: If Hurricane Sandy doesn't persuade Americans to get serious about climate change, nothing will"."

November 20 News: SUNY Buffalo Shuts Down Shale Institute Amidst ‘Cloud Of Uncertainty Over Its Work’

November 20 News: SUNY Buffalo Shuts Down Shale Institute Amidst ‘Cloud Of Uncertainty Over Its Work’: The State University of New York at Buffalo announced Monday that it was closing its newly formed Shale Resources and Society Institute, which was devoted to the study of hydraulic fracturing, citing “a cloud of uncertainty over its work.” [New York Times] The institute’s first study, released in May, drew sharp criticism for being biased [...]/p

Look Out Monsanto: Campaigns to Label Genetically Engineered Foods Are Heating Up | Alternet

Look Out Monsanto: Campaigns to Label Genetically Engineered Foods Are Heating Up | Alternet
"On November 6, after spending $46 million burying California's voters under an avalanche of deception , Monsanto and their buddies in the pesticide and junk food business declared victory. They had defeated the "right to know", and successfully protected their "right" to keep you in the dark about whether your food is genetically engineered."

Armyworms Develop Resistance to Genetically Modified Corn

Armyworms Develop Resistance to Genetically Modified Corn: A second species of worm has evolved to withstand pesticides in genetically modified crops, the latest escalation of the natural arms race spurred on by GMOs. “Armyworms” — so called because their infestation of fields resembles a military onslaught — were able to eat DuPont-Dow corn containing a pesticide protein without adverse effects, according to [...]/p

As Demand For Electric Vehicles Steadily Grows, Tesla Model S Wins 2013 ‘Motor Trend Car Of The Year’

As Demand For Electric Vehicles Steadily Grows, Tesla Model S Wins 2013 ‘Motor Trend Car Of The Year’:  The Tesla Model S, the company’s first full-size sedan, won the 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year on November 12, garnering a unanimous vote from the panel of judges. This is the first electric car in the 64-year history of the auto industry’s most coveted award. “We’re going [...]/p

Shocking World Bank Climate Report: ‘A 4°C [7°F] World Can, And Must, Be Avoided’ To Avert ‘Devastating’ Impacts

Shocking World Bank Climate Report: ‘A 4°C [7°F] World Can, And Must, Be Avoided’ To Avert ‘Devastating’ Impacts: And So The Bank Must Stop Funding All New Fossil Fuel Plants Another day, another staid international organization reviews the latest climate science and rings the loudest possible alarm. The World Bank’s sobering new report, “Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must be Avoided,” warns that “we’re on track for a 4°C [...]/p

Do The Math: Mr. McKibben Goes To Washington

Do The Math: Mr. McKibben Goes To Washington: In the weeks after the election, Washington insiders are trying to interpret the complicated national politics of climate and environmental issues. Would Congressional Republicans support a carbon tax as part of a deficit reduction deal? Is the Obama Administration distancing itself from pricing carbon, hoping to let conservatives lead on the issue? What kind of [...]/p

The Earth Is Warming And Human Activity Is The Primary Cause: The Climate Science Paradigm Grows Stronger

The Earth Is Warming And Human Activity Is The Primary Cause: The Climate Science Paradigm Grows Stronger: by Dr. James Powell, via Science Progress Polls show that many members of the public believe that scientists substantially disagree about human-caused global warming. The gold standard of science is the peer-reviewed literature. If there is disagreement among scientists, based not on opinion but on hard evidence, it will be found in the peer-reviewed literature. [...]/p

Want to Fight Climate Change? Start by Turning to Your Neighbors | Common Dreams

Want to Fight Climate Change? Start by Turning to Your Neighbors | Common Dreams
" We know something must be done, now, and we know how difficult it is for one individual working alone to make a difference. Change has always started with people who made the decision that “enough is enough” and formed small groups for sustained and bold organizing. That’s how the critical mass of broad social movements is formed. Just look at history."

Five Reasons to Reject (Again) the Keystone XL Pipeline | Common Dreams

Five Reasons to Reject (Again) the Keystone XL Pipeline | Common Dreams
"Keystone XL is a means for reckless expansion of the tar sands industry, which is game over for the climate. The voters who re-elected Barack Obama expect him to create a legacy of action to stop climate change. Rejecting KXL would be a perfect first step to creating that legacy."

Evil! Google Is Stacking Search Results In Favor Of Fracking

Evil! Google Is Stacking Search Results In Favor Of Fracking
"This is exactly the kind of thing we were afraid would happen without strict net neutrality rules -- and lo and behold, here it is"

The Fight to Save the Planet from the Fossil Fuel Industry Heats Up with Divestment Campaign

The Fight to Save the Planet from the Fossil Fuel Industry Heats Up with Divestment Campaign
"Twenty years of knowledge, but inaction on climate change has only made the situation much worse. The continental United States is on track to have had the warmest year on record, and a summer drought and one of the worst wildfires in history devastated American communities. Even the private sector is taking heed. In October, a German reinsurance company, Munich Re, released a report on severe weather in North America. The report noted that "nowhere in the world is the rising number of natural catastrophes more evident than in North America." The report found "a nearly quintupled number of weather-related loss events in North America for the past three decades," with damages totaling $1.06 trillion."

New Findings Show Communities of Color Face the Worst Impacts From Dirty Coal Plants | Alternet

New Findings Show Communities of Color Face the Worst Impacts From Dirty Coal Plants | Alternet
"Coal plants place a disproportionate burden on poor and largely minority communities, exposing residents to high levels of pollutants that affect public health, according to a new report led by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People."

Nation’s Largest Turkey Producer Faces Allegations Of Extreme Animal Cruelty

Nation’s Largest Turkey Producer Faces Allegations Of Extreme Animal Cruelty: A new undercover video of horrific animal abuse at five Butterball turkey plants in North Carolina revives longstanding concerns about animal cruelty at America’s largest Thanksgiving turkey producer. The video, shot by the animal advocacy group Mercy for Animals, depicts Butterball employees kicking the turkeys around, breaking their bones and leaving them to suffer, and [...]/p

BP To Pay Largest Criminal Fine In U.S. History For Deepwater Horizon Disaster

BP To Pay Largest Criminal Fine In U.S. History For Deepwater Horizon Disaster: BP has agreed to pay a historic $4.5 billion criminal fine over a six-year period, after pleading guilty to 11 felony counts and criminal charges for the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster that killed 11 workers. After two years, the litigation is not yet over since BP faces damages from Gulf states and additional civil charges [...]/p

Report: Wind Energy Could Provide One-Fifth of World's Electricity by 2030 | Common Dreams

Report: Wind Energy Could Provide One-Fifth of World's Electricity by 2030 | Common Dreams
"Wind energy could provide up to a fifth of all global electricity needs by 2030, according to a new report by the Global Wind Energy Council and Greenpeace International."

How Google is Helping the Gas Lobby Support Fracking

How Google is Helping the Gas Lobby Support Fracking
"Ads on Google have placed pro-fracking propaganda at the top of Google search results and into the middle of an important discussion on the environmental impacts of fracking. The practice raises important questions about the role of search engines in the new media world."

How Germany Is Getting to 100 Percent Renewable Energy | Common Dreams

How Germany Is Getting to 100 Percent Renewable Energy | Common Dreams
"There is no debate on climate change in Germany. The temperature for the past 10 months has been three degrees above average and we’re again on course for the warmest year on record. There’s no dispute among Germans as to whether this change is man-made, or that we contribute to it and need to stop accelerating the process."

Climate Change Will Bring World Without Coffee Or Chocolate

Climate Change Will Bring World Without Coffee Or Chocolate
"Forget about super-sizing into the trenta a few years from now: Starbucks is warning of a threat to the world coffee supply because of climate change."

Rise of the Bacterial Superbug: Systemic Misuse of Antibiotics to Blame | Common Dreams

Rise of the Bacterial Superbug: Systemic Misuse of Antibiotics to Blame | Common Dreams
"A new health report shows that bacterial superbugs are on the rise while health and consumer advocacy groups blame overuse among both humans and livestock as the root cause."

How Factory Farms Quietly Defeated Food Safety In North Dakota

How Factory Farms Quietly Defeated Food Safety In North Dakota: While the defeat of California’s GMO labeling proposition was widely mourned by the food safety movement, a far more insidious ballot initiative that passed in North Dakota on Election Day has been largely overlooked. North Dakotans quietly voted through a “Farm Amendment” last Tuesday banning any regulation that “abridges the right of farmers and ranchers [...]/p

Let’s Put Climate Change At The Top Of The Agenda

Let’s Put Climate Change At The Top Of The Agenda: by Joe Mendelson, via National Wildlife Federation The election is over—now what on the climate change issue? Hurricane Sandy, the nation’s fiscal situation, and the election results have combined to create three key things that I think compel Congress to action on climate change. 1. Climate Change Impacts are Costing the Federal Government Too Much Money Congress returns [...]/p

Report: Climate Change Will Produce Unexpected Major Crises

Report: Climate Change Will Produce Unexpected Major Crises
"Climate change is accelerating, and it will place unparalleled strains on American military and intelligence agencies in coming years by causing ever more disruptive events around the globe, the nation’s top scientific research group said in a report issued Friday."

Climate Change's 'Terrifying Math' Coming to City Near You | Common Dreams

Climate Change's 'Terrifying Math' Coming to City Near You | Common Dreams
"For the climate activists at 350.org, it didn't necessarily matter who won the election on Tuesday.  Their post-election plan—long in the works—was to take direct aim at the fossil fuel industry. The group says quite frankly that to build the movement they believe is necessary, a very different kind of campaign is needed; one that takes the its cues from science and—in a very specific sense—mathematics."

Obama Wins and So Does the Planet (Mostly): 6 Key Environmental Victories From Election Night | Alternet

Obama Wins and So Does the Planet (Mostly): 6 Key Environmental Victories From Election Night | Alternet
"There was a notable upset on a green initiative in Michigan and the defeat of GMO labeling in California, but here is some of the good news."

Big Agriculture Bankrolls Defeat of California's Proposition 37 | Common Dreams

Big Agriculture Bankrolls Defeat of California's Proposition 37 | Common Dreams
"California's landmark Proposition 37 was soundly and sadly defeated on Tuesday by corporate interests and big money politics. As of Wednesday morning, with more than 94 percent of the precincts reporting, news outlets reported that the measure has been rejected."

GMO Labeling Proposition Fails In California

GMO Labeling Proposition Fails In California: Genetically modified foods will not require labels in California, voters decided Tuesday. Chemical and processed food companies, led by biotech giant Monsanto, injected $46 million into a campaign to defeat Proposition 37, while labeling advocates raised just $9.2 million. Among the biggest spenders in the anti-labeling fight were junk food companies Coca-Cola and Nestle, which [...]/p

Media Fails to Report Solar, Wind Successes from Obama's Policies

Media Fails to Report Solar, Wind Successes from Obama's Policies
"The stakes for inaction could not be higher. One of the consequences that we face in the 21st century is rising sea levels, which will inundate coastal cities. Our civilization is literally in danger of drowning. And if we do drown in the 21st century, we will be able to say that we drowned as the result of ignorance as much as anything."

U.S. Solar Jobs Grow By 13 Percent In 2012, Far Outpacing The Broader Economy

U.S. Solar Jobs Grow By 13 Percent In 2012, Far Outpacing The Broader Economy: by Katie Valentine Last year, Mitt Romney tried to claim that the loan guarantee program supporting Solyndra caused investors to “pull back” from investing in solar. In fact, the last two years have brought record investments and project development in the industry, with U.S. installations growing 116 percent in the second quarter of this year [...]/p

Prop 37 and Corporate Lies in the Post Truth Era | Common Dreams

Prop 37 and Corporate Lies in the Post Truth Era | Common Dreams
"As a historic vote with profound implications for the future of our food system nears, the question becomes whether a campaign with limitless resources and a disdain for the truth can defeat an overwhelmingly popular idea supported by a grassroots army, and over 3000 public interest organizations: the right to know what's in the food we eat and feed our families."

Bloomberg Endorses Obama Based On Global Warming

Bloomberg Endorses Obama Based On Global Warming
"Mayor Michael Bloomberg endorsed Barack Obama yesterday, influenced by his belief that the president is the candidate most likely to address the problems of global warming likely exemplified by Hurricane Sandy hitting New York City"