Monday, June 30, 2014

How One GOP-Controlled Committee Is Waging a War on Science

www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/how-one-gop-controlled-committee-waging-war-science
"The GOP’s relentless promotion of the fossil-fuel industry is undermining the nation's scientific credibility."

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Here’s What Climate Change Will Do To The American Economy In 7 Charts

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/27/3452736/risky-business-economy-cost-2/
"A prospectus was also released, digging into the report’s methodology in much greater detail. It built the overall model of economic damage by looking at six major categories: coastal damage, agriculture, labor productivity, increased deaths, crime, and energy costs."

Heading to the Beach? Know Which are the Cleanest and Which Are the Dirtiest

www.alternet.org/environment/check-water-quality-your-beach-swimming
"10% of U.S. beach waters fail to meet EPA’s safety standards, and some are downright filthy."

Why divest from fossil fuels?

Kiribati: The country killed by climate change - Truthloader

Five Things Huge Corporations Don't Want You To Know About Food - Truthloader

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Bjorn Lomborg Is Part Of The Koch Network — And Cashing In

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/25/3453053/koch-bjorn-lomborg-lousy-t-shirt/
"So Bjorn Lomborg is funded by foundations that are part of the Kochtopus empire of influence. And Lomborg is a big-time pundit who argues for inaction on climate change, who pens pieces like “The Poor Need Cheap Fossil Fuels,” and who asserts “global warming has mostly been a net benefit so far” and will be for decades.
Coincidence? You be the judge — preferably not a Kochtopus-educated one."

Will GM Crops Collapse the Food System? | Common Dreams

Will GM Crops Collapse the Food System? | Common Dreams

"We need to consider this series of consequences some intended and some not, that have occurred due to the introduction of GM crops . The connections are real and perhaps we need to ask what happens when one part of the system collapses, will the entire food system follow?"

Don’t Forget Butterflies! Our Pollination Crisis Is About More Than Honeybees

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/25/3447062/pollination-crisis-honeybees/
"While the plight of bees has gotten deserved attention of late, many species of pollinators face the same threats: habitat destruction, climate-induced changes in flowering and weather patterns, and in some cases, pesticides."

Leaks from Keystone One raise serious concerns

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Hate Summer? Just Wait Until Global Warming Really Kicks In

Hate Summer? Just Wait Until Global Warming Really Kicks In

"In fact, it will be downright deadly. Climatologist Robert Kopp, the lead scientist behind the report, told Reuters that, "As temperatures rise, toward the end of the century, less than an hour of activity outdoors in the shade could cause a moderately fit individual to suffer heat stroke"."

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Republican Senate Candidate Signs Koch Pledge, Abruptly Changes His Tune On Climate Change

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/24/3452603/rubens-koch-pledge/
"He’s the only Republican running for Senate who mentions climate change on his website. He used to support a carbon tax, and actually talks about conservative climate change solutions. Then, Jim Rubens signed the Koch brothers’ pledge not to do anything about it."

Global Report on 'Neonicotinoid Disaster' a 'Wake-Up Call' to Save the Bees, say Groups | Common Dreams

Global Report on 'Neonicotinoid Disaster' a 'Wake-Up Call' to Save the Bees, say Groups | Common Dreams

"analysis based on 800 peer-reviewed reports, the Worldwide Integrated Assessment of the Impact of Systemic Pesticides on Biodiversity and Ecosystems (WIA), puts a spotlight on neonicotinoids, or "neonics," whose use they say poses a threat to global biodiversity."

Report: Ignoring climate change will cost billions

Report: World's Oceans on Brink of Collapse | Common Dreams

Report: World's Oceans on Brink of Collapse | Common Dreams

"Neglecting the health of the oceans could have devastating effects on the world's food supply, clean air, and climate stability, among other factors."

Arctic ice melt forces change to world atlases

Monday, June 23, 2014

The Future Of Solar Technology Could Be As Thin And Flexible As A Piece Of Paper

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/23/3451684/future-of-solar-technology/
"Unlike traditional silicon solar cells, used in rooftop solar panels and large-scale solar farms, OPVs use organic semiconductors — made from plastics and other flexible materials — and are much lighter, more flexible and less expensive."

“A crisis we can’t ignore”: Former Bush Treasury secretary Hank Paulson warns of the coming “climate crash”

“A crisis we can’t ignore”: Former Bush Treasury secretary Hank Paulson warns of the coming “climate crash”

"But just to reach this point — where people on both sides of the political divide stop fighting over whether or not climate change is happening and move on to debating about what’s to be done — is momentous, as is Paulson’s public declaration that climate change is "the challenge of our time"."

How Rupert Murdoch created the world’s newest climate change villain

How Rupert Murdoch created the world’s newest climate change villain

"Australia was once a leader on climate action. Thanks to American conservative powerhouses, that's no longer true"

Saturday, June 21, 2014

How Eating Broccoli Can Protect You from Air Pollution Dangers -- Study Reveals Surprising Results

www.alternet.org/environment/how-eating-broccoli-can-protect-you-air-pollution-dangers-study-reveals-surprising
"Daily consumption of broccoli can go a long way in protecting people from the harmful effects of air pollution, a study from Johns Hopkins University has found."

Former PA Health Employees: We Were Told Not To Talk About Fracking Illnesses

Former PA Health Employees: We Were Told Not To Talk About Fracking Illnesses

"Pennsylvania, land of ethical giants! Nice corrupt little relationship the Corbett administration has with the fracking industry, don't you think?"

Kevin McCarthy’s Rise to Majority Leader Is Great News For The Polluting Koch Brothers

www.politicususa.com/2014/06/21/kevin-mccarthys-rise-majority-leader-great-news-polluting-koch-brothers.html
"McCarthy will hardly take any steps to help low-wage workers or create jobs nationally when he adamantly opposes a major job creation project in his home state and congressional district, and there is good reason why. McCarthy is an adamant foe of California’s high speed rail (HSR) project like his cohorts in the House because, as a typical Republican, he is beholden to the oil industry and counts among his top ten campaign contributors Chevron and Occidental Petroleum. California’s oil and gas producers are already drawing up a list of favors the new Majority Leader owes them as recompense and it includes killing jobs for Californians."

Invest in clean energy in America

Utah Utility Cuts Deal For 20 Years Of Solar Power Because It’s The Cheapest Option

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/20/3451429/utah-solar-purpa/
"Boston-based renewable energy company First Wind just finalized agreements to provide a Utah utility with 320 megawatts of solar capacity for the next two decades. And the circumstances of the contracts are yet another example of how falling solar prices are reshaping the market."

Friday, June 20, 2014

Pennsylvania Instructed Its Employees To Ignore Residents Sickened By Drilling

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/20/3451311/pennsylvania-frack-gag-health/
"The Pennsylvania Department of Health’s hostility to examining the health effects of fracking is just the latest development in a series of policies and laws that make it easier to make money from fracking — at the expense of public health. For instance, a Pennsylvania law makes it illegal for doctors to tell their patients which fracking chemicals are poisoning them, to protect the secret blends they inject into the earth."

Food fight for GMO labeling

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Elon Musk talks Tesla and climate change

Elon Musk on his reasons for pessimism

Appalling: War on Science Now Includes War on Science Museums

www.alternet.org/environment/appalling-war-science-now-includes-war-science-museums?page=0%2C0
"Museums around the country are censoring climate change exhibits to appease fossil fuel donors."

Fox News Anchor Thinks Telling The Facts On Climate Change Is "Unbalanced"

www.mediamatters.org/blog/2014/06/17/fox-news-anchor-thinks-telling-the-facts-on-cli/199754
"Fox News anchor Bret Baier lashed out against a local newspaper for refusing to publish denial of the basic fact that man-made greenhouse gas emissions are driving climate change."

New Yorkers Wage Urgent Battle for GMO Label Law | Common Dreams

New Yorkers Wage Urgent Battle for GMO Label Law | Common Dreams

"Campaigners for a bill to label foods made with genetically modified organisms (or GMOs) in New York are racing against the clock this week as they rally for a vote before state lawmakers on Thursday adjourn for the year."

Koch-Funded Group Won’t Back Kansas Republicans Who Supported Clean Energy

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/17/3449826/rps-gop-support-kansas-koch/
"A Republican state legislator in Kansas is being targeted by a new Koch-funded effort to oust those who want to support Kansas’ wind industry."

Acid Seas Threaten Creatures That Supply Half the World's Oxygen | Common Dreams

Acid Seas Threaten Creatures That Supply Half the World's Oxygen | Common Dreams

"What happens when phytoplankton, the (mostly) single-celled organisms that constitute the very foundation of the marine food web, turn toxic?"

Obama calls out the climate change deniers

Japan's 'Research' Killing of Whales Continues | Common Dreams

Japan's 'Research' Killing of Whales Continues | Common Dreams

"Japanese officials announced Friday that the country had killed 30 minke whales in the northwestern Pacific as part of its stated "research" program that allows for the taking of the marine mammals."

The Kaua'i Cocktail: Why Residents of Hawai'i Are Outraged by GMO Farming on Kaua'i

The Kaua'i Cocktail: Why Residents of Hawai'i Are Outraged by GMO Farming on Kaua'i

"The four transnational corporations that are experimenting with genetically engineered crops on Kaua'i have transformed part of the island into what could be one of the most toxic chemical environments in all of U.S. agriculture."

Pesticide and GMO Companies Spend Big in Hawai'i

Pesticide and GMO Companies Spend Big in Hawai'i

"Of the "Big 6" chemical and seed companies and their trade associations lobbying and/or contributing to political candidates in Hawai'i, Bayer, Dow, CropLife America (a pesticide and agricultural chemical trade association), and the American Chemistry Council have ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)."

Friday, June 13, 2014

On Warming Planet, US Corn Industry 'Unsustainable' | Common Dreams

On Warming Planet, US Corn Industry 'Unsustainable' | Common Dreams

"America's behemoth corn industry—worth an estimated $67 billion—is racing towards an unsustainable future as the planet warms, severe weather intensifies, and irrigation water dries up, according to a new report by the investment research organization Ceres."

Friday, June 6, 2014

Global Citizens to Elites: Join Climate Fight Or Step Aside | Common Dreams

Global Citizens to Elites: Join Climate Fight Or Step Aside | Common Dreams

"More than 100 organizations representing millions of global citizens held a demonstration in Bonn, Germany on Friday as they delivered a direct message to government leaders gathered for climate talks with a simple, but urgent message: "Stand with us, or step aside"."

Conclusive Link Between Fracking, Aquifer Contamination Found in Texas | Common Dreams

Conclusive Link Between Fracking, Aquifer Contamination Found in Texas | Common Dreams

"Independent scientists who have reviewed a water analysis conducted by state authorities of a Texas resident's drinking well say the chemical signatures found in the water may provide "the nation's first conclusive link" between fracking operations and aquifer contamination."

Chris Christie’s Tesla Ban Challenged by NJ Legislators

www.alternet.org/environment/chris-christies-tesla-ban-challenged-nj-legislators
"Christie’s political appointees on the Motor Vehicle Commission voted unanimously to shut down two Tesla stores in the state, making it impossible for Tesla to sell its cars there. However, a State Assembly panel says that Christie’s decision was ill-advised. Not only is the panel proposing to re-open the two closed stores, its bill would let Tesla open up two more stores. The vote by the panel was 4-0."

Genetically Modified Crops Fueling Decline of Monarch Butterflies: Report | Common Dreams

Genetically Modified Crops Fueling Decline of Monarch Butterflies: Report | Common Dreams

"The monarch butterflies' numbers have been plummeting in recent years, and a new study has pointed to the likely main culprit: loss of its summer habitat as a result of genetically modified crops."

New Texas GOP Platform Calls On Politicians To Ignore Climate Change

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/05/3445339/texas-gop-2014-platform-climate-change/
"There is no mention of climate change in the 2012 Texas GOP platform and the Environmental Protection Agency is identified as an agency that should be abolished. "

North Carolina To Lift Fracking Ban And Criminalize The Disclosure Of Fracking Chemicals

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/05/3445260/north-carolina-fracking-criminalize-chemical-disclosure/
"North Carolina’s Mining and Energy Commission was found earlier this month to have met with energy industry executives — specifically ones from companies that sell chemicals used in fracking — before recommending to North Carolina officials that the state should let mining companies keep their chemical brew a secret. The AP reported that at least three members of the Mining and Energy Commission’s board met with executives from Halliburton and other companies, meetings that aren’t illegal but that some say should have been conducted by the entire board, not just a few members, to ensure transparency.
The law signed by McCrory makes the “unlawful disclosure” of the chemical brew that’s injected into the ground to unlock stores of natural gas a misdemeanor. That’s a downgrade in severity from a previous version of the bill, which would have made it a felony to disclose the chemical mix, which is regarded by several states as a trade secret."

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Bad News For Republicans: Poll Shows America Supports Limiting Emissions Even If It Costs Them

www.addictinginfo.org/2014/06/03/hey-republicans-poll-shows-america-supports-limiting-emissions-even-if-it-costs-them/

"A recent Washington Post-ABC poll released yesterday found that 70 percent of Americans (70 percent!) support federal limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. Seventy percent also said that the federal government should “require states to limit the amount of greenhouse gases produced within their borders.”
You hear that? When it comes to how much we’re being poisoned, citizens actually don’t mind the federal government tampering with the “invisible hand” of private business. But I guess you could say it’s no longer a private issue when it screws over everybody."

One Day After U.S. Announces Emissions Target, China Says Carbon Cap Is On The Way

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/06/03/3444105/china-carbon-cap-2/
One day after the United States proposed rules to limit the amount of carbon emitted from existing power plants, China said it will limit its total CO2 emissions for the first time, likely starting in 2016 with the announcement of their next five-year plan. China, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, and the U.S., the second biggest, account for about 42 percent of global emissions.

China Makes Landmark Pledge to Cap Emissions | Common Dreams

China Makes Landmark Pledge to Cap Emissions | Common Dreams

"Announcement comes on heels of US proposal for caps on power plant emissions"

In the Name of Local Democracy: Let Towns, Cities Decide on Fracking | Common Dreams

In the Name of Local Democracy: Let Towns, Cities Decide on Fracking | Common Dreams

"On Tuesday, the New York State Court of Appeals will hear arguments in a case that poses a simple question: Can cities and towns in the Empire State fend off potentially devastating environmental and economic damage by banning hydraulic fracturing through their zoning code?"

News Flash: Fukushima Is Still a Disaster | Common Dreams

News Flash: Fukushima Is Still a Disaster | Common Dreams

"The corporate media silence on Fukushima has been deafening even though the melted-down nuclear power plant’s seaborne radiation is now washing up on American beaches.

Ever more radioactive water continues to pour into the Pacific."

Monday, June 2, 2014

New pollution rules bring chicken littles

Former EPA head: People will demand action on climate change

EPAs Carbon Rule Falls Short of Real Emissions Reduction | Common Dreams

EPAs Carbon Rule Falls Short of Real Emissions Reduction | Common Dreams

"We applaud the President for using the tools he has available, given that Congress refuses to act, and for setting hard targets for emissions reductions. However, the targets don’t make the U.S. a leader in addressing climate change."

Krugman: Climate Action Is ‘Remarkably Cheap,’ New EPA Rules Would Give ‘U.S. Economy A Boost’

www.thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/05/30/3443254/krugman-climate-action/
"Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman explains for the umpteenth time that climate action is super cheap — and that even the pro-pollution U.S. Chamber of Commerce agrees."

Republicans Are Claiming the New Climate Rules Will Wreck the Economy. They're Wrong.

www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/06/obama-epa-power-plant-rules-hysteria
"With every new environmental regulation, there are cries of economic disaster. But those disasters never actually happen."

EPA unveils historic carbon regulations

Europe Faces Cereals Crop Crash - Truthdig

Europe Faces Cereals Crop Crash - Truthdig

"Harvests of wheat and barley across Europe could be 20% lower by 2040 as average temperatures rise by 2°C. And by 2060, European farmers could be facing very serious losses."

Canada's Government Meteorologists Not Allowed To Talk About Global Warming

Canada's Government Meteorologists Not Allowed To Talk About Global Warming

"You may not be aware that for decades, American right-wing and corporatist groups have been pouring millions into Canadian politics to make it a more conservative and business-friendly place. Apparently that investment is paying off"