Permafrost: The Tipping Time Bomb

1,000 Gallons of Radioactive Sludge May Be Leaking a Year From Hanford: Governor | Common Dreams

1,000 Gallons of Radioactive Sludge May Be Leaking a Year From Hanford: Governor | Common Dreams
"Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee said Wednesday that as much as 1,000 gallons of radioactive sludge may be leaking a year at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, theAssociated Press reports."

Despite Warning for Women, WHO Report on Fukushima Slammed as 'PR Spin' | Common Dreams

Despite Warning for Women, WHO Report on Fukushima Slammed as 'PR Spin' | Common Dreams
"A new study released by the World Health Organization says that women, and especially female infants, exposed to radiation released following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan are at a significant risk of developing cancer later in life."

Contaminated diet contributes to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Phthalates and BPA

Contaminated diet contributes to exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals: Phthalates and BPA
"While water bottles may tout BPA-free labels and personal care products declare phthalates not among their ingredients, these assurances may not be enough."

Leaks At The Hanford Nuclear Site: Nuclear Waste & Sacrifice Zones

Weather Extremes Provoked By Trapping Of Giant Waves In The Atmosphere, Likely Boosted By Global Warming

Weather Extremes Provoked By Trapping Of Giant Waves In The Atmosphere, Likely Boosted By Global Warming: In October, a NOAA-led study found that “Warming-Driven Arctic Ice Loss Is Boosting Chance of Extreme U.S. Weather.” A new study offers another mechanism for warming to drive extreme weather — JR Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research news release The world has suffered from severe regional weather extremes in recent years, such as the [...]/p

Study: Over 100 Million Americans Drinking 'Toxic Trash' Water | Common Dreams

Study: Over 100 Million Americans Drinking 'Toxic Trash' Water | Common Dreams
"When you pour yourself a glass of tap water or even take a shower, you may be among over 100 million Americans exposing yourself to carcinogenic, "toxic trash"."

Forget The Tar Sands: How Canadian Hydropower Can Help America

Forget The Tar Sands: How Canadian Hydropower Can Help America: By Mari Hernandez Our neighbor to the north has an energy source that our nation has yet to fully utilize — and it’s not tar sands. Canadian hydropower has contributed to America’s clean energy economy, and has the potential to provide our nation with more clean energy. The question is: how can Canada and the [...]/p

Five More States Consider ‘Ag Gag’ Laws To Silence Factory Farm Whistleblowers

Five More States Consider ‘Ag Gag’ Laws To Silence Factory Farm Whistleblowers: As state legislatures begin their 2013 sessions, a flurry of new “ag gag” bills to protect factory farms from potential undercover whistleblowers have been introduced in 5 states. This week, the Indiana Senate is debating a proposal to criminalize taking photographs or videos inside an agricultural or industrial operation without permission. Senate Bill 373 is [...]/p

Permamelt: 500,000-Year History of Permafrost Reveals Further Warming of 1.5°C Would ‘Thaw Significant Regions’

Permamelt: 500,000-Year History of Permafrost Reveals Further Warming of 1.5°C Would ‘Thaw Significant Regions’: Last fall, a major study found that the carbon feedback from thawing permafrost will likely add 0.4°F – 1.5°F to total global warming by 2100. That was based on climate modeling. A new study looks at the paleo-climate record and comes to an equally worrisome conclusion — JR. Caves point to thawing of Siberia Oxford [...]/p

BP Trial Shows 'Culture of Greed' Led to Deepwater's 'Well from Hell' | Common Dreams

BP Trial Shows 'Culture of Greed' Led to Deepwater's 'Well from Hell' | Common Dreams
"BP failed to implement a safety plan on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig despite obvious risks of a blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, the first witness in BP's civil trial for the 2010 disaster testified on Tuesday."

McKibben Must-Read: The Case For Fossil-Fuel Divestment

McKibben Must-Read: The Case For Fossil-Fuel Divestment: How Long Will Colleges Keep Investing in Companies Whose Stock Price Is Based on the Destruction of a Livable Climate? CO2 emissions by fossil fuels [1 ppm CO2 ~ 2.12 GtC, where ppm is parts per million of CO2 in air and GtC is gigatons of carbon (via Hansen). Significantly exceeding 450 ppm risks several severe [...]/p

Oxfam: World's Largest Food Companies Creating Legacy of Destruction | Common Dreams

Oxfam: World's Largest Food Companies Creating Legacy of Destruction | Common Dreams
"The world's largest food and beverage companies may be profitable, but according to Oxfam International their practices are helping to destroy not only the natural resources that support a global food system but the lives of the people they depend on most: their employees and their customers."

Study: Climate Change May Dry Up Important U.S. Reservoirs Like Lake Powell And Lake Mead

Study: Climate Change May Dry Up Important U.S. Reservoirs Like Lake Powell And Lake Mead: As climate change makes the regions of the West, Southwest, and Great Plains warmer and drier, water demand will continue to increase, and the combined effect will place an ever greater burden on the country’s fresh water supplies — possibly completely draining important reservoirs in those areas, under some scenarios. That’s according to a new [...]/p

Victory for Climate, Public Health: US Coal Giant to Shut Down Three Plants | Common Dreams

Victory for Climate, Public Health: US Coal Giant to Shut Down Three Plants | Common Dreams
"In a victory for advocates of clean air and water, energy giant American Electric Power willnow be shutting down three coal-fired power plants and significantly reducing air pollution at 13 others across the Midwest and Southern United States."

The 'Land of 10,000 Lakes' Is Running Dry | Common Dreams

The 'Land of 10,000 Lakes' Is Running Dry | Common Dreams
"The entire state has been covered drought for months, and its water supplies are being sucked away."

In Nebraska, I Stand with the Many Who Stand Against Keystone XL | Common Dreams

In Nebraska, I Stand with the Many Who Stand Against Keystone XL | Common Dreams
"My heart goes out to each and every one of these people and I will continue to be their voice and stand with them until the bitter end, the people will prevail, the power is in the people, we will win and we will defend the future of Nebraska, the Ogallala Aquifer!"

After Attacking Kwanzaa, WI Senator Moves on to Attacking Renewable Energy -- with Help from ALEC

After Attacking Kwanzaa, WI Senator Moves on to Attacking Renewable Energy -- with Help from ALEC
"Wisconsin State Senator Glenn Grothman, who made headlines in December for an unprovoked attack on Kwanzaa, has set his sights on another imagined enemy: renewable energy standards. Although Sen. Grothman's latest move is just as ridiculous as his past efforts, this one is part of a national effort backed by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the Heartland Institute."

The Five Stages of Environmental Grief | Alternet

The Five Stages of Environmental Grief | Alternet
"The earth is extremely patient. It has absorbed our noxious chemicals and smoke belching power plants, our dams and our highways, our rapacious irrigation systems and our open pit mines. But by all accounts the patience of the planet is beginning to wear thin. Its ability to absorb our abuse won’t last much longer. Neither will it’s capacity to supply us with the petroleum, the food crops, the clean air and water that our modern lives depends on."

10 Stunning Things You Should Know About the Environmental Movement -- 'A Fierce Green Fire' Film Inspires | Alternet

10 Stunning Things You Should Know About the Environmental Movement -- 'A Fierce Green Fire' Film Inspires | Alternet
"With runaway global warming threatening to annihilate climate stability and perhaps life on Earth as we know it, there's no bigger issue on humanity's crowded docket and no better time to catch up on the history of the environmental movement."

Solar Energy To Get Boost From Cutting-Edge Clouds Forecasts

Solar Energy To Get Boost From Cutting-Edge Clouds Forecasts: A new research initiative is designed to lead to unprecedented 36-hour forecasts of incoming energy from the Sun, thereby helping utilities obtain energy more efficiently from solar energy power plants. Credit: NCAR. National Center for Atmospheric Research News Release BOULDER—Applying its atmospheric expertise to solar energy, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is spearheading [...]/p

Biofuels Policy Helping Destroy U.S. Grasslands At Fastest Rate Since 1930s, Boosting Threat of Dust-Bowlification

Biofuels Policy Helping Destroy U.S. Grasslands At Fastest Rate Since 1930s, Boosting Threat of Dust-Bowlification: The ramp up in biofuel production has thus far been a major misfire in the fight against climate change. By driving up the price of corn and other biofuel sources, standards passed in the United States and Europe requiring a certain level of biofuel use have encouraged producers to dedicate more corn to ethanol production [...]/p

The Potential Effects Of Global Warming. David Suzuki Foundation - The Tideline Project

A Better Plan Than 'Endless Growth': Enough Is Enough | Common Dreams

A Better Plan Than 'Endless Growth': Enough Is Enough | Common Dreams
"an economy founded on perpetual growth has no shot at being resilient.  Maybe we could classify such an economy as dynamic, since it will continue to displace people and communities and erode the life-support systems of the planet.  While the economic elites interpret "Resilient Dynamism" to fit their agenda, perhaps the rest of us should employ some plain language and let them know that enough is enough."

Wind, Solar, Biomass Provide All New U.S. Electrical Generating Capacity In January 2013

Wind, Solar, Biomass Provide All New U.S. Electrical Generating Capacity In January 2013: By Kenneth Bossong According to the latest “Energy Infrastructure Update” report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Office of Energy Projects, 1,231 MW of new in-service electrical generating capacity came on line in the United States in January 2013 — all from wind, solar, and biomass sources. This represents a nearly three-fold increase in new [...]/p

This film should be seen by the entire world

Nanoparticles Are in Our Food, Clothing and Medicine -- And No One Knows for Sure How Dangerous They Might Be | Alternet

Nanoparticles Are in Our Food, Clothing and Medicine -- And No One Knows for Sure How Dangerous They Might Be | Alternet
"So far the questions about whether nanoparticles are an environmental risk outnumber the answers, which is why the Duke scientists take the precaution of wearing clean-suits while dosing the boxes—no one’s sure what exposure to a high concentration of nanoparticles might do. Among the few things we do know about them are that they sail past the blood-brain barrier and can harm the nervous systems of some animals."

Dust Bowl Days: Historic U.S. Drought Projected To Persist For Months, Worsened By Thin Western Snowpack

Dust Bowl Days: Historic U.S. Drought Projected To Persist For Months, Worsened By Thin Western Snowpack: By Lauren Morello and Andrew Freedman via Climate Central. See also the NY Times piece, “Thin Snowpack in West Signals Summer of Drought” Time is running out to avert a third summer of drought in much of the High Plains, West and Southwest, federal officials warned Thursday. Without repeated, significant bouts of heavy snow and [...]/p

Now Six - Not One - Hanford Tanks Leaking Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams

Now Six - Not One - Hanford Tanks Leaking Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams
"The seeping waste adds to decades of soil contamination caused by leaking storage tanks at Hanford in the past and threatens to further taint groundwater below the Columbia River, officials said."

Shell Flouts Safety With Arctic Rigs

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Blockadia Rising: Voices of the Tar Sands Blockade

Forward on Climate Rally | Common Dreams

Forward on Climate Rally | Common Dreams
"Thank you to the nearly 50,000 who demonstrated on Presidents Day Weekend at the Washington Monument, the thousands at 20+ solidarity rallies across the country, and the more than one million online activists who stood up and spoke out to tell President Obama that right now its time to move Forward on Climate."

Forward on Climate Rally

10 Ways The Sequester Will Expose Americans To Greater Health Risks And Other Perils

10 Ways The Sequester Will Expose Americans To Greater Health Risks And Other Perils: Sequestration will have major—and negative—impacts on energy and environmental management agencies. Here’s how it will affect all Americans. By Daniel J. Weiss, Michael Conathan, and Jessica Goad. Endnotes are in PDF version. More families exposed to the cold and heat Children and seniors more vulnerable to air pollution Less investment in clean drinking water and [...]/p

In Ancient Caves, Evidence Shows Small Uptick in Temps Could Spell 'Massive' Permafrost Melt | Common Dreams

In Ancient Caves, Evidence Shows Small Uptick in Temps Could Spell 'Massive' Permafrost Melt | Common Dreams
"Scientists studying the geological history inside ancient Siberian caves say that evidence suggests a global temperature increase of just 1.5ºC could trigger massive melting of the northern hemisphere's permafrost, unleashing gigatonnes of carbon and methane into the already warming atmosphere."

Jet Fighter Wings into Wind Turbine Blades | Common Dreams

Jet Fighter Wings into Wind Turbine Blades | Common Dreams
"This report explains how the government could move the money it now spends on weapons systems at large companies like Boeing, to projects that help us get off of fossil fuels. Done right, no jobs would be lost and the industrial part of the military-industrial complex would become less dependent on military contracts; instead those companies would become part of the effort to prevent the worst effects of global climate change."

Latest Polling Finds Strong Support For Clean Energy And Stricter Carbon Pollution Standards

Latest Polling Finds Strong Support For Clean Energy And Stricter Carbon Pollution Standards: Evidence of a striking shift in public opinion has begun to crystalize over the last few months: Poll after poll is finding staunch majorities of Americans view global warming as a “serious problem” and that human activity is a major driving cause. In defiance of received Beltway wisdom, voters even told a recent Yale poll [...]/p

Choked To Death On Waste | Common Dreams

Choked To Death On Waste | Common Dreams
"The appalling evidence mounts. A new scientific study urges that our omnipresent plastic debris - 280 million tons produced last year, less than half recycled, 370 species suffering its effects and another possible 33 billion tons produced by 2050 - be declared "hazardous"."

How Your Household Products May Be Contributing To A Global Health Threat

How Your Household Products May Be Contributing To A Global Health Threat: More than 800 man-made chemicals found in everyday products — in your household cleaners, makeup, electronics, canned food, and clothing — are becoming “a global threat that needs to be resolved,” according to a new report from the World Health Organization and United Nations Environment Program. Research links these hormone-disrupting chemicals to a host of [...]/p

Worst Drought in 1,000 Years Could Begin in Eight Years

Worst Drought in 1,000 Years Could Begin in Eight Years
"Beginning in just eight years, we could see permanent climate conditions across the North American Southwest that are comparable to the worst megadrought in 1,000 years."

Honda And SolarCity Partner On Low-Cost Home Solar Power Leases

Honda And SolarCity Partner On Low-Cost Home Solar Power Leases: According to the New York Times, a new deal between automakers Honda and Acura and solar developer SolarCity may give a big boost to the already-rapidly burgeoning solar leasing market. Solar leases, or solar power purchase agreements, are one of the new innovative tools for encouraging solar deployment. Basically, instead of purchasing a solar array [...]/p

Pipe Dreams? Only 20 Permanent Jobs from KXL: State Department

Pipe Dreams? Only 20 Permanent Jobs from KXL: State Department
"As few as twenty jobs. Why would anyone risk our precious land, water and air for twenty jobs with a dirty oil company?"

Secretive Donors Trust Funds Vast Network of Global Warming Skeptics

Secretive Donors Trust Funds Vast Network of Global Warming Skeptics
"While the secretive Donors Trust has given millions to a variety of right-wing causes, denying climate change appears to be its top priority. An analysis by the environmentalist group Greenpeace reveals Donors Trust has funneled more than one-third of its donations -- at least $146 million -- to more than 100 climate change denial groups over the past decade. In 2010, 12 of these groups received between 30 to 70 percent of their funding from Donors Trust."

Keystone XL Exec: To Support Dirty Tar Sands Is To Support 'American Values' | Common Dreams

Keystone XL Exec: To Support Dirty Tar Sands Is To Support 'American Values' | Common Dreams
"Following comments made at an industry roundtable with reporters on Tuesday, Sierra Club president Michael Brune said that 'no fact or truth' would penetrate the wall of denial put up by the world's oil and pipeline company executives or their lobbyists."

How EPA Climate Protection Can Be America’s Greatest Jobs Producer | Common Dreams

How EPA Climate Protection Can Be America’s Greatest Jobs Producer | Common Dreams
"As our country is devastated by more and more severe droughts, floods, fires, and superstorms, the public is demanding regulation of the greenhouse gasses that cause climate change.  The corporations that profit from coal, oil, and gas fear such regulation will reduce their profits and the value of their investments.  They and their political mouthpieces have a solution, however: persuade the public that regulation of greenhouse gasses will destroy American jobs.  The truth?  Climate change is destroying American jobs right now — but climate protection will produce millions of new jobs.  Here’s why."

Lobbying Budgets of Keystone XL Opponents Exceeded That Of Supporters By More Than 35 To 1

Lobbying Budgets of Keystone XL Opponents Exceeded That Of Supporters By More Than 35 To 1: At least fifty oil companies, business trade associations, labor unions, and political groups with combined lobbying budgets of more than $178 million lobbied Washington in support of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline in 2012. And the dozen groups lobbying against the environmentally risky project had 2012 lobbying budgets of less than $5 million total, [...]/p

Farmers Solving Real Climate Problems with Sustainable Solutions

Big Oil Mocks Climate Action With Help From Big Media

Big Oil Mocks Climate Action With Help From Big Media: So I go to read a Washington Post story online, “Climate change could burn a hole in the government’s finances, GAO says.” And there is this banner ad mocking humanity’s primary hope of avoiding climate catastrophe: “Energy Tomorrow is brought to you by the American Petroleum Institute (API),” in case you were wondering. We all [...]/p

Secretive Donors Trust Pumps Far More Money Into Climate Denial And Inaction Than Kochs And Exxon Mobil Combined

Secretive Donors Trust Pumps Far More Money Into Climate Denial And Inaction Than Kochs And Exxon Mobil Combined: A secretive funding organization called Donors Trust spent the last decade funneling vast sums of money to an array of think tanks and activist groups, all dedicated to undermining the science of climate change and heading off the progress of climate policy. That’s according to reporting last week by The Guardian’s Suzanne Goldenberg and a [...]/p

This is What Global Warming Looks Like

Who Can Own Life?: Farmer vs. Monsanto Before US High Court | Common Dreams

Who Can Own Life?: Farmer vs. Monsanto Before US High Court | Common Dreams
"Indiana soybean farmer, Hugh Bowman, is taking his one-man-war against agriculture giant Monsanto to the Supreme Court on Tuesday where both sides will present their arguments (.pdf) to the high court. The suit calls into question essential patent rights and, more importantly, challenges whether anyone can legally "control a product of life"."

Exxon Pressures Network Into Pulling Climate Change Ad

Exxon Pressures Network Into Pulling Climate Change Ad
"Exxon Mobil gave a cease-and-desist order to Comcast, forcing the cable provider to pull an ad about climate change from Fox News' coverage of the State of the Union address in some areas, according to a press release from one of the groups responsible for the ad."

Largest climate rally in U.S. history

UN, WHO Panel Calls Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals a 'Global Threat' | Common Dreams

UN, WHO Panel Calls Hormone-Disrupting Chemicals a 'Global Threat' | Common Dreams
"An international team of experts reported today that evidence linking hormone-mimicking chemicals to human health problems has grown stronger over the past decade, becoming a "global threat" that should be addressed."

Did Horsemeat Leave a Bad Taste in Your Mouth? | Common Dreams

Did Horsemeat Leave a Bad Taste in Your Mouth? | Common Dreams
"So while the horse meat issue has created a small earthquake for the food system, we need a seismic shift that will change the current broken food system into a functional one. This would be a system based on ecological farming and have you and I cutting dramatically down on our meat consumption. While the first will be a gradual process, the latter can be started today."

Bills to Label Genetically Engineered Foods Introduced in Illinois and Iowa

Bills to Label Genetically Engineered Foods Introduced in Illinois and Iowa
"Bills were introduced in the Iowa and Illinois state senates last week that would require genetically engineered (GE) foods to be labeled. Iowa's bill would require labeling if a food contains more than nine-tenths of a percent GE ingredients, whereas Illinois' bill has a one percent threshold."

Kansas Bill Would Require Teachers To Misinform Students About Climate Change

Kansas Bill Would Require Teachers To Misinform Students About Climate Change: Last week, the Kansas House Education Committee introduced a bill that mandates teachers question the scientific basis of global warming, becoming the latest state to take up one of American Legislative Exchange Council’s “model bills” aiming to misrepresent climate change in schools. Kansas would join Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Oklahoma as the fifth state to [...]/p

Climate Change Rally Largest in U.S. History

Climate Change Rally Largest in U.S. History
"An estimated 40,000 rallied on a cold day in Washington, DC yesterday to urge President Obama to reject the Keystone XL Pipeline and destructive energy extraction practices, such as fracking."

Industrial Farming Spurs Devastating 'Web' of Air and Water Pollution | Common Dreams

Industrial Farming Spurs Devastating 'Web' of Air and Water Pollution | Common Dreams
"Meat production—namely the crops used to feed livestock—accounts for 80% of the nitrogen and phosphorus used in farming, according to the report. On top of that, the intense run-off of nutrient-infused animal waste at large-scale meat manufacturing facilities contributes significantly to fertilizer pollution in bodies of water."

Sea Shepherd Continues High Seas Standoff After Whalers Attack | Common Dreams

Sea Shepherd Continues High Seas Standoff After Whalers Attack | Common Dreams
"The fight to protect endangered whales in the Antarctic reached a boiling point over the weekend when high-seas activists from the group Sea Shepherd were bombarded by Japanese whalers as they tried to thwart the fleet from hauling in a dead whale."

Thousands Converge: Demand Action from Obama to Avoid 'Climate Disaster' | Common Dreams

Thousands Converge: Demand Action from Obama to Avoid 'Climate Disaster' | Common Dreams
"Following a rally on the National Mall, the gathered crowd— estimated between 35,000 to more than 50,000 people—began a march towards the White House just before 2:00 PM ET."

Thousands Descend on Washington DC to Pressure Obama to Keep His Climate Change Promise | Alternet

Thousands Descend on Washington DC to Pressure Obama to Keep His Climate Change Promise | Alternet
"Thousands of protesters descended on  Washington DC on Sunday demanding Barack Obama shut down the  Keystone XL pipeline project to show he is serious about taking action on climate change.

Organisers said a crowd of 35,000, carrying placards in the shape of bright red stop signs, gathered at the Washington monument on a bright but bitterly cold day for the march on the White House."

PHOTOS: 35,000 Protesters Demand Immediate Climate Action At ‘Largest Climate Rally In U.S. History’

PHOTOS: 35,000 Protesters Demand Immediate Climate Action At ‘Largest Climate Rally In U.S. History’: On Sunday, an estimated crowd of 35,000 people joined the Forward On Climate rally in Washington, DC, where protesters delivered a clear message to President Obama: Take immediate action on climate change by rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Organizers of the rally described as the “largest in U.S. history” also called on the [...]/p

Nuclear Dump in Washington Leaking Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams

Nuclear Dump in Washington Leaking Radioactive Waste | Common Dreams
"Reports that a storage tank for nuclear waste at the Hanford Nuclear facility in Washington state--one of the most contaminated nuclear waste sites in the country--is leaking radioactive waste were confirmed by that state's governor Friday."

America's Environmental Future Starts Now | Common Dreams

America's Environmental Future Starts Now | Common Dreams
"Drought-stricken farmers in Iowa get it. Homeowners from the Jersey Shore get it. Eroding Alaskan native communities get it. Flooded families in New Orleans get it. They will all be part of thousands of people here on Sunday who get it -- America's energy past is dead in the ground. Our energy future is in the air, with wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. The Keystone XL pipeline, which would bring dirty tar sands oil from Canada through the U.S. for export, will lead only to further darkness."

Forward on Climate And Solidarity Rallies Sunday

Forward on Climate And Solidarity Rallies Sunday: I will be at “the largest climate rally in U.S. history” in Washington, DC Sunday (details here). I’ll be tweeting, and, later, CP will have some stories on it. I hope you can make it to the National Mall, February 17, Noon – 4:00 p.m.– but if you can’t,  there are a bunch of solidarity rallies (full [...]/p

The Planetary Crisis of Climate Change is Not Political... It's Physics | Common Dreams

The Planetary Crisis of Climate Change is Not Political... It's Physics | Common Dreams
"Let me be very clear. The issue that we are dealing with today is not political. It has nothing to do with Democrats, Republicans, Independents and all of the political squabbling we see here every day. It has everything to do with physics."

Climate Change Added to US Government “High Risk” List | Common Dreams

Climate Change Added to US Government “High Risk” List | Common Dreams
"For the first time, a U.S. government auditor has added climate change to a list of issues that pose the greatest financial risk to the government and country. It is also warning that Washington is markedly unprepared to deal with the scope of the problem."

Conservatives Aim To Roll Back Kansas Renewable Energy Standard

Conservatives Aim To Roll Back Kansas Renewable Energy Standard: By Matt Kasper Lawmakers in Kansas this week have started to hold hearings regarding the state’s existing renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS). Lawmakers in both the Senate and the House are aiming to roll back the states’ RPS. The Senate Utilities committee voted to pass Senate Bill 82 out of committee and on to the [...]/p

Four States Introduce Keystone XL Resolutions, Lifting Language from ALEC and TransCanada Itself

Four States Introduce Keystone XL Resolutions, Lifting Language from ALEC and TransCanada Itself
"Legislators in four states have introduced bills in recent weeks supporting the controversial TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline, with language that appears to have been lifted directly from a "model" American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) bill and from TransCanada's own public relations talking points."

Ohio Fracking CEO Pleads Not Guilty in Federal Toxic Waste-Dumping Case

Ohio Fracking CEO Pleads Not Guilty in Federal Toxic Waste-Dumping Case
"Ben Lupo, owner of D&L Energy and Hardrock Excavating, pleaded not guilty Thursday to federal felony charges under the Clean Water Act."

Scientists Confirm: Arctic Sea Ice 'Collapse' at Our Door | Common Dreams

Scientists Confirm: Arctic Sea Ice 'Collapse' at Our Door | Common Dreams
"The Arctic Sea is experiencing rapid ice loss at a pace so fast that the area will soon be ice-free in warmer months, scientists confirmed in a report this week—showing a collapse in total sea ice volume to one fifth of its level in 1980."

Habitat Loss and Changing Climate Driving Reptiles to Extinction | Common Dreams

Habitat Loss and Changing Climate Driving Reptiles to Extinction | Common Dreams
"Changing global environments and habitat destruction are driving reptile species to extinction, according to new report published Friday in the journal Biological Conservation."

Arctic Death Spiral Bombshell: CryoSat-2 Confirms Sea Ice Volume Has Collapsed

Arctic Death Spiral Bombshell: CryoSat-2 Confirms Sea Ice Volume Has Collapsed: The sharp drop in Arctic sea ice area has been matched by a harder-to-see, but equally sharp, drop in sea ice thickness. The combined result has been a collapse in total sea ice volume — to one fifth of its level in 1980. Arctic sea ice volume in 1000s of cubic kilometers (via Robinson) Back [...]/p

48 Arrested at Keystone Pipeline Protest as Sierra Club Lifts 120-Year Ban on Civil Disobedience | Alternet

48 Arrested at Keystone Pipeline Protest as Sierra Club Lifts 120-Year Ban on Civil Disobedience | Alternet
"The action came before a rally planned for Sunday on Washington’s National Mall, which organizers have dubbed "the largest climate rally in history"."

The Newly Proposed Carbon Tax Will Fight Global Warming, Protect Low-Income Americans And Reduce The Deficit

The Newly Proposed Carbon Tax Will Fight Global Warming, Protect Low-Income Americans And Reduce The Deficit: By Richard Caperton In the last two years, the biggest extreme weather events cost American families and businesses $188 billion. As we pump more and more greenhouse gas pollution into the atmosphere, these disasters are only going to become more common. We must do something now to take action. And, thanks to a bill that [...]/p

Scientists: US Must Act Now Against 'Dangers' of Toxic Plastics | Common Dreams

Scientists: US Must Act Now Against 'Dangers' of Toxic Plastics | Common Dreams
"Scientists are proposing to reclassify the most polluting of plastics as hazardous materials hopefully enabling governments to do something about the 140 million tons of plastic that litter our roadsides, waterways and shorelines each year."

Denis Hayes: Five Things The President Should Do To Tackle Climate Change

Denis Hayes: Five Things The President Should Do To Tackle Climate Change: To be remembered as a great president, Barack Obama has to address the greatest issue of his time By Denis Hayes, via Crosscut The stature awarded President Obama by future historians will be very largely determined by his response to one issue: climate disruption. The President’s recent speeches, and appointments like our own Sally Jewell (as [...]/p

How The Sequester’s R&D Cuts Will Hurt Science And Innovation

How The Sequester’s R&D Cuts Will Hurt Science And Innovation: After President Obama’s called to attain a “level of research and development not seen since the height of the Space Race” in the State of the Union, universities are renewing their cry for a deal to avoid the so-called “sequester” in order to preserve federal research and development (R&D) funds. ScienceWorksForU.S., a project of the [...]/p

Corporatizing Seeds of the Commons: Patents Enabling BigAg Control | Common Dreams

Corporatizing Seeds of the Commons: Patents Enabling BigAg Control | Common Dreams
"The paradigm shift that has transferred control of seeds from the commons to corporations has brought harmful consequences to farmers, seed diversity and the environment while making a few agricultural firms owners of the "irreplaceable element of all food," according to a report reased Tuesday"

Watch a City-Sized Glacier Collapse | Common Dreams

Watch a City-Sized Glacier Collapse | Common Dreams
"The makers of the movie Chasing Ice were able to capture on film the largest ice calving ever witnessed by humans (so far, but that might not last the way things are going with our planet's climate). It was theJakobshavn Glacier (aka Ilulissat Glacier) in Western Greenland. The apocalyptic event lasted for more than an hour and when things stabilized, the glacier had retreated a full mile across a calving face three miles wide."

February 13 News: Senators To Introduce Climate Legislation With A Carbon Tax

February 13 News: Senators To Introduce Climate Legislation With A Carbon Tax: Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) are expected to outline climate legislation on Thursday morning, which will include a tax on carbon emissions. [The Nation] Senators Bernie Sanders and Barbara Boxer will outline the legislation on Thursday morning. Details are scant, though it’s being billed as “major” and “comprehensive” legislation, and will have [...]/p

GOP ‘Savior’ Marco Rubio Mocks Climate Change

GOP ‘Savior’ Marco Rubio Mocks Climate Change: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) made an appearance on Fox and Friends Wednesday morning less than 12 hours after delivering the GOP rebuttal to President Obama’s State of the Union address. The Republican Party’s newest champion took the time to shoot down the realities of climate change and the kinds of regulations that he himself once [...]/p

Thawing Tundra Threat to Frozen Carbon - Truthdig

Thawing Tundra Threat to Frozen Carbon - Truthdig
"The first kiss of sunlight on the frozen soils of the Arctic could spell increasing trouble as the world warms."

New Report Urges Research Into Environmental Causes of Breast Cancer | Common Dreams

New Report Urges Research Into Environmental Causes of Breast Cancer | Common Dreams
"A federal report released Tuesday urges more research into the environmental causes of breast cancer, including the "cocktail of carcinogens and endocrine disruptors" people are exposed to every day."

State Of Denial: More Dirty Energy Policies Expected From Koch-Fueled Marco Rubio | Alternet

State Of Denial: More Dirty Energy Policies Expected From Koch-Fueled Marco Rubio | Alternet
"After the State of the Union, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), will deliver the Republican response, where he will likely repackage many of the same dirty energy policies that  lost spectacularly among voters in 2012."

US Environment Agency Releases First Climate Adaptation Plan | Common Dreams

US Environment Agency Releases First Climate Adaptation Plan | Common Dreams
"For the first time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has publicly released a draft plan on how the department’s programmes will adapt to global warming, in a move that could lay additional groundwork for important new emissions rulemaking the agency may announce in coming months."

Conservative Folly: How the Right's War on Renewable Energy Could Doom Red States | Alternet

Conservative Folly: How the Right's War on Renewable Energy Could Doom Red States | Alternet
"Right-wing groups are doing everyone a disservice by bashing renewables, but GOP strongholds may have the most to lose."

State Of Denial: More Dirty Energy Policies Expected From Koch-Fueled Marco Rubio

State Of Denial: More Dirty Energy Policies Expected From Koch-Fueled Marco Rubio: After the State of the Union, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), will deliver the Republican response, where he will likely repackage many of the same dirty energy policies that lost spectacularly among voters in 2012. Although Rubio was dubbed by TIME magazine a “new voice of the GOP,” the presidential hopeful sounds no different from the [...]/p

NY Fracking Scandal: Seven Groups Demand Conflict of Interest Investigation of Cuomo Administration | Alternet

NY Fracking Scandal: Seven Groups Demand Conflict of Interest Investigation of Cuomo Administration | Alternet
"Cuomo's chief-of-staff actually has a direct financial interest in fracking going forward in New York state."

Protesters Fight Nestle Bid to Tap into Scenic Columbia River Gorge Spring

Protesters Fight Nestle Bid to Tap into Scenic Columbia River Gorge Spring
"Nestle Waters North America won't be able to tap a spring in the city of Cascade Locks in Oregon's scenic Columbia River Gorge for at least another two or three years, but opponents remain vocal about concerns over the multinational company's proposal."

Time to Take Notice: How Renewable Energy Is Becoming Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels | Alternet

Time to Take Notice: How Renewable Energy Is Becoming Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels | Alternet
"This is why we need to throw everything we have at making renewable energies our primary way of powering America into the 21st century."

Docs Reveal World's Most Biodiverse National Park Targeted by Gas Company | Common Dreams

Docs Reveal World's Most Biodiverse National Park Targeted by Gas Company | Common Dreams
"Previously undisclosed documents obtained by The Guardian newspaper reveal that gas giant Pluspetrol maintains both a desire and a strategy for extraction operations inside Peru's Manú National Park, which conservationists say is one of the most biodiverse areas on the entire planet."

'Future of Food at Stake' as Indiana Farmer Takes Monsanto to Top Court | Common Dreams

'Future of Food at Stake' as Indiana Farmer Takes Monsanto to Top Court | Common Dreams
"75 year old Indiana soybean farmer, Vernon Hugh Bowman, is taking agriculture giant Monsanto to the supreme court over one of the most "systemic crisis" in modern farming: who controls the rights to the seeds planted in the ground."

National Journal Warns The Economic Price Of Climate Change Is Already Here, And Growing

National Journal Warns The Economic Price Of Climate Change Is Already Here, And Growing: National Journal’s Coral Davenport has written a wide-ranging new piece laying out the myriad ways climate change, driven by human carbon emissions, is threatening the American economy. The point is backed up by myriad scientific reports: The draft of the upcoming Fifth Assessment report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change determined that, by more [...]/p

The Meat Industry Consumes Four Times The Amount Of Antibiotics As Sick Americans Do

The Meat Industry Consumes Four Times The Amount Of Antibiotics As Sick Americans Do: The meat industry uses a considerable amount of antibiotics to fight bacteria on its livestock farms — so much so that it actually far outpaces the amount of antibiotics used to treat sick people in the country. According to FDA data compiled by Pew Charitable Trusts, the livestock industry is consuming almost four-fifths of the [...]/p

Why Sterling College Divested from Fossil Fuels | Common Dreams

Why Sterling College Divested from Fossil Fuels | Common Dreams
"Colleges and universities across the United States have an obligation to speak out on the critical environmental and social issues facing our country. The calamitous effects of climate change are directly linked to the educational mission of Sterling College and its focus on ecology and sustainable agriculture."

Radioactive Eye Glasses …Silverware…Zippers…Hip Joints… Anyone? | Common Dreams

Radioactive Eye Glasses …Silverware…Zippers…Hip Joints… Anyone? | Common Dreams
"DOE, the steward of the sprawling—and massively contaminated—American nuclear weapons complex, wants to lift a ban on recycling imposed in 2000. That action came in response to an earlier proposal to sell radioactive metal from DOE facilities to scrap metal recyclers. Once the contaminated metal is mixed into the scrap supply, it could be turned into virtually anything made with metal.
The problem is, products contaminated with radiation give off alpha particles, beta particles, or gamma rays, depending on the radioactive element (radionuclide or radioisotope) present."

The Biggest No-Brainer for Congress: Pass the ACHE Act to Halt Mountaintop Removal Mining | Alternet

The Biggest No-Brainer for Congress: Pass the ACHE Act to Halt Mountaintop Removal Mining | Alternet
"It's time to place a moratorium on new mountaintop removal mining operations while the first comprehensive federal study of the health dangers is conducted."

Conneticut and Hawaii Take Up GMO Labeling Fight | Common Dreams

Conneticut and Hawaii Take Up GMO Labeling Fight | Common Dreams
"The fight to label genetically modified (gmo) foods is now on in Hawaii and Connecticut signaling that, despite big agriculture's defeat of California's Proposition 37 in November, proponents of seed and food sovereignty refuse to back down."

Bill McKibben: Ahead of Keystone XL Rally, Fossil Fuel Divestment Expands Across U.S. Campuses | Alternet

Bill McKibben: Ahead of Keystone XL Rally, Fossil Fuel Divestment Expands Across U.S. Campuses | Alternet
"McKibben talks about the growing movement to divest from fossil fuel companies and what pressuring Washington has achieved so far."

Study Finds 80% of All Antibiotics in US Used for Big-Ag | Common Dreams

Study Finds 80% of All Antibiotics in US Used for Big-Ag | Common Dreams
"In 2011, more antibiotics were sold for use in meat and poultry production than ever before—at least four-fifths of all antibiotics used in the US—according to a new report by Pew Charitable Trusts."

Will Congress Finally Deal With The Health Emergency of Mountaintop Removal? | Common Dreams

Will Congress Finally Deal With The Health Emergency of Mountaintop Removal? | Common Dreams
"With the daily silica-laced blizzard from five million pounds of toxic explosives in the background, U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth and Rep. Louise Slaughter reintroduced the biggest no-brainer bill of the year for Congress -- the Appalachian Community Health Emergency Act."

Being American Is Bad for Your Health | Alternet

Being American Is Bad for Your Health | Alternet
"That stark sentence  appears in the January 2013 issue of the  Journal of the American Medical Association, and it comes from the authors of a landmark report -- "Shorter Lives, Poorer Health" -- on differences among high-income countries."

EU Bans Animal Testing in Cosmetics | Common Dreams

EU Bans Animal Testing in Cosmetics | Common Dreams
"Though a major victory for animals and animal-rights groups, the recent announcement that the European Union is banning the use of animals in cosmetic testing shines a light on the sparse regulation of the chemicals used by the cosmetic industry in the United States."

How Exxon Feels About Our Children

GOP Lawmaker Laments [GOP-Led] ‘Congress Is Not a Reliable Partner’ To Cleantech

GOP Lawmaker Laments [GOP-Led] ‘Congress Is Not a Reliable Partner’ To Cleantech:pby Stephen Lacey via GreenTechMedia It’s nearly impossible to get Congress to agree on anything. But at a clean energy policy forum today, two congressmen — one Republican and one Democrat — agreed on three things: renewable energy is necessary, government should help leverage private investment in the sector, and the upcoming congressional showdown over [...]/p

U.S. Farmers Face Fraught Future - Truthdig

U.S. Farmers Face Fraught Future - Truthdig
"Climate change may force American farmers to alter where they grow crops and to spend millions of dollars more tackling weeds, pests and diseases, a report says. It urges them to consider this as a risk they may have to manage."

Minnesota's Moose in 'Precipitous' Decline | Common Dreams

Minnesota's Moose in 'Precipitous' Decline | Common Dreams
"The moose population in Minnesota is in "precipitous" decline, the state's Department of Natural Resources announced on Wednesday, and adds evidence to a recent report documenting the catastrophe climate change has already brought to the nation's wildlife."

Wild Horses Sold to ‘Kill Buyer’ by BLM Contractor » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Wild Horses Sold to ‘Kill Buyer’ by BLM Contractor » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names
"The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has been trying to convince the public that the BLM does not sell wild horses to slaughter, but the Wild Horse Freedom Federation has obtained proof that a BLM Long Term Holding contractor sold wild horses directly to kill buyer Joe Simon, who is well known for sending horses to slaughter, and who owns JS Ranch (“Farms”) in Perkins, Oklahoma."

Ed Rendell Intervened For Oil Company to Stop EPA Contamination Case Against Range Resources | Common Dreams

Ed Rendell Intervened For Oil Company to Stop EPA Contamination Case Against Range Resources | Common Dreams
"A breaking investigation by EnergyWire appears to connect the dots between shadowy lobbying efforts by shale gas fracking company Range Resources, and the Obama EPA's decision to shut down its high-profile lawsuit against Range for allegedly contaminating groundwater in Weatherford, TX."

Lake Michigan Water Level at All Time Low | Common Dreams

Lake Michigan Water Level at All Time Low | Common Dreams
"Ongoing drought and above average temperatures have pushed the water level in Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, considered a single body of water, to an all time low, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced on Tuesday."

Memo To Media: ‘Climate Sensitivity’ Is NOT The Same As Projected Future Warming, World Faces 10°F Rise

Memo To Media: ‘Climate Sensitivity’ Is NOT The Same As Projected Future Warming, World Faces 10°F Rise: The major media continue to sow confusion on one of the central questions of our time: How much warming will we subject our children and countless future generations to? The answer to that question depends primarily on four factors: The so-called “equilibrium climate sensitivity” – the sensitivity of the climate to fast feedbacks like sea ice [...]/p

Oklahoma Woman Locks Her Neck to Keystone XL Construction Equipment | Common Dreams

Oklahoma Woman Locks Her Neck to Keystone XL Construction Equipment | Common Dreams
"Early this morning Norman, Oklahoma resident Elisabeth Leja locked her neck to equipment used in constructing the Keystone XL pipeline. Citing concerns for Oklahoma’s waterways, and their importance for the health of future generations, her actions have halted construction at the site on Highway 62, just North of the North Canadian River, for the day. The Gulf Coast segment is being actively constructed in Oklahoma and Texas, despite objections by impacted communities."