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Climate Change

Building A Trump-Free, Fossil-Free Future

April 30, 2017 Jeremy Brecher, www.wagingnonviolence.org , ,
By Jeremy Brecher for Waging Nonviolence. As the thousands of foot-weary protesters leave the April 29 Peoples Climate March in Washington, D.C. — and its scores of sister marches around the country — one question will no doubt be foremost on their minds: How can a march, or indeed any other action they take, force a reversal in the world’s hurtle to climate doom? After all, a single march, no matter how large, is not going to force President Trump and his administration of fossil-fuel company executives and climate-change deniers to reverse course. They have already cancelled the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan, authorized drilling and mining on public lands, and gutted regulations that protect local people and environments against the extraction of fossil fuels. He has cleared the way for the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines. His allies in Congress are whetting their knives to gut the Clean Air, Clean Water and Environmental Policy Acts. The fossil fuel industry is lining up for permits to build new infrastructure that will accelerate global warming and threaten local environments to boot.

Trump’s Climate Cuts Could Result In Half-Billion Extra Tons Of CO2 In The Air

April 27, 2017 Marianne Lavelle, www.insideclimatenews.org , ,
By Marianne Lavelle for Inside Climate News - President Donald Trump's planned climate change policies could lead to an extra half a billion tons of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by 2025, according to a new analysis. That is equal to the annual electricity emissions of 60 percent of U.S. homes. Climate Advisers, a Washington consultancy, predicts that U.S. carbon emissions, which have been falling, will begin to flatten or increase by 2020 if the Trump administration succeeds in repealing the Clean Power Plan and other Obama-era regulations. In other words, decisions made today will have a delayed effect—but a prolonged one. "We found that the 'Trump Effect' really begins to bite into the U.S. emissions trajectory in 2025—since many of the factors influencing today's emissions trajectory can't be reversed quickly," the report said. The analysis assumes that some regulations are more vulnerable than others to rollbacks. The Clean Power Plan to curb carbon emissions from power plants, methane rules covering the oil and gas industry and a handful of efficiency regulations are "highly vulnerable" in the consulting firm's view, either because they're high profile or because they haven't been fully implemented.

March For Science Fact Checks Administration On Earth Day

April 23, 2017 John Zangas, www.dcmediagroup.us , , , , ,
By John Zangas for DC Media Group. The March for Science was deemed by organizers as a non partisan, non political event but based on the wording of many signs political viewpoints were evident everywhere. By the hundreds they carried various hand made signs spelling out topics of concern over recent policy changes which they believe if enacted will adversely affect people and planet. Some signs were technical references to science facts, while others were plain and direct. “There is no Planet B” read one sign, “Science is not right or left”, and “The Oceans are rising and so are we” read others. “I see a lot of good science has done for my patients and I feel like it’s vital that we continue to support it,” said Erika McKee, a nurse from Washington DC, marching with friends who are doctors and scientists working at the NIH.

Carbon Credits Likely Worthless In Reducing Emissions, Study Says

April 22, 2017 Nicholas Kusnetz, www.insideclimatenews.org ,
By Nicholas Kusnetz for Inside Climate News - As nations grapple with how they can slash their emissions as part of the Paris climate agreement, some may use international credit schemes that were approved in the treaty process. A new report from the European Commission casts serious doubts about such credits, however, concluding that the vast majority of them likely fail to actually reduce emissions. The report, which was written last year but not published until this April, concludes that buying and selling emissions credits for overseas projects should be limited to a select list that meet rigorous standards, and used only as part of a transition to more effective policies for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. "Given the inherent shortcomings of crediting mechanisms, we recommend focusing climate mitigation efforts on forms of carbon pricing that do not rely extensively on credits," the report said, adding that credits should play only a limited role after 2020. "It's a confirmation that offsetting is fundamentally problematic," said Aki Kachi, international policy director for Carbon Market Watch, an advocacy group in Brussels.

Concerned About Climate Change? Change Where You Bank!

April 20, 2017 Todd Larsen, www.otherwords.org ,
By Todd Larsen for Other Words - At the end of April, hundreds of thousands of people will take part in the People’s Climate March in DC and around the country. The march will send a clear message that the majority of Americans understand that climate change is all too real — and they’ll continue to raise their voices until the government takes action. The march is also a great way to inspire people to take action for climate solutions in their own communities — whether by calling their elected officials or speaking up at town halls, pushing their local and state governments to act, or working with schools and houses of worship to address the climate crisis without waiting for Washington. If all that’s not for you, there may be an even simpler option: Move your money. Many people might not realize that their savings may be working directly against efforts to address climate change. If you bank with any of the largest American banks — including Citibank, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo — then every dollar you put in to your checking and savings accounts is funding fossil fuel development across the country.

Keystone XL Opponents Target Banks Funding Climate Destruction

April 17, 2017 Lauren McCauley, www.commondreams.org , ,
By Lauren McCauley for Common Dreams - Kicking off a week of actions targeting the institutions financing the controversial Keystone XL (KXL) tar sands pipelines, activists on Saturday protested at banks in 25 cities to shine a spotlight on the roll they are having on climate destruction. "It's back—and so are we," reads the call to action. After fierce nationwide opposition forced the Obama administration to halt the project, President Donald Trump has given it the green light and the climate movement has vowed to fight it once again. The peaceful demonstrations are "designed to shine a spotlight on the the four key financial institutions bankrolling the KXL pipeline— Citibank, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and TD Bank—and pressure them and the broader financial community to pull out and 'defund' the project," said the Rainforest Action Network, which is organizing the week of protest. In addition to demonstrating outside banks, activists across the country are also planning a banner drop in Los Angeles and a protest targeting local government in San Franciscothroughout the week of action, which will culminate on Earth Day. Find an action near you here.

Good Thing People Saved Climate Research; It’s Being Removed

April 17, 2017 Kim Brown, www.therealnews.com ,
By Kim Brown for The Real News Network - Welcome to The Real News Network in Baltimore. I'm Kim Brown. Science, particularly climate change science, is under attack in the United States. As government rolls back regulations to protect our health and environment, they are also removing scientific data from public government websites. In response scientists are mounting a protest in Washington, D.C., on Earth Day, which this year falls on April 22nd, and our next guest says that her own citations have been removed by the Trump administration. Joining us today from New York City is Victoria Herrmann. She is the President and Managing Director of the Arctic Institute, where her research focuses on the intersection of both climate change adaptation and human development. She's also a National Geographic explorer; she's also a Gates Scholar at the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University. Joining us today from New York, Victoria, thank you so much for being here.

Countries Must Transition To Renewables Sooner To Meet Climate Goal

April 15, 2017 Yessenia Funes, www.colorlines.com ,
By Yessenia Funes for Color Lines - A study published yesterday (April 13) in the journal Nature Communications shows countries that have signed the Paris Climate Accord must reduce their carbon emissions much sooner than anticipated to reach the agreement’s goal. Meeting that goal means that fossil fuels should make up less than a quarter of global energy production by 2100 when they currently power the world’s energy almost entirely. The study, by researchers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, shows that this shift needs to happen “well before 2040,” according to a press release, which individual countries aren’t on track to accomplish. “This study gives a broad accounting of the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, where it comes from and where it goes,” said World Bank consultant Brian Walsh, who led the study, in the press release. “We take into account not just emissions from fossil fuels, but also agriculture, land use, food production, bioenergy, and carbon uptake by natural ecosystems.” Even if countries took on a “high renewable” energy plan where wind, solar and bioenergy increase production by five percent a year...

Energy Dept. Scrubs Paris Agreement From Climate Page

April 11, 2017 Brian Kahn, www.climatecentral.org ,
By Brian Kahn for Climate Central - The expunging of climate information from government websites under President Trump continues to march forward with the latest changes happening to the Energy Department. The agency’s climate change page once prominently featured a video about the Paris Agreement along with extra links to climate information. Now it’s a little more barren. While the main text has remained, the Paris Agreement video is gone, replaced by a stock photo of the earth on a patch of grass. The caption for the video, which linked to the Energy Department’s report from the 2015 climate talks and a page on how to solve climate change, has also disappeared, though those pages remain accessible.

Climate Change: No One Is Exempt

April 10, 2017 Sarah “Steve” Mosko, www.sarahmosko.wordpress.com , ,
By Sarah “Steve” Mosko for Boogie Green - Luckier Americans are insulated from many everyday worries, like struggling to pay the rent or mortgage on time. Some even enjoy life in gated communities, fine dining and first-class travel. But, just as money is no guarantee of happiness, neither is it assurance of protection against all of the frightening impacts of unchecked global warming. 2016 was the third straight year that the Earth’s temperature was the hottest on record. Contrary to what one might hear in politicized discourse, climate scientists are nearly unanimous in concluding climate change is happening and is the result of burning fossil fuels for energy. The United Nations and scientific organizations worldwide warn that effects of climate change are already being felt...

America’s Farmers Face Uncertain Future

April 10, 2017 Tim Radford for Climate News Network, www.climatenewsnetwork.net ,
By Tim Radford for Climate News Network. LONDON, 5 April, 2017 – Spare a thought for the farmers of America: climate change is going to make their lives more difficult. Growing seasons will be extended, as spring arrives ever earlier and winter’s onset is delayed. But that also throws one of farming’s great specifics into new uncertainty. What matters most immediately to farmers is not just the overall pattern of rain and sunlight; it is the number of days on which they can successfully and fruitfully work the soil. And this, say agricultural researchers, is crucial. Working days “Everything else flows from field working days,” says Adam Davis, an ecologist for the US Department of Agriculture and a crop scientist at the University of Illinois. “If you’re not able to work, everything else gets backed up.

Dear Scott Pruitt, You’re Making A Mockery Of EPA

April 8, 2017 Michael Cox, www.crosscut.com ,
By Michael Cox for Crosscut - Dear Administrator Pruitt, My name is Michael Cox. Today is my last day after working at EPA for over 25 years. I am writing this note because I, along with many EPA staff, are becoming increasing alarmed about the direction of EPA under your leadership. I understand there are people in the country who distrust EPA, and think we are overreaching our mission. I believe we need to listen to those voices and try to make changes where warranted. However, I, and many staff, firmly believe the policies this Administration is advancing are contrary to what the majority of the American people, who pay our salaries, want EPA to accomplish, which are to ensure the air their children breath is safe

Ancestor, What Did YOU Do During The Great Transition?

April 5, 2017 Pamela Boyce Simms, www.geo.coop ,
By, Pamela Boyce Simms for Grassroots Economic Organizing - It was an era of tremendous uncertainty, —even about the preservation of the core elements which are basic to human existence! Old, outworn, divisive systems that were no match for the level of complexity manifest in 21st century challenges had begun to crumble. Unhinged leadership exacerbated and hastened the disintegration. The new kakistocratic administration in Washington DC had begun to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A 31%, budget cut was on the horizon as regulations which had kept toxins out of the people's food, water, and the air were rolled back. The EPA’s Office of Environmental Justice, protector of marginalized populations which historically bore the brunt of environmental degradation, evaporated early in that process.

Scott Pruitt’s EPA Investigating Him For Climate Denial

April 5, 2017 Andrew Freedman, www.mashable.com , ,
By Andrew Freedman for Mashable - EPA head Scott Pruitt may have broken integrity rules by denying global warming. A pile of future carbon dioxide emissions, also known as coal. Well, this is a new one. Scott Pruitt, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is under investigation by his own agency for misstating the basic scientific consensus on human-caused global warming. Turns out that providing misguiding scientific information to the public isn't a cool thing to do, after all — even in the Trump administration. EPA administrator Scott Pruitt is fast becoming one of the most controversial of President Donald Trump's cabinet picks. He is leading the push to unravel the Obama administration's landmark climate change policies while overseeing a historic downsizing of the agency he runs.

Judge Throws Out ExxonMobil Challenge To Climate Investigations

April 5, 2017 David Hasemyer, www.insideclimatenews.org ,
By David Hasemyer for Inside Climate News - A lawsuit by ExxonMobil seeking to block climate change fraud investigations by the attorneys general of Massachusetts and New York has been dismissed—at least for now. The ruling came from the New York federal judge who took over the case last week after a judge in Texas transferred it to her jurisdiction. Although the order by U.S. District Court Judge Valerie Caproni puts an end to the lawsuit filed by Exxon in Texas last year, the case may be refiled in as little as a month. Caproni issued her order within a day of being assigned the case. It was a mostly procedural action to reset the suit for consideration in New York. She set an April 12 deadline for Exxon and the attorneys general to file briefs outlining how the two sides expect to proceed.
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