Politics

Climate vote threatens some Democrats' careers.

Republicans claim passage of the Clean Energy act will result in millions of jobs moving overseas to countries with much less stringent environmental standards, countries like China and India. Politico

Curiously slow.

Why has spending money proved so hard, when the whole point of the stimulus was to jolt the economy? Although the role of funding green-energy projects has grown in prominence, old priorities still suck up the biggest share of the government's people and money. Economist

Solutions

Atonement in a drive for wind power.

A guilty conscience turned Min Deqing into northwestern China’s unlikely prophet of wind and solar energy. As operations director at the main coal-fired power plant in Lanzhou he delayed installing costly air pollution control equipment for three years. New York Times

Los Angeles will end use of coal-fired power, mayor vows.

Consumers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the largest city-owned utility in the United States with 1.45 million electricity customers, will see higher power bills in the fight against climate change, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. Reuters

Other News

Editorials

The carbonated Congress.

President Obama is calling the climate bill that the House passed last week an "extraordinary" achievement, and so it is. The 1,200-page wonder manages the supreme feat of being both hugely expensive while doing almost nothing to reduce carbon emissions. Wall Street Journal

Energy bill, while imperfect, is an important first step.

So much for the theory that Republicans and Democrats never see eye to eye: Conservatives and liberals are saying the energy bill their house of Congress passed last week will need a lot of work in the Senate before they'll support it. San Jose Mercury News

The coal question.

Coal is at the epicenter of America's tug-of-war between pollution and affordable energy, and nowhere does the conflict play out better than in Virginia. Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star

Opinion

Building a secure future in Bangladesh.

While others make plans for overpopulation, global warming mitigation and sustainable development, in Bangladesh, it is time for action. And the leadership is coming from within. BBC

The EPA silences a climate skeptic.

Alan Carlin, a 35-year EPA veteran, is an explanation for why the science debate is little reported in this country. The professional penalty for offering a contrary view to elites like Al Gore is a smear campaign. Wall Street Journal

Climate change in the land of great drought.

Given that droughts represent a recurring reality, why does each new occurrence seem to be a surprise? Toronto Globe and Mail

Climate declaration to get global boost.

The U.S., European Union and 12 of the world's largest nations plan to embrace "an aspirational goal" of reducing emissions of global-warming gases by 50% by 2050, according to a draft declaration by world leaders set for release next week in Italy. Wall Street Journal

Green power takes root in the Chinese desert.

Dave and Melody/flickr

Through a combination of carrots and sticks, Beijing is steering an immense push toward wind and solar power, while the U.S. is just starting. New York Times

Power station protesters guilty.

Jono Brennan/flickr

Twenty-two environmental campaigners have been found guilty of obstructing a train carrying coal to Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire. BBC

Lowering the baa (or how our sheep are shrinking)

Keith Marshall/flickr

Everyone knows that woolly jumpers shrink in a hot wash. Now scientists say warm weather is causing sheep to get smaller. London Daily Mail

What the future of the auto industry will look like.

Surging demand for cars in rapidly growing nations will mean a robust car industry in 20 years. The US will have a piece of it--though smaller than today--and the models it turns out will be much greener as the iconic industry reinvents itself. Christian Science Monitor

Green jobs growing, but destroying others?

Clean-energy research and engineering posts could be poised for a growth spurt in the United States if a predicted 'green-job' explosion becomes reality. But some critics suggest that green jobs are replacing other jobs and are costly to create. Nature

Reappraising aerosols.

Atmospheric aerosols may be offsetting greenhouse warming to a lesser extent than previously thought, suggests a new study. Nature

Can this man save the planet?

United Nations

Todd Stern is supposed to negotiate a treaty that can fix the climate—and pass the Senate. Guess which is harder? Mother Jones

A Tasmanian tragedy?

Tasmanian industrial foresters and environmentalists have been fighting over the issue of clearcutting the island’s forests for decades. The battle is over nothing less than the future of Tasmania, and an important resource for mitigating climate change. Mongabay


Inside TDC
Greenwire 02 Jul
Denver Post 27 Jun

Udall: The final frontier.

We desperately need a rapid energy transformation, but wishing can't make it so.

Action on climate change.

This time, we’re all going to the moon.

Buffalo News 02 Jul
New Republic 02 Jul
BBC 02 Jul

Friday, July 3 2009

Top Consequences

Lowering the baa (or how our sheep are shrinking)

Everyone knows that woolly jumpers shrink in a hot wash. Now scientists say warm weather is causing sheep to get smaller. London Daily Mail

Mopping up after city's deluge will cost millions.

Millions of euro worth of damage was caused yesterday after Dublin was swamped by a record two weeks' worth of rain in one hour. The city's new Lord Mayor Councillor Emer Costello called the deluge "a direct consequence of climate change." Dublin Irish Independent

Severe drought conditions in western Saskatchewan.

Drought conditions in western Saskatchewan have left crop producers thinking they won't see any fruits of their many efforts this year and at least one expert pointing to billions in costs to Canada's economy. Regina Leader-Post

Top Solutions

Green power takes root in the Chinese desert.

Through a combination of carrots and sticks, Beijing is steering an immense push toward wind and solar power, while the U.S. is just starting. New York Times

Green jobs growing, but destroying others?

Clean-energy research and engineering posts could be poised for a growth spurt in the United States if a predicted 'green-job' explosion becomes reality. But some critics suggest that green jobs are replacing other jobs and are costly to create. Nature

Atonement in a drive for wind power.

A guilty conscience turned Min Deqing into northwestern China’s unlikely prophet of wind and solar energy. As operations director at the main coal-fired power plant in Lanzhou he delayed installing costly air pollution control equipment for three years. New York Times

Top Causes

What the future of the auto industry will look like.

Surging demand for cars in rapidly growing nations will mean a robust car industry in 20 years. The US will have a piece of it--though smaller than today--and the models it turns out will be much greener as the iconic industry reinvents itself. Christian Science Monitor

Reappraising aerosols.

Atmospheric aerosols may be offsetting greenhouse warming to a lesser extent than previously thought, suggests a new study. Nature

A Tasmanian tragedy?

Tasmanian industrial foresters and environmentalists have been fighting over the issue of clearcutting the island’s forests for decades. The battle is over nothing less than the future of Tasmania, and an important resource for mitigating climate change. Mongabay

Top Politics

Climate declaration to get global boost.

The U.S., European Union and 12 of the world's largest nations plan to embrace "an aspirational goal" of reducing emissions of global-warming gases by 50% by 2050, according to a draft declaration by world leaders set for release next week in Italy. Wall Street Journal

Power station protesters guilty.

Twenty-two environmental campaigners have been found guilty of obstructing a train carrying coal to Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire. BBC

Can this man save the planet?

Todd Stern is supposed to negotiate a treaty that can fix the climate—and pass the Senate. Guess which is harder? Mother Jones

From the Daily Climate Newsroom

Calling for action, White House underscores climate impact.

17 June 2009
Calling for action, White House underscores climate impact.
chascar/flickr

A report showing that climate disruption is already leaving deep imprints on every sector of the environment and that the consequences of these changes will grow steadily worse in coming decades was released Tuesday by the Obama Administration. more

Climate change hitting poor in U.S. hardest.

29 May 2009
Climate change hitting poor in U.S. hardest.
GreenAction

Climate change is disproportionately affecting the poor and minorities in the United States – a "climate gap" that will grow in coming decades unless policymakers intervene. more

Drought, conflict and tension in Andes.

19 May 2009
Drought, conflict and tension in Andes.
Icelight/flickr

Rapid disappearance of Andean glaciers is already producing conflicts in the region and is likely to force major human migrations in the relatively near future. more

The Andes' triple bottom line.

11 May 2009
The Andes' triple bottom line.
(c) Walter Hupiú

Climate change is hitting South America with a triple whammy: More water stress, more migration, more disease. more

Andes at risk: Slideshow.

11 May 2009
Andes at risk: Slideshow.
Walter Hupiú

Climate change is further straining Peru's already stressed public health system. Two minute slideshow. more