Just What The World Needs…

Page December 29th, 2007

So, we’re coming to the end of another year. We’ve learned a lot about our world this year, and not all of it is good news. Scientists are predicting that it will only be 5-6 years before Arctic summers are ice-free. 2007 was the second-hottest year on record. Climate change is resulting in more natural disasters, and affecting wildlife and humans alike. Through his movie An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore did his damndest to sound the alarm about climate change, and get us to realize that we can take action.

Predictably, his movie was barely out before big oil-funded free market think tanks were scrambling to refute everything the movie - and the science - was saying. “AL GORE IS A NAZI!” they screamed on Fox News. “DON’T BELIEVE HIM!”.

There were even documentaries made to present a “balanced” view to the public, parroting James Inhofe (R-Exxon)’s famous babble that climate change is a hoax. Glenn Beck hosted “A Climate of Fear” on CNN (with hilariously dismal ratings). And, in the UK, “The Great Global Warming Swindle” was aired on ITV’s Channel 4. The makers trotted out the usual suspects, “scientists” who are prominent members of the Global Warming Deniers Hall of Shame, like Patrick Michaels (”[Gore’s movie is a] riveting work of science fiction”) and John Christy (co-author of Global Warming and Other Eco-Myths).

Despite all of this, the truth still prevails (even on the cover of Newsweek); despite the fact that the US federal government is abysmal at reducing carbon emissions and admitting the truth about climate change, a number of governors around the nation have decided to take matters into their own hands, including several Republicans. Arnold Schwarzenegger is one; Charlie Crist, the Republican governor of Florida, is another (read about his climate initiatives here).

So Crist’s cabinet must have been scratching their collective heads and saying “Um, thanks. Really, you shouldn’t have… really!” when they received a very special holiday gift from Florida Attorney General (and former Republican Congressman) Bill McCollum:

Attorney General Bill McCollum isn’t buying Gov. Charlie Crist’s belief that global warming is a threat to Florida and the world. Shortly before Christmas, McCollum sent a memo (Word file) to Crist and the other Cabinet members, advising them that “the science is not all in” on the subject and urging them to view the enclosed DVD, a British television documentary called The Great Global Warming Swindle. (It costs $19.99, and this is not exactly “It’s a Wonderful Life.”)

The letter is short:

Thank you for the opportunity to participate in our recent climate change workshops.

While many believe the science of global warming is undisputed, I would encourage you to view the attached DVD documentary.

Your leadership on this important issue is appreciated.

Dude, let me repeat: your own governor gets it. He was the first Florida governor to get it. He’s even a Republican. The rest of his cabinet gets it, so why don’t you?

No offense, but I’m sure those DVDs will make nice coasters or Frisbees.

(Hat tip to dailyKos diarist kansasr.)

• Politics , Environment , Climate Change , Republicans
• Comments(0)

Page November 14th, 2007

CO₂ emissions, that is.

Countries with highest CO2-emitting power sectors (tonnes per year). Click to enlarge.

A very short article in Nature news tells all:

The city of Taichung in Taiwan is home to a power plant that emits more than 37 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, the highest of any plant in the world. Australia produces more carbon dioxide per capita through electricity generation than any other nation. But the US power sector still produces the most carbon dioxide in terms of sheer volume.

The data come from a soon-to-be public database established by the Center for Global Development, who argues that such emission data be made public because:

We cannot wait for national policymakers to break this deadlock [regarding emissions limitations], because many are hamstrung by powerful, organized constituencies that fear the cost of adjusting to a low-carbon future. At the same time, a potentially-dominant constituency awaits mobilization in developed countries, as well as in China, India and other developing nations. Hundreds of millions of concerned global citizens can promote climate-friendly products and technologies as consumers, investors, shareholders, managers and workers. All they need to act is timely, accurate, publicly-available information about the choices they face. To meet this challenge, CGD will launch a global, web-based initiative that will promote carbon emissions reduction using public disclosure techniques that have significantly reduced conventional pollution in both developed and developing countries.

The Carbon Monitoring for Action website is not yet available for perusal. [Update: yes, it is. Click here.] According to the Nature article, the database it provides will “[contain] emissions and energy data from more than 4,000 power companies and 50,000 power plants around the globe”. I’m looking forward to seeing the site, and am hoping that my Greenpeace friends will be able to decipher how “legit” it is. It’s not a climate change denier haven, but at the same time, I’m wondering how much of a free market leaning they have. I hope the database is accurate. At first glance, it sure looks like the stats are at least qualitatively right. [Another update: see Kevin Ummel’s comment below for more on the site.]

I like transparency. I wish we had more of it. And I love action, so… take some! Click the little guy, and join the energy [r]evolution.

• Environment , Climate Change
• Comments(2)

Page October 31st, 2007

How cool would this be? From Mark Hertsgaard via Alternet:

Fresh from winning the Nobel peace prize for his climate change evangelism, Al Gore is apparently considering an invitation from a prominent environmental group to engage in civil disobedience against the construction of new coal-fired power plants.

Rainforest Action Network issued the invitation to the former U.S. vice president, according to RAN executive director Michael Brune. The San Francisco-based group has a twenty year history of protesting against destructive logging practices and other causes of climate change; it specializes in targeting corporations as much as governments.

The king of Eco-Geekery, my friend Brian, blogged “Good on Gore: going all Gandhi” a while back, telling us about Gore’s comment “I can’t understand why there aren’t rings of young people blocking bulldozers, and preventing them from constructing coal-fired power plants,”.

More from Hertsgaard:

If Gore did end up getting arrested during a protest against coal-fired power plant, it would make front page news throughout the world and put a spotlight on what some climate scientists and activists consider the single most important priority in the fight against climate change: halting the use of coal as the world’s top source of electricity production.

And that’s exactly right. I’m only a fledgling activist with Greenpeace (I’ve only done 5 actions with Greenpeace, two of them being coal actions - just call me Crane Girl), but even I know that the whole goal of doing actions is to bring attention to the issue, not to get arrested… and of course, since these actions are nonviolent civil disobedience, you’re going to get arrested. It’s a consequence. Not the goal.

And just like Greenpeace, Gore has been working with governments around the world to effect change, and get them to act to slow down climate change. But sometimes, urgent issues require putting exclamation points on the negotiations with governments, and that’s exactly what creative direct action groups do.

So, I hope Gore goes for it. I’m trying to imagine being chained to something with him. “Hey, Mr. Vice President… er, President, want an energy bar?”

Thanks, Al, for all you’re doing. You’ve been phenomenal.

• Environment , Activism , Climate Change
• Comments(0)