Joseph J. Romm's Blog, page 1169

The Politico says, "CLIMATE BILL BACK FROM THE DEAD, complete with carbon price," but the smart money — or at least the sadder but wiser money — says team Obama is just not that into it.

Back on June 21, I wrote, "It's alive! An energy bill that puts a price on carbon is now officially undead."

Back then, my sources gave the chances for passage this year of comprehensive energy legislation that included a cap on utility greenhouse gas emissions as 50-50.  But that presupposed a very hard push — messaging and arm-twisting — from Obama and his team.  Since that hasn't happened, we're now probably at best 50-50 for any energy bill at all!

True, the Politico reported today...

Review of the must-read book: Merchants of Doubt - How a handful of scientists obscured the truth on issues from smoking to global warming

JR: I loved "Merchants of Doubt."  But before I could write my review, guest blogger John Atcheson wrote his.  John has more than 30 years in energy and the environment with government, private industry, and the nation's leading think tanks (see "Utility decoupling on steroids.")  He is working on his own novel about climate change.

In Merchants of Doubt Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway take us on a fascinating trip down what they call Tobacco Road.  Take the journey with them, and you'll see ...

Review of the must-read book: Merchants of Doubt - How a handful of scientists obscured the truth on issues from smoke to global warming

JR: I loved "Merchants of Doubt."  But before I could write my review, guest blogger John Atcheson wrote his.  John has more than 30 years in energy and the environment with government, private industry, and the nation's leading think tanks (see "Utility decoupling on steroids.")  He is working on his own novel about climate change.

In Merchants of Doubt Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway take us on a fascinating trip down what they call Tobacco Road.  Take the journey with them, and you'll see ...

What do you think of the Union of Concerned Scientists ad campaign, "Scientists are Curious for Life"?

The Union of Concerned Scientists has launched a new ad campaign.  It is part of their long-standing effort to shine a light on the scientific truth about human-caused global warming.

The thinking behind the ads, according to UCS President Kevin Knobloch, is that "People like science and scientists, but they often don't have a good idea of who they are as people."

Of Dr. Inouye, we find out:

Ever since I was a kid, I've been asking questions about the birds and the bees. How do they fly...

Energy and Global Warming News for July 14: China surges past U.S., Europe in clean-energy financing; $200 million for smart grid innovation

China Surges Past U.S., Europe in Clean-Energy Asset Financing

China attracted more asset financing in clean-energy technology in the second quarter than Europe and the U.S. combined, Bloomberg New Energy Finance said.

Financing of wind turbines, solar panels and low-carbon technology in China climbed 72 percent to $11.5 billion compared with the year-earlier quarter, Bloomberg New Energy Finance said in an e-mailed statement. U.S. investments in clean energy rose to $4.9 billion while in...

Interview with scientist Stephen Schneider on his "Expert Credibility in Climate Change" study

Last month I wrote about the new study that reaffirmed the broad scientific understanding of climate change and questioned the media's reliance on a tiny group of less-credibile scientists for "balance." The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study "Expert credibility in climate change," was predictably attacked and misrepresented by the disinformers as part of their ongoing efforts to promote their fringe anti-science views.

To set the record straight,

Big Giveaways To Big Oil - NYT: "An examination of the American tax code indicates that oil production is among the most heavily subsidized businesses."

Climate Progress has noted again and again, it's time to "Turn Off the Oil Subsidy Spigot."  Think Progress has an excellent analysis here on why:

Last month, a proposal by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) that would have cut $35 billion in taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil companies was soundly defeated in the Senate by a 35-61 vote, with every Republican and 21 Democrats voting against it. "Twenty-two percent of the children in this country live in poverty, we have record-breaking deficits, we...

Energy and Global Warming News for July 13: EV backers launch new ads; Rising sea drives Panama islanders to mainland; J.R. Ewing: Solar warrior?

[Oops -- forgot to put this where folks could see it!:]

Electric-car backers launch new ads as energy votes loom

A corporate coalition seeking Capitol Hill support for bills that expand the market for electric vehicles is ramping up an ad campaign that promotes the technology as a cure for reliance on oil imports.

The latest ad from the Electrification Coalition comes ahead of Senate debate on far-reaching energy legislation that Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) plans to bring to the...

Climate scientists: "The urgent need to act cannot be overstated." - "Climate change caused by humans is already affecting our lives and livelihoods — with extreme storms, unusual floods and droughts, intense heat waves, rising seas and many changes in

Today, a large body of evidence has been collected to support the broad scientific understanding that global climate warming, as evident these last few decades, is unprecedented for the past 1000 years — and this change is due to human activities.  This conclusion is based on decades of rigorous research by thousands of scientists and endorsed by all of the world's major national science academies….

Although uncertainties remain, they concern issues like the rate of melting of major ice...

Climate scientists: "The urgent need to act cannot be overstated." - "Climate change caused by humans is already affecting our lives and livelihoods — with extreme storms, unusual floods and droughts, intense heat waves, rising seas and many changes in

Today, a large body of evidence has been collected to support the broad scientific understanding that global climate warming, as evident these last few decades, is unprecedented for the past 1000 years — and this change is due to human activities.  This conclusion is based on decades of rigorous research by thousands of scientists and endorsed by all of the world's major national science academies….

Although uncertainties remain, they concern issues like the rate of melting of major ice...