Joseph J. Romm's Blog, page 1206

Berm Notice: Jindal demagogues sand barrier 'solution' that probably won't help, will take many months, use up valuable resources, vanish in the first storm — and many scientists think will make things worse - Coastal geologist: "I have yet to speak to

"In the end, we have a project that is incredibly expensive. There has been little scientific review. It is questionable if the proposed berm will prevent oil from entering the wetlands it is designed to protect. The structure will be very short-lived. And there are many potential negative impacts of this structure on the coastal environment that have not been evaluated. Coastal dredging and filling can cause significant damage to marine organisms and local ecosystems as massive...

Berm Notice: Jindal demagogues sand barrier 'solution' that probably won't help, will take many months, use up valuable resources, vanish in the first storm — and many scientists think will make things worse - Coastal geologist: "I have yet to speak to

"In the end, we have a project that is incredibly expensive. There has been little scientific review. It is questionable if the proposed berm will prevent oil from entering the wetlands it is designed to protect. The structure will be very short-lived. And there are many potential negative impacts of this structure on the coastal environment that have not been evaluated. Coastal dredging and filling can cause significant damage to marine organisms and local ecosystems as massive...

Energy and Global Warming News for June 25: LED 'lamps' are coming; Natural gas use likely to double — MIT; Dire climate change warning to Australia

An LED That Mimics an Old Standby

The ubiquitous 40- and 60-watt incandescent light bulbs are supposed to be in their last few years of existence; a phase-out of incandescents mandated by the federal government begins next year with the 100-watt model and works its way down to the smaller bulbs in 2014.

Bulb manufacturers are working on a variety of replacements, including halogens, which, like incandescents, make light by letting current flow through a filament. Others will be...

The 'energy-only bill' mirage - Why an energy bill could fail without pollution reduction measures or revenue

Back in February, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said, "This is the time, this is the Congress, and this is the moment.  So if we retreat and try to just go to the energy only approach which will never yield the legislative results that I want on energy independence, then we just made the problem worse."

CAP's Daniel J. Weiss explains why Graham was right, why "comprehensive" energy bills that don't reduce pollution or raise revenue are set up to fail.

"Oh, just like the desert shows a thirsty man

BP's approval ratings approach Saddam Hussein's

Considering the devastation that BP has caused, it's not surprising that the company is unpopular. But, as Think Progress reports, a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll reveals just how low the company's favorability ratings have plummeted — below O.J. Simpson's and approaching those of individuals our nation has gone to war against:

Indeed, the poll shows that only 6 percent have a favorable rating of BP. In the history of the NBC News/Journal poll, Saddam Hussein (3 percent), Fidel Castro (3...

Florida's Rubio: Offshore drilling is 'being done safely all over the world'

On Wednesday, Florida Senate candidate Marc Rubio (R-FL) waffled on the dangers of offshore drilling even as his state's beaches were being destroyed by the BP oil disaster.  Wonk Room's Brad Johnson has the story.

"I hope we reach a point where we don't use any petroleum," he told CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "but in the short term, the truth is that America has to increase its domestic energy production." Rubio said that he only wanted more deep-water drilling "if it can be done safely," but ...

Record heat sweeps DC, nation, and world — Washington Post staff sleepwalks through the story - Masters: "Extreme heat wave sets all-time high temperature records in Africa and Middle East"

As NOAA reported early this month, globally it's the warmest May, spring, and Jan-May on record.  Steve Scolnik of Capital Climate put together this U.S. chart:

It's been so hot in DC — "The official Washington DC temperature of 99° at 2 pm today has already broken the heat record for June 24 set in 1894" — that even the Washington Post noticed.  Sort of.

They assigned a whole team to write about it in a rare front page meteorological story, "Hot, with a chance of sweltering and stifling...

Record heat sweeps DC, nation, world — Washington Post staff sleepwalks through the story - Masters: "Extreme heat wave sets all-time high temperature records in Africa and Middle East"

As NOAA reported early this month, globally it's the warmest May, spring, and Jan-May on record.  Steve Scolnik of Capital Climate put together this U.S. chart:

It's been so hot in DC — "The official Washington DC temperature of 99° at 2 pm today has already broken the heat record for June 24 set in 1894" — that even the Washington Post noticed.  Sort of.

They assigned a whole team to write about it in a rare front page meteorological story, "Hot, with a chance of sweltering and stifling...

An environmental ethicist asks: Which is worse — global warming or the Gulf gusher?

Although the BP oil spill seriously threatens those who live along the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. intransigence on climate change threatens the entire world; a fact that is causing rising anger around the world. Yet the U.S. Congress continues to resist action on climate change on the basis that it will harm some U.S. economic interests, while ignoring our duties, responsibilities, and obligations to others to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to the U.S. fair share of safe global...

Former GOP Congressman tells minority whip Cantor: Barton made "a calculated statement that shows a troubling mindset and I know you agree with me. You just can't say it."

Only after Republicans retire from Congress can they deliver a blunt assessment of the extremists who have seized control of the Grand Oil Party.  MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, a former Republican congressman from Florida, wipes the floor with Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA), as Think Progress reports:

Yesterday, House Republicans decided to let Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) keep his seat as the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, despite his apology to BP executives last week ...