The EPA Regs Kick in on Jan 2. By John Broder, NYTimes, 12/31/10. “With the federal government set to regulate climate-altering gases from factories and power plants for the first time, the Obama administration and the new Congress are headed for a clash that carries substantial risks for both sides… The administration is on notice that if it moves too far and too fast in trying to curtail the ubiquitous gases that are heating the planet it risks a Congressional backlash that could set back the effort for years. But the newly muscular Republicans in Congress could also stumble by moving too aggressively to handcuff the Environmental Protection Agency, provoking a popular outcry that they are endangering public health in the service of their well-heeled patrons in industry… With Mr. Obama’s hand forced by the mandates of the Clean Air Act and a 2007 Supreme Court decision, his EPA. will impose the first regulation of major stationary sources of greenhouse gases starting Jan. 2.”

EPA Moving Unilaterally to Limit Greenhouse Gases. By Merrill Hartson, AP, 12/24/10. “EPA announced [on 12/23 that] it is moving unilaterally to clamp down on power plant and oil refinery greenhouse emissions, announcing plans for developing new standards over the next year. EPA administrator Lisa Jackson said the aim was to better cope with pollution contributing to climate change. ‘We are following through on our commitment to proceed in a measured and careful way to reduce GHG pollution that threatens the health and welfare of Americans,’ Jackson said in a statement. She said emissions from power plants and oil refineries constitute about 40% of the greenhouse gas pollution in this country.”

The Legacy of Charles Keeling. By Justin Gillis, NYTimes, 12/22/10. “Charles David Keeling’s discovery, of the increasing level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, transformed the scientific understanding of humanity’s relationship with the earth. A graph of his findings is inscribed on a wall in Washington as one of the great achievements of modern science… The essence of his scientific legacy was his passion for doing things in a meticulous way. It explains why, even as challengers try to pick apart every other aspect of climate science, his half-century record of carbon dioxide measurements stands unchallenged… Some of the most important data came from an analyzer he placed in a government geophysical observatory… near the top of Mauna Loa, one of the volcanoes that loom over the Big Island of Hawaii.

“When Dr. Keeling, as a young researcher, became the first person in the world to develop an accurate technique for measuring carbon dioxide in the air, the amount he discovered was 310 parts per million… By 2005, the year he died, the number had risen to 380 parts per million. Sometime in the next few years it is expected to pass 400. Without stronger action to limit emissions, the number could pass 560 before the end of the century, double what it was before the Industrial Revolution… As the political debate drags on, the mute gray boxes atop Mauna Loa keep spitting out their numbers, providing a reality check: not only is the carbon dioxide level rising relentlessly, but the pace of that rise is accelerating over time…

“On Dec. 11, another round of international climate negotiations, sponsored by the United Nations, concluded in Cancún. As they have for 18 years running, the gathered nations pledged renewed efforts. But they failed to agree on any binding emission targets. Late at night, as the delegates were wrapping up in Mexico, the machines atop the volcano in the middle of the Pacific Ocean issued their own silent verdict on the world’s efforts. At midnight Mauna Loa time, the carbon dioxide level hit 390 -- and rising.”

The Wesleyan Conference: Seeking a Meaningful Price on Carbon. By Andrew Revkin, NYTimes, 12/22/10. “One month ago, Wesleyan University hosted a weekend conference called ‘Pricing Carbon.’ It was a revival meeting of sorts, bringing together about 500 economists, campaigners, scientists, students and lawmakers seeking, despite recent setbacks, to apply the age-old ‘polluter pays’ principle to carbon. A prime goal of many attendees, from carbon campaigners Charles Komanoff and Peter Barnes to James Hansen of NASA, was to explore various strategies for creating a carbon tax that American consumers could accept.

“In reviewing many of the presentations, which are nearly all archived online, it’s clear that the death of a federal cap-and-trade system for curbing emissions is seen as a potential opening by proponents of a more direct approach to making polluting energy choices costly while buffering the impact on consumers. Many presenters acknowledged the daunting political hurdles in Washington, which were most vividly described by Representative Bob Inglis, a Republican of South Carolina who was defeated in his primary race largely, he said, over his stance on global warming and the need for a carbon tax.”