77% of Americans Get a ‘D’ or ‘F’ in Climate 101. By Felicity Barringer, NYTimes, 10/14/10. “A new study [America’s Knowledge of Climate Change, PDF, 60 pp] by researchers at Yale University suggests that Americans’ knowledge of climate science is limited and scattershot, with some understanding of basic issues like the contribution of fossil fuels to global warming and some singular misconceptions as well… If letter grades were given by the survey’s authors (based on absolute scores, not grading on the curve), 1% would have received an A, 7% a B, 15% a C, 25% a D and 52% an F. Researchers said that the results ‘reflect the unorganized and sometimes contradictory fragments of information Americans have absorbed from the mass media and other sources.’

“Slightly more than half understand that energy in fossil fuels comes from photosynthesis by plants over millions of years; just 29% understand that the sun was the ultimate source of energy in these fuels. Almost half say that fossil fuels are the fossilized remains of dinosaurs. Three-quarters of those polled had heard nothing about coral bleaching or ocean acidification.”

Push for Tar-Sands Pipeline Sparks Fierce Hill Debate. By Elana Schor, Greenwire, 10/1/10. "2010 was marked by pitched environmental battles that Congress left unsettled as the clock wound down. But some of the season's most intense political jockeying has come over a seven billion dollar project that lawmakers can neither approve nor veto. The 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline would carry up to 900,000 barrels per day of Canadian oil sands to Texas refineries, nearly doubling U.S. imports from a crude reserve ranked as the second-largest in the world… TransCanada Corp. CEO Russ Girling said 'The way I'd characterize the split is, there are those supportive of the import of Canadian oil because the U.S. needs oil for a long time yet to come,' By contrast, he added, critics of the oil sands are 'focused on shutting down what most would say would be the most reliable source of crude oil to America.' TransCanada's message is simple: If America does not take advantage of the oil sands, other nations will... p

"Meanwhile, national and local environmental advocates are meeting TransCanada's efforts with a redoubled campaign of their own. Several Nebraska green groups launched a telephone and Internet tip line this week aimed at collecting local concerns over the company's threat to use powers of eminent domain against landowners who live in the pipeline's planned path. Jane Kleeb, chief of the liberal-leaning Bold Nebraska group, which helped create the new tip line, said she sees TransCanada's volley of radio and print ads in the state 'backfiring' among residents."

Chicagoans Plan for Helping Nature Adapt to a Warmer Climate. By William Mullen, Chicago Tribune, September 14, 2010. "Climate change isn't coming to the Chicago area, it is already here. That is the position taken by Chicago Wilderness, an alliance of 254 regional organizations that manage or conserve natural areas. Extending across all or part of 36 counties in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan, it includes huge forest preserve districts, park districts, wildlife sanctuaries, land trusts, universities and research institutions. Earlier this year it issued the Chicago Wilderness Climate Action Plan for Nature, an ambitious blueprint to guide area governments, corporations and conservation agencies in coping with coming environmental changes."

'Spiderman' Scales Another Skyscraper to Unfurl Global Warming Warning. AFP, August 30, 2010. "A French climber known as 'Spiderman' was arrested on the roof of a 57-storey Sydney skyscraper on Monday after scaling the building without ropes or a harness to raise climate change awareness. Alain Robert scaled the 150-metre (492-foot), twin-tower Lumiere apartment building in central Sydney in about 25 minutes, as dozens of curious onlookers packed the pavement to cheer, clap and take photographs... The Frenchman unfurled a banner advertising the www.onehundredmonths.org website which claims mankind has only limited time before greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere reach irreversibly dangerous levels... Robert, 48, has overcome crippling vertigo prompted by two 15-metre falls in the 1980s to climb some of the world's tallest buildings, as well as iconic monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and the Luxor Obelisk in Paris."

Getting 100 Miles a Gallon. By Joseph B. White, WSJournal, September 17, 2010. "Three teams of engineers won shares of a $10 million prize Thursday [September 16] in a contest to design a vehicle capable of traveling 100 miles on the equivalent of a gallon of gasoline. Among the exotic-looking vehicles that shared the Progressive Automotive Insurance X-Prize was the Very Light Car, winner in the 'mainstream' class. The four-passenger vehicle, developed by the Edison2 Team, achieved the equivalent of 102 miles per gallon. It weighs just 830 pounds and burns E-85 ethanol in a one-cylinder, 40-horsepower engine.

"The two other winning teams, which were awarded $2.5 million each at the ceremony in Washington, D.C., fielded even more exotic vehicles in what contest organizers called alternative classes. Li-Ion Motors Corp.'s Wave II, a battery-electric car designed to seat two people side by side, achieved the equivalent of 187 mpg. Li-Ion said the car can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 12 seconds and hit a top speed of 80 mph… The other prize winner was the E-Tracer, a two-wheel electric vehicle developed by a Swiss team. The vehicle looks like a large motorcycle with a wraparound body. The passenger sits behind the driver. The battery-powered E-Tracer has a small set of training wheels that fold out to stabilize the vehicle. Contest judges said it could get the gasoline equivalent of 205 mpg."

Central African Food Crisis Worsens. By John Collins Rudolf, NYTimes, September 7, 2010. "Torrential rains and flash floods that swept through cities and villages in West Africa in late August have intensified a food crisis in the region, leaving upwards of 10 million people suffering from severe food shortages, the United Nations and relief organizations warned last week. The floods, which destroyed crops and livestock, struck an area already on the brink of famine after successive years of drought and failed harvests. Rising world grain prices, resulting partly from the heat wave and drought that destroyed wheat crops across Russia this summer, are compounding the crisis, relief organizations said… The crisis is worst in landlocked Niger, where as many as 400,000 children are at risk of dying of starvation or disease because of malnutrition, the aid group Feed the Children said."

Wesleyan University and the Price Carbon Campaign to Co-Host National Conference. Press Release, Price Carbon Campaign, September 13, 2010. "Wesleyan University, in conjunction with the Price Carbon Campaign, an umbrella organization of climate-policy advocates, is convening a conference to discuss and develop new approaches to pricing carbon emissions that are destabilizing Earth's climate and driving global warming. Pricing Carbon: The Wesleyan Conference will run from Friday evening, November 19, 2010, to Sunday noon, November 21. Headline speakers include climatologist Dr. James Hansen, author-activist Bill McKibben, and environmental-justice lawyer and advocate Angela Johnson Meszaros... Conference co-sponsors include the Carbon Tax Center, Citizens Climate Lobby, Progressive Democrats of America, and Climate Crisis Coalition.

"'Wesleyan University's College of the Environment was established in 2009 to help students become better stewards of our fragile Earth,' said the Director of the College of the Environment, Wesleyan biology professor Barry Chernoff. 'We welcome this opportunity to co-host a national conference of scholars and advocates intent on re-energizing U.S. climate policy on the eve of the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancún, Mexico, beginning November 29.'... 'With the continuing failure of the cap/trade/offset mechanism to gain support in Congress, it's time for climate policy makers and concerned citizens to rethink carbon-pricing options,' said Laura Bonham, deputy director of Progressive Democrats of America. 'This conference will allow a broad spectrum of climate activists to seek a common agenda that will define the basic principles of good climate legislation, beginning with putting a clear price on carbon,' she added... Conference organizers expect three hundred participants. The public is invited to register at www.pricingcarbon.org, info@kyotoandbeyond.org or 413-243-2556."

Wesleyan University and the Price Carbon Campaign to Co-Host National Conference. Press Release, Price Carbon Campaign, September 13, 2010. "Wesleyan University, in conjunction with the Price Carbon Campaign, an umbrella organization of climate-policy advocates, is convening a conference to discuss and develop new approaches to pricing carbon emissions that are destabilizing Earth's climate and driving global warming. Pricing Carbon: The Wesleyan Conference will run from Friday evening, November 19, 2010, to Sunday noon, November 21. Headline speakers include climatologist Dr. James Hansen, author-activist Bill McKibben, and environmental-justice lawyer and advocate Angela Johnson Meszaros... Conference co-sponsors include the Carbon Tax Center, Citizens Climate Lobby, Progressive Democrats of America, and Climate Crisis Coalition.

"'Wesleyan University's College of the Environment was established in 2009 to help students become better stewards of our fragile Earth," said the Director of the College of the Environment, Wesleyan biology professor Barry Chernoff. 'We welcome this opportunity to co-host a national conference of scholars and advocates intent on re-energizing U.S. climate policy on the eve of the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancún, Mexico, beginning November 29.'... 'With the continuing failure of the cap/trade/offset mechanism to gain support in Congress, it's time for climate policy makers and concerned citizens to rethink carbon-pricing options,' said Laura Bonham, deputy director of Progressive Democrats of America. 'This conference will allow a broad spectrum of climate activists to seek a common agenda that will define the basic principles of good climate legislation, beginning with putting a clear price on carbon,' she added... Conference organizers expect three hundred participants. The public in invited to register at the www.pricingcarbon.org, info@kyotoandbeyond.org or 413-243-2556."

2009 Energy Use Declined by 4.6%. LiveScience, August 25, 2010. "The United States used significantly less coal and petroleum in 2009 than in 2008, and significantly more wind power, according to energy flow charts released by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)... There also was a decline in natural gas use and increases in use of alternative energy sources, including solar, hydrothermal and geothermal power, the researchers say. However, the consumption dip doesn't necessarily reflect a sea change in the way Americans think about and use energy, or a shift to more'green' behavior. Rather, the decrease is due, in part, to the current economic downturn as well as advances in technology... The estimated U.S. energy use in 2009 equaled 94.6 quadrillion BTUs, down from 99.2 quadrillion BTUs in 2008... 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) equals about 3,400 BTUs, with a typical American household consuming some 11,000 kWh per year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The significant decrease in coal used to produce electricity can be attributed to three factors: overall lower electricity demand, a fuel shift to natural gas and an offset created by more wind power production."

GOP Candidates Knock Global Warming. By Darren Samuelsohn, Politico, August 18, 2010. "Fueled by anti-Obama rhetoric and news articles purportedly showing scientists manipulating their own data, Republicans running for the House, Senate and governor's mansions have gotten bolder in stating their doubts over the well-established link between man-made greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Ron Johnson, running against Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold, is the latest in a line of Republicans to take a shot at the validity of global warming... Sharron Angle, the GOP opponent for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada, said on her website in June that she thought legislation to curb greenhouse gases 'is based on an unscientific hysteria over the man-caused global warming hoax'... In California, Republican Senate nominee Carly Fiorina used a recent ad to mock Environment and Public Works Committee Chairwoman Boxer for her description of climate change as a national security issue. 'Terrorism kills -- and Barbara Boxer's worried about the weather,' the Fiorina says in the ad. Ken Buck, Colorado's Republican Senate nominee, is also on record saying he's not a believer in man-made global warming."

Journalists Denied Access to Areas Impacted by Oil Spill. By Jeremy W. Peters, NYTimes, June 10, 2010. “Journalists struggling to document the impact of the oil rig explosion have repeatedly found themselves turned away from public areas affected by the spill, and not only by BP and its contractors, but by local law enforcement, the Coast Guard and government officials. To some critics of the response effort by BP and the government, instances of news media being kept at bay are just another example of a broader problem of officials’ filtering what images of the spill the public sees. Scientists, too, have complained about the trickle of information that has emerged from BP and government sources. Three weeks passed, for instance, from the time the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded on April 20 and the first images of oil gushing from an underwater pipe were released by BP.”

House Passes 'Cash for Caulkers' Bill. AP, May 7, 2010. "The House approved a new economic stimulus bill [sponsored by Rep. Peter Welch, D-VT.] on May 6 that could lead to thousands of dollars in 'Cash for Caulkers' rebates for homeowners who renovate their homes with better insulation and energy-saving windows and doors. The Home Star bill, which passed 246 to 161, would authorize $5.7 billion over two years for a program that supporters, mostly Democrats, said would have the added benefits of invigorating the slumping construction industry and making the Earth a little cleaner. Republicans overwhelmingly opposed the bill, H.R. 5019, and they were able to attach a condition that it would be terminated if Democrats do not come up with a way to pay for it. President Obama praised the House vote, saying that the bill 'will help jump-start job growth and demand for new products created right here in America' as well as save consumers money on energy bills. The initiative is separate from an energy tax credit of up to $1,500 that was included in last year's economic stimulus act. That credit for energy-efficiency improvements runs through the end of this year."

Cameron: Amazon Dam Dispute is a Real-Life 'Avatar'. AP, April 13, 2010. "Director James Cameron said April 12 that a real-life 'Avatar' battle is playing out in Brazil's Amazon rain forest, where indigenous groups are trying to halt the construction of a huge hydroelectric project... Cameron said he was in Brazil's capital to support Indian and environmental groups as they stage protests against the Belo Monte dam project... Cameron attended an environmental summit in the Amazon last month with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore. He returned this week to Sao Paulo to promote the DVD version of his blockbuster movie Avatar, in which the fictitious Na'vi race fights to protect its homeland, the forest-covered moon, Pandora, from plans to extract oil. He said he came to Brasilia on his own initiative because he was drawn to the activists' plight.

"Avatar has struck a chord with environmentalists worldwide, from China, where millions have been displaced by major infrastructure projects, to Bolivia, where Evo Morales, the nation's first indigenous president, praised the film for sending the message of saving the environment from exploitation. 'I'm drawn into a situation where a real-life 'Avatar' confrontation is in progress,' Cameron said in a telephone interview while en route to protests taking place in front of the Mines and Energy Ministry. 'What's happening in Avatar is happening in Brazil and places like India and China, where traditional villages are displaced by big infrastructure projects,' he added. The $11 billion Belo Monte hydroelectric dam -- which if completed would be the world's third-largest such project -- was cleared for construction Feb. 1 by the Environment Ministry. Bidding for prospective builders is expected to take place later this month."

Mexico City Launches Bicycle Program: 'Ecobici'. By Ken Ellingwood, LATimes, March 30, 2010. "Take a vast, teeming megalopolis where the car is king, bicycle paths are few and motorists often seem determined to mow down anyone not tucked behind a steering wheel. Now try talking residents into pedaling to work every day to help the environment. That's the task facing Mexico City officials, who have parked hundreds of bikes in busy neighborhoods in hopes of getting people to avoid cars and instead bicycle to the office, class or a lunch date. The new project, called Ecobici, is modeled on bike-lending programs in such cities as Barcelona, Spain; Paris; and Copenhagen. Planners hope that by saturating certain Mexico City neighborhoods with the three-speed bikes, they can persuade residents to consider making cycling at least part of their daily commute.

"Ecobici users pay a $24 yearly registration fee and get a membership card, which they can swipe across an electronic reader at any station to release a bicycle. Riders have free use for up to 30 minutes and are charged up to $3 an hour for longer intervals... So far, city officials have placed 1,100 bikes at 85 stations in several busy neighborhoods near downtown. The areas were chosen as promising proving grounds because they boast a mix of residences and businesses. The sturdy-looking red-and-white bikes, outfitted with a headlight and rack for belongings, also are sprinkled along the city's premier boulevard, Paseo de la Reforma. The bikes and equipment cost $6 million. About 2,600 people have signed up, far from the eventual target of 24,000. But use is picking up, officials say."

Cantwell-Collins Bill Creating a Stir. By Christa Marshall, ClimateWire, February 15, 2010. "Companies and groups with deep coffers are lining up to change climate legislation emerging as an alternative proposal to cap and trade in Congress. The growth in lobbying from well-funded players signals that the bill from Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) has potential to gain momentum on Capitol Hill, analysts say... Since the two senators introduced their ['cap and dividend'] bill in December, more than 40 businesses and organizations announced plans to lobby on the measure via official disclosure forms filed with Congress... Supporters of the measure, which include many small environmental groups, are trying to counter the weight of opposition dollars through grassroots operations after meeting in Washington, D.C., in January to coordinate advocacy efforts. They argue the bill has mass appeal because it is a simpler approach than cap-and-trade that blunts the influence of Wall Street traders and fills consumer pocketbooks. 'The fact that I'm not a lobbyist and that many of the bill's supporters are not lobbyists contributes to the appeal of this bill,' said entrepreneur Peter Barnes, the creator of the cap-and-dividend concept who worked with Cantwell's office on the legislation.

"The Cantwell-Collins approach essentially takes the 'trade' part out of cap and trade and returns most of the revenue raised by a bill back to consumers in the form of a dividend. A typical family of four would get about $1,100 annually in payments, according to the senator's office... Cap and trade, by contrast, puts a cap on emitters throughout the economy rather than just the "upstream" producers of fossil fuels. It also would allow complex trading by requiring capped entities to buy and sell allowances to meet emission cuts... The cap-and-trade approach is seriously flawed because it relies on offsets, according to Barnes. Offsets allow companies to meet emission restrictions by paying for projects outside their own facilities, by say funding reforestation projects in Brazil. That will never force the worst emitters to clean up their act, Barnes said... Meanwhile, some environmentalists are referring to cap and dividend as 'cap and divide' because they don't believe it can garner a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate or control emissions sufficiently." Editor's Note: CCC believes that, for the reason stated by Barnes, the Cantwell-Collins cap and dividend is a significant improvement over the cap and trade bills. However, the price signal is not strong enough and the bureaucratic challenge of enforcing the cap and the fact the developing countries will not accept caps remain significant problems, avoided by the carbon tax/fee "Plan B" alternatives.

Pachauri Says He Will Not Step Down from IPCC. BBC, January 25, 2010. "The chairman of the UN's climate science body said he would not resign in the wake of a row about a mistake on glaciers that appeared in a key report. Rajendra Pachauri told BBC News: 'I am not going to stand down, I am going to stand up.' The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) admitted that it had made a mistake in asserting that Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035. Critics say the mistake has damaged the scientific credibility of the IPCC. IPCC vice-chairman Jean-Pascal van Ypersele has admitted that the inclusion of the 2035 date in a key report was a mistake. The date appeared in the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report (4AR), which read: 'Glaciers in the Himalayas are receding faster than in any other part of the world... the likelihood of them disappearing by the year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high.' A number of scientists had recently disputed the date, after a row erupted in India late last year in the run-up to the Copenhagen climate summit... Dr Pachauri said the inclusion of the 2035 date in the 4AR, which was published in 2007, was 'a case of human error,' adding that it was unfortunate that it had happened. 'However, let me emphasize that this does not in any way detract from the fact that the glaciers are melting, and this is a problem that we need to be deeply concerned about.'"

Daniel Lippman: Citizen Journalist. By Chris Wallace, FoxNews, February 1, 2010, audio and transcript (which could use Daniel's corrections!) "Daniel Lippman a nineteen year old sophomore at George Washington University. Practices what he called citizen journalism. Which means he's a self appointed editor of some of the nation's top reporters... Lippman writes reporters telling them there's a factual error in their story. Or a misspelling. Or suggesting a lead they may want to check out is it... Most of them love his interest and respect his comments." Editor's note: CCC certainly appreciates Daniel's daily input to EE News.

New York State Lawmakers Wrestle with Regulating Hydrofracking. By Delen Goldberg, Syracuse Post-Standard, January 17, 2010. "As New York wrestles with how to regulate natural gas drilling, state lawmakers from Central New York will soon have to decide an important question: Do they support high-volume hydraulic fracturing?... The state Department of Environmental Conservation is preparing to issue regulations that would allow hydrofracking throughout New York, including in the Skaneateles Lake watershed, which supplies drinking water to 400,000 Syracuse-area residents... Lawmakers can -- and already are -- drafting bills that would override those regulations. They also decide how much money DEC is given to monitor drilling and enforce regulations. Advocates on both sides of the issue are trying to influence the legislators. Environmental advocates have sent hundreds of letters to them about the potential risks of natural gas drilling. Oil and gas lobbyists are using education -- and campaign donations -- to persuade them that the risks from hydrofracking are minimal, but the economic benefits to the state will be huge."

Greenpeace to Build New, Green Flagship. By John Vidal, Guardian (UK), January 17, 2010. "German and Polish shipyards will shortly start work on Greenpeace's £14m flagship, a mega-yacht that will become the third Rainbow Warrior next year. It will be one of the biggest yachts to have been commissioned in the last decade with, say the designers, a massive 1,300 sq metres of sail supported on two A-frame masts… It will be one of the greenest ships afloat and a satellite system will allow campaigners to stream video footage from anywhere in the world… The new ship will have both diesel and electric engines but these are expected to be in use for less than 10% of its time at sea."

Protests Planned Against Carbon Trade Summit in NYC, Jan 12-13. Act for Climate Justice, December 31, 2009. "Following closely on the heels of the failed UN Copenhagen climate conference, the Second Annual Carbon Trade Summit will be convened on January 12-13th in New York City, bringing together representatives of some of the most polluting industries, industry associations, carbon financiers, banks, government officials and corporate 'big greens.' Participants will include executives from JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Duke Energy, and many more. Here they will discuss how to take advantage of the emerging carbon markets. Under a veneer of greenwash, they will be determining ways to ensure that marketable allowances for greenhouse gases (a.k.a., 'cap-and-trade' schemes) remain the centerpiece of global climate policy... ClimateSOS and Climate Pledge of Resistance [are planning a 'Peoples Alternative Carbon Summit'... A rally will be held outside of the venue [Embassy Suites Hotel, Jan. 13th, 12 noon]. Some may engage in nonviolent civil disobedience." On Jan 12 at noon there will be a press event featuring climate scientist James Hansen and Father Paul Mayer, co-founder of CCC and representing concerned members of the religious community.