‘Green News Report’ – February 26, 2013

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IN TODAY’S RADIO REPORT: Here we go again: another “historic” storm… but it’s not enough to end our historic drought; BP finally goes to trial for the oil disaster in the Gulf; China and Estonia move forward on renewable energy innovation; PLUS: CA Gov. Jerry Brown says fighting climate change is a boon, not a bust, for the economy… All that and more in today’s Green News Report!

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IN ‘GREEN NEWS EXTRA’ (see links below): Study: how Arctic sea ice loss impacts weather extremes; Horsemeat scandal ‘an object lesson in food politics’; Drought closing U.S. feedlots, meatpackers; Dog food recall underscores toxic danger in drought; AEP agrees to close 3 coal plants; Heart-pounding ride on Navy’s Great Green Fleet; DoD attacks climate change; Media and myth on doomsday messages on climate change; Cryosat-2 confirms stunning Arctic ice loss; UK farming, flood crisis … PLUS: Tanks leaking radioactive waste in Washington State … and much, MUCH more! …

STORIES DISCUSSED IN TODAY’S ‘GREEN NEWS REPORT’…

• BP Goes to Trial for Oil Disaster: “Greed Devastated the Gulf”
• ‘Greed devastated the gulf,’ prosecution says as BP trial opens (LA Times)
• First BP trial witness says company put cost cuts over safety (Chicago Tribune)
• As Oil Spill Trial Opens, Push For A Deal Continues: (NY Times)
• Greed Caused BP’s Gulf Oil Spill, Lawyers Argue (LA Times)
• BP, Contractors Start Trial for Worst U.S. Offshore Spill (Reuters)
• Opening Statements Blame BP and Transocean for Massive Oil Spill (New Orleans Times-Picayune):
  Among the recurring story lines and accusations:

  • BP…was more concerned with profits than safety
  • Transocean…had not properly trained its crew
  • Halliburton…used a type of cement that was known to be risky but did not succeed in sealing the well…
• Another “Historic” Storm Slams the Midwest:
• ‘Truly a historic blizzard,’ weather service says (CNN)
• Blizzard batters U.S. heartland, spreads snowy mess into the Midwest (CNN)
• Ag Sec: Climate Change Impacts U.S. Agriculture, Forests:
• VIDEO: USDA Sec. Tom Vilsack on Long-Term Impacts of Climate Change: – remarks begin at 11:10. (Natural Resources Committee Session, “Extreme Weather and the Corps of Engineers: Preparing States for the Future”, Nat’l Governors Assoc. Annual Mtg):
  Ag Sec. Tom Vilsack: “The world around us is indeed getting warmer, and the result of that will be more intense weather patterns…longer droughts, more flooding, more severe storms, which will have an adverse impact on crop production and livestock, and it will likely lead to increased tree mortality, which in turn increases the risk of wildfires.
  …
  Over the course of the next 50 years, we’re going to see changing crop production patterns. What’s grown in Iowa today may or may not be grown in Iowa 50 years from now, unless we begin a process of adapting now.
• Climate Change Set to Batter U.S. Agriculture, Forests (Climate Central):
  Climate change is likely to transform U.S. agriculture by mid-century, reducing yields of many staple crops and the productivity of livestock operations, according to a new government analysis. Rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns will also harm the nation’s forests, increasing their vulnerability to fires, insect infestations and disease. Those are some of the dramatic projections outlined in a pair of analyses released Tuesday by the Agriculture Department.
• Study: Effects of Climate Variability and Change on Forest Ecosystems: A Comprehensive Science Synthesis for the U.S. Forest Sector (USDA)
• USDA on Climate Change: Adaptation for Agriculture, Forests (The Energy Collective)
• Dust Bowl Days: Historic U.S. Drought Projected To Persist For Months, Worsened By Thin Western Snowpack (Climate Progress):
  Without repeated, significant bouts of heavy snow and rain in the remaining days of winter, a large part of the country will face serious water supply shortages this spring and summer, when temperatures are hotter and average precipitation is normally low. The drought already ranks as the worst, in terms of severity and geographic extent, since the 1950s.
• CA Governor Jerry Brown: Addressing Climate Change Helps the Economy:
• VIDEO: CA Gov. Jerry Brown: ‘Playing Russian Roulette’ with climate: (Natural Resources Committee Session, “Extreme Weather and the Corps of Engineers: Preparing States for the Future”, Nat’l Governors Assoc. Annual Mtg):
  Brown: Dealing with climate change can be a real stimulus…I believe we have to take action. In California, we’ve adopted a goal of 33% renewable energy for our electricity… we have the toughest energy efficiency standards, started 30 years ago… we have a cap-and-trade system… but we can’t do it alone. We need other states…It’s a real stimulus for innovation.”

• Jerry Brown warns nation is ‘playing Russian Roulette’ with climate (San Luis Obispo Tribune)
• California releases first-ever fracking regulations (San Jose Mercury News)
• China: Instituting a Carbon Tax?:
• China to introduce carbon tax: official (Xinhua.net):
  China will proactively introduce a set of new taxation policies designed to preserve the environment, including a tax on carbon dioxide emissions…The government is also looking into the possibility of taxing energy-intensive products such as batteries, as well as luxury goods such as aircraft that are not used for public transportation…To conserve natural resources, the government will push forward resource tax reforms by taxing coal based on prices instead of sales volume, as well as raising coal taxes. A resource tax will also be levied on water.
• What Would China’s Carbon Tax Regime Look Like (Ella Chou):
  “[T]he larger context is missing and the key questions about the implementation are not answered.”
• China’s New Carbon Tax And The Crumbling Case For Inaction (Media Matters)
• China may soon get a carbon tax. But how effective will it be? (Washington Post)
• China Discusses A Nordhaus Carbon Tax Not A Stern One (Forbes)
• VIDEO: Wait Until China Acts. Wait – What? They Are? (Climate Desk via Slate)



• Estonia: World’s 1st Nationwide Fast-Charging Network:
• Estonia goes electric with new car charger network (Reuters):
  Estonia has become the first country in the world to install a nationwide system of fast chargers for electrical vehicles, the manager of the new system said, as part of European efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
• Estonia Launches Nationwide Electric Vehicle Fast-Charging Network (Forbes):
  The network of 165 DC (direct current) quick-charging stations, produced and installed by Swiss engineering giant ABB, are strategically dispersed across the country. Along highways, the stations are no more than 60km (37 miles) apart, installed at gas stations, cafes, shops, and other high-visibility spots.

‘GREEN NEWS EXTRA’ (Stuff we didn’t have time for in today’s audio report)…

• Weather extremes provoked by trapping of giant waves in atmosphere: study (Phys.org) [emphasis added]:
  “An important part of the global air motion in the mid-latitudes of the Earth normally takes the form of waves wandering around the planet, oscillating between the tropical and the Arctic regions. …“What we found is that during several recent extreme weather events these planetary waves almost freeze in their tracks for weeks”.
• The horsemeat scandal–an object lesson in food politics: The unfolding drama around Europe’s horsemeat scandal is a case study in food politics and the politics of cultural identity. (Food Politics)
• Feedlots, Meatpackers Closing With Fewer US Cows (AP):
  Years of drought are reshaping the U.S. beef industry with feedlots and a major meatpacking plant closing because there are too few cattle left in the United States to support them.
• Dog food recall underscores toxic danger in drought-hit U.S. corn (Reuters)
• AEP agrees to close 3 coal plants in emissions settlement (Washington Post):
  One of the the nation’s largest utilities agreed Monday to close three of its coal-fired power plants as part of a settlement with government officials and environmental groups, the latest sign of how the nation’s electricity supply is shifting away from coal.
• My Heart-Stopping Ride Aboard the Navy’s Great Green Fleet:
  With Washington frozen solid on climate, the Navy is breaking the ice. (Mother Jones)
• Dept of Defense Launches Attack On Climate Change (Clean Technica):
  Last week, DoD released the new Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap [PDF], its blueprint for addressing the effects of climate change in a national security context. That includes global impacts such as geopolitical consequences, conflict acceleration and competition for food, water and other life-sustaining resources, as well as increasing demands on DoD resources for humanitarian relief.
• Apocalypse Not: The Oscars, The Media And The Myth of ‘Constant Repetition of Doomsday Messages’ on Climate (Climate Progress):
  These myths are so deeply ingrained in the mainstream media that such messaging, when it is tried, is routinely attacked and denounced — and the flimsiest studies are interpreted exactly backwards to drive the erroneous message home.
• Cryosat-2 Confirms Stunning Arctic Ice Loss (Open Mind):
  PIOMAS data already indicated that the annual cycle of ice volume has increased its amplitude, but the Cryosat-2 data suggest an even more dramatic change in the size of the annual cycle than that estimated by PIOMAS.
• UK farming in crisis as crop losses from ‘relentless’ floods pile up woes: Many farmers are quitting an industry hit by rain, disease and cheap imports – just as food security becomes a worldwide issue (Guardian UK)
• Florida legislators hope to fix nuclear advance fee law (Tampa Bay Times):
  Five years ago, Peter Bradford warned that a Florida law allowing utilities to charge customers in advance for nuclear power projects could have “ruinous economic impacts.” It did.
• Governor: 6 tanks leaking radioactive waste at Washington nuclear site (CNN):
  Six tanks at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeast Washington state are leaking radioactive waste, the governor said Friday, calling the news “disturbing” even as he insisted there are “no immediate health risks.”
• Understanding extreme weather in an era of climate change: Scientists try to ID climate signals in weather as public draws conclusions. (Ars Technica)
• Coast Guard finds violations on Shell’s Arctic drilling rig: (Anchorage Daily News)
• 1.5C rise in temperature enough to start permafrost melt, scientists warn (Guardian UK):
  Team of scientists use radiometric dating techniques on Russian cave formations to measure historic melting rates
• The most terrifying graph you’ll see all year (Digby’s Hullabaloo):
  Your brain will fight it, even with the numbers on the page staring back at you, because the collapse of civilization is simply beyond human comprehension. To really internalize this information means you would need to accept things like…
• The New Sustainable Energy Factbook: A Strong Case for Consistent Policy (Bloomberg New Energy Finance, via Climate Progress.org):
  The report provides a detailed account of the energy market for investors and policymakers making a strong case for the role of stable policies in leveling the playing field for clean energy technologies in the evolving energy landscape.

• COVER STORY: It’s Global Warming, Stupid (Businessweek):
  Yes, yes, it’s unsophisticated to blame any given storm on climate change. Men and women in white lab coats tell us-and they’re right-that many factors contribute to each severe weather episode. Climate deniers exploit scientific complexity to avoid any discussion at all.
  …
  If all that doesn’t impress, forget the scientists ostensibly devoted to advancing knowledge and saving lives. Listen instead to corporate insurers committed to compiling statistics for profit.
• CO2 Emissions Rises Mean Dangerous Climate Change Now Almost Certain (Guardian)
• Study: Sea Levels Rising 60% Faster Than Projected, Planet Keeps Warming As Expected (Climate Progress)
• Ocean Acidification: Animals are already dissolving in Southern Ocean (New Scientist)
• Global warming targets further out of reach, UN says (Phys.org):
  Based on current pledges, global average temperatures could rise by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius (5.4 to 9.0 degrees Fahrenheit) this century — way above the two degrees Celsius being targeted, said a UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report.
• Thawing of permafrost to be ‘major factor’ in global warming, warns UN report (UN News Centre)
• Must-Read: Economist William Nordhaus Slams Global Warming Deniers, Explains Cost of Delay is $4 Trillion (Climate Progress):
  Nordhaus’s blunt piece – “Why the Global Warming Skeptics Are Wrong” – is worth reading because he is no climate hawk.

• Skeptical Science: Get the FULL DEBUNKING of ALL Climate Science Denier Arguments
• Report: Humans near tipping point that could dramatically change Earth (CS Monitor) [emphasis added]:
  Human activity is affecting Earth in many ways, but a new study suggests that continued population growth and its impact on climate and ecology could trigger a more profound chain reaction of effects within little more than a decade.
• VIDEO: James Hansen: Why I must speak out about climate change (TED Talks):
  Top climate scientist James Hansen tells the story of his involvement in the science of and debate over global climate change. In doing so he outlines the overwhelming evidence that change is happening and why that makes him deeply worried about the future.
• VIDEO ANIMATION: Time history of atmospheric CO2 (NOAA Carbon Tracker YouTube channel):
• VIDEO: Animation Charts Modern Global Warming (NYT Green)
• Thinking Big: NREL Study Shows 80 Percent Renewables Possible By 2050 (Climate Progress)
• Part 1: The brutal logic of climate change (David Roberts, Grist) [emphasis added]:
  It’s simple: If there is to be any hope of avoiding civilization-threatening climate disruption, the U.S. and other nations must act immediately and aggressively on an unprecedented scale. That means moving to emergency footing. War footing. “Hitler is on the march and our survival is at stake” footing. That simply won’t be possible unless a critical mass of people are on board. It’s not the kind of thing you can sneak in incrementally.

  It is unpleasant to talk like this. People don’t want to hear it.

• Part 2: The brutal logic of climate change mitigation (David Roberts, Grist)
• How to Buy Time in the Fight against Climate Change: Mobilize to Stop Soot and Methane: A short list of relatively simple actions taken to reduce greenhouse gases other than CO2 could help put the brakes on global warming–if implemented globally (Scientific American)
• World headed for irreversible climate change in five years, IEA warns: If fossil fuel infrastructure is not rapidly changed, the world will ‘lose for ever’ the chance to avoid dangerous climate change (Guardian UK) [emphasis added]:
  The world is likely to build so many fossil-fuelled power stations, energy-guzzling factories and inefficient buildings in the next five years that it will become impossible to hold global warming to safe levels… “The door is closing,” Fatih Birol, chief economist at the International Energy Agency, said. “I am very worried – if we don’t change direction now on how we use energy, we will end up beyond what scientists tell us is the minimum [for safety]. The door will be closed forever.”
• Concise Overview: The IPCC report on extreme climate and weather events (Real Climate)
• The Real Global Warming Signal (Tamino)
• No, global warming hasn’t stopped (New Scientist)
• VIDEO: Climate Scientists Michael Mann on “A Look Into Our Climate: Past To Present To Future” (TEDx, YouTube)
• Earth’s Plant Growth Fell Because of Climate Change, Study Finds (NYT Green)
• Heads in the Sand: Warning: “Climate change is occurring … and poses significant risks to humans and the environment,” reports the National Academy of Sciences. As climate-change science moves in one direction, Republicans in Congress are moving in another. Why?