Disaster Costs Spark Global Warming Debate
"Insured disaster losses in 2004
totaled $44 billion, the most expensive year ever for the industry,
according to the German reinsurance company. Overall disaster losses were
$114.5 billion, the second-highest total ever."
1 June
Schwarzenegger to Unveil Emissions Plan
"Today, California will be a
leader in the fight against global warming," Schwarzenegger said. "I say the
debate is over. We know the science, we see the threat and we know the time
for action is now."
Go Arnie!
29 May
Letter: It's time to change America's energy policy
Spreading democracy is a moral
high-ground worth achieving, but if it was truly the aim of our policy, we
would have troops on the ground in Darfur, Sudan. However, the Sudanese only
produce about 343,000 barrels of oil per day.
Excellent letter
29 May
Global warming? A small few non-believers say no
Who can seriously claim the White
House of George W. Bush is eager for proof of climate change?
28 May
Environment: Green Week 2005 gets to grips with climate change
Get to grips with climate change is
the slogan, and the objective, of this year’s Green Week, the Commission's
annual conference programme and exhibition showcasing EU environment policy.
14 May
G.E. Chief Urges U.S. to Adopt Clearer Energy Policy
WASHINGTON, May 9 - The chief
executive of the General Electric Company, Jeffrey R. Immelt, pushed the
company squarely into the global warming debate on Monday, asking the
government for a clear energy policy and saying later in an interview that
he expected Washington to eventually impose controls on carbon emissions.
G.E. is in a great situation to take advantage of the Soft Energy Path.
As part of it, Mr. Immelt said that General Electric would double its
research budget for energy and environmental technologies to $1.5 billion
and that such products were expected to bring in revenues of $20 billion by
the year 2010, compared with $10 billion last year. This is a NY Times
article. Be prepared to sign up. It's worth it.
10 May
BusinessWeek Online
Climate change is a greater
threat to the world than terrorism, argues Sir David King, chief science
adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair: "Delaying action for a decade, or even
just years, is not a serious option."
8 May
Experts: New Data Show Global Warming
Besides raising ocean levels, global
warming is expected to intensify storms, spread disease to new areas, and
shift climate zones, possibly making farmlands drier and deserts wetter.
This link goes to the NY Times and requires a signup. It's worth it.
7 May
Invasion of the Green Machines
Hybrids are a great choice for today.
I'd like to see manufacturers publish on the new car sticker, the delta
figure, the increased cost of using hybrid technology over a normal gas
engine. Instead of a buyer having to rationalize spending more now to get
better mileage tomorrow, he sees it as an income tax credit.
6 May
U.S. Energy Policy Is Off Once Again
Politically bedeviled by the high
gasoline prices, Bush has harkened to the old admonition: don't stand there,
do something. But what he would do is limited by his narrow,
special-interest allegiances, lack of imagination and an environmental
indifference that verges on antagonism.
1 May
Soft vs. hard energy path: the political lines harden
House was set to pass a bill Thursday
that supporters say will boost supplies, but critics worry about smog and
ANWR.
24 April
Hummer vs. Prius
Here's a bit of good news
21 April
Bush's magic
wand
Subscribe to
Salon.com
21 April
Pelosi: 'GOP Energy Bill is Anti-Consumer, Anti-Taxpayer, and
Anti-Environment'
Congress today passed an
outrageous energy bill, giving the oil companies, who are sitting on piles
of cash, 6 billion in incentives. We have the best Congress money can buy.
20 April
Global Warming - a BusinessWeek
article from August 2004
Consensus is growing among
scientists, governments, and business that they must act fast to combat
climate change. This has already sparked efforts to limit CO2 emissions.
Many companies are now preparing for a carbon-constrained world.
15 April
Eco-friendly Buildings
This segment ran tonight on the NewsHour. It was very upbeat. "Jeffrey Kaye of KCET-Los Angeles reports on efforts to build
environment-friendly buildings."
"JEFFREY KAYE: Green building can often cost more than conventional
construction. Solar panels and water purification systems, for instance,
will increase builders' budgets. But proponents say higher up-front costs
will pay for themselves in the long run."
No mention is made of the fact that the added costs of making a building
green are in the mortgage. Your mortgage payment is tax-deductible. Your
City Light bills are not - if you are a
resident. Businesses should lose their energy cost deduction. If they did,
business would be motivated to improve energy use.
9 April
51 Senators to Bush Administration: Be Cool!
Begs the question -> What about
the other 49?
6 April
Sane energy policy seems unlikely
6 April
Kerala : Need for a National energy policy stressed
"In order to ensure effective
management of the oil scenario in India, there was an urgent need to
formulate a national energy policy..."
2 April
Automakers Take California's Climate Emissions Rule to Court
There is a radio spot running now that
infuriates me. It is provided by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. A
woman buyer is being told by a car salesman that, nope, we don't have much
of a selection of SUVs anymore after California adopted their new law
intended to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. These guys don't seem to
get it. Yes, modern cars are much cleaner than they were, but you can't get
around the fact that a Chevrolet Suburban poops out 8 tons of CO2
every 12,500 miles. That Vortec 5300 V8 engine converts the carbon in
gasoline to CO2.
2 April
Ford weighs global warming impact: WSJ
Automaker would outline how different
policies addressing the problem would affect business: report.
1 April
Hybrid-Car Tinkerers Scoff at No-Plug-In Rule
Here is some good news
1 April
Government failing on energy policy as CO2 emissions rise again
Carbon dioxide emissions rose again last
year and have risen for five of the past seven years, despite Tony Blair's
promises to put climate change at the heart of policy decisions and the
setting of ambitious reduction targets.
30 March
Report: Earth's ecosystem at risk
OSLO, Norway (Reuters) -- Humans are damaging the planet at an unprecedented
rate and raising risks of abrupt collapses in nature that could spur
disease, deforestation or "dead zones" in the seas, an international report
said on Wednesday.
29 March
Truly crazy: the Cheney energy policy
Molly Ivins
28 March
Canada,
automakers cut global warming deal
If Canada adopts the same law as
California's, the auto manufacturers have a problem. They love selling big
cars and trucks because they are so profitable. They and the labor unions
are trying to make a case that doing this would cause massive unemployment
and paralyze our economy. If people are told that their beloved SUVs
transfer more carbon dioxide into the air than smaller cars and this CO2
causes global warming, they will gradually get the message. Once the ethic
changes from porkers are good to porkers are bad, real progress can be had.
11 March
Editorial |
Bush's Energy Policy Drill for new ideas
To drill or not to drill, that's the
only question.
26 January 2005
U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works
Hearing Statements12 February 2003
"Third, legislation is needed to
harmonize our environmental policies with our energy needs. [CHART 3] As
this chart shows, coal is our most abundant energy source – we have more
coal than natural gas or oil reserves. It is also our cheapest energy
source." But, but, but it transfers the carbon in coal to carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere. It's the law.
Bingaman on 'Climate VISION'
“Perhaps it’s a good thing that
President Bush has finally indicated an interest in having a climate change
policy."
22 September 2002
Chairman Bingaman's remarks
"A final area in which I think
the conference has a big opportunity to make a difference is in the area of
climate change. Again, most Americans and most of the other nations of the
world think that this is a serious and looming problem that we need to face
up to. Yet, the Administration has not shown much leadership or strategic
vision."