Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

Global warming may be having an adverse effect of hundreds of species of migratory birds in the United States. In the latest version of the annual State of the Birds report, the Interior Department claims that climate change is one of many environmental factors threatening bird populations by destructing natural avian habitats and lessening the availability of wetlands. The report asserts that coastal birds are the most directly threatened due to rising sea levels and rapidly changing marine environments.

Debate over the economic effects of California's first-in-the-nation global warming law flared this week, as a report was released claiming the law potentially will contribute to short-term job losses. Meantime, Lisa Jackson, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency claims there is a “misconception” in regards to the relationship between economic recovery and protecting the environment – with some people feeling the need to choose one or the other. “This is about rising to meet our most urgent environmental and economic challenges - not shrinking from them with the excuse that it’s just too hard,” Jackson said.

Lower levels of oxygen are being reported in the oceans and scientists are linking the findings to global warming. They warn that the oceans' complex undersea ecosystems and fragile food chains could be disrupted. In some areas in the Pacific Northwest, the almost complete absence of oxygen has left piles of Dungeness crab carcasses littering the ocean floor and killed off 25-year-old sea stars. In other spots, such as off the Southern California coast, oxygen levels have dropped roughly 20 percent over the past 25 years. Researchers recognize that areas of low oxygen have long existed in the deep ocean but say the depletion of oxygen recently reported is “striking.”

Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

PG&E Corporation Chairman, CEO and President Peter Darbee and Carnegie Institution climate change expert Christopher Field released a short whitepaper for business leaders and policy makers on the scientific and economic issues central to the current conversation on global climate change and the need for a response by government and business. “My hope is that it serves to inform and engage more leaders in this issue and, ultimately, helps drive the adoption of smart climate and energy policies for our country,” said Darbee.

Want to see scientific evidence supporting global warming? There’s an app for that. Australian solar physicist John Cook of Skeptical Science has created an iPhone app that includes numerous climate skeptic arguments as well as the science-based counterarguments. So far, there are 90 climate skeptic arguments included and, of course, the scientific responses to those. You can see graphs and links to scientific papers or other sources in there as well. Cook calls the app “imperative” to the climate debate and “pretty cool.”

The non-partisan United States Geological Survey recently reported that the ice shelves on the southern Antarctic Peninsula have been retreating at an increased pace threatening coastal communities and low-lying islands worldwide. Scientists claim the pattern could lead to further accelerated glacier retreat on the continent and ultimately, sea level rise. Scientific data shows every ice front in this section of the peninsula has been retreating from 1947 to 2009, but the most dramatic changes have come since 1990.
 

Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

Recent polls show public support for global warming is declining but British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is denouncing warming deniers calling them “anti-science, flat-earth climate skeptics.” Brown will co-chair the United Nations High Level Advisory group on Climate Change Financing.  The group aims to raise cash to halt deforestation, encourage low-carbon development and adapt to rising sea levels, extreme weather events and higher temperatures.

President Obama wants to develop a new government agency that would focus specifically on Climate Change. During his campaign, he promised the American people he would devote a good portion of his administration’s time to fighting global warming. Obama announced that in an effort to live up to that promise, he was ordering the creation of a new organization. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Service will actually be a branch of the existing NOAA but will have its own director and specific agenda.

For the next couple weeks, Olympic hopefuls will adorn their colors and put their boots into bindings in the mountains overlooking Vancouver. And they’ll be racing and jumping towards medals in mostly man-made snow. January of 2010 was the warmest January on record in Vancouver, with temperatures averaging 44.8 degrees. This is in stark contrast to recent snow storms on the east coast of the United States, which have fueled the fire for global warming skeptics. Scholars of climate science argue that neither example is proof of anything.  Instead they would point to longer term trends showing a gradual warming of the whole earth over the last thirty years.  
 

Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

A white roof may look like a painted masterpiece to those who want to reduce urban heat. The National Center for Atmospheric Research recently completed a study demonstrating that white roofs can be an effective method for cooling. The study’s simulations provide an idealized view of different types of cities around the world and indicate that, if every roof were entirely painted white, the urban heat island effect could be reduced by 33 percent.

According to a new report released by a leading Canadian environmental group, the city of Vancouver, which will host the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, would earn a bronze medal if fighting climate change were an Olympic sport. The report claims the event’s organizers have done a good job building energy efficient venues, but have fallen a tad short when it comes to offsetting carbon emissions surrounding the Winter Games. Environment is one of the three “official pillars” of the Olympic movement.

Just before athletes from around the world will have a chance to earn their gold, silver and bronze medals, athletes from Indianapolis and New Orleans will go after the Vince Lombardi trophy. And it is estimated that this year’s Super Bowl – which the NFL says is more environmentally responsible than in the past – will produce 310,000 pounds of carbon emissions. In addition, researchers claim the stadium in Miami will use 187,000 KW of electricity and the television sets of home viewers will consume roughly 10,004,603 KW of energy. And speaking of green, it is estimated that close to 54 million pounds of avocados will be consumed by guacamole loving fans.

Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

There's much ado about numbers when it comes to an inaccuracy regarding a 2007 United Nations (UN) report on Climate Change that predicted the disappearance of all Himalayan glaciers by the year 2035. While the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the UN has since apologized for the typo, the body stands behind its overall finding that the glaciers are retreating and says the rest of the report is accurate, adding "small glaciers will probably disappear by the end of the century."

Two men falling on opposite sides of the global warming debate met in West Virginia at the University of Charleston as coal baron Don Blankenship and conservationist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. went head to head in a verbal bout. The 950 audience members were selected by each man's camp so it is highly unlikely anyone in the room was influenced by the debate - and neither man was willing to concede any ground on issues such as mountaintop mining, green job creation and greenhouse gases. Kennedy said surface mining helps to make West Virginia a poor state, while defacing majestic scenery, polluting air and water and shattering the quiet country existence of people who've called the mountains home for generations. Blankenship argued the mining keeps people employed, puts food on their tables and mortgage checks in the mail.

A lengthy letter to the governor of Louisiana by 32 scientists, including 27 from the state's universities, suggests he should rethink his opposition to regulation of carbon emissions. Scientists believe Louisiana's coastline is receding at alarming rates due to sea level rise, glacial melting and global warming. In December, Governor Bobby Jindal sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency demanding that it rescind its recent determination that greenhouse gases endanger present and future generations. Jindal also said the ruling could force Louisiana's jobs and industries to move overseas.  

Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

Popular music magazine Rolling Stone released a list of what it calls the "planet's worst enemies." The magazines editors have been quoted as saying they want to recognize and stand behind the scientific consensus and report on global warming honestly and incisively. The list calls out 18 prominent figures and details why the magazine feels they are detrimental to the fight against global warming.

Researchers from Michigan State University are hoping the fruits of their labor will lead to new fruits in the field and ultimately feed people in east African nations hit hard by global warming. The study will utilize a Michigan State supercomputer and resources from the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station to create a regional climate model that includes crop and water data to develop crop varieties to better withstand climate change. The New York-based Rockefeller Foundation gave a grant of $430,000 grant to Michigan State as part of its $70 million Climate Change Resilience Initiative.

The global economy may be considered flat at best by analysts but one new study shows a sector that is predicted to balloon in 2010. The reports claims considerable attention to global warming coupled with an increasing focus on energy efficiency and cost have laid the groundwork for an emerging carbon management market. The sectors predicted to be affected the most by the pressure to manage their carbon emissions are energy, manufacturing, government and retail.

Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

Just weeks after world leaders came to an accord at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon is calling on the leaders of various countries to take immediate action on their pledges to stop global warming. "While I am satisfied that we sealed a deal, I am aware that the outcome of the Copenhagen conference, including the Copenhagen Accord, did not go as far as many have hoped," he said. "The leaders were united in purpose, but they were not united in action."

British billionaire Richard Branson wants to wage a war on global warming.  Agreeing with the position of many scientists and environmentalists - and upset by what he called the blasé attitudes of global governments - Branson claims businesses must bear the brunt of moving away from burning oil and fossil fuels. "There are some of us who believe that the problem of (global) warming is as bad as the First and Second World Wars combined," he said.  Branson's operation will start by addressing carbon emissions from a significant but little-known source that is not covered by any national or international regulations: global marine shipping.

New research claims global warming is the culprit when it comes to an alarming increase in cases of malaria on the slopes of Mount Kenya in Africa. Average temperatures in the region have increased by roughly four degrees in the last 20 years, allowing the disease to creep into communities at higher altitudes, where people have little or no immunity to the disease. Before the 1990's, when average temperatures never rose above 64.4 degrees, malaria was absent from the region.

Posted by: Kory Raftery

When "Miracle on 34th Street" hit the silver screen in 1947, 8-year-old Susan Walker, played by Natalie Wood, got her holiday wish when Kris Kringle gave her directions to the new home she asked Santa Claus to deliver. If the movie were written today, Susan would probably ask for an energy efficient home with ENERGY STAR appliances and solar panels.

Like Kris Kringle, Habitat for Humanity has been making children's dreams come true since 1976. But unlike Santa, Habitat delivers presents to families year round. To date, the organization has built over 350,000 houses around the world, providing close to 2 million people with safe, affordable and now energy efficient housing.

To make these homes even more environmentally friendly, PG&E created the Solar Habitat Program in 2005. So far, as part of the partnership with Habitat for Humanity, PG&E has funded solar installations on 260 homes for hard-working families. The average solar system produces 300 kWh of clean, renewable energy each month, saving participants about $500 a year. In addition, PG&E employees have donated more than 7,000 hours of their time working on Habitat for Humanity job sites.

Just last week, PG&E volunteers, including corporate officers and CEO Peter Darbee, spent the day at a Hunters Point construction site, working on one of seven four-bedroom homes. In addition to other duties, the crews worked to install and hook up eight solar panels on one of the homes. 
 
"It's impressive to see first hand how Habitat for Humanity constructs these quality homes with the help of volunteers from the community," said Darbee. "This is an extremely organized operation that allows those of us who are volunteering to make a real contribution to the construction of these homes."

Thanks to Habitat for Humanity and its many contributors, the spirit of 34th Street lives on as families get their 21st century, energy-efficient miracles year round.

Posted by: Kory Raftery

Several stories on the science and politics of global warming caught our attention this week:

Stolen emails have fueled the fire for global warming cynics who claim scientists staged a cover-up but those who study climate data feel the numbers on the thermometer over the past ten years cannot be masked. This week at the Copenhagen climate change summit, Britain's Meteorological Office and the United Nations World Meteorological Organization testified that the last decade has been the warmest since records began 160 years ago.

A bipartisan group of senators has agreed on the framework for climate change legislation and sent it to President Obama ahead of his trip to Denmark. The lawmakers assert that the bill will create millions of jobs while simultaneously cutting greenhouse gas emissions and making America more energy independent.

Google announced it has developed a non-profit product that will allow us to see the effects of deforestation in real time. The company is combining satellite images from Google Earth with heavy computational analysis in the cloud. Google plans to give scientists access to it for free as it is classified as not-for-profit. Last week, the company unveiled a tool that has the ability to forecast the damaging effects of global warming on the state of California.

Posted by: Kory Raftery

If Jimmy Buffett were writing a theme song for PG&E's renewable energy department, his lyrics might read, "Mother, Mother Ocean: I have heard you call. I wanted to pull the power from your waters since I was three feet tall."

Looking to add to its diverse power mix, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has just signed an agreement with the U.S. Air Force that will let the utility investigate the feasibility of a wave energy project off the coast of northern Santa Barbara County near Vandenberg Air Force Base. The project is part of the PG&E WaveConnect™ program, which includes a pilot study underway in Humboldt County.

PG&E has filed a preliminary permit application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to study the southern site for three years. If findings are favorable, the utility could seek a license to install wave energy conversion devices capable of producing as much as 100 megawatts of electricity. The clean power would feed into the existing electrical grid at Vandenberg Air Force Base, which in turn is connected to the PG&E grid.

Experts believe that wave energy off the 745 mile California coastline could produce more than a fifth of the state's energy needs. The Santa Barbara County Community Environmental Council's renewable energy blueprint calls for more than eight percent of the county's future energy mix to come from the ocean. But there are many hurdles to jump before arriving at those targets, including environmental and land use concerns,  grid connections and design evolution.

"You can't develop a technology unless you can test it," said Roger Bedard, ocean energy leader with Electric Power Research Institute. "In this country, we are challenged with inferior infrastructure in testing ocean energy devices. PG&E's WaveConnect™ projects will provide the infrastructure needed to test and refine emerging technologies."

Throughout the process, PG&E will continue to work closely with local communities and elected officials to understand and address their interests and concerns. The project is expected to have no significant impact on existing coastal activities such as surfing, hiking or whale watching. Development will only move forward if technical studies support its feasibility and if environmental studies show that the project will not have significant negative environmental and economical effects.

Currently, the Earth's oceans produce roughly 300 megawatts of electricity from various devices that convert energy from water movement or the natural temperature and salinity changes into usable power. Next year that number is expected to skyrocket when a 250 megawatt seawall dam comes online in South Korea. But wave power will continue to lag other renewable technologies without development assistance.

Ultimately, PG&E's WaveConnect™ projects will help emerging technology companies develop reliable and cost-effective wave energy devices, find funding and help PG&E and other utilities bring this innovative new source of clean energy to customers.

"If a utility is going to make it happen in this country, it's going to be PG&E," Bedard said.