What sort of leader allows the government they head to purposefully squelch science that indicates global ecological crises including global heating are major issues that are accelerating? Look no further than the Toxic Texan who we always knew was fudging the climate science to suit the oil oligarchy to which he is beholden, but now with a Democratic controlled Congress, the extent to which climate science was obstructed is becoming more fully known. Some 150 scientists across seven federal agencies say they have been pressured - in over 435 instances - to remove references to "climate change" and "global warming" from a range of documents, including press releases and communications with Congress [more]. This is not obstruction, it is a criminal cover-up. How can government respond to the climate change crisis without the best unbiased science paid for by the American people? Years from now, if these delays proved fatal in addressing the crisis and the world swelters in mistery, the Bush administration will be villified like no other. This goes beyond criminal, it is evil, and along with war crimes Bush, Cheney, Rice and the rest of the cabal should have their day in court defending their warmongering, and hi-jacking of democracy and science in the name of war for oil. What a bunch of dolts. I look forward to seeing those that censored climate science [search] doing hard jail time.

Posted by Dr. Glen Barry | Permalink | Comments (0) | More on climate science Bush obstruct

A new study by the German Aerospace Center, commissioned by Greenpeace and Europe's Renewable Energy Council, contends that half of the energy needs in 2050 [more] could be met by renewable energy and energy efficiency gains. It is estimated that alternative energy sources including wind and solar could provide nearly 70% of the world's electricity. They state there would be no need for nuclear nor coal energy, though biofuels would be intensified under this scenario. The report entitled Energy [R]evolution: a sustainable world energy outlook seeks to provide a"roadmap" for meeting future energy needs without fuelling climate change. My primary concern (other than severe doubts about the environmental gains from industrial biofuels expressed on many occasions with the approach taken is the failure to factor in conservation, or willfully using less energy. No one seems willing to say truthfully that addressing climate change through limiting energy use to clean, green sources is going to mean purposefully sacrificing on some luxuries. Who will tell the developed world that their lifestyle is not sustainable? Indications are that people ARE willing to sacrifice for the environment. This is different than efficiency, a factor of technology and mechanics, it is an ethic of shared voluntary simplicity as a societal duty. I do agree with the report's conclusion that an apparent lack of political consensus on the best way to proceed, along with I would add a dearth of leaders with the requesite knowledge and vision, are the biggest hindrances to energy policy that keeps the lights on without frying the Planet.

Posted by Dr. Glen Barry | Permalink | Comments (12) | More on energy climate policy

It is difficult to imagine a scenario in which the Earth's climate is stabilized in an inhabitable condition that does not include a substantial global carbon tax [search] as a major component. From a strictly economic viewpoint, Sir Nicholas Stern - who recently published a British government report on the economic impacts of climate change entitled the Stern Report [search] - states "global warming represents the biggest market failure the world has ever seen. The market hasn't worked because we haven't fixed it... Equity demands that the rich countries, who are largely responsible for this problem, do more about it." Stern hits it right on the head. If capitalism is to have any future at all, it better get on with the task of assigning a price to carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere. Ecological Internet has long advocated a modest carbon tax, which we call the Lincoln Plan, to get structures into place to tax carbon and use the revenue for greenhouse gas mitigation strategies such as conserving forests, increasing energy efficiency, and adopting cleaner energy supplies. We need to eventually tax carbon heavily while making sure the structure is progressive and does not hit poor people more heavily. The Earth desperately needs a global carbon tax, yesterday.

Posted by Dr. Glen Barry | Permalink | Comments (0) | More on carbon tax

"Experts assessing the dangers posed to civilisation have added climate change to the prospect of nuclear annihilation as the greatest threats to humankind." The "Doomsday Clock", established in 1947 by the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" to warn the world of the dangers of nuclear weapons, was just moved from 7 to 5 minutes to midnight largely on the basis of climate change concerns. In addition to highlighting continued concerns with nuclear warfare (which in itself would dramatically alter the climate), and particularly proliferation as nuclear energy spreads, for the first time the clock moved because of "destruction of human habitats wreaked by climate change brought on by human activities... global warming poses a dire threat to human civilization that is second only to nuclear weapons." Since its inception the clock has moved from as much as 17 minutes to 2 minutes to doomsday. The recent change is the first since 2002. Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking said "we foresee great peril if governments and societies do not take action now to render nuclear weapons obsolete and to prevent further climate change." We at Ecological Internet concur. No one can say with certainty how soon if ever the human race will annihilate itself. Yet with the basic science that humankind is causing global heating settled, and many of the projections made regarding impacts upon the Earth of over-population and environmental destruction coming true (in some cases many times more abruptly than expected), and with increasing militarization including nuclear, clearly humanity has moved more closely to its own demise.

Posted by Dr. Glen Barry | Permalink | Comments (12) | More on climate doomsday

There is no, and can never be, such a thing as "Clean Coal" [search]. Widespread burying of CO2 which is the basis for "Clean Coal" claims is an industry PR lie that is decades away, if it even ever becomes reality. The truth of the matter is China is burning coal - imports up 51% from Australia in one year - like there is no tomorrow, seriously increasing the likelihood there will not be. The U.S. coal industry is in a mad rush to build some 150 new plants before mandatory carbon caps, carbon taxes or carbon sequestration are put in place. Coal ignited the industrial revolution - accounting for about 60% of human released carbon dioxide to date - and as noted earlier the logical consequence of continuing to burn the 3500 gigatonnes of carbon found in the world's remaining coal reserves will prove deadly. If the world's remaining coal is burned, the planet would be several times past the concentration of carbon dioxide considered able to be adapted to safely. Each of the hundreds of new plants being built by China and the U.S. are without the latest commercially untested carbon sequestration technologies and will spew carbon dioxide directly into the atmosphere for at least 50 years. In the world of nine billion consumers to come, with the condition of the atmosphere in such tatters, the majority of the world's filthy coal reserves must be left in the ground as we transition exclusively to clean renewable energy alternatives. Thankfully, wherever new coal plants are planned protests are emerging [search] including ending bank's coal financing. King Coal, R.I.P., or the Earth and civilization die. Take action as our Australian "Leave the Coal in the Ground" campaign continues.

Posted by Dr. Glen Barry | Permalink | Comments (8) | More on clean coal lie

As the science of climate change becomes more widely known, we are entering a period of angst where the reality of climatic system collapse is accepted, yet the search for climate solutions lags. One dispute is to what extent individuals must sacrifice modern conveniences to reduce emissions; such as driving less, eating less meat and many other energy conserving activities; or whether the required necessary changes are of such a scale like public mass transit, global carbon caps and a carbon tax, which can only be carried out by governments. Given we must reduce emissions dramatically, by some 60% and perhaps more as soon as possible, the answer is both. I am very disappointed in Tony Blair's recent statement that we should all carry on with our air travel because science will find an answer to the problem. The hard reality is that some degree of personal sacrifice is going to be required. Additionally, emissions cannot get to their required levels without rich nations dramatically cutting their emissions and allowing poor nations to increase to equal levels. This approach is called contract and converge [search]. I am shamed every time President Bush selfishly says America will not set mandatory emissions caps because developing countries refuse to do so immediately, when our emissions are up to 30 times that of poor nations. Climate solutions require that emissions must be reduced equitably, both personally and by governments. Work like the dickens to reduce your own carbon footprint while joining the people's movement to bring about societal change sufficient to achieve long-term, equitable and just global ecological sustainability.

Posted by Dr. Glen Barry | Permalink | Comments (0) | More on climate change personal sacrifice

As of 2007 the Earth System has already undergone profound Global Change [search] of which Global Heating is the most immediately evident impact. It is getting hot, and it is happening fast. Humanity is deeply within the Anthropocene era [search] whereby our presence is the greatest force shaping the biosphere. And the results are already being shown to be calamitous - floods and droughts, crop failures, vegetation die-back, rising seas and a general breakdown of climatic patterns. Don't believe me? Walk outside right now - see or feel anything different? Are the trees blooming like in Washington D.C.? Is there a lack of snow as in Minnesota and Europe? Are the rains failing as with Australia's "Big Dry" [search]? This is no time for moderation. So much of the global ecological system's processes and patterns which provide the life-giving context for human civilization have been lost and changed, and it continues to intensify. Essentially no natural processes are assured as a very different Planet emerges - climate patterns, water supplies, ocean fisheries, soil fertility, terrestrial ecosystem energy and nutrient cycling. Only massive public and political pressure - now - can save the Earth and all her species.

Posted by Dr. Glen Barry | Permalink | Comments (25) | More on global change