New Weapons From NewScientist To Fight Against Skeptics

If you have questions about some of the "controversy" about climate change or you are having trouble rebutting the assertions of a Global Warming Skeptic, then the NewScientist website has a new tool for you.

They write: "With so much at stake, it is right that climate science is subjected to the most intense scrutiny. What does not help is for the real issues to be muddied by discredited arguments or wild theories... So for those who are not sure what to believe, here is our round-up of the 26 most common climate myths and misconceptions."

My favorites:

• We can't trust computer models of climate - Yes, we can...
• It's too cold where I live - warming will be great - Lots of reason why this is a short-sighted and naive response...
• Ice cores show CO2 increases lag behind temperature rises, disproving the link to global warming - Sorry, but it's physics...
• Many leading scientists question climate change - Umm... No. Most who question are not leading climatologists... At this point, this claim is like saying "Many leading scientists question evolution."

Overall, it is a good resource.. Click here to read it from the New Scientist website.

Climate Counts Holds Companies Accountable

Gary Hirshberg of Stoneyfield Farm has teamed up with the folks at Clean Air-Cool Planet "to bring consumers and companies together in the fight against global climate change." With their Climate Counts effort, their goal is "to motivate deeper awareness among consumers-not only that the issue of climate change demands their attention, but also that they have the power to support companies that take climate change seriously - and avoid those that don't."

It sounds so simple... Support companies who prove that they care about the future of humankind by taking concrete efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. But, getting that information is not very easy. That is where Climate Counts comes in.

This partnership has created a scorecard to "see how serious companies are about stopping climate change - and how they compare to their sector competitors." With this type of scorecard, consumers can make informed decisions to "vote with their wallets" to support companies who take a progressive stand about climate change.

The sectors scored are Apparel/Accessories, Beverages-Beer, Electronics, Food Products, Food Services, Household Products, Internet/Software, and Media. To rate companies, a total of 22 questions are asked like: Is a Green House Gas emissions inventory completed?; Has the company achieved emissions reductions?; and Is the company publicly reporting emissions? Click here to see a complete list of report questions.

As an example, here are the scores for the Apparel/Accessories category:

Company

Score

Company

Score

Nike	73	Gap Inc.	39
Liz Claiborne	15	Limited Brands	05
VF Corporation	02	Levi Strauss	01
Jones Apparel Group	00

With all of the bad press that Nike gets about sweatshops making Air Jordan's, it is nice to see that they are leading the way on climate change. Levi Strauss... not so much. Guess what brand I won't be buying the next time I shop for jeans. Click here to see all of the categories - and to print out a handy pocket-sized version to keep in your wallet.

As consumers, we have an amazing amount of power over the corporations who are responsible for so much of the carbon footprint of our society. To be effective, though, we need more information like what has been gathered by the Climate Counts people. Let's hope that this is just the beginning of the public accountability of corporations. In the meantime, use whatever information is available to make informed choices when you buy! Your purchases make a difference.

Reconnect To The Food That You Eat

I have blogged before about the important part that food choices make in the fight against climate change. With more and more food being shipped from across the country and around the world, the global warming pollution emitted to provide us with the foods that we eat significantly contributes to our carbon footprint.

The solution to this problem is for us all to eat more locally produced food. And, with summertime here, now is the perfect time to eat as much locally produced food as possible. Attend farmers markets (if you live in Maine, click here to find a local farmers market). Search out local produce and meats at the grocery store. If you cannot find a good selection, ask one of the managers to let them know that you want more local foods. Join a CSA (short for "Community Supported Agriculture - click here to find out more). We just had our first pick-up at our CSA (Wolfpine Farm in Alfred, ME) and enjoyed a wonderful salad with fresh lettuce picked within the last couple of days. The bottom line is that our food choices make a difference.

Also, I found a book excerpt from Wendell Berry who is "a farmer and author of more than thirty books of poetry, essays, and novels" titled The Pleasure of Eating. (Click here to read the excerpt). If we all followed his philosophy of connecting with the food we eat, we would significantly reduce the part of our carbon footprint related to our diet. He suggests:

1. Participate in food production to the extent that you can.
2. Prepare your own food.
3. Learn the origins of the food you buy, and buy the food that is produced closest to your home.
4. Whenever possible, deal directly with a local farmer, gardener, or orchardist.
5. Learn, in self-defense, as much as you can of the economy and technology of industrial food production.
6. Learn what is involved in the best farming and gardening.
7. Learn as much as you can, by direct observation and experience if possible, of the life histories of plant and animal food species.

Think about the food that you eat. Eat local as much as possible. Enjoy your food. Save the world.

Thanks to Dave Pollard and his How To Save The World blog for pointing me in this direction.

Climate Change: From The Front Lines

Think climate change is not happening? Think that we still have decades until the effects of global warming are felt? Think again.

One of my favorite shows in the podcast-sphere is NPR's Science Friday. Last week, they went to Alaska to see and hear firsthand the ways that climate change is already effecting their lives. You can listen to the podcast here: http://www.sciencefriday.com/pages/2007/Jun/hour2_060807.html

Climate change is already happening. This is why significant action is needed NOW.

"What's the Worst That Can Happen?"

Click here to watch an excellent homemade video that argues for action against global warming even if there is still uncertainty about whether it is real. I am confident that global warming is real and climate change is happening... but not everyone is, right? The video looks at whether we should take action against global warming or sit on our hands and pray really hard that over 1000 climate scientists are wrong.

After watching the video, I would be interested to know your thoughts. It reminds me of the scene in Gore's An Inconvenient Truth where he pretends to weigh a balance tray full of gold bullion ("Mmmm") with ... well... the Earth. Given the potential catastrophic consequences of inaction if the scientific consensus is right, how can we not act?

The good news is that the tide is turning. But, the pace needs to be picked up. Please do your part by forwarding this video to others that you know, especially if they do not "believe in" global warming.

"What's the worst that can happen?"

UNH "Power to the People: A University Dialogue on Energy"

The University of New Hampshire has a group of short discussion papers that look at issues related to global warming and climate change. The papers examine subjects ranging from the problem of US reliance on foreign oil to the basics of solar energy to the ethics of energy consumption.

The following papers are included:

• The Power of One, Walt Alderman
• Here Comes the Sun: the Promise of Solar Energy, Carmela Amato-Wierda
• Peak Oil, Geopolitics and the Need for Relocalization, John Carroll
• Hop on the Bus, Gus: The Power of Public Transit, Sönke Dornblut
• Powering Down Technology, Janine Jacques
• Energy's Human Face: Immigrant Stories in Song, David Ripley
• Overpowered: American Domination, Democracy and the Ethics of Energy Consumption, Ruth Sample
• Our Energy (In)Security, Stacy D. VanDeveer
• Energy – The Not-So Bottomless Oil Well and the Alternatives, PT Vasudevan
• Climate in the Balance, Cameron P. Wake

Click here to go to the UNH website to read these excellent articles.

Sydney, Australia to have power blackout to raise climate change awareness

Here is a fascinating idea: On Saturday, March 31, Sydney will have a 1-hour long blackout to raise awareness about climate change. It is being planned by the World Wildlife Foundation and is being supported by the city as well as thousands of businesses.

I wonder if this sort of event to focus attention on the issue would ever be supported in the United States by a major city...

To read more about this event, click here to go to the website for Cosmos Magazine and click here to go to the website for the event.

Bono Talks About Changing The World

I am a fan of Bono. Well, all of U2, really. But one of the things that I admire about Bono is his passion for saving the people of Africa. Some may roll their eyes at this Rock Star/Activist, but I think that Bono is a man who understands that he has a unique ability to talk to the people in power - the ones who can do something about the pain of the African people - people from Strom Thurmond to George Bush to Pope John Paul II.

I recently found a video at the TEDTalks website recorded in 2005 when Bono received a TEDPrize award from the group. He speaks eloquently about the challenges facing Africa and how NOW is the time to solve this crisis. There are two quotes that I find particularly inspiring:

"Idealism detached from action is just a dream, but idealism allied with pragmatism, with rolling up your sleeves and making the world bend a bit, is very exciting, is very real, is very strong and very present in a crowd like you."

"There are moments in history when civilization redefines itself. We believe this is one. We believe this could be the time when the world finally decides that the wanton loss of life in Africa is no longer acceptable. This could be the time when we finally get serious about changing the future for most people who live on planet Earth."

I believe that these two ideas are also important for the fight against global warming. Climate change will most effect the poorest people - the people who do not have the resources to deal with the coming changes. As low lying coastal areas are flooded, as prolonged droughts increase, as famines linger - the poor people in Africa and other parts of the world will be the worst affected.

The tide of public opinion is turning. The political will is growing. Like Bono, I believe that we can make a difference. We can redefine ourselves to meet the challenges of helping the world's poor and combating climate change.

Click here to view the video on the TEDTalks website.

What do YOU think: Global Warming or Climate Change

We here at the Sustainable Energy Alliance have been debating recently about whether "global warming" or "climate change" is a more effective way to frame the current crisis that we face. Does "climate change" seem more scary than "global warming"? Or vice versa? Is "climate change" being used by the skeptics to make the crisis appear less threatening? Is "global warming" simply a less accurate description of what we are facing - since it is expected that some places may become cooler as others warm during the coming century?

Does it even matter what we call it? Do both phrases paint a bleak enough picture that there is no real difference? Does framing really matter?

I would love to hear your thoughts about this. Please click on the word "Comments" below to let us know what you think. Thanks!

IPCC Report Due Out Friday

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release the first part of it's latest report on global warming and its effects on Friday. This organization of 154 countries - including the United States (which is officially only now beginning to admit that global warming is real) and oil producing states like Saudi Arabia) - must reach consensus on these issues. Therefore, its reports are seen to be extremely conservative estimates of the potential effects of global warming.

According to the Scientific American, early drafts of the report state that "[c]limate change is real, it is already here and its consequences may be worse than anticipated."

It will be interesting to see how this is reported in the media. How much time and credibility will they give to global warming skeptics given the results of this report? Will this add steam to the momentum that is starting to build in the US Congress toward some action on global warming?

For more information, see the IPCC website at http://www.ipcc.ch/index.html .

There is also a good entry about the IPCC in the Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPCC .

I hope this this report will further convince people - both ordinary citizens and political leaders - that the time to act is now. Global warming is real. Climate change is already here. The time for action is now.

Please write or call your representatives in Washington DC and demand that the warnings in this report be taken seriously and that legislation be passed this session to mandate reductions of global warming pollution.

Web Resource: David Suzuki Foundation

Dr. David Suzuki is well-known in Canada as a scientist, environmentalist, and broadcaster. The David Suzuki Foundation works to "to find ways for society to live in balance with the natural world that sustains us." The website contains information about Sustainability, Oceans and Sustainable Fishing, and Climage Change and Clean Energy. Some of the information is Canada-focused, but it is generaly applicable to those in other countries as well.

On the What You Can Do page, there are links for actions that can be taken "At Home" and "At Work," as well as information about living a Carbon Neutral lifestyle.

This looks like a good resource for ideas about how we can make the necessary changes to meet the challenges of global warming and move toward a more sustainable society.

Al Gore on Oprah!

Mr. "Inconvenient Truth" himself was on Oprah this week spreading the word about the dangers of global warming and climate change. Given that when Oprah picks a book for her book club, it immediately becomes a bestseller, we can only hope that having Al Gore showcased on her show will turn on the compact fluorescent lights in the minds of her legions of fans.

You can find information about this at Oprah's website, along with ideas for things that you can do. One of my favorite pages lists how your can combat global warming when you go to the grocery store:

• Instead of regular aluminum foil or plastic wrap, purchase recycled aluminum foil
• Look for items without extensive packaging
• Bring a cloth bag to the grocery store instead of using its plastic bags
• Buy local and organic.

Hopefully, Oprah will help push the message of "An Inconvenient Truth" into the mainstream. If you have not seen the movie, it is out on DVD and can be purchased at Amazon.com.

The Supreme Court Shows How Far We Have To Go...

There is an excellent editorial in the Philadelphia Inquirer the summarizes the views of Supreme Court justices when they heard the case brought to them by various states (including Maine) and other organizations to require EPA to regulate CO2 emissions. See my 11/27 blog for more information about this important lawsuit.

The newspaper notes that the opinions of some of the justices are indicative of the opinions of many Americans. "Despite melting glaciers, rising sea levels, disappearing species, and volatile weather, many in America - beginning with President Bush - remain unconvinced. They insist on more conclusive evidence before curbing the greenhouse gases that scientists say are warming the Earth and causing the climate to change."

This is the challenge that we face. But, as each of us continue to make small changes every day - and slowly more and more people wake up to the risks - we will turn the tide. With or without the EPA and the federal government.

Spread the word!!! The more that we all talk about these issues and some of the solutions, the more likely we are to convince someone who is skeptical or doesn't believe that anything can be done.

Another Look At The 13 Tipping Points

The Bangor Daily News has run an Op-Ed by Julia Whitty, the author of the "The Thirteenth Tipping Point" (see my 11/21 blog). "The tipping point on global warming" gives an excellent overview of her longer article that is in Mother Jones Magazine.

A few points to highlight:

• Increasing the visibility of the small changes that people are making may help to change the behaviors of more people. - "[W]e would be inclined to behave as better environmental citizens when we are educated and our individual actions are visible to those around us — a phenomenon known as 'social facilitation.'"
• Once we make up our minds that climate change is a real problem that needs real solutions, we have the ability to change behavior quickly. - "[H]umans can change and change fast. Our hallmark is adaptability."
• The time for action is now. - "We know what to do. We know how to do it. We know the timeline. We are our own tipping point. "

We need to continue to focus on the actions that we can all take - both small and large. Tell your friends and family about the steps that you are taking to reduce your energy-related emissions. If they know that you are taking this risk seriously, they might be more likely to change their own habits!

Bad Economics from the Cato Institute

The recently released Stern Report from the British government recommends that the world invest in addressing global warming now to prevent significant effect on the world economy in the future.

In a report entitled, "Global Warming Insurance is a Bad Buy" by Jerry Taylor and Peter Van Doren, the Cato Institute counters the Stern Report by asking "why should the relatively poor (us) sacrifice for the relatively rich (our children and grandchildren)?" That's right. Who cares what the world looks like in 100 years, our children and grandchildren are going to be richer than we are?

This ridiculous abdication of responsibility is based on the fact that thanks to the "magic" of compounding economic growth, the Gross Domestic Product Per Capita will grow from $44,403 to $321,684 between now and 2106. "If global warming cuts GDP by 10% a year beginning about 50 years from now, then GDP per capita will be $289,515 in 2106 rather than $321,684. "
This argument is like someone in the 1970's claiming that because the population of 2006 will be richer and can better afford to clean up the environment, there was no need to pass the Clean Air Act or the Clean Water Act or any of the other laws that have cleaned the environment and forced more responsibility upon those who pollute.

Setting aside the morality of leaving our children and grandchildren to deal with the effects of our high-carbon society, the paper also forgets to mention that if you assume a 3.5% inflation rate (about the same as from 1950 to 2005), in 2106, the Per Capita GDP would need to be $1,384,992 for our great grandchildren to enjoy the same standard of living as we enjoy now. So, keeping this in mind, the argument really should be that we need to do something now because future generations will be less able to afford the solutions than we are.

The report ends with the standard stance of those against addressing the problem: "But climate predictions are not certain." Apparently, Taylor and Van Doran are willing to wait until Washington D.C. is under water to take action.

This type of report is the reason why the work of the Sustainable Energy Alliance is so important. Grass-roots groups like SEA leading the charge at the local level is the only way to counter "research" backed by Big Oil and other companies who believe the best solution is the status quo so that they can continue to make lots of money.

Thirteenth Tipping Point

A difficult concept for many to remember about Climate Change is that the changes will not be linear. The systems are too complex. Like the straw that broke the camel's back, we will one day burn that ton of coal that boosts the carbon dioxide concentration over a tipping point.

This article from Mother Jones Magazine points out some of the dangerous tipping that could occur.

Thirteenth Tipping Point by Julia Whitty

In an article in the LA Times, Whitty says:

"Many secretly perceive global warming to be an insoluble problem and respond by circling the family wagons and turning inward. Yet human beings are born with powerful tools for solving this quandary. We have the genetic smarts and the cultural smarts. We have the technological know-how. We even have the inclination."

Whitty in the LA Times

Now is the time to start to act!