Exxon Still Funding Climate Denial Groups
Global Warming/Climate Change — by Craig Mackintosh
I’ve often heard people state that climate change was invented by governments and corporations as a means of controlling and profiting from the populace – these are the climate change conspiracy theorists. While I think there is a very real danger, as I’ve expressed more than once, that if we don’t transform the way we live and how society functions in rapid fashion (i.e. finding alternatives to a consumption-based society and learning to work with, and benefit from, biological synergies) then things could deteriorate to the point where arbitrary control and draconian measures will become likely, at the same time the climate change conspiracy theorists have never explained why – if governments and industry are manufacturing evidence for climate change – these very groups have been spending millions funding people that spread climate denial misinformation. The Bush administration did its best to ignore and make light of the climate change issue, and its bosom buddy ExxonMobil, in particular, has been the lead player in providing the finance (watch ‘The Denial Machine’ video at bottom for more detailed info on this).
Last year Exxon-Mobil promised to cut funding to such groups, but The Guardian now reports that they have continued to fund climate skeptic misinformation right through 2008:
Comments (1)Posted on: July 3, 2009
Stop Building Tanks
Economics, Global Warming/Climate Change, Society — by George Monbiot
Let’s divert the money spent on arms to addressing the real strategic threat.
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
What would we be doing now if we took climate change seriously? Last week the government released a report on the likely temperature changes in the United Kingdom(1). It shows that life at the end of this century will bear no relationship to life at the beginning. It should have dominated the news for days. But it was too far away, too remote from current problems, too big to see.
Over the past few months, Lord Giddens, one of the architects of New Labour, has been touting the hypothesis that people are reluctant to act on climate change until it becomes visible to them, by which time it will be too late(2). This thought, which has been common currency within the environment movement for at least 20 years, has been christened by this shrinking violet “Giddens’s Paradox”. It ranks among his other major discoveries, like the Giddens Postulate (people wear fewer clothes when temperatures rise) and the Giddens Effect (the earth goes round the Sun). But despite his outrageous expropriation, the point remains a valid one. We will resist taking radical action until we have no choice, whereupon it will have no effect.
Comments (0)Posted on: June 23, 2009
Home
Biodiversity, Consumerism, Deforestation, Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Population, Society, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton, peak oil — by Craig Mackintosh
The following documentary, ‘Home‘, is almost perfect.
As a photographer, I was totally engrossed in the imagery – mostly shot from above, and almost entirely in the magic hours of morning and evening light – as this production gives us a vision of this world we call home that is hard to forget. It also leaves one feeling like part of the human fabric – part of the larger human family that, when you come right down to it, all depends on our planet and its immense (albeit dwindling) diversity to supply our universal, basic needs.
As a writer, that has covered the many converging issues we’re now facing – water, soil, biodiversity, deforestation, peak oil, climate change, etc. – the facts shared are also on target and up-to-date. And, again, beautifully and graphically presented.
Why I say ‘almost perfect’ is because it is only the last ten or fifteen minutes where the documentary turns about in a bid to leave the viewer feeling optimistic before it’s all over. Here it truly fails. Ultimately, it graphically and beautifully tells the tale of humankind’s misguided and unsustainable attempts at finding satisfaction – but delivers only a warm, fuzzy, nebulous feeling of how we’re to retreat from the cliff edge we’re teetering over. Despite its shortcomings, however, I give kudos to all who put it together and for their willingness to freely distribute it to as many people as possible. It’s definitely a must-watch.
‘Home’ trailer
Watch the full documentary here
Also available in Arabic, French, German, Russian and Spanish.
Comments (1)Posted on: June 21, 2009
Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States
Global Warming/Climate Change — by Craig Mackintosh
 Download the full 13mb PDF |
As a new report lands on Obama’s desk, we need a groundswell of energy, education and change from Permaculturists everywhere.
A 190-page report ‘Global Climate Change Impacts in The United States‘ has just been released. It is a ’state of knowledge’ report from the US Global Change Research Program(1) that brings together the latest climate science information available and is intended to assist politicians in forming appropriate policy to help mitigate, and adapt to, the impacts of climate change. It is described as "the most up-to-date, comprehensive and authorative assessment of climate change impacts on the United States".
Unlike a lot of documents pieced together by scientists, this report – addressed to the U.S. Congress and the President of the United States – is written in plain speak. It’s well worth a peruse. It covers, in detail, how climate change is already making changes within the United States, and also projects, as far as possible, likely scenarios for future change. The report is humble in tone, being candid about its own limitations when it comes to complicated feedback mechanisms, etc.. You can browse chapters that cover climate change impacts by sector (water, energy, agriculture, ecosystems, etc.), and by region.
Comments (3)Posted on: June 18, 2009
What You Need to Know
Biodiversity, Consumerism, Deforestation, Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Society, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton — by Craig Mackintosh
Duration: 1:27:31
Posted on: June 9, 2009
Melting Ice Could Lead to Massive Waves of Climate Refugees
Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Society — by Earth Policy Institute
by Lester R. Brown, Earth Policy Institute, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
As the earth warms, the melting of the earth’s two massive ice sheets–Antarctica and Greenland–could raise sea level enormously. If the Greenland ice sheet were to melt, it would raise sea level 7 meters (23 feet). Melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet would raise sea level 5 meters (16 feet). But even just partial melting of these ice sheets will have a dramatic effect on sea level rise. Senior scientists are noting that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections of sea level rise during this century of 18 to 59 centimeters are already obsolete and that a rise of 2 meters during this time is within range.
Posted on: June 4, 2009
Cool Proposal
Global Warming/Climate Change, peak oil — by Marcin Gerwin
It’s not about technology. It’s about transitioning to a sustainable society. More than a hundred years ago when gasoline-powered and diesel engines were developed, gentlemen like Karl Benz, Rudolf Diesel and Gottlieb Daimler most probably had no idea what the consequences of their inventions might be. They didn’t expect the suburban sprawl, the oil pollution in the Amazon, conflicts in the Middle East or millions of acres land of paved with highways. Now imagine it was possible to sit down with them at that time and draft a policy for introducing their inventions in a sustainable way. Imagine you could say: “Karl, dude, your engine is great, but when you burn fossil fuels you emit a greenhouse gas which will eventually cause a climate crisis. Cars can be practical on a small scale, but generally let’s stick to walking and bicycles.”
Posted on: June 3, 2009
Why ‘Increased Energy Efficiency’ Won’t Save Us
Consumerism, Economics, Global Warming/Climate Change, Society, peak oil — by Craig Mackintosh
There’s a lot of talk in political circles on how technology and ‘increased efficiency’ will save us from our socioeconomic and ecological woes. The U.S., for example, is finally getting a little more serious about vehicle fuel efficiency standards, and we’re sharpening our pencils in many other areas as well.
Saving energy is course a good thing – indeed, it should be seen as an imperative moral duty. I mean, on a cold, windy winter’s day, would you wander around the house in your underwear with the heaters wound to max and curtains flailing wildly through wide open windows? Most would consider this obscene. In the same way, producing vehicles that unashamedly consume vast amounts of ancient forest just for a race between the lights is the ultimate in stupidity.
But, having said all that, too few understand that just making something more efficient doesn’t necessarily translate into an energy saving. On the contrary, it has been repeatedly shown that greater efficiency translates easily into greater consumption.
Comments (4)Posted on: May 27, 2009
World Geothermal Power Generation Nearing Eruption
Building, Energy Systems, Global Warming/Climate Change, peak oil — by Earth Policy Institute
by Jonathan G. Dorn, Earth Policy Institute
With fossil fuel prices escalating and countries searching for ways to reduce oil dependence and greenhouse gas emissions, capturing the earth’s heat for power generation is garnering new attention. First begun in Larderello, Italy, in 1904, electricity generation using geothermal energy is now taking place in 24 countries, 5 of which use it to produce 15 percent or more of their total electricity. In the first half of 2008, total world installed geothermal power capacity passed 10,000 megawatts and now produces enough electricity to meet the needs of 60 million people, roughly the population of the United Kingdom. In 2010, capacity could increase to 13,500 megawatts across 46 countries–equivalent to 27 coal-fired power plants.
Posted on: May 26, 2009
How Much Should We Leave in the Ground?
Global Warming/Climate Change, peak oil — by George Monbiot
Here are some estimates for how much fossil fuel we can use, and a call for a global moratorium on new prospecting.
by George Monbiot – journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist
The two papers on carbon emissions published in Nature last week were ground-breaking: they show us how much carbon dioxide we can produce if we’re to have a reasonable chance of preventing two degrees of global warming. It’s a completely different approach from the UN’s and national governments’. They set targets for reductions by a certain date but have nothing to say about the total amount of carbon we can release.
Posted on: May 7, 2009
Nuclear Fusion – a Long Shot?
Global Warming/Climate Change, Nuclear, peak oil — by Craig Mackintosh
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If you could compare all the different applications of clean technology (solar, wind, etc.) to horses in a race, I guess you could say that Nuclear Fusion is the ‘long shot’. It’s the old nag that everyone expects to come in last, if it comes in at all. But, as long shots do, if it does come in the pay-off would be huge.
Often slated to be a fifty year project, the time-frame has recently been chiselled down to a ‘modest’ thirty years – maybe.
Comments (3)Posted on: May 4, 2009
Beyond Peak Oil and Climate Change
Global Warming/Climate Change, Society, peak oil — by Marcin Gerwin
A breakthrough
 Photo: Amehare/Flickr |
When plants grow they convert CO2 and water into carbohydrates with the help of sunlight. This process is called photosynthesis. For many years scientists tried to mimic photosynthesis to produce methanol. It wasn’t easy. The main challenge was to design a catalyst that would allow the whole process to work. And it’s exactly a right catalyst that was recently discovered by professor Dobieslaw Nazimek from Poland. His team also found the way to provide the optimum conditions for production of methanol from CO2 and water. If their method was applied on a commercial scale, it could allow the production of methanol at 3 cents per liter (or US$0.11 per gallon) (1). Methanol can be used directly as a fuel for cars or it can be further processed to create regular gasoline or diesel (e.g. in the Mobil methanol-to-gasoline process). And it would be a clean fuel with no sulfur at all. Artificial photosynthesis can be also used to make fuel for electricity generation, heating or cooking. If designed with the cradle to cradle principles and introduced in a socially desirable way, it could provide a meaningful solution for the post oil future and help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Comments (11)Posted on: April 26, 2009
From Each According to Their Ability?
Comedy Break, Economics, Global Warming/Climate Change, Society — by Marc Roberts
 Click for full view Courtesy: Throbgoblins |
The wealthy in the UK are throwing all manner of hissy fits at the very idea of paying their fair share to help pull our collective fat out of the fire. They are once again threatening to leave the country in droves unless we all pucker up. Perhaps a concerted drive is needed to finally establish a clear distinction between the concepts of ‘earn’, ‘receive’ and ‘deserve’. These people are deeply confused.
From each according to their ability. To each according to their need.
As the emissions of rich nations continue to rise, the push for carbon capture picks up steam in a last ditch attempt to create tools to save the likes of orchards, fish and humans from the consequences of habitual greed.
Comments (0)Posted on: April 25, 2009
The 11th Hour
Biodiversity, Consumerism, Deforestation, Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Health & Disease, Population, Society, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton, peak oil — by Craig Mackintosh
Comments (2)
Posted on: April 24, 2009
Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization?
Economics, Food Shortages, Global Warming/Climate Change, Population, Society, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton — by Earth Policy Institute
by Lester R. Brown, Earth Policy Institute, Washington D.C., U.S.A.
 Lester Brown |
In the May issue of Scientific American, Lester Brown discusses how food shortages could be the weak link that brings down civilization. In this feature article, “Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization?” Brown reveals that the biggest threat to global political stability is the potential for food crises in poor countries to cause government collapse. Those crises are brought on by rising demand and ever worsening environmental degradation.
“In the twentieth century, dramatic rises in grain prices resulted from poor harvests. They were event driven and short-lived,” Brown says. “In contrast, the recent escalation in world grain prices is trend-driven, making it unlikely to reverse the rise in food prices without a reversal in the trends themselves.”
Demand side trends include the addition of more than 70 million people to the global population each year, 4 billion people moving up the food chain—consuming more grain-intensive meat, milk, and eggs—and the massive diversion of U.S. grain to fuel ethanol distilleries. On the supply side, the trends include falling water tables, eroding soils, and rising temperatures. Higher temperatures lower grain yields. They also melt the glaciers in the Himalayas and on the Tibetan plateau whose ice melt sustains the major rivers and irrigation systems of China and India during the dry seasons. Without a massive intervention to reverse these three environmental trends, Brown argues, more and more states will fail, ultimately threatening civilization itself.
In the article, Brown discusses measures to reverse the trends. “Among other steps,” he says, “it will take a massive restructuring of the world energy economy similar in scale and urgency to the wartime restructuring of the U.S. industrial economy in 1942.”
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