BLOG
The Decline of Polar Bears
-- Ria -- 09/12/2007
The experts have once again spoken. As reported in the Washington Post, government scientists have concluded that two-thirds of the world's polar bears will disappear by 2050. Furthermore, the study states that the population will eventually be confined in the Arctic archipelago of Canada and parts of Greenland. All polar bears from Alaska will disappear in this time. "As the sea ice goes, so goes the polar bear," said Steven Amstrup, lead biologist for the survey team. With debate over whether the polar bear should be put on the endangered species list, one thing is for sure - the exceptional diversity of animals that we have always taken for granted is slowly vanishing.
NH’s Timberland Company rates carbon impact of products
-- brucebc -- 09/11/2007
Today's Boston Globe features a story on New Hampshire's Timberland Company and how they're adding labels to their shoe that explain the carbon impact of creating the product. Apparently they're at the forefront of this new wave of marketing in the US. Similarly, the Granite State's Stoneyfield Farms has initiated an effort to rate corporations' climate impacts. Their web site is http://www.climatecounts.org/.
These efforts help illustrate exactly how strong the desire for real change is in New Hampshire.
Arctic Icecaps Melting at an Accelerated Rate
-- Ria -- 09/07/2007
Today's article in the Washington Post, "NOAA Scientists Say Arctic Ice Is Melting Faster Than Expected", comes as a shock. Though the knowledge of the possible dissolution of the Arctic icecaps in the future is something we've been hearing about for a while now, the realization of how fast it is coming (and already happening) and how there is little to change what will happen to the Arctic in the next 30 - 40 years is disheartening. "The amount of emissions we have already put out in the last 20 years will stay around for 40 to 50 years," Overland (NOAA oceanographer) said. "I'm afraid to say that a lot of impacts we will see in the next 30 to 40 years are pretty much already established." This news report adds to the urgency that we start significantly curbing carbon emissions to stop further permanent damage. It can be done!
Romney Discusses Energy Independence in South Carolina
-- Emma -- 09/05/2007
South Carolina activists attended a Mitt Romney campaign event over the weekend, where the former governer was asked multiple questions about energy and global warming. He responded that energy independence is one of his top priorities, calling his plan "a Manhattan-style project, an Apollo-style project." And the content of his plan? "There are probably two parts, to get us independent of foreign oil. One is to develop our own sources of energy, much more aggressively than we have. And by that I mean: nuclear power, coal power, probably liquified coal, where we sequester the CO2, and our renewable sources-solar, wind, biodiesel, biofuel. The commissioner of agriculture in Florida was telling me about blue-green algae they use to create biofuel, so there are a lot of sources of our own energy we have to develop. That's number one. Number two, we have to be more efficient in our use of energy."
Romney reiterated his support for liquified coal later in the event, saying, "China's building five plants now, apparently, for liquified coal. We would attempt, if we were building one, to sequester the CO2 . . . We have to develop the technology. If it can do that, and not emit CO2, it would be a huge advance, because we have got a lot of coal, and so does China." According to Romney, his first priority is to create a program "that's going to get us independent of foreign oil, and at the same time have the byproduct of reducing our CO2 emissions."
Leo Urges Action on Climate in New Film
-- Ria -- 08/31/2007
Last week I saw the new Leonardo DiCaprio documentary on global warming - the 11th Hour. I had heard and read so much about the movie in the weeks leading up to its premier and so my hopes for the dashing Leo (c'mon, you know you liked Titanic) had no doubt become inflated. Not to mention that being the avid environmentalist that I am, I really wanted the documentary to be an effective, enlightening piece of work that thoroughly got across the urgent need for action to address the climate crisis.
Thankfully, my expectations were met!
Narrated by Dicaprio, the movie featured interviews from about 20 different experts and public figures all sharing their various perspectives while still delivering the same message... namely, "let's wake up!" While it's true that the subject is grave and incredibly serious, there is still hope. And, things can change. We've just got to turn up the heat...to cool it down.
The message of the movie was clear and I really hope it'll get more people talking about the need to solve global warming.
Heat Is On Volunteer Starts Global Warming Class
-- Chris -- 08/30/2007
Monica Brett, Nevada Heat Is On Steering Committee Member & Adjunct-Professor at Community College of Southern Nevada, has started the first of it's kind class "The Politics of Global Warming." City Life, a Las Vegas Weekly, ran a great article today about the class and the Heat Is On project. We hope that the class will become a model for the rest of the state, and around the country. Click here to read the article.
Country Ham House Hosts Huckabee
-- Colin -- 08/24/2007
This past Wednesday, Mike Huckabee stopped by the Country Ham House in Greenville, S.C. I had a chance to ask the former Arkansas governor, fresh off his second-place finish in the Ames straw poll in Iowa, about the 1300-megawatt coal-fired plant our state utility Santee Cooper is proposing for Kingsburg. Huckabee has publicly stated his support for "clean coal" technology. But if we hope one day to transition to "clean coal" technology, what do we do today about the "dirty coal" technology of Santee Cooper's proposed pulverized coal plant? Huckabee responded that the U.S. should increase its use of renewable energy - like solar - and, in his words, other "non-fossil fuel based" energy sources. He then mentioned the advancements being made at the Hydrogen Engine Center, which he recently visited in Iowa. Later on in his comment, Huckabee reiterated the connection between energy independence and national security, saying that we shouldn't be funding "despots" in the Middle East.
Huckabee addresses energy independence in South Carolina
-- Emma -- 08/22/2007
When asked about his support of a renewable energy standard at a gathering at Beef'O'Brady's in Fort Mill, S.C., yesterday, Mike Huckabee said that the United States can become energy independent in a decade. He said that he believes our fuel should be homegrown and environmentally friendly, and cited biofuels, wind, solar, and hydrogen as important sources of fuel that our country should pursue.
While Huckabee did not directly answer the renewable energy question in Fort Mill, he was more specific in a July interview, in which he expressed disappointment that the Senate energy bill passed earlier this year rejected a renewable energy standard of 15 percent by 2020. In the same interview, he offered support for the Senate bill's provision increasing fuel economy to 35 mpg by 2020.
Iowa Democratic Debate Recap
-- Mike -- 08/20/2007
While the media questioners at yesterday's Democratic debate in Iowa did not ask any of the candidates about global warming or energy, several of the candidates brought up the issue on their own, including Senator Clinton and Governor Richardson. Senator Obama discussed the issue at greater length in response to a question about telling the "whole truth" about a "major" issue.
OBAMA: I think there are a number of issues where there are going to be some choices we've got to make and some sacrifices involved. I'll give you one specific example, and that's on energy. All of us on this stage have talked about global warming and how it is a moral imperative for us to do something about this, to ensure that we're passing on a livable planet to our children and our grandchildren. There will be some costs involved. It's not -- we can't do it on the cheap. There are some things that we can do to conserve energy, but all of those steps are going to require a little bit of hardship and a little bit of pinching, and that's something that we don't have enough of a discussion about. I've tried to. I went to Detroit, and in front of a bunch of auto makers, I said we've got to raise fuel efficiency standards on cars. And the silence was deafening in the room. But those are the kinds of choices, I think, that the next president is going to have to advance and have an honest conversation with the American people about.
Click here to watch video of this response.
Additionally, least you think the lack of a substantive discussion during the debate on energy went unnoticed by the candidates, Governor Richardson pointed it out during a post-debate interview with the local NBC affiliate.
RICHARDSON: I was hoping to talk about energy, you know I'm a former secretary of energy, and in my judgment we need to become energy independent, and renewable fuels and ethanol, and renewable technology's the key. I wish I'd even been asked a question on energy. Interestingly, there are no questions on energy...
Candidates spending LOTS of time in NH
-- brucebc -- 08/13/2007
News clips from several papers throughout the state make it clear that the presidential candidates, despite all kinds of talk about when and where people will actually vote, continue to take the New Hampshire Primary seriously and to talk about global warming and energy at most stops. The Caledonian-Record, covering the North Country of NH & VT, reported last Friday on Governor Richardson's stop in Whitefield, N.H., here.
0 comments