Climate Change News - February 11, 2009

The health of the world's oceans is critical to a sustainable future. Here are some forward thinking policy suggestions for the Obama administration from the Ocean Conservancy. However, ocean "dead zones" are expanding and, with more global warming, they may persist for hundreds of years.
Regarding global warming and his green agenda, here are recommendations for President Obama's first 100 days from 14 leading environmentalists. For additional insight on policy recommendations see this older DotEarth posting and this letter to Barack and Michelle Obama from Dr. James Hansen.
Oh, going green is too expensive and alternative energy sources are just too unreliable, so we should do nothing about climate change. So say the champions of the status quo, who seem to be suicidally inclined. Gosh, I wonder why FL lawmakers are looking to required investor-owned utilities to generate 20% of their energy through renewable resources by 2020. Gee, I also wonder if it will cost anything to deal with 3 billion or so people who will not have enough to eat by 2100 in a BAU approach? And what about the 1 billion Asians who depend on the melting Himalayan glaciers for their drinking water?
I also wonder whether it will cost anything to move many coastal cities inland or to dike them by 2100 due to a 3 foot or more rise in sea level? The US EPA has just issued its massive report on the dangers to the US coast due to sea level rise. See also this link to a NYT article about the report. NC, FL, LA, TX, and SC will be the states hardest hit. Increased glacial melt will drive sea level up as well as create water shortages, especially in Asia. Warming in Antarctica also promises to contribute. And scientists continue to be concerned that oceans may lessen their absorption of CO2. Dr. James Hansen believes that time is quite short for us and the world to avert a climate catastrophe and suggests that only a carbon tax can accomplish the kinds of GHG emission reductions necessary. Dr. Hansen recently was awarded its top honor from the American Meterological Society, our largest organization of weather specialists. Bill McKibben has reviewed the global warming situation and concludes that "The only question is whether we're going to hold off catastrophe." Orrin Pilkey recently spoke in McClellanville and suggested that SC should plan for a 2 meter rise in sea level by 2100!
Did you know that sea level rise will not be the same everywhere around the globe as polar ice sheets melt?
President Obama has moved swiftly to halt the implementation of some of the last minute anti-envioromental regulations put in place by President Bush, as well as to push his own environmental agenda. President Bush's stance toward the environment can certainly be considered one of his greatest failings. In an interesting twist, Republican governors are urging congressional action to limit climate change. And, the US Climate Action Partnership has released a detailed framework for legislation to address climate change. Sadly, however, the economic crisis has caused orders for wind and solar energy equipment to plummet.
2008 was right up there in being one of the warmest years out of the last 150.
Lou Dobbs recently hosted some climate change skeptics who dispute that manmade global warming is real. This seems very strange considering the recent pole of over 3,000 earth scientists, the great majority of whom agreed that the earth was warming and that human activities were the cause. And, phenology, the study of plant and animal life cycles, continues to provide undeniable evidence of global warming.
Meanwhile at Yale University's Environment 360, a proponent of solar thermal energy predicts that in 10 years green energy will be "10 times bigger than the internet and IT combined."
And, one scientist believes that the planet could be cooled by 2 degrees C by growing new grains that reflect more sunlight.
NASA has posted a excellent article about how the earth's energy balace effects its climate.
A victory for civilization has been scored in the settlement of a land-mark lawsuit requiring the Import-Export Bank to take into account GHG emissions and global warming in its funding of overseas fossil fuel projects.