A day after the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government had the authority to regulate greenhouse gases, President Bush said he thought that the measures he had taken so far were sufficient. Mr. Bush made it clear that he thought his proposal to increase automobile fuel efficiency was sufficient for the moment; he gave … Read More
Climate Change
Historic Supreme Court Ruling Over EPA and Emissions
It is being billed as one of the most important environmental decisions in years. It is also a severe rebuke for President Bush. A real poke in the eye, as it were. The US Supreme Court has ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency does have the authority to regulate greenhouse gases from automobiles.
Europe’s ETS Scheme Branded A Failure
Most critics of emission trading schemes argue that they do not solve the problem. Pollution permits allow people to do just that, pollute. Well figures from the EU show what a sham Europe’s emission trading scheme (ETS) is. New figures show that the ETS scheme failed to deliver the promised curbs in pollution and that … Read More
The Cruel Inequality of Climate Change
Next Friday a new report from the IPCC will underline the growing “climate divide” that is growing across the globe. The world’s richest countries, which have contributed the most to climate change, are already spending billions of dollars to limit their own risks from its worst consequences, like drought and rising seas.
UK: No Change Over Climate Change
New research undertaken in the UK has found that few people are making significant changes to their lifestyle to counter climate change despite a widespread acceptance of its dangers. The survey found that while 80 per cent of the public believed climate change was affecting Britain, almost half were doing nothing to halt its impact.
What else has the government not told us about climate change?
A report released this week by the Government Accountability Project (GAP), a whistleblower protection organization based in Washington D.C., demonstrates the politicization of climate science. According to GAP, political policies and practices “have increasingly restricted the flow of scientific information emerging from publicly-funded climate change research. This has negatively affected the media’s ability to report … Read More
Retreating Himalayan Glaciers Spell Disaster for Bangladesh
Bangladesh is often seen as being in the fragile front line of climate change, being especially susceptible to sea-level rise. But now climate scientists are worrying about another equally dramatic effect – the retreat of the Himalayan glaciers that feed the great rivers on which the country depends.
Skeptics Lose: Its Time for Real Action
The New York Times reports how “politicians who deny that global warming is a problem used to be the biggest obstacle to a solution. They’re not anymore. They have lost the argument”. It continues: “When former Vice President Al Gore came back to Capitol Hill to testify last week, a few of the global-warming holdouts … Read More
Climate Change Moves the Maple Tree
Vermont is famous for its maple trees. But for how much longer? Climate change is pushing the North American maple zone gradually but inexorably northwards towards Canada. According to Rupert Cornwell in the Independent, one day soon the maple may be gone. “Without the maple, Vermont would not be Vermont. Mention the name of this … Read More
NZ Greens Unveil New Climate Policy
The New Zealand Green Party has unveiled a new climate change policy that rejects carbon taxes and emissions trading in favour of an emitter-pays approach. They argue their solution offers the best hope of carbon charges and trading while ensuring taxpayers are not left holding the estimated $600 million bill for New Zealand’s Kyoto liabilities … Read More