The denial machine
It’s scary ‘coz it’s true.
Environment
science
Steve Jobs, 1955-2011
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died today at the age of 56.
Climate change killing Tuvalu & Tokelau
The low-lying island nations of Tuvalu and Tokelau have declared water emergencies and parts of Samoa are rationing water. Climate change has raised the sea level so that what little freshwater lens the islands have has been reduced. Higher temperatures evaporate more of it. Climate change is also causing more frequent and severe La Ninas, which causes droughts.
Ecocide Mock Trial
The crime of ecocide will be tested, as if it is already law, by barristers before a judge and jury, at the UK Supreme Court in London.
Moving planet
Moving Planet is a worldwide rally to demand solutions to the climate crisis. It is being held on 24th September 2011 – a day to move beyond fossil fuels. Check out an event near you…
Inflating more than a blowfish
It is all rather hilarious to watch exactly how stupid people can expend so much effort to not read actual science. But it appears that your average climate change denier (CCD) is far more concerned with inflated gossip than actually understanding anything. There is a great video looking at an instance of this trait.
Chart o’ the day: Not on target
The innovation that we need
We’re going to need a lot of innovation to survive the coming decades. Today’s innovation is a simple modification that at least doubles the energy output of a wind turbine. Brilliant.
Slow follower
When it comes to making any kind of effort to saving the planet from catastrophic climate change I guess being even a “fast follower” was just a little too ambitious for the Key government.
Remember
When the Nats say they must cut early childhood education funding – remember their new $500m subsidy to polluters.
When the Nats say they have to cut women’s refuge money – remember their new $500m subsidy to polluters.
When the Nats say they have to sell our assets to pay their debt – remember their new $500m subsidy to polluters.
National Brain Drain
National promised to close the wage gap with Australia, and stop the flow of people across the ditch. Instead they’ve not just massively increased the wage gap and the number of people fleeing the country, they’re now forcing our best and brightest out.
Ecocide
If a corporation can have the legal rights of a person, why can’t the environment can’t have the legal protections of a person too?
NRT: Some “strategy”
National’s Energy Strategy has been roundly criticised. The promises of more renewables and energy efficiency are more ‘aspirational’ fluff with no plan to actually get there. And, worse, the heart of the strategy works against sustainability and environmental responsibility – it’s all about drilling up and burning more oil. I/S at NoRightTurn explains.
Irene sounds yet another warning
Irene is yet another example of the significant increase in extreme weather that we’re seeing all around the globe. But this warning will be ignored like all the rest.
Ocean Acidification
We know that our carbon pollution is damaging the climate – making the atmosphere warmer and less stable – but it also makes the sea more acidic. Ocean Acidification means the aquaculture industry could be in big trouble by the middle of the century, not to mention the rest of the fishing industry. But the government blithely ignores the problem.
Revolution and hunger
What provokes a populace to take to the streets in violent uprising? Is it the inexorable power of a demand for justice and democracy? Or is it something much simpler than that…
The decades of consequences
Peter Sinclair has been putting out great videos for years on climate change as Climate Crock of the Week. They focus on having […]
Seeds of hope
This is the kind of innovation and intelligence that we are going to need in abundance to survive the medium to long term future…
Myth busting – reducing agricultural emissions
We commonly hear the vested interests (Fed Farmers, National, Fonterra) saying that agriculture should continue to get a 100% subsidy on its greenhouse emissions because there’s no way for farmers to reduce their pollution aside from producing less. That’s rubbish. In fact, as BR shows, agriculture is already producing more value for less pollution.
NoRightTurn on the ETS
I/S reviews the ETS so far. It has worked, as Labour promised, to bring down emissions – helped by the recession. But don’t forget there are still massive subsidies for the emissions that are happening thanks to National’s changes. It’s nuts that you and I are forking out so that foreign-owned factories can spew out carbon dioxide on a more profitable basis.
Generation Zero
It is one of the failures of our society that far too many young people are politically disengaged or apathetic. Many – but not all! Meet Generation Zero. Please go visit their website, join up, or spread the word…
American heatwave
Farewell to space
I think our exploration of space is effectively over. The end of the shuttle programme is the end of that era.
Monckton not worth debating
Local climate change deniers want to organise a debate featuring visiting “celebrity” Christopher Monckton. I’m all for scientific debate of course. But you can’t have such a debate with Monckton, because he’s a serial liar.
Go Gillard!
I’ve been impressed with Labour on both sides of the ditch lately. Here of course Phil Goff’s Labour party has moved very boldly on the CGT. But across the ditch in Oz, Labor leader and PM Julia Gillard is fighting an even tougher battle on carbon pricing. Go Gillard!
A real plan to save the world does exist
A feasible plan to power 100 percent of the planet with complete renewables exists. This plan excludes Nuclear and Biofuels, which the Scientific American authors of this plan also considered to be ultimately unsustainable technologies as well. Instead this plan revolves around Wind, Water and Solar – WWS
Climate change laffs
Comedy duo Armstrong and Miller (who has a degree in quantum physics) take on climate change deniers and do-nothingers with disarming humour.
Frack off
Bravo France, the first country in the world to ban fracking. But for every step forward in this world, we seem to take two steps backwards…
Mother Nature’s cruel blow?
The snows haven’t come and the ski industry is in trouble. Is it a “cruel blow” from mother nature?
Chart ‘o the day: Warming is over
“There Once was an Island” in theatres this week
My producer partner Lyn is back from Eire and has a theatrical release of their documentary underway in NZ. Director Briar March and producer Lyn Collie, along with two Australasian earth scientists specializing in oceanography and geomorphology looked at the effects of a rising sea levels and changing climate patterns are having on the people of the small Polynesian atoll Takuu in Papua New Guinea. Well worth watching on the big screen while you can.
It’s begun
Argue with the science if you must, but it’s pretty hard to argue with the world. The effects of climate change are upon us..
Hansen on climate change
Visionary climate change scientist James Hansen recently toured New Zealand, giving several public lectures. Here’s a quick summary, and a link to the podcast of the talk he gave at the University of Otago. As expected, it’s an excellent talk, with some fascinating suggestions about what we the people need to do. Interesting also to get Hansen’s take on Nick Smith…
The three pigs of climate change
Key: making shit up
John Key just rumbles on from one lame excuse to the next on the ETS. First bringing farmers in was going to raise dairy prices, now he’s making other claims that don’t stack up.
Hansen calls for Key to lead on climate change
Visionary climate change scientist James Hansen has written an open letter to John Key.