Unstable Siberian Arctic Shelf Leaking Greenhouse Gas Methane

Submitted by ecofactory on Tue, 2010-03-09 12:50
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Unstable Siberian Arctic Shelf Leaking Greenhouse Gas Methane

FAIRBANKS, Alaska, March 9, 2010 (ENS) - A Siberian section of the Arctic Ocean seafloor that stores vast amounts of frozen methane is showing signs of instability and is venting the potent greenhouse gas, an international research team reported Friday.

The permafrost under the East Siberian Arctic Shelf, long thought to be an impermeable barrier sealing in the methane, is perforated and is starting to leak seven to eight million tonnes of methane each year into the atmosphere.

British Hearing Leaves Climategate Professor Shaking

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Tue, 2010-03-02 19:17
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British Hearing Leaves Climategate Professor Shaking

Phil Jones, the climate scientist at the epicenter of "Climategate," was shaken by the first public inquiry by British lawmakers and investigators.
House of Commons

British officials and lawmakers carried out the first hearing against climate scientist Phil Jones yesterday over uncertainties in his research results made public by leaked emails now known as "Climategate." Simon Hoggart of The Guardian described Jones as "taut, nervous, often miserable. Often his hands shook." Investigators say they avoided some of the most piercing, some say most critical, questions intentionally due to Jones' frail mental state. Since the scandal erupted last November, Jones has become the subject of scrutiny, scorn, and death threats.

Three Major US Corporations Quit Pro-Climate Lobby

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Thu, 2010-02-18 17:49
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Three Major US Corporations Quit Pro-Climate Lobby

Three major US corporations quit one of the most influential climate lobbies due to dissatisfaction with the anticipated effect of pending climate legislation.
Capitol Hill

Three major groups in America's pro-climate bill lobby announced their exit due to their opposition to the current direction of the Congressional plan to cap greenhouse gasses. BP America, Caterpillar, and ConocoPhillips announced their defection from the climate lobby simultaneously; a move that may undermine Obama's attempts to portray cap-and-trade as a pro-business plan that creates jobs.

Chamber of Commerce Files Suit Against EPA Greenhouse Regulation

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Tue, 2010-02-16 19:19
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Chamber of Commerce Files Suit Against EPA Greenhouse Regulation

The US Chamber of Commerce filed suit against the Environmental Protection Agency for their motion to regulate greenhouse gasses through economic sanction. See why inside.

Lawyers representing the United States Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit in federal courts challenging a ruling by the Environmental Protection Agency that would allow them to collect fees from businesses for their greenhouse gas emissions. The Chamber of Commerce stated that it will not be challenging the science behind greenhouse gas regulation, but rather the process the EPA went through to procure these powers and the legitimacy of the EPA having direct economic control.

Former IPCC Chief: "Warming Bias Must be Investigated"

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2010-02-15 18:15
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Former IPCC Chief: "Warming Bias Must be Investigated"

Former IPCC chief Robert Watson points out the string of IPCC errors that only lead to exaggerations of climate change, which he says is an indicator of internal bias.

Robert Watson, former chief of the United Nations IPCC, says that the current organization needs to investigate the warming bias present in the mistakes being uncovered in their assessment report. Watson said that if the numerous mistakes found in the IPCC report were truly innocent errors, as current chairman Rajendra Pachauri claims, some would probably have understated the impact of climate change. Instead, every error has lead to an exaggeration of the impacts or severity of climate change.

Washington Blizzard Fuels Climate Battle

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Thu, 2010-02-11 19:09
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Washington Blizzard Fuels Climate Battle

As snow blankets Washington D.C., politicians escalate the conflict over global warming science and policy.
Washington DC Blizzard

As record snowfall encases the Washington DC, climate skeptic congressmen and political pundits are using the opportunity to mock climate science. Some climate scientists are responding that global warming is to blame for the unusually cold winter and extreme weather, and point to the abnormally high temperatures on the west coast that are forcing organizers at the Olympic games to truck in tons of snow to cover the bare mountainside. Other climate scientists say that the unusual weather has nothing to do with a shifting climate, but is instead a natural byproduct of an El Nino system.

NOAA Climate Service: Obama's Answer to IPCC

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Tue, 2010-02-09 18:11
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NOAA Climate Service: Obama's Answer to IPCC

The Obama administration announced plans to form a new office of climate services that will open up research date to the general public in an effort to facilitate private research and greater trust.
NOAA Ship

The Obama administration announced plans to form a federal office of climate science with the open intent of challenging the IPCC as the gold standard for research in this field. Described as "one-stop shopping" for climate information, the proposed service would vary greatly from programs instituted by the IPCC. Officially called NOAA Climate Services, the program would be "open source;" all information gathered and any research done under official auspices will be able to be browsed and downloaded online.

California Targeted by Nationwide Effort to Repeal Global Warming Laws

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Mon, 2010-02-08 18:55
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California Targeted by Nationwide Effort to Repeal Global Warming Laws

California may set the stage for a national struggle to reverse a decade of greenhouse gas regulation.
Refinery. Picture by azza-bazoo via Flickr

Republican politicians across the country are joining in a campaign to repeal California's global warming law. In what is being called the "jobs initiative," Republicans nationwide are pushing a new piece of legislation that would suspend more than half of California's greenhouse gas laws if statewide unemployment exceeds 5.5%. The Golden State's unemployment rate has not been that low for over three years; today it has one of the highest unemployment rates at 12.4%.

Friday G-7 Summit to Promote Seal Meat, Global Warming

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Thu, 2010-02-04 19:41
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Friday G-7 Summit to Promote Seal Meat, Global Warming

The Canadian government is using the G7 summit to promote the economic benefits of the warming climate and the controversial seal hunt. Details inside.
Iqaluit, a northern Canadian capital

Tomorrow when the delegations from the world's largest economies meet in Iqaluit, a capital "city" in the Canadian arctic, the meeting won't cover how to stop global warming, but rather how to profit from it. The remote location was chosen specifically for its proximity to Canada's northern border, an experience Canadian foreign ministers hope will open the developed world's eyes to the reality of economic and political issues surrounding the thawing north.

Industries Sue California's New Low-Carbon Fuel Regulations

Submitted by Nate Kharrl on Wed, 2010-02-03 23:13
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Industries Sue California's New Low-Carbon Fuel Regulations

Industry groups filed lawsuits against the state of California due to the newly adopted low-carbon fuel standard, which they claim is protectionism in disguise.
Federal Courthouse in Fresno, where the law will be tried.

Industry groups are suing California's recently adopted low-carbon fuel regulation on the basis that it discriminates against fuels not produced inside California's state limits. The first-of-its-kind law requires petroleum producers to reduce their carbon footprint by 10%, including extraction, production, and transportation of the fuel. Oil and natural gas groups say that the bill has two true purposes. The first of which is to penalize fuel companies for refining out of state, away from the additional costs associated with California's energy and corporate excise tax.