Climate Change

NASA Goddard | – “NASA scientists used tree rings to understand past droughts and climate models incorporating soil moisture data to estimate future drought risk in the 21st century.” NASA | Megadroughts Projected for American West

Climate Change

Can Republicans succeed by running on Polluting Planet & New Cold War?

contributors

By Michael T. Klare It’s a ritual long familiar to observers of American politics: presidential hopefuls with limited international experience travel to foreign lands and deliver speeches designed to showcase their grasp of foreign affairs. Typically, such escapades involve trips to major European capitals or active war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan. New Jersey Governor […]

Climate Change

Keystone of Corruption: The Money Pipeline from Big Oil to Congress

contributors

By Kitty Stapp NEW YORK (IPS) – With battle lines sharpening over the stalled Keystone XL pipeline, a new analysis details the intense industry lobbying of both houses of the U.S. Congress since 2013 – to the tune of 58.8 million dollars by five refinery companies alone. According to MapLight, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organisation […]

Climate Change

Abandoning Diesel: Battery-powered train brings low-carbon commuting to UK

contributors

Reuters | — “The first battery-powered passenger train to run on Britain’s tracks in over 50 years completes a five-week trial in a bid to prove the viability of more eco-friendly alternatives to diesel-powered locomotives. Mia Reakes went aboard.” Reuters: Battery-powered train brings low-carbon commuting to UK

Climate Change

Big Oil wants N. Dakota to ease radioactive waste laws on Fracking

contributors

RT | – “Amid falling oil prices nationwide, energy industry players in North Dakota want officials to alter radioactive waste disposal laws so that more toxic fracking fluid can be stored in-state, saving companies tens of thousands of dollars per truckload.” RT: “Big Oil wants N. Dakota to ease radioactive waste laws – to save […]

Climate Change

Yes, Virginia, Global Warming can mean Heavier Snowstorms (for a while)

contributors

By Kevin Trenberth | National Center for Atmospheric Research | (The Conversation) As first glance, asking whether global warming results in more snow may seem like a silly question because obviously, if it gets warm enough, there is no snow. Consequently, deniers of climate change have used recent snow dumps to cast doubt on a […]

Climate Change

Network Climate Coverage: The Good, the Bad and the (Mostly) Ugly

contributors

MediaMatters4America | – Climate Coverage In 2014: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Barack Obama

Obama, Modi and India’s Solar Future

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) In his visit to India, Barack Obama pressed unsuccessfully for India to set specific carbon limits. Nevertheless, he did get agreement from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the USA and India would pursue vigorously non-carbon energy sources, including nuclear and renewables such as solar. That was a better […]

Climate Change

Why Fracking & Tar Sands are Doomed: Low-Cost Oil and Pollution

contributors

Tom Giesen| (Informed Comment) — Here is a brief primer on the real implications of the decline of oil prices and environmental degradation on the unconventional petroleum industry (fracking, tar sands and deep-water drilling). Oil has been relatively inexpensive, energy intensive, portable, relatively safe, convertible to myriad uses – an incredibly useful substance, especially in […]