November 23rd, 2009

U.S. will propose emissions reduction before Copehagen talks

Posted by Harry Fuller @ 12:13 pm

Categories: Blogroll, Kyoto Protocol, air pollution, climate change, environmental health, federal government, law & politics

Tags: Greenhouse Gas Emission, U.S. Congress, Greenhouse Gas, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, House, Harry Fuller

The international conference on global warming will begin December 7th in Copenhagen, Denmark. Before that time the U.S. government will make a proposal about specific targets for emission reductions. This will be a complete reversal of the American official stance of the past nine years.

No legislation will have passed through Congress before December 7, so the White House position will be necessarily “nuanced” to take into account the tender feelings of the Congress. The House has passed a bill that calls for a 17% greenhouse gas emission reduction by 2020. The bills being bandied about the Senate set a slightly more aggressive goal. But like much in Washington it’s all smoke and vapor, until it’s real. And there’ll be no official energy and climate legislation out of this Congress this calendar year. The Senate now expects to talk energy in the spring. Assuming the healthcare bill doesn’t prove fatal. (Just kidding.)

Meanwhile, the EPA is back there studying and preparing. The EPA has already said it will begin to curtail emissions from major American industries, having declared CO2 emissions a public health hazard.

November 20th, 2009

Hacker scores by posting East Anglia global warming emails

Posted by Harry Fuller @ 10:54 am

Categories: Blogroll, Europe, Kyoto Protocol, Russia, air pollution, climate change, energy, environmental health, global warming, law & politics, research

Tags: Climate Change, E-mail, Hacker, Global Warming, East Anglia File, Harry Fuller, hacking, Copenhagen

A thousand files have been hacked at a British climate study center, and then posted on a Russian Internet server for public access. That server was quickly shut down but parts of the stolen files have been spread on blogs and other websites. East Anglia admits the theft and re-posting but has not confirmed all the material is genuine. There are the equivalent of thousands of pages of text and emails.

A right-wing British newspaper has published a blog praising the hacking and release of emails from a British university’s climate change science program. There are now claims that this is “climategate,” that “warmists” conspired to hide data and rig research conclusions. All this, say those who claim to have access to these files, expose the global warming scientists as liars.

Here’s some of the background: the files allegedly all come from University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit.

That is not an irrelevant place, East Anglia. A researcher there is famous for coming up with the famous temperature climb hockey stick graph. That graph has come under continued attack from global warming doubters. It was featured by Al Gore in his global warming film.

The hacked East Anglia files are being loudly touted by the “don’t-blame-me” folks, those who deny humans are to blame for any of the melting ice sheets, if you even want to believe that ice is melting when you can’t see it yourself.

An American climate scientist says this theft is probably aimed at discrediting climate science prior to next month’s Copenhagen climate change talks.

Meanwhile a criminal investigation is underway to find the hacker.
FOR MORE INFOMATION, MY NEXT BLOG ON THIS MATTER.

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November 16th, 2009

Asia-Pacific leaders: no final deal in Copenhagen

Posted by Harry Fuller @ 4:51 am

Categories: Blogroll, China, Europe, Kyoto Protocol, air pollution, climate change, energy, environmental health, federal government, global warming, law & politics

Tags: Leader, Copenhagen, Asia-Pacific, Leadership, Management, Harry Fuller

Here’s the word from the Singapore meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders which includes Japan and the U.S. There’ll be plenty of global warming talk at the Copehagen talks beginning December 7. There will be no binding deal reached. That situation will be reinforced when President Obama meets with China’s President Hu.

Meanwhile, Copehagen’s hosting a pre-meeting meeting. Forty major countries have sent their environmental ministers or lead negotiators. Think of the carbon footprint of all those jets. Couldn’t they do a Skype conference call?

This week’s pre-meeting meetings are closed to the media in Copenhagen, but there’ll likely be plenty of publicity by those trying to pressure others to do what they want. As you might expect, some Europeans are reporting that the delaying tactics leading up to Copenhagen and no agreement…why that’s due to the fact that the U.S. Senate has not passed a climate and energy bill.

There is a distinct gulf between what rich nations and poor nations are looking for. As often is the case, the money part of any agreement is proving to be the toughest part. Who pays whom to stop polluting the one atmosphere we have?

November 15th, 2009

U.S. and China to talk global warming

Posted by Harry Fuller @ 8:09 am

Categories: Blogroll, China, Kyoto Protocol, air pollution, climate change, energy, environmental health, federal government, fossil fuel, global warming, law & politics

Tags: China, Copenhagen, Global Warming, Government, Harry Fuller

The Copenhagen climate talks are less than four weeks away. President Obama and China’s President Hu Jintao will meet soon for their own two-way climate talk. They are the world’s two leading CO2 emitters and two major nations that refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol. The stance of China and the U.S. when they arrive in Copenhagen could prove crucial to any attempt to craft a widely acceptable agreement on global warming.

Hu, of course, has a great deal of unilateral power in China. No Congress, no lobbyists, many of China’s major companies are owned largely by the Chinese government. China’s sovereign wealth fund is a huge investment force across the globe. In Washington it is clear no climate and energy bill will be voted on by the U.S. Senate before Copenhagen talks convene December 7. Still not clear: will President Obama personally appear in Copenhagen? Would it matter if he did?

November 6th, 2009

Pre-Copenhagen climate talks end in Barcelona

Posted by Harry Fuller @ 2:12 pm

Categories: Blogroll, Europe, India, Kyoto Protocol, air pollution, climate change, conservation, energy, environmental health, federal government, global warming, law & politics, renewable energy

Tags: Climate Change, Global Warming, Harry Fuller, Copenhagen talks, Australia, Kevin Rudd

The talking is done. But not much else was done. “Stalemate” says an Indian pub. “Rich-poor stalemate” says a Britich paper.

On a pact to end deforestation in developing nations: “toothless” says Reuters.

And a pro-action Prime Minister in Australia vented his frustration on global warming inaction. He directly attacked global warming deniers as protectors of vested interests.

“They are a minority. They are powerful. And invariably they are driven by vested interests. Powerful enough to so far block domestic legislation in Australia, powerful enough to so far slow down the passage of legislation through the Congress of the United States. And ultimately, by limiting the ambition of national climate change commitments, they are powerful enough to threaten a deal on global climate change both in Copenhagen and beyond.”

Those are the words of Aussie PM, Kevin Rudd. Now who could he have been talking about?

November 4th, 2009

German chancellor chides Congress on global warming

Posted by Harry Fuller @ 10:09 pm

Categories: Blogroll, Europe, European Union, Kyoto Protocol, air pollution, cars & traffic, conservation, energy, environmental health, federal government, fossil fuel, global warming, law & politics, renewable energy

Tags: Andrea Merkel, Germany, European Union, Congress, greenhouse gas, emissions

Speaking to the U.S. Congress, Chancellor Abndres Merkel today called for international agreement to deal with global warming. She said it would mean breaking down the invisible walls of the 21st Century. This week marks the 20th anniversary of the breaking down of the Berlin Wall.

As the largest national economy inside the European Union, Germany has pushed aggressively for alternative energy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The chancellor met loud applause when she talked about being tough on Iran or staying the course in Afghanistan. There was much less enthusiasm from American pols for her insistence that there needs to be action on global warming.

With the Copenhagen climate talks starting December 7 there’s agreement in advance there’ll be no legally binding agreement reached there. And U.S. will attend with no new legislaton in place to cope with greenhouse gases.

November 4th, 2009

Remember Kerry-Boxer?

Posted by Harry Fuller @ 3:45 pm

Categories: Blogroll, Kyoto Protocol, air pollution, biofuel, building, cars & traffic, climate change, conservation, energy, engineering, environmental health, federal government, fossil fuel, geothermal, global warming, green tech, law & politics, nuclear power, petroleum, renewable energy, solar, water, weather, wind

Tags: Page, Outsourcing, It Operations, Business Operations, Outsourcing & Subcontracting, Harry Fuller

Well, now it may become Kerry-Graham-Lieberman-Boxer. And opponents of nuclear energy may go nuclear over the nuclear option. Not only will the next version of the Senate’s energy and climate change bill include more nuc, it may also include even more offshore oil drilling than is called for by the previous Kerry-Boxer. What’s not known: how many more pages will be added? The now-old bill had less than a thousand pages.

Meanwhile, Republicans on the committee considering Kerry-Boxer insist there needs to be a full economic analysis of its proposals, all 900+ pages worth.

Meanwhile we’re five weeks away from the start of the international climate talks in Copenhagen where the U.S. negotatiors will show up with lots of good intentions and little more. The World Wildlife Fund, focused more on other species with no votes and no money, issued a report asking the nations of the world to re-industrialize. Essentially they’re calling for completely retooling the planet’s energy systems to lower emissions and curtail global warming and the extinctions that it’s expected to trigger. Wall Street wouldn’t like that one bit.

November 3rd, 2009

Washington: lots of talk about global warming

Posted by Harry Fuller @ 2:35 pm

Categories: Blogroll, China, Europe, European Union, Kyoto Protocol, air pollution, cars & traffic, climate change, conservation, energy, environmental health, federal government, fossil fuel, global warming, green tech, law & politics, nuclear power, petroleum, renewable energy

Tags: EU, Obama, Kerry-Boxer, US Senate, greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, emissions, Copenhagen, Senator Boxer

Lots of talk around the American capital today on the topic of global warming. The CO2 emissions from various political factions and lobbyists alone could raise the global temp another degree or two. And that’s not counting the carbon footprint of all the plane travel involved in moving these special folks around.

On a grand scale there’s a summit meeting between President Obama and leaders of the European Union (EU). The EU’s just pledged itself to a 30% cut in greenhouse emissons compared to the 1990 levels. The U.S. has magnanimously suggested a 4% cut as a target, after eight years of refusing any mandates of any kind. The African nations have suggested cancelling global warming talks until there’s some serious commitment from the world’s wealthiest nations, that would include the U.S. which currently camouflages its great wealth as massive debt. Meanwhile there is much interest in what, if anything, the U.S. is really willing to do.

At their summit today President Obama said the US and the EU agreed to re-double their efforts on climate change. This about five weeks from the international conflab on climate change in Copenhagen. The U.N. has given up any hopes of a global agreement coming out of that conference. There is some indication some nations (like the EU again) will pledge money for efforts to help poorer nations reduce greenhouse gas emissons. Again, that effort is led by the EU whose political leaders generally agree global warming’s a real problem. In Britain there’s even a strong environmentalist running for Parliament as a Conservative. That guy’d last about five seconds in the Republican Party here.

The EU is also pointing the finger at China, co-champion in greenhouse gas emissions along with the U.S. Why doesn’t China do more they ask?

SENATE SHOWDOWN

The showdown started with no-shows. Nothing happened in the Senate committee that is considering the Kerry-Boxer energy and climate change bill. The Republican members boycotted the session. Senate tradition requires at least two members of each party be present as well as a quorum before the “mark-up” process. That process precedes any committee voting. Eventually the committee chairwoman, Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), can move ahead in violation of tradition but in keeping with the strict rules of the committee. That is considered by Republican analysts as a “nuclear” option which would rule out forever and forever any possible Republican votes in favor of said Kerry-Boxer bill. Currently the bill already has zero Republican support. Sadly for Kerry, Boxer and their supporters, the bill lacks support from some Dems and that could keep it from ever coming to a vote on the Senate floor. Though it is possible a Dem would vote to close debate allowing a floor vote and then go on record by voting against the bill itself. This political drama will continue to play out. Not likely the Senate will have finished its acting, or action, on Kerry-Boxer before the Copenhagen talks next month.

October 25th, 2009

Copenhagen countdown

Posted by Harry Fuller @ 2:21 pm

Categories: Africa, Blogroll, China, India, Kyoto Protocol, air pollution, climate change, conservation, energy, environmental health, federal government, law & politics

Tags: Nation, Copenhagen, Leadership, Food & Beverage, Management, Manufacturing, Harry Fuller

Will he or won’t he? To go, or not to go? That is the question.

Some MSM outlets say Obama will skip Copenhagen. Yet political leaders in the U.S. and abroad are urging him to attend.

The international climate change conference flies into Copehagen in December, trailing clouds of CO2 behind each jet. And the speculation and political bloviation over whether President Obama will attend is sure to reach atmospheric heights unless he makes a public announcement of his intentions.

Meanwhile, President Obama continues to push for an energy bill from Congress, and even talked to MIT students and faculty about how they can help with clean energy innovation and research. Bet they already know that.

Whether or not the American President is at the Copenhagen talks is more symbolic than substantive. His presence did not get Chicago the Olympics they wanted so why would we imagine he can wrestle over 170 nations into some global warming concensus?

President Obama is to go to Oslo, Norway, to accept his Nobel Peace Prize. That’s set to happen while the climate change conference is going on. Oslo’s a very short plane ride from Copenhagen. It is also a guaranteed international platform where he could talk about global warming without going to nearby Denmark.

COPENHAGEN: THE STAKES

Some African nations see their future at stake. Many nations there already have widespread poverty, drought, starvation. The three poorest nations on earth are in tropical Africa. Some analysts warn African nations they have to walk away from the next international agreement if it limits how they are can grow food or their economy.

Both China and India have been signalling they are ready for global action on global warming. But they also take the long-beloved stance that they want no legally binding mandates. They get the “you-can’t-tell-us-what-to-do” position from the longstanding American policy that this nation is above international law, period. India did ratify the Kyoto Protocol, China and the U.S. did not. That expires in 2012. The lead U.N. negotiator on climate change has now admitted there’ll be no agreement reached in Copenhagen. Perhaps a framework? An understanding? A promise to meet again? A statement of intention? An option on future talks? Maybe they need some political deriatives that look good and have no value. That’s worked great for Wall Street.
India is asking for widespread sharing of clean technology.

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October 20th, 2009

Copenhagen may not see any real agreement on greenhouse gases

Posted by Harry Fuller @ 8:54 pm

Categories: Blogroll, China, Europe, Kyoto Protocol, air pollution, climate change, energy, environmental health, federal government, global warming, green tech, law & politics, renewable energy

Tags: Greenhouse Gas, Agreement, Copenhagen, Harry Fuller

That’s the conclusion of Britain’s lead environmental official. He thinks the barriers to reaching agreement on how to pay for reduction of emissions is too high a hurdle to overcome in less than fifty days. The British Prime Minister already tried scolding fellow heads of state. That got a big yawn in response.

Even the UN’s chief climate official says there will not be a formal agreement reached in Copenhagen but the conference will set forth the political framework to allow progress on the issue. The U.N. really wants to see President Obama attend the meeting as a sign the U.S. will participate seriously in the climate talks after Copenhagen. It has not been confirmed that Obama will, or will not, attend.

The Copenhagen conference begins December 7th and is aimed at an international agreement to replace the current Kyoto Protocol that expires in less than fifteen months. Neither China nor the U.S. ratified the Kyoto pact. They are the earth’s two largest producers of CO2 emissions.

China now says it is committed to alternative energy production and reducing its dependence on high-emission coal burning. About 40% of its current $646 billion stimulus package is slated to go to alternative energy. By comparison the U.S. stimulus put less than 15% toward that end.