Thoreauvians

Climate Justice Advocates Slam Doha's Emerging 'Sham of a Deal' 'Sluggish' climate talks missing essential ingredient—Urgency—as COP18 climate summit in Doha nears end - Jon Queally, staff writer With terms like "sluggish" "tough-going" and "extremely sour" used to describe the tone and progress of the UN climate talks in Doha on Friday, the hope for an agreement that could actually meet the ever-escalating challenges of global warming caused by human pollution was seemingly at an all-time low. On what was scheduled to be the conference's final day, campaigners say the climate agreement being generated in Doha is "an empty shell" and "an insult to our futures." Climate campaigners and civil society groups are convinced that the commitments being exchanged among the international delegates are not nearly enough, exposing the ongoing futility of trying to get rich nations to take responsibility for their outsized carbon footprints or increase their meager financial commitments to developing nations.

The second-largest public international financier of coal-fired power plants around the world is — you guessed it, the World Bank Group.

Climate Change Report Warns of Dramatically Warmer World This Century

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire signed an executive order today underscoring the importance of recommendations from her Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification to address the growing problem of ocean acidification in Washington, which threatens the state’s shellfish resources and its $270 million shellfish industry.

Kozol: ‘I’m sick of begging’ Congress to do the right thing By Valerie Strauss This is an interview that veteran teacher Anthony Cody did with Jonathan Kozol and posted on his Education Week Teacher blog, Living in Dialogue. Kozol is a famed advocate for civil rights in education. His 1991 book, “Savage Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools,” detailed the vast differences between public schools for children living in poverty and kids who aren’t.

How is science underpinning the climate talks in Doha? 26 Nov 2012, 16:15Roz Pidcock Could laptop models help negotiators imagine the impacts of climate change? How could emissions accounting be improved to include land use? With the UN's COP18 international climate talks starting today, we look at some recent developments in science and political research that can play a part in helping countries cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

The coolest green infrastructure you are likely to see Print this page Posted November 27, 2012 in Green Enterprise, Living Sustainably Tags: greenfutureslab, greeninfrastructure, landscapearchitecture, seattle, smartercities, smartgrowth, sustainablecommunities, universityofwashington Share | | |   Just yesterday, I was making the case for bringing more nature into urban environments, to soften the perceived and real effects of density and thus make density more appealing.  Today, I came across maybe the best example I have seen.  It is certainly the best I have seen integrated into a vertical wall; this is key in downtown districts, where green space on the ground can be hard to come by.

Climate change Crunch time for the climate by Avaaz Team - posted 25 November 2012 12:18 Tweet Youth speaks to power about the climate crisis (Liam Moriarty) You didn't have to go far to find extreme weather this year. North America experienced both brutal drought and a record-setting storm. Extreme weather in Africa, southeast Asia and Europe also caused widespread damage and cost many lives. In fact, as New York state governor Andrew Cuomo noted, extreme weather seems to be the "new normal".With delegates from around the world converging on Doha, Qatar, this week for the 18th UN conference on climate change (COP18), the need for real progress on global warming has never been more urgent. And while there are many obstacles to progress on this crucial problem, there are hopeful signs as well.

Why Climate Deniers Have No Scientific Credibility - In One Pie Chart by James Lawrence Powell posted on November 25, 2012 08:45PM GMT Polls show that many members of the public believe that scientists substantially disagree about human-caused global warming. The gold standard of science is the peer-reviewed literature. If there is disagreement among scientists, based not on opinion but on hard evidence, it will be found in the peer-reviewed literature.

Fracking Sand May Pose Health Hazard To Workers, Residents Posted: 11/16/2012 7:25 pm EST Updated: 11/16/2012 7:51 pm EST reddit stumble 58212826158 Get Green Alerts: Sign Up React: Inspiring Enlightening Infuriating Scary Helpful Amazing Innovative Adorable Follow:  Video, Marcellus Shale, Fracking, Fracking Health, Fracking Sand, Fracking Silica, Fracking, Mining, Occupational Health And Safety, Public Health, Sand Mining, Silica, Green News The first time Bill Ferullo saw the white plumes drifting from a natural gas fracking site, he got out of his car to take

the U.S. military that is trying desperately to reduce its reliance on oil. According to a recent article in gas2.org, writer Christopher Demorro reports that the military has placed an order of 1,500 plug-in vehicles. A large majority of them are Chevy Volts.

email permalink 16 Nov 2012 08:00 AM How Much Will The Water Rise? Combining data from the 2010 Census and the US Geological Survey, Stephen Von Worley explains his mapping of the vulnerability of 10 major coastal cities in the US:

21 Super Kids that Will Save the World from Adults

IEA acknowledges fossil fuel reserves climate crunch Nov12 Lorne Stockman The International Energy Agency released its annual flagship publication today, the World Energy Outlook. The IEA made an historic statement in the executive summary. It said, “No more than one-third of proven reserves of fossil fuels can be consumed prior to 2050 if the world is to achieve the 2 °C goal”, the internationally recognized limit to average global warming in order to prevent catastrophic climate change. Let me rephrase that.  Over two-thirds of today’s proven reserves of fossil fuels need to still be in the ground in 2050 in order to prevent catastrophic levels of climate change.

Three Climate Change Actions For Obama’s Second Term By Climate Guest Blogger on Nov 12, 2012 at 11:39 am by Kevin Kennedy, via WRI Insights With President Obama’s re-election, he has the opportunity to extend his legacy and take on big challenges. Climate change stands high on the list of issues that need to be addressed. As the President said in his acceptance speech: “We want our children to live in an America that isn’t burdened by debt, that isn’t weakened by inequality, that isn’t threatened by the destructive power of a warming planet.”

“Wall Street C.E.O.’s — the same ones who wrecked our economy and destroyed millions of jobs — still strut around Congress, no shame, demanding favors and acting like we should thank them,” Ms. Warren declared in her prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention. That was the Elizabeth Warren who earned the adoration of millions of people across the country, the one who spoke truth to power and was not worried about sounding indiscreet. And it is what they expect of her now that she has a powerful new platform in Washington.