April 13th, 2010
From Danna Moore, our Stakeholder Campaigns Director:
It’s safe to say that the severity of the climate change problem is often overwhelming … and, to be honest, downright depressing.
The solution is not only economic, but social, political, historical and global in scope; a multi-layered quandary that includes a vast amount of stakeholders, all with their own special interests, pulling and pushing to be heard. And while we struggle to forge solutions, the environment – and species that rely on its health for their survival – are facing serious ramifications.
Scientists predict a continuation of our status quo emission rates will cause more than a third of the Earth’s animal and plant species to face extinction by 2050 — and up to 70 percent by the end of the century – thanks to climate change.
Depressed yet? Plant your peepers on this: Human rights groups including Oxfam and Environmental Justice Foundation report that 10% of the global population is at risk of forced displacement due to climate change, that’s almost 150 million climate refugees by 2050.
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Tags: california, climate change, climate policy, climate refugees, coal, species extinction, u.s. policy
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February 17th, 2010
From Danna Moore, our Stakeholder Campaigns Director:
Those who were skeptical about Obama’s seriousness on addressing climate change need worry no longer.
In his first State of the Union address on Jan. 27th Obama made a point of praising the House for passing the Waxman-Markey bill in June, a climate policy that would put a cap on carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases over the next 40 years.
Obama also stressed the importance of federal legislation as a means to marry job creation and green technology, saying: “To create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, more incentives… And, yes, it means passing a comprehensive energy and climate bill.”
He called for Democrats and Republicans to work through their differences. The current cap and trade bill has been stagnated by its inability to gain enough votes in the Senate, mainly due to the lack of Republican support.
Environmental groups including NRDC and Sierra Club have been applauding Obama’s leadership on climate action while others, including Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, express deep concerns with his plans to include dirty energy sources (oil, nuclear and coal).
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Tags: democrats, obama, policy, republicans, uscap, waxman-markey
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February 2nd, 2010
From Bill, Shireman, Future 500 President
It’s not quite a perfect storm – but several factors have converged that could drive a host of new fees on three types of products: beverages, electronics, and packaging – in 2010 and 2011.
Whether the fees make good policy sense – or get to the root of the problems they are intended to address – depends on whether the diverse universe of supporters and opponents can actually work with one another, directly or indirectly.
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Tags: bottle bill, junk food, obesity tax, package fees, product stewardship, Recycling, sugary drinks, take back program
Posted in Climate, Packaging, Recycling, U.S. policy | No comments so far »
January 18th, 2010
From Danna Moore, our Stakeholder Campaigns Director:
Americans are less supportive of climate change action than people in other countries. This disconnect makes it unlikely the U.S. will pass meaningful policy before the next international meeting and American politicians need to assume more of a leadership role.
It is clear that worldwide support for serious action on climate change remains robust even during a global recession. A recent Globescan Survey polled over 24,000 individuals in 23 countries and found that 64% of people think climate change is a “very serious” problem, up from 44% of those polled in 1998.
Sadly, Americans ranked below the average with 45%, a decrease from 50% in 2007. This has left the scientific and environmental community confused on the next steps towards addressing climate change in the United States. Scientists find they must, once again, expend time and resources to fight climate change skepticism rather than focus on the political solutions that are desperately needed.
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Tags: Carbon, Climate, international polciy, politics, politics as usual, public opinion, u.s. policy
Posted in Carbon, Climate, Energy, International Policy, U.S. policy | 1 Comment »
January 10th, 2010
From Bill Shireman, President of Future 500
The scientists who fabricated and censored data to build a stronger case for global warming should have been roundly condemned by climate protection advocates – not minimized and seemingly excused. Their actions did more to undermine their movement than anything the so-called “deniers” could have dredged up on their own.
Uncertainty is present in all science, as my ecology professor Dr. John Holdren taught me a quarter century ago. It would be foolish to demand (or pretend) absolute certainty before protecting the climate. Nothing is ever proven in science – only disproven.
But the botched work of irresponsible scientists calls attention to a wise and powerful tactic to pass climate policy: a “no regrets” approach to climate protection.
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Tags: carbon gas emissions, carbon tax, climate change, emissions reductions, energy independence, national security, tax shift, tax swap
Posted in Carbon, Climate, Energy, U.S. policy | No comments so far »
December 31st, 2009
From Danna Moore, our Stakeholder Campaigns Director:
As widely predicted, the Copenhagen summit did not produce a binding, fair or efficient global climate treaty. And yet, politicians, environmentalists, and activists seem genuinely shocked at the outcome.
Post failure, the global community is quickly pointing fingers, particularly at the Obama Administration. Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org and an emerging global leader in the climate change movement, particularly slammed Obama saying, “The president has wrecked the UN and he’s wrecked the possibility of a tough plan to control global warming.”
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Tags: barack obama, climate legislation, climate policy, climate treaty, copenhagen, international, u.s. senate, united nations, united states
Posted in Climate, International Policy, U.S. policy | No comments so far »
