2010 World Climate Change Roundup: Thundersnow and Melting Ice

The world is experiencing increasing intensity in weather events. There is more snow in Europe and the U.S. than seen since last February's "Snowmaggedon." In Australia, there are floods to the rooftops, and, in some parts, snow in summer.

How can that be climate change? It's so cold.  Brrrrr.

Science has the answer.  Snow is frozen water. The more water in the atmosphere, the more snow. The water is in the atmosphere because it is warmer. It's in the atmosphere because it's melting and that water must go somewhere. It goes into unprecedented rains in Los Angeles and northeastern Australia. It goes into the snow-hurricane in the Eastern Seaboard, complete with thundersnow and lightening. It goes into relentless snow in Britain and Europe.  Continued...

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"A Success Story in the Middle East"

by Janet Ritz

Qubad Talabani

In a recent conversation with Qubad Talabani, the Kurdish representative to the U.S. for their regional government, we discussed what the son of Iraq's President Jalal Talabani called the U.S.'s success story in the Middle East. It was during an interview that covered politics, religion, Turkey, Iran, and the Kurdish attitude toward the U.S. for their involvement in Iraq.

As Qubad Talabani stated, "there is a success story in the Middle East that has significant U.S. fingerprints on it and I can't point to too many of those right now in the Middle East. "  Continued...

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Global Temperature and Europe's Frigid Air

by James Hansen, Reto Ruedy, Makiko Sato and Ken Lo

The cold anomaly in Northern Europe in November has continued and strengthened in the first half of December. Combined with the unusual cold winter of 2009-2010 in Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes, this regional cold spell has caused widespread commentary that global warming has ended. That is hardly the case. On the contrary, globally November 2010 is the warmest November in the GISS record.

Link to the scientific paper →

MicroGiving Chooses The Environmentalist for Annual Donation Drive!

The inspiring nonprofit, MicroGiving, has chosen The Environmentalist for an important fundraising drive where small donations will earn donor gifts and rewards in return. The donations will be used to cover The Environmentalist's operating costs with a small portion reserved for The Environmentalist to donate to others in need. It's a wonderful concept where worthwhile organizations receive donations while they help others in return.

This coincides with our vital New Year fundraising drive.  Vital because of plans to open a book division next year.  Worthwhile writers who have been hurt by the economy are being overlooked by the publishing industry.  We hope to provide a platform from which they can build or rebuild their literary careers while we give something back to those in need.

Here's how you can participate:  Instead of donating directly to our site this time, we ask our supporters to give whatever they can through MicroGiving, where you will earn you rewards in kind while allowing us to donate a portion of your donations to others in need.  We ask that all our readers share the link on your social network and to all your contacts.  This is important.  The more the link is shared, the more visible the initiative will be on MicroGiving's site.

Everyone on The Environmentalist donates their time. Please support our efforts during this drive. Share the link. Give if you can. The donations can be small (hence: micro).  The rewards grow with denomination.  There are buttons here for easy sharing.

Will you help us help others?

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Cancun Agreements: A foundation from which to build greater international action on climate change

by Jake Schmidt

Early this morning, Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa gaveled home an agreement by over 190 countries which came together and demonstrated a renewed commitment to the fight against global warming. The Cancun Agreements* are a detailed set of visionary, yet pragmatic principles that make important strides to begin implementing the agreement reached in Copenhagen last year. The countries gathered in Cancun made progress on emissions reductions, greater transparency, forest preservation and the creation of the green fund to help mobilize much needed investments throughout the world.

We aren’t done in our battle to address global warming, but these agreements provide a foundation from which to build further action. It does this in four important ways which were essential steps in Cancun. Continued...

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Obama's Tax Deal: Leaving out the 99ers is a 2012 Mistake

by Janet Ritz

Unemployed or know someone out of work? Relieved the president's tax deal will provide thirteen months of continued unemployment benefits? Sorry to burst your bubble, but not all the unemployed promised a thirteen month authorization of benefits in exchange for the Bush tax cuts will receive those benefits for thirteen months.

The thirteen months is an authorization to fund existing tiers, not an extension beyond those tiers. The eligible unemployed will receive checks only until they exhaust their claims. Those already on the final tiers will see their unemployment benefits end in early 2011. They will join the 99ers -- those whose claims have ended -- in an escalating downward spiral of the middle class that will culminate in a burst of anger at the president when these disenfranchised new 99ers find themselves without a safety net or enough jobs to account for their numbers throughout 2011 -- while the uber-wealthy collect their exponential winnings from the tax cuts right on through 2012. Continued...

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