Where are US Global Warming Emissions Headed?

by Jake Schmidt

As I meet with global warming officials from other countries, I frequently hear this statement: “American action on global warming is lost for the foreseeable future.” This is a good time to evaluate how true or false this statement is since the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) has just released its annual projections – the Annual Energy Outlook 2011. The general conclusion: emissions will be below 2005 levels for the next 15 years and could be reduced even further if the Administration implemented EPA and other rules in a strong fashion.  Continued...

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Your Brain on Ocean: Neuroscience and Ocean Exploration Intersection at San Francisco’s BLUEMiND SUMMIT

by Greg Reitman

On Thursday, June 2, 2011 I had an opportunity to attend the BLUEMIND SUMMIT at the California Academy of Sciences for the first-ever BLUEMIND Summit to explore the intersection of brain and ocean. The goal of the conference is to shape a new era of scientific understanding of the ocean and its great emotional power.

Why do we seek respite at the ocean's shore? Why are the words "Ocean View" the most valuable in real estate? Why does the sound, smell, touch and taste of the sea set our souls at ease? These questions and much more will be on tap, as leaders in neuroscience and ocean exploration converge at the BLUEMiND Summit is the brainchild of Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, a noted sea turtle biologist, ocean advocate and Research Associate at the California Academy of Sciences.  Continued...

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Silence is Deadly

Dr. James Hansen

The U.S. Department of State seems likely to approve a huge pipeline to carry tar sands oil (about 830,000 barrels per day) to Texas refineries unless sufficient objections are raised.

The scientific community needs to get involved in this fray now. If this project gains approval, it will become exceedingly difficult to control the tar sands monster.

Although there are multiple objections to tar sands development and the pipeline, including destruction of the environment in Canada¹ and the likelihood of spills along the pipeline's pathway, such objections, by themselves, are very unlikely to stop the project.

An overwhelming objection is that exploitation of tar sands would make it implausible to stabilize climate and avoid disastrous global climate impacts. The tar sands are estimated (e.g., see IPCC AR4 WG3 report) to contain at least 400 GtC (equivalent to about 200 ppm CO2).

Easily available reserves of conventional oil and gas are enough to take atmospheric CO2 well above 400 ppm. However, if emissions from coal are phased out over the next few decades and if unconventional fossil fuels are left in the ground, it is conceivable to stabilize climate ^2,3.

Phase out of emissions from coal is itself an enormous challenge. However, if the tar sands are thrown into the mix it is essentially game over. There is no practical way to capture the CO2 emitted while burning oil, which is used principally in vehicles. Continued...

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Key actions on climate & energy that world leaders need to take at the Earth Summit in 2012

by Jake Schmidt

Carbon pollution from fossil fuel use reached the highest level yet in 2010, according to the International Energy Agency. So should we throw up our hands? No, this is a wake-up call that countries need to significantly speed up the pace of their action to reduce emissions. And when they come to the Earth Summit in Rio next June – just one short year from now – they have a chance to do just that. They better come prepared to implement new actions at home on climate and energy at the Earth Summit – held from June 4-6 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As NRDC’s President put it:

“When it comes to the protection of our planetary home, failure is not an option. We have no choice but to try to assure that the Earth Summit next year is truly historic and transformative and puts us on a road to a low carbon, greener and brighter future.”

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