Climate tweets for 5 October 2014

Scientists find human fingerprints all over Australia's hottest year on record:

http://www.skepticalscience.com/human-fingerprints-all-over-australias-hottest-year.html 

[science, heat waves]

Glaciers Lose 204 Billion Tons of Ice in 3 Years: @DrMRFrancis:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/05/glaciers-lose-204-billion-tons-of-ice-in-three-years.html?via=desktop&source=twitter

[sea level, science]

Sadness: Coal companies having tough year so far:

http://shar.es/1m1ncB  via @knoxnews

[energy, investing, divestment]

Thirsty Land, Hungry People (& not in California): @IPSnews:
http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/10/thirsty-land-hungry-people/
[Sri Lanka, drought, water, farming, food, agriculture]

RT @CLIMATECHANGE8: 
Limiting global warming to 2 °C – why Victor & Kennel are wrong - @RealClimate:
http://dlvr.it/76T2pm
[science, Real Climate]

.@AlbionCollege prof says climate change all too real: @bcenquirer:
http://bcene.ws/1xbsR3B
[science]

Greening the Tea Party: @livingonearth:
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=14-P13-00040&segmentID=4#.VDGltt6RgOA.twitter
[Living on Earth, solar, conservatives]

.@WashingtonPost Gets (More) Serious About Climate Change, Hires @ChrisCMooney to Blog:
http://thkpr.gs/3576045 
[science]

RT Bill McKibben @billmckibben:
Astonishing video from @NewYorker on the CA drought. Shades of Agee or Steinbeck:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hWpubxgkUk
[New Yorker, Dust Bowl, California]

RT Michael E. Mann @MichaelEMann:
Sauron's eye now fixed on @neiltyson, via @TBogg @RawStory:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/10/the-kerning-of-neil-degrasse-tyson-fearless-denier-killer/ 
[Neil DeGrasse Tyson, science, denial]

Climate tweets for 27 August 2014

RT Leonardo DiCaprio @LeoDiCaprio:
Seeing the impacts of #TarSands first hand with @SierraClub was a wake up call. #CleanEnergy now! http://pic.twitter.com/OvTYsBwXxU

Climate Scientists Spell Out Stark Danger. Immorality Of Inaction In New Leaked Report:
http://thkpr.gs/1vnsu7Y
[IPCC, science]

Why Electric Vehicles Are Beating Hydrogen Cars Today:
http://thkpr.gs/1tCH1cS
[EV, transportation, fuel cells]

RT CitizensClimateLobby @citizensclimate:
Oh, crap: World’s Existing Power Plants Will Emit 300 Billion Tons Of CO2 In Their Lifetimes:
http://thkpr.gs/1tJPpHJ

Climate change may disrupt global food system w/i decade, @WorldBank says: @p_hannam @smh:
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/climate-change-may-disrupt-global-food-system-within-a-decade-world-bank-says-20140827-108w8x.html
[farming, agriculture, flooding, drought, water]

Obama Pursuing Climate Accord in Lieu of Treaty: @CoralMDavenport:
http://nyti.ms/1pEMccp

Full extent of global coal 'binge' is hidden: researchers: @BBCNews:
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28942403

Russia’s warming faster than rest of planet—disease, drought, forest fires result: @qz:
http://qz.com/256020
[wildfire, health]

Will Iconic Sequoias Fall to Climate Change?: @LiveScience:
http://shar.es/113RDu
[trees, forests, drought, water]

.@EDF plans climate vote pledge campaign in Colorado:
http://wapo.st/1lcJSZy  via @washingtonpost 

Iowa GOP Senate Nominee, Climate Change Denier Says Koch Network ‘Started My Trajectory’:
http://thkpr.gs/1tL7zc2
[denial, Joni Ernst, Americans for Prosperity, American Legislative Exchange Council, ALEC, Heritage Foundation, Tom Cotton, Cory Gardner, Marco Rubio, Mitch McConnell]

'Climate Change' and 'Global Warming': A pictorial history:
http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-change-global-warming.html 
… via @skepticscience 
[denial]

6 Ways @WashingtonPost Could Show It’s Serious About Climate Change: @climateprogress:
http://thkpr.gs/1vmb8Zl 
[journalism, George Will, Charles Krauthammer, Sarah Palin, Bjoern Lomborg, Fred Hiatt, Volokh Conspiracy, denial]

Climate tweets for 8 August 2014

Terrible Thunderstorms of Fire Over Canada as Arctic Territory Continues Record Burn:

http://robertscribbler.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/terrible-thunderstorms-of-fire-over-canada-as-arctic-territory-continues-record-burn/

[wildfire]

Could California run on 100% renewable energy by 2050?: @fastcoexist: 
http://www.fastcoexist.com/3033867/could-california-run-on-100-renewable-power-by-2050
[energy, wind energy, wind power, solar, geothermal]

Deep emissions cuts needed by 2050 to limit global warming: UN draft:
http://reut.rs/1ou0zdS
[science]

How climate change is connected to immigration:
http://phys.org/news/2014-08-drought-central-america-crops-cattle.html … via @physorg_com 
[farming, food, Central America, drought]

Emma Thompson visits Arctic to send Australian PM Tony Abbott climate change msg: @guardian:
http://gu.com/p/4vt8t/tw 

.@WashingtonPost Editorial Board At Odds w/ Itself Over Climate: @mmfa http://mm4a.org/1u1EsDz
[journalism]

When Koch brothers become liability for Republicans: @washingtonpost:
http://wapo.st/1mqju9K
[denial]

Air traffic growth set to outpace carbon reduction efforts: @physorg_com:
http://phy.so/326650385

Opinion: Fools at the Fire: @nytimes:
http://nyti.ms/1sCRTrH 
[denial, wildfire, Washington]

Investors beware: Worst-ranked U.S. utilities for clean energy: @UtilityDive:
http://www.utilitydive.com/news/the-worst-ranked-utilities-for-clean-energy/294943/
[investing, divestment, Southern Company, Entergy]

RT Natasha @Natasha1024:
The global warming “pause,” explained by way of a cheeseburger:
http://grist.org/list/the-global-warming-pause-explained-by-way-of-a-cheeseburger/… via @grist

RT NOAA Climate.gov @NOAAClimate:
#TeachingClimate? This simple video contains a wealth of info about global #climate models: 
http://www.climate.gov/teaching/resources/modeling-our-climate
http://pic.twitter.com/RxgDtqId79

Time's Up: Climate Change – Point of No Return: @commondreams:
http://goo.gl/pouVK7

Climate tweets for 4 August 2014

40M people depend on Colorado River. Now it's drying up: @motherjones: 

http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2014/08/southwests-water-crunch-even-worse-we-thought

[drought, water]

Meet CNN anchor who called Fox News "ignorant fucksticks" over climate change: @motherjones:

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/08/cnn-bill-weir-fox-news-climate

[Bill Weir, denial, journalism]

Toledo's Algae Bloom in Line with Climate Projections: @ClimateCentral:

http://shar.es/Lym7Q

[science, Great Lakes, Ohio, Lake Erie]

Price too high: World's top PR companies rule out working with climate deniers: @guardian:

http://gu.com/p/4vaph/tw  

[denial]

Farming practices, climate change at root of Toledo water pollution: @suzyji @guardian:

http://gu.com/p/4vegh/tw

[science, Great Lakes, Ohio, Lake Erie]

Eye-Opening Map of Front Groups Attacking Renewable Energy: @SustainableBiz:
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/25753
[denial, wind energy, wind power, solar, Koch]

Editorial: @EPA’s needed action on climate fills void left by Congress: @washingtonpost:
http://wapo.st/1p39Iiz
[Washington Post, journalism]

Climate Change Up Close: @Ensiamedia:
http://ensia.com/features/climate-change-up-close/  h/t @JacquelynGill
[science]

#Climatedeaths: Bad weather kills 4, injures 20 in n. Italy: @Xinhua_English:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2014-08/03/c_133528876.htm
[flooding]

RT The Weather Channel @weatherchannel:
Naples, FL, just broke its all-time wettest August day record, and it only took an hour. Flood photos and more:
http://wxch.nl/1s5Jiz4
[Florida]

As Oysters Die, Climate Policy Goes on Stump:
http://nyti.ms/1tLtpOM
[oceans, food, acidification]

RT Peter deMenocal @PdeMenocal:
Every so often I check out global SST [sea surface temperature] anomalies. This week the NH [Northern Hemisphere] oceans are really warm.
http://tinyurl.com/k3487n9  http://pic.twitter.com/0gN0L2lYjy
[science]

RT cindy baxter @cindybax:
@rtcc_edking Transcript shows @richardTol all about ad-hom, Ackerman about professional concerns on paper’s content:
http://www.rtcc.org/2014/08/04/tol-v-ackerman-debating-the-costs-of-climate-change/
[science, denial]

Climate tweets for 8 July 2014

RT Climate Reality @ClimateReality

Are you excited to work for Big Coal and Big Oil? This lady is.

http://pic.twitter.com/ifauAcMtFd

[energy subsidies]

RT Climate Reality @ClimateReality:

#ClimateFact: 10 indicators of a warming world: 

http://bit.ly/18JvyC3  http://pic.twitter.com/PuM7CjhMIy

RT Suzanne Goldenberg @suzyji:

WaPo calls for voting climate deniers out of Congress, i.e. same paper that hosts deniers @georgewillf, @krauthammer:

http://wapo.st/1jecqBo
[denial, journalism, Washington Post, George Will, Charles Krauthammer]

Canada Struggles w/ Melting Permafrost as Climate Warms: @sciam:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/canada-struggles-with-melting-permafrost-as-climate-warms/

China, U.S. sign agreements on climate change: @bsindia:
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/china-us-sign-agreements-to-cope-with-climate-change-114070801188_1.html#.U7wU6EvZY0s.twitter

Cooperation, Ingenuity Needed to Halt Climate Catastrophe: @ClimateCentral:
http://shar.es/N3IHU  #globalwarming #agw
[science]

RT CitizensClimateLobby @citizensclimate
Climate hero Katharine Hayhoe is on our July 12 national call. Register here if you don't want to miss it:
http://ow.ly/yuRt7
[Citizens' Climate Lobby]

New Jersey science education stds may be blocked by climate deniers:
http://www.skepticalscience.com/NJ-science-standards-may-be-blocked.html
[denial]

Colorado shows new path in climate solutions: @TheHill:
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/energy-environment/211241-colorado-shows-new-path-in-climate-solutions#.U7wMbr1nJPs.twitter
[wind energy]

RT ClimateNow @ClimateNow:
BBC: Al Gore: climate change is the 'biggest crisis our civilisation faces':
http://bbc.in/1pVuYsP

RT Kelly Rigg @kellyrigg:
Solar has won. Even if coal were free to burn, power stations couldn’t compete | Giles Parkinson:
http://gu.com/p/3qm2m/tw via @guardian

RT Michael E. Mann @MichaelEMann:
Koch-funded climate change denier group ATI ordered by court to pay UVa & me damages for filing frivolous lawsuit:
http://pic.twitter.com/sjjYuovXS9
[American Tradition Institute, Energy & Environment Legal Institute, denial]

RT Michael E. Mann @MichaelEMann:
"Climate science denier group must pay damages for frivolous lawsuit against UVA/scientist" @Sue_Sturgis @FacingSouth http://www.southernstudies.org/2014/07/climate-science-denier-group-must-pay-damages-for-.html 
[American Tradition Institute, Energy & Environmental Legal Institute, denial, Institute for Southern Studies]

Changing climate at root of ‘utterly unprecedented’ summer flooding:
http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/environment/Changing+climate+root+utterly+unprecedented/10008801/story.html
[Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Canada]

Give it up, 'skeptics' - U.S. no longer debating climate change: @vicenews:
https://news.vice.com/article/give-it-up-skeptics-america-is-no-longer-debating-climate-change

KU scientist seeks cold, hard climate data w/ Greenland expedition: @kansasdotcom:
http://www.kansas.com/2014/07/06/3542073/ku-scientists-greenland-field.html
[science]

Climate tweets for 23 January 2014

Historic California drought called red flag for future of U.S. (+video): @CSMonitor http://www.csmonitor.com/layout/set/r14/Environment/2014/0122/Historic-California-drought-called-a-red-flag-for-future-of-US-video 

Finally, reason for a bit of optimism about climate change: @ryanlcooper http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/01/22/finally-a-reason-for-a-bit-of-optimism-about-climate-change/ 

Kofi Annan: A united call for action on climate change: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/kofi-annan-a-united-call-for-action-on-climate-change/2014/01/22/3694fa0c-82c1-11e3-9dd4-e7278db80d86_story.html 

What will happen to global warming when we get the next big El Niño?: @guardian http://www.theguardian.com/environment/planet-oz/2014/jan/23/climate-change-global-warming-2013-warmest-years-el-nino 

A Question of Balance: How global heat balance impacts climate: @skepticscience http://www.skepticalscience.com/news.php?n=2359 

Climate Code Red: The why and how of radical emissions reductions: (1) Kevin Anderson: http://www.climatecodered.org/2014/01/radical-emissions-reductions-1-kevin.html 

RT CitizensClimateLobby ‏@citizensclimate: Want Congress to pass a carbon tax? Join CCL in DC this summer. http://ow.ly/sRQg6 http://ow.ly/i/4n4Yo 

RT Kelly Rigg ‏@kellyrigg: Why is Jeff Bezos turning the Washington Post into a breeding ground for climate conspiracy theorists? http://grist.org/article/washington-post-hires-volokh-conspiracy-turns-out-actually-conspiracy-theorists/#.UuCmqkJy-o5.twitter 

Another Australian heatwave builds as prospects grow for long fire season: @p_hannam @smh http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/another-heatwave-builds-as-prospects-grow-for-a-long-fire-season-20140122-317va.html 

RT TckTckTck ‏@tcktcktck: As climate impacts increase EU ambition decreases, EU2030 not on track to avoid runaway climate change: http://pic.twitter.com/lfJBz1bqgD

Defending climate science and academic freedom

It's pass-the-hat time for Michael E. Mann, the beleaguered climate scientist from Penn State (and author of The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars) who was targeted two years ago for a witch hunt by Ken Cuccinelli, Virginia's Attorney General.  This is serious stuff, folks--a state attorney general invoking the power of the state to harass a private citizen and eminent climate scientist on the most dubious of grounds.

The witch hunt is over now, and the Washington Post has, fittingly, blistered the Dishonorable Mr. Cuccinelli with a scathing editorial about what a jerk he has been and the taxpayer money he has wasted--but the legal bills remain. Hence the fundraising.

The Climate Science Legal Defense Fund, organized a few months ago, is conducting a drive on Rockethub, a crowdfunding site, to raise $10,000 toward Dr. Mann's legal bills. Those who donate at various levels will receive premiums, as follows:


$25: One t-shirt
$50: Two t-shirts
$75: Three t-shirts
$150: All three t-shirts and a copy of Climate Change: Picturing the Science signed by Joshua Wolfe (www.picturingclimatechange.com)
$300: A hockey stick signed by Mike Mann.
$1000: A 16x20 signed silver gelatin print by Joshua Wolfe.

Much more detail and background at the Rockethub page.  Please consider contributing.  At this writing, with 40 days left, $2,200 (22% of the goal) has been raised--your help is needed.

Take the blinders off!

In the wake of the astonishing record heat wave of recent days (see U.S. heat 'unprecedented,' 7,000 records set or tied, Reuters, March 23), the flow of what-me-worry reporting from the New York Times continued, with a lengthy article by Clifford Krauss and Eric Lipton on the new U.S. oil and natural gas drilling boom.

Krauss and Lipton tell the story of how increased oil & gas production from fracking and better auto efficiency due to rising fleet economy standards have combined to put U.S. oil imports on a downward trajectory after a long climb.  "[T]he domestic trends are unmistakable," they write. "Not only has the United States reduced oil imports from members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries by more than 20 percent in the last three years, it has become a net exporter of refined petroleum products like gasoline for the first time since the Truman presidency. The natural gas industry, which less than a decade ago feared running out of domestic gas, is suddenly dealing with a glut so vast that import facilities are applying for licenses to export gas to Europe and Asia."

Whoopee!  The only thing missing from this saga of new hydrocarbon wealth is its impact on global warming.  Climate change is mentioned just three times, briefly, and in a political context rather than a scientific one: while Candidate Obama "promoted policies to help combat global warming" in 2008, President Obama has "de-emphasized the challenges of climate change."

I know, I know, it's an energy story, but the question remains: how much longer before energy stories (not to mention weather stories) are viewed as incomplete unless they incorporate discussion of global warming?  It's been a long wait: in 1990, I wrote a letter to the Times complaining about a similar non-mention of climate in a story about the glowing market prospects for the coal industry.

Not that there aren't encouraging signs. Over at the Washington Post, which has been equally out to lunch on global warming, the editorial staff put together a strong screed on the subject today (Rising concern on climate change, March 24).  Said the Post sternly, "[T]he only energy debate America seems capable of having during this election year revolves around whom to blame for higher gas prices and who can bring them down again. Neither of those is the first, second or even 10th question we’d ask of America’s leaders on energy."

I agree, it's a problem.  But when the most respected news sources publish story after story about high gas prices and energy with barely a mention of the most important problem with which they are inextricably intertwined, what are political candidates supposed to do?

The blinders have to come off.  The tunnel vision has to stop.  And as hard as the media try to pass the buck, it has to start with them finding ways to ask the hard questions and change the national conversation.  (For an entirely different take, see Lessons from Obama's Keystone Cave-In by Jeff Goodell on Rolling Stone's Politics blog, March 23, in which he asks the burning question: Will Barack Obama go down in history as the President who cooked the planet?)