GlobalWarmingisReal contributor Anders Hellum-Alexander wraps-up and comments on the climate and environmental news headlines for the past week:
- Barack Hussein Obama is inaugurated for his second term as president of the United States. He has increased his lip service towards climate change but his administration has yet to outline a comprehensive plan that either prevents the worse of climate change from happening or prepares us for the effects. And, are we too late for prevention, is adaption our only hope?
- A top issue for Obama is the XL Keystone Pipeline. Obama cannot claim to be a friend of the environment if he approves the project.
- The Solar on the White House campaign put on by Sungevity has come out with a video to further the campaign and honor Obama’s second inauguration. (full disclosure: I am an employee of Sungevity and the dachshund in the video is my dog. editor’s note – the video is also posted below).
- In the wake of increased frequency of extreme weather events like Sandy the US is spending billions of dollars to rebuild our communities without even a nod towards adaptation for the next event. It seems strange to spend so much money and not make any progress on adapting for the changes we know are happening. Apart from their rebuilding effort New York is considering solutions to the next storm. Just protecting one part of the New York shoreline will be impressively expensive. Climate change is truly an economic issue.
- Here is a dynamic map showing global warming on Earth in the last 60 years.
- Mercury is receiving increased attention in the US and internationally. After the US Environmental Protection Agency issued new rulings on mercury emissions a new international treaty is setting targets to reduce mercury emissions world-wide. Victory!
- Soot, otherwise known as black carbon, is terrible for the environment and human health. If we would just focus on reducing the health effects of pollution then reducing green house gas emissions would follow.
- The US army is going Green in big ways. It is notable when the largest military in the world shifts to new energy sources.
- Google continues to invest in renewable energy, now exceeding $1 billion. Companies in the US have so much extra cash and thus so much power, if companies are going to gouge us for profits and hoard money then they can at least spend it progressively.
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