Another Week of GW News, August 26, 2012

Logging the Onset of The Bottleneck Years

This weekly posting is brought to you courtesy of H. E. Taylor. Happy reading, I hope you enjoy this week's Global Warming news roundup

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Another Week of Climate Disruption News

Information Overloadis Pattern Recognition

August 26, 2012

• Chuckles, COP18+, Overshoot Day, The Critical Decade, GCF, Thermodynamics, Cook
• Fukushima Note, Fukushima News, Nuclear Policy
• Melting Arctic, Polar Bears, Methane, Geopolitics, Antarctica
• Food Crisis, Fisheries, Prices, Food vs. Biofuel, GMOs, GMO Labelling, Production
• Hurricanes, Monsoon, GHGs, Temperatures, Paleoclimate, Attribution
• Solar, Tipping Points, Oceans, Extinctions, Proxies, Satellites
• Impacts, Forests, Climate Refugees, Disease, Wacky Weather, Extreme Weather
• Wildfires, Glaciers, Sea Levels, Floods & Droughts
• Mitigation, Transportation, Buildings, Sequestration, Geoengineering, Conservation, Adaptation
• Journals, Other Docs, Misc. Science, Models, Open Science, Mann, Hansen, Pielke, Wegman
• International Politics: UN, Carbon Tax, Hormuz, South China Sea, EU ETS & Airlines
• Rare Earths, Solar Spat, Misc, Security, Law & Activism, Activism, Polls, H2O Biz
• National Politics: America, BP Disaster, 2012, Isaac, Keystone
• Ethanol Mandate, Coal Pollution, Birth Control, Akin, USAdmin, Congress
• Britain, Europe, Australia, Carbon Law, Murray-Darling, India, China, Asia, South America
• Canada, Bill C-38, Northern Tour, Cannibal, CNOOC, Northern Gateway
• CWB, Salmon, BC, Tar Sands, Alberta, Sask, Quebec, Maritimes, North
• Ecological Economics, Children, IPAT, Apocalypso, Media, Books, Video, Courts
• Energy, Transitions, Fracking, Coal, Oil & Gas, Pipelines, Peak Oil, Biofuel
• Wind, Solar, Nukes, Nuclear Waste, Grid, Efficiency, Cars, Gee Whiz, Energy Storage
• Joe's List, Carbon Lobby, Miscellaneous Climate, Useful Links
• Shameless Self Promotion, .sig

 

We are definitely back in the black humour zone:

• 2012/08/23: JoeMohrToons: (cartoon - Mohr) Sesame Street Explains How Willard Mitt Romney Will Get Elected
• 2012/08/25: uComics: (cartoon - Wiley) Lemmings
• 2012/08/21: uComics: (cartoon - Auth) Dr. Akin
• 2012/08/22: uComics: (cartoon - Danziger) Mr. Akin says...
• 2012/08/20: uComics: (cartoon - Danziger) "That Whole Thing..."
  

  Looking ahead to COP18 and future international climate negotiations:

• 2012/08/23: BBC: Science advisor warns climate target 'out the window'
  One of the Government's most senior scientific advisors has said that efforts to stop a sharp rise in global temperatures were now unrealistic. Professor Sir Robert Watson said that the hope of restricting the average temperature rise to 2C was "out the window". He said that the rise could be as high as 5C - with dire conseqences.
• 2012/08/25: P3: A 2C target is largely out of the window
  

  A grim milestone:

• 2012/08/22: GFN: August 22 is Earth Overshoot Day -- In 8 Months, Humanity Exhausted Earth's Budget for the Year
• 2012/08/25: TMoS: Earth Overshoot Day - August 22, 2012
• 2012/08/08: GFN: When and What is Earth Overshoot Day? Join the Live Tweet Chat with Global Footprint Network
  

  The Australian Climate Commission has released their third report - The Critical Decade:

• Australian Climate Commission
• ClimateCommission(Au): [link to 2.5 meg pdf] The Critical Decade: International Action on Climate Change
• 2012/08/21: ABC(Au): World moving irreversibly to action on climate change: report
  The Climate Commission has released its third major report and says international efforts to tackle climate change are accelerating rapidly. The report says nearly 850 million people will soon be living in economies with a carbon price or similar arrangement and the commissioners say they're surprised how quickly change is coming.
• 2012/08/21: ABC(Au): Australia in the 'middle of the pack' on climate action
  But first, the Federal Government's Climate Commission says its latest report aims to correct the view that Australia is leading the world when it comes to action against climate change. The commission's report on the international efforts to deal with the problem ranks Australia in the middle of the global pack.
• 2012/08/21: ABC(Au): Action on climate change speeding up: Commission
  The Climate Commission has released its third major report, saying international efforts to tackle climate change are accelerating rapidly.
• 
  

  Remember the Green Climate Fund?

   

• 2012/08/23: UN: United Nations climate fund inaugurates first meeting
  A United Nations fund aimed at mobilizing resources to help developing countries mitigate the impact of global warming has kicked-off its first official meeting, it was announced today. Established by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) during the 2011 UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) was created to help developing nations protect themselves from climate impacts and build their own sustainable futures. However, the GCF could not meet officially until it had filled all 24 seats on its Board, which effectively governs and supervises all aspects of the Fund.
• 2012/08/23: Guardian(UK): Green Climate Fund to discuss $100bn pledged by rich countries
• 2012/08/23: AzCentral:AP: Organizers move to award $100 billion in climate-change funds -- But big questions on how money will be raised, distributed are unanswered
• 2012/08/21: PlanetArk: U.N. fund could ease route to 2015 global climate deal
  Board members of the U.N's Green Climate Fund (GCF) must rise above politics when they meet for the first time later this week to help channel $100 billion a year towards the world's poorest nations to fight the catastrophic effects of rising temperatures, and to act as a springboard to a global climate deal in 2015.
• 
  

  Delving into the laws of thermodynamics this week:

   

• 2012/08/25: TSoD: Atmospheric Circulation -- Part Two -- Thermal Wind
• 2012/08/21: TSoD: Atmospheric Circulation - Part One
• 2012/08/20: CAbyss: The Best Ever Description of the Atmospheric Greenhouse Effect
  

  John Cook and friends continue their point-counterpoint articles:

• 2012/08/26: SkS: Climate Change, Irreversibility, and Urgency by dana1981
• 2012/08/25: SkS: Unpicking a Gish-Gallop: former Greenpeace figure Patrick Moore on climate change by John Mason
• 2012/08/24: SkS: How much has nuclear testing contributed to global warming? by Tom Curtis
• 2012/08/23: SkS: Patrick Michaels' 1992 claims versus the 2012 reality by MarkR
• 2012/08/22: SkS: Lindzen, Happer, and Cohen Wall Street Journal Rerun by dana1981
• 2012/08/21: SkS: Climate skeptic claims prebunked by Keeling by Ari Jokimäki
• 2012/08/20: SkS: New research from last week 33/2012 by Ari Jokimäki
  

  A note on theFukushima disaster:

  It is evident that the Fukushima disaster is going to persist for some time. TEPCO says 6 to 9 months. The previous Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, said decades. Now the Japanese government is talking about 30 years. [Whoops, that has now been updated to 40 years.] We'll see. At any rate this situation is not going to be resolved any time soon and deserves its own section.
  Meanwhile...
  It is very difficult to know for sure what is really going on at Fukushima. Between the company [TEPCO], the Japanese government, the Japanese regulator [NISA], the international monitor [IAEA], as well as independent analysts and commentators, there is a confusing mish-mash of information. One has to evaluate both the content and the source of propagated information.
  How knowledgeable are they [about nuclear power and about Japan]?
  Do they have an agenda?
  Are they pro-nuclear or anti-nuclear?
  Do they want to write a good news story?
  Do they want to write a bad news story?
  Where do they rate on a scale of sensationalism?
  Where do they rate on a scale of play-it-down-ness?
  One fundamental question I would like to see answered:
  If the reactors are in meltdown, how can they be in cold shutdown?

•  

  No good news out of Fukushima:

   

• 2012/08/26: EneNews: Mainichi: "Nuclear devastation" for Japan, in peace time - Fukushima disaster "the same as war" -Buddhist Nun
• 2012/08/25: EneNews: Physician: Overwhelming number of cases being reported from around Japan - Medical data in Fukushima is sealed, no idea what's truly going on there
• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au):TDU: Visiting the end of the world
  While visiting Tokyo and Fukushima, Greens Senator Scott Ludlam witnessed both the devastation of nuclear energy and a mood for change among the Japanese people.
• 2012/08/23: EneNews: Asahi: Gov't calculations "were way off" - Anti-nuclear sentiment has grown so large it could force change in energy policy
• 2012/08/23: EneNews: Japan Nuclear Expert: Melted fuel may have gone through cement floor and into ground under Fukushima reactors - I don't believe Tepco's claim for one second - Where in the world is it? (video)
• 2012/08/16: DeutscheWelle: Scientists fear increased genetic defects in Fukushima
• 2012/08/22: EneNews: Japan Nuclear Professor: Fukushima smoke stacks releasing radiation on a daily basis (video)
• 2012/08/21: DD: Record radiation levels found in fish near Fukushima nuclear plant
• 2012/08/22: EneNews: Radiation Expert: "Alarming" number of children with cysts or lumps on thyroid after Fukushima - Access to Japan's birth statistics requested, not granted
• 2012/08/22: ABC(Au): Record radiation levels in fish near Fukushima
  The operator of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant says it has detected radiation up to 380 times the government safety limit in fish caught near the crippled facility. It is the highest contamination recorded in marine life so far. The operator TEPCO recently measured radiation in 20 kinds of fish and shellfish caught along the coast.
• 2012/08/21: CDreams: Japan's Katrina Moment
• 2012/08/20: EneNews: Report: Concern work not being done at Reactors 1-3 -- Perhaps much longer than 50 years just to contain radiation
• 2012/08/21: EneNews: *Highest Yet* NHK: Fish 20 times more radioactive than any other caught since 3/11 - 380 times limit for cesium
• 2012/08/21: EneNews: Gov't: Plutonium detected at ten locations in Fukushima - "There is no health hazard"
• 2012/08/19: EneNews: Jiji: Footage reveals Tepco made plans to evacuate Fukushima Daiichi
• 2012/08/19: EneNews: Mainichi Interview: "The reactors still continue to release radioactive materials" -- "The gov't needs to recognize the gravity of this situation"
  

  Post Fukushima, nuclear policies are in flux around the world:

• 2012/08/22: JapanTimes: Power use falls; reactors unneeded -- July saw 6.3% drop in demand despite heat amid efforts to save
  

  The Arctic melt continues to garner attention:

• 2012/08/25: ArcticNews: Future of Arctic Ice: The Three Perspectives
• 2012/08/25: PSinclair: Sea Ice in Free Fall. Deniers: Nothing to See here, Move On...
• 2012/08/25: BCLSB: Bye Bye Arctic Sea Ice!
• 2012/08/25: ArcticNews: How much sea ice is lost daily?
• 2012/08/25: ArcticNews: Cyclone Warning
• 2012/08/24: ArcticNews: Arctic sea ice extent update
• 2012/08/20: ArcticNews: Record low sea ice area
• 2012/08/25: CCP: Arctic sea ice melt record smashed [David Spratt -- Climate Code Red]
• 2012/08/25: CCP: Steensby Glacier Calving Event and Retreat, northern Greenland, by Mauri Pelto
• 2012/08/25: CCP: Arctic cap on course for record melt: US scientists
• 2012/08/25: ASI: ASI 2012 update 10: (wh)at a loss
• 2012/08/25: ASI: Record dominoes 8: NSIDC daily sea ice extent
• 2012/08/25: ASI: Record dominoes 7: Arctic ROOS sea ice extent
• 2012/08/24: CC&G: Visualizing the Arctic Sea Ice Extent Decline
• 2012/08/24: Tamino: Two (or more) down ...
• 2012/08/24: ASI: Record dominoes 6: IJIS sea ice extent
• 2012/08/24: Moyhu: New JAXA record low Arctic Sea Ice Extent
• 2012/08/24: DeepClimate: 2012 Arctic sea ice minimum, part 1: A new record low?
• 2012/08/24: PlanetArk: Arctic sea ice shrinks to record low, by some estimates
• 2012/08/24: USGS: Scientists Explore Changing Arctic Ocean [on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy]
• 2012/08/23: Guardian(UK): Arctic sea ice levels to reach record low within days
• 2012/08/23: ASI: Peeking through the clouds 5
• 2012/08/23: ASI: Record dominoes 5: Arctic Basin sea ice area
• 2012/08/22: RawStory:AFP: Arctic cap on course for record melt: scientists
• 2012/08/22: ASI: Record dominoes 4: DMI sea ice extent
• 2012/08/22: TP:JR: Arctic Death Spiral: How It Favors Extreme, Prolonged Weather Events 'Such As Drought, Flooding, Cold Spells And Heat Waves'
• 2012/08/21: TreeHugger: Arctic Sea Ice Will Likely Hit Record Low This Summer
• 2012/08/22: ABC(Au): Arctic ice cap on course for record melt
• 2012/08/21: ASI: The untold drama of Northern snow cover
• 2012/08/21: ASI: A Love Story And A Clearance Sale
• 2012/08/20: SciNow: Melting Greenland Growing Darker
• 2012/08/21: OilChange: Arctic Ice Heading for Record Loss
• 2012/08/21: BBC: Arctic sea ice set to hit record low
• 2012/08/20: TP:JR: Arctic Death Spiral Watch: (Cryosp)here Today, Gone Tomorrow
• 2012/08/20: Tamino: One Down ...
• 2012/08/20: ASI: Record dominoes 3: Cryosphere Today SIA
• 2012/08/20: ASI: Arctic Ocean Circulation - Mixing - Effect on Ice
• 2012/08/20: ASI: Record dominoes 2: Arctic ROOS sea ice area
• 2012/08/19: CCP: Arctic Sea Ice Volume [animated] gif by Tamino! 1979-2012
• 2012/08/20: PSinclair: Sea Ice Death Spiral Watch: A New Low
• 2012/08/20: ASI: Our beloved ice pack
  

  As for the charismatic megafauna:

• 2012/08/21: CBC: Polar bear dens found near Manitoba-Ontario border
  

  That Damoclean sword still hangs overhead:

• 2012/08/22: ERW: Insight: revising methane budgets in northern permafrost regions
  Accurately quantifying the annual methane budget over northern permafrost regions is critically important for climate-change research. Methane emissions during spring freeze-thaw transition periods could contribute to around 80% of previously measured annual methane emissions in some "hot spots" -- a factor that could significantly revise methane budgets in these areas.
• 
  

  As for the geopolitics of Arctic resources:

   

• 2012/08/24: CBC: Arctic military exercise targets human-smuggling 'ecotourists'
  Prime Minister Stephen Harper observed a military training operation in Hudson Bay today for a scenario involving Canadian Forces intercepting an ecotourism boat carrying migrants who are attempting to enter Canada illegally.
• 2012/08/24: PlanetArk: Denmark expedition gathers crucial data for North Pole claim
• 2012/08/24: DerSpiegel: 'The Black Plague' -- Russia Plays Game of Arctic Roulette in Oil Exploration
  Thawing sea ice and improved technology is opening up the race for natural resource exploration in the Arctic Circle, home to nearly a quarter of the world's untapped oil reserves. Russia leads the race and has promised to adhere to environmental guidelines. But accidents and other damage resulting from the country's oil exploration tell a different story.
• 2012/08/21: FuelFix: Shell's drilling rig begins two-week trek to Arctic sea
• 2012/08/20: TP:JR: Must-See Video: Oil And Ice Don't Mix -- The Risks Of Drilling In Alaska's Arctic Ocean
  

  While in Antarctica:

• 2012/08/23: ABC(Au): Antarctic Peninsula already on edge before man-made climate change
• 2012/08/23: ABC(Au): Antarctic warming part of longer trend
• 2012/08/23: PlanetArk: Antarctic Peninsula started warming 600 years ago
• 2012/08/22: CSM: Antarctic Peninsula now almost as warm as 12,000 years ago
• 2012/08/23: Eureka: Antarctic ice sheet quakes shed light on ice movement and earthquakes
• 2012/08/23: RealClimate: Antarctic Peninsula warming: natural variability or "global warming"?
• 2012/08/23: BBC: Antarctica warmth 'unusual, but not unique'
  The recent Antarctic Peninsula temperature rise and associated ice loss is unusual but not unprecedented, according to research.
• 2012/08/22: Eureka: New climate history adds to understanding of recent Antarctic Peninsula warming
  

  The food crisis is ongoing:

• 2012/08/23: DD: Balkan drought highlights years of farm neglect - Serbia corn yield halved - Croatia corn 'rare as gold'
• 2012/08/23: PlanetArk: Kenya steps up measures to contain deadly maize disease
• 2012/08/22: CBC: Bumper grain crop for Canada forecast amid U.S. drought
• 2012/08/21: LA Times: Americans toss out as much as 40% of their food, study says
• 2012/08/25: WSWS: Survey shows continuing hunger across US as Congress prepares to cut food stamps
• 2012/08/22: DD: Food security worsens in Sudan - 16 million people face stressed/emergency levels in East Africa
• 2012/08/22: Grist: Don't toss your cookies: Curbing the crisis of food waste
• 2012/08/21: SciNow: Metal Nanoparticles Hurt Soybean Growth
• 2012/08/21: BPA: Are Big American Agribusinesses too Dominant?
• 2012/08/21: STimes: Americans waste $165B in food yearly, report says
  Americans are throwing out nearly every other bite of food, wasting up to 40 percent of the country's supply each year...
• 2012/08/20: CCurrents: Crops, Cancer And Climate Change: The Corporate Hijack Of Science
• 2012/08/21: DD: No drought-busting rains seen for U.S. crop belt
• 2012/08/21: PlanetArk: Dry weather gives early U.S. corn and soy harvest a boost
• 2012/08/21: PlanetArk: Russia harvest forecasts cut as drought hits crop in east
• 2012/08/21: Grist: Amid drought, farmers flood social media
• 2012/08/21: SciNews: Nanosized pollutants pose crop risks -- Some harm crops or boost plants' ability to pick up toxic materials through their roots
• 2012/08/21: NSF: Soybeans Susceptible to Man-Made Materials in Soil -- Study says manufactured nanomaterials may be harmful to agricultural production
• 2012/08/20: Grist: Farmers are dealing with corn shortages by feeding cows candy instead
• 2012/08/21: BBC: Nanoparticle 'risk' to food crops
  A pair of widely used chemicals in the form of tiny "nanoparticles" have been shown to spread throughout a crop plant or affect growth and soil fertility. The use of nanoparticles is increasing, yet their environmental impact is poorly understood.
• 2012/08/20: EurActiv: Droughts cut Europe's food output, raise fire risks
  Droughts in southern and eastern Europe are contributing to the global decline in grain production while also elevating concern about the long-term impact on freshwater supplies.
• 
  

  The state of the world's fisheries is a concern:

   

• 2012/08/22: NatureN: Protected sea lions gorge on threatened salmon
  A controversial cull of California sea lions in the Columbia River to conserve salmon may leave field open for a new predator.
• 2012/08/21: EneNews: *Highest Yet* NHK: Fish 20 times more radioactive than any other caught since 3/11 - 380 times limit for cesium
• 2012/08/21: BBC: Cod and haddock demand 'exceeds UK sea supply'
  The UK would have run out of fish for the year by now if it relied on stocks from its own waters, a report suggests. Annual domestic fish stocks can satisfy demand for about 233 days a year, think tank the New Economics Foundation said.
• 
  

  Food Prices are problematic:

   

• FAO: World Food Situation - Food Price Indices
• 2012/08/24: BBerg: Fuel Costs Plus U.S. Drought Equals Higher Food Prices
• 2012/08/24: NYT: No Relief in Forecast for Rise in Food Prices
• 2012/08/23: TP:JR: Warming-Driven Drought Pushes Crop Prices To Record Levels, As We Burn 40% Of Corn Crop In Our Engines
• 2012/08/22: CSM: Droughts send food prices soaring. 20 ways to save.
• 2012/08/21: DerSpiegel: The Cost of Hunger -- Drought Only One Factor Behind High Food Prices
  The severe drought in the US has been blamed the rising prices of agricultural commodities. But that is only part of the story: Biofuels, financial speculation and changing dietary habits are also playing a role. The global food supply faces pressure from all sides.
• 2012/08/21: CBC: How the spike in corn prices will hit consumers -- Canadian food prices could rise up to 4.5 per cent next year
  

  The conflict between biofuel and food persists. See also:

• 2012/08/21: Maribo: Drought and ethanol crunch U.S. corn crop
  

  Regarding the genetic modification of food:

• 2012/08/22: BBC: GM rice thrives in phosphorus-poor soils
• 2012/08/24: BBC: Wild rice gene gives yield boost
  A gene from wild Indian rice plants can significantly raise the yield of common varieties in nutrient-poor soils. Scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (Irri) identified a gene that helps uptake of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium, and transferred it into commercial strains. Their yield was about 60% above normal in phosphorus-poor soils, the team reports in the journal Nature.
• 2012/08/23: EnergyBulletin: Tire-eating cornstalks
  

  Regarding labelling GM food:

• 2012/08/24: EcoWatch: Top 10 Lies Told by Monsanto on GMO Labeling in California
• 2012/08/20: NatureN: Companies set to fight food-label plan
  California's Proposition 37 would add labels to all foods made from genetically modified crops.
• 2012/08/20: MD: California Wants Genetically Modified Foods to Be Labelled
  California's Proposition 37 hopes to put labels on foods that have been genetically modified
• 
  

  And how are we going to feed 9 billion, 10 billion, 15 billion?

   

• 2012/08/23: Eureka: No-till could help maintain crop yields despite climate change
• 2012/08/20: TP:JR: Wasteland: How America Can Save Money And Stop Wasting Food, Energy And Water
• 2012/08/21: Grist: Feed 9 billion people? We can do that, but it's not going to be pretty
• 2012/08/20: Grist: Lawyers go after processed food industry with tactics that worked on Big Tobacco
• 2012/08/20: NatureNB: Tilapia standard showcases continuing growth of aquaculture
  

  In the Western Pacific, Typhoon Bolaven is heading for Okinawa:

• 2012/08/26: BBC: Typhoon Bolaven rumbles towards Okinawa, Japan
  A powerful typhoon is heading toward the Japanese island of Okinawa. Slow-moving Typhoon Bolaven is expected to hit later on Sunday, with forecasters saying it could develop into the strongest storm to strike the island in more than 50 years. Residents have been told to stay indoors and protect themselves against the strong winds and heavy rains. State broadcaster NHK said gusts could overturn cars, while waves around the island could reach 12m (40ft). Japan's meteorological agency estimated wind speeds near the storm's centre at around 180km/h (112 mph), while extremely strong gusts were reaching 252 km/h.
• 2012/08/26: al Jazeera: Typhoon Bolaven bears down on Japan's Okinawa
  As Taiwan recovers from Typhoon Tembin, Japan readies for what is predicted to be one of worst storms in years.
• 2012/08/26: CNN: Massive Typhoon Bolaven set to slam Japan, Koreas
  Bolaven is expected to make landfall in Okinawa - Storm chaser: Winds on the outskirts of the typhoon are strong enough to uproot trees - More than 400,000 people in the area live in elevations between zero and 50 meters - Typhoon Bolaven's cloud field is about 20 times the length of Okinawa
• 2012/08/25: DD: Super Typhoon Bolaven bears down on Okinawa, Typhoon Tembin to follow
• 2012/08/23: DD: Warnings sounded as typhoons near [China]
• 2012/08/22: DD: China declares emergency as two typhoons close in - Typhoon Tembin to dump 1 meter of rain in Taiwan mountains - Typhoon Bolaven to be strongest storm yet this season
• 2012/08/23: People's Daily: Two typhoons [Tembin & Bolaven] to hit coastal areas
  Two powerful typhoons are heading toward China, putting the weather-beaten nation on alert again after four storms have caused landfalls across the country since the start of August.
• 2012/08/20: Eureka: NASA watches as Tropical Storm Bolaven develops
  

  Also in the Western Pacific, the path of Typhoon Tembin is notable for striking Taiwan twice.
  First it crossed southern Taiwan, then it did a loop-de-loop and is now projected to run the length of the island before heading toward the mainland:

   

• 2012/08/26: MODIS: Typhoons Tembin (15W) and Bolaven (16W) in the Philippine Sea
• 2012/08/24: al Jazeera: Typhoon [Tembin] wreaks havoc in southern Taiwan
  Severe storm sweeps across coastal region, damaging houses and overturning cars after thousands were evacuated. A severe tropical storm has swept across southern Taiwan, damaging houses, overturning cars, and toppling many trees after thousands of people were evacuated from their homes ahead of the disaster. Typhoon Tembin started heavy floods in towns across Taiwan's southern coasts and left thousands of homes without power on Friday, Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau said. The typhoon dumped nearly 50cm of rain in Pingtung county overnight, leaving four towns flooded in knee-deep brown water.
• 2012/08/23: CBC: Taiwan braces for powerful Typhoon Tembin
• 2012/08/22: Eureka: Double trouble continues in the Philippine Sea: Tembin and Bolaven
• 2012/08/21: Eureka: NASA satellites see 2 intensifying northwestern Pacific tropical cyclones [Tembin & Bolaven]
• 2012/08/20: NASA: Typhoon Tembin Forms Fast in Philippines
• 2012/08/21: al Jazeera: Ten days and two powerful storms [Tembin & Bolaven]
  Countries along the western Pacific basin brace for new rounds of tropical rains
• 2012/08/21: MODIS: Typhoon Tembin (15W) off the Philippines
  

  Previously in the Western Pacific, Typhoon Kai-Tak zapped Vietnam:

   

• 2012/08/21: DD: Typhoon Kai-Tak kills 27 in Vietnam - Typhoon Tembin hits Philippines, heads for Taiwan and China - Typhoon Bolaven lines up
• 2012/08/20: al Jazeera: Typhoon Kai-Tak leaves dozens dead in Vietnam
  At least 27 people killed and tens of thousands of homes destroyed as storm continues destruction across Southeast Asia.
• 2012/08/19: BBC: Typhoon Kai-Tak claims 27 lives as floods hit north Vietnam
  At least 27 people have been killed during a typhoon which swept across northern provinces of Vietnam over the weekend, officials have said.

• In the Atlantic and Caribbean. See also:

   

• 2012/08/26: BBerg: Florida Braces as Isaac Set to Strengthen Into Hurricane
• 2012/08/26: CNN: Tropical Storm Isaac gains strength, takes aim at Florida
• 2012/08/25: Wunderground: Isaac remains a tropical storm as it skirts northern coast of southeast Cuba
• 2012/08/25: al Jazeera: Tropical Storm Isaac makes landfall in Cuba
  Tropical storm lashes Cuba after sweeping through Haiti, where it caused flooding and at least four deaths.
• 2012/08/25: CSM: Tropical storm Isaac sweeps across Haiti toward Cuba, Florida
• 2012/08/25: CBC: Tropical storm Isaac heads toward Cuba after dousing Haiti -- Hurricane warning also in effect for the Florida Keys
• 2012/08/25: MODIS: Tropical Storm Isaac (09L) in the Caribbean Sea
• 2012/08/25: al Jazeera: Tropical Storm Isaac pummels Haiti's homeless
  More than 350,000 earthquake survivors still living in tent cities outside Port-au-Prince are lashed by wind and rain.
• 2012/08/25: CNN: Isaac leaves 2 dead in Haiti, moves on to Cuba and eventually Florida
  A humanitarian official voices fears a river in Port-au-Prince may overflow - She and a U.N. official praise preparations and the Haiti government's response - Tropical Storm Isaac strikes Haiti's tent cities and also douses Cuba with rain - A hurricane warning is issued for the west coast of Florida, from Bonita Beach south
• 2012/08/25: Wunderground: Isaac pounding Haiti and the Dominican Republic with torrential rains
• 2012/08/25: Wunderground: Crossing Hispaniola and Cuba: a history
• 2012/08/24: Wunderground: Isaac bearing down on Haiti
• 2012/08/24: CNN: Tropical Storm Isaac barrels toward Haiti
  The storm could be near hurricane strength at landfall - No signs of storm preparation in Port-au-Prince; some Haitians unaware the storm is coming - Isaac poses a danger to Haitians still recovering from the deadly 2010 earthquake - It's unclear whether the storm will affect the GOP convention in Florida next week
• 2012/08/24: Wunderground: Isaac is strengthening
• 2012/08/23: Wunderground: Isaac remains disorganized
• 2012/08/23: Wunderground: Little change to Isaac, but intensification coming; Joyce forms
• 2012/08/24: NASA: NASA Spots Heavy Rainfall in Tropical Storm Isaac
• 2012/08/23: Eureka: NASA sees newborn Tropical Storm Joyce in the Central Atlantic
• 2012/08/23: CBC: Tropical storm Isaac gathering strength -- Storm could become hurricane, U.S. forecasters say
• 2012/08/23: al Jazeera: Tropical Storm Isaac strengthens
  It powers across the Caribbean, towards the tent cities of Haiti.
• 2012/08/23: PlanetArk: Storm Isaac threatens Caribbean, U.S. Republican Convention
• 2012/08/22: Wunderground: Isaac reorganizing as it blows through the Lesser Antilles
• 2012/08/22: CBC: Tropical storm Isaac approaches Caribbean
• 2012/08/24: BBC: Haiti, Dominican Republic await Tropical Storm Isaac
  [Tropical Storm Isaac Storm warnings have already been declared for Puerto Rico and parts of the US Virgin Islands] Haiti and the Dominican Republic are braced for a battering as Tropical Storm Isaac approaches Hispaniola, the island shared by the two countries. Some 400,000 Haitians still living in makeshift camps after a deadly earthquake in 2010 are "amongst the most vulnerable", aid groups warn.
• 2012/08/24: CBC: Tropical storm Isaac heads toward Haiti, Dominican Republic -- Storm could beocme a hurricane when it enters the Gulf of Mexico
• 2012/08/24: al Jazeera: Haiti braces for Tropical Storm Isaac
  Preparations under way in poorest Caribbean nation where some 400,000 people will be exposed to its gathering strength.
• 2012/08/22: PlanetArk: Tropical Storm Isaac threatens eastern Caribbean
• 2012/08/22: Wunderground: Isaac lashing the Lesser Antilles; TD 10 forms
• 2012/08/21: Wunderground: Hurricane Hunters find tropical storm winds in TD 9
• 2012/08/22: Eureka: NASA sees Tropical Storm Isaac and Tropical Depression 10 racing in Atlantic
• 2012/08/21: Eureka: NASA sees an active tropical Atlantic again
• 2012/08/21: BBC: Computer models from the US National Hurricane Center predict Tropical Storm Isaac would grow into a hurricane
• 2012/08/21: PlanetArk: Hurricane Gordon causes minor damage in Azores, losing intensity
• 2012/08/21: Wunderground: Tropical Depression Nine approaches the Lesser Antilles
• 2012/08/20: Eureka: NASA satellites capture 3 days of Hurricane Gordon's Atlantic track
• 2012/08/19: PlanetArk: Tropical Storm Helene weakens, plows up Mexican coast
• 2012/08/20: Wunderground: Three Atlantic threat areas may develop; a record fire season for the U.S.
  

  While elsewhere in the hurricane wars:

• 2012/08/24: DM:80B: Look at This: Every Recorded Hurricane Since 1851 on One Map
• 2012/08/24: CCurrents: Katrina Pain Index 2012: 7 Years After
• 2012/08/22: PlanetArk: Factbox: Forecasts for 2012 Atlantic hurricane season
  

  As for the Monsoon:

• 2012/08/23: BBC: India monsoon rains kill 20 in Rajasthan
  At least 20 people have been killed by heavy monsoon rains in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. The rains have disrupted normal life in the state capital, Jaipur, since Tuesday and flooded many areas. About 20,000 people living in the city have been forced to flee their homes due to flooding. Earlier this month, at least 34 people died in northern Uttarakhand state after torrential rains triggered landslides and flash floods. Rajasthan's meteorological department said Jaipur was experiencing the heaviest rains since 1981, causing flooding in low lying neighbourhoods and slum areas.
• 2012/08/24: CCurrents: Gauging The Impact Of Warming On Asia's Life-Giving Monsoons
  

  Meanwhile on the GHG front:

• 2012/08/22: SciAm:Obs: Oil Companies May Have Been Helping Combat Climate Change (A Little)
• 2012/08/23: CBrief:B: Why there's more to a fall in US emissions than meets the eye
• 2012/08/24: QuarkSoup: US Emissions Are On Obama's Reduction Track
• 2012/08/24: TreeHugger: What's Behind the Great Dip in US Carbon Emissions?
• 2012/08/20: QuarkSoup: Why Have U.S. Emissions Dropped?
  

  As for the temperature record:

• 2012/08/22: CapClimate: Despite Cooling Midwest, U.S. Has 36th Consecutive Warm Week
• 2012/08/23: Guardian(UK): Italians pack Speedos as Dolomites lake hit by soaring temperatures
• 2012/08/22: C&S: USCRN compared to BEST
  

  While in the paleoclimate:

• 2012/08/23: Eureka: Past tropical climate change linked to ocean circulation, says Texas A&M team
• 2012/08/24: CSM: Mayan collapse mystery solved? Deforestation exacerbated a drought
• 2012/08/22: DM:80B: Mayan Tree Chopping May Have Worsened Droughts, and Contributed to The Civilization's Demise
• 2012/08/21: Eureka: Drastic desertification -- Researchers study Dead Sea climate past, finding dramatic results
• 2012/08/21: CBC: Maya's deforestation could have aided drought, downfall
• 2012/08/14: Columbia:LDEO: Forest Razing by Ancient Maya Worsened Droughts, Says Study
  

  In the attribution debate:

• 2012/08/24: Yahoo:AFP: Climate vs. weather: Extreme events narrow doubts
  Heatwaves, drought and floods that have struck the northern hemisphere for the third summer running are narrowing doubts that man-made warming is disrupting Earth's climate system, say some scientists. Climate experts as a group are reluctant to ascribe a single extreme event or season to global warming. Weather, they argue, has to be assessed over far longer periods to confirm a shift in the climate and whether natural factors or fossil-fuel emissions are the cause. But for some, such caution is easing.
• 2012/08/24: CBC: The U.S. drought, freak occurrence or a changing climate?
  

  Regarding the solar hypothesis:

• 2012/08/23: Eureka: AGU: Link found between cold European winters and solar activity
• 2012/08/23: AGU: Link found between cold European winters and solar activity
  

  Tipping points aka planetary boundaries made their presence known:

• 2012/08/19: ArcticNews: Tipping Points
• 2012/08/15: WiredSci: Arctic Coastlines Hitting Ecological Tipping Point
  Along rocky coastlines of the Arctic Ocean, a radical change is taking place, perhaps as profound as vanishing sea ice but less evident to the eye. Ecological foundations are shifting, with existing algae replaced by warmth- and light-loving species. It might not seem like much, but algae form the base of ocean food chains, and the change is happening fast.
• 
  

  And the State of the Oceans:

   

• 2012/08/23: Eureka: Good news from the bad drought: Gulf 'Dead Zone' smallest in years, says Texas A&M expert [Steve DiMarco]
• 2012/08/22: WtD: The dead seas: will global warming usher in another mass extinction of sea life?
• 2012/08/01: LLNL: Marine species at risk unless drastic protection policies put in place
• 2012/08/21: CoralCOE: Sea life 'facing major shock'
  Life in the world's oceans faces far greater change and risk of large-scale extinctions than at any previous time in human history, a team of the world's leading marine scientists has warned. The researchers from Australia, the US, Canada, Germany, Panama, Norway and the UK have compared events which drove massive extinctions of sea life in the past with what is observed to be taking place in the seas and oceans globally today. Three of the five largest extinctions of the past 500 million years were associated with global warming and acidification of the oceans -- trends which also apply today, the scientists say in a new article in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution.
• 2012/08/21: CBC: Some B.C. orcas facing food shortage
  

  What's new on the extinction front?

• 2012/08/21: DD: Oceans face 'increased extinctions and extinction risks caused by human factors'
• 2012/08/22: CCurrents: Poaching Push Rhino's To The Brink Of Extinction
• 2012/08/21: NatureN: Jaguars win critical habitat in US
  After years of legal wrangling, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has granted jaguars protected territory
• 2012/08/20: ABC(Au): Development blamed for surge in koala deaths
  Wildlife experts say that the koala, now a threatened species on Australia's east coast, is in serious danger because of urban development
• 2012/08/20: ABC(Au): Drastic drop in NSW, Queensland koala numbers
  In its advice to the Federal Minister on whether to list the koala, the Threatened Species Scientific Committee spelt out the rate of the koala's decline. It is estimated that in the 20-year period between 1990 and 2010 the number of koalas in New South Wales had dropped by a third, and in Queensland the numbers were down by as much as 43 per cent.
• 
  

  What's new in proxies?

   

• 2012/08/21: TP:JR: The Secret Life of Tree Rings: What They Can Teach Us About Drought, Climate And Fire
  

  Meanwhile in near earth orbit:

• 2012/08/20: PlanetArk: Eyes in the sky spy on threatened jungles
  

  More GW impacts are being seen:

• 2012/08/23: NPR:AP: Costs Of Big Wildfire Season Hurting Some States
• 2012/08/24: BBC: Bats threatened by climate change
• 2012/08/21: BBC: UK insect numbers 'very low' after months of wet weather
• 2012/08/21: TP:JR: Nine Ways Climate Change Is Throwing Animal Populations 'Out Of Kilter'
• 2012/08/20: CBC: Tropical fish becoming more common in N.S. waters
• 2012/08/20: CBC: Global warming effects seen in butterfly populations
  Global warming is leading to a population decline in northerly butterfly species and a flourishing population in subtropical species, according to a Harvard University study.
• 2012/08/19: DD: Horses fall victim to hard times and dry times on the range
• 2012/08/20: ABC(Au): Tropical fish moving south: Marine expert
• 2012/08/19: Eureka: Massachusetts butterflies move north as climate warms -- Scientists and naturalists join forces to reveal populations at risk
  

  And then there are the world's forests:

• 2012/08/24: ERW: Mapping tropical forest loss in Sumatra
• 2012/08/25: BBC: West Africa forest biomass 'on rise despite drought'
• 2012/08/20: PlanetArk: Insight: DNA tests tell trees from the wood; curb illegal logging
  

  Climate refugees are becoming an issue:

• 2012/08/23: Guardian(UK): Crossing borders to escape natural calamities is no easy option
  International law has long been a barrier to legal immigration by people fleeing natural disasters, but there are ways round it
• 2012/08/20: Tyee: The Rising Tide of Environmental Refugees -- No longer a 'hidden crisis,' millions are on the move due to ecological collapse
  

  Emerging diseases accompany ecological change:

• 2012/08/24: DM:80B: West Nile Season Off to the Worst Start Ever in the U.S.
• 2012/08/23: al Jazeera: US sees surge in West Nile virus cases
  The mosquito-borne outbreak has killed 41 people and infected more than 1,000 so far this year.
• 2012/08/22: BBC: US faces 'one of the largest' West Nile virus outbreaks
• 2012/08/22: CBC: Toronto a West Nile hotspot as virus hits 5 provinces
• 2012/08/22: ProMedMail: West Nile virus - USA (06): (WV) prob human case, equine alert
• 2012/08/22: SciAm:SS: Is Climate Change To Blame For This Year's West Nile Outbreak?
• 2012/08/22: CCD: Why is the aerial battle against West Nile Virus more compelling that the climate change that caused it?
• 2012/08/22: KSJT: West Nile virus outbreak deserves more coverage
  

  Yes we have no wacky weather, except:

• 2012/08/23: ABC(Au): Windy weather wreaks havoc in Sydney
  

  This week in the New Normal -- extreme weather:

• 2012/08/24: CPW: Summer 2012: The Season Of Record-Breaking Extreme Weather
• 2012/08/20: Eureka: Nobel prize-winning scientist [Mario J. Molina] cites evidence of link between extreme weather, global warming
  

  As for heatwaves and wild fires:

• 2012/08/22: CSM: California governor declares state of emergency as fire threatens (+video)
• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au): Update: Barkly Highway fire
  Authorities are meeting today to plan their response to a large grass fire burning out of control north-west of Mount Isa.
• 2012/08/25: DD: Image of the Day: Satellite view of thick smoke from wildfires over Wyoming, 14 August 2012
• 2012/08/24: Guardian(UK): [Letters] Extreme weather causes forest fires
• 2012/08/21: DD: Expedition finds frequency of Siberia forest fires is increasing
• 2012/08/22: CBC: Northern California wildfire destroys 50 buildings
  Nearly 1,900 firefighters battling the fire in rugged, forested terrain
• 2012/08/21: CBC: B.C. wildfire forces 40 to evacuate homes
• 2012/08/21: Google:AFP: Scores of mastic orchards ravaged by Greek wildfire
  Scores of mastic orchards on the Greek island of Chios were destroyed in a forest fire that has been ablaze for three days, according to local officials on Monday.
• 2012/08/22: IOTD: Wildfire on Chios
• 2012/08/22: MODIS: Fires and smoke in Western Australia (afternoon overpass)
• 2012/08/20: DerSpiegel: Near Record Temperatures in Germany Summer Heat Finally Finds its Way North
  It took a while. But summer finally arrived in Germany over the weekend following a wet June and a gray July. Close to record temperatures drove most people out of doors.
• 2012/08/21: CBC: Europe swelters in summer heat wave
• 2012/08/21: CSM: Huge wildfire reaches edge of three Calif. towns
• 2012/08/20: WtD: The New Normal (part 16): California fires force thousands to flee
• 2012/08/20: CBC: Fire risk spikes as lightning forecast for B.C. -- 50 new fires started in B.C. over the weekend
  B.C. firefighters are on high alert Monday as parts of the province are on a severe thunderstorm watch and many areas are at high to extreme fire risk. For the first time this fire season, crews are on red alert, ready on base and prepared to load up helicopters as soon as a call comes in, says Penticton forest protection officer Jim Mottishaw.
• 2012/08/20: al Jazeera: Europe swelters -- Many people across the continent are searching for any way possible to stay cool
• 2012/08/20: DD: Image of the Day: Satellite view of smoke from wildfires in the U.S. West spreading eastward, 12-14 August 2012
• 2012/08/17: WaPo: France fights wildfires, keeps close eye on the elderly as temperatures soar
• 2012/08/20: ABC(Au): Bushfire Emergency declared for Clarence Valley
• 2012/08/20: al Jazeera: US military deployed to battle wildfires
  More communities forced to evacuate as fires continue to burn out of control across western states.
• 
  

  Glaciers are melting:

   

• 2012/08/26: IOTD: Fedchenko Glacier [in Tajikistan]
• 2012/08/22: NatureN: Himalayan glacier data shift to the middle ground
  New satellite study sparks fresh debate about the melting of Himalayan glaciers.
• 2012/08/22: SciNews: Himalayan melt may be less than thought -- Satellite data suggest modest net ice loss
• 2012/08/21: DD: Graph of the Day: Retreat of the Ata Glacier, 1915-2005
  

  Sea levels are rising:

• 2012/08/21: ULeeds: Flood risk ranking reveals vulnerable cities
• 2012/08/20: EENews: Scenic city [Olympia, Wash] debates erecting barriers as sea levels rise
• 2012/08/21: BBC: Shanghai is the most vulnerable major city in the world to serious flooding, a study suggests
  

  As for hydrological cycle disruptions [floods & droughts]:

• 2012/08/23: IOTD: Low Water on the Mississippi Causes Barge Backup
• 2012/08/22: al Jazeera: Deadly floods hit Niger
  The West African Monsoon continues to bring problems to the region.
• 2012/08/24: DD: Drought worsens in Plains despite cooler temperatures, holds steady elsewhere in U.S.
• 2012/08/23: NYT: Drought Disrupts Everyday Tasks In Rural Midwest
  The wells supplying people's homes are running dry here at the heart of the nation's drought, which the government announced on Thursday has spread to 63.2 percent of the country, centered in the parched earth of the southern Midwest
• 2012/08/23: TreeHugger: U.S. Drought So Bad, NASA Can See it From Space
• 2012/08/25: DD: Western North America drought is worst in 800 years, study says
• 2012/08/25: BBC: Burma [Myanmar] floods leave 85,000 homeless in Irrawaddy Delta
• 2012/08/25: al Jazeera: Myanmar floods cause mass displacement
  At least 85,000 people displaced and 200,000 affected as heavy rainfall causes country's most severe flooding in years.
• 2012/08/25: CBC: Burma flooding forces 85,000 from their homes
• 2012/08/21: PlanetArk: Low water strands 97 vessels on Mississippi River: USCG
• 2012/08/20: UCSUSA:B: The 2012 U.S. Drought and Our Future
• 2012/08/21: IOTD: Mississippi River Well Below Normal
  

  First, stop subsidizing fossil fuels
  Second, put a price on carbon
  And elsewhere on the mitigation front:

• 2012/08/22: EnergyBulletin: Climate Change SOS: Soil is the Solution, or the most important environmental story I'll ever write
• 2012/08/22: P3: There is no solution to the problem of climate change without cutting emissions
• 2012/08/22: ABC(Au): Study finds cattle feed supplements can reduce methane emissions
  A study has shown that adding certain oil-rich by-products to feed can reduce methane emissions in cattle by 15-20 percent. The Primary Industries Climate Challenges Centre at Melbourne University found that by-products such as brewers grain, cottonseed meal and cold-pressed canola meal were effective.
• 
  

  Consider transportation & GHG production:

   

• 2012/08/25: EnergyBulletin: The rise of sail transport for a different world economy
• 2012/08/21: EurActiv: Marine fuel rules could cost billions, analysts say
  A European crackdown on pollution from ships will require billions worth of investment by shipping firms on filter technology and by refineries on upgrades to produce cleaner fuels - burdens the industries say they can ill afford. The shipping industry is already struggling due to poor global demand and overcapacity, which have pushed freight rates to unprofitable levels for many operators. European refineries are under pressure from high crude costs, cheap refined product imports and weak demand. To comply with new European Union laws, shipping companies now face extra costs of E2.6 billion to E11 billion to switch fuels or to fit exhaust filters that would scrub out the sulphur in marine fuel oil.
• 2012/08/21: CSM: A lot riding on California dream of high-speed rail
  

  While in the endless quest for zero energy, sustainable buildings and practical codes:

• 2012/08/24: Grist: What other cities can learn from Seattle's troubled 'deep green' building program
• 2012/08/24: CSM: Cities turn to innovative 'green infrastructure'
• 2012/08/20: SBO: Earth Advantage launches program to guarantee energy bills for green homes
  

  As for carbon sequestration:

• 2012/08/21: GEP: ADB Supports CCS in China
• 2012/08/20: LBL: Speeding the Search for Better Carbon Capture
  Berkeley Lab Researchers Help Develop a Computer Model That Identifies the Best Molecular Candidates
• 2012/08/14: R&DMag: Cleaner, reliable carbon dioxide scrubbing
  

  Large scale geo-engineering keeps popping up:

• 2012/08/24: BBC: Geoengineering: Risks and benefits
  Few issues arouse as much controversy in environmental circles these days as geoengineering - "technical fixes" to tackle climate change, by sucking carbon dioxide from the air or by reducing the amount of sunlight hitting the Earth.
• 2012/08/23: Eureka: Cloud control could tame hurricanes, study shows
• 2012/08/21: TreeHugger: Scientists Propose Creating Clouds to Slow Warming
• 2012/08/20: OSU: Ecologist: Genetically Engineered Algae For Biofuel Pose Potential Risks That Should Be Studied
• 2012/08/20: Eureka: Experiment would test cloud geoengineering as way to slow warming
  

  What's new in conservation?

• 2012/08/23: Grist: Save the median strip! Or, how to annoy E.O. Wilson
  

  While on the adaptation front:

• 2012/08/23: EnergyBulletin: Building resilience in a changing climate
• 2012/08/22: USGS: USGS Unveils Flood Mapping Tool for Atlanta Suburb -- Maps Will Help NWS Forecast Local Floods
• 2012/08/21: EnergyBulletin: The resilience imperative and civil disobedience
  

  Meanwhile in the journals:

• 2012/07/24: GRL: (ab$) Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) simulations of climate following volcanic eruptions by Simon Driscoll et al.
• 2012/08/20: Springer:E&ES: (ab$) Fail-safe solar radiation management geoengineering by Takanobu Kosugi
• 2012/08/22: ACP: Overview of the 2010 Carbonaceous Aerosols and Radiative Effects Study (CARES) by R. A. Zaveri et multi alia
• 2012/08/22: ACP: Global emission estimates and radiative impact of C4F10, C5F12, C6F14, C7F16 and C8F18 by D. J. Ivy et al.
• 2012/08/22: ACP: Hemispheric transport and influence of meteorology on global aerosol climatology by T. L. Zhao et al.
• 2012/08/21: ACP: Mixing of Asian mineral dust with anthropogenic pollutants over East Asia: a model case study of a super-duststorm in March 2010 by J. Li et al.
• 2012/08/23: ACPD: Pre-industrial to end 21st century projections of tropospheric ozone from the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP) by P. J. Young et al.
• 2012/08/23: ACPD: Summertime cyclones over the Great Lakes Storm Track from 1860-2100: variability, trends, and association with ozone pollution by A. J. Turner et al.
• 2012/08/22: ACPD: Evaluation of preindustrial to present-day black carbon and its albedo forcing from ACCMIP (Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project) by Y. H. Lee et al.
• 2012/08/20: ACPD: Future methane, hydroxyl, and their uncertainties: key climate and emission parameters for future predictions by C. D. Holmes et al.
• 2012/08/23: TP:JR: Romney's Opposition To Wind Tax Credit May Become A Political Liability In Iowa: 'This Is A Very Big Deal For Us'
• 2012/08/22: Nature: (ab$) Recent Antarctic Peninsula warming relative to Holocene climate and ice-shelf history by Robert Mulvaney et al.
• 2012/07/16: SSRN: (abs) Geoengineering and the Science Communication Environment: A Cross-Cultural Experiment by Dan M. Kahan et al.
• 2012/08/21: PNAS: (abs) Hydrogen-limited growth of hyperthermophilic methanogens at deep-sea hydrothermal vents by Helene C. Ver Eecke et al.
• 2012/08/21: PNAS: (ab$) Structures of dolomite at ultrahigh pressure and their influence on the deep carbon cycle by Marco Merlini et al.
• 2012/08/21: PNAS: (ab$) Aging of biogenic secondary organic aerosol via gas-phase OH radical reactions by Neil M. Donahue et al.
• 2012/08/21: PNAS: (ab$) A search for thermal excursions from ancient extraterrestrial impacts using Hadean zircon Ti-U-Th-Pb depth profiles by Sunshine S. Abbott et al.
• 2012/08/21: PNAS: (ab$) Long-range exciton dissociation in organic solar cells by Domenico Caruso & Alessandro Troisi
• 2012/08/21: PNAS: (letter$) Reply to Blaauw et al., Boslough, Daulton, Gill et al., and Hardiman et al.: Younger Dryas impact proxies in Lake Cuitzeo, Mexico by Isabel Israde-Alcántara et al.
• 2012/08/21: PNAS: (letter$) Inconsistent redefining of the carbon spherule "impact" proxy by Mark Hardiman et al.
• 2012/08/21: PNAS: (letter$) Paleoecological changes at Lake Cuitzeo were not consistent with an extraterrestrial impact by Jacquelyn L. Gill et al.
• 2012/08/21: PNAS: (letter$) Suspect cubic diamond "impact" proxy and a suspect lonsdaleite identification by Tyrone L. Daulton
• 2012/08/21: PNAS: (letter$) Inconsistent impact hypotheses for the Younger Dryas by Mark Boslough
• 2012/08/21: PNAS: (letter$) Age models and the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis by Maarten Blaauw et al.
• 2012/08/24: BEPress: A simple model to account for regional inequalities in the effectiveness of solar radiation management by Juan B. Moreno-Cruz et al.
• 2012/08/23: ESD: On the determination of the global cloud feedback from satellite measurements by T. Masters et al.
• 2012/08/22: ESD: The influence of vegetation on the ITCZ and South Asian monsoon in HadCM3 by M. P. McCarthy et al.
• 2012/08/20: ESDD: Spatio-temporal analysis of the urban-rural gradient structure: an application in a Mediterranean mountainous landscape (Serra San Bruno, Italy) by G. Modica et al.
• 2012/08/23: CP: Drastic shrinking of the Hadley circulation during the mid-Cretaceous Supergreenhouse by H. Hasegawa et al.
• 2012/08/23: CP: A review of the South American monsoon history as recorded in stable isotopic proxies over the past two millennia by M. Vuille et al.
• 2012/08/22: CP: [no abs] The relative roles of CO2 and palaeogeography in determining late Miocene climate: results from a terrestrial model-data comparison by C. D. Bradshaw et al.
• 2012/08/24: CPD: Mismatch between the depth habitat of planktonic foraminifera and the calibration depth of SST transfer functions may bias reconstructions by R. J. Telford et al.
• 2012/08/23: CPD: Temperature response to external forcing in simulations and reconstructions of the last millennium by L. Fernández-Donado et al.
• 2012/08/22: CPD: Lake El'gygytgyn water and sediment balance components overview and its implications for the sedimentary record by G. Fedorov et al.
• 2012/08/21: CPD: Model sensitivity to North Atlantic freshwater forcing at 8.2 ka by C. Morrill et al.
• 2012/08/21: CPD: Controls of Caribbean surface hydrology during the mid- to late Holocene: insights from monthly resolved coral records by C. Giry et al.
• 2012/08/20: CPD: Tree-ring based June-July mean temperature variations since the Little Ice Age in the Adamello-Presanella Group (Italian Central Alps) by A. Coppola et al.
• 2012/08/20: CPD: Climatic impacts of fresh water hosing under Last Glacial Maximum conditions: a multi-model study by M. Kageyama et al.
• 2012/08/24: GRL: (ab$) Solar influence on winter severity in central Europe by Frank Sirocko et al.
• 2012/08/: AMS: CO2 Snow Deposition in Antarctica to Curtail Anthropogenic Global Warming by Ernest Agee et al.
• 2012/08/24: ERL: Climate response to changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide and solar irradiance on the time scale of days to weeks by Long Cao et al.
• 2012/08/24: GMD: Models of soil organic matter decomposition: the SoilR package, version 1.0 by C. A. Sierra et al.
• 2012/08/23: GMDD: SPITFIRE-2: an improved fire module for Dynamic Global Vegetation Models by M. Pfeiffer & J. O. Kaplan
• 2012/08/23: TCD: Projecting Antarctic ice discharge using response functions from SeaRISE ice-sheet models by A. Levermann et al.
• 2012/08/22: Nature: (ab$) Contrasting patterns of early twenty-first-century glacier mass change in the Himalayas by Andreas Kääb et al.
• 2012/08/21: GMD: Pre-industrial and mid-Pliocene simulations with NorESM-L: AGCM simulations by Z. Zhang & Q. Yan
• 2012/08/20: GMDD: How should sparse in situ measurements be compared to continuous model data? by L. de Mora et al.
• 2012/08/20: GMDD: Using multi-model averaging to improve the reliability of catchment scale nitrogen predictions by J.-F. Exbrayat et al.
• 2012/08/10: TE&E: (ab$) Extinctions in ancient and modern seas by Paul G. Harnik et al.
• 2012/08/19: Nature:CC: (ab$) Climate-driven changes in northeastern US butterfly communities by Greg A. Breed et al.
• 2012/08/20: AGWObserver: New research from last week 33/2012
  

  And other significant documents:

• 2012/08/22: PI: [link to 416k pdf] Lower Athabasca Regional Plan (LARP) performance backgrounder
• 2012/08/22: PewSocialTrends: [link to 2.2 meg pdf] The Lost Decade of the Middle Class -- Fewer, Poorer, Gloomier
• ClimateCommission(Au): [link to 2.5 meg pdf] The Critical Decade: International Action on Climate Change
  

  As for miscellaneous science:

• 2012/08/22: CLabBook: Visualising the role of natural variability
• 2012/08/16: BoulderWeekly: Fracking and academic freedom -- Fired researcher paints pattern of pressure from oil and gas industry
  

  What's new in models?

• 2012/08/23: Wunderground:RR: Point of View: Models, Water, and Temperature (6)
  

  What developments in the ongoing struggle for Free/Open Science?

• 2012/08/01: TheScientist: Bring On the Transparency Index
  Grading journals on how well they share information with readers will help deliver accountability to an industry that often lacks it.
• 2012/08/17: GenomesUnzipped: The first steps towards a modern system of scientific publication
  

  Regarding Mann:

• 2012/08/24: CCP: UVa, GMU, Wegman, Sullivan, Mann: MUST READ!!! "Why Thomas Jefferson's university is killing off climate science"
• 2012/08/23: DD: Climate scientist Michael Mann plans libel suit against the National Review
• 2012/08/24: PSinclair: Gloves Off. Mike Mann to File Suit against National Review Sleaze
• 2012/08/22: BCLSB: Mann Vs. Steyn, Part II
  

  Regarding Hansen:

• 2012/08/22: ERabett: Eli's Three Laws or Hansen Simply Explained
• 2012/08/20: TP:JR: Climate Extremes Reexamined: Can We Quantify The Straw That Breaks The Camel's Back?
  

  The Pielke fan clubbe, alas:

• 2012/08/21: QuarkSoup: The Cabo Test
  

  Regarding Wegman:

• 2012/08/20: DeSmogBlog: See No Evil, Speak Little Truth, Break Rules, Blame Others
  

  While at the UN:

• 2012/08/24: UN: UN regional emergency teams on standby to assist Caribbean nations hit by tropical storm
• 2012/08/21: WMO: U.N. agencies call for stronger National Drought Policies
  The drought gripping the United States of America and the ripple effects on global food markets underline the vulnerability of our inter-connected world to a natural hazard that is expected to increase in future.
• 2012/08/25: ABC(Au): UN scoffs at 'ridiculous' Texas invasion claims
  The United Nations has scoffed at claims by a Texas judge that UN troops could invade the southern US state to settle a possible civil war, which the judge warned could be sparked if Barack Obama is re-elected in November. When asked if the United Nations had plans to invade Texas, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said that was "absolutely ridiculous".
• 2012/08/21: USAToday: U.N. calls on nations to adopt drought policies
• 2012/08/21: UN: With drought intensifying worldwide, UN calls for integrated climate policies
  

  The idea of a carbon tax is still bouncing around:

• 2012/08/25: NYT: Carbon Tax Silence, Overtaken by Events
• 2012/08/25: EconView: 'Global Warming Has a Fairly Simple and Cheap Technical Solution' - Robert Frank
  

  On the international political front, tensions continue as the empire leans on Iran:

• 2012/08/24: EarlyWarning: Iranian Oil Production Falls Further
• 2012/08/21: Yahoo:Reuters: Report: Iraqis helping Iran skirt sanctions
• 2012/08/20: EurActiv: Europe starts stockpiling oil as Iran conflict looms
  European governments are rushing to boost stockpiles of crude oil and fuel, anxious to comply with new EU rules and amid reports that Israel is preparing to launch an attack on Iran.
• 2012/08/20: National(Ae): First Indian tanker to take state cover for Iran load
  

  South [& East] China Sea tension persists:

• 2012/08/23: People's Daily: US weapons no use for Diaoyu Islands issue
  When China and Japan were in a stalemate due to the Diaoyu Islands issue, the United States came, with weapons.
• 2012/08/22: WSWS: Japan-South Korea tensions flare over disputed islands
• 2012/08/22: Asia Times: Island feuds challenge US' Asian ties
• 2012/08/20: al Jazeera: Japan stands firm on China islands dispute
  Senior official rejects Chinese protests over raising of Japanese flag on disputed islands by group of nationalists.
• 2012/08/19: Guardian(UK): China protests over Japanese activists' visit to disputed island
  Japanese cars and businesses attacked by protesters across China as territorial spat over Senkaku/Diaoyu islands escalates
• 
  

  As the EU-ETS is applied to airlines, we will see who is serious about reducing carbon emissions:

   

• 2012/08/23: BBerg: Retaliation on Airline Carbon May Breach Law: Researcher
  Nations that retaliate against the European Union's decision to include airlines in its carbon market from this year may fall foul of international trade rules, according to a University of Cambridge researcher. "If a World Trade Organization member restricts EU flights over its territory, or landing slots for EU flights in its territory, it is likely to violate WTO obligations ensuring non- discriminatory treatment of trade in goods, as well as freedom of transit," Lorand Bartels, a lecturer in WTO and international law at the U.K. university's Trinity Hall, said Aug. 21 in a phone interview from Buenos Aires.
• 2012/08/21: TP:JR: Senate To Europe: Get Your Laws Off Our Carbon
  

  In the Rare Earths' tussle:

• 2012/08/23: PlanetArk: China increases rare earths export quota for 2012
• 2012/08/23: People's Daily: China announces second rare earth export quota for 2012
  

  While in the solar panel trade war between China and the USA:

• 2012/08/24: OilPrice: China Ups Ante in Trade War with US
  China's Commerce Ministry has reaffirmed an earlier decision stating that six US renewable energy projects are in violation of World Trade Organization rules, setting the stage for legal action against US solar and wind manufacturers.
• 2012/08/21: NYT: Price Wars Seen Hurting Solar Sector in China
• 2012/08/21: PlanetArk: China says U.S. support for clean energy violates WTO rules
  

  And in miscellaneous international political jousting:

• 2012/08/22: EurActiv: Russia joins WTO after 19-year wait
  Russia officially joined the World Trade Organization today (22 August), ending a 19-year wait to become part of the global club.
• 2012/08/21: CD: IJC Report on Great Lakes - misunderstanding the problem
• 2012/08/21: PlanetArk: Argentina complains to WTO over Spanish biodiesel rules
• 2012/08/20: Guardian(UK): Building sustainable global research partnerships -- and saving the puma
  

  Climate Change is a threat multiplier exacerbating existing conflicts in food, energy, water, race, ideology ... etc.:

• 2012/08/21: al Jazeera: Food riots predicted over US crop failure
  Analysts say crippling drought in the US likely to trigger unrest in impoverished nations dependent on food imports.
• 
  

  The issue of the law and activism is playing out around the world:

   

• 2012/08/23: BBC: Ian Tomlinson pathologist Dr Freddy Patel struck off
  The pathologist who conducted the first post-mortem tests on a man who died in 2009's G20 protests in London has been struck off the medical register. Dr Freddy Patel wrongly said Ian Tomlinson died from heart problems. A medical tribunal earlier concluded he acted with "deficient professional performance" over his examination. PC Simon Harwood, who had pushed Mr Tomlinson to the ground but was cleared of manslaughter, is facing Met Police disciplinary proceedings in September. Dr Patel's conclusion that the newspaper seller died of a cardiac arrest was questioned when a recording emerged showing him being pushed and struck with a baton by PC Harwood.
• 
  

  What are the activists up to?

   

• 2012/08/24: CBC: Canadian among Greenpeace activists who stormed Russian oil platform -- Sprayed with water hoses, pelted with debris, activists retreat from Arctic rig
  Greenpeace activists, Canadian Terry Christenson among them, were first offered hot soup, then showered with blasts of cold water and pieces of metal after they stormed a floating Russia oil platform and erected climbing tents on the side of the rig on Friday to protest drilling in the Arctic. The six activists, who include Greenpeace executive director Kumi Naidoo, spent several hours hanging off the side of the Prirazlomnaya platform in the Pechora Sea attached to the rig's mooring lines. They had prepared for a long occupation by bringing up supplies, including the tents, but left after rig workers threw pieces of metal at them.
• 2012/08/24: AutoBG: Greenpeace renews attack on VW's eco efforts with Star Wars-themed Golf Jedi Edition
• 2012/08/24: CSM: Greenpeace activists storm Russian oil platform
• 2012/08/24: BBC: Greenpeace activists board Russian Gazprom oil platform
  Six Greenpeace activists have boarded a Russian offshore oil rig in protest over gas and oil exploration in the Arctic, the group says.
• 2012/08/24: CBC: Greenpeace activists storm oil rig in Russia's Pechora Sea -- Canadian among 6 protesters who have supplies to last 'for an extended stay.'
• 2012/08/24: DemNow: Greenpeace's Kumi Naidoo Live from Occupied Russian Arctic Oil Rig While Being Hit with Water Cannon
• 2012/08/24: G&M: Canadian member of Greenpeace takes part in storming of Russian oil rig
• 2012/08/21: Grist: Four new ways climate activists can organize in an age of extreme weather
  

  Polls! We have polls!

• 2012/08/20: WtD: The 98%: only 2% of Canadians deny climate change, the rest... well do the maths
  

  Regarding Water Politics and Business:

• 2012/08/23: WRI: How Food Production Impacts Water Quality
• 2012/08/21: NatureN: Algal blooms hit South Korean rivers -- Environmentalists blame dam project for outbreak
• 2012/08/19: JFleck: MWD and the case for optimism in western water
  

  And on the American political front:

• 2012/08/22: ScottBrophy: Texas Emergency Management: Tornadoes? Nah, Lubbock Readies for Impending Civil War (Should Obama Be Reelected)
• 2012/08/: SSI Review: Climate Science as Culture War
  The public debate around climate change is no longer about science... it's about values, culture, and ideology.
• 2012/08/22: DeSmogBlog: Hundreds of Concerned Citizens Protest Governor Andrew Cuomo's Plans To Frack New York
• 2012/08/23: Grist: Heroic weatherman talks climate in a red state -- and viewers thank him for it
• 2012/08/23: AutoBG: Chinese company's stake in A123 puts U.S. trade secrets at risk, execs say
• 2012/08/23: OpEdNews: Nationalize the Fossil Fuel Industry
• 2012/08/24: WSWS: New poll, data point to vast social polarization in US
  A survey released August 22 by the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C. adds details to the picture of an American society divided sharply along class lines and dominated by growing social inequality. "Fewer, Poorer, Gloomier: The Lost Decade of the Middle Class" is based on the results of a national poll supplemented by data from the US Census Bureau and Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
• 2012/08/24: TP:JR: Another Republican Congressman Pushes Back Against Mitt Romney's Call To End Wind Energy Tax Credits
• 2012/08/24: Denialism: The Crackpot Caucus
• 2012/08/25: ABC(Au): UN scoffs at 'ridiculous' Texas invasion claims
  The United Nations has scoffed at claims by a Texas judge that UN troops could invade the southern US state to settle a possible civil war, which the judge warned could be sparked if Barack Obama is re-elected in November. When asked if the United Nations had plans to invade Texas, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said that was "absolutely ridiculous".
• 2012/08/25: CSM: UN eyeing Texas invasion? Probably not, but 'civil war' fears abound
• 2012/08/22: TP:JR: Ohio Farmers Work To Keep Climate Change On The Agenda: 'The Drought Moved The Needle'
• 2012/08/21: TP:JR: Fossil Fuel Magnate Bill Koch Seeks Public Lands To Shelter His 'Private Old West Marvel'
• 2012/08/25: NYT: Carbon Tax Silence, Overtaken by Events
• 2012/08/22: ScienceInsider: Ego v. Efficiency at the U.S. National Science Board
• 2012/08/21: QuarkSoup: Pipeline Operators Aren't Required to Tell Them
• 2012/08/21: TP:JR: In The American West, The Hottest Year On Record Forces Us To See Things As They Are
• 2012/08/20: MD: California Wants Genetically Modified Foods to Be Labelled
  California's Proposition 37 hopes to put labels on foods that have been genetically modified
• 2012/08/20: Tamino: Climate Fail: California Governor's Office
• 2012/08/18: CleanTechnica: Governor Signs 3 Bills into Law to Spur More Solar PV Installations in New York
  

  The BP disaster continues to twist US politics:

• 2012/08/21: al Jazeera: Gulf seafood deformities alarm scientists
  Eyeless shrimp and fish with lesions are becoming common, with BP oil pollution believed to be the likely cause.
• 
  

  So, do you want the vulture capitalist or the hopey-changey kill-list guy?

   

• 2012/08/23: DD: Petition to ask U.S. presidential candidates: 'What is your plan to address the climate crisis?'
• 2012/08/23: Reuters: Romney to declare goal of North American energy independence by 2020
  Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will lay out policies on Thursday aimed at achieving North American energy independence by 2020 by pursuing a sharp increase in production of oil and natural gas on federal lands and off the U.S. coast.
• 2012/08/23: Grist: Romney's energy plan: How many times can you say 'oil'?
• 2012/08/23: TheHill:e2W: Obama aide hints climate will stay in campaign background
• 2012/08/23: TP:JR: Romney Energy Plan Would Let States and His Oil Donors Drill On Public Lands
• 2012/08/23: TP:JR: Big Oil Buys Gusher: 5 Pro-Oil Planks In Romney Energy Plan
• 2012/08/24: PlanetArk: Coal plants still pressured despite Romney plan, EPA court loss
• 2012/08/24: ScienceInsider: Teacher Gives Obama the Skinny on Packed Science Labs
• 2012/08/23: TreeHugger: Mitt Romney's Oily Energy Plan, by the Numbers
• 2012/08/23: BBerg: Romney's Energy Plan Ignores Solar's Success
• 2012/08/23: ScienceInsider: Basic Research Burns Bright in Romney Energy Plan
• 2012/08/23: NYT: Giving Reins to the States Over Drilling
  By proposing to end a century of federal control over oil and gas drilling and coal mining on government lands, Mitt Romney is making a bid for anti-Washington voters in key Western states while dangling the promise of a big reward to major campaign supporters from the energy industry.
• 2012/08/23: CSM: Mitt Romney's energy plan: What does it promise?
• 2012/08/23: CBC: The fact-free campaign for the U.S. presidency
• 2012/08/23: CBC: Romney pitches Keystone as key to energy plan
• 2012/08/23: Slate: Ferret in the Dishwasher: Mitt Romney Non-Insult of the Tea Party
• 2012/08/24: Guardian(UK): US election 2012: Romney and Obama avoid the climate change elephant
• 2012/08/22: TP:JR: After Criticizing The Stimulus, Romney Will Campaign At A New Mexico Company That Benefitted From It
• 2012/08/23: BBerg: Romney Supportive of Coal Industry He Said 'Kills People'
• 2012/08/22: Grist: Elephants in the room: Urban poverty, climate change, and other problems we love to ignore
• 2012/08/21: NatureN: Republican spending plan casts shadow on science
  Romney's running mate, Paul Ryan, wants to curb expenditure on non-defence research.
• 
  

  So will Isaac zap the climate change denial party?

   

• 2012/08/26: CBC: Tropical storm Isaac throws republican convention off schedule
• 2012/08/25: al Jazeera: Storm delays Republican convention in Florida
  Fears over Tropical Storm Isaac force organisers to effectively postpone start of proceedings until Tuesday.
• 2012/08/25: BBC: Storm Isaac delays Republican convention in Florida
  The Republicans have decided to delay by a day discussions at their national convention in Florida because of the approach of Tropical Storm Isaac.
• 2012/08/25: CSM: Hurricane Isaac delays start of Republican National Convention in Tampa
• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au): Tropical storm threatens Republican convention
• 2012/08/23: STF: Republicans Testing Limits Of Stupidity
  Obama is responsible for the hurricane heading towards Florida because he runs the National Hurricane Center? Do you think the Republican base will buy it?
• 2012/08/23: Wonkette: Tampa Totally Going To Cancel Republican Convention Just Because Of Tiny Little Act Of God
• 2012/08/24: Wonkette: Ol' Rush Limbaugh Pretty Sure Obama Behind Tampa's Republican Convention Hurricane
• 2012/08/23: NYT: Preparing in Tampa for a Convention That Might Become a Hurricane Party
• 2012/08/22: TP:JR: GOP Climate Deniers Hold Convention In Tampa, But Mayor Warns He's 'Prepared To Call It Off' If Hurricane Isaac Hits
• 2012/08/22: Guardian(UK): Watching tropical storm Isaac: what does it mean for the RNC?
• 2012/08/22: ABC(US): Hurricane Could Make a Mess of RNC -- Hurricane Could Turn GOP Convention Into A 'Disaster'
• 2012/08/21: WaPo: Signs of divine intervention for Republicans?
• 2012/08/22: CSM: Tropical storm Isaac: GOP's Tampa convention likely to be wet, but how wet?
  

  The Keystone XL saga grinds along:

• 2012/08/23: WaPo: Texas judge rules in favor of TransCanada in eminent domain case
• 2012/08/23: CBC: TransCanada wins Texas court fight over Keystone XL
• 2012/08/25: DeSmogBlog: Keystone XL Pipeline To Take Center Stage At Republican National Convention
• 2012/08/20: PSinclair: "Keystone 2" - the Enbridge Endrun
  

  The call to end the Ethanol Mandate continues:

• 2012/08/24: LA Times: Calls to lower ethanol quota rise as U.S. corn crop withers
  To avert a possible food crisis from a lack of corn, groups are urging changes to the U.S. renewable fuel standard or at least a temporary waiver of the ethanol quota.
• 2012/08/24: PlanetArk: Government mandate or no, fuel ethanol is here to stay
• 2012/08/24: PlanetArk: Romney energy plan supports U.S. ethanol mandate
• 2012/08/22: PlanetArk: Georgia, New Mexico join call for end to U.S. ethanol rule
• 2012/08/18: BPA: A List of Those Calling for a Waiver or Reduction of the Ethanol Mandate
• 2012/08/22: AutoBG: Five states ask feds for help with high corn prices, say livestock more imporant than ethanol
• 2012/08/20: TP:JR: Constituent Blasts GOP Rep. Lungren: 'I'm Horrified That You Would Ignore Scientific Evidence Just To Appease ... Big Oil'
• 2012/08/21: PlanetArk: EPA seeks input on ethanol mandate waiver requests
  

  The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals tossed the EPA's proposed Cross Border Pollution Rule:

• 2012/08/23: EnvEcon: The least that I can do is CAIR
• 2012/08/23: DeSmogBlog: US Chamber Rejoices As Courts Rule For Polluters
• 2012/08/21: TP:JR: U.S. Appeals Court Strikes Down Public Health Safeguards That Would Have Saved 34,000 Premature Deaths Each Year
• 2012/08/22: PlanetArk: Court strikes down EPA rule on coal pollution
• 2012/08/21: CDreams: 240 Million Americans to Lose Protections From Coal Pollution
  US Court Throws Out EPA Coal Pollution Rule, Leaves Millions Exposed to Harmful Emissions
• 2012/08/21: BBerg: Obama Curbs on Coal Pollution Rejected by U.S. Court
• 2012/08/21: CAbyss: What the D.C. Circuit Decision on Power Plant Emissions Says
  Today, in a closely-watched case, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out EPA regulations that would have imposed strong restrictions on emissions from power plants that affect air quality beyond a state's borders.
• 2012/08/21: UCSUSA:B: Misguided D.C. Circuit Court Ruling Blocks Limits on Harmful Pollution from Power Plants
• 2012/08/20: TP:JR: Carbon Pollution Update: Zombie Power Plants and Zombie Lawsuits Stagger On
  

  The GOP War on Women continues:

• 2012/08/22: Pew: The Complicated Politics of Abortion
• 2012/08/24: MoJo: (graphic) Enacted Abortion Restrictions By Year
• 2012/08/16: CollectorsWeekly: Getting It On: The Covert History of the American Condom
• 2012/08/23: DerSpiegel: Chaperones, Judges and Moralizers -- Abortion Debate Reveals Republicans' True Colors
  The Republican Party has come down hard on Representative Todd Akin for his incendiary comments on rape. But as the party's new platform reveals, Akin is par for the course in a GOP which has veered hard to the intolerant right.
• 2012/08/21: DM:GNXP: Who rejects right to abortion in cases of rape?
• 2012/08/20: DWR: Christian "Anti-Choice" Site Advocates No Abortion for Child Rape Victims
  

  The Todd Akin shit storm accurately demonstrates hard right values:

• 2012/08/23: WSWS: Akin affair highlights hypocrisy and ignorance in US official politics
• 2012/08/21: TreeHugger: If We Can't Understand Rape, How Can We Solve Climate Change?
• 2012/08/21: SciAm:C&V: What Do You Do When There is No Best Dataset? A follow-up on pregnancy and rape statistics
• 2012/08/20: Slate: Todd Akin's "Legitimate Rape" Comment Was Not a Misstatement. It Was a Worldview.
• 2012/08/20: Nation:B: The Danger of Laughing at Todd Akin
• 2012/08/21: DemNow: Todd Akin's "Legitimate Rape" Comment Sheds Light on Paul Ryan's Extreme Stance on Abortion
• 2012/08/21: al Jazeera: Romney calls on Akin to quit Senate race
  Presidential candidate says Todd Akin should abandon contest for Missouri after the congressman's comments about rape.
• 2012/08/21: Wonkette: Akin Clarifies Clarification: Women Just Constantly Lie About Rape All The Time
• 2012/08/20: Grist: Todd Akin is a moron on climate change too
• 2012/08/21: al Jazeera: US senate hopeful apologises for rape remarks
  Missouri lawmaker Todd Akin retracts comments that women's bodies can prevent pregnancies in cases of "legitimate rape".
• 2012/08/20: PSinclair: Rep. Akin's Tea Party Science: Rape Does Not Cause Pregnancy. Climate might be cooling soon -- We Just Don't know
• 2012/08/19: RawStory: GOP Senate nominee: Women don't get pregnant from 'legitimate' rapes
• 2012/08/19: GLaden: Your chance of getting pregnant if raped...
• 2012/08/19: S&R: Todd Akins Lacks a Legitimate Brain
• 2012/08/19: Guardian(UK): 'Legitimate rape' rarely leads to pregnancy, claims US Senate candidate
  Todd Akin, the Republican nominee for Missouri, causes furore with explanation of his no-exceptions policy on abortion
• 
  

  The actions of the Obama administration are being watched closely:

   

• 2012/08/22: SEC: SEC Adopts Rule for Disclosing Use of Conflict Minerals
• 2012/08/22: SEC: SEC Adopts Rules Requiring Payment Disclosures by Resource Extraction Issuers
• 2012/08/24: OilChange: Extraction and Disclosure
• 2012/08/22: USGS: New South Central Climate Science Center Director Announced - Kimberly Winton
• 2012/08/17: BillingsGazette: BLM issues environmental review of Wyoming uranium mine
  

  As for what is going on in Congress:

• 2012/08/22: TheHill:e2W: Colorado senators [Udall & Bennet] pin layoffs on wind energy tax credit uncertainty
• 2012/08/22: AutoBG: House Republicans urge White House to delay 2017-2025 fuel economy standards
• 2012/08/23: TP:JR: GOP Rep Tipton Won't Acknowledge Human-Caused Climate Change Because It Would 'Divide America'
• 2012/08/25: WSWS: Survey shows continuing hunger across US as Congress prepares to cut food stamps
  

  While in the UK:

• 2012/08/24: EurActiv: UK launches E20m low-carbon fund for SMEs
  The UK has created a E20 million fund for small and medium businesses to help them switch to low-carbon technologies.
• 
  

  And in Europe:

   

• 2012/08/24: EurActiv: Consumers unaware of smart meters ahead of EU-wide roll-out
  A study commissioned by the United Kingdom's Department of Energy and Climate Change recently revealed that over half the population is unaware of the existence of smart meters.
• 2012/08/24: EurActiv: Europe's resistance to shale gas could boost renewables
  Europe has been unable to repeat the shale gas revolution that has swept the United States, and that could prove to be the unlikely saviour of long-term EU efforts to spur renewables and curb greenhouse gases.
• 2012/08/23: PlanetArk: Hungary set for row with EU over non-profit energy
• 2012/08/22: EurActiv: Hungary defies EU over energy distribution rules
  Hungary expects "a big debate" with the European Union over its plans to transform energy distribution in the household sector into a "non-profit activity", the country's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said today (22 August). In Brussels, the European Commission declined to comment, saying it learnt of the plans from the press.
• 2012/08/24: ScienceInsider: Former E.U. Education Commissioner Faces Ph.D. Inquiry
• 2012/08/21: EurActiv: Biofuels fail EU sustainability test, researchers say
• 2012/08/21: EurActiv: Marine fuel rules could cost billions, analysts say
• 2012/08/21: WSWS: Spain: Forest fire outbreaks worsened by budget cuts
• 2012/08/20: BBerg: Merkel's Green Shift Forces Germany to Burn More Coal
  

  Meanwhile in Australia:

• 2012/08/25: PlanetJ: Is Tony Abbott a liar, or just plain stupid?
• 2012/08/24: WtD: News Ltd, you're a disgrace: Bolt claims PM is "playing the sexism" card
• 2012/08/25: ABC(Au): CLP claims victory in NT election
  Country Liberal Party Leader Terry Mills said Northern Territorians had "asked for change - and change they will get" after his party was swept to power, ending 11 years of Labor reign.
• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au): Wind farms spinning money
• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au): Uni study to probe wind farm health impacts
  An RMIT academic says he is shocked by the lack of research examining the health and social effects of wind farms.
• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au): Burke blasts Newman as project feud heats up
  Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has launched a scathing attack on Campbell Newman, warning the Queensland Premier he will not get away with "environmental vandalism" as a public war of words continues over state resource projects.
• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au): Alpha coal mine nod 'devastating' for reef
  Environmentalists and farmers have criticised the Federal Government's approval of the Alpha coal and rail project in central Queensland.
• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au): Victoria announces fracking moratorium
  The State Government has announced a ban on any further approvals on fracking in new coal seam gas exploration wells.
• 2012/08/23: ABC(Au): Federal approval for controversial Queensland coal mine
  The Federal Government has approved a controversial coal mine in Queensland's central west. The $6.5 billion Alpha Coal Project sparked a public row between the State and Federal Governments earlier this year. Among other things there were Federal claims that Queensland's environmental assessment process was "shambolic". The mine - and a rail project associated with it - have now got the go-ahead but the political argy bargy continues.
• 2012/08/23: ABC(Au): $7bn Alpha coal mine gets approval
  Gina Rinehart's multi-billion-dollar Alpha coal mine and rail project in central Queensland has been granted Federal Government approval.
• 2012/08/23: ABC(Au): Proposed regulator reinforcement may lower energy prices
  The [Federal] Resources Minister Martin Ferguson says consumers could get lower power costs out of proposed new rules for setting electricity network prices . Prices have risen substantially recently, and the Opposition says that's wholly due to the carbon tax. The Government says what it calls the ?gold-plating? of state government electricity infrastructure has contributed much more. The Electricity Energy Marketing Commission this afternoon proposed new rules it said would better equip the Energy Regulator to set network prices. The Resources minister Martin Ferguson welcomed the draft rules.
• 2012/08/23: ABC(Au): Senator tries to halt Bald Hills wind farm
  The DLP Senator for Victoria, John Madigan, will put a motion to the Senate to stop a wind farm development at Bald Hills in the state's east. The power company Mitsui is building the 50 tower wind farm near Inverloch, in South Gippsland.
• 2012/08/23: ABC(Au): Abbott now says he did read BHP briefing document
• 2012/08/23: ABC(Au): Blame game heats up over Olympic Dam delay
  Tony Abbott has been accused of running "one of the most dishonest, self-interested fear campaigns" seen in Australian politics as a row rages over BHP Billiton's decision to delay the expansion of its huge Olympic Dam mine.
  [...]
  Mr Abbott admitted he had not read the company's statement on the delay but referred to previous statements by BHP Billiton chairman Jacques Nasser in which he said: "I cannot overstate how the level of uncertainty about Australia's tax system is generating negative investor reaction."
• 2012/08/20: ABC(Au):TDU: The homophobic horror show of the Slipper Affair
• 2012/08/22: ABC(Au): CSG industry uses peer reviewed USA study to counter emissions claims by the Australia Institute
  The lobby that represents the oil and gas industry is questioning a report by the Australia Institute into fugitive methane emissions from coal seam gas. And like the Institute, the Association for Petroleum Production and Exploration (APPEA) uses an American study to prove its point. According to the Australia Institute, the method industry is using to measure fugitive emissions is flawed.
• 2012/08/22: ABC(Au): Inquiry boss makes noise over wind farm infrasound
• 2012/08/22: ABC(Au): US green group echoes calls to close power stations
  A US environmental group has joined calls for coal-fired power stations, such as Playford in South Australia's Port Augusta, to be closed down. The Sierra Club has written to the federal Minister for Resources and Energy, urging the Government to go ahead with the contract for closure project.
• 2012/08/22: ABC(Au): Federal Government urged to 'rethink the maths' on feedlot cattle emissions
• 2012/08/21: DeSmogBlog: Anti-turbine Activist Given Role as Observer on Australian Wind Power Health Review
• 2012/08/21: ABC(Au): Red Centre protest against nuclear waste plans
  Dozens of people gathered in Alice Springs to protest against a nuclear waste facility and more uranium mining in the Northern Territory. Local candidates in this weekend's election stood alongside the protesters, chanting their opposition to a nuclear Territory.
• 2012/08/21: ABC(Au): Labor continues Newspoll climb, two years on
• 2012/08/20: ABC(Au): Queensland fishing industry protests extended marine protection zones
• 2012/08/20: PeakEnergy: Gas projects to push up Australian electricity prices
  

  The carbon bill is law. Now comes the implementation:

• 2012/08/23: ABC(Au): More funding for carbon farming
  The Federal Government has opened two funding programs to develop approved methodologies under the Carbon Farming Initiative (CFI). The CFI aims to allow farmers to earn money for reducing greenhouse emissions or sequestering carbon on their properties, by generating credits that can be sold on global markets.
• 2012/08/24: WtD: 79% of Australians believe "carbon tax" has had no or little impact
• 2012/08/21: PlanetJ: What would rumored carbon tax changes mean?
• 2012/08/21: ABC(Au): Carbon tax slug may force fruit business to cut staff
  A fruit packing business in Victoria's Goulburn Valley says it may have to cut staff, after getting a one-month carbon tax bill of more than $10,000. Geoffrey Thompson Holdings employs more than 400 people and runs seven cool stores, which keep fruit refrigerated until it's sold. The carbon tax paid for its main facility in Shepparton was higher than anticipated, more than $10,500 out of a $70,000 power bill.
• 2012/08/21: ABC(Au): Carbon tax pledge dominates Question Time
• 2012/08/19: BBerg: Australian Investment Surging Even With Carbon Tax, Swan Says
  

  After a 10 year drought and 2 years of flooding, water usage planning is controversial and difficult:

• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au): Call for investigation into mercury in river
  Higher than usual mercury levels in a south west river has prompted calls for an immediate [WA] Government investigation.
• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au): Walsh defends basin water contribution
  The Victorian Government is maintaining the state has already provided its share of environmental water to the Murray-Darling Basin.
• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au): MP demands toxic sands clean-up answers
  Labor says it wants Victoria's Environment Minister to update Bendigo residents about the clean-up of toxic sands. Calcine sands were exposed by the city's Black Saturday bushfire, which also killed a man and destroyed 58 homes. The sands, a by-product of old mining techniques, contain harmful chemicals including arsenic and mercury.
• 2012/08/23: ABC(Au): Weir to go amid rising Murray flows
• 2012/08/21: ABC(Au): South-east Queensland dam operators cleared
  In Queensland, three dam engineers have been exonerated after an investigation into their conduct surrounding last year's devastating floods. They were operating Wivenhoe Dam when thousands of homes and businesses were flooded in Brisbane and Ipswich.
• 2012/08/21: ABC(Au): Wivenhoe engineers cleared of criminal misconduct
  The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) has cleared three engineers involved in the management of Wivenhoe Dam during the January 2011 floods in Brisbane.
• 2012/08/20: ABC(Au): [The Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists] call for a vote against Murray-Darling plan
  

  While in the Indian subcontinent:

• 2012/08/21: ABC(Au): Indian opposition targets PM over coalgate
  Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh has come under pressure to resign because of his involvement in the allocation of coal reserves to private companies. The main opposition Bhartiya Janata Party accuses Dr Singh of presiding over one of the biggest corruption scandals in Indian history. The so-called "coalgate" scandal has cost Indian taxpayers more than $30 billion, and India's parliament has had to adjourn because of the uproar created by the issue.
• 
  

  And in China:

   

• 2012/08/22: Reuters: China to spend $372 billion on cutting energy use, pollution
  China will plough $372 billion into energy conservation projects and anti-pollution measures over the next three-and-a-half years, part of a drive to cut energy consumption by 300 million tonnes of standard coal, the country's cabinet said Tuesday.
• 
  

  Elsewhere in Asia:

   

• 2012/08/22: Grist: Paradise lost in Palau: Island nation fights back against climate change
  

  And South America:

• 2012/08/21: TreeHugger: A Landmark Ruling Against Agrochemicals in Argentina Receives Mixed Reactions
  

  In Canada, neocon PM Harper pushes petroleum while ignoring climate change:

• 2012/08/24: PostMedia: Enbridge has weight in halls of power -- Registry reveals pipeline lobbyists are working overtime in Ottawa
• 2012/08/26: TMoS: Will British Columbia be Harper's Waterloo?
• 2012/08/25: TMoS: Harper's War on British Columbia
• 2012/08/24: IPAC-CO2: Canadians Overwhelmingly Believe Climate Change Is Occurring
• 2012/08/22: PostMedia: Federal government grants licence for new nuclear reactors for first time in 30 years
  For the first time in 30 years, a preparatory federal licence has been issued for new nuclear reactors. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has formally issued a site-preparation licence allowing pre-construction activities for up to four proposed nuclear reactors on land adjacent to Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) existing four-reactor Darlington nuclear generation station, near Bowmanville, east of Toronto. The move comes as Ontario's reliance on nuclear power last year hit a record level, supplying 56.9 per cent of the province's energy needs, according to the Independent Electricity System Operator
• 2012/08/20: TheCanadian: Former DFO Manager, Minister: Harper 'Disembowelled' Science Budget for Enbridge Review
• 2012/08/20: NorRe: What Science?
• 2012/08/19: CBC: Northern Gateway review hobbled by budget cuts, critics say -- Fisheries department unable to do complete assessment
  Critics of Enbridge's proposed Northern Gateway pipeline from the Alberta oilsands to tankers on the British Columbia coast say there is no time for the science to be completed before a federal deadline for the environmental assessment currently underway. Documents filed with the National Energy Board show the environmental review panel studying the Northern Gateway project asked Fisheries and Oceans Canada for risk assessments for the bodies of water the proposed pipeline will cross. The pipeline is to traverse nearly 1,000 streams and rivers in the upper Fraser, Skeena and Kitimat watersheds. The department didn't have them.
• 
  

  More Bill C-38 goodies:

   

• 2012/08/22: PostMedia: Feds walk away from environmental assessments on almost 500 projects in B.C.
  Stephen Harper's Conservative government has washed its hands of environmental assessments of nearly 500 projects in B.C. as a result of a revised Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The 492 wide-ranging projects include gravel extraction on the lower Fraser River, run-of-river hydro projects and wind farms, bridge construction as well as demolition of the old Port Mann Bridge, shellfish aquaculture operations, hazardous-waste facilities and liquid-waste disposal. Ottawa is also walking away from conducting assessments on various agricultural and municipal drainage works, log-handling facilities, small-craft harbour and marina development and expansion, the sinking of ex-warships as artificial reefs, the disposal of dredged material, and a 73-hectare mixed-use development on Tsawwassen First Nation lands. Under the new legislation, BC Hydro also no longer requires a federal assessment for replacement of its John Hart Generating Station near Campbell River on Vancouver Island because the project won't increase the generating capacity by more than 50 per cent or 200 megawatts. No provincial assessment applies, either.
• 2012/08/23: PostMedia: Major local development projects no longer require federal environmental assessments
  Dozens of development projects in the city no longer require federal environmental assessments after the Conservative government's budget legislation led to nearly 3,000 screenings into potential environmental damage being cancelled across Canada, according to published records. Most affected projects in Ottawa include municipal works and others by federal bodies such as the National Capital Commission, National Defence and Public Works, according to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency's new online database that is still undergoing some revisions, additions and corrections.
• 2012/08/21: NatureN: Test lakes face closure -- Slashed funding threatens Canada's unique freshwater study site
  

  Harper and co. took their annual tour of the North this week:

• 2012/08/25: MSimon: Stephen Harper and the Con Army
  I see that Stephen Harper's Great Con Clown Tour of the Arctic, has ended with another phony photo-op.
• 2012/08/24: CTV: Canada's secret military task force unveiled
  [...] Members of Joint Task Force 2 ... participated in a complex simulation exercise in Hudson Bay and Churchill, Man., in front of cameras for the first time, as Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Defence Minister Peter MacKay looked on.
• 2012/08/24: CBC: Arctic military exercise targets human-smuggling 'ecotourists'
  Prime Minister Stephen Harper observed a military training operation in Hudson Bay today for a scenario involving Canadian Forces intercepting an ecotourism boat carrying migrants who are attempting to enter Canada illegally.
• 2012/08/24: NatureNB: Canadian High Arctic Research Station moves forward
• 2012/08/24: CBC: Franklin search about politics as well as history -- Arctic sovereignty among reasons for quest to find lost ships
• 2012/08/23: CBC: 'Science and sovereignty' key to new Arctic research centre
• 2012/08/22: CBC: Harper leaves room for mining near North's new national park
• 2012/08/21: Impolitical: On great national dreams
• 2012/08/21: CBC: Harper's northern tour continues at Yukon mine
• 2012/08/20: G&M: On northern sovereignty, Harper should keep building momentum - but toward attainable goals
  It is easy to be skeptical about Prime Minister Stephen Harper's annual jaunts to the Arctic, the latest of which he has embarked upon this week. For all the photo opportunities in front of spectacular backdrops, and northern-sovereignty rhetoric that fits neatly into the Conservatives' political brand, little progress has been made toward many of the commitments that Mr. Harper has announced during them...
• 
  

  While Harper was touring the North he was inadvertently outed as a cannibal (sic):

   

• 2012/08/22: CBC:IPB: Peter Kent succumbs to Harper flesh-eating disease
  It's a pretty big deal for any member of the Conservative backbench to have the prime minister in town. The locals come out to see him. It can generate a lot of partisan momentum. So maybe Yukon Tory Ryan Leef was just a little over-excited when he got a little tongue-tied during his introduction for Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Carcross, Yukon on Monday night. Leef's stump speech stumbled as he introduced Harper as the "prime minister of cannibal."
• 2012/08/22: MSimon: Stephen Harper and the Cannibal Country
• 2012/08/24: MSimon: Stephen Harper and the Cannibal Club (continued)
  

  The CNOOC bid for Nexen is percolating in the background:

• 2012/08/22: CBC: Paradis says no CNOOC offer tabled yet
• 2012/08/21: CBC: CNOOC cuts dividend to save cash for Nexen takeover
• 2012/08/20: CBC: China's Nexen buy is Canada's elephant in the oil patch
• 2012/08/20: BBerg: Nexen Shows No Confidence Yet in Harper Assent
  

  The battle over the Northern Gateway pipeline rages on:

• 2012/08/22: WpgFP: Mr. Harper's science problem
  Prime Minister Stephen Harper's setting of a Dec. 31, 2013 deadline for completion of the environmental review of the Northern Gateway project now is looking somewhat hasty. Mr. Harper is keen to get the review and approval process going, but his commitment to a hard and fast deadline seems out of step with the pace at which his own fisheries department can supply evidence that review will need. Canadians need to know this project gets the scrutiny it deserves.
• 2012/08/24: CBC: Enbridge lobbying of Harper government a 'success story'
  Campaign for Northern Gateway pipeline proposal so far more effective federally than in B.C.
• 2012/08/23: PostMedia: B.C. bikers ride proposed Enbridge pipeline path
  Debate has raged for more than a year over whether Enbridge should build the Northern Gateway pipeline to carry raw bitumen from Alberta to the West Coast. But while riding their motorcycles along the proposed pipeline route this week, Paul Fletcher and Daniel Sikorskyi found most people they talked to have either never heard of Northern Gateway, or don't know anything about it.
• 2012/08/23: Abacus: Support for Northern Gateway Drops; Canadians Not Convinced Alberta Oil Sands Benefits Everyone [polls & t sands]
• 2012/08/24: BCLSB: The ROC [Rest of Canada] Stands With B.C.
• 2012/08/24: iPolitics: Mulcair's pipeline comments align with public opinion, suggests survey
• 2012/08/20: Tyee: Memo to Enbridge: Special Effects Don't Erase Risks
  The pipeline company's promo video lowers peaks, vanishes islands in selling its project to the public.
• 2012/08/25: TheCanadian: The Dilbit Silence
• 2012/08/20: 350orBust: Enbridge's Keystone Kops Routine Extends To PR Campaign
• 2012/08/20: TheCanadian: Gordon Gibson, David Black, and the Fraser Institute got it wrong
• 2012/08/20: Far-n-Wide: I Fear Enbridge
• 2012/08/20: WMTC: informed citizens vs. enbridge: misleading pipeline ads must go
• 2012/08/20: G&M: Kitimat refinery would be a game-changer
  In a startling development, the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline idea has been resurrected. Until Friday, the smart money was calling this line doomed by overwhelming political forces. Its chances must now be at least 50-50.
• 2012/08/19: PostMedia: 'This is not an Enbridge animation' shows reality of Northern Gateway route (with video)
  A Vancouver filmmaker has created an online response to the controversy over an animated video created by Enbridge that excludes about 1,000 square kilometres of islands from the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline and tanker route. Dave Shortt's video is called "This is not an Enbridge animation" and collects footage of the area along the proposed route for the proposed pipeline.
• 
  

  More on the Wheat Board:

   

• 2012/08/22: PostMedia: Ritz misses target in response to criticism
  

  The ISA/PRV/IHN/Alpha virus in Canadian waters is potentially disastrous:

• 2012/08/22: AlexandraMorton: Virus trackers
• 2012/08/16: CBC: B.C. sockeye salmon fishery likely closed again
• 2012/08/16: TheCanadian: Commercial, Recreational Sockeye Fisheries Likely Closed for 2012
  

  In BC, the stage is set. Now what will Clark and Dix do?

• 2012/08/23: TheCanadian: Dix committed to revoking Equivalency Agreement
• 2012/08/22: Tyee: MLAs Blow Chance to Help Us See BC's Next Forest Industry
  Here's what's missing from the Timber Supply Committee report on life after the pine beetle.
• 2012/08/23: Tyee: The Timber Report Is in, What Will BC Libs Do?
  Special committee shows decade's policies failed forest communities says BCFed's Sinclair.
• 2012/08/21: PI:B: The Better Future Fund: supporting solutions with B.C.'s carbon tax
• 2012/08/23: TheCanadian: LNG, Fracking and Site C Dam: BC's Looming Energy Boondoggle
• 2012/08/20: PostMedia: MLAs aren't facing the truth: B.C. forests are tapped out
  

  Meanwhile in that Mechanical Mordor known as the tar sands:

• 2012/08/22: PI: Pembina Reacts to tabling of the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan
• 2012/08/22: PI: [link to 416k pdf] Lower Athabasca Regional Plan (LARP) performance backgrounder
• 2012/08/20: PostMedia: Environment department urges minister to avoid distractions and regulate polluters
  Environment Minister Peter Kent is being urged by his department to avoid distractions and focus on "essential" regulations for oilsands companies and other large polluters, a newly released internal memorandum has revealed. Kent received the memo after a widely-circulated scientific commentary downplayed the global warming footprint of oilsands production. The memo warned him that the commentary was misinterpreted in the media and becoming a "distraction" from efforts to reduce heat-trapping greenhouse gases in Canada.
• 
  

  Also in Alberta:

   

• 2012/08/23: BCLSB: Thar She Blos...Again! Another Alberta pipeline springs a leak
• 2012/08/22: Tyee: Rolf Wiborg's Tough Love for Canada
  A top petro engineer for wealthy Norway says Canada is 'a fantastic country' that's 'totally mismanaged by design.'
• 2012/08/21: SCC: Where are the Red Deer River Oil Spill Updates?
• 2012/08/20: TheCanadian: National Energy Strategy a Deception of EPIC Proportions, Designed to Fleece Canadians
  

  While in Saskatchewan:

• 2012/08/22: CBC: Jansen potash mine not on hold, BHP says
  A spokesman for BHP Billiton said Wednesday that development of a $12 billion US potash mine in Saskatchewan has not been put on hold, despite the firm's announcement it was shelving $68 billion in new project approvals. CEO Marius Kloppers said with $22.8 billion committed to capital projects, no new approvals are expected in 2013. Spokesman Bronwyn Wilkinson told CBC News there's still enough funding -- $1.2 billion -- committed to Jansen to continue with development work "through this year."
• 
  

  And in la Belle Province:

   

• 2012/08/20: CBC: Scientist calls for stop to aboriginal George River caribou hunt
  

  In the Maritimes:

• 2012/08/21: CBC: Complaints build against N.S. oilsands employment company
  

  In the North:

• 2012/08/23: CBC: China invests millions in Yukon oil and gas
  Northern Cross now partly owned by [CNOOC] China National Offshore Oil Company
• 2012/08/23: CBC: Arctic tourism heating up as Northwest Passage melts
  

  The movement toward a long term ecologically viable economics is glacial:

• 2012/08/20: CCurrents: The Year 2002: The End of "Enough"
  

  What do we tell the children?

• 2012/08/23: TDC: Essay: Telling my children about climate change
• 2012/08/23: P3: What To Tell The Kids
• 2012/08/24: Grist: Looking for kids' books? Avoid this Monsanto propaganda
  

  IPAT [Impact = Population * Affluence * Technology] raised its head once again. See also, and also:

• 2012/08/23: Guardian(UK): South Korea upholds abortion ban
  

  Apocalypso anyone?

• 2012/08/23: CCommentary: Matt Ridley says we are apocalypse junkies
• 2012/08/22: TreeHugger: Wired Magazine [Matt Ridley] Tells Us "Don't Worry, Be Happy" About Climate, Population, Resources, Pandemics
• 2012/08/17: WiredSci: Apocalypse Not: Here's Why You Shouldn't Worry About End Times
• 2012/08/20: RenewEcon: Welcome to Dystopia: the dangerous food and energy crises
• 2012/08/25: PeakEnergy: Welcome to Dystopia: the dangerous food and energy crises
• 2012/08/19: TCoE: Nowhere to hide from ourselves
  

  How do the media measure up?

• 2012/08/24: FAIR: Pointing Out How the Magician Does His Tricks Would Just Be Rude
• 2012/08/24: WtD: News Ltd, you're a disgrace: Bolt claims PM is "playing the sexism" card
• 2012/08/24: KSJT: Polar Opposites, same sorta story: Arctic Ice Pack's near a record low, the Ice Cap (and parts of its pack) of Antarctic Peninsula too. Some stories cool, others just not so hot.
• 2012/08/23: FAIR: Missing From LAT Report on Romney's Energy Plan: Journalism
• 2012/08/21: CJR: Candidates clam up on climate -- Reporters call out Obama and Romney's silence
• 2012/08/23: CJR: CBS goofs up the green beat -- Network fails to disclose M. Sanjayan's affiliation and ties to source
• 2012/08/22: BackReaction: How do science blogs change the face of science?
• 2012/08/22: NBF: Guardian Analysis of Nuclear Power has the Typical Bias
• 2012/08/21: P3: Three Kinds of Wrong
• 2012/08/21: CBC: Postmedia launches metered paywalls at 4 papers
• 2012/08/20: EconoSpeak: George Will Makes Fool Of Self While Beating Dead Apocalypse Horse
  In this Sunday's Washington Post, George Will excoriates the 1972 book, Limits to Growth (LtG)...
• 
  

  Here is something for your library:

   

• 2012/08/22: BNC: Two books on sustainable nuclear energy
• 2012/08/22: SciAm:TB: [Book Review] _Is American Science in Decline?_ by Xu Xie & Alexandra A. Killewald
• 2012/08/20: RealClimate: [Book Review] _Language Intelligence: Lessons on persuasion from Jesus, Shakespeare, Lincoln, and Lady Gaga_ by Joseph J Romm
  

  And for your film & video enjoyment:

• 2012/08/24: ERabett:BSD: Rommin Rommin Rommin
• 2012/08/24: P3: NASA on Sea Ice
• 2012/08/22: P3: James Hansen on extremes
• 2012/08/21: BPA: Are Big American Agribusinesses too Dominant?
• 2012/08/21: VanObs: Tar sands videos greatest hits
  

  Meanwhile among the 'Sue the Bastards!' contingent:

• 2012/08/24: Tennessean: TVA held responsible for 2008 coal ash spill at Kingston plant
• 2012/08/22: BBC: Argentina convicts two over illegal agrochemicals use
• 2012/08/21: TP:JR: U.S. Appeals Court Strikes Down Public Health Safeguards That Would Have Saved 34,000 Premature Deaths Each Year
  

  Wrestling over a new energy infrastructure continues unabated:

• 2012/08/23: TreeHugger: Feds Grant Ocean Power Technologies Permit to Build First Commercial Wave Farm in U.S.
• 2012/08/24: AStar: IBN Develops Superior Fuel Cell Material [gold, copper and platinum nanoparticles]
• 2012/08/23: Eureka: Scientists produce H2 for fuel cells using an inexpensive [cobalt based] catalyst under real-world conditions
• 2012/08/25: PeakEnergy: Scotland to Build World's First Community-Owned Tidal Turbine
• 2012/08/25: NBF: Recent Coal and Oil Related Deaths
• 2012/08/23: CCurrents: Video: "The Big Blackout: Debunking The Myths of Power Privatisation"
• 2012/08/22: TP:JR: Creating A Truly Level Playing Field: Putting Renewables Subsidies In Context
• 2012/08/21: PlanetArk: Developers plan private tidal power project for UK's Severn
• 2012/08/20: STimes: Oregon wave power project gets federal permit
  Wave power developers planning a project off the Oregon Coast now have the nation's only federal permit to develop a commercial wave power park.
• 
  

  What do we have in energy transitions?

   

• 2012/08/21: TP:JR: EIA: 'Natural Gas, Renewables Dominate Electric Capacity Additions In First Half Of 2012?
  

  Hey! Let's contaminate the aquifer for thousands of years! It'll be a fracking gas!

• 2012/08/22: DeSmogBlog: Hundreds of Concerned Citizens Protest Governor Andrew Cuomo's Plans To Frack New York
• 2012/08/24: ABC(Au): Victoria announces fracking moratorium
  The State Government has announced a ban on any further approvals on fracking in new coal seam gas exploration wells.
• 2012/08/25: PeakEnergy: Santos produces first shale gas in Australia
• 2012/08/03: AlaskaCafe: Gov. Sean Parnell: Mayhem Like Me
  Report from Great Bear Petroleum's July 31st, 2012 "fracking technology" seminar
• 2012/08/22: OilChange: Oz Gas Industry Failing to Live up to Hype
• 2012/08/08: DOE:EIA: How old are U.S. power plants?
• 2012/08/16: BoulderWeekly: Fracking and academic freedom -- Fired researcher paints pattern of pressure from oil and gas industry
  A former researcher who says he left the Colorado School of Mines due to pressure from the oil and gas industry has now lost his university job in Wyoming after an industry association complained to his superiors about comments he made about fracking. It appears to be one of several examples of faculty around the country experiencing blowback from the powerful oil and gas industry after releasing research exposing the possible health hazards associated with hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and other extraction processes.
• 2012/08/16: PruningShears: Fighting fracking: introverts edition
• 2012/08/17: Yahoo:TakePart: Fracking Fallout in Ohio: 'Throwing Up Until the Blood Vessels in My Eyes Burst'
  

  On the coal front:

• 2012/08/23: DeSmogBlog: Conquering Coal - A Tale of One City's Fight
  

  On the gas and oil front:

• 2012/08/24: BBerg: Closing oil prices Friday
  OIL (US$/bbl)
  Nymex Crude Future...96.15
  Dated Brent Spot....115.14
  WTI Cushing Spot.....95.85
• 2012/08/23: NBF: Global Oil & Gas Capital Expenditure Breaks $1 Trillion Level
• 2012/08/25: al Jazeera: Deadly explosion at Venezuela oil refinery
  At least 24 people killed, 50 more wounded, when enormous gas cloud ignites at massive refinery.
• 2012/08/24: UCSUSA:B: Another Price of Oil
• 2012/08/26: OilDrum: Tech Talk - China's Offshore Oil
• 2012/08/21: OilDrum: Don't Count on Revolution in Oil Supply
• 2012/08/20: EaslyWarning: Trend in Global Crude and Condensate Production
• 2012/08/20: OilChange: Shell's Blood Money Exposed [Nigeria]
• 2012/08/19: SST: Huge Mediiterranean oil and gas deposits
• 2012/08/19: Guardian(UK): Shell spending millions of dollars [$383m over 3 years] on security in Nigeria, leaked data shows
  

  And in pipeline news:

• 2012/08/21: Tyee: How TransCanada Provoked a Texas Rebellion
  Despite state's pro-oil culture, 'foreign' plans to pipe bitumen sparked a surprising rural revolt.
• 2012/08/23: Tyee: Canada's National Energy Board Slammed for Kalamazoo Spill
  Critics say tighter oversight of Enbridge activities could have prevented disaster.
• 2012/08/22: P3: What's in that pipe?
• 2012/08/21: QuarkSoup: Pipeline Operators Aren't Required to Tell Them
  

  Yes we have a peak oil sighting:

• 2012/08/24: EnergyBulletin: Peak oil denial: another curious contribution
• 2012/08/20: NewScientist: We're still on the slippery slope to peak oil
  

  Biofuel bickering abounds:

• 2012/08/24: PlanetArk: Cargill says to open Brazil biodiesel plant this month
• 2012/08/20: CER:RRapier: Why Sugarcane Bagasse is the Most Promising Pathway for Cellulosic Ethanol
• 2012/08/22: Eureka: Biorefinery makes use of every bit of a soybean
• 2012/08/21: EurActiv: Biofuels fail EU sustainability test, researchers say
  The growing row over biofuels is ready to flare up again with German researchers claiming to have found evidence that European-produced biodiesel does not meet the sustainability targets claimed by Brussels. Two experts at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena say eight out of their 10 tests on locally produced rapeseed biodiesel failed to show the 35% greenhouse gas savings promised. In most cases it was under 30%. The use of biofuels would be further undermined when the EU emissions target increases, as planned, to 50% in five years' time.
• 2012/08/20: CBC: Canadian researchers look to improve biofuel production
• 2012/08/20: Eureka: Fueling the future with renewable gasoline and diesel
  A new process for converting municipal waste, algae, corn stalks and similar material to gasoline, diesel and jet fuel is showing the same promise in larger plants as it did in laboratory-scale devices...
• 
  

  The answer my friend...:

   

• 2012/08/22: BBerg: Vestas Apes Rolls-Royce to Salvage Wind Turbine Profit
• 2012/08/23: TreeHugger: New Wind Power System Claims 70% Increase in Wind Speeds, Triple the Power Output
• 2012/08/22: BBC: Vestas wind turbine firm to cut another 1,400 jobs
  Danish wind turbine firm Vestas has announced plans to cut another 1,400 jobs as it prepares for a drop in business next year as demand slows. The company cut its forecasts for the shipments of turbines this year, and said 2013 would be "even tougher".
• 
  

  Meanwhile among the solar aficionados:

   

• 2012/08/22: TreeHugger: Solar Pocket Factory Aims to Make Small-Scale Solar Better, Cheaper and Accessible to Everyone
• 2012/08/23: BBerg: First Solar to Build India Farms as Outages Propel Sun Power
• 2012/08/25: TP:JR: Why Community Solar Matters: Colorado's Program Allots Nine Megawatts In 30 Minutes
• 2012/08/21: Eureka: New solar panels made with more common metals could be cheaper and more sustainable
• 2012/08/20: ABC(Au): Solar electricity on the rise
  

  The nuclear energy controversy continues:

• 2012/08/22: CSM: Scientists could soon begin extracting nuclear fuel from seawater
• 2012/08/22: BBC: Uranium from seawater idea boosted with shrimp shells
• 2012/08/24: NBF: Big Uranium Deposits in Sweden
• 2012/08/23: NBF: Uranium from seawater idea boosted with shrimp shells
• 2012/08/25: NBF: Holtec targets making 1000 Modular reactors, Each 140 Megawatts at $800 million
• 2012/08/24: NBF: Abstracts from the Extracting Uranium from Seawater Conference
• 2012/08/21: EneNews: Nuclear Chief: Belgium reactor could have '1,000s of cracks' - Same as used at U.S. plants - Suggests permanent closure all but certain
• 2012/08/21: LA Times: Washington state: Possible radioactive leak at Hanford tank farm
• 2012/08/21: CCurrents: Warm Seawater Forces Connecticut Nuclear Plant Shutdown
• 2012/08/21: PlanetArk: Seismic study near California nuclear plant wins key approval
  A plan to fire powerful sonar devices and map seismic fault lines off California's central coast near a nuclear power plant received key approval on Monday from state officials despite concerns about its impact on marine life.
• 2012/08/20: Guardian(UK): Does the world need nuclear power to solve the climate crisis?
• 2012/08/20: ABC(Au): Hiroshima's ongoing thyroid cancer legacy
  Hiroshima's legacy People who survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as children continue to have a higher-than-normal risk of thyroid cancer more than 50 years after radiation exposure, according to a US study.
• 2012/08/17: BillingsGazette: BLM issues environmental review of Wyoming uranium mine
  The Bureau of Land Management on Friday released its final environmental analysis to allow uranium mining in a remote area of southwest Wyoming, leaving the project one more regulatory step before mining can begin.
  [...]
  UR-Energy plans to use a process called in-situ mining in which a chemical solution is injected into underground uranium formations to yield a uranium-bearing solution that is pumped to the surface through hundreds of wells. UR-Energy then would dry the solution into solid yellowcake.
• 
  

  Nuclear waste storage requires _very_ long term thinking:

   

• 2012/08/21: ABC(Au): Red Centre protest against nuclear waste plans
• 2012/08/21: CrossCut: Hanford's 'safe' storage tanks: Leaking again?
  A 3-foot piece of highly radioactive gunk may or may not have just leaked out of Hanford's supposedly solid, double-walled storage tanks.
• 
  

  More people are talking about the electrical grid:

   

• 2012/08/22: TP:JR: India: Forget The Centralized Grid, Community Power Is Here
• 2012/08/20: Eureka: As smart electric grid evolves, Virginia Tech engineers show how to include solar technologies
  

  And then there is the matter of efficiency & conservation:

• 2012/08/23: EurActiv: Industry warns of 'fragmented' Europe on energy efficiency
  As the European Commission awaits member states' national implementation plans on the recently agreed Energy Efficiency Directive, industry players warn about the importance of creating consistent and uniform standards across Europe.
• 
  

  Automakers & lawyers, engineers & activists argue over the future of the car:

   

• 2012/08/23: TreeHugger: 99.5% Of Iceland's Non-Transportation Energy Comes From Renewable Sources, But Nobody Wants Electric Cars
• 2012/08/24: AutoBG: California Central Valley plug-in vehicle credits total $13,000
• 2012/08/23: AutoBG: Survey says? California plug-in drivers like solar, love their cars
• 2012/08/22: SciAm:Obs: U.S. Battery Maker Says China May Lead the World in Electric Vehicles
  

  This week in the Gee Whiz File:

• 2012/08/15: FCNP: The Peak Oil Crisis: Another Disruptive Technology? The Papp engine
  

  As for Energy Storage:

• 2012/08/23: AutoBG: Ultimate fast charging tech could refill li-ion battery in a minute
• 2012/08/23: AutoBG: Chinese company's stake in A123 puts U.S. trade secrets at risk, execs say
• 2012/08/22: EnergyBulletin: Battery performance deficit disorder by Tom Murphy
• 2012/08/22: JQuiggin: How to solve the solar storage problem
• 2012/08/20: NBF: Korean Scientists develop lithium-ion battery that charges 120 times faster than normal
  

  Joe Romm posts a daily list of top energy and climate stories:

• 2012/08/24: TP:JR: August 24 News...
• 2012/08/23: TP:JR: August 23 News...
• 2012/08/22: TP:JR: August 22 News...
• 2012/08/21: TP:JR: August 21 News...
• 2012/08/20: TP:JR: August 20 News...
  

  Other (weekly) lists:

• 2012/08/23: BPA: Agriculture News
• 2012/08/22: QuarkSoup: Stuff I Found Here and There
  

  The carbon lobby are up to the usual:

• 2012/08/23: WtD: As the world yawns: Watts up with that? begins cherry picking some FOI documents in latest chumming incident
• 2012/08/23: AGWObserver: Climate skeptic claims prebunked by Keeling
• 2012/08/22: al Jazeera: Disputing the science of conservative anti-science
  Liberals and conservatives may have similar biases in some respects as one researcher claims, but there are differences.
• 2012/08/23: WtD: Conspiracism and climate scepticism: empirical research confrims what we all know (and some predictions)
• 2012/08/23: P3: Motivated Rejection of Science
• 2012/08/25: WtD: Monckton questions Obama's status as President: states there is enough to cast doubt on POTUS place of birth
• 2012/08/24: P3: Fossil Fuel Related Funders of Influential Texas 501(c)(3) Revealed in Leak
• 2012/08/24: P3: Denialist Push, Now, With Outright Falsehoods!
• 2012/08/24: P3: Incredibilism
• 2012/08/22: Bundanga: My violent objection...
• 2012/08/21: TP:JR: Fossil Fuel Magnate Bill Koch Seeks Public Lands To Shelter His 'Private Old West Marvel'
• 2012/08/26: Tamino: WUWT Follies
• 2012/08/25: P3: The 50mm 'trick'
• 2012/08/22: Rabble:DS: Climate change deniers are almost extinct
• 2012/08/22: WtD: Our house is in order (part 2): the art of repudiation is a powerful thing
• 2012/08/21: WtD: Our house is in order: reframe the debate guys, don't make a mountain out of mole dung
• 2000//: Whale: Twenty-Five Ways To Suppress Truth: The Rules of Disinformation (Includes The 8 Traits of A Disinformationalist) by H. Michael Sweeney
  

  Meanwhile in the 'clean coal' saga:

• 2012/08/24: USA Today: TVA held responsible for massive coal ash spill
  The Tennessee Valley Authority was responsible for a coal ash spill outside Knoxville that federal officials say is one of the worst environmental disasters of its kind, according to a U.S. District Court order issued Thursday. Had the federal agency acted appropriately, the underlying failure of the north dike "would have been investigated, addressed, and potentially remedied before the catastrophic failure," said U.S. District Judge Thomas Varlan of the Eastern District of Tennessee. The authority repeatedly sought to have the case dismissed.
• 
  

  As for climate miscellanea:

   

• 2012/08/23: Tamino: Risk
• 2012/08/21: Straight: David Suzuki: Climate change deniers are almost extinct
• 2012/08/22: Guardian(UK): Invasive species provide important lessons for surviving climate change
• 2012/08/23: P3: Help P3 Find the Climate SOS Gems
• 2012/08/23: DeSmogBlog: Daily Kos Climate Change SOS Blogathon Features Wide Range of Climate Hawk Voices
• 2012/08/25: TP:JR: Why Climate Action Won't Be Like Civil Rights
• 2012/08/21: P3: You Have It Backwards
• 2012/08/26: P3: Quote of the day - Michael Tobis
• 2012/08/21: Grist: Hey, weather man: Where's the climate coverage?
• 2012/08/22: Tamino: Is Climate Really Changing?
• 2012/08/21: Guardian(UK): If we are to cope with climate change we need a new moral order
• 2012/08/21: QuarkSoup: Bringing the US Kaya Factors Up-to-Date
• 2012/08/20: P3: Top Ten Things Aunt Sally Doesn't Know About Climate and Greenhouse Gases
• 2012/08/20: SciAm:UP: The downside of politicians talking about science
• 2012/08/21: TreeHugger: LA's Pollution from Car Exhaust is Down 98% from the 60s
• 2012/08/19: TheCanadian: Carbon Costs
  

  And here are a couple of sites you may find interesting and/or useful:

• Carbon Brief
• HeidelbergU: Final Symposium - Climate Engineering - 27-28 Sept. 2012
• GCF: Green Climate Fund
• IPAC-CO2: International Performance Assessment Centre for Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide
• Geology Pre-Issue Publications
• Renew Economy - News and analysis for the clean energy economy
• The 'Ride The Pipe' Project
• IAGP: Integrated Assessment of Geoengineering Proposals
• Wiki: Kaya identity
• Australian Climate Commission
• JODI: Joint Organisations Data Initiative
• MDPI: MDPI - Open Access Publishing
• CASSE: Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy
• Wiki: Carl Linnaeus
• Wiki: (1.72 meg animated gif) Tectonic Reconstruction
• Wiki: Geologic time scale
• EoL: Encyclopedia of Life

Low Key Plug

My first novel Water was published in Canada May, 2007. The American release was in October. An Introductionto the novel is available, along with the Unpublished Forewordand the Launch Talk(which includes some quotations), An overview of my writing is available here.

<regards>

-het

P.S. Recent postings can be found in the week archive and the ancient postings can be accessed here, which should open to this.

I notice moyhu has set up a monster index to old AWoGWN on AFTIC.

"We are far more concerned about the desecration of the flag than we are about the desecration of our land." -Wendell Berry

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