Monthly Archives: March 2009

What do we need from the National Academy of Sciences “America’s Climate Choices” study?

Posted on March 29, 2009 by Rick Piltz

Hundreds of people are on their way to Washington to attend “The Summit on America’s Climate Choices” March 30-31 at the National Academy of Sciences.  The Summit kicks off a comprehensive two-year study requested by Congress “designed to inform and … Continue reading →

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Viscount Monckton of Brenchley, global warming denialist du jour on Capitol Hill

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Rick Piltz

The bizarre decision by some members of Congress to use Christopher Monckton as their expert science witness at recent hearings on climate change shows that politically-driven abuse of science is alive and well on Capitol Hill. For those who take … Continue reading →

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White House OMB should not be allowed to undermine EPA Clean Air Act regulation of greenhouse gases

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Rick Piltz

Now that EPA is moving toward regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, any inclination of Office of Management and Budget regulatory czar-in-waiting Cass Sunstein to block strong regulation by applying the useless cost-benefit analysis paradigm to dealing … Continue reading →

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Politicians, journalists, and readers: On thinking with scientific integrity about climate

Posted on March 22, 2009 by Rick Piltz

“Perhaps the only hope involves taking a stand for a breed of journalism and commentary that is…constrained by standards of evidence…that are similar to the canons of modern science itself,” says Chris Mooney in an excellent op-ed column (“Climate Change … Continue reading →

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Earth Hour on March 28 at 8:30 pm: Will the U.S. Government be Asleep at the Switch?

Posted on March 20, 2009 by Rick Piltz

In case you have not heard, Earth Hour is at 8:30 pm on Saturday 28 March.  Participants flick their light switches off for an hour in a coordinated and unified symbolic statement of concern for climate change and call for … Continue reading →

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John Holdren and Jane Lubchenco confirmed as OSTP Director and NOAA administrator

Posted on March 19, 2009 by Rick Piltz

Andy Revkin reports in the New York Times that, after weeks of delay in getting the President’s science team in place caused by the use of delaying tactics by certain unaccountable Senators, the Senate has finally confirmed John Holdren as … Continue reading →

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On the Obama scientific integrity directive

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Rick Piltz

President Obama’s March 9 “Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies” on Scientific Integrity calls for “transparency in the use of scientific information in policymaking.”  If the President and his science adviser John Holdren carry out that pledge, … Continue reading →

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“Whistleblower’s Revenge”

Posted on March 17, 2009 by Rick Piltz

“The gust of wind that surged through Washington D.C. earlier this month was not a warm front moving in,” writes William S. Becker, director of the Presidential Climate Action Project, in the March 15 Environmentalist (“Whistleblower’s Revenge”). “It was the … Continue reading →

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National Academy of Sciences releases a must-read report: Informing Decisions in a Changing Climate

Posted on March 13, 2009 by Rick Piltz

The National Research Council on March 12 released a report, Informing Decisions in a Changing Climate, that concludes we are “unprepared, both conceptually and practically” for climate change and that it is no longer valid to base decisions on the … Continue reading →

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CSW weighs in with NOAA advisory board on criteria for forming a National Climate Service

Posted on March 10, 2009 by Rick Piltz

Climate Science Watch is attending NOAA’s Science Advisory Board meetings this week to learn the results of a lengthy planning process for defining the agency’s role in helping communities better anticipate and plan for climate disruption by providing “climate services,” … Continue reading →

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