Monthly Archives: December 2010

Happy New Year …

Posted on December 31, 2010 by Rick Piltz

… and best wishes for 2011 to all our ‘unique visitors’ from around the world.  Something to help elevate above the banality of much of what passes for politics in Washington, D.C., and public discourse in the U.S. today:

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Text of John Holdren’s talk at the Stephen Schneider Memorial Celebration, December 12, 2010

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Climate Science Watch

John P. Holdren, President Obama’s Advisor for Science and Technology, spoke on “Climate Change Science and Sanity: Steve Schneider’s Extraordinary Contributions to Both” at a memorial celebration attended by hundreds of people on the campus of Stanford University. We were … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Science Communication | 1 Comment

Today’s war on climate scientists is worse than under the Bush Administration

Posted on December 27, 2010 by Rick Piltz

“The war on climate science and scientists that's going on now makes the Bush Administration look moderate,” we said to Science for their December 17 news article “Climatologists Feel the Heat As Science Meets Politics.”  Bush can’t be rehabilitated on … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming Denial Machine | 3 Comments

Polar bears: “threatened” or “endangered”?

Posted on December 26, 2010 by Rick Piltz

On December 22 the Obama administration reaffirmed a Bush-era decision that listed the polar bear as “threatened,” rather than the more protective “endangered,” under the Endangered Species Act.  The Department of the Interior says the polar bear does not qualify … Continue reading →

Posted in Science-Policy Interaction | 3 Comments

Senator kills vital whistleblower protection bill on last day of Congress via an anonymous ‘hold’

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Rick Piltz

A single Republican Senator, using the egregious parliamentary tactic of placing an anonymous ‘hold’ without having the integrity to offer a public justification, killed a major whistleblower protection bill that reform advocates have worked on for 12 years, and that had overwhelming … Continue reading →

Posted in Whistleblowers | Leave a comment

Corporate funding in public education – is anyone watching?

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Climate Science Watch

California’s new environmental education program, the Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI), is another victim of the state budget crisis.  Although the K-12 program was developed with state funding, the state is not providing further support.  In order to implement … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change Education and Communication | 4 Comments

Al Franken: “Grassroots supporters of net neutrality are beginning to wonder if we've been had” by Obama and FCC Chairman Genachowski

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Rick Piltz

“The good news is that the Federal Communications Commission has the power to issue regulations that protect net neutrality,” writes Sen. Al Franken. “The bad news is that draft regulations written by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski [are] worse than nothing” … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 1 Comment

Wikileaks reveals Dalai Lama told U.S. ambassador: Climate change now a more urgent focus for Tibet than politics

Posted on December 19, 2010 by Rick Piltz

A U.S. State Department cable released by Wikileaks shows U.S. Ambassador to India Tim Roemer reporting that, in an August 2009 meeting, the Dalai Lama “argued that the political agenda should be sidelined for five to ten years and the … Continue reading →

Posted in International Climate Policy | Leave a comment

Minerals Management Service rebuffed Congress on BP Atlantis and offshore drilling concerns before Gulf oil blowout

Posted on December 18, 2010 by Climate Science Watch

The New York Times reported on December 16 that the U.S. Minerals Management Service, which is charged with overseeing the safety of offshore drilling, was unresponsive to inquiries from members of Congress months before the BP Deepwater Horizon oil blowout, … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress: Legislation and Oversight, Obama Administration, Whistleblowers | Leave a comment

DC District Court of Appeals rejects bid to stay EPA GHG regulations

Posted on December 13, 2010 by Alexa Jay

On Friday, December 10, the DC District Court of Appeals rejected a bid by business groups, right-wing legal organizations, and the state of Texas to delay EPA greenhouse gas rules until legal challenges against the regulation are resolved.  EPA regulation … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Litigation | 1 Comment