Monthly Archives: July 2011

R.I.P. John Marburger, Bush White House science adviser

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Rick Piltz

The Washington Post reports: “John H. ‘Jack’ Marburger, 70, a former college president who endured strident criticism from his fellow scientists as the chief science adviser to President George W. Bush, died July 28 at his home in Port Jefferson, … Continue reading →

Posted in Science-Policy Interaction | 3 Comments

Sentencing transcript shows U.S. Justice Dept.’s vindictive effort to penalize NSA whistleblower Tom Drake for Ridenhour Truth-Telling Prize

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Rick Piltz

A transcript of the sentencing hearing in the case of National Security Agency whistleblower and public servant Thomas Drake, following the complete collapse of the government’s 10-count felony case against him, shows the Justice Department prosecutor calling for Drake to … Continue reading →

Posted in Obama Administration, Whistleblowers | 1 Comment

Annals of the Republican war on EPA regulation of coal, cont'd...

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Katherine O'Konski

At a July 26 House Oversight subcommittee hearing, power industry representatives battled EPA and public health interests on the necessity for new pollution controls on coal-burning power plants.  The hearing echoed one on mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia held by … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress: Legislation and Oversight | 1 Comment

Environmental hero Tim DeChristopher sentenced to 2 years in prison for creative nonviolent disruption of oil lease auction; Justice Department once again on the wrong side of justice

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Rick Piltz

Government prosecutors, seeking to intimidate future civil disobedience protesters, sought a significant prison term for Tim DeChristopher for his heroic fake-bid action to interfere with an illegitimate 2008 Bush administration auction of oil leases near Arches and Canyonlands national parks. "I … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism | 3 Comments

Report to President calls for assessment of US ecosystem services and sustainability trends

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Rick Piltz

“As we undergo climate change, it’s going to be very difficult to understand the specific effects if we don’t know what the baseline is,” says a co-chair of a new report by the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and … Continue reading →

Posted in Obama Administration | Leave a comment

House blocks another attempt to re-establish the Office of Technology Assessment

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Climate Science Watch

Climate Science Watch joined 11 other scientific, environmental, transparency, public health, and public interest groups in supporting an amendment to the legislative branch appropriations bill that would have provided $2.5 million to re-establish the congressional Office of Technology Assessment.  The amendment, … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Science Watch, Congress: Legislation and Oversight | 1 Comment

Dangerously Unprepared: Congressional Budget Cuts are Leaving Americans Vulnerable to Climate Extremes

Posted on July 22, 2011 by Nick Sundt

In 2011, the U.S. has been hammered by climate extremes, with economic damages by mid-June approaching a record $32 billion. Yet determined Congressional opponents of federal climate change efforts are doggedly impeding Federal activities to inform and engage the public … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change Preparedness, Congress: Legislation and Oversight, Global Warming Denial Machine | Leave a comment

Did Murdoch’s News Corp hack the East Anglia CRU climate scientist e-mails?

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Rick Piltz

Climatic Research Unit building, University of East Anglia Climate Science Watch supports the call for an independent investigation into the stolen climate scientist e-mails at the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit. As Joe Romm at Climate Progress wrote on … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming Denial Machine | 2 Comments

EPA review of mountaintop removal permits is not a job-killing 'permitorium': pushing back at a House Oversight hearing

Posted on July 20, 2011 by Climate Science Watch

EPA’s statutorily prescribed, affirmative duty under the Clean Water Act to protect the natural environment and the public health of citizens played second fiddle to the concerns of coal mining representatives at a July 14 House Oversight subcommittee hearing. "Mountaintop removal should be … Continue reading →

Posted in Congress: Legislation and Oversight | 1 Comment

State of the Climate report: Multiple climate indicators give an “unmistakable signal that there is warming from the top of the atmosphere to the bottom of the oceans”

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Climate Science Watch

In a Capitol Hill briefing on the recently released State of the Climate in 2010 report, Tom Karl, Director of NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, rebutted the skeptic argument that global warming has stopped. During the question and answer period, … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Climate Disruption and Impacts | 1 Comment