http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php Promoting integrity in the use of climate science and related research in government en climatewatch@comcast.net 2010-08-30T17:10:15+00:00 http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/cuccinelli-mann-subpoena-quashed/ An Albemarle County Circuit Court judge has set aside a subpoena issued by Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to the University of Virginia seeking documents related to the work of climate scientist and former university professor Michael Mann, the Washington Post has reported. Global Warming Denial Machine Rick Piltz 2010-08-30T16:10:15+00:00 http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/americas_climate_choices_adapting_to_the_impacts_of_climate_change_webinar/ This May, CSW attended the National Academy of Science’s (NAS) release of the first three reports from the America’s Climate Choices suite of studies:  Advancing the Science of Climate Change, Limiting the Magnitude of Future Climate Change, and Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change. Since then, the NAS has released a fourth report, Informing Effective Decisions and Actions Related to Climate Change,  and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has hosted webinars on three of the four reports. On August 23 we tuned into the the final UCS webinar, a discussion of the Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change report - a report focused largely on drawing our attention to the importance of adapting to irreversible climate change. Climate Change Preparedness Rick Piltz 2010-08-27T03:31:20+00:00 http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/international_research_group_works_to_analyze_weather_extremes_in_real_time/ The spate of extreme weather events worldwide this summer has raised the profile of a major issue in climate change science: how does global warming impact weather and climate extremes?  Increases in the frequency and severity of climate and weather extremes have been observed over the last fifty years, including droughts, heavy precipitation events, extreme temperatures, and intense tropical cyclone activity in the North Atlantic, and are projected to continue.  However, most atmospheric scientists will not claim a given extreme weather event as “proof” of human influence on the climate based on the current evidence, and research continues on the complexities of attributing climate change to human activities versus natural climate variability.  A new international research initiative will seek to elevate the priority and visibility of attribution activities, and create a “research activity and a framework for an ‘operational’ activity, that sets forth a goal of providing a lot more concrete information in near real time about what has happened and why in weather and climate.” Global Climate Disruption Rick Piltz 2010-08-26T19:44:43+00:00 http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/u.s._chamber_of_commerce_again_challenges_legality_of_epa_greenhouse_gas_re/ On August 13, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a petition for judicial review to challenge the legality of the EPA’s decision not to reconsider its determination that greenhouse gases pose a threat to human health and welfare and are to be regulated under the Clean Air Act.  While claiming that the lawsuit “does not address the science of climate change,” the Chamber has a history of questioning climate science to fight off regulation, including the assertion that warming of even 3 degrees Celsius over the next century would be “beneficial to humans” and a call to put “the science of climate change on trial.” Global Warming Denial Machine Rick Piltz 2010-08-25T15:39:21+00:00 http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/ehrlich-on-schneider/ In a fine remembrance of his friend Stephen Schneider, Paul Ehrlich notes how he and Schneider “had many discussions of the responsibilities of ‘public scientists.’” They agreed: “Being a scientist does not relieve one of the obligations of a citizen to speak out,” Ehrlich says. “In my experience, no scientist felt that obligation more strongly, or showed more dedication and courage in meeting it, than Steve Schneider.” Science-Policy Interaction Rick Piltz 2010-08-23T21:38:44+00:00 http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/clinton_pakistan_flooding_climate_change/ U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in an interview on Pakistan TV, said “there is a linkage” between the recent spate of deadly natural disasters and climate change… “We are changing the climate of the world.” Notwithstanding the scientific complexities of attribution of patterns of meterological events to ongoing global climatic disruption, and how this relationship can be most appropriately framed in public communication, this is an interesting high-level Obama Administration statement.  To what extent does Secretary Clinton’s statement suggest a commitment by the President to substantial follow-on policy responses, both to immediate events and to developing adaptive preparedness for anticipated consequences of climatic change over time? Obama Administration, Climate Change Preparedness Rick Piltz 2010-08-21T22:32:35+00:00 http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/judge-hears-cuccinelli-climate-science-case/ After hearing oral argument August 20 on the University of Virginia’s petition to block Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s document demands relating to research of former UVa climate scientist Michael Mann, Judge Peatross ruled that he would need more time to make a decision. One has to wonder how many Virginia voters are following this story and finding Cuccinelli’s anti-science inquisition offensive, or realizing how retrograde it makes their state look to have a right-wing prosecutorial zealot as Attorney General. Global Warming Denial Machine Rick Piltz 2010-08-21T19:42:31+00:00 http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/UVA-cuccinelli-witch-hunt-protest/ University of Virginia faculty, students and alumni will gather Friday afternoon August 20 to protest against Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s witch hunt against former UVA Professor and leading climate scientist Michael Mann.  The protest is timed to coincide with the ruling of a Virginia Circuit Court judge who is set to rule on whether to allow Cuccinelli’s frivolous investigation to continue. Global Warming Denial Machine Rick Piltz 2010-08-20T02:48:28+00:00 http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/nrc-informing-climate-response-report/ Informing an Effective Response to Climate Change, the latest report in the National Research Council’s America’s Climate Choices suite of studies, is a commendable effort to draw more attention to an issue that is often overlooked in mainstream climate policy discussions: the tools, networks, and coordination needed to build a national response to climate change and inform climate decisions at all levels.  Science-Policy Interaction Rick Piltz 2010-08-18T23:51:44+00:00 http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/index.php/csw/details/csw_weekly_update_august_16/ A brief update on research findings and events we’re keeping track of this week. Global Climate Disruption, General Rick Piltz 2010-08-16T20:06:47+00:00