While every year is crucial when it comes to reducing the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases polluting our atmosphere, 2015 is looking to be a super year and a possible turning point where a few big decisions could make all the difference. Here are five big things to watch in 2015: 1.
Continue readingAuthor: Kevin Grandia
DeSmogBlog: Fracking Bans in Quebec and New York Should Give B.C. Premier Christy Clark Pause
Two big blows to the natural gas industry have come in less than 24 hours, with both the province of Quebec and New York state effectively banning shale gas extraction over concerns with the process of hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a. “fracking”). Fracking allows for the cheap extraction of natural gas from shale
Continue readingFracking Bans in Quebec and New York Should Give B.C. Premier Christy Clark Pause
Two big blows to the natural gas industry have come in less than 24 hours, with both the province of Quebec and New York state effectively banning shale gas extraction over concerns with the process of hydraulic fracturing (a.k.a. “fracking”). Fracking allows for the cheap extraction of natural gas from shale
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Crisis Consultant Says Environmental Activists in it for the Money
In a newsletter to clients titled “Defending Your Company Against an Activist Attack,” Randal Simonetti from the consulting firm EFP Rotenberg, opines that in order to successfully combat an attack by an environmental group you must, “first consider the driving motive that supports the attacker’s existence.” According to Simonetti that driving motivation
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Debunked Conspiracy Climategate Five Years Later
I am a little reluctant to remind everyone about the so-called “Climategate” incident that was sparked this day five years ago. Many people, in the end, were embarrassed by this major attack on climate change scientists when it turned out to be nothing more than manufactured media hype. Nine independent inquiries by
Continue readingWhy Does Canada Give Tax Breaks to the World’s Richest Polluters?
A really great analysis just posted by CBC‘s Senior Business Producer, Don Pittis, looks at why Canada (read: taxpayers) is subsidizing oil companies to the tune of $34 billion. All this money is being spent on some of the world’s richest companies to find more oil, which will subsequently pump more
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: U.S.-China Climate Pact Leaves Prime Minister Harper With Few Excuses Left Not to Act
While on a visit to Bejing, U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday announced with his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping a new bilateral agreement on hard reduction targets for climate change pollution in those two countries. The United States agrees to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 per cent from 2005
Continue readingU.S.-China Climate Pact Leaves Prime Minister Harper With Few Excuses Left Not to Act
While on a visit to Bejing, U.S. President Barack Obama yesterday announced with his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping a new bilateral agreement on hard reduction targets for climate change pollution in those two countries. The United States agrees to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 26 per cent from 2005
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Video Mash Up Shows Climate Denial Streak in Republican Midterm Candidates
At town halls and candidate debates across the country, Republican and Democratic election hopefuls are being asked where they stand on the important issue of climate change. Many of their answers have been recorded for posterity. A new video short produced by Republic Report’s Lee Fang shows just how off-side Republican
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: The Earth Hasn’t Stopped Warming, Hate to Say It
I wish it were true, but the earth is not cooling and there remains an upward curve in the temperature of our planet. So next time you’re at a dinner party and someone says the earth is cooling and throws some air quotes up when he says “global warming,” here’s a
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: CNBC Again? Marshall Institute Chairman Brings Hitler Into Climate Conversation
In a live interview on CNBC, William Happer, chairman of the Marshall Institute, stated that the “demonization of carbon dioxide is just like the demonization of the poor Jews under Hitler.” This is not the first time Happer has said this, and watching the interview it seems as though the CNBC
Continue readingNew Map Shows Dramatic Time Lapse of Tar Sands Deforestation
A time-lapsed map released today by the World Resources Institute using satellite imagery from Global Forest Watch shows how much forest is being lost in Northern Alberta to make way for major industrial operations, mainly to extract oil from the tar sands, also referred to as the oilsands. According to the
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: New Map Shows Dramatic Time Lapse of Tar Sands Deforestation
A time-lapsed map released today by the World Resources Institute using satellite imagery from Global Forest Watch shows how much forest is being lost in Northern Alberta to make way for major industrial operations, mainly to extract oil from the tar sands, also referred to as the oilsands. According to the
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Greenpeace "Founder" Patrick Moore Not a Founder at All
For more than 20 years now, industry lobbyist Patrick Moore has touted himself a “co-founder” and sometimes even a “founder” of the global environment group Greenpeace. But a document making the rounds shows that Moore’s claim to be a founder or a co-founder of Greenpeace is simply not true. A letter from
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Powerline & Hinderaker’s Cynical Attack on Tom Steyer Likely a Welcome Diversion for Koch Brothers
The bloggers over at Powerline, led in this case by the Koch-cozy John Hinderaker, are all in a tizzy this week after the New York Times reported that Tom Steyer, a major political force in the fight for climate justice, used to invest heavily in coal mining operations. I think Powerline
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Oil Companies Gambling Billions of Dollars Ignoring Global Warming Realities
Companies like Shell Oil really need to give their eyes a rub and see that a world with serious constraints on greenhouse gas emissions is not a possible future, but an eventual reality. Right now, oil companies are investing billions in long term plays in very carbon intensive fuels, like Canada’s oil
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Pope Francis a Powerful Voice For Climate Change Action
Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, has taken a very strong stance recently on the need to address climate change, to protect the environment and respect “God’s creation.” In an address at the University of Molise in Italy, Pope Francis talked about deforestation practices that have destroyed much of the
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Republican Senator Inhofe Dismisses Top US Military Strategists on Climate Change Concerns
Republican Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), is dismissing a report out yesterday on the human security threats of climate change, authored by 11 three and four-star US Admirals and Generals, saying the group is desperate for “publicity.” The report, National Security and the Threat of Climate Change, issued by the non-profit group
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: New Global Study Finds Canada Lagging Behind China on Climate Change Legislation
A frequently used talking point from Prime Minister Stephen Harper is that Canada will only tackle the issue of climate change if countries like China agree to take action as well. Looks like that time has come. A new study released this week that examines nearly 500 pieces of legislation
Continue readingNew Global Study Finds Canada Lagging Behind China on Climate Change Legislation
A frequently used talking point from Prime Minister Stephen Harper is that Canada will only tackle the issue of climate change if countries like China agree to take action as well. Looks like that time has come. A new study released this week that examines nearly 500 pieces of legislation
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