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The Climate Minute examines current news on global warming, climate change, renewable energy and the prospects for progress on international negotiations, carbon taxes and clean energy policy.
Episodes
Sunday Oct 01, 2017
Sunday Oct 01, 2017
We take a deep dive on a recent controversial article in Nature Geoscience. It suggests that we have more time and thus a more realistic chance of keeping global temperatures in check. While climate deniers are holding the article up as proof that environmentalists exaggerate the concern over climate science, it turns out—the concern and urgency is still very real. This article, however, gives us significantly more hope. The basic difference is that prior estimates gave us only a decade to limit global warming temperatures to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels; the new analysis in the article indicates that we have forty years. The authors say that forty years makes the transition formidable, but not inconceivable. Prior to this research, the climate community thought we needed to get to zero in just a few years. That seemed impossible, especially given the current administration’s lack of climate initiative. If this new analysis is correct, there is a chance, though we still need to work like mad to get it done in time. The uncertainty in the science is inevitable. There is a three-fold uncertainty range in the true sensitivity of global temperatures to the greenhouse gases that cause warming. This article uses a better account of past emissions and human-induced warming to predict a forty-year window. Let’s hope this is good news for our work! Tune in for more.
Friday Apr 07, 2017
Putin nominee confirmed, what next for climate?: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Apr 07, 2017
Friday Apr 07, 2017
The ‘nuclear option’ has been used. What will the consequences be for climate policy? Only time we tell, but we take a look at some leading indicators. Listen in!
Friday Feb 03, 2017
Earth v. Gorsuch: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Feb 03, 2017
Friday Feb 03, 2017
Neil Gorsuch’s nomination debate will be full of terms like the “Chevron Deference” and the “Originalist Interpretation.” Those are not show titles from “The Big Bang Theory” but describe legal ideas. “Chevron” is the court case that declared government agencies like the EPA know more about global warming than does the SCOTUS, and so should be respected by the Court. This would help the Obama Clean Power Plan prevail, but Gorsuch disputes the concept. An “Originalist” like Gorsuch believes that the words of the Constitution need to be defined as did the Founding Fathers. That is all fine, but new technologies were inconceivable to them. Should every individual state regulate the internet? What about pollution from ‘downwind’ states like Ohio blowing into “upwind’ states like MA? Neil Gorsuch’s legal views are a threat to the “general welfare,” his nomination is tainted by the illegitimacy of the Trump Presidency and the established Senatorial procedures demand that Merrick Garland by given a hearing first. Gorsuch must be stopped.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Friday Sep 30, 2016
A pivotal day in court for the clean power plan: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Sep 30, 2016
Friday Sep 30, 2016
A profoundly important legal battle played out in a Washington DC courtroom this week. At issue was the very legitimacy of the methods used in the Clean Power Plan. We discuss (in ‘keep it simple, stupid!’ terms) the issues and implications. Listen in!
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre
Friday Mar 18, 2016
The Clean Power Plan and a Garland SCOTUS: The Climate Minute Podcast
Friday Mar 18, 2016
Friday Mar 18, 2016
The Constitution says the President “shall” appoint justices to the Supreme Court, and so he did. This week Mr. Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland. Of course, inquiring Climate Hawks want to know: what does this mean for the fight against global warming? The big issue is the legal basis of the President’s Clean Power Plan, which will inevitably be decided by the Supreme Court. Listen in as we discuss.
Check out live links at our blog, http://www.massclimateaction.net/blog.
Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.
Thanks for listening.
…Ted McIntyre