Event - Climate Change and the Common Good

Climate Change and the Common Good will take place on April 8-10, 2013 at Notre Dame, IN. This event will provide a multidisciplinary exploration of the challenges and opportunities society faces in addressing climate change and resource scarcity. From scientists and ethicists to policy and national security experts, this groundbreaking conference will bring together a diverse array of scholars and leaders to approach the complexities of climate disruption in a meaningful and productive way.

2012 Review of Forests and Trees

In 2012 we saw some very significant findings related to the importance of forests for the health and well being of the planet. We also saw destructive trends that are compromising forests as well as efforts to undermine forests protections. While forests create jobs and significantly contribute to the economy they also play a crucial role in mitigating climate change. Forests cover 30 percent of Earth's land surface and store 45 percent of the carbon found in terrestrial ecosystems and sequester as much as 25 percent of annual carbon emissions from human activities.

Forests reduce the impacts of climate change by sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen, however, less trees means more carbon and less oxygen. This constitutes a dangerous feedback loop. Declining forests are being impacted by global warming and this is interfering with the natural processes that mitigate climate change. In addition to reducing atmospheric CO2, forests are important for drinking water, they protect against soil erosion and contribute to biodiversity that provides habitats for countless species of plants and animals.

In the US 2012 is the Hottest Most Extreme Year Ever

A warm November and record-breaking early December means 2012 will be the warmest year ever for the U.S. As Jeff Masters reports:

…the U.S. heated up considerably in November, notching its 20th warmest November since 1895, said NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) in their latest State of the Climate report. The warm November virtually assures that 2012 will be the warmest year on record in the U.S. The year-to-date period of January – November has been by far the warmest such period on record for the contiguous U.S.–a remarkable 1.0°F above the previous record. During the 11-month period, 18 states were record warm and an additional 24 states were top ten warm. The December 2011 – November 2012 period was the warmest such 12-month period on record for the contiguous U.S., and the eight warmest 12-month periods since record keeping began in 1895 have all ended during 2012.

Alternative Energy Stocks After Obama's Election Victory

After the election of Obama, many believed that we would see a surge in alternative energy stock prices, but this did not happen. As reviewed in a Renewable Energy World article “of the approximately 250 alternative energy companies that the Roen Financial Report tracks, only 21 companies, or less than 9%, were gainers. In other words, losers beat gainers by a 10:1 ratio! On average, alternative energy companies were down 5.8%, with 35 companies showing double-digit losses for the week. Of the 21 gainers, fully half were volatile penny stocks with market caps less than $100 million, so those gains may change very quickly.”

“Of the six alternative energy industries — wind, solar, smart grid, efficiency, fuel alternatives and environmental companies — wind fared the worst. Only two wind companies posted a gain for the week, Pike Electric Corporation (PIKE) and the highly speculative Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies (QTWW). Otherwise, the average wind company lost 6.0% for the week.”

The CERINA Investment Model from IWR

The CERINA plan (CO2 Emissions and Renewable Investment Action Plan) is an investment model by means of which CO2 emissions are compensated for through investments in renewable energy technologies. Since 2009, the German Based Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) has been determining global CO2 emissions and those of individual states using the fossil fuel energy consumption data of BP. On this basis, the amount of investment in renewable technology needed to stabilise global CO2 emissions at the current level is then computed for each country.

On the basis of an objective allocation key per metric ton of CO2, the level of investment can be specified according to the source. Countries with low emissions are required to make lower investments than are countries with high emissions.

Dramatic Sea Level Rise Expected From Faster Melting of Arctic Snow and Ice

Driven by warming in the Arctic and the resulting melt of snow and ice, sea levels could rise up to 5 feet by the end of this century. This is more than two and a half times higher than the 2007 projection of a half to two feet by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

This is the finding revealed in 2011 press release from the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development. The release referenced a study by the International Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP).

Citizens United is Helping Romney to Win the White House and Destroy the Environment

The Citizens United court decision is helping Mitt Romney, the vehemently anti-environment Republican presidential contender. If the Republican nominee were to win the US presidential election it would be a devastating blow for the environment. With the help of unlimited spending he very well might succeed.

As reported by the Center for Public Integrity analysis, the Citizens United court decision is heavily favoring Romney. Since Labor Day, 70 percent of outside spending on the presidential race was made possible by the court decision.

The Green Elements of the First 2012 Presidential Debate

President Obama reiterated his desire to end tax breaks for big oil and reaffirmed his support for new sources of energy like solar, wind and biofuels. The President also stated that his administration has helped to create 5 million new private sector jobs. To increase these numbers the President wants to invest in education and create 2 million new places in community colleges.

For his part, Mitt Romney said "I like coal!" He wants to see the tar sands pipeline ferry dirty oil through the US. He repeated the old Republican refrain of energy independence through more fossil fuel. He also wants to do away with "excessive" regulations.