The Political Climate: an ongoing commentary on the NH Primary and Climate Change

James Hansen, a top researcher for Nasa and a long-time vocal activist warning about the threats of global warming, received the World Wildlife Fund’s top conservation award yesterday at a ceremony in London, England.  Upon receiving the award Hansen spoke about climate change in today’s world:

“The rude scientific awakening to the threat of climate change has been sudden and profound. Only in recent years has the extent and immediacy of the threat become clear.  I am concerned about the burden that we will leave for our children and grandchildren, if we do not take a leadership role in addressing global warming.”  (Read the entire article here from the Guardian Unlimited.)

In efforts to alleviate some of that burden on future generations, the U.N. is promoting a children’s book about global warming.  The book, “Tore and the Town on Thin Ice” follows the main character Tore in his journey to understand why his surrounding environment is changing.  After learning about the threats and impacts of global warming Tore asks, “is there anything at all a kid like me can do?” The book ends with suggestions on steps kids can take to be a part of the solution.  View the book as a .pdf here.

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Recent scientific reports could turn the movie Happy Feet into a historical video rather than a children’s cartoon.  According to this article in The Boston Globe, a review of hundreds of research studies shows that plant and animal species, such as frogs, polar bears, and penguins, are evolving or dying off from the effects of climate change.  Scientists are shocked to see that impacts from climate change are already noticable, seeing evidence that at least 70 species of frogs have gone extinct due to rising temperatures and 100 to 200 other cold-dependent animals are at risk.  Chris Thomas, a professor at the University of York in England, says that although it is impossible to prove that these changes are a direct result of global warming, it is “statistically virtually impossible that these are just chance observations.”

Penguins and frogs aren’t the only living creatures at risk–human health is becoming increasingly threatened by climate change.  In response to impending health risks Massachusetts and 11 other states are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the Supreme Court on November 29th.  Massachusetts has filed a lawsuit against the EPA arguing that failure to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions is violating the Clean Air Act (read the entire story here from the MetroWest Daily News).

The Nairobi, Kenya U.N. conference on climate change ended last Friday “achieving modest results” according to this article in the New York Times.  The two week conference engaged over 6,000 climate leaders from around the world, but the lengthy time span really only resulted in agreement that next year’s conference would include discussion of a plan to move beyond the Kyoto Protocol emission standards–a goal that was supposed to be accomplished at the conclusion of Nairobi sessions.  The main obstacle inhibiting forward movement at the conference was American, Indian, and Chinese opposition to mandatory regulations.

Our federal government is hesitating to take mandatory action, but not everyone around the country agrees with voluntary pleas.  Beginning April 1, 2007, voters in Boulder, Colorado agreed to the nation’s first “carbon tax” aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions (reported in this article from the New York Times).  The tax is based on the amount of kilowatt-hours used annually by a house or a business in Boulder.  It is estimated that an average house will pay $16 a year, while a typical business will be taxed approximately $46.  Jonathan Koehn, the city’s environmental affairs manager says “the climate action plan serves as a roadmap to meet our reduction goals.”  Boulder hopes to reduce their carbon levels to 7% less than 1990’s.

Local action is also takin gplace in New England states.  Five ski areas in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont recently announced plans to offset 100% of their emissions by buying renewable energy (mostly wind) credits.  The ski areas–Sugarloaf, Sunday River, Okemo, Shawnee Peak, and Mt. Sunapee–are responding to the poor winter conditions that have lead to fewer skier days (read the entire article in Foster’s Daily Democrat).