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Entries from June 2008

Exxon headed to the Dugout?

June 23rd, 2008 · Comments Off on Exxon headed to the Dugout?

Until late last week, Exxon-Mobil was the sponsor of the seventh-inning stretch at the Washington Nationals’ stadium. The incongruity of a company that has poured $10s of millions into trying to undermine understanding of global warming having a prominent role in the greenest stadium in professional baseball sparked a movement to “Strike Out Exxon at […]

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Tags: exxon-mobil · games · greenwashing · Uncategorized

Took me out to the ballgame …

June 21st, 2008 · 3 Comments

Last evening, amid gorgeous weather, a call to action sent me out to the ballgame. While the 14-inning game was great (GO NATS!), play on the field wasn’t the only action. The Strike Out Exxon campaign began yesterday. The Washington Nationals new stadium is the “greenest” baseball. And, who is one of their principle advertisers: […]

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Tags: environmental · exxon-mobil · Global Warming · greenwashing

Following the money …

June 17th, 2008 · 3 Comments

Recall Deep Throat (All the President’s Men), that basic piece of advice: “Follow the Money.” As we listen to the George W. Bush’s, John McCain’s, the Republican Party’s, and the RWSM’s response to what George W. Bush described as America’s “addiction to oil”, remember those words. In face of addiction, is the Republican Party fighting […]

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Tags: Energy · exxon-mobil · Global Warming · john mccain · oil · peak oil · politics

The power of 350 … spreading the word

June 17th, 2008 · Comments Off on The power of 350 … spreading the word

Prior to the industrial era, the atmosphere was at about 280 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Now, we are about 387 and growing at nearly 2 ppm per year. The ‘old’ (a few years ago) scientific consideration was that it seemed we could stabilize, without utterly catastrophic risk, at 450 ppm or below. This […]

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Tags: carbon dioxide · climate change · emissions · environmental · Global Warming · green · jim hansen · political symbols · politics · pollution · Uncategorized

Beware the Silver Bullet …

June 17th, 2008 · 13 Comments

Across the world, people are passing around with great excitement the news that there might be a bug that will create oil. And, not just bio-derived oil, but carbon-negative oil. One little bug, too small for the naked eye to see, and all our problems are solved! Peak Oil? Forget it. Solved. Global Warming? Forget […]

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Tags: Energy · environmental

Oily Green: Time for Washing up Some Washington Greenwashing

June 15th, 2008 · 3 Comments

The Washington Nationals have a beautiful new stadium. A tax-payer paid stadium. A stadium padded itself on the back for its green attributes. This beautifully green stadium is plastered with: advertisements for that every so environmentally friendly Exxon-Mobil. Yes, that Exxon-Mobil that has so happily (and generously) supported global warming denialists as a path to […]

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Tags: climate change · climate delayers · Global Warming · global warming deniers · greenwashing · Uncategorized

500? Perhaps in Dog Years?

June 14th, 2008 · 5 Comments

Have you noticed? Right now, much of Iowa and the Midwest is suffering through a 500 year flooding event. Does it seem like 100 and 500 year events are becoming ever more frequent? If your answer is yes, your impression fits with the scientific analysis. Now, we have to be careful (extremely careful) in the […]

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Tags: climate change · Global Warming · global warming deniers · journalism · politics

Politics and Gas Prices

June 13th, 2008 · 10 Comments

It is ever so tempting to scream “GAS PRICES” and call for lowered gas prices if you are a candidate challenging for Congress or elsewhere. Ever so tempting to pander to (quite real) concerns about skyrocketing prices with counterproductive calls for cutting gasoline prices. These, however, fly in the face of the realities of Peak […]

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Tags: conservation · emissions · Energy · energy efficiency · fuel economy · political symbols · politics · pollution · transportation · Uncategorized

Greening the School House

June 13th, 2008 · 22 Comments

Last month, to far (FAR) less attention than it merited, the House of Representatives (facing an Administration veto threat) passed the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act with $20 billion for greening public schools across the nation. Taking aggressive action to green schools is about one of the smartest steps the nation can […]

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Tags: analysis · architecture · architecture2030 · building green · business practice · cities · clean emissions · Congress · conservation · democrats · emissions · Energy · energy efficiency · Global Warming · green · greenwashing

House leadership to Fossil Fuel industry: Use it or lose it!

June 12th, 2008 · 3 Comments

Tired of the unending truthiness Republican cries to DRILL, DRILL, DRILL in a disingenuous truthiness efforts that turns us (US) aside from discussion of energy efficiency and moving off fossil fuels, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) and others in the House leadership issued an ultimatum to oil companies: Drill on the […]

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Tags: coal · Congress · democrats · ed markey · government energy policy · politics · Uncategorized