Very Cool

"The team’s goal was to use biomimicry-inspired design to reduce energy use in a building designed for Iran’s harsh desert climate. The team needed to use passive design strategies to protect building occupants from intense sunlight and provide both moisture and ventilation. Their Bio-Arch design, inspired by the desert snail, minimizes the surface area exposed to solar radiation with curved surfaces, shades nested levels of activity underneath an outer shell, and creates buffer zones that are tempered with natural ventilation."

http://sustainabilityworkshop.autodesk.com/project-gallery/bio-arch-desert-architecture-inspired-desert-snail

To Sail the Northwest Passage

After 6 p.m. ET tonight, listen to the story by the first person to circumnavigate the Western Hemisphere by sailing solo
http://www.npr.org/2012/05/09/152352311/solo-sailing-the-americas-pushing-the-extremes

And a little music for the occasion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVY8LoM47xI

Business Adaptation

A good article about cc adaptation for businesses, UK perspective
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?r.i=1081673879&r.l1=1079068363&r.l2=1087319510&r.l3=1081658406&r.s=sc&r.t=RESOURCES&topicId=1081658406

A good General Audience Book on Climate Change

Thanks to Claire Layman @MSU for introducing me to this very good resource/book:
Robert Henson, The Rough Guide to Climate Change
http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Climate-Change-Reference-Series/dp/1848365799/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

Change in the sidebar on this site

The new label Deep Sustainability now headlines the section re space matters in the right sidebar. This is with the addition of the link to Planetary Resources, Inc. http://www.planetaryresources.com/ , changing it from archival status.
I wonder, (for the Star Trek fans), If this is how we start pushing outward, does that mean we are the Ferengi?

Effectively Communicating Climate Science (How to Address Related Issues)

Thanks to Claire Layman @ MSU for this video link.
AGU Fall Meeting 2011 1:50 hour video.
http://vimeo.com/33298236

The Most Important Ones to Watch

"The Himalayas are sometimes called the world's "third pole" because they are covered with thousands of glaciers. Water from those glaciers help feed some of the world's most important rivers, including the Ganges and the Indus...."
http://www.npr.org/2012/04/24/151206843/melt-or-grow-fate-of-himalayan-glaciers-unknown

If we get some freak April snow, will opinion change again?

On Point
Extreme weather...........climate change
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/04/18/wild-weather/player

Planning and Climate Change

"Today, planners have the opportunity and obligation to address the challenge of global climate change. The planning profession and the process of planning are uniquely suited to help communities rise to this historic challenge. This Climate Change Policy Guide recommends a policy framework to assist communities in dealing with climate change and its implications. Success will require new policies and a bold new approach to planning, including the recognition that there will be enormous challenges to our political and economic institutions to address the myriad impacts of climate change."

American Planning Association, Policy Guide on Planning & Climate Change, 04/28/2008, as ammended 04/11/2011
http://www.planning.org/policy/guides/pdf/climatechange.pdf

Arctic Sea Ice Volume

An interesting post about sea ice volume in the Arctic Ocean, from Realclimate
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2012/04/arctic-sea-ice-volume-piomas-prediction-and-the-perils-of-extrapolation/#more-11432

Tennesee Turns its Back Against Among Other Things, Economic Development

"Nearly 90 years after the famous Scopes monkey trial, Tennessee has once again become a battleground over teaching evolution and other science topics in the classroom. The state legislature passed a bill that would require public schools to allow teachers to challenge widely accepted theories on evolution and climate change. Opponents of the so-called "monkey bill" - after the Scopes trial - are pressuring Tennessee's governor to veto it. They say its real purpose is to elevate religion over science. Supporters of the measure argue it's all about academic freedom. Guest host Susan Page and a panel of experts talk about the debate over teaching science in the classroom."
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-04-09/debate-over-how-teach-evolution-and-climate-change

Freelancers Unite!

"When 42 million independent workers are excluded from traditional supports and benefits, it's time to come together to build a new solution. Using collective power, strength, and resources: we call it New Mutualism."
http://freelancersunion.org/
The video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdYFiJJ3pvA&feature=plcp&context=C49c581fVDvjVQa1PpcFPUi9gBbRxLjZgbqYoyu4vRM9e8kDy-NyQ%3D

If it ain't broke, make it better anyway

Grind

Here is the story you can listen to:

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/10/150286116/for-freelancers-landing-a-workspace-gets-harder

http://grindspaces.com/

Be sure to watch the promo video

Hansen, 1981 Re-examined

An interesting commentary on the 1981 climate change projection;  J. Hansen, D. Johnson, A. Lacis, S. Lebedeff, P. Lee, D. Rind, and G. Russell, "Climate Impact of Increasing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide", Science, vol. 213, 1981, pp. 957-966,  31 years on.
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2012/04/evaluating-a-1981-temperature-projection/#bib_1

Take the Money and Run

Not related to climate change or sustainability, or is it?
Anyway,  The dynamic duo of This American Life and Planet Money teach about campaign finance
A must hear
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/461/take-the-money-and-run-for-office

IPCC on Renewables

Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation Special Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2012)

http://srren.ipcc-wg3.de/report/IPCC_SRREN_Full_Report.pdf
 
Generic slide set in PDF format:
http://srren.ipcc-wg3.de/ipcc-srren-generic-presentation-1

Report, main site:
http://srren.ipcc-wg3.de/

Policy and Technical Summary:
http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/special-reports/srren/SRREN_FD_SPM_final.pdf

CO2 Video

A neat video showing growth in anthropogenic CO2 release
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEMse22h8c8

Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation

IPCC WORKING GROUPS I & II Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX)  Geneva, 28 March 2012.
 "Evidence suggests that climate change has led to changes in climate extremes such as heat waves, record high temperatures and, in many regions, heavy precipitation in the past half century...",

Main page for report
http://ipcc-wg2.gov/SREX/

Executive Summary:
http://ipcc-wg2.gov/SREX/images/uploads/SREX-SPMbrocure_FINAL.pdf

Full Report:
http://ipcc-wg2.gov/SREX/images/uploads/SREX-All_FINAL.pdf

Generic slide set in PDF format
http://ipcc-wg2.gov/SREX/images/uploads/IPCC_SREX_slide_deck.pdf

New Study on Psychological Impacts of Climate Change in U.S.

The Psychological Effects of Global Warming on the United States and Why the U.S. Mental Health Care System Is Not Adequately Prepared, authored by Kevin J. Coyle, JD, and Lise Van Susteren, MD, NWF
http://www.nwf.org/~/media/PDFs/Global-Warming/Reports/Psych_Effects_Climate_Change_full.ashx

2011's Billion-Dollar Disasters: Is Climate Change to Blame?

" Three of the largest tornado outbreaks in U.S. history hit in a six-week period, including the largest and most expensive tornado outbreak in U.S. history—the $10.2 billion dollar Southeast United States Super Outbreak."
http://www.weatherwise.org/Archives/Back%20Issues/2012/March-April%202012/dollar-disasters-full.html

The Political History of North America from 25,000BC to 12,000AD

A Long Now Foundation lecture by Roger Kennedy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRr33RXddyo

New publication about landfill methane utilization

"EPA’s State and Local Climate and Energy Program and Landfill Methane Outreach Program have released a final version of Landfill Gas Energy:  A Guide to Developing and Implementing Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programs(PDF, 547 K). Learn how communities can achieve energy, environmental, health, and economic benefits by using landfill gas (LFG) recovered from municipal solid waste landfills as a source of renewable energy. It is designed to be used by local governments, regulatory and planning agencies, developers, contractors, project partners, energy service companies, and end users, including business and industrial customers who work with project owners."

http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/documents/pdf/landfill_methane_utilization.pdf

Curt Stager: The Desmogblog Interview

From the interview:

" I’m sure there could be extreme human suffering coming our way, perhaps including large die-offs, ...  Climate change is not going to kill every last one of us; humans are too resilient for that, having lived everywhere from floating sea ice to burning deserts for thousands of years even without modern technology and despite massive, abrupt environmental shifts of natural origin. ..."

Part 1:  http://www.desmogblog.com/desmog-interview-curt-stager-author-deep-future-answer-trivia-qs-win-free-book

Part 2: http://www.desmogblog.com/desmog-interview-curt-stager-author-deep-future-part-2

New York Review of Books on the recent WSJ op-ed

"My response is primarily designed to correct their misleading description of my own research; but it also is directed more broadly at their attempt to discredit scientists and scientific research on climate change I have identified six key issues that are raised in the article, and I provide commentary about their substance and accuracy."
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/mar/22/why-global-warming-skeptics-are-wrong/

One of the new hybrids not reviewed in auto magazines

USS Makin Island (LHD-8)

The Makin Island, the U. S. Navy’s first hybrid-drive warship: part electric and part gas.

Why the Next Main Battle Tank Will be a Hybrid

"Should global cooperative measures fail, the first impact will likely come from large numbers of displaced people who, by the very nature of their displacement, will become subject to malnutrition and disease; agricultural dislocation could aggravate or spark displacement and border security issues could arise as well."

GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS Compiled by Dr. Douglas V. Johnson II, Strategic Studies Institute
http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/pub779.pdf

U.S. Navy: Task Force Climate Change

"Climate change has implications for naval force structure and operations. Factors driving this include:
•The changing Arctic;
•The potential impact of sea level rise on installations and plans;
•Changing storm patterns and severity
•Water and resource challenges;
•Stress on vulnerable nation states; and
•Increased humanitarian assistance and disaster response."

http://greenfleet.dodlive.mil/climate-change/

Marine Corps Expeditionary Energy

"Marines are modern-day Spartans – our ethos demands that we change the way we think about energy as we train, equip, and lead our expeditionary force...
by 2025 we will reduce by 50 percent our battlefield requirement for energy. By 2020 50 percent of our bases and stations will be net-zero energy consumers."
 http://www.marines.mil/community/Pages/ExpeditionaryEnergy.aspx

The Plan
http://www.marines.mil/community/Documents/USMC%20Expeditionary%20Energy%20Strategy%20%20Implementation%20Planning%20Guidance.pdf

Skeptic Magazine covers the "deniers"

http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/12-02-08/#Prothero

Sun Comes Up

A new documentary on one small island, its people and climate change.
http://www.suncomeup.com/film/Trailer.html

AAAS Session about CC and the public

Scientists Offer Passionate, Innovative Ways to Engage the Public on Climate Change

http://news.aaas.org/2012_annual_meeting/0219science-is-not-enough-1.shtml

The Big Lie

" ... in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation." A. Hitler, Mein Kampf

"The culture wars have been fought in the classroom for decades, waged over such issues as school prayer, the teaching of evolution and whether the Pledge of Allegiance should include the phrase "under God." But the conflict usually pits backers of religious instruction against secularists. The latest skirmish, by contrast, is centered on a scientific issue that has nothing to do with religious teaching: climate change. ..."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-climate-20120220,0,3564279.story

What is "sustainable"?

Thanks to Chad Cook for this one.
The result of an interesting exercise by the folks at http://aquadoc.typepad.com/waterwired/ ,gathering together all the definitions of sustainable/sustainability, explained, here: http://aquadoc.typepad.com/waterwired/2012/02/struggling-to-define-sustainability-try-one-of-these-64-more-or-less-.html

The result:
http://aquadoc.typepad.com/files/sustainability_definitions.pdf

Center? What Center?

"When the Central Intelligence Agency established a Center on Climate Change and National Security in 2009,(  https://www.cia.gov/news-information/press-releases-statements/center-on-climate-change-and-national-security.html  )   it drew fierce opposition from congressional Republicans who disputed the need for an intelligence initiative on this topic. But now there is a different, and possibly better, reason to doubt the value of the Center: It has adopted an extreme view of classification policy which holds that everything the Center does is a national security secret...."

http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2011/09/cia_climate.html

Climate Change and National Security

Trends and Implications of Climate Change for National and International Security, October 2011
"Because of the increasing importance of climate change on US security, the Defense Science Board was charged with examining the need to adapt, manage, and mitigate the consequences of climate change."

http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/dod/dsb/climate.pdf

A plot to sap and impurify, our precious bodily fluids*

A video by the Post Sustainability Institute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEHWsdimVO4

*For those who have not seen the film, Dr. Strangelove; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1KvgtEnABY

Catching up on the news

Some of the interesting pieces in the Yale Forum
Covering Climate Change in the Age of Digital Media by Michael Svoboda
http://www.yaleclimatemediaforum.org/dl/YaleForum_E&E_Article.pdf
The Climate Extremes: Can the public discourse snap out of its own negative feedback loop? by Keith Kloor http://www.yaleclimatemediaforum.org/2012/02/the-climate-extremes/

Elsewhere:
a study of the role of debate between elites and perception of climate change as an issuehttp://www.springerlink.com/content/k17856khp026w174/

"If we can't even agree on observable, verifiable facts, how are we supposed to govern ourselves in a democracy?"
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/05/INFM1N12Q9.DTL&ao=all

Help for science teachers caught in the middle of the political debate about climate science
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2012/02/so-whats-a-teacher-to-do/

The Beauty of Numbers

Nature by Numbers
A movie inspired on numbers, geometry and nature, by Cristóbal Vila
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkGeOWYOFoA&feature=player_embedded

China, the momentum is now yours...

OK I get it, Great Britain, 1939.
National Strategy for Global Supply Chain Security
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/national_strategy_for_global_supply_chain_security.pdf 

Defending Climate Science's Place In The Classroom

Sigh.........
NPR - Talk of the Nation-Science Friday
"The National Center for Science Education has long defended educators' right to teach evolution in public schools. Now climate science too is under attack. NCSE executive director Eugenie Scott talks about how teachers and parents can fight the push to get climate change denial into the classroom."
http://www.npr.org/2012/01/20/145525000/defending-climate-sciences-place-in-the-classroom

Trend and Variation

Thanks to the Folk at RealClimate for this one. Excellent.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0vj-0imOLw&feature=youtu.be

The Matter of Methane

The Folks at RealClimate have posted a couple interesting things about CC and methane lately.
First, is An Arctic methane worst-case scenario
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2012/01/an-arctic-methane-worst-case-scenario/
Definitely read the whole article. However, the take away of it is:
"But the methane worst case does not suddenly spell the extinction of human life on Earth. It does not lead to a runaway greenhouse. The worst-case methane scenario stands comparable to what CO2 can do. What CO2 will do, under business-as-usual, not in a wild blow-the-doors-off unpleasant surprise, but just in the absence of any pleasant surprises (like emission controls). At worst comparable to CO2 except that CO2 lasts essentially forever."

Also, a neat online tool, "...an easy-to-play-with online model of methane in the atmosphere. "

Article about the tool:
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2012/01/an-online-model-of-methane-in-the-atmosphere/
The tool:
http://forecast.uchicago.edu/Projects/methane.html

The Network of Global Corporate Control

Vitali S, Glattfelder JB, Battiston S (2011) The Network of Global Corporate Control. PLoS ONE 6(10): e25995. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0025995
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0025995

"Abstract
The structure of the control network of transnational corporations affects global market competition and financial stability. So far, only small national samples were studied and there was no appropriate methodology to assess control globally. We present the first investigation of the architecture of the international ownership network, along with the computation of the control held by each global player. We find that transnational corporations form a giant bow-tie structure and that a large portion of control flows to a small tightly-knit core of financial institutions. This core can be seen as an economic “super-entity” that raises new important issues both for researchers and policy makers."

"I, for one, will not be happy, not least because those chain mail dresses that Tina Turner wore chafe like a bitch."*

On Point

"Can The Southwest Survive Climate Change?

The American Southwest is overbuilt and out of water. We’ll look at how and whether the Southwest, as we’ve built it, can survive."

http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/01/05/southwest-climate-change


* From a post at Sarah Proud and Tall. For those who do not get the Turner/Chain mail reference:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1FPK5-Rm38

Got Methane?

From the folks at RealClimate:
"Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas, but it also has an awesome power to really get people worked up, compared to other equally frightening pieces of the climate story." Read More...
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2012/01/much-ado-about-methane/#more-10412

Do not use an ice auger while smoking, if you are in Alaska

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YegdEOSQotE

Downscaling

Thanks to Diane for the heads-up on this one:

Cooney CM 2012. Downscaling Climate Models: Sharpening the Focus on Local-Level Changes. Environ Health Perspect 120:a22-a28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.120-a22

http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.120-a22