(h/t Greg Laden) There is no such thing as clean coal.

As unlikely as the title of this post seems, there may actually be come good news regarding the use of coal and climate change.  The first part of this news is something that is mostly obvious, and at first brush doesn’t seem like good news at all. New climate change scenarios quantify the idea that... Continue Reading →

Sea will rise 'to levels of last Ice Age'.  Yes that is an actual headline from a British paper.  And it should ring alarm bells to anyone who knows anything about past climate and/or anthropology.  The fact is that during the last ice age seal levels were up to 120 metres lower than today.  Hence... Continue Reading →

In a rehash of last year’s laughable list of 400 ‘prominent scientists’ dispute climate change, Senator Inhofe has produced an updated list that now includes 650 scientists who dispute climate. As I explained last year; expertise matters, not everyone’s opinion is equally valid, and Inhofe’s list is short on people who’s expertise is actually relevant.... Continue Reading →

The day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! Monty Python is now officially on Youtube; no more suffering through low quality clips. And there was much rejoicing on the Internets.

The beginning of the end, for inaction on climate change? I hope so, though it certainly wont be easy. With economic activity down, anything that can be portrayed as raising energy costs could face big hurdles in Congress. And Mr. Obama’s broader call for an energy revolution also could require him to overcome what he... Continue Reading →

Climate change alarmists are really just closet creationists. At least that is the most recent claim from climate change denier Vincent Gray. Environmentalism is just the latest attempt to find a substitute for the theory of evolution and it is paradoxical that it can be so widespread when next year (2009) is the 200th birthday... Continue Reading →

One of the most common complaints about the effectiveness of a carbon tax is that high gas prices have little or no effect on consumption. The recent decline in driving amounts (almost certainly due to high gas prices) puts this myth to rest, but just in case you weren't convinced as gas prices have fallen,... Continue Reading →

Many people who oppose the notion of a carbon tax have been claiming that the Liberal defeat is a clear indicationthat Canadians are not prepared to embrace a Carbon tax. This idea has wasn't true (according to polls) before the election, and seems to not hold true after the election. [In early October], McAllister Opinion... Continue Reading →

Coral Reefs are a vital part of the marine food web, we will all suffer dearly when they are gone. A new global deal on climate change will come too late to save most of the world's coral reefs, according to a US study that suggests major ecological damage to the oceans is now inevitable...... Continue Reading →

The Achilles heal of most policies to reduce GHG emissions, is their focus on 'so-called' big emitters. Factories, steal produces and other industrial emitters are often the focus, while emissions from normal people like you are ignored. A Big Sum of Small Differences Individual Americans Cause -- and Could Cure -- Most of U.S. Emissions... Continue Reading →

How much does the loss of biodiversity cost? A lot more than most people realize. In fact, we do nothing to address the issue, the coming 'nature crunch' will make the current financial crisis seem like a cake walk. This is nothing. Well, nothing by comparison to what’s coming. The financial crisis for which we... Continue Reading →

More than 230 academic economists have signed an open letter to the leaders of the federal political parties, urging them to acknowledge that putting a price on carbon is "the best approach" to combatting climate change. And yet Stephen Harper thinks such an idea is 'crazy'. The economists argue that pricing encourages innovation because users... Continue Reading →

Steve Darden over at the Seeker Blog has a great post on why carbon taxes are superior to cap and trade schemes. He argues (quite convincingly) that we need polices that provide incentives for us to move to a low-carbon economy today, not at some point in the future, and the only way to achieve... Continue Reading →

"I drive to work, I can't afford Dion's Carbon tax". That is the opening line of a Conservative attack ad I heard on CBC radio yesterday evening. The rest of the advertisement has a similar tone, indicating that Dion's carbon tax will increase already high gas prices. The main problem with this ad -obvious to... Continue Reading →

I know this is a little late, but I was out of town when the election was called. While I find it amusing that Harper is calling an early election after passing a law setting fixed election dates, I think it was a good decision. As it stands now there are some serious questions about... Continue Reading →

Through out this blog, in my numerous debates on climate change, I have referenced parts of the scientific process such as peer-review, or the rationality of listening to the relevant experts, but I have never really fully explained how science (and more generally rational thought) works. Thankfully John Mashey writing over at Deltoid has done... Continue Reading →

Scott Adams (of Dilbert Fame) has a great post today on the rationality of trusting the experts. While Scott is specifically talking about listening to the advice of economists (which he has surveyed) in regards to figuring out which US presidential candidate has a better plan for the economy, his advice holds true for virtually... Continue Reading →

In Part 1, we learned that someone who gives advice based on their knowledge is nothing more than priest that should be ignored. Part 2 was about how deniers misuse the complexity of the situation, and Part 3 is about how deniers make use of fear. The people who tell you that climate scientists want... Continue Reading →

Climate change is happening too slowly. To slowly for human brains to consider it a real threat, and react appropriately. So says psychologist Dan Gilbert. (h/t: A Few Things Ill Considered)

My recent spat with Marc Morano taught me that deniers are becoming far more insidious. As the public in general becomes more aware of the absolute importance of peer-review, deniers are faced with a dilemma because the peer-reviewed literature overwhelmingly supports the theory that our GHG emissions are causing climate change (hence the consensus). What... Continue Reading →