Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue) appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Here is the December 3 Green Spotlight. More than 26,060 environmentally oriented stories have been rescued to appear in this series since 2006. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
Dartagnan writes—The Earth Itself Is Now Accelerating The Demise Of The Human Species: "You read that right. The Earth is now going to help us kill ourselves. In a massive new study published Wednesday in the influential journal Nature, no less than 50 authors from around the world document a so-called climate system ‘feedback’ that, they say, could make global warming considerably worse over the coming decades. That feedback involves the planet’s soils, which are a massive repository of carbon due to the plants and roots that have grown and died in them, in many cases over vast time periods (plants pull in carbon from the air through photosynthesis and use it to fuel their growth). It has long been feared that as warming increases, the microorganisms living in these soils would respond by very naturally upping their rate of respiration, a process that in turn releases carbon dioxide or methane, leading greenhouse gases. It’s this concern that the new study validates. Without a doubt, an imposing scientific study titled Quantifying Global Soil Carbon Losses In Response To Warming is likely to receive far fewer clicks than ’What Susan Dey Looks Like Now is Absolutely Jaw-Dropping.’ But this is a big one, folks.”
350ppmco2 writes—President Obama: Please Bear Witness to Climate Change In a National Address: “I would like us to request, through whatever channels our community brainstorms, that President Obama give a prime-time address on the science and risks of climate change. He can frame the address in his preferred non-confrontational way as ‘here’s the science; here’s an invitation to climate-fence-sitters or casual deniers (those he likes to call his Republican friends); here’s what I have seen.’ Thirty minutes, a few charts, graphs, and pictures, but mostly use his power of persuasion, to bear witness, to speak truth to the incoming power, from his personal (and perhaps even religious, if that is what motivates him) reflection on what he has seen over the last 8 years, and what it is likely to mean, especially to those most vulnerable.”
citisven writes—When they go neutering EPA with fossil fools, we go building clean and resilient cities everywhere: “Okay, so I admit that the orange plunderer-in-thief’s nomination of science-denying, oil-soaked, climate change-causing polluter Scott Pruitt to head the EPA gave me a little extra acid reflux in addition to what has become our normal daily dose of gasps and gulps. I think anyone who cares about the planet can grok the setback this portends for all kinds of environmental progress we’ve made in the past eight years, with the challenging-enough-as-it-is uphill battle of averting the worst effects of climate change at the top of the ‘oh shit’ list. [...] That’s why Dave Roberts’ piece Cities are central to any serious plan to tackle climate change over at Vox resonated with me. In it, Roberts argues that ‘now that the US federal government is getting out of the climate protection business, at least for four years, subnational actors are more important than ever.’As cities are not only ‘responsible for about 75 percent of global energy-related CO2 emissions” but “first in line to feel the effects of climate change,’ he accurately points out that it’s on those subnational levels where the most impactful battles for a livable planet must take place. In other words, if you create local infrastructure that allows what will be 70% of the world’s population in 2050 to live and move about more efficiently and sustainably, you are significantly reducing the demand for more fossil fuels in the first place.”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Tom Poll Master writes—Seaworld going under? 320 positions to be eliminated: “Just a brief link to a news item: SeaWorld lays off hundreds of employees. SeaWorld Entertainment announced Tuesday it is laying off 320 workers company-wide, part of an ongoing effort to sharply cut its costs. [...] Frequent critic PETA was quick to weigh in on SeaWorld’s latest move. ‘SeaWorld is still in the same sinking boat that it was in two years ago when it jettisoned its CEO and 311 employees, PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in an emailed statement. ‘...Instead of sinking millions of dollars into failed PR campaigns, SeaWorld must listen to PETA, orca experts, and kind people everywhere and send these animals to seaside sanctuaries. Real change is its only hope of staying afloat.’”
PHScott writes—The Daily Bucket: I wish to thank the Bumblebees for all their hard work: “but the African Blue Basil that’s been feeding them since early spring still has no seeds. December 2016. Last month's bucket was all about the Bumblebees on the African Blue Basil. They have mostly died off and for any left outside their groundnest, tonight's ‘upper 20s’ should finish them off. A few butterflies stop by the flowers now and a honeybee or 2. No idea where honeybees are coming from, could be a long way, or maybe even a wild nest. Now's my turn to make use of the basil, my favorite part - the flower stems. I used to harvest the branches each year and dry the leaves and flowers but that was back when I had potted plants. Now that I grow them outside and 2 plants can cover a 4' fence, I use only the flowers. Easier to pick, simply cut the tops and let them air-dry for a week or 2. Strip when dry. Very fragrant, pungent even. Here's the finished product, a fresh jar to get me thru 2017.”
Walter Einenkel writes—Giraffe population has decreased by 40% over the past 3 decades: “The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recently updated its international list of threatened species to add giraffes. Over the last 30 years, giraffe numbers have dropped by 40 percent across the globe, from around 151,702 to 163,452 individuals in 1985 to 97,562 giraffes in 2015, said officials who updated the threatened species list for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).The update was released today (Dec. 8) at the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Cancun, Mexico. The stresses on giraffes over the past few decades include loss of habitat, civil unrest and illegal hunting, according to the IUCN.”
PHScott writes—The Daily Bucket: Mudbugs! “or you may call them Crawfish, Crawdads or Crayfish, their more common common name. This photo was taken back in October at Spring Canyon in Gadsden County Florida. This is the steephead-fed beginnings of Crooked Creek. I had no idea there were mudbugs here and was happy to spot 2 that morning. This is in a steady flow about 3-4” deep. Wiki tells me there are 3 families of crawfish in North America with the Southeast having more species than anywhere else. Nice to see they are native to the PNW altho there are invasive species everywhere as they have been purposely introduced or released as former pets. I don’t know enough to identify this species pictured but, given where it is, I’ll assume it is native.”
Kestrel writes—Dawn Chorus: Birds of Late and Open Thread: “I was out at the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area between Sacramento and Davis yesterday here in Northern California. Now that it’s December, the wintering ducks are out now in full force — Mallards, Northern Shovelers, Gadwalls, Cinnamon Teals, Northern Pintails and more. I also saw lots of raptors yesterday, including this lovely little American Kestrel. I also saw this Sora, a seldom-seen and very tricky bird to ever capture in a photo. If you ever manage to catch a glimpse of one, it’s usually just for a brief window before the bird disappears again in the reeds. That’s exactly what happened with this one. It was visible for maybe 10 seconds before it was gone.”
Besame writes—Daily Bucket: once again nature tells humans we don't understand everything: “Some montane songbirds have defied expectations about how animals respond to warming temperatures. Ecologists hypothesized plant and animal populations would try to stay within their natural climate conditions and move north or upslope seeking cooler temperatures as climate change heats up their habitats. But a new study of lowland and montane birds in New Hampshire found instead that the majority of montane species went to lower elevations. While other studies have reported individual species moving downslope or south, this is the first to document the majority of an area’s bird community moving against expectations. Testing the accuracy of this hypothesis is possible and necessary because the big climate change experiment is underway.”
Besame writes—Daily Bucket: What's your invasive species headache? We have laws about this you know: “Now that ample autumn rains have softened the soil, my main outdoor task is yanking Scotch broom seedlings — thousands of them. Each place I’ve lived has had its own particular alien invaders. The unholy trinity of privet, pistache, and Ailanthus (tree-of-hell) won the war at one home and took over the whole town. While I don’t expect to win the broom war, I hope to slow down colonization of my home territory and win the battle. . . eventually. Could be worse. The mosquitoes spreading Zika are invasive species. So are one of the largest snake species in the world, Burmese pythons. Due to global warming both might be moving into my territory, but President Obama is fighting on my side. On December 6th, Obama increased national protection from non-human foreign invaders with an Executive Order: Safeguarding the Nation from the Impacts of Invasive Species. The Order notes that invasive species spread diseases and ...pose threats to prosperity, security, and quality of life. They have negative impacts on the environment and natural resources, agriculture and food production systems, water resources, human, animal, and plant health, infrastructure, the economy, energy, cultural resources, and military readiness. Every year, invasive species cost the United States billions of dollars in economic losses and other damages.”
Lenny Flank writes—Photo Diary: A Hawk Has His Lunch: “This hawk caught a bird for his lunch at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, and leisurely ate in a nearby tree as I watched. he watched me for a short time, then apparently decided that I wasn’t gonna steal his lunch. When he was done, all that remained were some bones in a tree and some feathers on the ground.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - winter sunset (& moon question): “We’ve been getting some clear patches in the sky lately for a change — very welcome after two months of overcast and rain. Sunny today in the Pacific Northwest and below freezing: we are feeling the effects of Arctic air funneling through the Fraser River gap. Northeast wind. On a recent walk out to a local bluff we enjoyed a beautiful sunset. [...] On the way home I noted the crescent moon was low in the sky. This conflicts with articles on the internet that say the moon tracks high in the sky in winter and low in summer (for example, curious.astro.cornell.edu/...). I took some photos to prove its position here in December. From my observations, the moon varies its track in the sky throughout the month, usually high in the sky around the full moon. If any readers have an explanation why the moon does not follow the ecliptic like the planets do, I’d be very interested to hear what’s going on.”
owktree writes—Daily Bucket: Decapod Equality Scuttle: “The ADDL (Anti-Decapod Defamation League) has organized a march scuttle to protest their being referred to repeatedly as ‘bugs.’ Sea bugs, Mud bugs, or whatever — ten legs are better than or equal to eight legs, six legs, much less two!”
CLIMATE CHAOS
Walter Einenkel writes—Turns out that Breitbart article the House Science Committee tweeted out is a con job: “The Breitbart drivel above relies heavily on this story by David Rose. David Rose’s story doesn’t actually link to the “evidence” he pretends to give and that ‘evidence’ isn’t real. ‘They’re not serious articles,’ said Adam Sobel, a Columbia University climate scientist. ‘They paint it as though it’s an argument between Breitbart and Buzzfeed when it’s an argument between a snarky Breitbart blogger and the entire world’s scientific community, and the overwhelming body of scientific evidence.’ Sobel said the articles ‘grossly misinterpret’ a few accurate details, for instance that El Niño and La Niña systems play a large role in single-year fluctuations. “The temperature goes up for a couple of years and we have the largest year on record, then it goes down and it reaches a level that’s still well above 20th-century historical averages,” he said. ‘That in no way disproves anything about the causes of the long-term temperature trends.’ The House Science Committee is really taking a page from Donald Trump by using social media to propagate lies. However, it isn’t a new thing they are doing. Republicans love to take over government departments in order to defund and abuse those posts until no one believes in those government jobs as having any civil worth.”
sharkmouth writes—Let's get down to business, to protect the earth: “The only reason to invest (in anything) is to make money. We can’t wait for Federal (or even State) clean air/water/power laws, since those would just get tied up in court like all the rest. We need to make carbon-producing investments cost more than any profit. The average amoral businessperson doesn’t give a damn what they’re selling; they only care about the profit margin. If the profit margin in solar power, wind power, or anything else suddenly jumps while oil/coal plummets, hell yeah they’d switch over in a heartbeat. I don’t have the answers. But I figured, with all the various posts, we needed at least one where we could figure out a few other ways to tackle this. So I’m just going to toss a few things out there, and maybe we can brainstorm some additional strategies. 1. Figure out the investors behind the biggest carbon-producing companies, like the ones behind DAPL, Kinder Morgen, etc. I know there’s been action going on against DAPL investors, but we need to find a way to step it up, and then expand to include other pipelines/companies.”
gmoke writes—McKinsey and Company Talks Energy and Climate at MIT: “On November 21, 2016 Scott Nyquist of McKinsey & Company (www.mckinsey.com) spoke to the public at MIT's Sloan School (docs.google.com/...). Over the next 20 years, there are projections for 80% more demand on resources as a result of growing populations and growing economic production. However, higher energy intensity, efficiency, and slower GDP growth leads McKinsey and Company to consider a less than base case view. McKinsey sees 74% of our energy still coming from fossil fuels by 2050, with an energy related CO2 peak by 2035, and a similar peak in transportation by 2025. COP 21, the Paris Agreement, has businesses going ahead and beyond waiting for negotiation, regulations and governments. Nyquist pointed us toward not only the Energy Transitions Commission (www.energy-transitions.org), 28 leaders from business who recognize that COP21 is not enough and are setting zero carbon as a planning goal but also the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (www.oilandgasclimateinitiative.com), 10 companies with 20% of global oil and gas production, which has pledged $1 billion for low carbon technology. The top 4 emitters, US, China, India, the EU, are planning 4 - 2.5% improvements per year in energy productivity now and that will continue. China is forecast to exceed the EU, US, India combined in zero carbon energy growth over the next 20 years. They will have a large nuclear component to their energy mix. Even the Saudis are diversifying from oil.”
poopdogcomedy writes—RI-Sen: Whitehouse (D) On Fighting Climate Change, "I Can’t Let Our Country Become An Idiot Country": “Well said: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) is determined to see the United States act on climate change. In the last four years, he has delivered 150 speeches — amounting to 50 hours on the Senate floor — about the threat of global warming. ‘I can’t let our country become an idiot country,’ Whitehouse told Circa in a video interview published Monday. ‘I wish that we had made more progress,’ he added. ‘I keep hoping that one of [the speeches] will be like the Chinese water torture drop that finally makes the other side break and say, “Alright, I can’t take it any longer,” but that hasn’t happened quite yet.’”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—An Inconvenient Truth: Trump Won’t Change on Climate: “Al Gore was the latest participant in the President-elect’s Parade of Pandering, meeting with daughter Ivanka and then The Donald himself. Might this mean we might see a change his position on climate change? And will the impeccably cited letter to Ivanka or interview with RFK Jr on the Dakota Access Pipeline, both published in the Observer, which is owned by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, make a difference? Does any of this portend a softening of Trump’s denial? Not anymore than his waffling at The New York Times interview, or the uncovering of the fact that his golf course in Scotland lists climate change as a reason to build a seawall, or his own signature on a decade-old open letter calling for climate action. Because the day after the meeting with Gore, Trump’s transition team named five new members of the EPA landing team: David Kreutzer (Heritage), Austin Lipari (Federalist), David Schnare (EELI), Dave Stevenson (Caesar Rodney Institute), and George Sugiyama. Of the five of them, only two aren’t with groups receiving funding from the Kochs.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Pielke Pouts in WSJ, Conveniently Forgets To Mention His Own Guilt: “The Wall Street Journal’s opinion page continues to function as a home for wayward lukewarmers with a new piece by Roger Pielke Jr. (You know it’s a solid, fact-based and totally accurate piece because it’s covered in the Daily Mail.) In it, Pielke complains about the harsh treatment he received for his first post at FiveThirtyEight back in 2014. This is in the news again because in one of the leaked Podesta emails, a Climate Progress editor told a funder that the group’s many debunkings of Pielke were responsible for Pielke’s exit from the website. (This is obviously not the first time leaked emails have been part of the climate debate; see this great comparison of Climategate and Wikileaks for more.) Pielke uses this reheated story as an excuse to play the victim, a favorite pursuit andtalking point of deniers who get called out for being wrong. But as ATTP points out, Pielke is no stranger to criticizing others, despite his own work regularly being ‘worthy of criticism.’”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Knowledge is Power! To Deny or Accept, Unfortunately: “Dan Kahan, who studies how our culture influences our perceptions of science at Yale’s Cultural Cognition Project, has released a new research note that looks at the interplay of open-mindedness, information and climate denial. Although Kahan has been criticized in the past for hewing too closely to his cultural cognition theories and disparaging other approaches more focused on, for example, the impact of consensus-based messaging, his research remains an important part of understanding why conservative leaning-people have embraced climate denial. The new note looks at the ‘perverse effects of actively open-minded thinking,’ or in plain language, how more open-minded conservatives are actually more likely to reject climate science the more they learn about it. One could say that their minds are open to denial, or to the rationalization process that aligns their preconceived notions and cultural preferences (that believes that climate change is a liberal concern) to the information they learn. It seems to be something of an affirmation of the ‘back-fire effect,’ which tells us that when you try to bust a myth, it can have the perverse effect of reinforcing it for those that believe it.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Roundup Goes Gonzo: Fear and Loathing at Koch-Funded Trump “Shadow Transition Team” Event: “There was a climate denial event today, hosted by the Heritage Foundation, which has been described as Trump’s ‘shadow transition’ Team, and Texas Public Policy Foundation. The following is a first-person account of a day-long descent into madness. There was a great diversity of speakers across the six sessions. There were speeches by men from Congress, men from think tanks, men from fossil fuel companies and lobby groups, men from science and a man of law addressing the gathering. Women were also allowed at the event, to give the introductory and dinner keynote addresses and allowed an occasional emceeing role.I tuned in 10 minutes late thinking I’d catch the tail end of the introductory remarks. Instead, I was immediately greeted by Rep. Lamar Smith making an apology for Senator Mike Lee not being there — he was voting on something, apparently. Before long, Smith was bragging about the 25 subpoenas he’s issued as chair of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. In the 21 years prior, the committee had issued… one. But then, he predicted that ’there won’t be near as many subpoenas in the coming Congress.’ Because when his fellow fossil fuel friends are running the show, what could he possibly want to investigate?”
systmx writes—An Inconvenient Truth: The Climate Reality Project - Watch And Take Action Now: “For those that are not aware, tonight began the 24 Hours of Reality by the Climate Reality Project. Hosted by Vice President Al Gore. The Climate Reality Project is devoted to powering the social revolution for climate action. Founded by Nobel Laureate Al Gore, the millions strong organization stands up to climate denial and spreads the truth about the climate crisis to empower our leaders to take action. Let’s do our part from the DK community to make a difference in one of the most important issues of today.”
Allen Insight writes—Our Last Chance To Solve Global Warming: “If we want to avoid climate catastrophe, we need our government to act quickly. Fortunately, all the we need to do is get more young people to vote for Climate Action in 2018 and beyond. And we are also quite lucky, because there are MILLIONS of these younger voters who do not vote regularly. More than enough to tip the elections to the Democrats. Mobilizing these voters to turn out in 2018 and 2020 will be the most effective action we can take to solve the climate crisis. And to mobilize these voters, we need powerful and specific messages about the dangers of global warming. Not the generic warnings about ‘extreme weather,’ but messages about a 129F summer in 2040 which begins mega-drought in the United States, agricultural collapse, and famine. Once these younger voters ‘get the message’ that voting for Climate Action is not ‘to save the Earth,’ but to ensure that they don’t starve to death during middle age, they will vote. And vote regularly.”
Cocob writes—Snails defeat Trump: Irish seawall scrapped. Trump will have to deal with the rising sea levels: “Snails accomplished what 16 Republican primary opponents and Hillary Clinton could not: defeat Donald Trump. The US president-elect just withdrew plans to build a massive seawall that would protect his Irish golf resort from rising sea levels caused by the climate change that he previously said is a Chinese hoax. Environmental activists opposed the development that would have extended 1.7 miles (2.8 kilometers) on Doughmore Beach in the Atlantic Coast village of Doonbeg, claiming that construction of the 15-foot limestone wall would have destroyed the EU-protected Carrowmore Dunes sand dune habitat that is home to the rare prehistoric snail, vertigo anguistor. I wonder what Trump supporters think their about their climate change denying President-Elect trying to build seawall to protect agains’t something that isn’t happening? After all Climate Change is a Chinese Hoax. Their meeting with Al Gore makes sense if your trying to save your properties from rising sea levels. Trump’s Florida property might be under water by 2030.”
VTGenie writes—Weather Channel tells Breitbart "News" to Shut the Hell Up.
Extreme Weather & Natural Phenomena
hsterndude writes—East Tennessee Wildfire Destroys 700+ structures, Death Toll at 11, Dolly Parton To Donate Millions: “ The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, covering over 522,000 acres between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee, is easily the most visited park in America. Hosting more than 10 million visitors a year, the park is known for its stunning mountain vistas, waterfalls and over 800 miles of hiking trails. [...] But the wildly popular park has suffered a huge setback recently, as wildfires burned through thousands of acres this past month. According to authorities working with the ATF (Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), a man-made fire is suspected in causing the fire, which began near the Chimney Tops trail on November 23, 2016.”
OCEANS, WATER, DROUGHT
Dan Bacher writes—Take Action ASAP: Oppose the Rider in Drought Relief Bill! “In the latest battle in the California water wars, another controversial drought bill authored by the Stewart Resnick-backed Congressman David Valadao under the guise of ‘drought relief’ is being moved through Congress in the lame duck session. ‘There is operational language in the bill that may take away Bay-Delta protections in order to over pump the Delta and the latest reports state that a ;last minute poison pill rider’ is intended to be included that will kill thousands of fishery jobs and rollback the Endangered Species Act, according to an action alert from Restore the Delta (RTD) issued on December 5. This ‘backroom deal’ may threaten thousands of fishing jobs on the West Coast and harm water quality.VWe need to remain vigilant about ongoing federal drought bills. Please pick up your phone now to call your Senators and House Representatives. Senator Boxer is considered a key player in this bill,; the group urged.”
You need to know about toxic Lake Okeechobee: “One of Florida’s big concerns is Lake Okeechobee, the lake that should be sending water to the drying Everglades. Instead, it’s held poorly in place by dikes and canals, all of which need constant maintenance by the US Corp of Engineers and other groups. But now the lake has become very polluted by farms and development around Orlando. The polluted water that leaves the lake under controlled outflow has damaged the waters of the Treasure Coast and its tourist industry. And, BigAg, in the form of BigSugar, plays a role in this story with no easy fix.”
DC & STATE-RELATED ECO-POLITICS
subir writes—Trump's transition team is planning a climate change witch-hunt at Energy Department: “...the Trump transition team has begun working on a list of “bad employees” at the Energy Department: Advisers to President-elect Donald Trump are developing plans to reshape Energy Department programs, help keep aging nuclear plants online and identify staff who played a role in promoting President Barack Obama’s climate agenda. The transition team has asked the agency to list employees and contractors who attended United Nations climate meetings, along with those who helped develop the Obama administration’s social cost of carbon metrics, used to estimate and justify the climate benefits of new rules. [...] Two Energy Department employees who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the questionnaire and said agency staff were unsettled by the Trump team’s information request.”
accumbens writes—Is Ivanka Trump Our Last Best Hope? “OK, I just threw up in my mouth and I’m writing this with the taste of vomit on my tongue and in my throat. Sour and burning is exactly where we are now as we watch Donald Trump assume the Presidency even before he is actually inaugurated as President. Given the passivity on the Democratic side, this was to be expected. The Dems are expert at leaving a vacuum for the other side to fill. So anyway, to the point … I just saw a report that Ivanka will be meeting with Al Gore to rap about climate change.”
Dan Bacher writes—Two top CA DWR officials are retiring at end of year: “Mark Cowin, the Director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and Carl Torgersen, the DWR Chief Deputy Director, will be retiring from their positions at the embattled agency at the end of 2016. News of the two officials' retirement, common knowledge in DWR for some time, was confirmed today by Nancy Vogel, Deputy Secretary for Communications of the California Natural Resources Agency. Vogel said she doesn't know who will be replacing them in their positions at DWR. In response to my question, ‘Will this have any impact on the deadlines for the California Water Fix?’ she also replied ‘No.’”
Senor Unoball writes—Drill Baby Drill: McMorris Rodgers Expected at Interior: “Well, at least it’s not Sarah Palin. Cold comfort, that, however. Donald Trump is expected to choose Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., to head the Department of the Interior. Rodgers is a strong proponent of oil and gas development projects, and does not believe in the science regarding human-caused global warming. The appointment could mean easier access for industry to more than a quarter of America's territory, ranging from national parks to tribal lands stretching from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico, where energy companies have been eager to drill and mine. … McMorris Rodgers, the fourth most senior member of the House leadership, has been a supporter of efforts to expand the U.S. energy industry. She voted for the Native American Energy Act, a bill that was vetoed by President Barack Obama in 2015, that would have made it easier to drill on tribal territories.”
Blue Tortoise writes—Trump expected to nominate Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers to lead Dept. of Interior: “As chair of the Republican conference, Rep. McMorris Rodgers (R, WA) is the fourth-ranking Republican in the House and the highest ranking woman in Republican leadership. She also serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has oversight over some of the issues that Interior handles. McMorris Rodgers was a co-sponsor of a 2011 bill that would have sold off 3 million acres of public lands. McMorris is also a supporter of Cliven Bundy:www.bundysbuddies.com”
Dan Bacher writes—Conservationists: McMorris Rodgers would plunder public land and waters as Interior Secretary: “Reports of President-elect Trump’s nomination of Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers to head the U.S. Department of the Interior have drawn outrage and concern from conservation groups and public trust advocates. McMorris Rodgers has served as U.S. Representative for the state of Washington's 5th congressional district that includes Spokane and the eastern third of the state. The five-term Republican is chair of the House GOP Conference and is vice chair of Trump’s transition team. The New York Times first reported news of her expected nomination. McMorris Rogers is beholden to the oil and gas, timber industry and other corporate interests - and seeks to open federal land and waters to fracking and other fossil fuel development, according to environmental groups. She received $109,600 from the oil and gas industry and $83,950 from the forestry and forest products industry in 2016, according to Open Secrets. bit.ly/.”
peagreen writes—So so sorry - McMorris Rodgers is the Pick for Interior Secretary. Of course: “McMorris Rodgers just a nightmare come true for Interior. News of the pick was swiftly criticized by environmentalists. League of Conservation Voters President Gene Karpinski said the selection amounted to ‘a massive “for sale” sign on our public lands.’ ‘McMorris Rodgers has been part of the Republican leadership of the most anti-environmental House of Representatives in history, and she has an abysmal 4% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard. She simply should not be put in charge of stewarding America’s wildlife, national parks and other majestic landscapes,’ Karpinski continued.”
David Nir writes—Dem senator slags Trump's EPA pick as 'science-denying, oil-soaked, climate change-causing polluter': “Yes! This is exactly the kind of backbone we want to see from congressional Democrats! Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, a longtime leader on the environment and a member of the Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee, is saying ‘hell no’ to Donald Trump’s pick of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head up the EPA: I will vigorously oppose Scott Pruitt’s nomination and urge President-elect Trump to stop nominating science-denying, oil-soaked, climate change-causing polluter allies to his cabinet. The American people want clean air and water and to protect the health of their kids. Those are the time-honored American values that President–elect Trump’s cabinet should reflect.’”
Michael Brune writes—An Enemy Within at the EPA: “Well, we knew this wasn’t going to be pretty — but it’s still shocking. Donald Trump wants to appoint Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt as administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Presumably this isn’t one of the personnel decisions where Trump supposedly took advice from President Obama. Pruitt is not only a climate science denier and fossil fuel apologist, he’s cast himself as a sworn enemy of the very agency he would be in charge of. If he’s confirmed — and we will do all we can to keep that from happening — then the EPA, which is sworn to protect us from polluters and which has been leading the federal charge on climate change, will be sabotaged from within. It’s like appointing Darth Vader to lead the Rebel Alliance. Regardless of how this nomination proceeds, though, Trump has made it clear how serious he is about siding with polluters and how little he cares about climate progress. He’s named climate denier Myron Ebell to lead the transition for EPA, regardless of who’s appointed. He’s named Koch brothers–funded clean energy opponent Thomas Pyle to lead the transition at the Department of Energy. As a Los Angeles Times headline declared, ‘Trump brings Koch network’s green energy foes from the fringe to the center of power.’ Even if Pruitt is rejected, it seems like the climate movement could be stalled.”
Lefty Coaster writes—Trump nominates Oklahoma AG Scott Pruitt, a shameless shill for Big Oil to head the EPA: ”Having someone like Pruitt who always puts industry prerogatives ahead environmental protection at a time when the planet is teetering on a tipping point for disastrous global warming Pruitt’s appointment would be an environmental disaster of unpresidented magnitude since the Great Extinction was triggered by an asteroid striking the earth and blotting out the sun’s rays. Pruitt would be an extremely serious blunder for all Americans.”
ursulafaw writes—Appointment Of Pruitt To Run EPA Sounds Death Knell For Obama's Environmental Legacy: “The selection of Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt to run the Environmental Protection Agency, is a blatant endorsement of climate change denying and worse than that, it indicates a mandate to erode President Obama's legacy, specifically with respect to climate change. Mr. Pruitt, a Republican, has been a key architect of the legal battle against Mr. Obama’s climate change policies, actions that fit with the president-elect’s comments during the campaign. Mr. Trump has criticized the established science of human-caused global warming as ahoax, vowed to ‘cancel’ the Paris accord committing nearly every nation to taking action to fight climate change, and attacked Mr. Obama’s signature global warming policy, the Clean Power Plan, as a ‘war on coal.’-- New York Times There is no ‘war on coal’ in Obama's Clean Power Plan except in the fevered imaginations of Republican propagandists. The displaced coal miners in West Virginia and Tennessee were packing themselves into field offices during the election to register to vote for Trump because Trump had promised them, ‘Work. So much work you won't know what to do with it.’”Michael Brune writes—
Paul Bland for Public Justice writes—Trump's EPA Nominee Is One of America's Most Anti-Environment Politicians: “The nomination signals that Trump has no intention of making America’s air, water or environment great again. In fact, Pruitt’s record in Oklahoma has – quite literally – shaken the state to its core. The state continues to be rocked by swarms of earthquakes of ever-increasing severity that have been unleashed by the oil and gas industry’s fracking operations. While Oklahomans were cleaning up the damage caused by those quakes, Pruitt was developing an ever-closer relationship with the industry responsible for the growing damage. The New York Times recently published 84 pages of documents between Pruitt and lawyers for Devon Energy that, the paper said, show an ‘unprecedented, secretive alliance that Mr. Pruitt and other Republican attorneys general have formed with some of the nation’s top energy producers to push back against’ environmental laws and regulations.”
MarcoCanepari writes—Trump’s EPA nomination his worst one yet: “Given that Trump loves to talk about bringing coal and gas back to America as well as his belief that climate change is a hoax, it is too much to hope that he will nominate someone committed to protecting our environment. But the EPA cannot have be led by someone who has made his career out of fighting the EPA. The American people should be alarmed at the prospect of a Pruitt and the Democratic Party must be prepared to fight this nomination above all else.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—With EPA Admin Pick, Trump Says to Polluters: Do It Pruitt: “The phrase ‘fox guarding the henhouse’ has been tossed around a lot lately, but is now more applicable than ever. Pruitt was not only at the center of the New York Times’ investigation that discovered a ‘unprecedented, secretive alliance’ between the fossil fuel industry and Republican Attorneys General, but is also a foe of the Humane Society of the United States. Yes, the man responsible for protecting animals and the environment in the Trump administration has harassed and criticized the most well-known animal-protecting charity in America, where people go to adopt puppies and help kitties find a home. Pruitt antagonized the group to the point that his predecessor, former Oklahoma AG Drew Edmondson, sued Pruitt on behalf of the Humane Society.”
ENERGY
voidstuff writes—Trump Appoints Koch Brothers Lobbyist to Energy Department Transition Team: “In his latest effort to drag American back to the 1950s, Donald Trump has appointed former Koch Industries lobbyist Thomas Pyle to handle his Energy Department transition. Trump not only envisions an era where white Americans ruled supreme, but also one where everything ran on fossil fuels and polluters could pollute with impunity. Pyle is the former head of the Institute for Energy Research, Koch-funded group that has lobbied to halt the development of green energy sources. According to the Los Angeles Times: For years, Pyle has led a coordinated national assault on renewable power. His groups and others that belong to the sprawling network bankrolled by Charles and David Koch, whose vast fortune stems originally from oil refining, pressure lawmakers to roll back policies that promote green power. The Koch network gave Pyle’s groups $3 million in 2015.”
Fossil Fuels
TomP writes—Trump Advisers Seek Oil Grab from Native American Reservations: “Native American reservations, which are only about 2% of land in this nation, may have as much as 20% of the oil reserves. As the Exploiters open the entire nation for super-exploitation, the eye of Sauron has turned its gaze to Native Americans. Now, a group of advisers to President-elect Donald Trump on Native American issues wants to free those resources from what they call a suffocating federal bureaucracy that holds title to 56 million acres of tribal lands, two chairmen of the coalition told Reuters in exclusive interviews. The group proposes to put those lands into private ownership — a politically explosive idea that could upend more than century of policy designed to preserve Indian tribes on U.S.-owned reservations, which are governed by tribal leaders as sovereign nations.”
Mark Sumner writes—Will Mitch McConnell lift a finger to help coal miners? “Coal jobs are not coming back. Cheap natural gas has caused over 300 coal-burning power plants to shut down, meaning there’s simply no demand for more coal. Nothing is going to change that. But Mitch McConnell can help both coal miners and mining communities. All it takes is supporting the RECLAIM Act. This popular bill would bring $1 billion over five years back to coal communities to clean up polluting mine sites that were abandoned by coal companies decades ago, creating jobs that use skills laid-off strip miners already have. The bill requires that these sites be reclaimed in ways that lead to community and economic development, and would bring a much-needed shot in the arm to our region during a time when we really need it. The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act put in place rules on how mine lands had to be reclaimed, but there are a lot of “pre-law” mine areas out there; areas where even decades after mining stopped acid runoff still flows from exposed mounds of untreated spoil.”
Renewables, Efficiency & Conservation
Hunter writes—Open thread for night owls: Google says it will reach 100% renewable energy parity in: “Google is using power purchase agreements to reach renewable energy parity with its needs: While not all facilities can be matched precisely with renewable energy sources, Google will purchase renewable energy to offset non-renewable power it does use. To reach this goal we’ll be directly buying enough wind and solar electricity annually to account for every unit of electricity our operations consume, globally. And we're focusing on creating new energy from renewable sources, so we only buy from projects that are funded by our purchases. Over the last six years, the cost of wind and solar came down 60 percent and 80 percent, respectively, proving that renewables are increasingly becoming the lowest cost option. Electricity costs are one of the largest components of our operating expenses at our data centers, and having a long-term stable cost of renewable power provides protection against price swings in energy.”
Pipelines & Other Oil and Gas Transport
Meteor Blades writes—A huzzah and thank you to the heroes and allies of the resistance against the Dakota Access Pipeline: “There was understandable joy in the Oceti Sakowin Camp Sunday after the Army Corps of Engineers announced what will be, at the very least, a long delay in further construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The Army said it will conduct an environmental impact statement of alternative routes. For months, Indians of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, representatives of more than 300 other tribes, and their non-Native allies have opposed construction of the North Dakota pipeline by putting their bodies on the line to oppose building it through ancestral Sioux lands and under the Missouri River, which supplies the reservation’s drinking water. Drumming, dancing, fireworks, and lots and lots of smiling took place after the Army’s decision was announced.”
Meteor Blades writes—In huge victory, Army Corps of Engineers calls for full environmental impact statement on pipeline: “The Army Corps of Engineers has announced that it will require a full environmental impact statement for the section of the Dakota Access Pipeline that crosses Sioux ancestral lands and passes under the Missouri River. Here is the statement from the Standing Rock Sioux: ‘Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that it will not be granting the easement to cross Lake Oahe for the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline. Instead, the Corps will be undertaking an environmental impact statement to look at possible alternative routes. We wholeheartedly support the decision of the administration and commend with the utmost gratitude the courage it took on the part of President Obama, the Army Corps, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior to take steps to correct the course of history and to do the right thing. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and all of Indian Country will be forever grateful to the Obama Administration for this historic decision. We want to thank everyone who played a role in advocating for this cause.”
Jen Hayden writes—Veterans at Standing Rock shock tribe members, beg forgiveness for war crimes against tribal nations: Jon Eagle Sr., Tribal Historic Preservation Officer at Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has reported something wholly unexpected happened at the Standing Rock Reservation today. The veterans gathered to join the Dakota Pipeline protest stunned the gathered tribal members when they took a knee and asked for forgiveness:
Samer writes—BREAKING GOOD News: Gov't DENIES easement for DAPL.
Angela Marx writes—BREAKING NEWS: #StandWithStandingRock VICTORY: “My personal thanks to every person who was able and did take a stand and travel to Standing Rock in support of the Water Protectors. Special thanks go out to the many U.S. Veterans who stood up and showed up to be a shield for these brave people. (according to information on the video feed featured below was 4,000 Veterans!) ‘So happy to have a great FEEL GOOD story to share with you all! ‘I don’t know about the rest of you, but it feels to me like that moment when Galdalf the Grey planted his Staff firmly in front of the Balrog and shouted, ‘YOU SHALL NOT PASS!’”
Chase Iron Eyes writes—BREAKING UPDATE: OBAMA DENIES DAPL EASEMENT. LIVE UPDATE FROM STANDING ROCK: “Dear Daily Kos friends, we won!!!! Here’s the live freed from the Lakota People’s Law Project Team.”
rebel ga writes—Let us; not, be distracted. Update Standing Rock Protectors, Win! Dakota Pipeline Route, Denied.
6412093 writes—What Might Happen Next for the Dakota Access Pipeline? ”Kudos to the water protectors, who convinced the Army Corps to deny a crucial permit to the Dakota Access Pipeline. The Corps also announced it would require preparation of a full Environmental Impact Statement for rerouting of the pipeline. Since 1970, a new law obligated Agencies to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS for large projects. The EIS process also includes allowing public comment on new projects like pipelines and dams at public hearings.The disastrous oil well blowout near Santa Barbara in 1969 spurred the new law. An EIS must comprehensively describe a proposed project and its likely impacts, and review potential project alternatives. Previously, developments like large dams or refineries would often obtain their permits while providing only scanty details about the project’s safety. The EIS process can be cumbersome. Some refer to an EIS as a ‘paper monkeywrench’ to delay projects, referencing the Edward Abbey tome, but in a good way.”
Vetwife writes—The enemy has responded....Nothing has changed they say. Trump will allow Pipeline as is: “ Well, here we go. CNN was reporting that that DAPL is calling the decision of the Federal government purely political and nothing has changed. They plan on completing project under Trump. From the NY Post. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday said for the first time that he supports the completion of a pipeline project near a North Dakota Indian reservation, which has been the subject of months of protests by tribes and environmentalists. A communications briefing from Trump’s transition team said despite media reports that Trump owns a stake in Energy Transfer Partners, the company building the pipeline, Trump’s support of the pipeline ‘has nothing to do with his personal investments and everything to do with promoting policies that benefit all Americans.’ This is going to get real ugly real fast.”
LakeSuperior writes—Federal Judge Turns Down Quick Decision on Dakota Access Pipeline Lake Oahe Easement: “The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Federal D.C. District Judge James Boasberg today denied a requested motion by Energy Transfer Partners for rapid issuance of a court order granting the company an easement through federal lands through and near Lake Oahe for the Dakota Access Pipeline. Instead, the Judge ordered the pipeline company and the Army Corps to submit additional motions and pleadings by January 31, 2017. The decision means any judicial granting of the requested easement will necessarily be delayed until after President Obama leaves office….thus foreclosing any possible easement issuance decision from either the courts [or the Army Corps] until at least the end of January, 2017 when Donald Trump will assume the presidency [ugh!].ff”
Benamery21 writes—CAUTION: DAPL is playing possum, not yet dead: “While I understand the desire to celebrate the remarkable achievement of the Water Protectors in forcing Big Oil, the Feds, and LEO’s to stand down in their thuggish rush to complete this major pipeline with callous disregard for the indigenous and environmental stakeholders, human rights, or public sentiment, this is not the first setback faced by this multi-billion dollar project. They aren’t throwing in the towel, just lying doggo. Right now, the eyes of the nation are on Standing Rock, and the outrages there can’t easily be swept under the rug. The forces of reaction are in retreat, but be assured, they are not defeated yet, merely strategically withdrawing.”
Justanowlinaz writes—DAPL Pipeline postponed until 01/20/17: “Come on people, just how gullible are you? Do you REALLY think Trump will not greenlight DAPL, and every other pipeline in the pipeline just because the Army Corp of Engineers gets in the way.”
VictorLaszlo writes—Dakota Access Pipeline companies vow to continue as planned: “Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (NYSE: ETP) and Sunoco Logistics Partners L.P. (NYSE: SXL) announced that the Administration’s statement today that it would not at this time issue an ‘easement’ to Dakota Access Pipeline is a purely political action – which the Administration concedes when it states it has made a ‘policy decision’ – Washington code for a political decision. This is nothing new from this Administration, since over the last four months the Administration has demonstrated by its action and inaction that it intended to delay a decision in this matter until President Obama is out of office. For more than three years now, Dakota Access Pipeline has done nothing but play by the rules. The Army Corps of Engineers agrees, and has said so publicly and in federal court filings.”
LakeSuperior writes—Standing Rock, Blizzard Warnings & the Army Corps Decision Memorandum: “I’ve seen absolutely no mention of this December 4, 2016 Army Corps of Engineers decision memorandum in any of the press coverage of the Dakota Access Pipeline matter: http://mwalliancenow.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Document-65-1.pdf Note that the memo and decision is not a revocation of the July, 2016 permitting under the Rivers and Harbors Act and Clean Water Act addressing Dakota Access Pipeline at the proposed Lake Oahe crossing. The memo reveals that 4 portions of the record were held as confidential and were not provided or shared with the public or the Standing Rock Tribe up to the present time. These included material on spill modeling, engineering risk assessment on horizontal drilling/boring, detailed materials on the northern route planning alternative and environmental justice analysis. [...] The decision memo explicitly defends the legal legitimacy of all past Army Corps of Engineers decisionmaking on the proposed Lake Oahe crossing. The memo also contemplates the possibility that the existing installed/completed route and the existing proposed crossing at Lake Oahe could still be approved after supplementation of the record called for by the memo.”
Leah Sellers writes—The Lost and Found Standing Ground of Standing Rock: A poem.
Madtownpopulist writes—Special Snowflake (Trump climate change edition)! “Either the kos is becoming a politicized version of the Weather Channel — latest breaking update on the state of the snowflakes. But with Myron Ebell as likely head of the EPA and the Koch brothers soon to have having carte blanche on their dirty energy, deregulating agenda, there is not going to be many snowflakes of any kind — because no snowflake is special when they have melted into the hell of rising temperatures and ocean levels. But wait, these dire prospects do not seem to matter because our community seems seriously stuck in the anger phase of the seven stages of grief. Whose freakin’ fault is it we lost?— your FAULT, you selfish special snowflake! No, its your Fault! and I am not special snowflake, you doctrinaire dogmatist! and on and fucking on. Do snowflakes fiddle, cause you know, we are about to burn?”
pantherchap writes—Where is the tipping point? “Monday will be an interesting day in North Dakota. I would imagine you know more of what’s going on there than I do. (I do have a cousin who has actually gone up there for a spell to join the protests.) Follow the link to a short summary of the conflict. To me just looking at the map makes my white guilt boil. The original proposed line went north of Bismarck. It was changed due to danger to the drinking water there to run south of Bismarck, through disputed land, and “if” the pipeline leaks it will just screw the Standing Rock Reservation. The tribe is protesting. We’ve seen the water cannons and dogs and the collection of private and state and federal agencies countering the protestors. It remains a stalemate. Now the Governor of North Dakota has ordered — because of a snowstorm — that the protest camp be evacuated by Monday. The protestors have said they are not going anywhere. Two thousand veterans have bravely volunteered to act as human shields. On Monday, the “poop” hits the fan so to speak.”
MarcoCanepari writes—Dakota Pipeline protestors have right idea, but misguided: “The environmentalist protestors have the best intentions in fighting the pipeline, and there is certainly merit in the idea that pipelines should be examined more carefully to prevent leaks from contaminating groundwater. Many Salt Lake injury lawyers have spoken of countless cases of pipelines causing damage in Utah. But shutting down the Dakota Access pipeline will not actually stop oil from being transported out of North Dakota, nor will it do anything to reduce our society’s demand for oil. Instead of fighting pipelines, environmentalists should commit to measures which will actually help reduce fossil fuel consumption. For example, environmentalists should be leading efforts to promote a carbon tax which will make oil and gas more expensive and thus less desirable. And as the Trump administration openly discusses cutting back on climate change research and rambles about creating more coal and oil jobs, the green movement needs to fight harder than ever to educate the public about the real, dangerous effects of a warmer planet.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
mahdahgal writes—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging: Putting down new roots: “The propagation of Epiphyllum Hookeri syn.: epiphyllum strictum has begun. Twenty tidy little green plastic pots sit in the cold, dark garage hopefully putting down new roots. [...] This labor took substantially longer than expected and forced me to learn a new lesson...read every review on Amazon about how many holes are in the bottom of starting pots. [...] The growth habit of this strange plant is untidy. It produces 1-3 ft needle-less stalks sprouting from the pot, half way up or from the top of an existing paddle or both. The plant is pollinated by the sphinx moth and horn worm (bye-bye tomatoes), cross-pollinated by the hawk moth, and draws bats. A mature plant averages 6’ tall x 4’ in diameter or larger and will climb. Blooms ranging from 4-7” diameter happen on pot-bound new growth starting in late spring in my growing zone 8b. Although they thrive year-round in tropical zones, here they need to be brought in when nighttime temps go to 40 degrees. It’s a twice-yearly challenge to get these unwieldy monsters in and out the house doors. Lots of broken stalks become cuttings.”
MISCELLANY
Judge’s Radical Exxon Ruling Could Turn The Legal System Upside Down - Alice in Wonderland Time: “Dallas-based United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade has granted permission to oil and gas giant ExxonMobil to question under oath Massachusetts’ attorney general, Maura Healey, and New York’s attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, as to their motivations for [climate-related] investigations of the company. Issuing orders in a lawsuit filed by ExxonMobil, a case aimed at stopping Healey from going forward with her investigation, Judge Kinkeade has directed the two AGs to come to Dallas on December 13 to face depositions from ExxonMobil’s high-powered legal team. Buoyed by the judge’s ruling, and possessing seemingly-limitless resources to engage in litigation, ExxonMobil also now has issued subpoenas in the case to non-profit environmental groups and private lawyers that provided advice and information to the two attorneys general.”
6412093 writes—The Daily Bucket--Hooray for the Environmental Impact Statement: “Since 1970, a new law obligates many federal agencies to document their projects’ impacts on the natural world, and to allow public comment on ventures such as pipelines, new highway routes, dams and other projects at public hearings. The disastrous oil well blowout near Santa Barbara in 1969 spurred the new law, which requires preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS for large federal projects. An EIS must comprehensively describe a proposed project and its likely impacts, and review project alternatives. Previously, developers of large dams, refineries and other major industrial developments would often obtain their permits while providing only scanty details about the project’s safety. The reviewing agencies for the 1000-mile Trans-Alaska crude oil Pipeline prepared one of the first EISes under the new law in 1971. That EIS ballooned from its initial 294 pages to 3500 pages in 9 volumes, as it responded to 12,000 comments.”
citisven writes—Small Victories: San Francisco poised to recycle almost everything the material world spits out: “A few weeks ago I went on a tour of the new state-of-the-art upgrade at Recycle Central, San Francisco's 200,000-square-foot recycling plant on Pier 96 run by San Francisco's garbage resource recovery company Recology. Ever since I wrote Where No City Has Gone Before: San Francisco Will Be World’s First Zero-Waste Town by 2020, I've had the opportunity to delve more deeply into the composting component of my city's efforts to make the very idea of garbage obsolete, but up until this year I hadn't set foot in the place where the contents of our blue bins go to get reborn.”
Webster Hubble Telescope writes—Then what causes wind variability?