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| The
Evolving Science of Climate Change |
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Contrary
to many assertions in the public sphere, the science of climate
change is NOT "over." In fact, it is changing in remarkable
ways and at an alarming pace.
What
has the field of climate science learned since publication
in 2007 of the IPCC's 4th Assessment Reports?
(Ask
your local Nobel laureate...) |
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[Our Resident Nobel Laureate]
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| University
of Copenhagen |
| 2009 |
"Key
Messages from the Congress," International Scientific
Congress Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges & Decisions,
(Copenhagen, Denmark, 12 March 2009). |
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| The
Social Appropriation of the Scientific Understanding of Climate |
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| Understanding
the multiple social implications of climate change is a topic
that is becoming the subject of wide-scale discussion around
the world. Consider this recent exchange on a radio talk-show
program broadcast in Boston with participants from Australia
and Washington, D. C. |
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"The
Great Disruption," NPR - WBUR - On Point
(11 March 2009 10:00 AM EST). |
Just
when the scientists were meeting in Copenhagen to update the
science for the policy makers to reflect new data obtained
since June 2006, in Washington, D.C., a very different series
of meetings took place over several days.
Consider
The "PowerShift09" Movement: |
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Susan
Sarandon
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| 2009 |
"Susan
Sarandon: Take a Stand," YouTube - greenpeaceusa, (12
February 2009). |
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| This
is, perhaps, the beginning of a mass-based social movement,
with all the advantages and disadvantages that these kind of
movements represent: |
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YouTube
- energyaction |
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"This
is PowerShift," YouTube - energyaction, (28 February
2009). |
| Meanwhile,
there continue to be critiques of the scientific message offered
by "climate skeptics" from groups who also claim to
speak for "science." |
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Andrew
C. Revkin, "Warming
Isn’t a Big Worry at Skeptics’ Meeting,"
The New York Times, (9 March 2009). |
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Proceedings
of the second International Conference on Climate Change,
The Heartland Institute, (New York, 8-10 March 2009). |
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Not
Evil Just Wrong: The True Cost of Global Warming Hysteria,
Not Evil Just Wrong |
| And
columnists like Jeff Jacoby and George Will continue to spout
disinformation and misingormation alond with the entire Fox
News Network. The constant effort is not to convince
but to confuse the pubic in order to render any collective
action -- like new legislation -- impossible. The attempt is
to keep "the debate" going by bringing it back to
"square one" and not allowing people to move together
in a direction of positive change. |
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Jeff
Jacoby, "Where's
global warming?," The Boston Globe, (8 March 2009). |
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John
Kerry,
"Facts Are Stubborn Things: George Will and Climate Change,"
Alternet.Org, (28 February 2009). |
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"Fox
News: Split-Opinions On Global Warming," YouTube, (8
March 2009). |
| Meanwhile,
the divisions between the global "North" and the global
"South" are continuing to heat up: |
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James Kanter, "UN
warns EU to keep promise on climate aid," International
Herald Tribune, (17 March 2009). |
| To
see how little this exchange has developed since the IPCC 4th
Assessment Reports,, take a look at what was being said 2 years
ago.... |
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Caution
urged on climate 'risks'," BBC News Online, (17 March
2007) |
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"Climate
Scientists Caution about Global Warming," Newshour
BBC, (17 March 2007) |
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"Al
Gore Snowjob," YouTube, (2 August 2008). |
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| In
addition, over the last several years there have been further
chapters in the ongoing saga: "Boys
and Girls Behaving Badly -- On Capitol Hill...." |
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"Boxer
Admonishes Inhofe," CBS News Online, (21 March 2007). |
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In
the process, the entire definition of "pollution" has
changed....
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| Over
the past year the
definition of "pollution" has changed, and the question
arises, should EPA be allowed to regulate these kinds of ads? |
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Remember
the Competitive Enterprise Institute's "We
Call it Life" Campaign |
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So,
what are local communities beginning to do about it? |
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As
they witness the total collapse of national leadership on climate
issues, individual communities across the country are beginning to
get themselves organized on the local level -- so much so that this
trend is gaining international recognition: |
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"City
Mayors Act on Climate Change," BBC - One Planet, (20 March
2008). |
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and
news from "...our fair city..." is encouraging in this regard: |
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"Save Energy,
Money and the Planet," PBS - NOW, (28 March 2008). |
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The
EJ connection... |
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Moreover,
on a significan scale, the social justice movement is joining hands
with the climate change enthusiasts to focus upon how transforming
the American economy and national priorities can have the potential
power to redress some of the patterns of environmental injustice in
our culture: |
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"Van
Jones," PBS - Tavis Smiley, (27 March 2007). |
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In
fact, there are numerous voices emerging during this election year
from all quarters of the enviromental and political spectrum trying
to come to terms with climate issues. Civic leaders, NGOs and the
public are large seems to be ahead of all the available political
leadership on the horizon. |
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2008
Aspen Environment Forum, Aspen Institute (27-29 March 2008). |
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Indeed,
former politicians have all but given up on the political process
and turned instead to plan massive ad campaigns. See: |
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Andrew
C. Revkin, "Madison
Avenue Sells S.U.V.’s. Can It Sell Climate Action?," The
New York Times, (31 March 2008), and in particular |
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