climate change

Conservation Scientist Discusses Problems, Potential in the Environmental Movement

Erica Peterson — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:58:57 +0000

A leading conservation scientist will speak at the University of Louisville tomorrow about the ways the environmental movement can better tackle subjects like climate change.

Experts Discuss Climate Change, Polar Bears...and Polar-Grizzly Bear Hybrids

Erica Peterson — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:27:54 +0000

Last week, on International Polar Bear Day, WFPL and the Louisville Zoo hosted a discussion about polar bears and climate change in WFPL's studio. The panelists were:

Today: Scientists to Discuss Wildlife and Climate Change on International Polar Bear Day

Erica Peterson — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:38:00 +0000

Wednesday is International Polar Bear Day, and the Louisville Zoo and WFPL are marking the occasion with a panel discussion about wildlife and climate change. The panelists include:

Rep. Whitfield: EPA Will Have 'a Big Battle on Their Hands' With Greenhouse Gas Rules

Erica Peterson — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 16:33:18 +0000

Kentucky Congressman Ed Whitfield was on Platts Energy Week this weekend, responding to the energy and climate change issues President Obama mentioned in his State of the Union address. Whitfield, a Republican, is the chairman of the House Energy and Power subcommittee, and the interview can be summed up like this:

Congressional action on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions is preferable than EPA action;
...but it will be hard to pass any sort of market-based approach through Congress.
And really, is it necessary to regulate greenhouse gases?

Senators to Introduce Variation on Carbon Tax to Address Climate Change

Erica Peterson — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:59:01 +0000

Senators Barbara Boxer (D-California) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) are expected to unveil their version of a carbon tax today.

But the legislation won't be like anything that's been considered before.

From the San Francisco Chronicle:

Called "fee and dividend," the legislation is an unusual variant on a carbon tax. It would impose a fee on carbon emissions at their source, such as coal mines, raising the price of fossil fuel energy.

NRDC Director: Canadian Tar Sands Expansion Would Be Disastrous for the Environment

Erica Peterson — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:31:20 +0000

A year ago, President Obama rejected a proposed pipeline to transport oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The Keystone XL pipeline is touted by oil companies as a way to expand the amount of oil that’s produced from the tar sands in Alberta, but its construction raises concerns about the environmental effects and climate change.

Report Shows Effect of Waste Heat on Urban Temperatures

Erica Peterson — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:09:32 +0000

A new study says the heat that’s released from buildings and transportation in major urban areas can affect the temperature in cities far away.

The study was published Sunday in Nature Climate Change, and is the first to look at the effects of waste heat on temperature changes. The researchers found that the heat that’s released from buildings and cars in urban areas in the northern hemisphere can raise the temperature by about one degree Celsius.

Environmental Groups Tout Carbon Capture as Part of Climate Change Solution

Erica Peterson — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 19:12:19 +0000

A coalition of environmental groups say they’re supporting more widespread use of carbon capture and sequestration technology. The ENGO Network—which includes representatives from the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Clean Air Task Force and the Environmental Defense Fund, among others—announced the position at the UN climate talks in Doha, Qatar, yesterday.

NYT Looks at Whether Climate Change Could Have a "Silver Lining" for Cities

Erica Peterson — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 18:38:25 +0000

As some degree of climate change is already evident, scientists are beginning to look at whether slightly warmer temperatures in American cities could have some indirectly positive benefits.

Obviously, most of the events associated with climate change are anything but positive: ie. flooding and hotter summers. But along with studying how to mitigate those factors, scientists are looking at ways cities could use those warmer temperatures to fight climate change.

The Dust Bowl: Ken Burns Chronicles an Environmental Disaster

Erica Peterson — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:11:41 +0000

Last night, the second part of Ken Burns' latest documentary premiered on PBS. "The Dust Bowl" tells the story of the people who farmed the Great Plains in the 1920s and 1930s; many stayed on once the ground dried up and dust storms became commonplace, while others moved west to find work.