Climate science denialism papers get leaked

The organized efforts to deny that climate change is happening has received attention this past week, thanks to uncovered documents that show who is sponsoring the movement and what their agenda is going forward. Internal reports show that the right-wing think tank, the Heartland Institute, is being funded by the Koch brothers, Microsoft, and many tobacco companies. Most alarming is word that the group is attempting to develop a K-12 schoolhouse “global warming curriculum” that presents climate science as “a major scientific controversy.” The revelations have embarrassed the Institute to the extent it has questioned the veracity of stolen documents. One environmental activist has admitted to posing as someone else to obtain the documents. Now you know how it feels to be illegally hacked, say climate scientists in a letter to the Heartland Institute.

In other environmental news from the past week...

A new U.S. government push toward curbing global warming
The U.S. State Department, led by Hillary Clinton, is tackling an effort to do something about climate change by focusing on “short lived pollutants.” According to a briefing given by an unidentified State Department official last week on background, a focus on reducing methane, black carbon, and hydrofluorocarbons would “have a larger impact than people generally recognize.” These emissions account for one-third of current global warning, the official said, and that by taking “16 major actions” to reduce these short lived pollutants, global warming could be curbed by a half degree Celsius by 2050. Here’s the full text of the speech and the Q&A conducted with reporters.

Mixed reports about the dangers of air toxins
The Environmental Protection Agency has released a long-awaited report concerning dioxins in the air. According to the agency, the toxic chemicals can be extremely dangerous, but thanks to a 90 percent reduction in dioxin emissions since 1987, they do not pose a “significant health risk.” Good news, but the dangers of other air pollutants still abound. For instance, new research has identified tiny particles known as secondary organic aerosols as a lethal substance that causes heart and lung disease and kills at least 50,000 Americans each year. “If the authors’ analysis is correct, the public is now facing a false sense of security in knowing whether the air they breathe is indeed safe,” said Bill Becker, of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies.

Gas production becomes hot political issue…again
House Republicans have passed a bill that would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, do the same off the coast of the Atlantic and reinvigorate the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline. The vote was mostly on party lines and while it stands absolutely no chance of being signed into law by President Barack Obama, it represents what’s likely to be one of the biggest issues in the presidential election this summer. The GOP hopes to use rising gas prices to suggest the White House isn’t doing enough. Democrats, however, point out that revenues would be modest, environmental damage would be large, and that significant oil shale production would take decades anyhow.

Illustrating the benefits of organic food production
Here’s a fantastic stop-motion animation to help educate people about how organic food production is the answer to feeding the world. The animation is based on Michael Pollan’s "Food Rules."

"Food Rules" by Michael Pollan - RSA/Nominet Trust competition from Marija Jacimovic on Vimeo.

(Photo: Getty Images)