The Climate Minute

In a statement that can only be considered an insult to the very concept of truth and scientific integrity, Scott Pruitt, the new leader of the EPA, said the following about carbon dioxide “I think that measuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do and there’s tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact, so no, I would not agree that it’s a primary contributor to the global warming that we see,” This denial of the scientific output of the EPA, based on his personal opinion and narrow ideology is an outrage. His extreme views may influence decisions on California’s right to pursue green initiatives.

Scott Pruitt will only be brought to heel by political pressure from Congress, who will themselves only respond to direct communication from their constituents. Check the reading list to find your Member of Congress. A short phone call is all it takes.

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The Paris Agreement, flawed and fragile as it is, represents the world’s best hope of addressing global warming. While the COTUS (Cheeto of the US) railed against it on the campaign trail, there appears to be an ongoing discussion about whether the US should leave the agreement. It seems “Camp of the Saints Steve Bannon” and “Arctic Rex Tillerson” disagree on the wisdom of this. How much fun would that be to watch? Listen in!

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

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Our new Attorney General’s admission that he spoke with the Russian ambassador became a climate issue once Ukraine economic sanctions ‘somehow came up’ in the conversation. Why? The Obama era sanctions were a punishment for invading Ukraine, and effectively blocked the development of Russian arctic oil by- wait for it- Rex Tillerson’s Exxon. Putin’s desire for the $500B deal was a clear possible motive for hacking our election. On the other hand, Darryl Issa’s new found enthusiasm for protecting the climate is a good example in how to pressure your Member of Congress. Listen in.

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The wave of anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-climate sentiment, not to the mention raw racism that is being fed by our new administration, demands that we stand together. Climate Hawks need to fight the “Neo-Know-Nothing” policies of Trumpism on every front. One way to do that is right at home, by setting up a ‘green fuel’ standard to minimize the impact that burning fossil fuels for transport. Listen in as we discuss.

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Adaptation and mitigation are common terms in climate discussions, but they come into sharp focus when a massive seawall is proposed for Boston Harbor. Is it wise? Can we make the Koch brothers pay for it? What about the folks on the other side of the seawall, be they in Provincetown or Bangladesh? Is it better to spend that money mitigating carbon pollution? You’ll have to come up with your own answer since Scott Pruitt, the new head of EPA, seems to have little concern for the environment he swears to protect. Listen in.

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The election of DJT represents a break point in American history, challenging all the principles and virtues that we presume to hold. Given the disruption caused by our new politics, it will be hard to go back to a ‘November 7th’ world- even if we wanted to. The question is : Do we simply want to go back to the way things were, or should be we planning and fighting for a new vision of our country. President Bannon surely is doing so- shouldn’t we? Resistance is a tool to build a new future. What will that future look like?

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Listen in to some of the speakers at the February 19, 2017 #ScienceMarch in Boston.

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Bad news from DC is balanced by continued good work here in Massachusetts. We discuss what it all means, from Seattle’s divestment of DAPL to new bills in the Massachusetts Legislature calling for clean energy.

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The august greybeards of the conservative movement have proposed a carbon tax to address climate change. That is a good thing, on the face of it, but the deal contains some pills that range from bitter to poisonous. We discuss the ‘conservative climate solution’ in comparison to other carbon fee ideas. Also, listen in for DR’s favorite climate news websites.

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

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One of the new administration’s Executive Orders restarted the process of completing the Dakota Pipeline. Construction resumption is imminent, but lawsuits are underway, as are efforts to defund project through divestment. Employees of the EPA are protesting the nomination of Scott Pruitt.

Because we recognize the necessity of personal accountability for our actions, because we accept responsibility for building a durable future and because we believe it is our patriotic duty as citizens to speak out, we must insist that the United States put a price on carbon.

Thanks for listening.

…Ted McIntyre

Download Enhanced Podcast