The Phoenix Sun

Glacier National Park

If you’ve been thinking of taking the fam to spectacular Glacier National Park in Montana, you’d better do it soon. In fact, this summer would be a good time — unusually heavy winter snowfalls have added to the glaciers’ mass. But, says research ecologist Dan Fagre, the picture ten years out is far less promising.

“If you come here [then], you will find at least remnants of glaciers,” says Fagre in a USGS video released this month. “I think many of our glaciers will have become so small that they are hardly worthy of being called a glacier…”

The five-minute video features three scientists answering questions about climate change from visitors at the National Park. It’s a short, jargon-free report on how a changing climate is robbing future generations of one of our national treasures.

Vice-Admiral Dennis McGinn testifying before the Select Committee, December 10, 2010

In April, 2007, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi created a congressional committee to address three of the most pressing issues of the day: climate change, economic prosperity (in the form of jobs), and national security. Today, the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, issued a final report. After three-and-a-half years, 80 hearings and briefings with hundreds of experts testifying, the committee is no more. It will not continue in the Republican-controlled House.

Which is too bad, because the three challenges — climate change, jobs, national security — remain as daunting today as they were in 2007. In many ways, the problems have grown over time.

Since the committee was first gavelled into session, American’s have spent $1.3 trillion on imported oil. Our jobless rate was 4.6 percent in 2007; in December, that figure stood at 9.8 percent. And the level of CO2 in the atmosphere has gone from 385 to 388.59 parts per million in these three plus years.

The committee report on this nexus should be required reading for all Americans — particularly those individuals convening in the nation’s capitol this week, as part of the 112th Congress.

Final Report, Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming –

Bring Me the Heads of the GOP 8!

In late June of 2009, conservative and new Tea Party bloggers promised swift retribution for the eight lone Republicans who had voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act (a.k.a., the Waxman-Markey Climate Bill).

Pundit Michelle Malkin circulated a “wanted” poster with headshots of “The Cap and Tax 8” which was widely reprinted throughout the Tea Party blogosphere.

“We must make examples of the Capntr8ors,” one blogger ordered the troops.

So, with the dust settling from the general election, how did it go?

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That’s the beginning of my first post to a blog called “Edison 2.0′ that I started at Forbes online. I’ll be writing on cleantech issues, especially those dealing with energy. It’s exciting (and challenging) to be writing for a new and potentially different audience than you good folks who follow The Phoenix Sun, or my posts at OnEarth, Grist, The Energy Collective and elsewhere.

This doesn’t mean I’ll be closing shop here, however. This is MY baby, and I ain’t giving it up.

But, please do check out the post at Forbes and, as always, I welcome feedback, discussion, kudos and bills of any denomination.

Really.