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The Climate Change working group is focused on bringing climate science to effective regulatory policy and stimulating the growth of a green economy.

The mission of the Climate Change is to bring climate science to effective regulatory policy and stimulating the growth of a green economy.

Members

John Girard Kathy Gilbeaux Maeryn Obley mdmcdonald scottt@stetsone...

Email address for group

climate-change@m.resiliencesystem.org

Federal Study Warns of Sudden Climate Change Woes

(CLICK HERE - STUDY - ABRUPT IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE - Anticipating Surprises)

National Academy of Sciences

ap.org - by Seth Borenstein - December 3, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hard-to-predict sudden changes to Earth's environment are more worrisome than climate change's bigger but more gradual impacts, a panel of scientists advising the federal government concluded Tuesday.

The 200-page report by the National Academy of Sciences looked at warming problems that can occur in years instead of centuries. The report repeatedly warns of potential "tipping points" where the climate passes thresholds, beyond which "major and rapid changes occur." And some of these quick changes are happening now, said study chairman James White of the University of Colorado.

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Typhoon in Philippines Casts Long Shadow Over U.N. Talks on Climate Treaty

Emotional Speech by Philippine Delegate: Excerpts from a statement about Typhoon Haiyan by Naderev Saño, the chief representative of the Philippines at the Warsaw Climate Change Conference. Radek Pietruszka/European Pressphoto Agency

nytimes.com - by Henry Fountain and Justin Gillis - November 11, 2013

The typhoon that struck the Philippines produced an outpouring of emotion on Monday at United Nations talks on a global climate treaty in Warsaw, where delegates were quick to suggest that a warming planet had turned the storm into a lethal monster.

Olai Ngedikes, the lead negotiator for an alliance of small island nations, said in a statement that the typhoon, named Haiyan, which by some estimates killed 10,000 people in one city alone, “serves as a stark reminder of the cost of inaction on climate change and should serve to motivate our work in Warsaw.” . . .

. . . “What my country is going through as a result of this extreme climate event is madness; the climate crisis is madness,” Mr. Saño said. “We can stop this madness right here in Warsaw.”

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How the Voters of One Small County May Have Stopped 48 Million Tons of Coal

By , Nov. 6,2013, YES!

Opponents of a plan to ship millions of tons of coal through the Pacific Northwest appear headed for victory in the Whatcom County Council election, after a race that saw more than $1 million in campaign funds pour into the small, rural county race from both environmental and industry groups as well as the candidates' own fundraising efforts.

"The fact that our community couldn't be bought is spectacular."

Coal companies and terminal developers are hoping to ship 48 million tons of coal per year through Washington state via the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point. The Whatcom County Council race emerged as a focal point for opposition to the terminal because the council is in charge of permits for the project, which is currently under environmental review....

FULL ARTICLE HERE

         

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Executive Order -- Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

whitehouse.gov - November 1, 2013

PREPARING THE UNITED STATES FOR THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to prepare the Nation for the impacts of climate change by undertaking actions to enhance climate preparedness and resilience, it is hereby ordered as follows:

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Al Gore: world is on brink of 'carbon bubble'

, environment correspondent. theguardian.com, Thursday 31 October 2013 21.08 EDT

The world is on the brink of the "largest bubble ever" in finance, because of the undisclosed value of high-carbon assets on companies' balance sheets, and investment managers who fail to take account of the risks are failing in their fiduciary duty to shareholders and investors, Al Gore and his investment partner, David Blood, have said.

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The Hard Math of Flood Insurance in a Warming World

      

A man walks through flooded streets in Hoboken, New Jersey, after Superstorm Sandy | Emile Wamsteker/Bloomberg via Getty Images

As subsidized rates of federal flood insurance rise, property owners along the coasts get angry. But we need insurance that reflects the risks of a changing planet

time.com - by Bryan Walsh - October 1, 2013

Thousands of homeowners in flood-prone parts of the country are going to be in for a rude awakening.  On Oct. 1, new changes to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which offers government-subsidized policies for households and businesses threatened by floods, mean that businesses in flood zones and homes that have been severely or repeatedly flooded will start going up 25% a year until rates reach levels that would reflect the actual risk from flooding. (Higher rates for second or vacation homes went into effect at the start of 2013.) That means that property owners in flood-prone areas who might have once been paying around $500 a year—rates that were well below what the market would charge, given the threat from flooding—will go up by thousands of dollars over the next decade.

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The Climate Reality Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0-J8NGM_v4

http://climaterealityproject.org

Climate Reality Project Chairman Al Gore explores successful social movements though history.

The Climate Reality Project, founded and chaired by former Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore, is dedicated to unleashing a global cultural movement demanding action on the climate crisis. Despite overwhelming international scientific consensus on climate change, the global community still lacks the resolve to implement meaningful solutions. The Climate Reality Project exists to forge an unwavering bedrock of impassioned support necessary for urgent action. With that foundation, together we will ignite the moral courage in our leaders to solve the climate crisis.

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RealClimate - Climate Science from Climate Scientists

       

submitted by Albert Gomez

realclimate.org

RealClimate is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science. All posts are signed by the author(s), except ‘group’ posts which are collective efforts from the whole team. This is a moderated forum.

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How The Department Of Energy Is Working To Reduce The Cost Of Solar By 75 Percent

Climate Progress, Katie Valentine, October 24, 2013 

It’ll soon take just one day to get a solar permit in Chicago, thanks to a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. That’s down from the 30-day wait that Chicagoans had to endure previously if they wanted to install small-scale solar projects on their homes or businesses. The grant will also help the city cut fees for solar panel installations by 25 percent, to $275.

Chicago’s grant is just one of $60 million worth of solar grants announced this week by the Department of Energy. The grants are housed under the Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative, a program announced in 2011 with the goal of reducing the cost of solar energy by 75 percent. The grants announced this week will go toward initiatives including increasing diversity in the solar industry, making installing solar cheaper and easier for Americans, and helping kickstart solar businesses. 

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New Study Predicts Year Your City's Climate Will Change

                                               (CLICK ON MAP IMAGE BELOW TO ENLARGE)

       

smithsonianmag.com - nationalgeographic.com - October 9, 2013

Climate change is a global problem, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to hit us all the same time.

If you live in Moscow, scientists estimate that your local climate will depart from the historical norm in the year 2063. In New York, that date is the year 2047. And if you happen to reside in Mexico City or Jakarta, those numbers are 2031 and 2029, respectively.

See a pattern here? These estimates, which all come from a new study published today in Nature by scientists from the University of Hawaii, reflect a concerning trend that some scientists believe will define the arrival of climate change’s effects on the planet: It’ll arrive in tropical, biodiverse areas first.

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