CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Angmar writes—Daily Bucket Earth Day 2019:"The natural world can help save us from climate catastrophe": “But how? The best-known proposal is called bio-energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). This means growing wood or straw in plantations, burning it in power stations to produce electricity, capturing the carbon dioxide from the exhaust gases and burying it in geological formations. Yet, if deployed at scale, it is likely to trigger either an ecological or a humanitarian disaster. One BECCS proposal, favoured by certain governments, would cover an area three times the size of India with plantations. This involves converting agricultural land, in which case BECCS would cause mass starvation, or converting wild land, in which case almost lifeless plantations would replace 50% of the world’s remaining natural forests. Even so, it might not be effective, as any carbon savings would be counteracted by the use of nitrogen fertiliser and the release of greenhouse gases from the soil as it’s churned up for planting. BECCS can lead only to catastrophe, and should be immediately abandoned.”

Angmar writes—The Daily Bucket: Easter/Eostre: “A related perspective is that, rather than being a representation of the story of Ishtar, Easter was originally a celebration of Eostre, goddess of Spring, otherwise known as Ostara, Austra, and Eastre. One of the most revered aspects of Ostara for both ancient and modern observers is a spirit of renewal. Celebrated at Spring Equinox on March 21, Ostara marks the day when light is equal to darkness, and will continue to grow. As the bringer of light after a long dark winter, the goddess was often depicted with the hare, an animal that represents the arrival of spring as well as the fertility of the season. According to Jacob Grimm’s Deutsche Mythologie, the idea of resurrection was ingrained within the celebration of Ostara: ‘Ostara, Eástre seems therefore to have been the divinity of the radiant dawn, of upspringing light, a spectacle that brings joy and blessing, whose meaning could be easily adapted by the resurrection-day of the christian’s God’.”

marksb writes—Photo Diary: Hiking Pinnacles Ntl Park: Big Rocks, Pretty Wildflowers, and CONDORS! “This one has been on our to-do list for years, and everything finally lined up. We left our little patch of coastal paradise and drove up to Soledad in Central California’s Salinas Valley (‘Salad bowl of the world’), spent the night in a cheap motel, and drove into the park at around 8AM. Going out early is important here as it often gets quite hot, there’s little shade or shelter on the trails, and no water outside of the two visitor centers on the east and west of the park. If you go, take PLENTY of water with you; it’s not just the sun and heat, it’s very dry and you’ll not notice you’re sweating. The most common medical issue park rangers face is dehydration. We hiked a total of 10.5 miles with several stops for water, lunch, condors, and to take in the views, and even at a spring temperature of 85 to 90, we cooked on the sun-washed trails in the higher country.”

You Don’t need a weatherman to know which way the water flows… or something like that

sandbear75 writes—Daily Bucket-Wake Of The Flood, Laughing Water: “Cornville, Arizona. This is a follow up on my diary about the flooding along Oak Creek that I wrote back in February. I went for a walk along the same area as half of the photos. It’s always neat to walk along the river after a flood to see the dynamics of water at work. Some places get scoured down to the river rock, some withstand the current and keep the root structure of the grasses and brush, and some places seem to be the depository of all the debris.”

foresterbob writes—The Daily Bucket - Spring Flowers in Georgia: “Spring is in full swing in central Georgia. Everything is green now, including the pecan trees. The pecans seem to wait until they’re certain that no late frost will sneak up on them, and then they leaf out with a vengeance. Around my house, there is plenty of color and greenery. I will share a few pictures with you, to get today’s conversation started. Many of the plants in my yard are natives, which I’ve either purchased, or gathered from nearby fields and forests.”

CLIMATE CHAOS

Pakalolo writes—The Amazon Rainforest has reached the tipping point: “The Amazon is known as the lungs of the Earth because it has the capability of “absorbing about 25% of the earth’s total carbon dioxide emission. It behaves similarly to a pair of human lungs, absorbing the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen”. But no more. Phys.org shared a new study from the Sao Paulo Research Foundation: Deforestation of the Amazon is about to reach a threshold beyond which the region's tropical rainforest may undergo irreversible changes that transform the landscape into degraded savanna with sparse, shrubby plant cover and low biodiversity. This warning derives from an editorial published in the journal Science Advances co-authored by Thomas Lovejoy, a professor at George Mason University in the United States, and Carlos Nobre, chair of Brazil's National Institute of Science & Technology (INCT) for Climate Change.”

Pakalolo writes—A warming surge, predicted by new climate models, means even less time to prevent a 1.5-2C world: Like walking through a minefield.’The further we go the more explosions we are likely to set off: 1.5C is safer than 2C, 2C is safer than 2.5C, 2.5C is safer than 3C, and so on. Stabilizing global warming at 1.5C will be extremely difficult if not impossible at this point,”’ Michael Mann, climatologist, and director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State. Massive computer systems have been used for over forty years to predict how fast human-caused emissions will heat the world. According to Science Magazine, these models have been rather constant over the decades. But no more, next-generation science models developed for the 2021 United Nations assessment on global warming, show a new trend. Science reports these new models “are running hotter than they have in the past. Soon the world could be, too”.

Pakalolo writes—Climate change drowns thousands of Emperor Penguin chicks after fast ice torn from the continent: “The second largest Emperor Penguin breeding ground is located at Halley Bay, which faces the heavily crevassed Dawson-Lambton Glacier in Antarctica. Immediately to the west is the Brunt Ice Shelf and it is poised to calve an iceberg the size of Delaware at any time. I shared the research from The European Union Earth Observation Programme here. [...] The Brunt Ice Shelf is breaking naturally, and not by climate change according to researchers. If anything remains of the breeding colony, it will be destroyed by the cracking ice shelf anyway. Halley Bay penguin colony collapse is related to the warming of ocean water which has melted the sea ice. As a result, massive breaking waves slam into the ice, dislodging the fast ice from the land and disintegrating the colony. A worrisome omen for the Antarctic wildlife.”

Angmar writes—Climate News: UK Labour party endorses Extinction Rebellion Climate action group: “Labour has backed the Extinction Rebellion protesters who have carried out a week of civil disobedience and occupations to highlight the ecological emergency, likening them to the Chartists, suffragettes and anti-apartheid activists. Speaking in response to an urgent question in the Commons on Tuesday, the shadow energy minister, Barry Gardiner – who also holds the international trade role – said that alongside the school strikes, the protests organised by Extinction Rebellion were reminiscent of previous memorable struggles. ‘All of those victories were won by citizens uniting against injustice, making their voice heard. And Extinction Rebellion and the school climate strikers are doing just that,’ Gardiner said.”

KLWhite writes—Climavolution: “There’s no pleasing people. I’m living in Northern Germany and things are changing here, some would say for the better. When I first arrived, Uncle Sam made sure I was issued with two of the most important pieces of gear for survival in this area, Arctic-rated cold weather boots and—yeah, rain gear! We just passed Easter and the weather has been really glorious. It’s been warm, unseasonably so for up here, dry and SUNNY! And of course, that isn’t good either, there’s just no pleasing people I say! Now, the north Germans can be a dour lot. It comes of existing under steady clouds for thousands of years. Everyone, and I mean every one of those permanently pale people complained steadily about the cold and lack of sunshine. That’s the reason the Vikings originally sailed south, they were looking for a tan! Well, now they’re getting a lot of sun here. There’s almost no snow in Winter anymore and the days where it drops below freezing have become seldom enough that people remark on them. Unfortunately, while the sales of sun tan lotion are rising, the sale of rubber boots is dropping and now the trees that evolved below a damn near steady fall of cool, cloud chilled water are thirsty. Thirsty and they aren’t doing very well.”

ClimateDenierRoundup writes—History Of Denial Belies Present Day Position of Nat’l Assoc of Manufacturers: “On Monday, the Manufacturers’ Accountability Project, the National Association of Manufacturers’ special project to fight #ExxonKnew and similar climate lawsuits, put out a statement about how “we are all in this together,’ as though it were a friendly actor on board with climate action. ‘Only by working side-by-side to tackle climate change,’ the front group wrote, ‘can we make a real difference.’ The statement concludes by reiterating that kumbaya unity, saying that ‘on Earth Day, let’s stop looking backward and start moving forward to work collaboratively on substantive policies. Only then will we have any real impact.’ But NAM’s already had quite a real impact on climate, and that impact is why it doesn’t want people looking backwards to see if anyone mislead the public about climate change. As it turns out, NAM was a key convener of one of the earliest organized climate change denial networks, the Global Climate Coalition . As a new trove of documents hosted at ClimateFiles reveal, the oil, coal, gas and utility-funded group was instrumental in early efforts to inject doubt into the public’s perception of climate science throughout the 1990’s and played an obstructive role in the early IPCC and UN COP meetings.”

ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Tim Ball Admits Failure, Promises To Use More Tin Foil In His Approach To Denial: “Last week, when we mocked WWUT, the climate website most-read-by-people-with-stupid-toolbars, for potentially finding new life in indulging in a little light misogyny , we noted that it’d been a while since any new big denier science stories broke on the blog. A couple days after our post, Tim Ball dropped by WUWT and announced that in light of his “overall failure” to convince the public that scientists are lying about climate change, he’s going to try a new tactic: being even crazier! (And attacking the motives of the supposed conspirators.) In the good Dr. Ball’s words, one of the “major” reasons the skeptical community ‘achieved little impact’ is because of ‘the division of that community into approximately 15% who are competent and comfortable in science and 85% who are not.’ (Only 85%?) Ball concedes that because the ‘firmly established false fact’ of human-caused climate change has become so widespread, coming out as a skeptic engenders a ‘strong hostile reaction... In many cases, they become ostracized in their family.’ (Our condolences to the many families felled by Fox News .) Specifically, Ball points to the growth of local policies, and singles out last year’s Global Climate Action Summit as evidence of how the climate lie has successfully percolated to the municipal level.”

kailaHI writes—New David Attenborough BBC documentary - Climate Change Facts: “Aloha all. David Attenborough has a new excellent BBC documentary. It is POWERFUL and It should convince (most?) climate change fence sitters that we are in danger NOW. David is an icon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVnsxUt1EHY or on youtube search: Climate Change - The Facts (David Attenborough). I sent this info to my senators Brian Schatz and Maize Hirono plus Tulsi Gabbard. There is a new committee in the Senate about Climate Change … chaired by Brian and it is only Democrats. If you still have not watched “The Human Element”, you really should. It is another POWERFUL film.”

Lefty Coaster writes—Noam Chomsky says: "In a couple of generations, organized human society may not survive": “From Robert Hacket: In recent years, Chomsky has turned his prodigious mind to the existential threat of global warming, a “threat to the perpetuation of organized human life,” on par with nuclear war. Now, in an exclusive interview with National Observer on Jan. 22, Chomsky directly addresses the specific relationship between media and the climate crisis.”

ENERGY

Green New Deal

ImpeccableLiberalCredentials writes—Green New Deal Action Summit on Saturday to mobilize Duluth, MN / Superior, WI for climate solutions: “A coalition of groups from the Twin Ports area hosts an event on Saturday, April 27th in downtown Duluth with the goal of mobilizing support for the climate solutions known the Green New Deal. The event features Winona LaDuke of Honor the Earth as the keynote speaker, a panel of local experts, and breakout discussions on a variety of topics and strategies: the specifics of legislative plans, labor organizing and the Green New Deal, direct action, regenerative agriculture, cleanwater issues, and national security/veterans affairs in relation to climate change. The event is free but freewill donations will be accepted at the door to help offset the costs (and to record the event and promote its agreements and findings). Any excess funds raised are to be donated to AICHO. A lunch will be served and activities for children are planned.”

IdeaTipper writes—New Deal? What is a new deal? Why isn't it Green New Jobs! “I knew this: ‘The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, and financial regulations. It responded to needs for relief, reform, and recovery from the Great Depression.’ (Wikipedia) How many 20-somethings or 30-somethings who aren't history buffs or otherwise well-read know that? How many people are able to recognize the relationship between the New Deal and the Green New Deal? It is just so ridiculously awkward and obscure. To me, it's old-fart messaging. And I am an old fart. SAY WHAT YOU MEAN, DEMOCRATS! We're talking about Green New Jobs. So say it, damn it, and get the conversation going!”

billofrights writes—The Era of the Green New Deal and FDR's Second Bill of Rights: thanks Senator Markey: “I left this posting at a Maryland Green New Deal/Sunrise Movement group blog today. I guess it is my version of an Easter Speech — I’m a little hesitant to say sermon, being secular now after a long twisting journey through the religious traditions of the West. Here goes: Dear Sunrisers, Maryland Green New Dealers: Let me continue in the same spirit, and add in an interview that David Roberts has just done, posted April 16, 2019 at Vox, with Senator Ed Markey, buoyantly entitled "We Are Now in the era of the Green New Deal." Here's the link: https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/4/16/18306596/green-new-deal-climate-change-ed-markey. [...] Roberts’ interview with Markey clears up a lot of the confusion about the Resolution, and what needs to follow to make it a reality: a transformational national election, as in 1932-1936, and legislation which translates the goals of the Resolution into policies. A lot of the confusion about the Resolution flows from the implementation which hasn't happened yet, is still on the democratic planning and discussion stage...and rightly so.”

NoFortunateSon writes—We Shattered a CO2 record this week. Here's how we can help build a Green New Deal: “It’s impossible to talk about infrastructure without talking about the Green New Deal. For the purpose of these diaries, we will refer to the version(1) of the Green New Deal put out by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez in H.Res. 109. This bill calls for the United States to convert to 100% renewable energy within 10 years through a massive mobilization on the order of World War II and the Apollo Program combined. So what would it take to do that? Is that even possible? And what would happen if we achieve it? Where Are We Now? Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory puts out this energy flow diagram for the United States.

Note the massive amount of wasted energy in light grey, much of which is natural, as no machine is 100% efficient, meaning a lot of energy usage is wasted as heat.

As you can see from the above energy flow diagram, the present breakdown of energy by source isn’t that promising. Add up all the renewable sources, and that still only gets us to 11%. The Green New Deal calls for us to get 100% of our energy from renewable sources by 2030.”

gmoke writes—Why isn’t job growth the first thing climate activists mention? “In 2016 and 2017, the US Department of Energy produced the US Energy and Employment Report [USEER] as part of an effort to "produce the most comprehensive and accurate study of energy workers across all sectors." The last DOE USEER was released in January 2017. With the installation of Trmp, the DOE cancelled the project. In response, the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) (http://www.naseo.org) and the Energy Futures Initiative (http://energyfuturesinitiative.org) worked with numerous partners to "continue producing the USEER report using the same methodology, datasets and research firm that produced the reports for the DOE.” The report searches 186 employment codes, contacts 30,000 employers each year, and covers 53 different energy, efficiency, and motor vehicle technologies. I attended a webinar on March 30, 2019 on the 4th annual USEER. Here are my notes and some observations. There are 3.3 million clean energy jobs; 2.3 million in energy efficiency; 508,000 renewable energy; 254,000 clean vehicles; 139,000 grid and storage; 38,000 clean fuels. There were 226,000 new jobs in 2018 in these 5 clean energy sectors. Renewable energy and energy efficiency added 152,000 new jobs, out-performing the economy for the 4th year in a row, 2.3% growth to 1.8%. Energy efficiency alone added 76,000 jobs, for a total of 275,000 new jobs in the last 3 years. Alternative fuel vehicles added almost 34,000 jobs. Energy storage (battery, pumped hydro, mechanical, thermal) employed 75,180 people.”

Fossil Fuels

Dan Bacher writes—Judge Fines Pipeline Company $3.3 Million for 2015 Santa Barbara Oil Spill: “On April 25, Santa Barbara Superior Court Judge James Herman Plains sentenced Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. to pay $3,347,650 in total fines and penalty assessments for the massive 2015 Refugio Oil Spill in Santa Barbara County that killed marine mammals, protected sea birds, and other marine life and temporarily closing fishing and other recreation along the pristine coast. The Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office and environmental groups were disappointed that the Judge did not grant the DA’s request to impose a larger fine of $1.2 billion on the company. ‘While the Court made findings including that Plains knew or should have known their pipeline would rupture, stating that “[i]t was not a matter of if, but a matter of when,” Judge Herman denied the People’s request to impose probation and for a significantly larger fine,’ according to a statement from the DA’s Office. The Court retained jurisdiction over restitution for victims, and the next hearing on that issue will be held on July 10, 2019.”

Meteor Blades writes—Open thread for night owls: Climate rebellion grows, but Big Oil keeps drilling: “For many of us who have been working on oil and climate for years, the recent days, weeks and months have been inspiring, as we witness a surge in activism and awareness on climate change. Whether it be the Sunrise Movement, the youth climate strikes inspired by Greta Thunberg, the recent protests by Extinction Rebellion in London where over 1,000 were arrested, or the growing debate over the need for a Green New Deal, suddenly there feels like a seismic shift in public perception and political understanding of the climate emergency. Every non violent protest, march, speech, blockade, picnic and action slowly pushes climate change to the top of the political and news agenda, where it needs to stay until action reflects the crisis we are in. Today, on its final day of protest in London, Extinction Rebellion activists have targeted the City of London, with some activists gluing themselves to the London Stock Exchange. Others stopped trains or blocked buildings, unfurling one banner that read: ‘Business as usual = death’.”

Renewables, Efficiency & Conservation

ClimateDenierRoundup writes—New Report On High Cost Of Renewable Standards Highlights Cost of Fossil Fuels: “There’s a new working paper that was covered by Axios yesterday which makes some rather bold claims about the high cost of policies that require a certain percentage of power to be generated from renewable sources. Whether those claims will stand up to peer-review, though, is yet to be seen. The working paper looks specifically at how to incorporate three ancillary issues to adopting renewables that aren’t included in the regular price, which, they note, is largely lower than fossil fuels. To do so, they studied states that have adopted a renewable standard, took into account how much they’ve installed in the past 7 to 12 years, and looked at what energy prices in those states have done. Turns out prices have gone up, and possibly by more than the social cost of carbon would suggest it would be worth. While the report is authored by economist Michael Greenstone, a champion of Obama’s Social Cost of Carbon and in no way the sort of person who normally appears in this column, it has some serious issues that experts were quick to call out .”

CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS​

SouthernLeveller writes—Jay Inslee Calls for a Climate Only Primary Debate: “Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) is challenging his Democratic rivals to a “Climate Change Only” Primary debate. Although Inslee is not my first choice for nominee, his commitment as a climate hawk is the reason why he’s the only white male among my top choices. I think this is a wonderful idea. I plan on urging my top 3 choices (Warren, Harris, Castro) to accept this challenge. I urge all DKos folk to support this and to urge our particular favorite in the field to support this debate. Sadly, Climate Change was nearly absent as an issue in 2016—and I am certain that contributed to Trump’s victory. We need this to be a HUGE part of 2020 in both the primary and general. On this issue, we need to have Inslee’s back—whether or not we want him to be our nominee.”

occupystephanie writes—INSLEE: Climate First (New Group!) “Up to last month, I’d avoided speaking to my 33-year-old daughter about climate change, foolishly thinking that she was unaware of how dire it has become. A through-hiker, she is a thirty-mile-a-day solo sojourner who loves the Oregon woods as her true home. I suffered from parental guilt at not having done more to fight climate change so she could enjoy her forested cathedral for a full measure of years. I wanted to give her hope but had none to give. Hopelessness is not my natural state, so I sought help and found it in Awake on Earth: Facing Climate Change with Sanity and Grace by Carla Wise who describes herself as ‘an environmental writer, climate solutions advocate, and mother’. From her, I learned to live with uncertainty and to alleviate my angst by acting locally, regionally, and nationally to do what I can to help my family face whatever comes. I won’t go down without a fight! For me and for many others that means embracing the vision of Jay Inslee who is the only candidate who places climate front and center as an organizing principle and a means of saving the planet while not sacrificing the economy but increasing social justice.”

poopdogcomedy writes—CO-Sen: Mike Johnston (D) Continues To Help Build Momentum For The Green New Deal: “Here in Colorado, we are surrounded by natural splendor, from the Rocky Mountains and Pikes Peak to Great Sand Dunes National Park and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I'm so grateful that Courtney and I can raise our family surrounded by so many natural wonders. Sadly, climate change is threatening all of this — and we're running out of time to do something about it. Cory Gardner has actually voted to make this growing threat worse, standing behind President Trump even as he denies that climate change is real. That's why we need leadership today that recognizes the threat climate change poses and takes action on it. I've proposed a plan to fight this existential threat to our country and way of life. This Earth Day, will you add your name in support of my Green New Deal? My Green New Deal will help us achieve a 100% clean energy and carbon-free economy by 2040. It will also build the infrastructure of the future and increase investments in clean energy research, development, and deployment. Plus, it will create tens of thousands of new jobs right here in Colorado — and train and hire millions to fill the next generation of clean energy jobs.”

Angmar writes—Jay Inslee- Whether you support him or not, help support his message (More about Governor Inslee): “Governor Jay Inslee: "We are the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we are the last generation that can do something about it. The science is clear – we have a short period of time to act. Whether we shrink from this challenge, or rise to it, is the biggest question we face. I’ve dedicated my public life to fighting climate change. That's why I'm running for president to take on the defining issue of our time.”

e2247 writes—Trump, Bolton, Happer: clear present dangers to National Security - Impeach them to protect Climate: “John Bolton, The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (APNSA), commonly referred to as the National Security Adviser (NSA) or at times informally termed the NSC Adviser, is a senior aide in the Executive Office of the President, effective April 9, 2018. This idiot is, with Trump and their minion William Happer an NSC senior director, now putting together a ‘committee,’ as a National Security Council initiative that will include scientists who question the severity of climate impacts as news outlets reported in February, 2019. The White House is trying to construct a plan to challenge the scientific consensus that the burning of fossil fuels is a main driver of climate change and poses increasingly serious economic and health threats to the United States and the world. In a truly scary April 9, 2019 morning Congressional Hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the first of two key hearings on climate change the committee held that day, publicized in a different diary this morning, Chairman Cummings, Sec. Def. Hagel and Sec. State Kerry discussed this completely insane malfeasance to harm the U.S. and world population at great length.”

WILDERNESS, NATIONAL FORESTS AND PARKS & OTHER PUBLIC LANDS

Meteor Blades writes—Open thread for night owls: Blackfeet Nation seeks its own nat'l park east of Glacier Nat'l Park: “In 1992, Ed DesRosier wanted to offer visitors to Glacier National Park an experience that didn’t yet exist. Tourists learned about the park’s wildlife and the history of the iconic red tour buses that carried them to the park’s most breathtaking views. But the stories of the people who were connected to the landscape centuries before it became a tourist destination were not mentioned. So DesRosier, an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation in northwestern Montana, made it happen. But before he could become one of the few Indigenous people in the country licensed to operate a tour business in a national park, he would be arrested and have to fight in court for the right to tell the stories of his people and their home. [...] The Blackfeet want to fix this problem, and others, in a dramatic way. The tribe is working toward that goal through myriad avenues, including a plan to become one of the few tribes in the country to open its own national park, a way to assert the tribe’s place in the region’s history, protect its natural resources and provide new economic opportunities to its members, mostly in Browning, home to approximately 1,000 people and the largest community on the Blackfeet Reservation.”

BYPRODUCTS, TRASH, PLASTICS, TOXIC & RADIOACTIVE WASTE

Walter Einenkel writes—Republican governor signs bill banning plastic bag bans throughout Oklahoma: “Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt did what Republicans do—he abused the powers of government to benefit big business over the rights of citizens. According to KFOR Oklahoma, Gov. Stitt signed the Senate Bill 1001, that bans municipalities in the state from creating bans on things like disposable plastic bags. ‘I believe in city flexibility. We are all for that, but you have to have some kind of uniformity of how you do business from city to city and county to county throughout our state. If there is anything in the future that needs to change as far as a state law in Oklahoma, we can change it through the legislature,’ said Stitt. This follows Tennessee’s recent push to do the exact same thing, using their Republican majority in the state legislature. The argument from conservative sides is that they are so deeply in the pocket of big business they need to be able to show big business interests that by gerrymandering the hell out of democracy in their state, they can overrule democracy even on the local level.”

Denis Hayes in 2014

Meteor Blades writes—Five-question interview with Denis Hayes, coordinator of Earth Day 1970, 1990, 2000 and ... 2020: “On Earth Day 2008, I conducted a five-question interview with Denis Hayes, my onetime boss at the Solar Energy Research Institute, and now president of the Bullitt Foundation in Seattle. Hayes had coordinated the first Earth Day in 1970, when 20 million people attended environmentally focused events around the world. He was asked to coordinate the 20th anniversary of Earth Day in 1990 and Earth Day 2000 as well. And now he’s gearing up for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day next year. You can see a condensed list of his prodigious accomplishments and awards here. This morning at 10 AM ET, he will speak at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to announce major global mobilizations for the 50th anniversary. These include “Vote for the Earth,” “Earth Challenge 2020,” and the 2020 theme for Earth Day, a focus on the growing demands for immediate, transformative action to address the climate crisis. [...] Below is a reprise of my interview with him on the 45th anniversary of Earth Day in 2015.”

AKALib writes—Earth Day Tweets by Democratic Leaders: “Today is Earth Day, a day to appreciate Mother Earth and its beauty, to reflect on and to educate ourselves on how we as individuals and as a nation can do better, in preserving and protecting the only place in the Universe we call home, for our own generation and for generations to come. Democrats have always been on the forefront to protect the environment, to fight pollution, to mitigate the effects of Climate Change, to transition to green energy, and to craft technology and policy solutions to conserve and to protect our planet. And it shows in how Democratic leaders made their voices heard today and aired their plans and opinions on the subject. Here is a small sample of tweets by Democratic leaders. I searched (halfheartedly I admit) but could not find anything meaningful from Republicans.”

x Earth Day is a reminder that we only have one planet. There is no Planet B.



We must address the climate crisis and elect a president willing to stand up to polluters and act to protect our environment. Not just for ourselves, but for future generations. — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) April 22, 2019

AKALib writes—Earth Day 2019 - A Celebration and Reflection in Tweets and Images:

x This #EarthDay, I'm thankful for the millions of young people around the world who have marched and gone on strike to demand action on climate change.



We know what we need to do: Cut greenhouse emissions in half by 2030. Now we need to do it. — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) April 22, 2019

ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Who Fact Checks The Fact Checkers? Facebook Taps Daily Caller For Fact Checking: “Facebook is bringing the Koch-funded , white nationalism peddling , polluter-defending Daily Caller in to fact check. The Guardian’s Sam Levin asked Facebook about the decision, and apparently was told that any news organization can join if it’s certified by the Poynter Institute. (While Poynter is a legitimate, well-respected organization, it is a recipient of Koch money , and its principles seem designed for an era in which one could assume media outlets were operating in good faith, and not as arms of the Koch network...) As Levin pointed out, the Daily Caller is frequently the subject of scathing fact checks. For example, ClimateFeedback has five different DC entries . Levin also highlighted a report from Harvard on disinformation campaigns in 2016, which found that the Daily Caller had a ‘key role’ in spreading Islamophobia and otherwise ‘creating and disseminating stories’ that ‘stoked the belief among core Trump followers’ that Clinton is ‘criminal and treasonous’.”

Marty Essen writes—For Republicans on Earth Day: “Today is Earth Day, and if you’re a Republican, I know this is a miserable day for you. Why would anyone want to talk about saving the planet for future generations, when nothing is more important than the money you are making right now? Fuck your children and grandchildren, right? Why should you care about their lives after you’re gone? Besides, Jesus will be coming soon to take you and your money directly to heaven—and if your children were proper Americans who voted for Trump, they too will join you to ride that great Hummer in the sky. With that in mind, dear Republican, here’s a photo to cheer you up on this sad, socialistic day: a tiny section of the magnificent Prudhoe Bay oil field. This was once disgusting wilderness, with wildlife everywhere. But thanks to the oil companies and your Republican politicians, all traces of such debauchery have permanently been removed. Aah! Can’t you just smell the oil? Its gloriousness is everywhere—on the tundra, on the beach, in the air, in the water . . . paradise!”

momomia writes—Another Great Web Site I Found Today, Earth Day 2019: “ A very short diary with video and links. Watching the music video is a great first step. The profits generated from Earth streams and views will be donated to select groups of nonprofits that tackle issues like climate change, the energy crisis, and sustainable farming. It’s called we love the earth dot org and has a bunch of stars in it’s 7 min film.”

MIchael Brune writes—Better Days: “We just celebrated a momentous Earth Day but, before I tell you why, I have to ask: Why do we have an entire Fashion Week, but only one day dedicated to our beautiful blue planet? Seriously, even sharks get their own week every summer. Shouldn’t it really be Earth Week? Earth Month? Or Earth Year? I’m holding out for the Earth Decade, because that’s close to how much time we have to make the changes that will keep us on track for a best-case climate change scenario. And this particular week of Earth Decade was a good one. Two very different states adopted laws that set ambitious goals for replacing fossil fuels with clean energy sources. In Nevada, Governor Steve Sisolak signed S.B. 358 into law on Earth Day. The bill — which passed the state legislature unanimously — yes, unanimously — will increase the state’s renewable portfolio standard to 50% by 2030 with a goal of 100% clean energy by 2050. That’s a big deal for a state that, despite having more solar energypotential than any other in the country, depended heavily on coal just a decade ago. Today only one coal plant still operates in Nevada, and its days are numbered.”

Meteor Blades writes—Open thread for night owls: Building resiliency democratically with green infrastructure: “Creating climate-resilient cities takes more than a series of infrastructure investments; more than sea walls and permeable pavement. It takes investment in people. Those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change are those without living wages or accessto political power—very often communities of color. As the seas continue to rise, climate resiliency strategies need to not only build the infrastructure but also tackle the underlying reasons why those who bear the disproportionate burden of climate change are those with the least ability to recover. Doing so means applying a framework of community wealth building to climate resiliency planning—a vibrant place-based economic system where democratic ownership and control creates more equitable and inclusive outcomes.”