We Dont Know for Sure, and the Death Toll is Still Climbing The 2018 hurricane season is now upon us, even while millions of people residing in hurricane alley the large swath of ocean stretching from Africa to North America are still recovering from the hyperactive, catastrophic 2017 hurricane season. Last year we [...]
Nearly three dozen nuclear power plants are inadequately protected against major flooding guaranteed to occur after an upstream dam failure – flooding that could easily lead to an accident or meltdown on the scale of the 2011 nuclear power disaster in Fukushima, Japan. Yet, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) – the federal agency responsible for [...]
By Anne Polansky and Michael Termini More than one full year into a Donald Trump presidency, we are taking stock of the new political landscape, already marked by turmoil and volatility. Never before in modern US history have we seen such instability and unreliability in basic governance at the federal level. Here in the nation’s [...]
The U.S. has failed to submit by 1 January a major report required under U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Most countries have submitted their reports, while there is no publicly available information on the status of the 7th U.S. Climate Action Report and 3rd Biennial Report. Under both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, drafts were made available for public review and comment. And the last reports were submitted under President Obama before the January 1, 2014 deadline.
By Anne Polansky CSPW Sr. Climate Policy Analyst The Trump Administration’s overall approach to climate change is basically akin to shouting LA-LA-LA-LA-LA with your hands over your ears. Cabinet members and top officials across departments and agencies are refusing to admit that this existential threat even exists, and are behaving as though the problem is [...]
The U.S. Global Change Research Program released three major reports this afternoon: the final Climate Science Special Report (CCSR), the public review draft of the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) and the public review draft of the 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle Report (SOCCR-2).
Source: Tim Faulkner on Twitter, see: http://bit.ly/2gUk5Xy By Anne Polansky CSPW Sr. Climate Policy Analyst Last week, the Trump Administration’s sustained attack on federal scientists studying climate change science and impacts escalated when US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt issued last-minute gag orders preventing several EPA research staff from giving planned [...]
On October 20, 2017, the Trump Administration extended for 6 months (until April 21, 2018) the charter of the interagency Subcommittee on Global Change Research (SGCR). It was set to expire the next day on Saturday, October 21, 2017. The SGCR is responsible for overseeing the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). The extension explicitly notes that the SGCR can be terminated in less than 6 months.
By Nicky Sundt CSPW Senior Fellow The charter of the subcommittee that oversees the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is set to expire tomorrow, October 21, 2017. This speaks volumes about the Trump Administration’s attitudes toward science generally – and toward climate change science specifically. More ominously, it raises very serious questions about the [...]
By Anne Polansky CSPW Sr. Climate Policy Analyst Sec. Zinke posing at Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo Credit: Ryan David Brown, The New York Times “Secretary Zinke, you should resign effective immediately,” federal whistleblower Joel Clement wrote in a CNN opinion piece published yesterday evening. After seven years of public service, Clement left [...]