House Republicans are applying a search-and-destroy tactic to international funding for global warming this budget season. It goes like this: Ax any line items with the words "climate change." Their primary targets are a pair of crucial United Nations initiatives designed to slow warming worldwide and educate policymakers about the evolving science of climate change. --Elizabeth McGowan, SolveClimate News, 26 August 2011
Hours after being called "mushy on environmental issues" by a Republican senator, Mitt Romney has tweaked his position on global warming. Asked Wednesday at a Lebanon, N.H., town hall meeting whether he believed in global warming and if humans contribute to rising temperatures, Romney said he doesn't know. Just two and a half months ago in New Hampshire, Romney expressed concern about climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. --Dan Berman, Politico, 24 August 2011
It's not a total flip-flop, just a slight shift towards a philosophy that distrusts scientific evidence that doesn't conform to the ideology of the Republican base. It's hard to believe it has nothing to do with Perry's emergence. Romney was the most popular guy in high school — well liked, good grades, obviously going places — until a badass rebel from the next town over transferred and started getting all the girls' attention. Now Romney is sassing his teachers for the first time and trying to stifle his coughs as he smokes cigarettes out back behind the gymnasium. --Dan Amira, New York Magazine, 25 August 2011
The German Federal Government will not introduce a Climate Change Bill in parliament, contrary to its own plans, according to a report by "Frankfurter Rundschau", citing information by the opposition. Thus the plans for the reduction of CO2 emissions have been permanently relegated to non-binding letters of intent. --Independence, 24 August 2011
A long-awaited UK government report on green aviation policy has failed to endorse independent proposals for limiting the sector's rapidly growing emissions, to the dismay of green groups. --Will Nichols, Business Green, 26 August 2011
If DECC and Huhne don’t understand the consequences of their decisions, then they are in dereliction of their duty. If they do understand, and are pressing ahead anyway — then words fail me. They are apparently setting out deliberately to sabotage our economy and to pauperise our children. So there is a clear message for George Osborne: Unless you want to see your economic plans scuppered by green zealots, you need to start waving the big stick now. --Roger Helmer (MEP), 24 August 2011
What the CLOUD experiment has shown is that uncertainty over the role of clouds in the AGW hypothesis is much, much greater than previously thought and that once accounted for, e.g. using Svensmark's ideas, may well significantly diminish the projected impact of AGW in changing the climate. We now have two competing theories - which one has had the greater impact on climate? This is all a whole new ball game. Science is beginning to prevail over dogma. –Commenter Mac, Bishop Hill, 25 August 2011
