The note, which records that the meeting took place in Switzerland on June 14, 2010, says: “If we are successful in getting these two papers published, there will be enormous impact, and a campaign led by WWF etc. It will be much harder for politicians to ignore a research paper and a policy forum paper in [a major scientific journal].” --Ben Webster,
The Times, 4 December 2014
When Republicans take control of both houses of Congress next month, President Barack Obama will be hard-pressed to cut US greenhouse gas emissions dramatically – a promise he made to Americans and the world and a key to his legacy. Some Republicans have indicated that they may try to make the passage of overall government funding dependent on congressional agreement to cuts for EPA enforcement. If that kind of government-funding legislation fails in Congress or if Obama were to veto it, there could be yet another government shut-down for lack of money to keep agencies in operation. --
Associated Press, 3 December 2014
An international goal of providing $100 billion each year by 2020 to help vulnerable countries adapt to climate change impacts and pursue green growth is far off what is needed to achieve a global clean revolution, the U.N.'s top climate change official said on Wednesday. Christiana Figueres told journalists at U.N. climate talks in Lima that in terms of paying for the efforts needed to shift economies worldwide onto a low-carbon track "$100 billion is frankly a very, very small sum". She said $90 trillion would be invested in infrastructure over the next 15 years. --Megan Rowling,
Reuters, 3 December 2014
The Obama administration wants students and teachers to toe the line on climate change. Perhaps unable to convince older Americans of the severity of global warming, President Barack Obama is hoping to have better luck with the next generation by turning to the classroom. The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on Wednesday announced it will launch a new initiative aimed at climate education and literacy that will distribute science-based information – in line with the administration’s position on the issue – to students, teachers and the broader public. “If you believe, like I do, that something has to be done on this, then you’re going to have to speak out,” Obama said in June at the University of California–Irvine commencement ceremony. “You’ve got to educate your classmates, and colleagues, and family members and fellow citizens, and tell them what’s at stake.” --Allie Bidwell,
U.S. News, 3 December 2014
We have found examples of serious errors, misleading claims, and bias through inadequate treatment of climate issues in school teaching materials. These include many widely-used textbooks, teaching-support resources, and pupil projects. We find instances of eco-activism being given a free rein within schools and at the events schools encourage their pupils to attend. In every case of concern, the slant is on scares, on raising fears, followed by the promotion of detailed guidance on how pupils should live, as well as on what they should think. In some instances, we find encouragement to create ‘little political activists’ in schools by creating a burden of responsibility for action on their part to ‘save the planet’, not least by putting pressure on their parents. --Andrew Montford & John Shade, Climate Control: Brainwashing In Schools,
The Global Warming Policy Foundation
