#841 Hope dies last (Climate)

Today we hear about climate progress from Obama and climate denial from bought-off Republicans, we clarify how to talk about it and what we're actually trying to save and maintain hope in the face of daunting odds

Show Notes

Ch. 1: Opening Theme: A Fond Farewell - From a Basement On the Hill

Ch. 2: Act 1: Obama Administration Sets New EPA Rules - @theyoungturks - Air Date: 06-03-14

Ch. 3: Song 1: Take It or Leave It - Is This It

Ch. 4: Act 2: Fighting New EPA Standards - @greennewsreport - Air Date 6-5-14

Ch. 5: Song 2: Change Your Mind - Fortress

Ch. 6: Act 3: Climate Change vs. Global Warming - @onthemedia - Air Date: 6-6-14

Ch. 7: Song 3: Death to Everyone (Bonus Track) - Sword & Sworcery LP - The Ballad of the Space Babies

Ch. 8: Act 4: Clever Pipeline XL Equations - @FAIRmediawatch - Air Date 5-9-14

Ch. 9: Song 4: The Cave - Mumford & Sons Piano Tribute

Ch. 10: Act 5: David Suzuki: The War on Climate Scientists - @BillMoyersHQ And Company - Air Date 5-16-14

Ch. 11: Song 5: I Saved the World Today - Eurythmics: Ultimate Collection (Remastered)

Ch. 12: Act 6: The Kill-Clean-Energy Industry - @greennewsreport - Air Date 6-17-14

Ch. 13: Song 6: Sweet Little Lies - Yell Fire!

Ch. 14: Act 7: Clean energy, not Cove Point - Mike Tidwell of Chesapeake Climate Action Network (@CCAN)

Ch. 15: Song 7: Solid Ground - Real Estate

Ch. 16: Act 8: Stop Fracked Gas Exports via @CCAN - Best of the Left Activism

Ch. 17: Song 8: Activism - The Poet

Ch. 18: Act 9: Hope Dies Last - @Thom_Hartmann - Air Date: 03-27-14

Voicemails

Ch. 19: Thoughts on Wade's comments regarding Iraq - Colin from Cleveland, OH

Ch. 20: In defense of Wade - David From North Carolina

Ch. 21: Thoughts on Wade's comments on Iraq - Daniel from Albany, NY

Voicemail Music: Loud Pipes - Classics

Ch. 22: Final comments on the final fundraising tally

Closing Music: Here We Are - Everyone's in Everyone

ACTIVISM:

Stop Fracked Gas Exports: Cove Point and Beyond via Chesapeake Climate Action Network

#StopGasExports

Sources/further reading:

Chesapeake Climate Action Network on Twitter

"Concerned About Climate Change? Take Action to Stop Cove Point” via NationAction

"Is The Cove Point Liquefied Natural Gas Terminal The Next Keystone XL?” by Caroline Selle at HuffPost Green

"The Other Keystone It’s just as important to stop Cove Point” by Mark Hersgaard at The Nation

"Fisherman Fighting Dominion Cove Point LNG Export Terminal Worried About Explosions, Long-Term Impacts” via DeSmog Blog

Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Thanks for listening!

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Check out the BotL iOS/Android App in the App Stores!

Follow at Twitter.com/BestOfTheLeft

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at [email protected]

Review the show on iTunes and Stitcher!

Climate

Do you like this episode?

Showing 7 reactions

Marty Harper commented 2014-07-08 08:40:59 -0400
Hey thanks for turning me on to Pascal’s Wager. “Pascal’s Wager was groundbreaking because it charted new territory in probability theory, marked the first formal use of decision theory, and anticipated future philosophies such as existentialism, pragmatism, and voluntarism.” Impactful
Vincent Block commented 2014-07-08 01:43:37 -0400
Hey man, I get it. I’m picking’ up what your putting’ down, I really do. I even like the scientific name drop, I’m a fan of those guys too (although I think Pascal made his famous wager tongue and cheek). Here is the thing though: I trust the data and reports from people who have studied, worked and dedicated their lives to the field of climatology and other peripheral sciences that feed climatology. I only have so many hours in a day, and like with many things, defer to the experts. The IPCC disagrees that the heat as measured by temperature is stable. They seem to believe it is rising in the lower and upper atmospheres, as well as in the ocean. So I defer to them, because that is what they do day in and day out. I too respect the skeptical process, but it has led me to vastly different conclusions.
Marty Harper commented 2014-07-07 22:39:13 -0400
N parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere retain X BTUs of energy…based on some empirical science. Software assumes if CO2 increases by y then BTU (or whatever measure) of energy in the atmosphere increases by this CO2 factor. But something is broken because the CO2 is up but not the temperatures. The heat level as measured by the temps is stable. Or perhaps the atmosphere is cooling since sea ice is 2 million square kilometers. “Reality is that we right now have an area matching the size of Greenland of extra sea ice floating around Antarctica.” My ‘trust’ in the assumptions and scientific calculations for some of these models is wavering.I respect the Skeptical process. I subscribe to the Creator model because it provides a really solid rational basis for understanding origin, meaning, morality, destiny – four of the big questions. I subscribe to it like Galileo, Bacon, Newton, Faraday, Pascal, Maxwell, etc.
Vincent Block commented 2014-07-07 18:17:50 -0400
I don’t assume all skeptics are non-scientific, but it has been my experience that climate change skeptics are already working from the idea that climate change is not happening, and put forth research or opinions limited by those parameters. I have read multiple NASA studies that suggest the temp is rising, and that ice is reducing. It is true, that most of the things I have read have happened to focus on Arctic ice. The computer models also aren’t based on assumptions-that word makes it sound as if they are making it up-but data points with their best educated guesses. The points range from radical to quite conservative, so I think faith is far from the right word to describe the confidence put in these models. You are right however, that all skeptics aren’t promoting junk science (hell, I even subscribe to Skeptics magazine).
Marty Harper commented 2014-07-07 16:44:14 -0400
Assuming skeptics are non-scientific may limit your access to good thinking. I don’t understand the predictive models because it is essentially hundreds of assumptions embedded in the software code. One is take that on faith. Looking at temperature sets is a bit different. This temperature set shows no uptrend since 1997. CO2 has marched ever higher, but it has not trapped more heat for 17 years. The Antarctic ice at record levels correlates.
Vincent Block commented 2014-07-07 14:09:08 -0400
I think you answered your own question by admitting that Wattsup is a skeptic website. I always go with the scientific experts. A college friend of mine is a climatologist, and explains to me why Global Warming is a real thing (and all the little subtleties and nuanced details). I don’t understand it all, but I do recognize that the IPCC, and all other non-bought off groups that are also experts, say it is real. Another rule of thumb I like, is to see if the United States is the only place that disagrees with a problem or solution (guns, evolution, public healthcare, climate change etc.)
Marty Harper commented 2014-07-05 15:14:17 -0400
Several real problems with defining this issue. Antarctic sea ice is at record levels
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/02/another-antarctic-sea-ice-record-set-but-excuses-abound/

And temperature levels have been stable for at least 17 years
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2014/07/03/rss-shows-no-global-warming-for-17-years-10-months/#more-112409

Heat does not disappear. It dissipates, is diffused, floats into space whatever. To have Antarctic sea ice 2 million km sq above normal and stable temperatures points to no problem or a tad of cooling.

Yes Wattsup is a skeptic site but seems to show, proclaim, show data forthrightly.