Spotlight on green news & views: What's next in climate change activism?

Many environmentally related posts appearing at Daily Kos each week don't attract the attention they deserve. To help get more eyeballs, Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue) appears twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The most recent Wednesday Spotlight can be seen here. So far, more than 19,540 environmentally oriented diaries have been rescued for inclusion in this weekly collection since 2006. Inclusion of a diary in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.

Because of the relatively small number of diaries today (after Wednesday's record of 103), category titles have been removed for this Spotlight only.

To solar carport or not to carport, that is the (or at least a) question ...—by A Siegel: "Most people think and most analysis occurs in a stove piped fashion. Difficult in conception and more costly in resources (whether brain cells, time or cash), narrow and constrained thinking often fosters not just far from optimal but simply bad decisions.  This is true across virtually all of human existence. The energy arena is far from an exception to this problem. From not considering life-time electricity use when buying Christmas lights to using the 'commodity' price rather than delivered cost ("fully burdened cost of fuel") in military procurement decisions to only discussing energy savings returns off insulation or new windows without talking about comfort or health benefits in the house to ignoring the productivity benefits from greening workplaces (and schools), the limited nature of thinking when it comes to energy and environmental issues is hard to exaggerate. (And, of course, these are only benefits 'within the decision-maker' rather than all the externalities (both benefits and costs) that are left out of the economic transitions.) The all-too-often limited lens restricts us (all of us) to sub-optimal or simply wrong decisions. Thinking about solar carportsa provides a window on this issue."

Joe Barton is Wrong about Oil—by FaithChatham: "Statement by David E. Cozad, Democratic Nominee for US Congress TX6. Congressman Joe Barton recently stated: 'I'm in favor of overturning the ban on crude oil exports.' Mr Barton is wrong on this. Most of his fellow Republicans in the House are afraid to come out in public with their position. As the Democratic Nominee for U.S. Congress for the Texas 6th District, currently occupied by Congressman Barton, I differ with Barton because lifting of the ban on exporting crude oil jeopardizes our national security and risks damaging our national economy. I will stand and debate Congressman Barton on why this ban is in the best interest of the people of the United States, and especially to the people of the 6th District of Texas. I believe that the people deserve to weigh and evaluate the positions and priorities of the men and women who seek to serve them for the next two years in the United States Congress."

Climate March Reflections—by fortyhays: "Whether or not the People’s Climate March this past weekend finally pushes the needle for rampant, worldwide action on global warming, we cannot know for sure. But after standing—I mean marching - with my fellow citizens for over two hours, I am once again hopeful. As you have probably heard, turnout was stronger than expected—with estimates ranging from 300,000 to 400,000. The waves of people coming up from the subway in all directions near Columbus Circle caused delays. Organizers had planned on beginning the procession around 11:30 a.m., but by 1 p.m., I was still standing put in the same spot along Central Park West with a gathering of lawyers and scientists from the Natural Resources Defense Council. (Different sections of marchers had their own themes. NRDC was in the ‘solutions’ section.) A volunteer and her husband, who I’ll call Kristen and Bill, opened their Brooklyn home for breakfast that day for local PCM volunteers. Kristen, a vegetarian, used to work for a hedge fund firm and now writes poetry. What motivated her to hand out march literature to strangers at subway stations and open up her home for a climate change documentary screening? The future that awaits her 1 ½ year-old twins, she said."

The Daily Bucket - beauty and the beasts a hummingbird tale—by Polly Syllabic: "Gooseville, WI: A young female perches in the blue spruce on a chilly September day, fluffed and guarding her sugar feeder. It's her favorite day-perch since she fledged. Born in Wisconsin, she's been preparing to travel the thousands of miles south across the continent over the Gulf of Mexico to Central America. She's never been there before. She sports a crisp black tail with flashy white spots that match her underpants. The black eye-mask with a white dot behind her eye betrays her youth. She's feisty like her mom and dad." You can find more rescued green diaries below the sustainable squiggle.

Uncovering a trove of historic Pacific Ocean tuna fisheries photos—by tharu1: "I first ventured into the Central Pacific Ocean tuna fisheries in 1991 as a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration "NOAA" biological technician (GS5-I was 28 years old), that year seems like a long time ago to me, but today I am sharing some terrific photographs of the people and scientists who predated me by about 40 years. I had the good fortune to learn about tuna and fish behavior from some of these folks before they retired and one of them gifted me with the many photographs that I share with you and that only tell a small part of the legacy that these biologists granted to future biologists in the Pacific Ocean tuna fisheries."

The Moment of Silence: A Trilogy—by boatsie: "the scaffolding of the March stretches like dangling promises draped down Central Park West, as far as one, though tiptoed, can see a brilliantly pregnant palette of unmatched place mats banners, floats, signs, parachutes— wait on the streets by 69th, say 15 minutes later—in the time it takes to snap one’s fingers - the streets flood with people,  as if bursting free from every orifice of the city, emptying pockets."

Zero Air-time devoted to Climate Insecurity—by jamess: "As reported by Media Matters, the political megaphones that routinely tell the country 'what to think', in their purported Sunday "News" shows—devoted exactly 00000000 Air-time discussing what could arguably be the most successful Demonstrations in years—political or otherwise. [...] When compared to how often they mentioned Clive Bundy, Open Carry yahoos, Tea Party idiots, the NRA fear-mongers, and ISIS inflators. It would seem the agenda-setting apparatus of America, has their muck-raking priorities set in another decidedly different direction. One meant to instill Fear and Insecurity, not to resolve it."

How Many Times Can a GOP Rep. Get Climate Wrong In One Debate Answer?—by TheGreenMiles: "When Republicans like Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado try to accept some climate science while still rejecting the need for their polluting donors to cut carbon emissions, they somehow end up sounding even dumber than if they'd just denied climate science outright. [...] This is a good place to point out Rep. Coffman has taken nearly half a million dollars from the oil & gas industry in his career, making oil & gas his top industry patron. 'What happens is we push, particularly manufacturing jobs overseas to a country like China, that has no environmental rules, and those products are made with greater carbon emissions than otherwise would have been made in the United States. So I think there has to be a balance to the issue here.' Wrong. China has announced plans to limit carbon pollution and is rapidly trying to cut is coal dependence in the face of rising protests over its insanely dangerous air pollution. So that's a 6th wrong, but this answer comes closest to the truth of Coffman and other politicians firmly in the pocket of polluters: Your only choices are letting American polluters smash the planet or letting foreign polluters smash the planet! Or maybe a balance between those two!"

For the Record II: Dailykos at the People's Climate March and NYC Meet-Up - Photo Diary—by mimi: "Tuesday I posted a photo diary about the People's Climate March. Here is part two, showing just photos of our NYC dailykos group  walking proudly with the Dailykos banner and later on at the NYC meet-up. This is just a post NYC meet-up diary to keep some photos for the archives."

“Our Future, Our Choice” — On the Ground at the People's Climate March—by Marcia G Yerman: "I worked my way north toward 96th Street. Participants reflected all nationalities, races, and ages. There were senior citizens ('Elders off Our Rockers'), some being pushed in wheelchairs. School and college groups were out in force. They chanted calls for “Climate Justice Now' and 'Our Future, Our Choice.' Their signs read, 'Youth Choose Divestment' and 'Environmental Security is Human Security.' I had a conversation further along with Joan Lesikin of Cragsmoor, New York. She underscored, 'I’m here because I feel I have to do something.' Lesikin, an artist with a PhD in Applied Linguistics, discussed how she had transformed her 1950s house to a solar setup. Despite limited income, she worked with a company that offered her a twenty-year lease on solar panels—with no installation fee. Mentioning the “environment versus the economy” card that elected representatives continue to play, she responded, 'These [renewable] industries will create jobs.' She added, 'It’s about money. Our utilities are on the stock market.” Lesikin pointed out, 'People like stasis. They don’t like change.'"

Climate Marcher Sanders: Democratic Party or Third Party?—by divine order: "Stunning action and scenery, as well as very interesting to contemplate that a US Senator was among those many many thousands gathering to network and stand up for climate action! What if Senator Sanders were to run, and is able to draw a significant number of older voters to a Dem ticket? At the very least how might his participation in the Democratic primaries and debates affect dialogue? [...]  AMY GOODMAN: Attending an event last night where you were speaking, the question of whether you would be running as a third-party candidate or as a Democratic Party candidate for president? SEN. BERNIE SANDERS: Well, that’s something also. There are advantages and disadvantages of going both routes. Very difficult. On one hand, there is a lot of unhappiness with the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. More and more people are looking to alternatives, looking to become independents. On the other hand, from a practical point of view, putting together a 50-state independent political infrastructure, that ain’t so easy either. So that’s one of the issues that I’m looking at. But mostly, here today, I am just delighted that we’re going to have hundreds of thousands of people who say, 'Enough is enough. We’ve got to begin the process of reversing global warming.'"

Google Drops "Lying" ALEC—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "Setting a promising example—one already followed by Facebook—Google has announced that it is ending its involvement with the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative group responsible for pushing (among others) policies based on climate change denial (like bills requiring the teaching of denial in schools). Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt, explained in an interview that, "everyone understands climate change is occurring," and that denial groups like ALEC are, 'just literally lying.' While they can't take all the credit, Forecast the Facts has been asking businesses to do exactly this for a year now, to put an end to business involvement with groups like ALEC."

Back to business as usual?—by don mikulecky: "Well we have marched either in person or in spirit and flooded Wall Street. Now what? As I read news and blogs I have the feeling it is just plain over. What is the next step? Has any momentum been created? I expect a follow up and a call for action. I did not believe the organizers were going to let things rest. The powers that be are not stupid. Yes a lot of people turned out. But what is the impact of that? Where is it going? Is it over? We need a workable plan of action to get us on track or we have had it."

The Numbers of Climate Change: Obama Could do Much More—by JohnMiguel: "Obama's pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 300 million metric tons by 2030 and the Department of Agriculture's decision to spend $68 million on '540 renewable energy and energy-efficiency projects in rural areas' represent steps in the right decision. But these numbers only serve to show how much we could be doing as a wealthy country and one of the world's leaders in greenhouse gas emissions. $68 million dollars? Try $200 billion annually, the amount that Economics professor Robert Pollin has calculated it would take to maintain the global average temperature at 60.3 degrees Fahrenheit."

EPA's McCarthy on Cost of Inaction—by ClimateDenierRoundup: "The Hill carries news about EPA chief Gina McCarthy, who gave a speech at the think tank Resources for the Future. Her speech was a strong rebuttal to the common denier/delayer talking point that taking action on climate change is too expensive. According to Politico, she 'ripped climate skeptics' by saying it's 'sad' that they 'hide behind the word 'economy' to protect their own special-interests' before inviting them to 'do the math' about the additional $150 billion cost of 3°C of warming instead of 2°C. The best line though, was that we should be tackling climate change not 'despite the economy' but 'because of it.'"

Grid Parity is making In-roads in Industry—by jamess: "Being #2 on the List of Greenhouse Polluters -- producing 126,750,270 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. annually -- it's about time that the Duke Energy Corporation 'woke up' and smelled the Renewable Grid Parity 'coffee'. It's only a matter of time before the other toxic offenders, wake up and grab the savings too ... (ie. 'renewable' profits) [...] LaSala pointed several tracts off the North Carolina coast that the federal government has identified for possible wind farm leases. He also cited Duke Energy’s recent announcement that it will spend $500 million to develop solar farms in the state, as part of the utility’s effort to meet its renewable energy goals. 'Wind [energy development] (sic) will continue to grow in the U.S., even with the expiration of the federal Production Tax Credits as [the industry] (sic) approaches so-called grid parity—meaning the energy generated by a utility-scale wind farm can compete economically with that generated by new conventional power plants,' LaSala said in a phone interview Wednesday. 'While offshore wind farms are more costly to build and maintain, that is where the wind blows most steadily—without physical interference—and has the greatest speed.'"

Infrastructure Is the Current Revolution—by TarheelDem: "Regardless of the outcome of the US election, any elections in Europe, Australia, New Zealand--or even India, Pakistan, and China, the Washington consensus and neoliberal capitalism prevail as the current imagination of the global economy. Global climate change is occurring with zero response from the people who have the power and resources that could mitigate or even reverse this fossil-fuel-caused climate trend.  Indeed spending the natural savings accout of environmental services, natural materials (non-renewable and renewable), and fossil fuels seems to be accelerated in one vast binge of "Drill, baby, drill.  Mine, baby, mine.  Burn, baby, burn." consumption constrained only by the lower consumer demand that results from the mass impoverishment of ordinary people around the world.  Privatization of infrastructure continues to be the policy direction of US Democrats and Republicans, European conservatives, social democrats, and socialists and global institutions are being rigged to force the privatization of health care systems, transportation systems, water systems, sanitation systems, education systems, and even income security systems in every country of the world."

The Daily Bucket - BigLeaf maple, autumn leaves—by OceanDiver: "I've been hearing about the "colors" happening now in parts of the country where deciduous trees make up most of the forests. Here in the lowland maritime Pacific Northwest, our forests are primarily coniferous...we have few native trees that lose all their leaves in the fall, and we don't get the spectacular display many of you folks are seeing right now. The most common deciduous trees where I live—Alders and Willows—turn a dull yellow and brown before the wind blows the spent leaves into matted masses on the ground. My favorite native deciduous leaf fall is from the Big-Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), which we see in the wetter woods hereabouts. The giant leaves themselves are glorious, becoming a colorful subtle palette at this time of year."

The Daily Bucket--Predators in the Frog Mitigation Area!—by 6412093: "I converted a portion of my side yard into what I hope will be a frog hideout. The Frog Mitigation Area is about 400 square feet of fenced-in, level ground, and includes a 6 x 6 pond that is 1.5 feet deep, fed by a 30 foot steam, 1.5 feet wide and 4 inches deep, flowing from  an artificial waterfall. I built it, and the frogs came. But what else is coming by? Continue reading below the orange tangles of karmic destiny, and help me puzzle this out. [...] So I am guessing that the critter weighed at least five pounds. A Great Blue Heron weighs about 5-7 lb., according to the internet. I can picture a large heron carefully stepping on the edge of one of those slabs,and tipping it, and scrambling to stand on the other, and tipping it too. Herons have knocked my pond edge stones into the water before. A coon is my other prime suspect. Yet, in the past, when a coon visited, lots of stuff got torn up; plants eviscerated, fish ripped gut to gizzard, and so on. Yet in this instance, nearby pond plants weren't even knocked over. However, I haven't seen a heron in the yard for months, or a coon for years."

Wildlife Watchers Kill Moose—by ban nock: "Last week wildlife enthusiasts in a campground in Grand Teton National Park harassing a moose by surrounding it for photos etc. caused the moose to freak out, run into a picnic table and get caught in a fire grate, almost severing the moose's leg. Rangers had to euthanize the moose, which was injured past recovery. The cow moose had a calf that might well not make it through the winter also. [...] I'm not sure where to go with this. What the heck does one moose matter anyway. Lots of moose get eaten every winter by wolves, lots more moose calves get eaten in the first few weeks of life by grizzly and black bear, when there used to be more moose, hunters would shoot and eat them. So what if the paparazzis of nature got one? I guess what irks me is that these very same wildlife voyeurs are increasingly influencing wildlife management policy, usually in an adverse way. In the US we have a history of scientific management of wildlife extending all the way back three quarters of a century. Scientists schooled and versed in those same careful deliberate methods are increasingly ignored, or more aptly their voices are lost in the cacophony that is what has become of public discourse."

Saturday Morning Garden Blogging, Vol. 10.31: Rain, at last!—by estreya: "A common misconception about the Pacific Northwest is that it rains like the dickens here all year long. In actuality, the amount of rainfall during our summer months is barely enough to fill a thimble. By the end of September, grass is yellowed and brittle, foliage is crisp, and it's not uncommon to see a tender bush or baby tree retreat into early dormancy to protect itself from the blistering sun.  But in spite of the parched lips of summer, some things in my garden continue to thrive [...] The Italian term chiaroscuro (chiaro, 'light' scuro, 'dark') refers to the interplay of shadow and light, and while the pictures i've shared here have plenty of both, do not be deceived!  On Monday, i scrambled to snap a few photographs under the canopy of a sunny sky. By Tuesday, shadows softened, clouds rolled in, and we were blessed at last with the quenching rains that mark the beginning of autumn. Soon, the concrete soil will yield more easily to the shovel, and planting can begin again. By the time October rolls around, the weather in the Pacific Northwest finally lives up to its reputation."

Bárðarbunga: Concerning Mývatn (ICESAR fundraiser ends tonight!)—by Rei: "Of the new lava flows, the southern tongue continues at the same pace as yesterday. The northern tongue is moving faster than yesterday. It will be interesting to watch them both. The southern flow is destined to run into the deepening water of the "lake" in the river. The northern flow will run into a ridge that previously redirected the first flow toward Vaðalda. Whether the north flow will flow over the ridge or over the previous flow, I have no clue."

Bárðarbunga: Enhance—by Rei: "Today we announce the results of our fundraiser for ICESAR / Icelandic Search and Rescue, our top-donor prize, and the finalists in our raffle prize. But first ... let's zoom in on the situation once again with another edition of Eldfjallavakt. A low is going to move over Iceland tomorrow. The circular windflow patterns around the low can reverse the wind direction - and at times it's even going to be strong reversed winds, which could potentially bring the plume - containing a lot more SO2 pollution than the whole EU combined - to the capital region. The gas forecast is said to be particularly difficult in the coming days, so we really don't know. But at least now I feel prepared in case it does turn bad, that I won't be stuck out working in the countryside without a mask. Of course, the greatest danger is right near the site - not just gas, but jökulhlaup risk, changing river and lava flow patterns, and a whole host of other dangers. We've heard a lot about how the scientists and media are kept safe by extreme vigilence of the situation and being alerted to the changes. But how exactly can they know who is at risk for what? That's what the TETRA system is for."

❁ a monarch ❁—by blueyedace2: "Luncheon" with the Koch Brothers of CA Water!—by Dan Bacher: "Want to have some fun and challenge corporate agribusiness at the same time? Then attend a "charming luncheon" outside the home of famous (infamous) Delta water diverters, Stewart and Lynda Resnick, hosted by the No on Proposition 1 campaign. There were be a rally and press conference at this "Luncheon" with the Koch Brothers of California Water on Thursday, October 2 from 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the home of Stewart & Lynda Resnick — 9481 Sunset Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210. Meet on grassy median on Sunset Blvd. outside their home This rally and press conference launches the Los Angeles campaign against Proposition 1, Governor Jerry Brown's water bond, on the California ballot, and exposes the Resnicks."