Hyrdofracking is a major threat to not only the safety of our drinking water, but is also a MAJOR issue when it comes to global warming. According to pretty much every major scientist out there, we are FUCKED if we allow hydrofracking. And yes that is a major scientific analysis...we are FUCKED if we let it go forward.

So it is about time we all stand up against hyrofracking because our drinking water and our ability to adapt to global warming as a nation will be screwed up. It is time to take a stand! From Democratic District Leader Jo Anne Simon:

Here's the statement I recently submitted to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation:  read more »

Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope is having their 2nd Annual Climate Awareness Day this month. Given that 2010 has just been determined to be the hottest year on record since 1850 (tied with 1998 and 2005), it seems this event is quite timely.

2nd Annual Climate Awareness Day 2011

Parents for Climate Protection in partnership with Congregation Beth Elohim are running an event where you can learn about the national climate movement, discuss solutions to the climate challenge on the state and local levels, and take action! Keynote speakers will be Liz Butler, Campaign Director at 1 Sky, the nation's largest, collaborative climate campaign, and Donna Goodman, Executive Director of the EarthChild Institute. Following this, break out sessions will be held with NYPIRG, Transportation Alternatives, Brooklyn Food Coalition and Rabbi Daniel Bronstein. While this is happening there will be eco-activities and free childcare for kids 3-12. To reserve for kids activities email: parentsforclimateprotection@gmail.com or call 347-585-1443

Last month a coalition of 18 Scientific organizations (and these are big ones...some of the biggest in the world) issued this statement (PDF) to the Senate:

Dear Senator:

As you consider climate change legislation, we, as leaders of scientific organizations, write to state the consensus scientific view.

Observations throughout the world make it clear that climate change is occurring, and rigorous scientific research demonstrates that the greenhouse gases emitted by human activities are the primary driver.  read more »

The Empire State Building and most of Manhattan around me joins Earth Hour. From EarthHour.org:

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

One more :  read more »

The latest drivel from anti-Science Global Warming Deniers is this:

Global warming stopped in 1998 and it has been cooling since then.

I am hearing this all over the place. What they then do is carefully pick the temperatures from individual years and compare them with other individual years to try and show a pattern that suggests cooling. There are three problems with this.

First, the possibility of cooling trends, locally or temporary, is quite likely within a general warming trend. Climate does not change linearly, but will vary up and down from year to year. This is why, as I will say again below, individual years are not significant. An individual year can include anomalies like El Nino or La Nina conditions. In addition, things like volcanic eruptions can cause temporary cooling (something deniers like Rush Limbaugh seemed to ignore when they used to claim, in the 1990's, that global warming was caused by Mt. Pinatubo). An initial cooling over Antarctica was predicted by the global warming models. This Antarctic cooling has been used by some deniers, who either don't realize or ignore that temporary cooling of Antarctica was predicted by the models, as "evidence" that global warming wasn't happening. Well, as predicted, that cooling trend has ended even in Antarctica. The only deviation from what was predicted by the models was the temporary cooling didn't last as long as predicted.

Second, there is a major error made by the deniers: you do NOT judge science based on selected data points. Only using a complete data set. The deniers cherry pick individual years to make their point. Scientists use entire data sets. When you do that, THIS is what you see:

And THIS:

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