[GWSG] Junk article; RGGI C plan; greening suburbs; forbidden words; N American Climate Summit in Chicago

[Tilley, Al]

1. Two authors with fudged credentials have published a hopelessly flawed article in a suspicious Australian public affairs journal concluding that the earth's warming is within natural variation.  While I don't ordinarily bother you with propaganda, this piece is getting appreciative reviews in predictable places and makes a good example of fitting data to prior conclusions. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/planet-oz/2017/aug/26/institute-of-public-affairs-paper-claim-global-warming-natural-junk-science



2.   The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative of nine Northeastern states is proposing to cut the cap on emissions credits in their cap-and-trade control agreement by 3% a year, up from the current 2.5% a year.  Under the proposal, emissions in 2030 would be 65% lower than in 2009.  I don't usually cover pending legislation. This time my excuse is that the proposal is significant in our country where the federal government is doing what it can to lead in the opposite direction, and the article features details unlikely to be repeated in notices of the plan's implementation.  The RGGI is following California's lead.  Of the ten states originally in the Agreement only New Jersey has finked.  Five of the remaining nine have Republican governors.  The nine states together would constitute the world's sixth largest economy with $2.6 trillion in GDP; CA is almost as big.    https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23082017/rggi-northeast-states-tighten-power-plant-emissions?utm_source=Inside+Climate+News&utm_campaign=86318fa7e5-Weekly+Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-86318fa7e5-326454481

Following public comments through September 25, the RGGI proposal will go to the states to be incorporated in their plans.  http://rggi.org/docs/ProgramReview/2017/08-23-17/Announcement_Proposed_Program_Changes.pdf



3.  40% of greenhouse emissions arise from housing.  Walkable, sustainable neighborhoods which attend to their carbon footprint are part of the climate solution.  With the coming mass emigration from the coasts we need models of greener housing in relatively higher density neighborhoods where people can work, play, and live.  The Urban Land Institute and other organizations, particularly the US Green Building Council, are moving us in this direction.  Denver provides an example of an area transforming suburbs to quasi-urban green neighborhoods.  https://urbanland.uli.org/development-business/inner-ring-revitalization-transforming-aging-suburbs-walkable-mixed-use-development/



4.  Scientists applying for Energy Department grants are being asked to remove words such as "climate change" and "global warming" from their proposals.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/08/28/scientist-asked-to-remove-climate-change-from-grant-blames-the-ongoing-politicization-of-science/?nid&utm_term=.549a1aec285b



5.  Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel describes how Chicago is taking on the challenge of climate action. This fall Chicago will host the North American Climate Summit for hundreds of cities. counties, states, and businesses from the US, Canada, and Mexico to share their plans.  https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/29/if-donald-trump-wont-tackle-climate-change-then-chicago-will  ?

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