Cruz: We Mustn't Ask If Climate Polluters Made Texas Floods Worse

CNN reports the unprecedented floods in Texas - exactly the kind climate scientists have been saying we'll see more of in a warming world - are really harshing the science denial of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX):

The Republican presidential contender has held two press conferences over the past two days to address the flooding and the government's response. At each one, he was asked about the impact of climate change on natural disasters like the Texas flooding, and at each one, he dodged the question.

"In a time of tragedy, I think it's wrong to try to politicize a natural disaster -- and so there's plenty of time to talk about other issues," he said in response to a question on his views on climate change during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Yes, the last thing we should be doing is using science to figure out if carbon pollution from fossil fuels made the never-before-seen flooding worse. Remind me again how it's "libertarian" to let polluters make deadly disasters worse without having to pay for it?

Fracking and Earthquakes Come to Timpson, Texas

Until fracking for natural gas came along, Timpson, TX had never experienced an earthquake. Now it's home to 27 active fracking and fracking wastewater disposal wells, and it's had three earthquakes of at least magnitude 4, including two in the last week. One Timpson earthquake in May registered 4.8, the largest quake in East Texas history.

It's a reminder that, like all other fossil fuels that produce "cheap" energy, someone's paying the price, whether it's up the line in Timpson, or down the line on climate change.

Proof Republicans Aren't Pro-Business: Tesla Motors

The Green Miles doesn't hate Republicans. I don't! I respect principled conservatives, like former Senators Bob Dole or John Warner.

What I hate are Republican politicians who claim to be pro-business or anti-regulation, when really they're willing to do whatever it takes to protect powerful special interests.

Case in point: Republicans doing auto dealers' bidding by blocking Tesla's efforts to sell cars directly to consumers in North Carolina and Texas. It's not about growing the economy or creating jobs or any other GOP tropes. It's using the law to shield existing businesses from an upstart business that would save consumers money. In effect, the Republican lawmakers' actions constitute a tax on consumers that subsidizes auto dealers.

Last Month Was America's 2nd-Hottest August On Record

The latest State of the Climate report is out from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center. The top news:

• August of 2011 was the 2nd-hottest ever in the United States
• Globally, August was the 8th-hottest on record
• So far, 2011 is Earth's 11th-hottest year on record

On top of that, not only did Texas' June through August break the record for hottest three-month stretch for any state, but Oklahoma's June through August is #2 on the list. The Dust Bowl's been pushed to third - by more than a full degree.

What's the impact of that extreme heat, and with it extreme drought? As the Texas Forest Service put it, "No one on the face of this Earth has ever fought fires in these extreme conditions."

Watch how fast the winds of Tropical Storm Lee whipped one wildfire through Texas (in real time):



Might be time for climate science deniers to face reality.

Rick Perry: Galileo Got Harassed By Ignorant Politicians Like Me, Too!

At last night's Republican presidential debate, the harshest blow may have been landed by Rick Perry ... against Rick Perry.

The Texas governor, already infamous for his climate science ignorance, somehow dug his own hole even deeper last night. Perry mangled an analogy and managed to compare himself to the religious and/or political figures who found Galileo's sun-centered model of the solar system to be an inconvenient truth:

"Galileo got outvoted for a spell," said Perry, in attempting to argue that the issue of climate change remains "unsettled." But what Perry fails to realize is the fact that the scientific community actually agreed with Galileo. It was the clergy who outvoted him, accusing him of being a heretic. "By the time Galileo was publishing on heliocentrism, the idea was already circulating and widely accepted in scientific circles, including Jesuits," explains Joshua Rosneau from the National Center for Science Education. "He wasn't outvoted by scientists, he was outvoted by the political and religious leadership of his country."

The example of Galileo would actually make a great metaphor for climate change scientists, not the deniers. Following his Galileo blunder, Perry parrots the familiar political reasoning behind brushing off the theory of climate change, one supported by the vast majority of environmental scientists--97 percent of them, in fact. Perry warns of putting "America’s economic future in jeopardy, asking us to cut back in areas that would have monstrous economic impact on this country." But a study by the National Academy of Science and funded by Congress said bluntly that the "the environmental, economic, and humanitarian risks posed by climate change indicate a pressing need for substantial action to limit the magnitude of climate change and to prepare for adapting to its impacts." Despite what Perry claims, climate change continues to be debated not by scientists but by politicians.

Even as his own state of Texas is ravaged by global warming-fueled wildfires, exactly in line with the predictions of climate scientists, Rick Perry still denies reality. Think it has anything to do with the more than $11 million Perry has raked in from oil companies? Heaven forbid.

Netroots Nation Through the Eyes of The Green Miles

A week overdue, here's my travelog from Netroots Nation 2008 in Austin.

I was waiting for the SuperShuttle at the airport when a horrific shriek had me jumping out of my flip-flops. It was my introduction to the great-tailed grackle. I asked an Austin resident about the birds, who told me with a scoff that they were introduced from Europe as songbirds. As was the case with Florida's love bugs, turns out locals often fall for tall tales. The grackles are native.

As much as I'd heard about Austin's BBQ, I ended up enjoying the Mexican food more. This enormous lunch from Las Manitas cost just about $10, much less than dinner at the famed Stubbs BBQ which was just OK.



Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean arrived on Thursday in the "Register for Change" tour bus. Was a little disappointed not to hear more about climate action from the former Vermont governor. In two speeches, he only made one reference to global warming, a passing reference to creation care.

An all-star panel on energy featured two top Democratic challengers for U.S. Senate -- Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich, running against Ted Stevens, and Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley, running against Gordon Smith. Can you imagine those seats flipping from climate action foot-draggers to true climate activists? Interesting point from EnergySmart's Adam Siegel -- school buses use 550 million gallons of diesel fuel a year. If school districts bought hybrids to replace their aging bus fleets, America could cut that almost in half.

Al Gore made a surprise appearance to tout his plan to make America's electricity carbon-free in 10 years. But most felt Van Jones was the best speaker of the conference, presenting the need for climate action in an urgent, compelling and inclusive voice.

Early in NN08, some bloggers were grumbling about how Barack Obama wasn't scheduled to appear. Later, we learned Obama had a good excuse for not making it -- his trip to Afghanistan, Iraq, the Middle East, and Europe. I suppose that beats schmoozing the bloggers. Obama did send along a video message.

The only souvenir I splurged for on the trip -- a Texas belt buckle. Don't act like you're not jealous.







The big DailyKos-sponsored blowout was held at Austin's Maggie Mae's (props to convention organizers for making sure everything -- hotel, convention center, events -- were in walking distance, greatly reducing the need for rental cars or cabs). To go to the roof deck, you had to pour your drink into a plastic cup and toss your empty bottle into the trash. When I asked the bouncer about it, he said he was shocked when he first saw that, too, but that scavengers apparently pick the recyclables out of the trash and make a profit off of them.

Went to a reception for Glenn Nye (far right), running for Congress in Virginia's second district against Rep. Thelma Drake. I love how Thelma's website expresses her deep concern for the future of the Chesapeake Bay but search for either global warming or climate and you'll get "No documents matched your query." Saying you're concerned about the Bay but not worried by climate change is like saying you're concerned about your car failing to start but not worried about the battery.

Got to go see the bats emerge from underneath Austin's Congress Avenue Bridge. It's not an overwhelming force of nature or anything, but it is a pretty cool sight. It takes about 10 minutes for all the bats (up to 1.5 million of them) to come out, forming clouds off in the distance.

Gathered to watch the bats in the lounge of the nearby Four Seasons. It features the Batini, which claims to be the official drink of Austin. Blackberries, grapefruit juice, vodka and champagne. Tasted pretty good, but the presentation was obviously key, featuring a blackberry with mint "wings."

More great food -- chorizo and cheese with corn tortillas and not one but two Dos Equis. When I ordered a Dos Equis, the waitress said, "Amber or lager?" One of my friends blurted out, "BOTH! Get both!" So I went along with the gag. Yes, my friends are easily amused.






Finally, my favorite part of the trip -- Fat Tire everywhere! Before I arrived, I hadn't realized I'd be west of the Mississippi River where New Belgium's sustainable beer is available, but I was thrilled to find it on tap just about everywhere we went.

Who Needs The Dark Knight? Austin Has REAL Bats.

Did you know that in the summertime, there are more bats than people in Austin? Up to 1.5 million of them spend the summer under the Congress Ave Bridge, emerging each night to suck the blood of the unsuspecting tourists that locals tricked into gathering nearby.

Just kidding! LOL! And also ROTFL! The Green Miles is only pulling your leg. They actually eat insects -- up to 20,000 pounds of them a night (more on the bats & their bridge here).

I hear they're quite a sight when they emerge from under the bridge each evening, so I'm going to check them out Friday night while I'm here in Austin for Netroots Nation. The Four Seasons lounge apparently has a great view, even offering a Batini cocktail, which is allegedly "the official drink of Austin."

The Four Seasons concierge desk keeps track of when the bats come out and estimates Friday's show will take place around 8-8:15pm. If you're at Netroots and want to join us, email me!

I'm Just Keepin' It Weird, Yo: Heading to Austin for Netroots Nation

The Green Miles is at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport right now. I’m on my way to Austin for Netroots Nation, a blogger convention (formerly known as YearlyKos).

The second leg of this trip will be my fourth flight in five days. I take the train or drive as much as I can on personal and business trips to keep my carbon footprint to a minimum, but some flights are unavoidable. While doing the jet-setter thing, I do what I can to at least minimize waste, bringing my reusable coffee mug and downloading articles to read rather than buying newspapers and magazines. I also ask flight attendants if they recycle cans and paper, if not taking them with me into the airport, which usually offer recycling these days.

From an environmental perspective, I actually find the view from high up to be heartening. For all the wide highways and sprawling cul-de-sacs scarring the suburban landscapes as you take off and land, there remain vast expanses of forest and rolling hills untouched by development. And from 20,000 feet, it’s nice notice that among of the few identifiable man-made structures below are baseball diamonds.

I’ll be spending most of my time at Netroots Nation on the job for the National Wildlife Federation, but I’ll try to post interesting tidbits here as time permits. Considering how much time liberal blogs tend to spend focused on political races and Iraq, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many environmental sessions are on the agenda.

And with the Democratic National Convention putting so much effort into going green, I’ll be watching to see how well Netroots minimizes its environmental impact. Will they give me a big bag full of junk when I get there? Will the convention site and hotel offer recycling?

Earth-Shaking Clean Energy Deal: Investor Bets $2 Billion on Wind

Huge news in the renewable energy sector today:

Oil investor T. Boone Pickens' Mesa Power LLP said on Thursday it ordered 667 wind turbines from General Electric Co as part of the $2 billion first phase of a planned Texas wind farm.

It said the turbine order was the world's largest for a single-site wind power development.

The 667 turbines are capable of generating 1,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 300,000 average U.S. homes, Mesa said in a release.

The four-phase Pampa Wind Project would be the world's largest wind energy generator, with more than 4,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for 1.3 million homes, when completed in 2014, Mesa said.

OK, so let's compare the planned energy investments for Virginia and Texas:

Virginia: $1.8 billion for a 585 megawatt coal-fired facility in Wise County. Short-term jobs during construction: 800. Long-term jobs during operation: 75. Estimated increase in operation costs if carbon capture and storage becomes viable: 30-60%. Without CCS, estimated annual cost of carbon permits in 2030 for 5.4 million tons of C02: $108 million.

Texas: $2 billion for a 1,000 megawatt wind power facility. For full 4,000 megawatt facility, short-term jobs during construction: 1,500 jobs. Long-term jobs during operation: 720. Added cost of operation under climate legislation limiting carbon emissions: $0.

It's not too late to make the smart investment. Tell Gov. Kaine to make thoughtful appointments to the Virginia State Air Pollution Control Board as it reviews permits for polluting facilities such as the proposed Wise County plant and the Mirant plant in Alexandria.

Cross-posted from Raising Kaine