House climate panel to be axed

	Dec 1, 2010	Politico
	Robin Bravender House Republicans will scrap the committee set up by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to investigate global warming, the panel's top Republican announced Wednesday. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) made official what many had already expected — the GOP majority will axe the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, which Pelosi created in 2007. "This hearing will be the last of the select committee," Sensenbrenner announced. Committee Chairman Ed Markey (D-Mass.) called Wednesday's hearing to give witnesses a chance to warn of the perils of climate change before the GOP launches efforts next year to roll back the Obama administration's climate policies. Sensenbrenner, a vocal climate change skeptic, had pushed to keep the panel alive to probe the White House's energy policies. But it was seen as unlikely that GOP leadership would devote resources to the panel created by Democrats at the same time that they called for scaling back government spending. The Wisconsin Republican may still play a key role in leading investigations into climate science next year. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), who is vying for the chairmanship of the Committee on Science and Technology, told POLITICO Tuesday he'd like to see Sensenbrenner lead the panel's climate science probes. Markey, meanwhile, assured Republicans that he and others will battle from the minority to slash global warming emissions. "We are not going away because the problems that climate change presents are too dangerous too urgent for us to disappear into the abyss of cynicism and loss," Markey said. "We are not going away because China, India, and Germany are not going away as competitors for global energy dominance. We are not going away because the national security threats from our continued dependence on foreign oil are not going away."

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climate change worsens future human well-being

Global experts: Warming could double food prices
	Dec 1, 2010	Associated Press Online
	By CHARLES J. HANLEY CANCUN, Mexico, Dec. 1, 2010 (AP Online delivered by Newstex) -- Even if we stopped spewing global warming gases today, the world would face a steady rise in food prices this century. But on our current emissions path, climate change becomes the "threat multiplier" that could double grain prices by 2050 and leave millions more children malnourished, global food experts reported Wednesday. Beyond 2050, when climate scientists project temperatures might rise to as much as 6.4 degrees C (11.5 degrees F) over 20th century levels, the planet grows "gloomy" for agriculture, said senior research fellow Gerald Nelson of the International Food Policy Research Institute. The specialists of the authoritative, Washington-based IFPRI said they fed 15 scenarios of population and income growth into supercomputer models of climate and found that "climate change worsens future human well-being, especially among the world's poorest people." The study, issued here at the annual U.N. climate conference, said prices will be driven up by a combination of factors: a slowdown in productivity in some places caused by warming and shifting rain patterns, and an increase in demand because of population and income growth. Change apparently already is under way. Returning from northern India, agricultural scientist Andrew Jarvis said wheat farmers there were finding warming was maturing their crops too quickly. "The temperatures are high and they're getting reduced yields," Jarvis, of the Colombia-based International Center for Tropical Agriculture, told reporters last month. For most farmers around the world, trying to adapt to these changes "will pose major challenges," Wednesday's IFPRI report said. Research points to future climate disruption for agricultural zones in much of sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia and parts of Latin America, including Mexico. In one combination of climate models and scenarios, "the corn belt in the United States could actually see a significant reduction in productivity potential," Nelson told reporters here. "Unlike the 20th century, when real agricultural prices declined, the first half of the 21st century is likely to see increases in real agricultural prices," the IFPRI report said. Even with "perfect mitigation," the implausible complete elimination immediately of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions, it said real prices for grain would rise because of growing demand and other factors -- by 18 percent for rice by 2050 under the most optimistic scenario, to up to 34 percent for corn in the most pessimistic, a scenario envisioning high population growth. But climate change "acts as a threat multiplier," making feeding billions more mouths even more challenging, IFPRI said. With climate change factored in, the increases in real prices by 2050 could range from 31 percent for rice in the most optimistic scenario, to 100 percent for corn in the most pessimistic. And IFPRI has estimated that such skyrocketing prices could boost the global population of undernourished children by 20 percent, by an additional 25 million children. Up until 2050, endpoint of the experts' projections, some of the impact could be offset by research development of higher-yielding varieties of corn, wheat and other crops, and by freer, more flexible global trade in food commodities, IFPRI said. But beyond 2050, if temperatures rise sharply, "the world is a much more gloomy place for agriculture," Nelson said. Only deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and billions spent to help farmers adapt to a changing climate can head off serious food shortages, Nelson said. IFPRI, which is supported by world governments, estimates that at least $7 billion additional spending a year is needed for crop research and improved irrigation, roads and other upgrades of agricultural infrastructure. Needed just as much, it said, are better satellite data on how the world's farming zones are changing crops, land use and practices, and on-the-ground information from "citizen data-gatherers equipped with GPS-enabled camera phones and other measuring devices. "Such data would yield huge payoffs in illuminating the state of the world as it unfolds," it said. Newstex ID: AP-0001-51289233

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US, China close in on accord on key climate issue

	Dec 2, 2010	Associated Press Online
	By ARTHUR MAX CANCUN, Mexico, Dec. 2, 2010 (AP Online delivered by Newstex) -- The United States and China appeared close to agreement Wednesday on a key issue that has troubled climate change negotiations, boosting prospects that talks on global warming will score their first success in years. Analysts said the tone over measuring emissions had softened between the two major protagonists in the 193-nation talks. Over the past year they repeatedly exchanged accusations of reneging on commitments and undermining the talks. The much disputed issue involves how countries account for their actions to limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases and to what extent they will allow other countries to review their books. The process is known as measuring, reporting and verifying, or MRV in negotiating parlance. Details remain to be worked out and MRV is only one of several elements that negotiators want to adopt as a package in Cancun. "Maybe the differences are not that huge," said Su Wei, China's chief negotiator. "In general, both countries would like to promote the process" and emerge from Cancun with a deal. The veteran diplomat said China had put in place a rigorous system for measuring and assessing its carbon emissions, and had no objection if other countries examined its reports. "We have no problem with MRV," he said. Previously, China had said only some of its actions would be open to international scrutiny. Earlier this week, U.S. negotiator Jonathan Pershing said the U.S. and China had "spent a lot of energy in the past month working on those issues where we disagree and trying to resolve them. My sense is we have made progress." He did not specify those issues. The annual climate conference is the first since the Copenhagen summit last December, which broke up in acrimony after failing to reach a broad agreement binding industrial nations to deep emissions cuts and committing developing countries to move toward low-carbon growth. Instead, the summit, which drew President Barack Obama, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and nearly 120 other world leaders, ended with a three-page statement of principles that fell short of the unanimous approval required by all parties. This year, negotiators lowered their sights and were seeking to adopt a package of secondary issues that will keep the negotiations alive. Kathrin Gutman, who follows the talks for the World Wildlife Fund, said an agreement on verification would be an important piece of a deal that could "unlock the larger discussion" on emissions reductions. She said the two sides had refused to formally discuss the subject as recently as the last preparatory meeting a month ago, which was held in the Chinese city of Tianjin. The shift apparently derived from compromise proposals by India and Singapore. Barbara Finamore, the China expert for Natural Resources Defense Council, said the Chinese attitude at Cancun reflected "a sea change" in approach. "China made a strategic decision to be as positive, open and forthcoming as they can," she said in an interview. Newstex ID: AP-0001-51296720

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Guest Post: From an Air Corp Soldier

All the ladies will love this one...

While the C-5 was turning over its engines, a female crewman gave the G.I.s on board the usual  information regarding seat belts, emergency exits, etc.  Finally, she said, 'Now sit back and enjoy your trip while your captain, Judith Campbell, and crew  take you safely to Afghanistan '  An old MSgt. sitting in the eighth row thought to himself, 'Did I hear her right? Is the captain a woman? '  When the attendant came by he said 'Did I understand you right? Is the captain a woman?'  'Yes,'! said the attendant, 'In fact, this entire crew is female.'  'My God,' he said, 'I wish I had two double scotch and sodas. I don't know what to think  with only women up there in the cockpit.'  'That's another thing, Sergeant,' said the crew member,  'We No Longer Call It The Cockpit'  'It's now the Box Office.'  Quote of the day:  'Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby. If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.' She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.   So, 'if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit.'