Pew Environment Group
http://www.pewenvironment.org/campaigns/clean-energy-program/id/8589935316/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=SM-Clean_Energy-CA

Accelerating clean energy solutions that improve the economy, national security and the environment.

Introduction

Who's Winning the Clean Energy Race? 2010 Edition.

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Energy is a key pillar of our lives–it runs our cars, charges our computers and powers our factories. Globally, energy use is expected to increase 35 percent over the next 25 years, driven almost entirely by demand due to increases in electricity use and vehicle fleets. The growing need for energy around the world is likely to make it an ever more precious commodity–forcing up prices and increasing global instability. Additionally, the world’s energy sector is responsible for approximately 70 percent of global carbon emissions, the direct cause of climate change.

A business-as-usual approach to energy policy threatens global economic competitiveness, national security and the environment. We must fundamentally transform the manner in which we produce, distribute and consume energy if we are to reduce dependence on oil, create jobs, enhance global competitiveness and decrease carbon emissions.

Introduction

Energy is a key pillar of our lives–it runs our cars, charges our computers and powers our factories. Globally, energy use is expected to increase 35 percent over the next 25 years, driven almost entirely by demand due to increases in electricity use and vehicle fleets. The growing need for energy around the world is likely to make it an ever more precious commodity–forcing up prices and increasing global instability. Additionally, the world’s energy sector is responsible for approximately 70 percent of global carbon emissions, the direct cause of climate change.
A business-as-usual approach to energy policy threatens global economic competitiveness, national security and the environment. We must fundamentally transform the manner in which we produce, distribute and consume energy if we are to reduce dependence on oil, create jobs, enhance global competitiveness and decrease carbon emissions.

Project Team

Phyllis Cuttino, Director
Laura Lightbody, Manager
Jessica Lubetsky, Senior Associate
Joseph Dooley, Senior Associate
Brendan Reed, Associate
Tracy Schario, Communications Officer, 202.540.6582

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The Latest From Clean Energy Program

Electric Cars are Right for America
- Media Coverage
- Jul 04, 2011, 19:00 EST
- Clean Energy Program
(Chicago Sun-Times) Former Michigan governor and clean/renewable energy missionary Jennifer Granholm stopped by the Sun-Times the other day to tell the Editorial Board that the cost of electric cars could be on par with the price of gas-powered autos as soon as 2017.More
Energy Concerns Could Make Panetta First Green DOD Chief
- Media Coverage
- Jul 01, 2011, 11:20 EST
- Clean Energy Program, Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate
(New York Times) When Leon Panetta was sworn in this morning as the 23rd secretary of Defense, he inherited a force that is more fuel-dependent than ever -- a fact that those inside the Pentagon increasingly say underlies the budgetary and battlefield issues that will consume his attention.More
Tell President Obama to Increase Fuel Efficiency Standards
- Other Resource
- Jun 28, 2011, 14:15 EST
- Clean Energy Program
High gas prices may give us pause before taking a long road trip, but we still need to drive to work, the grocery store or school. Tell President Obama to set mileage standards at 60 miles per gallon.More
Pew Calls for Obama Administration to Raise MPG Standards
- Press Release
- Jun 28, 2011, 11:00 EST
- Clean Energy Program
The Pew Clean Energy Program launched a video this week to raise awareness of the benefits of increasing the fuel efficiency—or miles-per-gallon (MPG)—standards for cars and light trucks to as high as 60 MPG by 2025.More
Increase My MPG!
- Video
- Jun 27, 2011, 16:17 EST
- Clean Energy Program
High gas prices may give us pause before taking a long road trip, but we still need to drive to work, the grocery store or school. This Pew Clean Energy Program video highlights the benefits of increasing fuel efficiency—or miles-per-gallon (MPG)—standards for cars and light trucks to as high as 60 MPG by 2025. The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation (EPA-DOT) are expected to release a proposed joint rule by Sept. 30, 2011, that will elevate fuel efficiency fleet wide to a level between 47 and 62 mpg for cars and light trucks.More
Clean Power, Good Jobs, Energy Independence: A Clean Energy Forum with Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm (Illinois)
- Event
- Jun 27, 2011, 11:00 EST
- Clean Energy Program
Former Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, senior adviser to the Pew Clean Energy Program, will be in Chicago June 29 and 30 to participate in the Clinton Global Initiative and talk with local leaders about the role clean energy can play in creating jobs in America.More
What is Clean Energy?
- Video
- Jun 22, 2011, 09:25 EST
- Clean Energy Program
Sharing their bi-partisan agreement in this short video, former Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) and Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich.) discuss why America needs a national clean energy policy.More
We Believe in Clean Energy
- Other Resource
- Jun 21, 2011, 16:25 EST
- Clean Energy Program, Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate
Clean energy can help create jobs, protect our national security, stimulate private investment and invigorate manufacturing. Sharing their bipartisan agreement in a new video, former Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) and former Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D-Mich.) discuss why America needs a national clean energy policy.More
Postcard: Will America Settle for 3rd Place?
- Other Resource
- Jun 21, 2011, 13:20 EST
- Clean Energy Program
From 2004 to 2010, the global clean energy market grew by 630 percent. But in the race to attract private investment in this field, the U.S. fell from first place to third, behind China and Germany. To get back in contention and generate the jobs Americans need, we must have policies that ensure clean energy investors have the support they need.More
Senator Alexander, Nissan and Pew to Highlight Importance of Electric Vehicles in Clean Energy Economy
- Press Release
- Jun 20, 2011, 17:35 EST
- Clean Energy Program
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.); former Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, senior adviser to The Pew Charitable Trusts; Phyllis Cuttino, Pew Clean Energy Program director; and Nissan leadership today at Nissan Americas headquarters discussed the role that electric vehicles (EVs) can play in growing the clean energy economy.More
Ex-Governor Sees the Light on Green Issues
- Media Coverage
- Jun 18, 2011, 15:10 EST
- Clean Energy Program
With the gusto of a liberated politician, former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm said the American ethos of "consume, consume, consume," has to give way to a national environmental policy. She said it also has to give way to a new way of speaking to Americans about the environment.More
MIT Reception with Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm
- Event
- Jun 10, 2011, 09:35 EST
- Clean Energy Program
Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm will appear at a reception with clean energy and clean technology researchers and business leaders.More
A Tour with Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm: Veolia Energy North America
- Event
- Jun 10, 2011, 09:25 EST
- Clean Energy Program
This plant tour with former Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm, will examine how waste heat from the power production process is recycled and converted into useful thermal energy (steam). This environmentally-friendly, cogenerated “green steam” is imported from Cambridge to Boston. The waste heat recovery allows Veolia Energy to consume less natural gas in its production process and represents about 50 percent of the steam delivered to Veolia Energy’s customers in Boston.More
U.S. Is Falling Behind in the Business of 'Green'
- Media Coverage
- Jun 08, 2011, 14:30 EST
- Clean Energy Program
(New York Times) The Mark Group started hunting for a new untapped market when it realized that its core business — insulating old homes using innovative technology — would drop off in coming years. Based in this rust-belt city, the company had grown rapidly over the last decade largely because of generous and mandatory government subsidies for energy conservation that impelled the British to treat their homes.More
Events of the Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate
- Other Resource
- Jun 01, 2011, 09:35 EST
- Clean Energy Program, Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate
Find out where the Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate has held events. More

Devastating paper on IPCC consensus

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Anthony Watts

I’m pinched for time, so I’ll unashamedly pinch this from Bishop Hill (who I don’t think will mind):
A devastating paper by Jane Goodwin on Iowa State university is discussed at Judy Curry’s blog. The subject is the IPCC consensus:

We shall argue that consensus among a reference group of experts thus concerned is relevant only if agreement is not sought. If a consensus arises unsought in the search for truth and the avoidance of error, such consensus provides grounds which, though they may be overridden, suffice for concluding that conformity is reasonable and dissent is not. If, however, consensus is aimed at by the members of the reference group and arrived at by intent, it becomes conspiratorial and irrelevant to our intellectual concern.

Both the paper and the blog post are must-reads.

Climate Realists

Catastrophe Denied: The Science of the Skeptic’s Position

Doug L. Hoffman: Climate Models Fail To Predict Past Catastrophes

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#1 Dr. Roy Spencer: Understanding James Hansen’s View of Our Climate Future
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$24.5 billion is too bloody much, too bloody much by far, for Australia to pay for the privilege of reducing the world’s temperature, by 2020, by 1/4000th of a degree.
#3 Christopher Booker: Queensland floods and Russian heatwave will be used to justify 'climate change' policies: Updated by Piers Corbyn
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More amazing were the comments on the story in Richard Black’s subsequent blog. He misrepresents the GWPF by using a quote made by the GWPF about one aspect of the story (the choosing of outputs of climate models) and criticising it using as evidence something completely different (picking 1998 as the start date for measuring temperature trends). As an aside, 1998 was the year mentioned in the research paper and the associated press release by the PNAS. Because of the 1998 strong El Nino it is generally not used as a start point in temperature trends, as the BBC should well know.

Then the blog does something rather amazing in that it performs a crude, statistically meaningless analysis of past temperature trends. This presumably impresses the author of the blog and also contradicts the central premise of the Kaufmann et al paper that prompted it. I wonder if the author had known that Kaufmann et al could be so obviously shown to be based on a false premise, that there was a standstill in global temperatures, he would have written the original report on the paper in such positive and supportive terms.
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Reply to article: Dr. Roy Spencer’s water pot by Alan Siddons

Tim Worstall: Fuel Poverty and Climate Change Legislation

To beat fuel poverty we either have to make energy cheaper or give more money to those fuel poor households so they can buy more of it.

To beat climate change we need to make energy and fuel more expensive and to actively dissuade people from using them.

Finding good information on the internet

In this new digital information age, how do we keep from being misinformed? As a skeptical environmental research scientist and educator I have picked up a few tricks that anyone can use to find and select high-quality information from the internet.

Skeptical Inquirer

Skeptical Inquirer is the official journal of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. Six times per year Skeptical Inquirer publishes critical scientific evaluations of all manner of controversial and extraordinary claims, including but not limited to paranormal and fringe-science matters, and informed discussion of all relevant issues. In addition to news, articles, book reviews, and investigations on a wide variety of topics, Skeptical Inquirer has a stellar stable of regular columnists including Joe Nickell (“Investigative Files”), Massimo Polidoro (“Notes on a Strange World”), Massimo Pigluicci (“Thinking About Science”), Robert Sheaffer (“Psychic Vibrations”), and SI managing editor Benjamin Radford's reader-driven (“The Skeptical Inquiree”). Yale University neurologist Steven Novella, M.D., founder of the New England Skeptical Society and executive editor of the Science-Based Medicine blog, contributes a new "The Science of Medicine" column, and contributing editor Kenneth W. Krause adds a regular science column, "ScienceWatch."