A new study tracks the "dark money" behind the bogus climate denial research.

"The climate change countermovement is a well-funded and organized effort to undermine public faith in climate science and block action by the U.S. government to regulate emissions. This countermovement involves a large number of organizations, including conservative think tanks, advocacy groups, trade associations and conservative foundations, with strong links to sympathetic media outlets and conservative politicians." Read more Like it or not, we are in a culture war. And this ain't your old political correct battles over proper language as we have tea and crumpets together. No, this is about revving the oil pumps, about breaking the back of organized labor, about ending public education, about ending privacy, about exploiting the earth till there's no return.

Finally a Little Good Environmental News from White House

Has someone finally put a green tint on the White House (esp. after all the fracking, support of Big Oil and Keystone Pipelines - here)? The Washington Post reports that "Some of this would presumably lead to battles with industry, but if the Politico story is right, Podesta will internally push for such confrontations, even if they are politically daunting. Additionally, the White House has also laid out its own climate action agenda, some of which would be accomplished through executive action, including empowering the EPA to get tougher on polluters and the imposition of new carbon limits on existing plants."

Podesto says he will only stay a year. He'll have to wear a mask and sharpen his sword if he plans on having much impact in 2014.

Fukushima- the disaster that won't stop

Project Censored did a nice piece recently on one of the biggest and most under-reported stories in the world. Here

Humans cause of climate change

It never surprises that so many people still seem to think that humans aren't the cause of climate change. If not, then we can go on polluting. Here in the USA I constantly see people letting their engines run while they wait for someone, or go into the store, or check their phones, or wait for the train. Thinking that climate change isn't human produced seems to be an excuse. But the fact is that majority of scientists agree. It is human caused. Here

Jet Setters Beware: Shrinking Skiing in Alps

"One climatic trend that is directly visible — and visibly disappointing — to many is the shrinking skiing season in the Alps." A new study confirms that the snow packs in the Alps are shrinking. Read more.

New Study on Water Scarcity

New study finds that 1 in 10 people will face a scarcity of water by the end of the century. "From a risk management perspective, it becomes very clear that, if human-made climate change continues, we are putting at risk the very basis of life for millions of people, even according to the more optimistic scenarios and models,” co-author Pavel Kabat, of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), said in a statement." Read the article at Salon here.

Teacher's Guide: Using the Film "Avatar" in Education

Our Teacher's guide to the film Avatar was originally published at Google Knol. However, since Google discontinued Knol it has been a dead link. The Teacher's Guide can now be found at 2050 Framework, which is dedicated to publishing original work by artists, educators, intellectuals and scholars on subjects relevant to preparing for mid-century.