It sounds like science fiction, or fodder for a TV comedy sketch, any many may question if it’s real or fake. But this is real. In Kokonogi, Japan, jellyfish weighing up to 450 pounds are invading fisherman’s catches. The Nomuras are the world’s largest of the jellyfish species and can measure up to six feet in diameter. They are also a menace to fisheries in parts of Japan, where they get caught in nets and poison or kill fish stung by their tentacles–not to mention they are heavy. Earlier this month, a trawl boat capsized when a three-man fishing crew tried to haul in a net that contained dozens of the jellyfish.

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Well, we kinda knew this day was coming, but it’s sad to report nonetheless: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has announced that said Senate will not tackle the climate change bill until next Spring, in 2010. Which, to spell it out, means absolutely definitely no deal in the United States before the Copenhagen Conference next month.

AFP (via TerraDaily) notes that the failure to act means not only that Copenhagen is in trouble. The bill itself may have more problems now.

It also pushes what is likely to be a bitter debate to a mid-term election year, potentially making it harder to corral some of the swing-vote Senators needed to ensure passage of the bill.

Yes, now the bill may become watered down in order to pass muster with those Senators that don’t want to rile their constituents. This is what happens when you can’t elect people for life. Read the rest of this entry >>

The new documentary Coal Country examines America’s complex relationship with coal mining, a practice that to some people promises jobs and a reliable fuel source, but to others poses a grave and inexcusable threat to human health and the environment.  While I strongly believe we need to end our dependency on fossil fuels and think the dangers of coal far outweigh the benefits, I think it’s important that we understand both sides of the conflict in order to find alternatives to coal mining and help end the devastating effects it has on these communities.

The film is airing this week on Planet Green, but you are also invited to host or attend a screening of Coal Country in your community, and discuss the issues surrounding mountaintop-removal coal mining with your friends and neighbors.  In addition to purchasing the film for your screening, I’d recommend grabbing a copy of the companion book and CD, which features some amazing Appalachian musicians.  Check out the trailer below and use the “Act” section below to find out how you can host a screening. Read the rest of this entry >>

plastanka's Flickr photostream/Creative Commons

Climate change is helping to spread dangerous diseases, including malaria and Lyme disease, as warming temperatures are allowing pathogens to travel farther and more quickly than before.

Obviously, we need to continue to push for a global climate treaty in Copenhagen this December to deter these conditions from worsening, but we also need to look at ways to prepare regions to combat these diseases, including halting deforestation, which brings humans in closer contact with disease-carrying wildlife.  Many of these pathogens pose a serious and frightening threat, but with proper precautions, distribution of medical supplies and a strong climate accord we can hopefully combat the rising incidents.

According to Sonia Shah’s new report in Yale Environment 360: Read the rest of this entry >>

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Warming sea temperatures are driving Cape Cod’s namesake fish farther from Massachusetts shore as they seek colder waters farther out and deeper in the ocean, forcing fishermen to seek alternative catches.  Growing up just outside of Boston I enjoyed plenty of battered and fried cod, and it saddens me to think that future generations may not get to experience the same classic New England dish because of climate change and overfishing.

The federal study confirmed what fisherman have surely known for a while, and found that 24 of the 36 species, including cod, once found close to shore on a day boat, have been migrating 100 to 200 miles further out over the past few decades.  What’s shocking is that the water temperatures have only risen by less than half of a degree on average, yet has been enough to seriously disrupt the regions marine ecosystem.  Read the rest of this entry >>

The British government recently launched a new tv ad featuring a father reading his daughter an ominous and frightening tale of what the future will look like if we fail to act on climate change, but some critics are concerned that scare tactics such as this could backfire.  Personally, I don’t think the “Bedtime Stories” campaign is particularly disturbing or will really upset any kids, after all most kids are already acutely aware of the devastating threat that climate change poses and I think a lot of parents could use a little shaking up to see that they are responsible for helping to protect the planet for for future generations.

Watch the commercial and see what you think: Read the rest of this entry >>

Even as I speak, the very last polar bear may be dying of hunger on account of climate change, on account of us. And I will sure miss the polar bears. Their babies are so warm and cuddly and trusting, just like ours. --Kurt Vonnegut, Armageddon in Retrospect.

We’ve got 100 years left with polar bears. So says the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. One hundred years before the Arctic’s most iconic beast–now the poster animal for global warming–can no longer find food, and joins the ranks of saber tooth tigers, mastodons, and woolly rhinos. But there still is hope. So says Richard Ellis.

Photo: Richard Ellis

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A few months ago I wrote about Operation Free, a growing group of U.S. veterans advocating for a clean energy future and climate legislation, so in honor of Veteran’s Day I wanted to share with you a video of some of the organization’s members touring the country by bus to raise awareness of the threat that these issues pose to national security.

As we reflect upon the sacrifices made by those who have served in the United States armed services this Veteran’s Day, we should also consider how we can help those who are currently serving.  By telling Congress to support renewable clean energy and to pass legislation to combat climate change, we can help minimize the likelihood that service members will have to intervene in climate-related disasters or conflicts over oil, water and other natural resources.  Watch the video below to hear first hand the importance of supporting clean energy and use the Act section to find out how you can support the veterans of Operation Free:  Read the rest of this entry >>

Editor’s note: This guest post was written by Paul Shapiro, senior director of the Humane Society of the United States’ factory farming campaign.

Reducing our Global Food-Print
When we think about minimizing our contributions to climate change, we may consider switching our light bulbs, driving less, buying local, and more. These are all important and laudable ways to reduce our carbon footprint, but, as Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein notes, “there’s no reason to ignore the impact of what we put on our plates.”

In other words, changing these habits is no excuse for ignoring what’s arguably the most important lifestyle choice we can make: reducing our food-print simply by eating lower on the food chain.

Estimates vary, but raising and killing animals for food is clearly among the top contributors to climate change. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization asserts that animal agriculture generates 18 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases—more than all transportation combined. A recent Worldwatch report even claims that the FAO report “vastly underestimate[s]” the size of the problem, and that the percentage is actually closer to half of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions. Read the rest of this entry >>

paulmannix's Flickr photostream/Creative Commons

Climate change threatens to unleash severe storms, droughts, floods across China’s Yangtze River Basin in the coming decades, unless proper mitigation measures are taken to protect the region from catastrophe, according to a new study from the WWF.

While we should continue to push for global emission cuts in Copenhagen this December, the consequences of warming temperatures are already apparent along the Yangtze, proving that it’s imperative that action is taken now to protect the region. Adaptation measures will be critical and according to The Guardian: Read the rest of this entry >>