The Reference Frame: Pen Hadow et al. give up

The three explorers have learned that the Arctic Ocean is pretty cold! They saw all their advanced scientific gadgets freeze and break. They have survived frozen-solid clothes, a frost-bitten and stinky toe, a needle in a buttock, and an anti-septic cream pretending to be a toothpaste.

The expedition has showed that the Arctic Ocean is cool enough for the airplanes to safely land in the middle of May, much later than what used to be considered as the limit back in 2003 (April 30th). They learned that there are places without any multi-year ice and the new ice can still be very thick.

Most importantly, they have learned that Nature, and not arrogant or other humans, is in charge of the atmosphere. When it comes to millions of squared kilometers of ice, the human civilization is pretty weak and impotent.

Climate compromise bill drops renewables target, but attracts big lobbying muscle

The original draft also included a separate "energy efficiency resource standard" that would have required electric and natural gas utilities to implement efficiency programs that reduce consumer demand, notes Greenwire. But that is no longer in the measure.

Instead, the utilities would get a big gift from the government.

"Instead of collecting some $624 billion in revenue from the selling of pollution permits to industry, most of those permits would be given away free of charge, in what is called a cap-and-trade system," the Christian Science Monitor noted. "There would be little money to fund clean energy or subsidize the poor for higher costs."

A Sign of Maturity in Renewables?A Disconnect From Oil Prices - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com

He says heightened public awareness and political support for renewables are changing the sector from a fad into a serious investment area. Investors are delving more deeply into renewables and — as part of their due diligence — will soon realize that the crude oil price doesn’t change the outlook for solar stocks, Mr. Yerger said.

Flashback to March '09: NANCY PELOSI’S AIR RAGE

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has gone from frequent flier to jet-aircraft connoisseur, with aides berating military officials to get the best planes, e-mails revealed yesterday.

Pelosi, who clashed with the military to get nonstop service when she flies home to California with police protection on government planes, revealed a particular fondness for Gulfstream’s sleek G-5 - a plane glamorized in Hollywood films and rap videos.

“It is my understanding there are no G-5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess. This is totally unacceptable . . . The speaker will want to know where the planes are,” a Pelosi aide wrote in an angry e-mail to the military.