Month: March 2017

Trump Ally Calls For US To Roll Back Obama’s Climate Commitment

Trump Ally Calls For US To Roll Back Obama’s Climate Commitment

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
http://www.thegwpf.com

A close ally to President Trump in the House is urging him to reduce the United States’ international pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change.

Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), who was an energy adviser and public ally for Trump’s campaign, made arguments for a revised commitment in a letter outlining three conditions he wants Trump to abide by if he decides to stay in the 2015 Paris climate agreement.

Trump promised to “cancel” the nonbinding Paris accord during his campaign. But he hasn’t yet taken action on the matter while he considers different views in his administration, including from advisers and officials who want to stay in the pact for diplomatic reasons.

In Cramer’s letter Thursday, he said it might be acceptable to stay in the pact, with some conditions, including that Trump reduces former President Barack Obama’s pledge that the U.S. cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 percent from 2005 levels.

“The U.S. should present a new pledge that does no harm to our economy,” Cramer wrote. “Unlike President Obama’s opaque process to determine his pledge, the determination should be transparent, reflect a range of economic scenarios, and take inadequate input from the private sector and other interested parties.”

Cramer said Trump should not pay any more money into the Green Climate Fund, beyond the $1 billion Obama submitted to the international fund meant to help poor countries cut greenhouse gases and deal with the effects of climate change.

Lastly, Cramer asked that Trump use the United States’ position to promote domestic companies, like manufacturing and energy.

“We should work closely with our allies to develop, deploy, and commercialize cleaner technologies to help ensure a future for fossil fuels within the context of the global climate agenda, including support for the deployment of highly efficient and low emission coal, as well as carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies, in global markets,” he said.

Full story

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF) http://www.thegwpf.com

March 24, 2017 at 01:13AM

Major shake-up suggests dinosaurs may have ‘UK origin’

Major shake-up suggests dinosaurs may have ‘UK origin’

via Current News – Principia Scientific International
http://ift.tt/1kjWLPW

The first dinosaurs may have originated in the Northern Hemisphere, possibly in an area that is now Britain. This is one of the conclusions of the first detailed re-evaluation of the relationships between dinosaurs for 130 years.
It shows that the current theory of how dinosaurs evolved and where they came from may well be wrong. This major shake-up of dinosaur theory is published in this…

Click title above to read the full article

via Current News – Principia Scientific International http://ift.tt/1kjWLPW

March 24, 2017 at 01:04AM

‘New’ wave-like cloud finally wins official recognition

‘New’ wave-like cloud finally wins official recognition

via Current News – Principia Scientific International
http://ift.tt/1kjWLPW

Twelve "new" types of cloud – including the rare, wave-like asperitas cloud – have been recognised for the first time by the International Cloud Atlas.
The atlas, which dates back to the 19th Century, is the global reference book for observing and identifying clouds. Last revised in 1987, its new fully-digital edition includes the asperitas after campaigns by citizen scientists. Other new…

Click title above to read the full article

via Current News – Principia Scientific International http://ift.tt/1kjWLPW

March 24, 2017 at 12:51AM

UK schoolboy corrects Nasa data error

UK schoolboy corrects Nasa data error

via Current News – Principia Scientific International
http://ift.tt/1kjWLPW

A British teenager has contacted scientists at Nasa to point out an error in a set of their own data. A-level student Miles Soloman found that radiation sensors on the International Space Station (ISS) were recording false data.
The 17-year-old from Tapton school in Sheffield said it was "pretty cool" to email the space agency. The correction was said to be "appreciated" by Nasa, which invited…

Click title above to read the full article

via Current News – Principia Scientific International http://ift.tt/1kjWLPW

March 24, 2017 at 12:42AM