Week in review – policy and politics edition

by Judith Curry
A few things that caught my eye this past week.

Congressional testimony follow up
Rep. Lamar Smith writes a WJS op-ed based on recent Hearing (where I testified: “When assessing climate change, we should focus on good science, not politically correct science.”  [link].  On Friday, I was working with Rep. Smith’s staff who had been contacted by factcheck.org, will be interesting to see what they come up with.
The Australian has an article by Graham Lloyd:  Judith Curry and other eco-realists say climate change action can wait.
Daily Caller: Skeptical climate scientist dismantles dem lawmakers’s alarm
Interesting comment from Andy Lacis about the Hearing, reproduced over at the Rabett’s place [link], which was apparently posted at CE but I can’t spot it.
U.S. politics
Vox: Obama’s Catch-22 on climate change  [link]
Why Obama linked climate change to his daughter’s asthma [link]
Interview with EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy: “Climate Change Is Personal” [link]
Obama turns up heat on climate change debate in Florida.Could Obama’s use of Everglades as climate-politics backdrop could harm bipartisan conservation push [link]  …
Republican Presidential candidate Jeb Bush Gets A Bit Heated Up By Carbon Dioxide; endorses UN Climate Treaty Process  [link]
Policy analysis
I’m continuing to think about the Ecomodernism Manifesto, hope to do full post on this sometime in next few weeks.  In the meantime, they have posted a whole series of responses to their Manifesto.  Blair King introduces the concept of ‘Mannsplaining'; this is really funny.
“The Social Cost of Atmospheric Release (SCAR)” by Drew Shindell [link]
An easy way to make a quick dent #ClimateChange – Study Finds Low Cost in Reducing Methane Emissions [link]
It is time to re-think the fragile, imperfect international humanitarian system, [link]
Islands: Climate Victims or Champions of Resilience? [link]
WorldBank: Mobilizing the Billions and Trillions for Climate Finance [link]
Scientists set out eight ‘essential elements’ for UN climate deal [link]
Resilience, the ultimate sustainability: Lessons from failing to develop a stronger and safer build environment. [link] [link]
Excellent survey of climate change documentaries and dramas: Narrative of Climate Change Films | The New Republic [link]
International
Meeting of the Leaders Representatives at Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate [link]
India’s role in global #climate negotiations: moving beyond the rhetoric. [link]
Can Japan’s climate policy get back on track after Fukushima? [link]
Pope Francis forces the issue on climate change [link]
Climate Skeptics Descend on Vatican – Seek to Influence Pope on ‘Global Warming’ [link]
Energy
DOE’s proposed furnace efficiency rule will place prohibitive costs on low-income households. [link]
Obama wants billions to ‘modernize’ energy infrastructure [link]
Troubling Interdependency of #Water & Power [link]
New balance of power [link]
Head of the Most influential think tank, Agora Admits #Energiewende has Failed [link]
China Adds Solar Power the Size of France in First Quarter [link]
 Filed under: Week in review

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