Okay, I just have to say that for a month with 31 days, July went by pretty fast, which means it’s almost MAINE MONTH. In 30 days I will have a lobster roll in hand, looking out on the Maine coast. But there is much to do before vacation starts. The show must go on…
This week’s must read:
Our op-ed writer-in-chief Mary Anna Mancuso is back in The Invading Sea with this gem, With climate change no longer easy to dismiss, Florida has opportunity to do things differently
“While all the record breaking is troubling, the effects on our oceans are the most concerning. South Florida’s oceans are undergoing a marine heatwave and for the past two months, globally, the ocean has set record water temperatures,” she writes. “Snorkeling in 97 degree ocean waters surrounded by white coral reefs without any marine life in sight is not the stuff of daydreams. But it’s about to be our reality.”
If you aren’t depressed now (or busy changing vacation plans because who wants to go in an ocean the temp of a hot tub) read her entire piece.
This week’s must watch: C-SPAN (yes, C-SPAN!)
Our executive director Bob Inglis appeared on the C-SPAN show, Washington Journal in an episode dedicated to the issue of climate change.
“Experience is an effective teacher,” Bob said about the recent global heat records being broken and the accompanying extreme weather, such as ocean water temps near 100 degrees in Florida. “Often a harsh teacher, but pretty effective… if I were swimming in 100-degree water, I would realize something is up. I think that’s what we are all finding out: something is up.”
Bob was joined by David Kieve from Environmental Defense Fund and the conversation lasted for just under an hour. They address all pressing climate topics and (gasp) take questions from callers.
Check it out!
This week’s *other* must read:
Hot off the press from Bob and our friend George Behrakis comes this op-ed, featured in The Hill: The climate tipping point everyone should be talking about.
“For too long, the U.S. has been stuck in a vicious cycle of tit-for-tat political gamesmanship around climate policymaking,” they write. “The result is partisan bills that are exposed to dismantling by subsequent congresses, a flimsy patchwork of environmental regulations that see-saw between presidential administrations, and a broader cloud of uncertainty that diminishes the private sector’s ability to make long-term investments and undermines global confidence in American leadership. This is no way to set our nation’s climate and energy agenda.”
For the tipping point, you have to read the article!
Coming back next week: the EcoRight Speaks
We kick off season seven on August 1 (that’s next Tuesday, if you can believe it) with a first-time guest, Doug Holtz-Eakin, an economist and the president/founder of the American Action Forum. Be sure to tune in to hear him give an economist’s perspective on pricing carbon.
Have a great weekend! Stay hydrated and don’t forget the sunscreen!