Anthony Ricigliano - News From Anthony J Ricigliano: Within days of each other, two extreme events occurred on opposite sides of the planet; the 2000 mile wide snowstorm that saw 25 foot waves in Lake Michigan and a monster cyclone that smacked into Australia. It increasingly appears that 200 years of burning coal, oil and gas and dumping their carbon byproduct into the atmosphere is now bringing the chickens home to roost.
The planet has always had extreme events, but what makes them extreme is the fact that they are rare. The change that is occurring before our eyes is that extreme is actually becoming the new normal. In 2010, 19 nations set new all-time temperature records. The 19 new records was also a record. While Big Oil and Big Coal may be denying it, Munich Re, the biggest insurance company on earth, summed up recent events with this clinical phrase: "The high number of weather-related natural catastrophes and record temperatures both globally and in different regions of the world provide further indications of advancing climate change." In the case of Munich Re, it’s hard to deny something that seems to be taking money out of your pocket on a weekly basis.
The common perception of global warming is that the Earth will turn into a massive desert. While that may be true in some areas, a warmer atmosphere can also hold more water vapor. With studies showing that the warmer atmosphere is 4 percent moister than it was 40 years ago, the stage is also set for massive storms which bring record breaking levels of rain and snow. In this light, it’s fascinating to watch global warming deniers gleefully stating that all this rain and snow is actually proof of global cooling. If you unfamiliar with this, you’re apparently not watching Fox News.
According to studies, atmospheric temperatures have been raised by one degree, which may not sound like a lot. Unfortunately, atmospheric warming tends to magnify other temperatures, like those in the oceans. This magnification has caused the Atlantic current, which flows into the Arctic, to increase by over 10%. This has been enough to melt the sea ice in the Arctic. Without dramatic action to reduce the use of fossil fuel, the popular consensus is that atmospheric temperatures will increase by five degrees by the end of the century. Considering that a one degree increase has melted the Arctic, what will be happening on planet Earth at five degrees warmer?
Author Anthony Ricigliano
Friday, September 30, 2011
Anthony Ricigliano - EPA Chooses Political Expediency over Doing the Right Thing
Anthony Ricigliano - News by Anthony J Ricigliano: In exempting up to twenty industrial facilities from new federal controls on air pollution and the gases blamed for global warming, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has signaled that the Obama administration does not have the political will to move aggressively on any kind of global warming initiatives.
This cave-in was confirmed recently when a high ranking EPA official told a federal court that a California power plant which had been delayed would not have to comply with the rules. The agency rationalized in statement, that “…it was not fair or appropriate to require facilities with applications in the final stage of the review to comply with standards that have just recently taken effect.”
The delay for the facility was originally caused by the EPA’s demand to the federal court that the Avenal Power Center, LLC in central California would have “…to prove that its 600-megawatt, natural gas-fired power plant would not cause violations of a new standard on smog-forming nitrogen oxide”. The Avenal Power Center sued the EPA, citing prolonged delays on approving its permit, which was first submitted in February 2008.
The EPA’s reversal comes as Republican leaders in the House and Senate continue their attacks on the Obama administration’s proposed air pollution regulations which, the Republicans say, will kill projects and jobs. In their continuing efforts to neuter the EPA, these same leaders recently proposed legislation that would prevent the agency from regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.
The EPA announced that between ten and twenty new facilities waiting for air pollution permits could also receive exemptions from the new pollution requirements.
After reviewing the court documents Michael Gerrard, an environmental law professor at Columbia University said, "It creates a strong argument for 'treat us the same way you treat this guy." Gerrard also said the move "is part of the administration's effort not to stop or be accused of stopping too many new projects."
The issue now is that removing the restrictions on up to twenty new facilities could open the door for hundreds of other projects to challenge the EPA’s pollution restrictions. If the administration and the EPA think that this reversal will quell the ongoing political attacks, they’ll be in for an unpleasant surprise as emboldened Republican leaders fight to lift restrictions on every plant waiting for a permit to be approved.
If, as it looks now, the agency and the administration lack the political will to make a stand the legislation will be effectively gutted. That would be to detriment of everyone, including the Republicans who seem so intent on heating the globe.
By Anthony Ricigliano
This cave-in was confirmed recently when a high ranking EPA official told a federal court that a California power plant which had been delayed would not have to comply with the rules. The agency rationalized in statement, that “…it was not fair or appropriate to require facilities with applications in the final stage of the review to comply with standards that have just recently taken effect.”
The delay for the facility was originally caused by the EPA’s demand to the federal court that the Avenal Power Center, LLC in central California would have “…to prove that its 600-megawatt, natural gas-fired power plant would not cause violations of a new standard on smog-forming nitrogen oxide”. The Avenal Power Center sued the EPA, citing prolonged delays on approving its permit, which was first submitted in February 2008.
The EPA’s reversal comes as Republican leaders in the House and Senate continue their attacks on the Obama administration’s proposed air pollution regulations which, the Republicans say, will kill projects and jobs. In their continuing efforts to neuter the EPA, these same leaders recently proposed legislation that would prevent the agency from regulating greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act.
The EPA announced that between ten and twenty new facilities waiting for air pollution permits could also receive exemptions from the new pollution requirements.
After reviewing the court documents Michael Gerrard, an environmental law professor at Columbia University said, "It creates a strong argument for 'treat us the same way you treat this guy." Gerrard also said the move "is part of the administration's effort not to stop or be accused of stopping too many new projects."
The issue now is that removing the restrictions on up to twenty new facilities could open the door for hundreds of other projects to challenge the EPA’s pollution restrictions. If the administration and the EPA think that this reversal will quell the ongoing political attacks, they’ll be in for an unpleasant surprise as emboldened Republican leaders fight to lift restrictions on every plant waiting for a permit to be approved.
If, as it looks now, the agency and the administration lack the political will to make a stand the legislation will be effectively gutted. That would be to detriment of everyone, including the Republicans who seem so intent on heating the globe.
By Anthony Ricigliano
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Anthony Ricigliano News - Four Industries Where China has Passed the U.S
By Anthony Ricigliano: America was known for the better part of the last century as the single greatest producer of just about everything in the world. It was during the 70’s that we started to cede our dominance in major industries to other areas of the world.
Oil production went to the Middle East, automobile production went to Japan, and the cracks in America’s manufacturing dominance began to grow by the year. Since that time, U.S. manufacturing has eroded but in total, we still lead the world.
China has had one of the fastest growing large economies in the world for the past several years. China passed Japan in total manufacturing to take the number two spot in the world. Economists are now going about forecasting not if but when China will pass U.S. in total manufacturing output.
The U.S. is now trying to stay competitive in the global arena across a wide spectrum of industries, handicapped in the fight by annual deficits, expanding national debt, and an unemployment rate which stubbornly remains well above 9%.
Here are four industries that illustrate how far the U.S. has fallen behind in industries that it used to dominate. In each industry China, the world’s second largest manufacturing economy, has taken a huge lead:
* High-tech – China manufactured $381 billion in 2008 versus U.S. production of $231 billion. If current trends remain in place, the U.S. is going to have a tough time catching up as China’s exports of high-tech products grew by 78% between 2005 and 2008 while the U.S. saw a 21% increase over the same period.
* Coal production – Once the world leader in coal production, the U.S. has fallen far behind China. In 2009, the U.S. produced a little over 1 billion short tons of coal, less than one-third of China’s production which totaled 3.3 billion short tons. Trends indicate again that China should remain firmly entrenched as the leader with production growing by 34% since 2005. U.S coal production actually decreased slightly during the same timeframe.
* Pork production – While the U.S. is still the world leader across a broad range of agricultural commodities, pork production isn’t one of them. Due to heavy demand for the commodity by its own population, China produced 51.5 million metric tons of pork in 2010, more than five times America’s production of 10.2 million metric tons.
* Beer – The U.S. led the world in beer production at the turn of the century but has now ceded the leadership to China. Since that time, China has doubled its production to 423 million hectoliters, while production decreased slightly in the U.S. to 232 million hectoliters.
Competing globally while hindered by financial issues, the U.S. looks like it has its work cut out for it. One area that could play a growing role is innovation at the micro-level which then ramps up from there. Without government assistance, mass innovation looks to be our best hope for remaining competitive in the global arena.
Anthony Ricigliano - News and Advice by Anthony Ricigliano
Oil production went to the Middle East, automobile production went to Japan, and the cracks in America’s manufacturing dominance began to grow by the year. Since that time, U.S. manufacturing has eroded but in total, we still lead the world.
China has had one of the fastest growing large economies in the world for the past several years. China passed Japan in total manufacturing to take the number two spot in the world. Economists are now going about forecasting not if but when China will pass U.S. in total manufacturing output.
The U.S. is now trying to stay competitive in the global arena across a wide spectrum of industries, handicapped in the fight by annual deficits, expanding national debt, and an unemployment rate which stubbornly remains well above 9%.
Here are four industries that illustrate how far the U.S. has fallen behind in industries that it used to dominate. In each industry China, the world’s second largest manufacturing economy, has taken a huge lead:
* High-tech – China manufactured $381 billion in 2008 versus U.S. production of $231 billion. If current trends remain in place, the U.S. is going to have a tough time catching up as China’s exports of high-tech products grew by 78% between 2005 and 2008 while the U.S. saw a 21% increase over the same period.
* Coal production – Once the world leader in coal production, the U.S. has fallen far behind China. In 2009, the U.S. produced a little over 1 billion short tons of coal, less than one-third of China’s production which totaled 3.3 billion short tons. Trends indicate again that China should remain firmly entrenched as the leader with production growing by 34% since 2005. U.S coal production actually decreased slightly during the same timeframe.
* Pork production – While the U.S. is still the world leader across a broad range of agricultural commodities, pork production isn’t one of them. Due to heavy demand for the commodity by its own population, China produced 51.5 million metric tons of pork in 2010, more than five times America’s production of 10.2 million metric tons.
* Beer – The U.S. led the world in beer production at the turn of the century but has now ceded the leadership to China. Since that time, China has doubled its production to 423 million hectoliters, while production decreased slightly in the U.S. to 232 million hectoliters.
Competing globally while hindered by financial issues, the U.S. looks like it has its work cut out for it. One area that could play a growing role is innovation at the micro-level which then ramps up from there. Without government assistance, mass innovation looks to be our best hope for remaining competitive in the global arena.
Anthony Ricigliano - News and Advice by Anthony Ricigliano
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