President-Elect Obama’s pick of two of the very best — Jane Lubchenco [search] and John Holden [search] — for important positions in his administration, seems to portend a major focus upon climate by the incoming administration. Early indications are Obama is going to try to seriously address climate change [ark | moreark] which is very good. I would expect a major climate initiative as part of a broader stimulus and energy package in the first 100 days. What remains to be seen is whether Obama will propose just what is politically palatable, or seek global cooperative international policies sufficient to actually reduce emissions sharply in the short, mid and long terms.

A dear colleague just asked why I have not yet praised Obama for these appointments. Good question, that left me to ponder. I guess two decades of government inaction on climate change have sullied me that any government can possibly purses actions on climate change that are strong and fast enough. I believe strongly that change will come from the people or not at all. The oil oligarchy’s power is still immense, and Obama’s ability to put in a carbon tax — what is really needed — is limited further by the recession. Climate change is one of those issues not easily addressed by one leader.

I will be more than willing to congratulate Obama for actual emissions reduced. Given recent backsliding by Chancellor Merkel in Germany and Prime Minister Rudd in Australia after lots of initial excitement over their climate policy, I think skepticism is warranted. At this point Obama’s climate policy is just electoral rhetoric and staffing, and it remains to be seen how ambitious the actual policy will really be. When a real policy package with even preliminary deadlines and targets is introduced, Ecological Internet will be amongst the first to praise or protest its contents. Let’s hope the Climate Dream Team has the power to do what must be done.

ABS-CBN: The victory of Barack Obama in the 2008 US presidential polls ushered in fresh hopes for a greener world. Environmental advocates greeted his ascent to power with cheers, as Obama’s triumph presaged bigger chances of America, and hopefully other countries, nailing a commitment to cut its carbon emission and come up with a clear plan of action against climate change. Former environment Secretary Heherson Alvarez and now presidential adviser on global warming and climate change …

Deutsche Presse-Agentur: Derided as fuel-guzzling "climate killers" by the ecological movement, carmakers are under pressure to make their sports utility vehicles (SUVs) more fuel efficient with hybrid drive, fuel cells and alternative fuels. Since 2005, there has been a clear trend away from the small SUV truck toward even smaller, more compact crossover models that combine the positive offroad qualities with those of a traditional estate car such as the BMW X3, VW Tiguan and Honda CR-V. Carmakers are …

Beccles and Bungay Journal: A GROUP of young people calling themselves Canute are planning to do their bit to counter erosion along the Suffolk coast - starting with an event at The Cut at Halesworth next month. Poppy and Amber Roy, Molly Ball and Rebecca Barnett, who all live near Halesworth, are concerned that the sea is taking away their region, and are appealing to others to help do something to stop it. They said: "Are the children of today going to suffer the consequences of coastal erosion and …

News-Journal: For years, cities along Florida’s coast have grappled with seawater seeping into freshwater wells, but scientists say the problem may get much worse as global climate change pushes the sea further inland, both above and below ground. It’s one of a number of problems Florida’s water supply faces from climate change. "It could do it (the water supply) in," said Harold Wanless, chairman of geological sciences at the University of Miami. "That’s basically it." The sea has …

Port Clinton News Herald: Drivers that are in the habit of leaving their cars running while they make a quick stop in a store may not realize the negative effect that simple action is having on the environment, as well as on their own pocketbook. Ernie Scarano knows how harmful it is, and he’s trying to spread the word to other drivers. Scarano opened Mantiques, a male-oriented antiques and collectible shop in Elmore, earlier this year. The store sits in the middle of the town’s downtown merchant area, and …

LiveScience: Many reptiles have no sex chromosomes. Instead, their gender is determined by temperature. In crocodiles, for example, males are hot: eggs incubated in sand above a certain ""pivotal temperature"" almost always hatch males. That could spell trouble, because Earth is warming so fast that natural selection may not have time to adjust pivotal temperatures. Female crocodiles may become scarce. Some experts think fish are in the same hot water because temperature-dependent sex …

CNN: It looks like America may be getting a whole lot more energy efficient as part of any new stimulus plan. But how exactly will that happen? While new light bulbs, insulation and air conditioners may play well with homeowners, will they actually put enough people to work to jumpstart the economy? The energy-saving plan is expected as part of a stimulus package from lawmakers set for early January that could top $800 billion and include everything from tax breaks to road …

Inter Press Service: "Terrifying" is the word that best describes the situation of a hunter who is lost on shifting ice, or of the homeowner whose house splits in two when its foundation sinks, says Canadian indigenous leader Mary Simon when asked about the effects of global warming on the Inuit people. Climate change is rapidly changing the ecology of the Arctic and creating a crisis for the 160,000 indigenous people in the region, collectively known as Inuit, who are thinly spread along the edges of the …

RIA Novosti: Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said Wednesday that he is concerned that global warming is opening up the Northern Sea Route for the uncontrolled movement of foreign ships. Many Arctic specialists agree that global warming is causing ice to retreat around the outer edges of sea ice drifting on the Arctic Ocean which is opening up previously closed maritime routes like Russia’s Northeast Sea Route and Canada’s Northwest Passage. "I ask you once again to pay special …