NASA climatologist James Hansen has been one of the leading voices sounding the alarm against climate change. But have his protests (including his pledged participation in a March 2 Washington rally against coal-fired power plants — see video above) made him less of a scientist? Read on for analysis and all the day’s green news:

• Over the Line? Are James Hansen’s protests against coal compromising his scientific objectivity? asks the Times’ Andy Revkin.

• New York: Going Locavore: Manhattan’s borough president releases a report on how the New York City “foodshed” could be made local. (Hat tip: Grist.)

• New York: Get Out: A new report says climate change is going to make New York City a living hell — if you can find it under the rising sea levels, that is.

• Two Great Tastes That Go Great Together: Inhabitat shows us a new battery that’s covered in a mini solar panel.

• Train in Vain? The stimulus bill’s $8 billion for high-speed rail won’t go very far–from Los Angeles to Napa, California, says Environmental Capital. (Being wine lovers, we’d take that train, anyway.)

• Shock to the System: The U.S. Secretaries of Energy and Interior have big plans for remaking the nation’s electrical grid system, reports Green Inc.

• Fill ‘Er Up: This e-lec-tricity thing is all the rage, apparently — San Francisco has just installed electric vehicle charging stations in front of its city hall.

• Green and Growing: Is the U.S. government going to ignore the carbon-sequestration capabilities of pond scum? wonders The Vine.

• iEmit: Triple Pundit reviews a new iPhone app that says it tracks your carbon emissions.

• Green and Growing, Part Deux: Africa’s rainforests are growing really quickly — and soaking up more carbon dioxide than ever, says a study in Nature. (The problem is, it might be the increase in carbon emissions that’s making them grow faster in the first place.)

• Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way: The blogosphere is still buzzing over columnist George Will’s denial of climate change.

• Another Kind of Recession: Peru’s glaciers are disappearing because of climate change, says the World Bank — and that trend will threaten water supplies to the country. (Hat tip: The Great Beyond.)

• All Wet? U.S. water policy — have we made any progress since 1973? WaterWired looks back at a U.S. report from that year.

Posted: February 19th, 2009 under Africa, Climate Change, Climate Science & Research, Cool Green Morning, Energy, Fresh Water, Green Living, Green Technology, Media, Oceans & Coasts, Policy, Rainforests, South America, United States.
Tags: Africa, Andrew Revkin, carbon sequestration, coal, electric car, electrical grid, Environmental Capital, Fresh Water, George Will, glacier, green stimulus, Grist, high-speed rail, Inhabitat, iphone, James Hansen, local food, NASA, New York, Peru, Rainforests, solar, The Great Beyond, The Vine, Triple Pundit, World Bank