Perspectives from the POTUS: For those environmentalists (and bird lovers) wondering what Barack Obama’s second term will bring, look no further than this interview, in which the President Reelect provides written answers to questions submitted by Audubon readers. Like his first term, it’s a mixed bag: we like what he has to say about the economics of clean energy and the EPA, but it also sounds like offshore drilling in the Arctic and the Pipeline That Won't Die ... well, still won't die. Still, as his decision last year to delay Keystone XL showed, Prez #44 can be sensitive to public pressure -- so keep fighting, people! Audubon Magazine
Please, step away from the cliff: So with the fiscal cliff looming, what should Obama’s first move be? In the eyes of groups across the political spectrum, the answer is simple: the carbon tax. Such a tax would raise revenue that could be used to cut the deficit while it discourages companies from emitting greenhouses gases (which leads to all sorts of expensive problems). Best of all, taxing carbon sounds like exactly the sort of policy that could get through Congress lickety-split. (If your sarcasm detector isn't beeping, check batteries.) Washington Post
The whole hog: We all know pig farms are environmental catastrophes, but at least they help fatten local economies, right? A new report from the Food and Water Watch says that's not always the case. In Iowa, the meat-packing industry has grown so consolidated that packers (we’re looking at you, Cargill) can hold down the prices that farmers get, bringing economic ruin to the state. In sum, there’s good reason to oppose industrial pig farming even if you’re the type who can abide giant cesspools of swine feces. Mother Jones
Win some, lose more: While the Arctic has hemorrhaged sea ice over the last 20 years, the Antarctic has actually gained ice, for reasons best described as: it’s complicated. But don’t get too excited, deniers -- the North Pole’s losing the good stuff five times faster than the South is gaining it. The Guardian
Operation Big Hot Mess: Our armed forces have long been preparing for climate change (even as the politicians underwriting military operations deny its existence). Now a new study commissioned by the CIA has outlined what, exactly, our military should be ready for: “states will fail, large populations subjected to famine, flood, or disease will migrate across international borders, and national and international agencies will not have the resources to cope.” New York Times
Denial’s not just a water policy in Egypt: So what's one potential climate conflict the military might want to keep an eye on? Try the Nile Basin, where tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia over water usage have some analysts projecting war. Los Angeles Times
Energy under the rocks: When people think about renewable energy, wind and solar are usually the first sources that spring to mind. But let's not forget about geothermal -- especially with the advent of Enhanced Geothermal Systems. This new geothermal technique draws heat straight from the earth’s crust (unlike traditional geothermal plants, which rely on rare pockets of heat near plate boundaries) and could supply up to 75 percent of the country’s energy if the costs come down. Little wonder that Google’s director of Climate and Energy Initiatives calls EGS the “killer app” of the energy sector. High Country News
Energy on the rocks: If EGS sounds too cool to be true, you'll appreciate this story: a research team in Alaska is looking into another “next big energy source,” a methane-trapping ice lattice called methane hydrate. So it looks like we may keep burning hydrocarbons after all (that is, if they can figure out how to get methane hydrate safely out of the ground). Happy Monday, people. Seattle Times
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Image: MattWansley
