Is It Hot In Here?

He's back and he's bad...he white and he's mad...the good Senator Dustbowl is back with a vengence, Senator Inhofe snaps back at critics of his 9/25/06 speech, dumping a big bucket of hellfire on global warming's parade. He hits the media, he hits the science, he praises that feisty, misguided swath of America that has embraced his non-science...he's well...he's acting like he's the lead blogger in God's army. A couple of quick reality checks, those 60 Canadian scientists Inhofe cites as rejecting global warming are in reality a motley bunch of low end crackpots later refuted by 90 reputable scientist and if my remedial math holds up, 90 is a larger number than 60. There's a ton of info out there on global warming and here's just a few reality based opinions (link):
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - created by the U.N. asserts in its most recent assessment, "IPCC states unequivocally that the consensus of scientific opinion is that Earth's climate is being affected by human activities:

The National Academy of Sciences reports, "Greenhouse gases are accumulating in Earth's atmosphere as a result of human activities, causing surface air temperatures and subsurface ocean temperatures to rise" The report explicitly asks whether the IPCC assessment is a fair summary of professional scientific thinking, and answers yes: "The IPCC's conclusion that most of the observed warming of the last 50 years is likely to have been due to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations accurately reflects the current thinking of the scientific community on this issue"

A few more: The American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) all have issued statements in recent years concluding that the evidence for human modification of climate is compelling.

I guess Senator Dustbowl would say we are cherry-picking again (I do believe there are no indiginous cherry trees in Oklahoma hmmmm...) but I dare say most of the scientists predicting a growing global warming "problem" are slightly more qualified than oil company hatchetman Inhofe, who espouses that great Oilman credo, "drill first ask questions later". Just a few of the injustices Mr. Inhofe tirelessly battles against: the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, and Superfund legislation. It's unfortunate that our festering political cesspool has created a forum where nasty, eco-hating, little turd like Mr. Inhofe (characterized as one of the "dumbest men in Washington" by Slate) has risen to the top of that steaming coil of poop we call Congress and assumed a position of power on (ironically) an important environmental committee...only in America. For a reallly comprehensive look at this evangelical windbag, his career and politics of fascism, checkout this article by Dr. Steven Best (link) which highlights, among many other things, Heir Inhofe's characterization of the American Humane Society as a front for a terrorist animal rights organization...it only gets better.
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Colorado River and Water Management

Water management and consumption rights are quickly becoming major political and environmental issues worldwide. The Colorado River, which is shared by several states and two countries, will undergo a series of experiments in the coming months to design ways to conserve and distribute its water more efficiently to meet the growing demands of Arizona and six other Western states. Efforts include building a small resevoir, testing an existing desalinization plant and giving subsidies to farmers to leave some farmland fallow. The states are taking positive steps in anticipation of the growing demand for water and the potential for drought. Many will point to golf courses and green lawns as wasteful consumers of H2O and though that may be the case, when water management reaches that level of legislation and impact the problem has probably already gone too far.
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Senator Inhofe trashes global warming...

What is the Republican agenda on global warming? Check out my man, Senator James Inhofe, Chairman of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee's latest speech debunking global warming. The good senator from Oklahoma states that wacko headline seeking scientists, misguided, meddlesome, Hollywood elites and environmentalists of all stripes, armed with their bad science have created the global warming myth which the headline chasing media has gobbled up whole.

Here's a nice article eviscerating most, if not all, of the senator's evidence.

A little background on the Senator, the NAACP gives the dude a 5 rating on a scale of 1 to 100, Republicans for Environmental Protection give him a robust -3, Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund and the American Wilderness Coalition give him a zero, Gun Owners of America gave him a tidy 100, whilst the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence handed him a zero, and the American Land Rights Association which advocates access to federal lands by recreational vehicles etc., while opposing all manner of wildlife, environmental protections and predator intro programs (it goes on an on...) give the pillar of Oklahoma society a full 100 rating.

Here' an article reviewing Inhofe environmental standing upon his appointment in 2002 as chair of the committee. LINK

The Inhofe voting record and ratings on various topics and bills.

The esteemed senator's position on Abu Ghraib. "Many of them probably have American blood on their hands. And here we're so concerned about the treatment of those individuals."

He also was the major proponent of the use of the Puerto Rican Island of Vieques as a target range of American armed forces. Earlier this year Inhofe described the Iraq situation as "nothing short of a miracle".

It's also rumored that Ihhofe and Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska disuss their various pork barrel enterprises while taking baths together...(just wanted to see if anyone stuck with me here).

I have to marvel that a man with such a glowing resume on environmental issues would chair such an important committee. America is indeed in good hands.
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Bold Contemplations

Please pop into our renter's blog, Bold Contemplations, for an exciting exchange of ideas and perspectives on an eclectic range of topics. Angela has a classy, meaningful blog, worthy of your investment of time and energy.
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Heating up the globe....

Is anybody really listening on global warming? Another esteemed research team led by James Hansen of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York has weighed in on the heating up and we could be facing the warmest globe in 12,000 years. I don't think people, particularly in the U.S., are psychologically reading to deal with the magnitude of the issue. Our President downplays the issue or out and out denies it exists, soccer moms shuttle soccer kids to games day after day in giant trucks and go to the beachhouse on weekends in a caravan of SUV's, well if that ocean rises 10 or 15 feet Long Beach Island will become Long Beach Reef and I'll be surf fishing for mahi mahi off the rocks in Montauk. I think I'll go shut off some lights and shop for that solar panel.
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Oil prices drop...

Plunging gasoline and home heating oil prices will undoubtedly de-energize the pursuit for more efficient vehicles and the development of alternative energy sources, it's only human nature. The public still hankers for the days of cheap oil and an environment free of environmentalist, where kids collected toy Hess oil trucks and you could dump anything in that backyard stream. The opposite effect is well documented. The pace of the greening of America and the world may well depend on just how badly we get hurt at the pumps and how (the Karl Rove effect) frightened the public becomes about global warming. So as oil prices drop watch the slow down in Prius sales and wonder are the oil producers sophisticated enough to drop prices to manipulate public sentiment and opinion and take the wind out of the Gore, Clinton and Branson message...they just might be.
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Sea Lions Must Go?

Protected California sea lions on the Columbia River are facing a possible death sentence as state wildlife reps from Washington and Oregon look to protect migrating salmon populations. Selective "lethal removal" is being proposed for sea lions who are repeat offenders and continually outsmart and outmaneuver efforts to deter them from gorging on the salmon population at fish ladders during the salmon spawning run. The effects of hydroelectric dams, man-made pollution and fertilizer run-offs on the salmon population muddy the whole issue. The sea lions are estimated to consume about 3% of the salmon moving upriver on the Columbia. The Humane Society has taken the position that this approach would make it look like something was being done without tackling the larger issues. MYWAY STORY

This is a classic manifestation of man's competition for resources, in this case salmon, where-in the more valuable commercial species is favored over a predator. I think we have to work harder to protect and create predator populations wherever possible even at the expense of commercial interests. A complete and healthy foodchain is an indispensilbe component of our eco-system. Economic issues must be heeded but in balance with nature.
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Emissions standards won't be met....

Exhibit A:
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California filed a global warming lawsuit on Wednesday against Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and three other automakers, charging that greenhouse gases from their vehicles have cost the state millions of dollars.

Exhibit B:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration says the United States needs an extra 20 years to meet Congress' goal of having almost a third of U.S. motor fuel supply come from energy sources other than gasoline.

Congress passed energy legislation in 1992 mandating that 30 percent of the fuel used to run U.S. cars and trucks by 2010 come from ethanol, natural gas, hydrogen, electricity or other replacement fuels.

Anyone see a pattern here?
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Gore Proposes Solutions...

Monday: In a speech at NYU, former Vice-President Al Gore laid out some of his proposals for slowing the overheating of our planet, urging a series of steps, including freezing carbon dioxide emissions, revamping the car industry, factories and farms, establishing an "electranet" to enable consumer and businesses to buy and sell excess electricity and creating mortgage based incentives for retro-fitting homes for energy efficiency. TEXT OF THE SPEECH

In focusing on solutions to the global warming crisis, Gore is displaying more than just 'hot air'. I would speculate that Gore's solutions may ultimately include running for the presidency. If nothing else, a Gore run for the presidency would make for compelling television, while raising the level of discussion on global warming, which may indeed be his utimate goal.
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Fish Fight Terror

America's resevoirs and water supplies make ready targets for a terrorist attack. Several cities and municipalities have now turned to the feisty little bluegill as an early warning alarm of contaminants in our water supplies. The bluegill has proven effective at detecting and reacting to a wide range of potentially harmful toxins. Now that's what I call a wise use of natural resources...and they're fun to catch too.
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Mayors Gather to Discuss Warming...

Local actions by municipalities can play a major role in future attacks on global warming. Mayors from across the nation, saddled by a federal government reticent to act on the issue of global warming, are striking out on their own. LINK

and another bad idea...

Ran across this news story on a scientist who is proposing firing sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere to slow global warming by creating shade inducing particles in the stratoshpere. This is the type of solution that usually makes a bad problem worse, in unforseen ways. LINK
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Arctic Ice Melt

Arctic ice is melting in winter faster than ever. Ice is melting in subfreezing temperatures because summer ice cover is more short lived, the ocean is warmer and the winter is shortened.

"Scientists and climate models have long predicted a drop in winter sea ice, but it has been slow to happen. Global warming skeptics have pointed to the lack of ice melt as a flaw in global warming theory."
LINK

Skeptics can no longer rationally ignore the mounting evidence of global warming.
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Hot Water & Hurricanes

A recent study by climatologists has definitively made the link between global warming, warmer oceans and more intense hurricanes.

It's unfortunate the U.S. still has a president who fails to fully comprehend the challenge global warming presents. Soon the destruction wrought by more devastating storms will provide the strongest evidence. Hope it's not too late.
STORY

Irony alert...

Members of the valiant U.S. military are asking for some help in procuring sustainable energy technology. As fuel convoys become a favorite target for insurgents, the Marine Corp is asking for solar and wind energy tech to offset the military's need for oil in the middle of Iraq's vast oil fields.
LINK
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Misguided idiots and fools...

Ten stingrays have been killed in Australia in the aftermath of Steve Irwin's accidental death. Anyone exacting retribution from the animals is a misguided idiot and dishonors the very person they choose to defend, a man who was nothing if not a conservationist (albeit a camera friendly one) and defender of animals rights. Mr. Irwin understood and respected the dangerous creatures he interacted with in the name of television ratings and education and fully understood his role in creating the dangerous situations he often put himself in. Just another example of celebrity trumping the message put forth by an individual in today's society.
USA TODAY STORY
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Sydney, Australia - September 13 & 14

Anyone looking for something worhtwhile to do later this week should check this out. Australia's national government is sponsoring a Local Government Environmental Policy Conference that is designed to assist local government staff to identify, plan and implement best practice sustainable development solutions, and to showcase leading edge examples of outstanding environmental initiatives by Australian local governments. This is predicted to be a prestigious and popular event which will become an annual draw-card for members of local government responsible for sustainability policy issues.

They'll be featuring Best Practice Case Studies in:
-water management
-waste minimization and recycling
-greenhouse emissions control
-the built environment, preservation and enhancement of biodiversity.

For more info, click here. Maybe this will catch on in the USofA?

Solar Power Takes a Turn

Innovative solar power projects are popping up everywhere as alternatives to fossil fuel become more imperative. One such project is in the Nevada desert.

Brit sees the danger...

Environmental issues will ultimately create global turmoil and conflict over, water, oil and all manner of natural resources. Costs will only escalate as problems worsen. The new British Climate Ambassador agrees.
Climate change is "potentially the most serious threat there has ever been" to security and prosperity, according to Britain's new climate ambassador.
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Colleges and MTV Promote Alternatives

Washington D.C.-based Energy Action Coalition in association with MTV is launching a competition to encourage U.S. university students to demand their schools get more energy from renewable energy sources.

Students at several colleges have already pushed through fees of about $30 per student that allow schools to buy power from clean energy sources such as solar and wind farms.

A spokeperson said students are energized to fight global warming because they're worried about the threats of heat waves and flooding from melting glaciers on the habitats of people and endangered species.

Students also appear to recognize the inherent economic opportunities associated with the development of alternative energy technologies.
STORY
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Gore has hope for Bush...

Al Gore is predicting a move toward a 'greener' environmental policy by George Bush in the next two years. Forces within the Bush sphere of supporters may push Bush to adapt a more reasoned, and less special interest driven, approach to global warming and other environmental issues.
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Appeasers and Tyrants

I am departing slightly from this blogs usual content to address the Bush administration's current 'apppeasement' p.r. campaign, under the rational that its blatant and transparent fatuousness qualifies it as a gaseous pollutant. Comparing opposition to their blundering management of the war in Iraq to Neville Chamberlain and Joe Kennedy's coddling and support of Hitler, is both character assassination and political slight of hand, revealing both the simplicity of their thinking and their low opinion of the average American's intellect. Unfortunately, this approach may work on some level and get enough of their foot soldiers elected in the uncoming elections for the end to justify the means (in their estimation). Political discussion and accompanying dissent are cornerstones of our democracy. Demonizing the opposition is a well worn tool of the very autocrats and tyrants that the Bush crew say they are trying to eradicate. Real cowardice is not openly engaging opposition in a debate over the 'real' facts, spreading slanderous accusations, questioning war veterans heroic service and not changing the course of an approach that obviously is getting our brave soldiers killed with little to show for it.

Check out Peter Galbreath's op-ed piece for some real facts on appeasement.
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California Legislates Global Warming Reductions

An historic deal reached between Governor Schwarzenegger and the California legislature has set landmark goals for global warming and greenhouse gas emission reductions, while at the same time setting off economic alarms in the business community. The legislation, which surpasses anything the Federal government has enacted, will reach beyond the usual suspects, power plants,refineries and heavy industry and have potential economic costs to dairies, wineries and other small businesses. The environment and the economic impact of regulations will define the battle over global warming for decades to come.
LINK
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Hurricane Intensity Linked to Global Warming

Climate research experts have linked growing hurricane activity to human-induced global warming. A major study will be released next week.
LINK

An Unlikely Alliance

S.D. Warren Company, a power company in Maine, controls the flow of water on the Presumpscott River with five dams it uses to create hydroelectric power. The State of Maine is trying to force the company to maintain a minimum level of flow in the river to prevent long stretches from drying up, as they have in the past. State and Federal law mandates that states have the power to approve any discharge into navigable waters. The power company said water flow from its dams did not meet the definition of "discharge". The battle went to the Supreme Court which sided with the state, which ironically was supported in its pro-discharge case by the state's attorney general and none other than the Bush Administration.
Story

Burning Man Cools Off...

They burn all kinds of artsy stuff at the annual Burning Man Art Festival in the Nevada desert. For the first time, Burning Man participants will be able to "offset" their global warming impact much the same way large corporations do, by investing in clean energy projects. How "cool" is that?
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