Weather, Water, Energy 9-07-06

Reuters reports a study presented at the British Association for the Advancement of Science theorizing that human civilization came together due to drastic climate changes pushing people into proximity and interrelations to survive, with the consequences virtually impossible to reverse after the climate moderated. . . . Governing's blog runs a post on how the debate over ethanol now not only includes disputes on its net energy capacity but also whether we would be taking food from people who, like, need to eat it. . . . Science Daily has a couple of interesting pieces. One demonstrates how plant growth timing in periods of increased warmth and available CO2 may cause major shifts in development and diversity. The other documents how, while Antarctica may have cooled in the 90s, its last 150 years have shown increased warming. The article also describes why the cooling has occurred despite global warming. . . . Climate Progress calls out Science, usually a reliable global warming source, for ignoring conservation in its latest "alternatives" article, which apparently emphasized the high costs of changing energy habits. . . . The Christian Science Monitor has an article on the problems associated with traditional fuels in modern warfare, including Iraq, and the military's interest in green power. Since US spending on arms and space has driven much of our past tech innovation, this may be much better news than it sounds. . . . A ME poll (Maine, not "me") finds state residents "downright pessimistic" about our environment and believing that humans are the driving force behind global warming, much more than US residents as a whole. The beliefs are attributed to Mainers' more traditional links to the natural environment. . . . And, finally, appraisers and real estate agents in Portland, OR, will soon get to locate "earth-friendly" new homes when they do their searches. These houses will have met national green building standards and potentially see greater interest, particularly in an environmentally-conscious city like Portland. (Maybe those Portlanders in ME would feel a little better about the future if they went this way, too? I suspect that will be that story here soon.)