Weather, Water, Energy 9-15-06

The Boston Globe has an interesting story on how sequencing the genetic code of trees can lead to more productive planned growth can lead to more trees faster can lead to more and better material than plants for fuel . . . . Who says responding to global warming will hurt economies? The Swiss seem to be making some cash off tourists wanting to see glaciers before they melt, or as they melt. . . . The Christian Science Monitor runs a couple of pieces today, one on the wisdom of the Bushnev Administration cutting funding for two renewable (that is, "mature technologies") energy sources (hydropower and geothermal), the other on wave-energy research and demonstration in OR (there's also a brief offset on "commercial wave farms" and other similar efforts in Europe). . . . From Governing's blog, the 13th Floor, we hear of a study by the U-CA-Berkeley Energy Institute arguing that increases in gas taxes probably won't get as much conservation as improving vehicle fuel economy since people look like they will drive at very high prices. . . . And from Terra Daily, we get this piece from Science discussing how a combo of cutting greenhouse gas emissions and injections of sulfates into the atmosphere (which has its own problems) might buy us some time with global warming . . . . Back on earth USA Today runs an article on this year's drought and its impact on the South, particularly agriculture, forests, and related economies. . . . The NY Times has a looonnnnggggg story on CA's efforts to limit its greenhouse gas emissions. Really good and really thorough, but bring food and water. . . . Finally, from NM we hear that Gov. Richardson has declared 2007 the "Year of Water" (I'd say "Ano de Agua" except I can't find the tilde in blogger . . . can I?). Environmentalists there have helpfully offered policy suggestions that this article will share with you. . . .