Weather, Water, Energy 10-30-06

Greenhouse gas emissions are still going up, not coming down, says a UN report. Care to guess which nation is "by far" the biggest problem? Britain and Germany won praise for cutting emissions but still having econ growth. . . . Is part of that because of the growth of the carbon market (around $22 b. in 2005)? And market advocates are saying deforestation can be stalled through paying to keep woodlands. I have always had two problems with "marketing" pollution, besides the social legitimation it's given--one, the politics of setting limits and quotas (power tends to rule, you know) and, two, the uncertainties as to what amounts are okay to have, rather than just knocking it off altogether. Simply invoking "rationality" and "the market" doesn't quite reassure me since we're dealing with humans, although, if this is the only way to get anything done, it's better than nothing. I guess. . . . Maybe this tiny new ethanol-using engine will have an impact (but don't mention the actual ethanol cost-benefit, according to Grist). . . . Or maybe nuclear will bail us out (but don't mention the water that takes, according to Grist). . . . More proof of global warming? Ponds in Alaska have shrunken dramatically in most parts of the state since the '50s. Or, as Sen. Inhofe might say, maybe people have just been drinking more from them. . . . Al Gore as government advisor on global warming. In Britain, of course. . . . In UT it's considered sensible to make those who use the least electricity pay more for it proportionately than those who use the most. To pay off power plant expansion due to more use. Feelin' comfy about the future yet? . . . Newsweek has a quickie on US cities using parking fees to encourage greener vehicles. (MORON ALERT at end, however.) . . . And Boulder, CO may approve a "Climate Action Plan" that would raise home energy bills to pay for activities to reduce need for greenhouse emissions. "[S]ome in the business community are skeptical." . . . CO, NE, and ID have worked out a plan with the feds to manage water flow on the Platte River. . . . NASA is projecting the impacts on NYC of sea level rises and hurricanes as global warming plays out. (HINT: soggy.) . . . Finally, one of those stories that's funny until someone loses a planet. A report in The Engineering Economist (!) says that the US population's weight gain since the 1960's, being transported around in our vehicles, costs us almost a billion more gallons and $2.86 b. a year. I'll give you a dollar if you've ever had this thought in your life. Yeah, sure.