Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Weather, Water, Energy 11-28-06

Quick hits so you can move on to Veronica updates below:

  • Want to feel good about the future? Realize that Russia is likely the major source of useable water in your lifetime. They expect it to replace oil as the big contributor to their annual budgets. And where will the cash come from? And what else might they want? Feeling good yet? (Actually, a nice little discussion of water as the big issue of your tomorrow.)
  • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is none too happily being pulled into "protracted water wars" between GA, AL, and FL over Lake Lanier. Sign of things to come.
  • Because of the wisdom and foresight of the Busheviks, the states are stepping in to direct utilities to start putting more emphasis on alternative sources like wind, solar, and biomass to increase their electricity outputs. (A couple of good links to pursue here, too.)
  • As if Katrina wasn't enough. LA has always had to worry about sinking around the coast. But now studies are saying they have as much or more to worry about from the rising sea levels. They're starting to look at the Netherlands, wisely and surprisingly enough. Once the Corps of Engineers get done with the yahoos to the east, they will be helping the plans be implemented.
  • Turns out that creatures' "thermal environments" need to be considered when trying to conserve species as global warming catches on more. That is, their physiologies may differ enough from each other that you can't assume that simply being along the same latitude will be enough to protect them.
  • When T. Boone Pickens "gets it," that means Sen. Inhofe (OK-REPUB) is truly a future museum piece.
  • Maybe this is what T. Boone's seeing--our planetary carbon emissions have gone from less than 1% increase a year up to 2000 to 2.5% a year now. Folks, that's a leap from one exponential curve to another, exactly what the nonlinear types have been warning us about global warming. That rate translates to a 5.8C degree temp increase from 1990 to the end of this century. (Remember--the F temp one we use is the bigger one.)
  • How might we get people's attention? How about cancelling entire sports? Would not having the Winter Olympics be enough? (Actually, would anyone south of WI care?) On the other hand, if we tell folks that we could have the Super Bowl outside in Green Bay in late January, they'll probably start torching every wooden thing they can find. Better keep it to ourselves.