Weather, Water, Energy 4-23-07

• If a Gold Medal winner of the Royal Astronomical Society tells you you can't keep claiming the sun's variations are causing global warming and not humans, will you stop denying and obstructing? Of course not, but here it is.
• New York is getting serious about traffic congestion pricing, which has worked in other large cities around the world. Yes, people are protesting, but they did in the other nations as well. Let's hope it takes, along with all the other proposals being considered (and listed in the article).
• States doing something about global warming: MA (requiring impact statements from developers), FL (a Tampa conference on actions necessary to stop what's already happening there), and MD (joining a 10-state coalition to attack CO2 emissions from power plants).
• One of the many paradoxical problems for enviros as they deal with global warming: dams endanger species but provide power; without dams, more coal or oil used. Que hacemos? Que hacemos?
• Meanwhile, the EU is waking up to the fact that biodiesel won't solve its problems since it, you know, shoots out about as much greenhouse gas as gasoline.
• And they're also waking up to the fact that the US is worthless as a partner in dealing with the disaster on the horizon. Maybe they've googled the long-time political hitman, Boyden Gray, who's our EU ambassador. He even looks like what you think the Grim Reaper would look like if you could get that hood off. As if you'd try.
• The Asian world seems to be getting a clue. Japan is working with India on a global warming battle (sans nuke power, of course), while China recognizes that nuke power won't get it done because, you know what, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH NUCLEAR FUEL EITHER, MORONS.
• And this deserves all caps, too: THE POLAR BEARS ARE GETTING PISSED!!!
• Another carbon trading scam. Honestly, this should be getting scratched off the list of possible options. It's too easy to pull apparently, and it will tarnish the perceived validity and legitimacy of the other ones.
• OTOH, more efficient solar looks like it might be a very believable investment pretty soon.
• Finally, I know Schwarzenegger is a tool a lot of the time (okay, most of the time), but this is a quote that seals his role on the right side of our argument and should be used by all of us regarding why "doing nothing" isn't an option: "If 98 doctors say my son is ill and needs medication and two say, 'No, he doesn't, he is fine,' I will go with the other 98."