Thursday, April 05, 2007

Weather, Water, Energy 4-5-07

Muy quick hits today since Blogger ate yesterday's so I have two days for the price of one.

  • Okay, that "we need Daylight Savings Time to help save energy thing"? Uh, . . . no.
  • The climate models have paid big attention to the impact of the oceans and seas, but not so much to the rivers. May have been a mistake.
  • Nuke power advocates and investors need to remember its long history of cost overruns when calculating its long-term payoff.
  • Didn't miss much yesterday when I got too PO'ed to try to redo what got eaten. Only another preview of tomorrow's IPCC report (including the acknowledgement that we're avoiding dealing with it because it's too hard to admit what screwups we've been), Castro's once again successful demonization of US with poorer nations (this time over our "leadership" on the global warming that's going to hit them hardest), Peak Oil's possible twin (Peak Coal), growth of the "electranet" to distribute power locally, the clueless whoring of the news media to nuke power PR pros, the power of architecture and building materials to substantially reduce our greenhouse emissions, the salinization of fresh water already happening in Malta, the loss of enough water already happening in the US West. Not much, really. Thanks, Blogger.
  • Those wondrous religious zealots known as economists will tell you that we can't run out of most minerals and such, following their Saint Julian Simon, because the power of the market will draw out innovations in the face of limitations and then turn around and swear that limits from gov't regulations will destroy us . . . because the market will suddenly fail to innovate? Please.
  • Countries and cities around the world are addressing global warming much more aggressively. Here in the US, not so much.
  • Groups in AK (Alaska, not Alabama) are pressing for major business emitters of greenhouse gases to be required to report those emissions. Likely to happen someday. Interesting if it starts in AK.
  • Another survey of what happens if water supplies go south with warming, this time a global perspective, including restrictions on use in Australia. Long, hot showers? Get 'em while you can.