Weather, Water, Energy 6-15-07

Starting with some good news. Looks like arctic plants may be more mobile than originally thought and able to travel (wind carrying seed, that sort of thing) to keep up with the changing, warming climate. . . . More good news. Paris (the city, not Hilton—how sad that I have to clarify) is piloting a program to make available “clean cars” (not “not dirty”) for use to reduce emissions in the city. . . . Even more good news. Northwestern states and British Columbia drivers have cut their gasoline consumption by a tenth from the late 90s, which is a substantial savings overall . . . which I’m sure we’ve used up here in Southwestern states. Thanks, you guys. . . . New Zealand and Australia are cooperating on a carbon trading system. Not sure how good that news is. Politics will play the major role in any trading system, and Australia does have that idiot PM. . . . Happy World Desertification Day!! And welcome to all the new countries able to participate fully as their warming lands dry up!! . . . Ted Danson doing his best work off the screen. . . . Not good news. Familiar birds are starting to disappear. And they’re already noticing in WI. . . . Hmm, the Christian Science Monitor seems to be getting testy with the 535 climate war “generals” in Congress and their inability to think beyond politics to the actual danger facing this nation and the planet. It’s also been highlighting the small but growing number of cities actually considering charging people to drive within them, like London’s successful plan. . . . Here’s a candidate who really does appear to get it on water issues, pledging to create a Department of Water to start doing something now rather than later. Maybe because he’s the governor of one of the states looking to be hard hit. Too bad he really has such a hard time saying his good stuff. This might get him another good Cabinet post to pursue the idea from, though (h/t Governing). . . . Didn’t report on the US’s decrease in greenhouse gas emissions when the news came out a week or so ago because Bushnev was taking credit when it was really due to the warmer winter and economic downturn for most Americans. Well, here’s another possible reason. Our trade with nations like China, that are even worse contributors in their manufacturing processes, leads us to stop making things here, start buying things from there, reducing our emissions and increasing their worse ones. Great. The hasten death global warming solution. I’m so glad it’s the weekend.