Weather, Water, Energy 6-22-07

Turns out the new icebergs in the Antarctic might release enough minerals to spawn new growth around them, which can lead to CO2 being sucked up more. (No, I don’t really understand it either, but it seems to be good news for carbon sequestration.) . . . The Good China is holding a “lights out” event tonight to fight global warming. Symbolically, of course, but that’s better than anything the Bad China is doing. . . . New study showing how many days of “extreme weather” cities in Europe and along the Mediterranean will get to enjoy if people do and don’t get serious about the warming. . . . Looks like the tropical forests are doing more and our northern forest are doing less to suck out CO2 than researchers originally thought. Maybe that’s symbolic, too. . . . David Roberts at Grist has the goods on the largely negative report of the National Academy of Sciences on coal and its future in the US. The comments section has a nice example by a troll there named Charles of how the nuke advocates love to cite all the problems and costs of renewables while conveniently downplaying and overlooking how nuke has done. Don’t read too much of him though if there are loaded guns around. . . . A UN analysis shows how global investment is moving substantially toward renewable energies, giving the lie to those who argue that change and adaptation to global warming have to hurt economies. Only the ones stupid enough to hold onto their investments in the old ways will be hurt . . . uh, maybe that explains why so many politicians and the corporations who pay them . . . huh, wha’dya know? . . . Not sure this really solves the emissions problems but it looks like there’s a better fuel to be produced biologically than ethanol. But how will those politicians and the corpor . . . oh, sorry. Already been here before. . . . Ideology’s one thing, reality’s another, and these corporations at least are dealing with reality where it matters most to them, the checkbook, going green in their fleet purchasing, as good proof as we need that business does get some of it anyway. . . . A good piece on what leadership looks like on weather, water, energy, as CA demonstrates what’s possible more than anyone else, including the Busheviks.