Weather, Water, Energy 6-28-07

Desertification could end up affecting a third of the planet's population, pressuring resources and borders, according to a UN report. And some of the things we might think would help, like planting more trees, actually hurt by sucking up more scarce resources. Planning would be good here, along with some compassion, but we haven't been that great lately. . . . Drought may be letting up in Australia, just in time to give relief to farmers and ranchers and to their idiot PM, who's running for reelection. That would be about right, wouldn't it? . . . Proof that all the idiots aren't just here or in Australia. Germany has one running a major corporation. (While you're at Grist, they have several good posts up updating the latest Congressional actions which sound like semi-impressive fury but will they signify anything??? And don't miss this truly righteous rant by David Roberts at a poor, oppressed coal executive.) . . . The World Wildlife Fund is finding serious problems with these plans to dump iron particles into the oceans to cause plankton growth to suck in CO2. This stuff has "UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES" written all over it, so it's good to see someone monitoring. . . . Joseph Romm links to a definitive resource to deal with all deniers and their sympathizers like that idiot former Mrs. America contestant who writes for Slate and did an American Enterprise Institute talking points column in the WaPo the other day. . . . The most cost-effective way to max out auto emission restrictions? Go after the older cars and don't spend scarce dollars on testing the newer ones. . . . AK (Alaska, not Arkansas) is going to get hammered worse in the short run, it looks like, by the thawing and flooding from global warming. But as we've noted here regularly, you're not finding a lot of deniers there, just sane folks seeing reality and trying to deal with it because it's already their lives at stake. . . . Great. Global warming may affect ingested toxins from pollution, making them more lethal. I guess we can hope that some are made less lethal, too, right? Right? . . . Finally, I suppose this is a headline we should be happy about, but somehow it's just depressing:

U.S. HOUSE PASSES BILL AFFIRMING GLOBAL WARMING EXISTS