Weather, Water, Energy 8-1-07

UN special session calling for developed nations to step up to the plate on global warming and help the less developed ones. Good quote from an Indian official:

"The rich world has to reduce emissions far more drastically than it has done so to date," said Sunita Narain, director of India's Center for Science and Environment. "The political leadership is very high on rhetoric but very low on real action when it comes to delivering the goods on climate change."

But, uh, India’s not really helping much either, is it? . . . Is this what they’re talking about, the new law requiring certain sized homes to have environmental impact statements attached when sold so buyers will know their energy performance and other contributions to global warming? Don’t really see this being popular but will be the sort of thing that has to be forced. . . . Brazil apparently may be getting the message finally, warming (sorry) to more market mechanisms to bring down emissions (whether they’ll work or not is irrelevant at this point). . . . David Roberts is on fire at Grist, offering strategic (not to say perfect) advice for talking about emission-related taxes and against incremental policy changes, confirming that Bush auto fuel economy standards are just “standards,” and tipping us that Congress is funneling more monetary milk to the nuclear power industry that would be much better spent elsewhere. . . . And Joseph Romm has some major blazes going on James Hansen and the possibilities for civil disobedience and against fossil fuel subsidies as well as pine beetles invading a warmer Canada, more greenwashing (this time from GE), the latest atrocity from Rep. Dingell (D-GM), and the idiotic European view that palm oil is biofuel, leading to destruction of palm forests. . . . NE still having the problems of parceling out scarcer river water to angry long-time irrigators as it deals with what other states will likely be dealing with in the near term as well. (For instance, UT wanting to back up and reconsider the water pipeline that NV’s planning, you know, the one that will likely take water from UT. Studies like this horror tale about its future in global warming may be what’s helping drive that concern.) . . . States like ND may suddenly find themselves energy players for everything from carbon-based to wind and ethanol but face the problem of getting that energy to market. . . . Puget Sound and its ecosystem not looking to do well as the warming continues, according to a new report. . . . On a similar note but closer to home for me, I just hate to hear that things are expected to get worse, pollution-wise, for the Chesapeake Bay. It’s such a treasure and we’ve crapped on it, literally. . . . Finally, forget what it’s doing to your glaciers, China, you want to be known for your “Asian Brown Cloud”?