Weather, Water, Energy 8-15-07

Just what you like to hear. CA state government is going green, retrofitting buildings, vehicles, etc. What does it do with the stuff it’s getting rid of? Sells it to nations with less stringent environmental standards. Shoot us all now. . . . A new current has been found in the Southern Ocean around Australia, a “missing link” in the global oceanic transmission of water. This will help to clarify climate models and how new fresh water emissions from melting ice sheets and caps will affect weather. The biggest impact would be if it would take out Australia’s idiot PM while it’s still there, but you can only hope for so much. (A couple of summarized reports on other recent research on currents and climate here.) . . . For some reason, it just doesn’t bother me when this nation’s most conservative state decides to push for nuclear power. Here’s to you, UT, and all those terrorists you can attract and the wastes you’ll have to dispose of and the water you don’t have to waste and, well, GO UTES!!!! . . . Meanwhile, in an area serious about renewable energy, a good article on planning and probabilities in the NW of US. . . .Great. Airplanes turn out to be even worse in impact on warming because they’re emitting a whole lot more than CO2. And their increased use will more than offset any efficiencies in the future. . . . When I lived in WI, I used to think it would be a relatively safe place from the impact of global warming on weather and on water, because of the Great Lakes. Well, maybe not so much. The northern Great Lakes, particularly Huron and Michigan, are losing water three times faster through the St. Clair River than previously believed, according to a study released Tuesday by a private Canadian group. Dredging of the shipping channel and further erosion, among other factors, have deepened the St. Clair riverbed and increased the water flow from Lake Huron into Lake St. Clair, the Georgian Bay Association study says. The dredgers say the report is wrong, of course. . . . Speaking of water, can’t really see this headline leading to anything good: Antarctic Bottom Water Has Warmed in Recent Decades. . . . Land use policies proving effective at limiting rain forest destruction in Peru. Now let’s make sure they get credit for it in the “offset” world. . . . If you’re looking for good head-bashing, David Roberts takes out some front-tier tools here and here at Grist, including the prototype tool, oh, you already guessed Robert Samuelson?