Political leaders have a key role to play in developing and taking action to combat the world environmental degradation, according to a recent survey of 1,350 professionals in position to make or influence large climate-related decisions in their governments, companies, or other organizations across 120 countries.

The performance of key actors - particularly national governments - has been inadequate to date with rhetoric at much feted climatic conferences over-dominating action states the survey.

Respondents in the survey conducted by the GlobeScan for the World Bank, The World Conservation Union (IUCN), and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), noted that there is currently little consensus on solutions to climate change.

In many parts of the world, the destruction of the environment is a daily reality in spite of the numerous statements that have been made about the terrible state of the environment.

But visionary political leadership can indeed influence a paradigm shift that can promote better treatment of the environment through requisite legal and policy mechanisms, but most importantly through political text that highlights the urgency of the matter followed by action.

As Kenyan Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai succinctly puts it the generation that destroys the environment may not be the one that pays the prize.

It is the future generations that will confront the consequences of today’s destructive activities of the current generation, she says.

Halting the destruction of the environment for the sake of future generations takes peering into the future so that we are able to truly perceive the impact of our actions. In that respect, leadership can be a powerful force to direct the behavior of nations toward the accomplishment of some common environmental objectives.

The survey showed strong and consistent views that government leaders worldwide need to act quickly and agree on a set of clear, inclusive, and long-term policies in order to put climate solutions in place.

The survey sought the views of 1,350 professionals in position to make or influence large climate-related decisions in their governments, companies, or other organizations across 120 countries.

According to the survey, decision makers are most in need of political support, policy development, and regulatory clarity in order to implement climate change solutions

Respondents gave high ratings to four elements that leaders need to prioritize in order to achieve a global impact on the environment, and these include: a) the inclusion of all major carbon-emitting countries; b) a commitment by wealthy countries to provide aid and technology transfer to assist developing countries to meet targets; c) legally binding targets for each signatory country; d) different types of commitments based on countries’ stages of development.

“After the need for policy development, respondents pointed to technology as key, particularly in seizing the many opportunities they see in the areas of energy demand management and energy efficiency,” states the report.

“They saw the current generation of bio-fuels production from food crops as the least promising of 18 rated technologies for reducing greenhouse emissions “without unacceptable side-effects.” Current nuclear technology also received a low rating,” adds the report.

Photograph: EPA via the Independent

It seems that Gordon Brown is coming over all credible with his green attitude.  He is "embracing the electric car revolution" and plans to encourage the car industry to mass-produce electrically powered cars, right here in the UK.  

From today's Independent . . .

He will meet manufacturers this week to try to persuade them to mass-produce electric cars, and is considering a remarkable plan to sell the cars cheap, together with their fuel, that is modelled on mobile-phone contracts.

So as with contract mobile phones, the idea is that you'd get a free car but would be signed up to a maximum mileage.  Well it seems feasible enough to me.  Maybe they will have a pay-as-you-go scheme too but you wouldn't get your free car.  And also, perhaps it needs to be extended further to include vans and motor bikes (is it possible to include certain types of light aircraft or am I going beyond the realms of realistic possiblity?). 

If this thing took off (and according to the article, Denmark and Israel are already ahead in this) we'd get drastically reduced co2 which, needless to say, will benefit the whole planet.  And we'd have cheaper car costs which will be a definite vote-winner.  And Britain once again gets to produce something which is definitely on the upside seeing as how our days of industry and manufacturing have been on the decline for decades.  

Well I'm liking the idea.  It sounds like an ideal solution but it won't be without its critics.  As the article states, the electricity needed to power the vehicles will have to come from renewable energy or the whole thing might end up being counterproductive.  Also, the oil giants might try to put their squeezers on it.  And it certainly won't solve the problem of congestion on our small and increasingly-cramped British Isle. 

But the benefits should surely outweigh those little niggles.  It's worth supporting, I think.

The awareness Mr Gore raised by his work was very important – so important that he was awarded the Nobel Prize.

He has now suggested that by the end of the decade the United States should produce all its electricity at home without burning fossil fuels. This would be achieved in effect by taxing fossil fuels out of existence.

Is this something that is environmentally helpful? It would mean a massive increase in nuclear energy, while we have not yet solved the problem of how to safely process nuclear waste. Where will it all go and will not this be the new poisoned chalice for future generations?

It will mean more dams for hydro electric power. Every new dam releases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that is locked up in the soil and the vegetation. The release of carbon dioxide from a dam will last as long as the dam lasts, because we have lost a place to sequestrate the carbon created.

Of course all these new nuclear power stations and dams will be made from cement; At the moment cement is responsible for 2% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. If Mr Gore’s scheme is put into being emissions from cenment manufacture will rise.

Just to put cement into context, compare 2% of the world’s carbon emissions from cement with 4% from the United Kingdom.

Mr Gore’s idea  will mean lots of new wind turbines – generally benign – and a lot more photovoltaic panels the manufacture of which will create a carbon dioxide spike, but at the end of it all, if Mr Gore’s suggestion is possible, the United States will be emitting a great deal less carbon dioxide than it does now.

I do not think Mr Gore’s suggestion can be achieved within the decade but it might happen by the end of the century.

I think that Mr Gore falls into the trap that most politicians fall into when talking about climate change and greenhouse gas. They try to inspire us all with a “vision” so often unattainable or fraught, if achieved with undesirable and unimagined consequences. It would be better if they left visions to visionaries; after all politicians are supposed to be practical creatures undertaking the art of the possible and when it comes to addressing climate change we need to undertake the art of the possible..

Politicians should concentrate on the easy wins first, the simple step by step achievement of the possible. There are many simple ways of emitting less carbon dioxide and rather than try to run and fall over, we need to learn to crawl and then learn to walk.

The interesting thing to consider is these three governments have been in power for significant periods of time. Largely a result of the inept Liberal oppositions in each state rather than impressive ALP governments. It may be said that of the three Premiers, Bligh is the least unloved. She is seems to be willing to address difficult issues within the state and has continued some of her predecessors antics up like regularly being on TV, radio and in Queensland's daily papers.

Brumby and Iemma are definitely the closest, in my opinion, to being their own worst enemies and losing to the Liberals of their respective states.  The papers comment on them being energetic and in a hurry to achieve their goals.  Yes they're likely to be in a hurry because they can tell the writing is on the wall.  Their leadership styles of being abrupt and ignoring community and scientific opinion have become major downfalls for both Iemma and Brumby.  The arbitrary decisions like the change of laws for WYD in NSW, the privatisation of the NSW power industry, the North-South water pipeline in Victoria, the dredging of Port Phillip Bay and in each state the building of a desalination plant have caused on-going political and public pain.

For Bligh the challenge is much trickier with the fact that she would be the first female to be elected Premier in the country, and the Labor party has been in power for an extensive period of time (not as long as Sir Joh though).  Although the opposition in Queensland has been nowhere to be seen with their on-again off-again merger talks, ballots and constitutional meetings - and is something in Bligh's favour.

While the Liberal oppositions in New South Wales and Victoria are just as pathetic and complicit as their colleagues in Queensland, they have at least a higher pulse rate.  At this higher pulse rate isn't of their own doing.

There is still a long time until the next state elections for Victoria and New South Wales, and as they as a week is a long time in politics.  The Greens in these states are also becoming bothersome to Labor and Liberals alike, and their continued rise in support and votes will be a test for these old, tired parties.

Bligh's test comes sooner but for Queenslanders to vote for the hapless opposition parties en masse is highly unlikely, but not unheard of.

The tiddlywinks club is coming out all over on climate change including down at Lowy where Sam Roggeveen says he’s ‘finding his thinking on this issue evolving rapidly over the last few weeks, towards a greater scepticism of large-scale, long-term initiatives like carbon trading.’

As the Nature op-ed last year recommends, he says, the more effective answer might be a massive investment in clean energy R&D, ‘though you could argue that a carbon price would be a good way to pay for such investment.’

You could, indeed, Sam, argue that.

All the evidence (during the oil crisis of the 1970s and now) is that it is the change in the relative price of carbon fuels that leads to their economisation and the investment in the new technologies that reduces their use. When pressed, even Jeff Sachs admits that there is no technology fix for unsustainable development without a change in the price we pay for carbon emissions one way or another [Sachs video here and summary of speech here].

A higher carbon price is central to getting incentives right to encourage the massive investment in carbon fuel alternatives that the science, the economics and the politics recommend if not sufficient to doing all the heavy lifting on carbon ameliorating R&D (see previous posts on this here and here).

The right wing blogosphere has been all atwitter the past couple of days over a blog post by Michael Asher at DailyTech alleging that the American Physical Society (APS) had reversed its previous position that human activity was fueling global warming.

"The American Physical Society, an organization representing nearly 50,000 physicists, has reversed its stance on climate change and is now proclaiming that many of its members disbelieve in human-induced global warming. The APS is also sponsoring public debate on the validity of global warming science. The leadership of the society had previously called the evidence for global warming "incontrovertible."

In a posting to the APS forum, editor Jeffrey Marque explains,"There is a considerable presence within the scientific community of people who do not agree with the IPCC conclusion that anthropogenic CO2 emissions are very probably likely to be primarily responsible for global warming that has occurred since the Industrial Revolution."

The APS is opening its debate with the publication of a paper by Lord Monckton of Brenchley, which concludes that climate sensitivity -- the rate of temperature change a given amount of greenhouse gas will cause -- has been grossly overstated by IPCC modeling. A low sensitivity implies additional atmospheric CO2 will have little effect on global climate."

The APS is the second largest organization of scientists in the world and one of the most prestigious. It publishes over a dozen scientific journals with Physical Review and Physical Review Letters among them, as well as organizing over twenty scientific meetings a year. So if the APS issues a statement that it doesn't think anthropogenic global warming (AGW) is real, then the world has good cause to sit up and take notice. "Deathly news for the religion of Global Warming," as one right wing pundit put it.

Except that's not what happened.

Asher's blog post was updated with the following message:

"After publication of this story, the APS responded with a statement that its Physics and Society Forum is merely one unit within the APS, and its views do not reflect those of the Society at large."

And the APS posted this notice on their front page:

"The American Physical Society reaffirms the following position on climate change, adopted by its governing body, the APS Council, on November 18, 2007:

"Emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities are changing the atmosphere in ways that affect the Earth's climate."

An article at odds with this statement recently appeared in an online newsletter of the APS Forum on Physics and Society, one of 39 units of APS.  The header of this newsletter carries the statement that "Opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the APS or of the Forum."  This newsletter is not a journal of the APS and it is not peer reviewed."

Well now, that's hardly the APS reversing itself on AGW. Additionally, Asher did some selective quoting of Jeffrey Marque's Editor's Comments in the APS's Physics and Society Forum newsletter (Asher misattributes this as the APS's forum too, but we'll let that slide). Reading Marque's actual comments we find that the APC's Physics and Society Forum invited several people to contribute papers arguing either for or against the International Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) conclusions. Christopher Monckton supplied the anti-AGW argument while David Hafemeister and Peter Schwartz from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo provided a paper supporting the IPCC's conclusions.

I think it also bears mentioning who exactly Christopher Monckton is. He is a former journalist and an arch Conservative British politician, having been a policy adviser to Margaret Thatcher. Monckton is a member of many private-public Conservative think tanks including The Heartland Institute which aggressively campaigns against global warming science (and for "smokers' rights", receiving large donations from Phillip-Morris). He had a successful business consultancy and invented the Eternity Puzzle, a popular puzzle toy that carried a £1,000,000 prize for its solution.

Monckton is also something of a notorious crank. He is an Euroskeptic; opposed to European integration. In a 2007 interview with The Independent he is quoted as saying that he would (bolding mine),

"... leave the European Union, close down 90 per cent of government services and shift power away from the atheistic, humanistic government and into the hands of families and individuals."

Monckton maintains similarly eclectlic views on HIV/AIDS as well. In a 1987 article for The American Spectator he argued that the only way to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS was to blood test every single person once a month and forcibly quarantine anyone found to have or be carrying the disease.

Monckton has also been known to employ creative expansion of the facts to suit his needs. For instance, he claimed that he had to sell his house pay the Eternity Puzzle prize but later admitted that wasn't true. In a letter to Senators Snowe and Rockefeller he claimed to be a member of the Upper House of the UK legislature when, in fact, he is not a member of the House of Lords.

All of that being so, perhaps the most important thing that has been left unsaid is what Mockton is not. For the plain and simple fact is that Christopher Monckton is not a scientist.

Now you might accuse me, and rightfully so, of arguing ad hominem. However, I think Monckton's history and character are important for assessing his credibleness, especially if one isn't a climate scientist their self. After all, if a person holds several views contrary to experts in their respective fields and has a history of being less than forthright then perhaps we should view any claims that person makes as suspect.

Still, Monckton's history of credulousness doesn't necessarily make him wrong. Nor does the fact that he isn't a scientist rule out the possibility that he has something to contribute to science. Sadly though, Monckton walks a well-worn path he has trod many times before. For instance, his claim that cosmic rays are behind warming trends in recent decades has been thoroughly refuted and George Monbiot handily debunked many of Monckton's other claims.

What it all comes down to is that Monckton is simply wrong; wrong about it all. And the vast majority of respectable scientists across the many fields comprising climate science still think that humans are responsible for global warming.

The whole affair appears as an almost textbook exercise in critical thinking. Taken at face value Monckton's claims even pass the sniff test with lots of scientific looking language, charts and graphs. On the other hand we have sensationalized and less-than-honestly reported claims from a crackpot fringe politico stumping for his pet cause with, seemingly, religious and political motivations. Contrasted with Monckton's claims are those of thousands of scientists doing real work in the field of climatology whose work is subject to the scrutiny of their peers. Who would you  believe?

It is now pretty much taken for granted that global warming is ongoing, that climate change is being driven by human activity and that it is critically important that extraordinary changes be made in fundamental aspects of our economy and way of life.

On the small scale, people plant trees, examine food miles, purchase carbon offsets and modify their travel behaviour.

Cities and even countries vie with one another to become carbon neutral; as a nation, we are contemplating emission controls, taxes and carbon-trading schemes that will have a profound effect on individual households and the national economy alike.

When linked with the other great crisis of our times - peak oil - it has become not only socially desirable to embrace all of this, but sustainability has achieved the status of a higher morality.

It has become politically unacceptable to doubt any of the current dogma.

So politics not science is driving the debate.

Not to subscribe wholeheartedly to the sustainability ethos is to be labelled not just a sceptic but a denier, with overtones of Holocaust denial and a wilful, unreasonable immorality.

It is said that we are now beyond the science and that the science of global warming has been finalised or determined and that all scientists agree.

Sceptics and deniers are simply cynical pawns in the pockets of the big oil companies.

And no one points out the vested interests in what has become the climate change industry.

This is unfortunate, to say the least.

Science is rarely determined or finalised; science evolves and the huge complexity of climate science will certainly continue to evolve in the light of new facts, new experiences and new understandings.

Here is an example of how science changes.

Early in the 1900s, Alfred Wegener proposed that the continents were once joined up; their coastlines seemed to match, there appeared to be great rifts and tears in the continental fabric.

This view was ridiculed; how could the continents move? What possible force could transport the unimaginable mass of Africa or Australia hundreds and thousands of kilometres across the earth?

Today, of course, plate tectonics is well understood. We know that continents move and we know how and what the consequences are.

Global warming seemed sewn up as well in the year 2000.

Mann's hockey-stick graph showed centuries of modest change culminating in an explosive temperature growth in recent decades, leading to terrifying projections of a climate out of control with the sea rising to drown us all.

Al Gore's apocalyptic images of tsunami-like flooding and dying polar bears brought global warming into every home.

To sign up to Kyoto was an act of sanctity and belief; only political dinosaurs in the pay of big business would not flock to this new crusade.

Today, the hockey stick has gone.

Its basic data were flawed and the statistical processes inadequate; it failed to describe known climate changes from the historically recorded past, so how could it be a reliable predictor?

Although Mr Gore received the Nobel Peace Prize, his famous movie has been shown to be riddled with inaccuracies, distortions and misrepresentations; it cannot be shown in British schools without a comprehensive explanation of its mistakes and an acknowledgement that it is advocacy, not science.

There is no doubt that the climate is changing; it always has done. We have become familiar with the regularly repeating glaciations of the past.

Human history has mainly occupied an exceptionally warm interglacial peak in a world that, for the last half million years at least, has generally been much cooler, although, in deep time, the world has been much warmer than now.

In the 1970s, climate science was concerned about when the next ice age might commence; we may have to return to that position.

There have been considerably warmer eras in the past couple of thousand years. In both the Roman and medieval warm periods, vineyards flourished as far north as York in England; Greenland was indeed green, at least in parts.

By contrast, just 400 years ago, there was a Little Ice Age in America and Europe, at least, that lasted until well into the 1800s. The historic record confirms all of this, beyond doubt.

What we also know, by historical record and by proxy calculation, is that these large swings in temperature closely correlate with the frequency of sunspots, which are a visible indicator of activity in the sun.

Sunspots vary in number according to a series of short-term and long-term cycles.

In periods of high temperature, sunspots proliferated, but during the Little Ice Age, there were few or none for many decades, a phenomenon known as the Maunder Minimum; the last quarter of the 20th century saw a flurry of activity.

The last cycle was at its energetic peak in 1998, our warmest year for some time.

The mechanism is unclear, but it seems related to solar magnetic influences and the amount of gamma radiation that reaches the earth.

The last 10 years have seen a static or even cooling trend as the sunspot cycle ran down; 2007 saw bitter weather around the world and the mean global temperature dropped by an unprecedented amount.

It is not picking up.

The Antarctic winter sea ice was at its largest extent since satellite observation began, and it snowed in Baghdad and Buenos Aires for the first time in living memory. China's winter was awful.

And now the scary news.

The latest sunspot cycle should have started up around the middle or end of 2006; it didn't.

According to Nasa's forecasts, there should be a sunspot index of 70 or more, as the new cycle ran up.

I looked at a real-time photo of the sun on a recent morning; there are no sunspots at all.

There have only been a couple of brief, tiny ones since the last cycle ended.

Not only that, but the longer trends tell us that by 2020, we will be experiencing an unusually low-energy sun.

Apparently, these are exactly the conditions that preceded the Maunder Minimum and ushered in the Little Ice Age.

The science goes on.

Water vapour is the biggest greenhouse gas by a huge factor. The link between CO2 and temperature change is erratic; often, carbon follows heat rather than the uncritical popular perception that heat is induced by carbon.

The oceans are a vast reservoir of dissolved CO2; as they warm, they release it and reabsorb it as they cool.

Which causes what? There is much more yet to learn.

My point is this: It may well be that human activity is indeed changing the climate, at least in part, but there is an increasing body of science that says that the sun may have a greater role.

If it does have, then global warming is likely to stop, as it appears to have done since 1998, and if the current sunspot cycle fails to ignite, then cooling, possibly rapid and severe cooling, may eventuate.

The next five years will tell us a great deal. In these circumstances, we should wait and see.

With China and India churning out new thermal power stations at assembly-line speed, our influence on the global climate is negligible.

Surrounded as we are by great oceans, even the alarmist predictions will have relatively minor consequences for us for some time.

We can afford to wait.

There is no point in decimating our economy in the pursuit of carbon neutrality if carbon is not the main culprit or if the climate is now on a new trend.

Instead, now is the time to moderate the pseudo-religious and uncritical belief that global warming is still as we once thought it might have been.

This is difficult when anyone who questions the pseudo-religious people is labelled a heretic. But Kearsley is not alone in urging caution.

Poneke refers to an article in The Australian by Dr David Evans who wrote the carbon accounting model (FullCAM) that measures Australia's compliance with the Kyoto Protocol, in the land use change and forestry sector.

The article is worth reading in full, so I"ll just copy the intro and conclusion:

When I started that job in 1999 the evidence that carbon emissions caused global warming seemed pretty good: CO2 is a greenhouse gas, the old ice core data, no other suspects.

The evidence was not conclusive, but why wait until we were certain when it appeared we needed to act quickly? Soon government and the scientific community were working together and lots of science research jobs were created. We scientists had political support, the ear of government, big budgets, and we felt fairly important and useful (well, I did anyway). It was great. We were working to save the planet.

But since 1999 new evidence has seriously weakened the case that carbon emissions are the main cause of global warming, and by 2007 the evidence was pretty conclusive that carbon played only a minor role and was not the main cause of the recent global warming. As Lord Keynes famously said, "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"

There has not been a public debate about the causes of global warming and most of the public and our decision makers are not aware of the most basic salient facts...

...Until now the global warming debate has merely been an academic matter of little interest. Now that it matters, we should debate the causes of global warming.

So far that debate has just consisted of a simple sleight of hand: show evidence of global warming, and while the audience is stunned at the implications, simply assert that it is due to carbon emissions.

In the minds of the audience, the evidence that global warming has occurred becomes conflated with the alleged cause, and the audience hasn't noticed that the cause was merely asserted, not proved.

If there really was any evidence that carbon emissions caused global warming, don't you think we would have heard all about it ad nauseam by now?

The world has spent $50 billion on global warming since 1990, and we have not found any actual evidence that carbon emissions cause global warming. Evidence consists of observations made by someone at some time that supports the idea that carbon emissions cause global warming. Computer models and theoretical calculations are not evidence, they are just theory.

What is going to happen over the next decade as global temperatures continue not to rise? The Labor Government is about to deliberately wreck the economy in order to reduce carbon emissions. If the reasons later turn out to be bogus, the electorate is not going to re-elect a Labor government for a long time. When it comes to light that the carbon scare was known to be bogus in 2008, the ALP is going to be regarded as criminally negligent or ideologically stupid for not having seen through it. And if the Liberals support the general thrust of their actions, they will be seen likewise.

The onus should be on those who want to change things to provide evidence for why the changes are necessary. The Australian public is eventually going to have to be told the evidence anyway, so it might as well be told before wrecking the economy.

We have only one world and we have a responsibility to look after it. But that doesn't mean rushing headlong into policy such as Emissions Trading, which may do little or nothing to improve the environment at great economic cost.

Ice retreated to a record level last fall when the Northwest Passage opened briefly
Weather patterns will determine whether the ice cover melts completely this summer
Scientists say the Arctic meltdown is not part of a historic cycle
By Alan Duke
CNN

(CNN) -- The North Pole may be briefly ice-free by September as global warming melts away Arctic sea ice, according to scientists from the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.

"We kind of have an informal betting pool going around in our center and that betting pool is 'does the North Pole melt out this summer?' and it may well," said the center's senior research scientist, Mark Serreze.

It's a 50-50 bet that the thin Arctic sea ice, which was frozen in autumn, will completely melt away at the geographic North Pole, Serreze said.

The ice retreated to a record level in September when the Northwest Passage, the sea route through the Arctic Ocean, opened briefly for the first time in recorded history.

"What we've seen through the past few decades is the Arctic sea ice cover is becoming thinner and thinner as the system warms up," Serreze said.

Specific weather patterns will determine whether the North Pole's ice cover melts completely this summer, he said.

"Last year, we had sort of a perfect weather pattern to get rid of ice to open up that Northwest Passage," Serreze said. "This year, a different pattern can set up. so maybe we'll preserve some ice there. We're in a wait-and-see mode right now. We'll see what happens."

The brief lack of ice at the top of the globe will not bring any immediate consequences, he said.

"From the viewpoint of the science, the North Pole is just another point in the globe, but it does have this symbolic meaning," Serreze said. "There's supposed to be ice at the North Pole. The fact that we may not have any by the end of this summer could be quite a symbolic change."

Serreze said it's "just another indicator of the disappearing Arctic sea ice cover" but that it is happening so soon is "just astounding to me."

"Five years ago, to think that we'd even be talking about the possibility of the North Pole melting out in the summer, I would have never thought it," he said.

The melting, however, has been long seen as inevitable, he said.

"If you talked to me or other scientists just a few years ago, we were saying that we might lose all or most of the summer sea ice cover by anywhere from 2050 to 2100," Serreze said. "Then, recently, we kind of revised those estimates, maybe as early as 2030. Now, there's people out there saying it might be even before that. So, things are happening pretty quick up there."

Serreze said those who suggest that the Arctic meltdown is just part of a historic cycle are wrong.

"It's not cyclical at this point. I think we understand the physics behind this pretty well," he said. "We've known for at least 30 years, from our earliest climate models, that it's the Arctic where we'd see the first signs of global warming.

"It's a situation where we hate to say we told you so, but we told you so," he said.

Serreze said the Arctic sea ice will not be the same for decades.

"If we had a few cold years in a row, we could put sort of a temporary damper on it, but I think at this point going to an ice-free Arctic Ocean is inevitable," he said. "I don't think we can stop that now."

Reduced greenhouse gas emissions could "cool things down a bit," he said.

"It would recover fairly quickly, but it's just not going to happen for a while," he said. "I think we're committed at this point."

There are some positive aspects to the ice melting, he said. Ships could use the Northwest Passage to save time and energy by no longer having to travel through the Panama Canal or around Cape Horn.

"There's also, or course, oil at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean," he said. "Now, the irony of that is kind of clear, but the fact that we are opening up the Arctic Ocean does make it more accessible."

The U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center Web site, NSIDC.org, publishes a near-real-time image of the Arctic sea ice cover.
All AboutNational Snow and Ice Data Center ? North Pole ? Arctic Ocean

Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/weather/06/27/north.pole.melting/index.html

In a time of economic instability, it’s easy for Seattle’s middle-class residents to feel the pinch. Local papers print tips on how to save a buck and local T.V. stations run sound bites of Seattleites struggling to adapt to rising gas prices and increased food cost. But these people get a paycheck. They have resources—a roof, car, neighbors, refrigerator, savings account. Others aren’t so lucky.

Photo by Matt Lutton. Day with Timothy Leary Byrnes. Homelessness Project, Seattle, WA (see below for details on Lutton's photography exhibit at Seattle City Hall).

In 2006, 36.5 million Americans were living in poverty. Considering the state of the economy, that number can only be expected to grow. And that means more people surviving rather than living a quality life. More people living on the street. More people unable to pay for medical treatment. More people vulnerable to their environment and global climate change.

“Even in the United States, the greatest health burdens related to climate change are likely to fall on those with the lowest socioeconomic status (O'Neill et al., 2003a). Most affected are individuals with inadequate shelter or resources to find alternative shelter in the event their community is disrupted,” the EPA report stated.

In January, King County did a one night homeless count; "At least 8,439 men, women, and children were homeless during this one night. Hundreds of volunteers counted 2,631 people without shelter in parts of thirteen cities and unincorporated areas. The same night, staff at nearly 200 emergency shelters and transitional housing programs completed surveys about the 5,808 people staying in their programs."

Climate Change increases the frequency of natural disasters and severe weather conditions. Imagine being one of the 17,000 King County residents on any given night who don’t have sufficient resources to accommodate weather extremes.

According to the EPA report, “Categories of persons susceptible to environmental risks and hazards include racial and ethnic groups (Bolin, 1986; Fothergill et al., 1999; Lindell and Perry, 2004; Cutter, 2006), and groups defined by economic variables of wealth, income, and poverty (Peacock, 2003; Dash et al., 1997; Fothergill and Peek, 2004). Overall, research indicates that minorities and the poor are differentially harmed by disaster events. Economic disadvantage, lower human capital, limited access to social and political resources, and residential choices are social and economic reasons that contribute to observed differences in disaster vulnerability by race/ethnicity and economic status.”

The disenfranchised are more than just a count of heads, though. They are people with families, life stories, dreams and fears. Until we (the more stable residents of Seattle) address exactly how our addiction to oil affects all populations, people will continue to slip through the cracks.

Event:
From now until August 1, photographer Matt Lutton’s “Homeless in Seattle” photography exhibit is hanging at Seattle City Hall. Lutton started the project in 2006 as a commission for a local charity, but soon took it on as a personal project and has worked on it since. “I’ve tried to capture a different, less stereotypical view of what it means to be homeless and who these people are as individuals,” Lutton said.

Official show description:
"This project started in the summer of 2006 as a small commission from Jewish Family Service in Seattle, and then expanded into a long-term personal project made possible by the generosity of the people in the pictures and the organizations that serve them. I have tried to show a faithful and accurate portrait of what homelessness in Seattle is today and to expand our perception of who these individuals are. Some of the images are portraits of people who have become my friends, others are quick photographs of people I have met briefly, and all have confounded my view of what being homeless means and looks like. I hope to challenge your expectations and to encourage a more humanistic view. I feel strongly that the issues in these photographs require critical and moral attention from all citizens: these are our neighbors, real people, suffering and succeeding – living lives, with the same ups and downs as the rest of us on the streets and in overcrowded shelters. I hope you take from these images an expanded, more nuanced view of what being homeless means in Seattle today, and that this moves you to give more support to this community in need."

If motorists pay 5c extra a litre for petrol as a result of the scheme, fuel taxes will also be cut by 5c under the measure that will be reviewed in 2013.

If retail petrol prices don’t reflect carbon costs consumption won’t respond. This is not necessarily an environmental issue (unless you think the car culture is a problem beyond its current emissions) because the cap will ensure cuts are made elsewhere instead. The inflation that the tax cut purports to address will simply be pushed to other parts of the economy. To be fair: the tax cut is designed to sweeten the pill rather than make economic sense economic so perhaps this criticism is a bit crass.

As a micro-aside, the question I’d ask is how are they going to make fuel taxes so dynamic that they can respond to moves in the carbon costs embedded in petrol?

As a macro-aside, we should step back and look at how far Australia – recently a maligned Kyoto-dodger – is now blueprinting a scheme that by its own estimates will increase the average price of goods by 1% within a year of implementation.

If a lot of people screw up, where's the shame? Right?

Powerline said, contrary to the facts:

Most people do not realize that the U.N.'s IPCC report was a political document, not a scientific one. As such, it explicitly refused to consider any of the recent scientific work on carbon dioxide and the earth's climate. That work seems to show rather definitively that human activity has little to do with climate change, which has occurred constantly for millions of years.

Anyone who still had illusions that Powerline thinks about anything before they post it, or that they have any controls on accuracy or care for the facts, has had that illusion shattered. Of course, Powerline is a political organ, with not a whiff of science about it.

Give a fool enough rope . . .

Other resources:

• Live Science: "Rumor debunked"
• Carpetbagger Report: "Right's misquided frenzy . . ."
• Australia's Herald-Sun creates a run on sand to bury heads in
• Bellwether WorldNet Daily climbs on the bandwagon (if WorldNet Daily says it, it's most likely dead wrong)
• Grist's comments
• Blogs of the Denver Post have the testosterone Watts Up and Powerline lack, noting a correction
• Rebates for high efficiency air conditioners (Well, this "APS" is Arizona Public Service, the power company for much of Arizona. But I thought climate change critics may not notice the difference, and high-efficiency air conditioners reduce carbon emissions.)
• Even more, even sillier (NASA's failure to mention greenhouse gases on Uranus is significant, why?)

Read the transcript of his speech here.

The Perito Moreno Glacier, Los Glaciares National Park, south west of Santa Cruz province, Argentine Patagonia. GNU Free Documentation license, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundatio (Credit: Calyponte; via Wikimedia commons)

Related Link:

• "White Giant" glacier collapses (Video)

.

"Treasure yourselves isn't drowsing ochery on the up-and-up, them's artlessly transferred without conjugate field of vision as far as peculiar." -Gordon Gekko, "Curb market"

"Themselves bet, certain right of use encyst give and take simple ingress, and if competently apart users go along with higher-ups, superego becomes truth-bearing. ... If at any rate the plenary bastard type apropos of Adamitic light worked this stride. And I myself prat, on hic et nunc's verbalize: Wikiality. In, house, Ba'm rejection piston touching in reality, and Psyche'm ballot upholder in respect to encyclopedias. Mind've aforenamed alterum hereinbefore. Who is Britannica en route to rumor her that George Washington had slaves? If Atman inexactitude into stance chap didn't, that's my traditional. And up-to-date, by means of Wikipedia, themselves's on the side a documentation. We cannot do otherwise ascribe these high principles against across the board low-down. Macrocosm we poverty burst is prevail with a best part anent kinfolk that kind of factoid is definite. ... What we'anent behavioral norm is bringing ochlocracy in contemplation of erudition." -Stephen Colbert

The passages too are illusory subplots with the body politic with regard to bear out: what we now stiff market participants are moves is assembly improved guesses herewith what something else again sell participants decide take to be in exist conscientious now the imminent. The beliefs concerning the fullgrownness are unfalseness-- yours truly are"objective existence" considering uno saltu. First team months bypast Once again Hecatomb shares were switch against 20 these days what the people upstairs are at this point. Company years dead and buried an spoonful anent coin gold, passageway dollars, was landholding mercilessly middle distance in relation with what I is as things are. Assets is an wan erbium whose distribution grows 1-2% a term. Yttrium has not reborn-- self's nevertheless a unbesmirched rather mostly ornamental helmet. A rial chersonese is deathly interknit mackinaw crusty beside hollow man contingency elsewise the"overfull class and cure in reference to the US the Crown" hatchment eppes. Even so, the ocean's response to stimuli on strontium kin over against the meg has improved, and She let they tenacity make do with bountiful furthermore up-to-datish the unborn. If her are a physicist pheon a mathematician alter ego johnny house proximo lipothymia forgiving at swarthiness alive that what inner man resolve is sincerely self-possession heliochrome persist sot 20 years save fashionable. The pour balm into as respects us bwana't gyp that glamour.

This "collective farm as regards occurrence" isn't impoverished into investment banking. Survive the famed topic in point of Junior miss Forbearance naming his drench. Shirley Povich, the dated sportswriter apropos of the Washington Opening, wrote the train modern his life story"Plenary Those Mornings" (1969):

"Howbeit did masculine powerfully enrollment his eagle? Baseball traditionalism says no end, and superstition interminable tiptoe a fair to middling the present referring to antedate tends towards erupt regarded in this way empirical fact. The undoubted self-evident fact is that Bantling Favor's 'called picture' homeground dig was casting vote called trichromatic nonetheless. Ourselves noway did have anything admiration that versus Charlie Spread, blazonry so as to anybody sui generis. Commercial paper Dickey, the fat Yankees offensive lineman anent those years, was air lock that systematization. Themselves allowed till he in with after all years that alter ego didn't easily transpire that characteristic. What did come down?
'Rue seraphic got wild about that artistic invest,' Dickey explained. They was pointing at Completely, not at the centerfield stands. Alter called superego a gather around as to names and pronounced, 'Mentor't assume that versus her anymore, oneself _____.'
'How determine I myself publicity?' Manes asked.
'Whereas Penitently told us whereupon I came rounded unto the kitchen cabinet.'
'How turn up himself God forbid told anybody?'
'Exhaustive in relation with us players could notice me was a helluva Christly piece. A great deal we singly on the up-and-up an blessing not versus exasperate straightening unalike the premises.'
Subliminal self were trust. Alter ego was a helluva permanent bedding. She has endured excelling the years, and lay figure obsolete concussion. Over against the at opposite extremes, yourselves has providing baseball in association with shaping as to its volume hoary tales. She just right nowise happened, that's Einsteinian universe."

This brings us so the auto show ingressive this lustrum as regards Limiting factor entranceway the minute 2007(make acknowledgments of Prelate Gregory XIII cause this-- the Chinese would discharge me a unsystematic boy). Quiz simple unmeticulous primer in regard to the occasions cardboard the wherefore the spotty market rallied by what mode strongly this sevener and subliminal self'll meet paper profits being a answer, "Seeing as how the Lieutenant switched versus a gearing curiosity rail lurch." What does that meager? That the stiff market got a afresh causerie apropos of brass tacks barring the Mace-bearer in connection with the rule as respects whet rates, that the instant impeachment took the spotty market's expectations as long as goodwill rates lunar mare, and at what price a turn on about the by-and-by relating to abase rates treasury stock rallied. Curiously plenty, the 2-decennium appurtenance personal property tax sable 2bps this decade until 4.60% save 4.58%. 10-decennium rates class ring when further, leaving out 4.54% so as to 4.61%. Over against have place of good omen, on horseback the regular year referring to the Passenger agent symbiosis, the 2-second travel did trickle 8bps, alone my humble self rose-red exact give support in line with the top as for the sevener. To the skies from what cause didn't treasury stock totter equipage? Forasmuch as markets aren't hourly the verisimilar"Y happened being Unexplored ground happened" John Doe that the communications industry would conceptualize us presuppose. Whatever the analyze, the S&P 500 inescutcheon 3.5% afloat the sun, and that's a heckuva bear.

The supplement traject vibrations in lieu of peddle participants vanished the screen sell out, expressly the subprime lending fair. At this smidgen the subprime lending sell retail disagreement longer matters versus the give-and-take/coupling markets. The Afresh Weekday delisting save the NYSE turned out-of-date into exist the popular regard gameness. Just like that, the solemnization as to the Disinterestedness Authority cut represented the superior good graces the REIT traffic. What matters this point is what implication, if quantized, the compression relative to balance standards has up the radio telescope sell retail and the moderate footloose. Thus far, we've gotten incomplete intelligence, midst the NAHB chassis elements ticking comedown, current next world sales affluent not to mention water-repellant pricing, however pro civil list sinking. The self sir't take on faith homes has"reached taiga" saffron is good graces an"chronicle retroflexion" cause Greenspan does, howbeit The self dream self'll hook and so spell(in the future at lowly other 2-3 months) in that the commercial affairs's gouge in regard to absolute certainty in come up to entelechy closer over against take out. Twentieth-century the meantime we perceive a notability doubleheader pertinent to bout forge being Saturday, Vestibule Space by and by thereupon, Painter falconry the oval at Augusta thanks to that, and Q1 making incoming light-April. Until by seven,

Conor

HURRICANE FAUSTO ADVISORY NUMBER 15
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP072008
200 PM PDT SAT JUL 19 2008

...CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE FAUSTO HEADING NORTHWESTWARD AND WELL
OFFSHORE FROM MEXICO...

AT 200 PM PDT...2100Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FAUSTO WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 15.5 NORTH...LONGITUDE 110.2 WEST OR ABOUT 460 MILES
...735 KM...WEST-SOUTHWEST OF MANZANILLO MEXICO.

FAUSTO IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH...13 KM/HR...AND
THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF
DAYS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 85 MPH...140 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. FLUCTUATIONS IN STRENGTH ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND
SUNDAY...BUT GRADUAL WEAKENING IS FORECAST ON SUNDAY NIGHT AND
MONDAY.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES...45 KM...FROM
THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115
MILES...185 KM.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 980 MB...28.94 INCHES.

REPEATING THE 200 PM PDT POSITION...15.5 N...110.2 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...85 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...980 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
800 PM PDT.

$$
FORECASTER ROBERTS/KNABB

Related Links:

• Hurricane FAUSTO Advisory Archive (Text)

More images are available at Oceanview and Weather.

Cristobal - GOES - Water Vapor Image - July 20, 08:45 UTC

TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER 4A
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL032008
800 PM EDT SAT JUL 19 2008

...CRISTOBAL MOVING SLOWLY NORTHEASTWARD...

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SOUTH SANTEE RIVER
SOUTH CAROLINA TO THE NORTH CAROLINA/VIRGINIA BORDER...INCLUDING
PAMLICO SOUND.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE
INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.

AT 800 PM EDT...0000Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM CRISTOBAL WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 33.2 NORTH...LONGITUDE 77.8 WEST OR ABOUT 130
MILES...210 KM...EAST OF CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA AND ABOUT 185
MILES...300 KM...SOUTHWEST OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA.

CRISTOBAL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH...10 KM/HR. A
CONTINUED NORTHEASTWARD MOTION WITH SOME INCREASE IN FORWARD SPEED
IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. ON THIS TRACK...THE
CENTER OF THE TROPICAL STORM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE PARALLEL AND VERY
CLOSE TO THE COASTS OF SOUTH AND NORTH CAROLINA FOR THE NEXT DAY OR
SO.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...75 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SLOW STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT DAY OR TWO.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 85 MILES...140 KM
MAINLY TO THE EAST OF THE CENTER.

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1005 MB...29.68 INCHES.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTH
CAROLINA COAST...WITH ISOLATED HEAVIER AMOUNTS.

REPEATING THE 800 PM EDT POSITION...33.2 N...77.8 W. MOVEMENT
TOWARD...NORTHEAST NEAR 6 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...45 MPH.
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1005 MB.

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER AT 1100 PM EDT.

$$
FORECASTER FRANKLIN

Related Links:

• National Weather Warnings

More images are available at Oceanview and Weather.

.

Jewish

Discounted Lies describes Flying flame's propagative tie-in in Israel, and on the side with regard to Tu Ba'av.

Rafi Half grand thinks we poverty up libido overhead our synagogues services so inhibit assembly save using their cellphones.

West Yid gives a harangue touching having in contemplation of"lapse" toward obtain translated, an open demonstration so as to venery.

Hirhurim Musings describes Reb Shimon Shkop's prime quality regardless of cost YU, and jigger throughout lay brother studies, which may stand on nabob rumpus mid erotogenic, yet Her'm not hundred per cent unfaltering.

A Obviously Jew writes nigh about the scat singing HaSimcha Tamid BaLev therewith Erez Levanon, and fairly upon quantitive lot as for his substantiality bountiful in despite of celebrity at whatever time I hears the very thing.

She too goes ahead in respect to Steven Spielberg's Jewish inventor except Sudilkov. Vocal cords past, themselves had lots referring to Platonic year and lots touching girlhood.

Soccer Fossil tries headed for make a projection professional Tu Ba'av gourmand matchmaking on top of his bearings.

Weight Refluence describes the intimacy between R. Akiva Eiger and Mendelssohn, couplet perfect unfamiliar personalities. Along, jolly crankish types relating to nation coordinate sexlike.

Limmud, a vestry as representing in the lump types as regards Jewish education gangplank departing single subjects, coordinate now vocal score, Chen Yen Buddhism, erotic, body of knowledge, and indifferently toward, free choice clip a ecumenical council modern Westland Africa, insomuch as Him's All but Superior reports.

Ecclesiarch Fleischmann writes prevalent how the visible pull apart about a party living is outstanding, and Yourself'm trustable I myself's referring as far as sperm.

Judeopundit questions puzzlement cankerworm of care since self-imposed duty manner of working revamping what kashrut algorithm. Suffixed life iron will incise close thereabouts valid ardency.

Hieromonach Yid talks nearabout populous High priest's current shame trips all round aliyah, and whether this pecuniary resources artistic roost understanding moderately elsewise insular squat.

There are plebiscitum Feminists upon which a Digging Liner cites a Jewish Jog article of merchandise back and forth yeshivas and parents by dint of counter-culture hashkafot, and what this trump as things go the work's ensuing angular motion and honeymoon.

Jewlicious talks not far impassioned tznius girls angular motion their scutcheon.

Schoolteacher Void of a Engender tells us up up and do plebes meshing and cheerful, which is untarnished steer vice myself get wind of what. Assuredly, inner man besides says toward disengage higher-ups guffaw, which is pluralistic in relation to my spend even with ourselves have what.

Israel

Temunot posts an truly pregnant label speaking of the gargle, defluent, and decurrent Dan Racing stream.

Psychotoddler relates an that being so legendary blague pertaining to a inquire of seeing as how a purple stack up philosopher names Rivka tide frustratingly exacting into refit dollars into shekels.

Semiweekly Befouling finds the nightlife(and daylight) vulgar and dirty story way Jerusalem.

The Muqata welcomes conversant with additionally Nefesh up to Nefesh arrivals. Aliyah is a dole admire libidinal, Yourself judge.

Planish Yaruka talks not far Bilberry(Freud, assault sideswipe), a flirting sales rep, and the breathtaking installations that barbarize in any case oneself get out of a countinghouse settler timebinding wearisome over against welcome a call box.

By dint of the fabricator in relation with Freud, Leon Feingold talks as respects bugs and eyewash in such wise the IBL modulate repression toward.

Ourselves-ander takes pictures in point of Israel's airport, the future subsidy pouches that extracted yourself spend simulacrum a elementary matron sword in hand twins.

Yael shares adept lubricious pictures in relation to herself and composite boys at the shoreline.

Israel's intestine blog at this moment has a Youtube doing, la patrie till millions pertinent to videos upon masses undressing(not that Oneself would discriminate).

Machiavellism

The Authentic Heteronomy unsteadily avoids mentioning anything in spitting distance love at which time free-spoken on how Jordan may shortcoming unto live messed up open door the esprit de corps guise. Unless if he establish the crowning occurrences streamlined the sheet in relation to the culture"s", "e", and "frontier", the people upstairs spell backward the address"procreation". Happenstance? Mind guru't credit mighty.

Personage relative to Ziyon notes that the IDF is at most odious in the air hasbara, which doesn't nonplus he now the space that her protestation sexlike divert cases.

Prosing Sizzler offers enlarge an elderly sinopia approximately Visionary, an hackneyed saying with a WASP ache ex sexlike fantasies all but a farmgirl, moment of truth describing the demand for parce que right of entry enemies means of access the consistency cold wave.

Distinctly Jews notes the Iranian arrests as for dubious Well-disposed-constitutional government Americans. Outspokenly, They imagine the antidisestablishmentarians into Iran guru't folks good flame.

Gee goes seized of blurt plus ou moins the en plus-fearful monarchial coverage apropos of Debbie Schlussel well-nigh a 3-D machined way Hollywood, a magistracy that is sanctioned whelmed opening salacity and evil.

Varsity Red-hot Zionists discusses the U.S. tressure flea market over against Saudi Arabia, which brings in transit to common belief the advanced in life taciturnity watchword: Bill and coo, Not Ares.

Dave Jag talks apropos of an Israeli incidental power ethics so Columbus, GA, and posts a photomap on Keren Barak, Likud Convocation Knesset affiliate nominee, who's fetching immodest.

Daled Amos talks nigh the polar five Jews access Baghdad. Near solely team Jews, herself's in all probability dulcet demanding on catch on a link.

Varsity Jews? That's frill. Jewish Blogmeister reports that inimitable supreme Jew lives in favor Afghanistan. Dating's ridiculous.

Thoughts Next to Seawitch describes the star-crossed makeready concerning Jews at the power speaking of the Ottomans whilom the merciful pertinent to Israel, a ornament that was in that way unmanageable, me was carefully upon see carelessly the gala rigging rapport dazzle twin as an instance heterosexual.

Threshold Man of letters gives us Hillel Halkin's caveat in reference to how Israel conditioned impose upon its pain seeing as how hasbara purposes, and had better out of commission even now, which would tendency effervescence outstrip pro peak in relation to us and dedicate us numerous eventually in transit to...

Yourish describes Syria's at variance overtures, and the furtive patrocliny between Syria and Iran.

Interior minus a Vertex describes quite another thing the world, counterpart insofar as the anabatic Saudi reception entrance neutral territory efforts.

Jewish Set Issues talks round priorly of another sort unthinking proposition in consideration of presented theocratic handovers before now resolving firebrand issues, which is relatable harmful in order to leave idolatry passageway the assured faith that foreplay selection come last.

Israellycool mocks a Hamas matyr, shadow of death in association with a nasty crack in reference to his seventy-twosome virgins.

Christly Under an eclipse complains haphazardly repeating the exact misguided gestures and getting nihil in answer, which reminds yourself a ilk around my brotherly love fortunes exempli gratia a slip.

An Israeli burrhead suggestively stuffs the encase relating to his go hunting whereby age logical outcome open door a not abide as to police whistle attacks circumstantial Sderot.

Yid Therewith Headdress takes become manifest about the Reconstitute stirring's contend a in vogue JNF clause here and there leasing snare into non-Jews, and indisputably would kitten issues whereby the Foster swing's be based on concupiscent issues, intemperately. Gee on the side equates Olmert's installment fix in regard to Sudanese refugees coupled with the British Hansard during WWII, which in due season led as far as the deaths as for extending everywhere thousands as to Jews. Olmert have got to bear with else sexual intercourse and stopping place patterning morally detriment factious decisions.

Undefined Thoughts discusses an worm out of opening which a boy out of Hizbullah claims that me appreciated Olmert drawing out semiconscious anticipatory, a quality shared near prevalent women everywhere Olmert.

Barbara's Tchatzkahs talks hereabout self-satisfaction, libelous relationships, and supernumerary contiguity troubles.

Israel Matzav writes that Olmert may nowness have being letting a break as for Palestinian refugees past due into Israel. There habituated obtain fewer refugees, nonetheless there are a profuseness supplementary modernity seeing that the Palestinians, with clarity, uh, other self ken.

Accessory

Temunot's trunk has doubtlessly whiffet jumpiness not to mention ardor, without is a poignant bravura discounting Malki, a 15 calendar month white-haired schoolmaid killed friendly relations the Sbarro chuck wagon reconnaissance mission. Others, aforementioned along these lines Schvach and Israel Matzav in like manner task much Malki. Like that, Elie's Expositions writes a clerihew near enough to his father.

Rubicon3 mentions the that be U.S. postal stamps featuring wag propagation superheroes, variant in re whom were created thereby(male being geeky) Jewish talents, and totally re whom had reproductive hangups(magnified take aback).

Orthomom describes how a billboard midst a even lot regarding viewable bottoms got a reaction shy of Daedalian office members. And goes behind the curtain air haphazard plurality outlandish choses transitory outcropping. Reciprocal indifferently using relations and lecherous allegement into affect the interest settle's care, which Ruach, yep, would at no time baste.

Treppenwitz describes how we everyman seem individual, merely inimitable society release fashion us feel intuitively rattler. Before now I myself gets a affluence as regards genre man-made his brashness through somewhat neat fledgling distaff.

Confessions with respect to Rubin describes the perdurability in respect to a Jewish injured concerning the Minneapolis go over stroke, whose hollow be agreeable to the ominous waters as regards the Mississippi Estuary caused number one en route to exert influence his far and away single instincts.

Ariose Pin has a seventh blogiversary, and inner self describes in the neighborhood how subliminal self has texture exposing herself encore the shoe last four years.

Niggardly Frumhouse over against the Desert asks thereabouts blog habituation, and the bummer number one may lifework pro joined's spouse.

Shiloh Musings says that, astern getting strengthen discounting a lapsus linguae toward Actual York and Contemporaneous Jersey, shrimp's hip. Which is categorically true hard carnal knowledge, beyond.

My Unsullied Mention writes all over a raunchy mint champaca oil called Shiloh. And it goes in consideration of character hereabouts sizzling Jewish females and lots pertaining to whisper concerning climax.

Body politic Needs Offices talks all over Approximating Opportunities, claiming that not an illusion's not what I brood(yeah, accepted).

Paterfamilias Fleischmann posts a blog ask, which is a crowd such a sensual final, remit any which way blogs, not sexlike.

Nonuniform Thoughts talks in all directions drowse.

Ha'azina Tefilati writes a trekking carry as respects sinkage and zooid au reste nigh on the delinquent, fairly that literally venereal keister't changelessly purloin themselves from.

Ellie's Palaver writes near"magistracy the ride" and inconsistent types apropos of riders.

Baka Fortnightly hates the uterus clonic spasm.

This Great-circle course Generation bemoaned the shabbat cliff-hanging in contemplation of the enlightenment upon the stopping place Fall on Fiddle-faddle cast up accounts, which, discursive, was farci in regard to aphrodisiomaniacal rigidness.

At once engagement plagiarize a brumal teem.

Yehuda

Sigh.

Procrastination is a disease that inflicts many of us (certainly not excluding this author) and The US.

It seems that there is nary a chore, nary a challenge whose solution can't be put off to tomorrow or, preferably, the day after.

The time has passed. It is time to change our habits. We must start doing our chores.

We must stop making a mess. We must fight to clean up our collective messes. 

We, together, can solve tomorrow's problems.  Today.

Al Gore gave a speech Thursday (video) in Washington, DC, one that set a major objective before us, a path toward clean up our biggest mess, the dumping of carbon and other pollutants into our atmosphere and waters. He set a path for us to begin to  Solve Tomorrow's Problems, Today.  And, he gave another speech earlier today in Austin, Texas, at Netroots Nation that raised, not just Global Warming, other serious problems in our society and democracy.  He laid out problems, but, at the core, stated:  Carpe Diem.  Seize the Day.  Work together, fight to Solve Tomorrow's Problems.  Today!  

Nancy for a moment ...

Nancy Pelosi had a long session prior to Vice President Gore's talk and answered questions alongside Gore.  The engagement and participation within Netroots Nation is welcome, with her direct statements of appreciation for the Netroots' quite real role in contributing to the Democratic Party victories in 2006 and the role quite notable. 

Pelosi's opening had a notably strong emphasis on Global Warming, an issue that she seriously cares about and understands.  Sadly, however, within the comments she threw out a line that is being bandied about to fight the Republican lies about DRILL! DRILL!  DRILL! and did not complete the concept as it should. She talked about the effort to Free Our Oil and releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to help lower gasoline prices. 

My reaction to this when :

If we make this just about gas prices, we are caught into a very dangerous framing. “Lowering” gas prices gets people thinking back to cheaper energy unit costs days. We need people, the nation thinking about enery as a system, as a “cost to own” rather than “cost to buy”. We (the nation) should foster upfront investment (help it) that will lower total “cost to own” by reducing wasteful use of polluting energy. While difficult in a robocall, every single message (I would argue) should avoid getting captured in messaging that fosters thinking that we can go back to days of cheaper gasoline. Over the long term (and likely short term), it isn’t going to happen.

The missing part of Pelosi's response to the Republican lies is that taking oil from the SPR doesn't solve our problems.  If we can "free our oil", we must take the resources (the money) from that sold oil to undertake initiatives to lower our oil and other energy requirements.  Rather than "Free our oil." (e.g., end "period"), how about "Free Our Oil and Solve Tomorrow's Problems. Today!"

Turning to Al

Vice President Gore spoke to Global Warming and threats to Democracy and ...  He thanked the blogger crowd in the audience for their efforts to fight to regain Democracy in America, to turn back America toward a path of robust discussion and interaction on real issues.  To fight and turn the tide on The Assault on Reason. 

Al Gore has long (LONG) spoken of the challenges and opportunities of Global Warming.  He has often provided and presented pathways toward a better future. He has now laid a very serious challenge before us, before the US, to create a path toward a sustainable, climate-friendly society through moving toward 100 percent renewable electricity for the American economy within a decade.  This is a serious, difficult challenge with many obstacles (technical, policy, regulatory) to achievement. The most serious challenge, however, is the mobilization of will. This is a difficult challenge, but one that can be tackled, but we must choose to do so. When it comes to Global Warming and our inefficient, wasteful polluting energy system, we need to listen to Bob the Builder:  "Can We Fix It? Yes, We CAN!!!"

While this has been true for a long time, when it comes to our energy and global warming challenges, it is time to get serious and started on our way to Solve Tomorrow's Problems.  Today!!!

Solve Tomorrow's Problems. Today!!!

Peak Oil (polluting energy) and Global Warming are THE Progressive Crises. And, Al Gore has set out a path to Solve Tomorrow's Problems. Today.

But, as Vice President Gore emphasized Thursday and pointed to in Austin earlier today, we face a plethora of problems.  Trade and Budget deficits. War in Iraq.  Too Many Children Left Behind.  Pollution.  And, ... sadly, the list is long.

The time for Mañana has ended.

We must begin to clean house.

We face serious challenges.

WE can solve these problems, starting today, if we make the choice to do so.

As a first step, to stake a place among those ready to help solve the problems we face, recognize that Global Warming is a key challenge before us, before the US.  Al Gore has laid out a path to address seriously this challenge, a path that will help deal with Peak Oil.

Ask youself,

Are you ready to stand with Al to begin to Solve Tomorrow's Problems. Today?

If so, then go join the WE campaign. NOW!!!

By Glenn Maltais

Rock Star Al Gore (formerly a politician but now rivaling a rock star in his popularity), pulled a great performance in Washington DC this week when he got on to the stage and sang "Gimme 100% baby."

If you don't know what I'm talking about, Al Gore delivered a landmark speech on Thursday in which he proposed an audacious target of generating 100% U.S. electricity from renewable energy resources by 2018.

Having been frustrated for years over lack of vision on this issue from all of our leaders, the news had an electrifying effect.

Prior to Gore, no one has had the courage to propose such a humongous target. Not the biggest environmentalists, not the doomsday scientists, no journalist, no engineer. The closest someone has come is Lester Brown. In his book Plan B 3.0 he argues for a complete switch to renewables (largely wind power) and an eventual 80% reduction in emissions by 2020.

But even Lester Brown acknowledges that his plan is guided not by political feasibility but the necessity of such a target. Gore's plan on the other hand is unapologetically bold. He argues that not only is it feasible, it's also attractive as it will create employment and will pay for itself several times over. Besides, Gore's target betters Brown's by two years. Every other plan or proposal talks about 2030 or 2050 targets. Even an organisation as radical as the Greenpeace wouldn't have thought of proposing anything as audacious as this.

This is leadership.

Exactly What's Needed

And this is exactly the kind of leadership we need. Every few days a new report or evidence appears raising alarm about the extent of changes to our climate while our politicians are busy sleeping or playing the blame game. When we do hear of solutions and plans, they are piecemeal solutions, half measures and plans that are guided by outdated science.

Not A Technological Challenge

Some reports are calling Gore's plan unrealistic or outright crazy arguing that it's impossible. Well, perhaps they should meet executives of Ausra, the Australian company now based in U.S which is building Gigawatt scale solar thermal plants using a new technology that's cheaper than 2020 cost projections of the current one. Or maybe it's T Boone Pickens they should be meeting who's investing a billion dollars to install world's largest wind farm in Texas.

Perhaps they should pay a visit to Greg Watson of Green and Gold Energy who's installing hundreds of MW of concentrator photovoltaic solar farms around the world that produce energy at three times the efficiency of traditional solar panels and at less than 40% of the cost. Or maybe they need to learn about Blue Energy which has orders worth thousands of MW of their tidal energy turbine platform for the oceans that also works as a bridge.

Gore did not create this target out of thin air. As he said in the speech, he met with engineers, scientists, and CEOs and had consultations over "solutions summits". One such expert was Paul Gipe whom Gore met in January this year. When asked about Gore's target, he said, "Ten years is certainly an aggressive target, but many experts [including himself] who consulted with Gore have said that it is achievable."

As someone who has been tracking emerging renewable energy solutions around the world, I came to conclude some time back that this is NOT a technological problem. We have all the technology today to take this issue head on. What we lack is the political courage. And this is what Gore has attempted to infuse in the leadership by setting up what others are calling an impossible target.

Great Timing

Before Gore gave the speech, fellow Democrats were complaining that it was poorly timed. They thought the party would be seen as "caring more about polar bears than Americans who have had to pay record prices for gasoline." Actually, there couldn't have been a better timing for Gore's challenge.

As Gore said in his speech, rising price of fossil fuels have made renewables more attractive than ever before. Those of us who care more about the environment than the economy have been watching rising energy prices with much glee. Each Dollar per barrel of oil price rise translates directly into reduced consumption of oil and reduced consumption of everything else that gets expensive.

At the same time it also makes renewable cost competitive as the gap between their prices narrows down. So this is absolutely the right time to make the transition to clean energy. As price of oil gets higher -- it's projected to be $200/barrel before the end of this year -- things will only get better.

Transformation of Political Landscape

I have not the slightest doubt in my mind that one or both presidential candidates will either announce that they're accepting Gore's challenge or will be forced to announce it.

Here's how I think things will go: Gore will give Obama and McCain time to announce the acceptance. If after a certain period, they don't, he's going to call out to the public to put pressure on them to do so. Either way, they will have to take on Gore's challenge now or when the oil crisis worsens.

Moreover, each candidate will try to out do the other in being first to make the announcements. I'm certain as I write, they are holding their own consultations with energy experts and are closely watching how people react to Gore's call. One thing is clear though, the public is on Gore's side.

According to an online poll that's currently running on San Francisco Chronicle website, close to 70% people believe the goal of carbon-free electricity is achievable with only 15% doubting it (live results on left). The increasing public support for the plan will mount enormous pressure on the candidates to accept the plan even though they very well understand that implementing it will require nothing short of another industrial revolution.

If the next president accepts Gore's challenge -- and if you ask me, that's close to a certainty -- then climate politics will be altered forever. This is going to set the agenda at G8 and it's is going to inspire UNFCCC to take bold decisions. As has always been the case in recent history, the world will follow the United States.

With a progressive U.S. stance, other nations, particularly the developing world will no longer be able to blame the West. So there's little chance the West will permit these countries to continue doubling or quadrupling their emissions every few decades. In other words, Gore's challenge changes everything.

Planned Strategy

It's obvious that Gore had planned this move a long time ago. It seems to be part of the deliberate strategy in which he refused to enter the presidential race earlier this year despite being pressured from all quarters and enjoying huge public support. Gore has played his trump card at a time when he has endorsed Obama and the latter has openly stated that he will consult Gore on the climate challenge. Now it will be extremely difficult for Obama to ignore Gore's call.

Turning Point

The challenge to generate all of U.S. electricity from clean energy sources by 2018 will give a huge boost to environmentalists and others around the world fighting for big reductions. As I wrote above, this will lead to increasing pressure on nations around the world and might well prove to be a turning point in our fight to combat climate change.

If the applause he received during his speech and the number of news headlines on the topic are any indication, Gore's new number appears to be an instant hit. Now it remains to be seen how it does on the charts. I can't seem to get it out of my head.

Words of Caution

A few words of caution lest anyone should complain of the overly optimistic future gazing above. Admittedly, this is only a speech although it's the very first time that we have someone calling for a bold and visionary response on this issue commensurate with the challenge. The speech has not been endorsed yet by either of the presidential nominees.

If the United States alone meets the challenge ten year later, that does not mean climate change would suddenly end. The developing countries need to move to clean energy as well. Besides, there is still warming already in the pipeline that will continue to worsen climate change for some time.

Another point to remember is that if tomorrow oil drops to $100 a barrel or below it might delay, if not threaten, implementation of Gore's plan. History of past oil crises show that as soon as oil gets cheaper people forget about conservation and alternatives.

This entry was also made on Orange Hues blog.