Is It Getting Warmer?

Today is World Malaria Day.  While this site is dedicated to global warming issues, many have said the the increase in global warming will cause an increase in malaria deaths.  While it may be true that warmer regions will allow a greater infestation of malaria carrying insects, the conclusion that there will be more deaths is preposterous!

Malaria is one of the easiest to control diseases.  Unfortunately, it tends to occur in areas that are poverty stricken so the simple measures that can prevent outbreaks don’t get taken care.  Rather than cost the economy in the US billions of dollars in cap and trade, we could eradicate malaria at a fraction of the cost.  This is one of the reasons that I contend that fighting global warming using inefficient methods actually inadvertantly causes the deaths of thousands.  Read more... (481 words, estimated 1:55 mins reading time)

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Filed under: Politics

Let me start by explaining that I am not a lover of cap and trade.  The systems that have been proposed to date are simply taxes on certain types of energy so that other forms seem to be more competitive.  They also tend to reward industries that can have a flexibility in energy sources while punishing industries that have to purchase high BTU energy sources.  Finally, they can reward industries and organizations that did nothing to improve their energy use – they were just lucky enough to use less carbon.  To make cap and trade look better, you may also see it referred to carbon trading or carbon offsets but a rose is a rose, regardless of its name (or in this case – a tax is a tax, regardless of its name).  Read more... (859 words, 1 image, estimated 3:26 mins reading time)

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Filed under: Greenhouse gas, Politics

I originally found this opinion in “The Detroit News” and so you can click through and read the entire article.  I really cannot explain this topic better than Mr. Taylor and I suggest that you read my highlights here and then read the full article if it is interesting to you.

Understand that Mr. Taylor works for the Heartland Institute which is known as being pretty close to the edge when it comes to rational discussion on this issue.  However, even people with extremely strong feelings on an issue are not totally wrong and need to be listened to.   Read more... (482 words, estimated 1:56 mins reading time)

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Filed under: Weather science

CNN – December 16, 2008

This story about the rapid melting of ice in the major cold areas of the world (Greenland, Antarctica, and Alaska) needs to cause everyone concern.  While the story doesn’t convincingly discuss the causality of the situation, it does point out that increased melting accelerates the planets warming due to loss of reflectivity of the “white” ice.

The article goes on to point out the increase of pine beetles which is theorized to be attributed to a warmer environment.  It even goes so far as to predict the increase in sea level (ala Al Gore) by the end of the century based on this loss of ice.  Read more... (304 words, estimated 1:13 mins reading time)

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Filed under: Getting warmer

Sacramento Business Journal – August 4, 2008

Mr. Al Gore recently challenged the US to a goal of 100% renewable energy in 10 years. His lofty goals cited the need for domestic energy independence and his concern that the world would end due to global warming. Many people have questioned the feasibility of this goal and now it appears that California is going to even miss a much more reasonable goal.

The Public Utilities Commission has reported that California is not likely to hit its goal of 20% renewable sources by 2010. They may be able to get there by 2013 but that seems to depend on enough rainwater coming down to keep the dams working.  There is also a goal that California his 30% by 2020 (just a few more years from now then Mr. Gore’s 10 years) and this goal doesn’t seem to be attainable.  Read more... (384 words, estimated 1:32 mins reading time)

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Filed under: Politics, Technology