Posted on February 2nd, 2010 by admin
Most of the long-term climate models show feedback from an increase of carbon dioxide that ultimately creates more carbon dioxide. The theory is that as CO2 increases, the temperature increases. As the temperature increases, it forces more CO2 to be released from CO2 sinks or it causes less CO2 to be absorbed. This extra CO2 causes a dramatic increase in temperature – which releases more CO2. Many of the models that predicted the end of world had this increase in CO2 and temperature. It really wasn’t the CO2 from man that was the problem, it was the tipping point that was reached by man’s CO2. Read more... (801 words, estimated 3:12 mins reading time)
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Filed under: Getting warmer, Greenhouse gas, Human fault, Weather science
Posted on December 23rd, 2009 by admin
Kent Bernhard Jr. has written a very well-thought opinion in Portfolio.com. He discusses the realities of creating energy to support our lifestyles and the inherent difficulty in doing so without disturbing the environment in some way. There are no easy answers and no secret formula to create fuel for our consumption. In fact, the only way that we can not affect the environment is to probably revert to the ways of the historical Native American Indians.
Mr. Bernhard goes into great detail on the subject. He discusses natural gas, wind power, and nuclear. Please click through and read the entire article but my version will only focus on the first part. In this sampling he discusses Sen. Diane Feinstein and her efforts to block solar energy from the desert. Read more... (624 words, estimated 2:30 mins reading time)
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Filed under: Politics, Technology
Posted on November 4th, 2009 by admin
This is absolutely unbelievable. It now appears that Mr. Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States and Nobel prize winner for his theories on global warming, may be stepping back from some of his strong beliefs.
Over the years I have been among those who focused most of all on CO2, and I think thats still justified, Gore told Newsweek . But a comprehensive plan to solve the climate crisis has to widen the focus to encompass strategies for all of the greenhouse culprits identified in the Nasa study. Read more... (523 words, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)
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Filed under: Uncategorized
Posted on August 27th, 2009 by admin
As nations around the world begin to plan for Copenhagen to discuss the next generation Kyoto treaty, it is increasingly obvious that they will be ineffective.
Chief among the reasons for this ineffectiveness is that with the price of oil at its current state, it is simply not cost effective to use alternative fuels that will dump less CO2 into the atmosphere. The oil producing nations are probably not maintaining crude at this level to doom the planet to disaster, they are simply smart business people that are providing their “drugs” to the “addicts” at a price and in a way that will insure that no one can ever move off. Read more... (856 words, estimated 3:25 mins reading time)
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Filed under: Greenhouse gas, Politics
Posted on August 17th, 2009 by admin
Boone Pickens and Ted Turner are well respected businessmen (the former a big investor and the latter a media mogul and founder of CNN). Both have a history of speaking their mind on public issues and both have a history of making huge sums of money.
While I certainly do not begrudge this gentlemen the right to speak their mind, I wonder if this message (that may be good for America) also is good for their business interests. Mr. Pickens is renown in the energy sector and a large scale switch to natural gas would likely help his wallet. Mr. Turner is a very large landowner in the western States and my gut is that he has found large deposits of natural gas under some of his holdings. Read more... (744 words, estimated 2:59 mins reading time)
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Filed under: Greenhouse gas, Politics, Technology
Posted on June 18th, 2009 by admin
Regular readers know that I think that nuclear power is one of the very few ways we can provide the power we need without taking the chance that global warming is caused by carbon dioxide. If you believe in anthropogenic global warming and don’t believe the human race should live like the Amish, then you really don’t have a choice but to endorse nuclear power.
Contrary to my custom, I will be recreating the complete story here.
Strickland details plans for nuclear plant
Business First of Columbus – by Matt Burns
A third nuclear power station proposed for Ohio likely wont start operating for years, but government officials and energy industry executives are saying it is time to start considering its construction and Piketon is the place for it. Read more... (659 words, estimated 2:38 mins reading time)
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Filed under: Greenhouse gas, Politics, Technology
Posted on June 9th, 2009 by admin
While I am a big proponent of nuclear energy to solve our energy needs as well as to allow us a green source of energy, geothermal also offers some advantages that may be worth considering.
Like nuclear, it takes years to implement a large geothermal plant (perhaps decades). It is imperative that the United States aggressively and quickly begins the construction of these alternative sources of energy rather than building more coal fired plants.
The NY Times ran an editorial on geothermal which I have reproduced, in part, below. Also, for those that don’t understand the technology, the following video will allow you to learn the basics.
In short, geothermal energy is: Read more... (448 words, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)
- safe to operate in very populated areas
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Filed under: Technology
Posted on May 22nd, 2009 by admin
I don’t typically post news feeds here but I am making an exception in this case. It appears that the House committee has passed the bill to implement the foolish cap and trade (carbon trading) bill. Let’s hope that the larger House is more wise but I have my doubts.
This story is from AP.
By DINA CAPPIELLO and H. JOSEF HEBERT
WASHINGTON (AP) Legislation imposing the first nationwide limits on the pollution blamed for global warming advanced in the House late Thursday, clearing a key committee despite strong Republican opposition.
The Energy and Commerce Committee approved the sweeping climate bill 33-25 after repeatedly turning back GOP attempts to kill or weaken the measure during four days of debate. Read more... (794 words, estimated 3:11 mins reading time)
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Filed under: Getting warmer, Greenhouse gas, Human fault, Politics
Posted on May 9th, 2009 by admin
The LA Times is running with an article that says that the Obama administration will not reverse the Bush administration in using the scarcity of polar bears to curb emissions. About a year ago, the US listed the polar bear as a threatened species. The concern of many was that this ruling would be used to control, tax, and sue individual companies to reduce their CO2 output. The Bush administration said that wouldn’t be happening and now the Obama administration appears to agree.
I originally found this article by reading Watts Up With That so go over there and check out his handling of this story. Read more... (375 words, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)
This is a preview of
U.S. global warming rules won’t change to help polar bears
.
Click here to read the full post (375 words, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)
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Filed under: Getting warmer, Greenhouse gas, Human fault, Politics
Posted on May 8th, 2009 by admin
Here is an excellent interview with famed scientist James Lovelock. Dr. Lovelock is best known for formulating the controversial Gaia hypothesis in the 1970s, which states that organisms interact with and regulate Earth’s surface and atmosphere. Later this year he will travel to space as Richard Branson’s guest aboard Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo.
If you read this site often, you know that I really don’t like carbon trading. I don’t think it will help solve any problems and it is only a way to tax people and push industries into doom. Dr. Lovelock appears to agree with me and he is a fairly strong supporter of the theory that global warming is man made. Read more... (732 words, estimated 2:56 mins reading time)
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Filed under: Getting warmer, Greenhouse gas, Human fault, Politics, Technology