More Snow This Season

In years past, it's seemed like no matter how hard we wished, Christmas and New Year's just didn't have enough snow to feel "perfect."

This year all that has changed. We've gotten plenty of snow, and almost exactly on schedule. It's weird.

Does this mean we're getting more snow than usual? Is Global Warming off?

Maybe instead, we've simply gotten snow to shift its schedule in favor of the holiday season. But what if it's also a few weeks early? It did snow many days before winter began on the calendar. What if Global Warming simply shifts the seasons around?

Maybe all we need to do is rewrite all the calendars?

Global Warming Causes California To "Fall Off"

Today I read on Yahoo that Global Warming will likely change the landscape of California. It will expand the dry areas, and warm old ski resorts.

But what if it makes the ocean rise so much that California becomes submerged? If that happens, the it really will "fall off."

Maybe all those fears about California breaking off into the sea weren't irrational after all. Maybe Lex Luthor can still have his day with brand new beach-front property!

No More Oil Changes

I was thinking about my car and getting the oil changed. I realized that when Big Oil dies, we'll have to have cars that don't use oil.

Previously I had acknowledged the fact that we're slowly moving towards alternate energy sources like hydrogen and electricity. So no more gas. But I hadn't thought until recently that getting your oil changed will no longer be necessary.

I wonder if future cars will need as much maintenance? Maybe the technology will be such that you just fuel up and go. No oil changes, no checking tire pressure or brake pads. Maybe every step that isn't eliminated will become automated.

Atlantis Energy Source Wasn't Oil

We found oil. We used it to power machines. If super advanced humans really did live in Atlantis, and they used up all the oil, there'd have been none left for us.

Sure, maybe they started out like us, used it up, and then moved on to better technology. Then for some reason they could have recreated it and put it all back.

Or maybe they skipped oil altogether and used some other power source that's better for the environment.

Either way, if an advanced civilization really did predate us, the "leftover" oil would seem to say that there's energy to be found elsewhere. Which means that even if we do run out of oil in the next few years, that doesn't mean we'll be out of energy.

Once We Run Out Of Gas, That's It

I read a couple places that we're close to a peak in oil production that will cause permanent blackouts worldwide.

I had hoped that alternative energy technologies could get around this, but some people say you need non-renewable energy sources in order to create renewable energy sources.

Oil energy can make solar panels. Then, can't they take the sun's energy, and use it to make more panels? I hope so, but it seems possible that we'd need a lot of energy to create enough alternatives to sustain current consumption levels. At the rate we're going, it doesn't look like we'll have enough alternatives on hand once Big Oil dies out.

At that point, there'd probably be a huge dip in how much energy we had. We could work on new energy sources, but what if we get caught up just trying to move food and water around?

Lots Of Snow Before Winter Begins

Could this be a sign of Global Warming?

I've heard that the seasons seem to be shifting to an earlier schedule. What if Global Warming doesn't warm the planet, but instead simply shifts the seasonal rotation back by a month?

Or maybe all our calendars are off? Oh well. At least we'll have a white Christmas...

Pure Energy From The Sun

I read on Wikipedia a long time ago something about a civilization capable of harnessing all the energy produced by a star. It wasn't a specific society, it was more about a class of society. There were levels, and above that I believe a civilization would harness the power of an entire galaxy of stars.

If we could begin to scratch the surface and channel solar power from regions of space to energy caches on earth, we could put all that energy to good use.

All the energy sources on earth have roots in the stars, right?

I Want A Chevrolet Volt

It's like looking at a dream.

Christmas Lights: Environmentally Lame?

Today I saw on the news a guy had decked out his house to be essentially covered in Christmas lights. His house was incredibly bright at night. The focus of the story was how the traffic nearby was affected by it, and whether or not that made traffic cops necessary. There was little mention of the environmental impact.

Every light bulb uses electricity. So he's using a ton to light his house. I'm not saying he shouldn't, but maybe in the future there'll be energy-efficient Christmas lights?

New Energy Mandate: No Old Light Bulbs

I read in USA Today that the government might soon establish a policy under which stores would be forced to stop selling the old light bulbs in favor of more expensive, energy efficient ones. This would force us all to use them, but help eliminate a sizable chunk of wasted energy.

Sounds like a good thing. I'll bet this (if it happens) will open the door to other mandates that will transform our society into a cleaner, more efficient one.

What If Winter Never Ends?

In "The Day After Tomorrow," Global Warming caused a major climate shift that plunged the earth into a new ice age. Could that happen in real life? Could it happen now?

What if the ocean currents, diluted by melting polar ice caps, have shifted? What if the earth's thermal conveyor belt system has broken down, and the northern half of the planet is about to freeze? What if it's already begun?

Will winter end? Or will it go on forever...?

Substantial Snow Storm Soon

Hotter highs, colder lows. I wonder if all the major weather events of the past 50 years were partly the fault of Global Warming?

I've heard that GW isn't just responsible for increasing temperatures, but also will cause more storms of all types.

Maybe we've engineered our own snowstorms? Either way, it's time to hunker down.

If We're Wrong, Let's Be The Good Wrong

I recently heard a Presidential candidate (it might have been John McCain) say that if we're wrong about Global Warming, we'll develop cleaner technology without really needing it. But if we're right, and take no action, the world will be in a horrible predicament.

So the point is, if we must be wrong, let's be the wrong where we took unnecessary action. Not the one where we didn't take the steps we should have.

Energy Independent In 5 Years

John McCain says it can be done. I believe. Hillary Clinton says let's light a fire under the public like the moon program did back in the '60's. I agree. Big Oil says 5 years isn't enough. Of course that's what they'd say.

The end is nigh! For Big Oil, that is...

States To Regulate Vehicle Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Read this on Yahoo: "Handing a major defeat to the auto industry, a federal judge ruled Wednesday that California can regulate greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles."

Yes! This means that finally the auto industry will have to get on board and "Go Green." After all these years, we're finally starting to see what should have been happening all along.

Go Green - A Green Sky

It's funny how "Go Green" has become the catchphrase of the "Save Our Planet" movement. There's information about how if we don't save our planet, the sky will turn green. So either way we're going green.

Apparently, the CO2 in the atmosphere and a combination of other factors will all contribute to changes that ultimately result in a handicapped environment, hotter, wetter air, and a green sky.

The sky is currently blue because the atmosphere filters out all the other colors of light. Add in some yellow and you've got green.

Venus looks yellow, and it's not a very pleasant place to be.

Sure, green represents trees, grass, and a healthy ecosystem. But it could also mean a green sky, representative of very bad things. So "Go Green," but only the good way!

Heard "Go Green" On TV

The catchphrase "Go Green" seems to be picking up in usage, particularly in public service announcements geared toward younger people. "Go Green!"

I've mentioned before how it's funny that just a few years ago caring about the environment was uncool. Looks like everyone's starting to follow the new trend. But what does this make us all?

Flip-floppers! Hopefully nobody will remember if we ever run for office...

New Cheap Gas Bad For Car

I just found out that newer gasoline, engineered to be better for the environment, is more easily separated when unused for long periods, especially if it's the cheap stuff.

Apparently there's water in there, and the cheaper gas you buy, and the longer you let your car, lawnmower, snow blower, or whatever sit without being run, the greater you risk separation and gunking up your carburetor.

So for a car, if you're driving regularly, cheap gas is ok. But for a machine like a generator, lawnmower, or snow blower, premium gas might be a good idea.

What If Lower Emissions Is The Wrong Idea?

Could the U.S. have had it right all along? What if demanding lower emissions will damage our economy and handicap innovation to the point where we're just scraping by in an old system, and not developing any new technology? Could less-regulated emissions be the key to unlocking revolutionary new energy technology?

I'm thinking that forcing emissions lower will increase the need for such technology. Now companies will tweak their systems left and right to get their emissions legal, and each tweak will add up. To a new technology? Maybe. Or maybe a new technology will be demanded after all the possible tweaks have been implemented.

Hopefully new rules won't sabotage our efforts to develop clean energy.

Weather Manipulation

If we had a mad scientist develop a weather machine, and we truly could control the weather, we could solve global warming and work toward ending world hunger. We'd be able to send rain to deserts and allow farmers to grow far more crops. We could make it cool in hot areas using concentrated clouds. We could make it snow where and when it is necessary.

First, though, we'd have to learn how to use the system, and the repercussions for each action. I'll bet making one thing happen will set many other areas off-balance. After a few years of rigorous testing, and many setbacks and mistakes, we'd finally be able to use weather manipulation the right way. Wouldn't that be grand.

US To Solve Global Warming With Tech, No Lower Emissions

Yahoo had a great article on global warming with a lot of information. Basically, the rest of the world wants to lower emissions, but the U.S. thinks a strong economy with new technologies is the way to go. People are saying the U.S. is isolated in its ideas, but U.S. representatives deny that.

One of the most important parts of the article mentions "scientific reports demonstrating the world needs to limit the increase in global temperatures to 3.6 degrees above what they were before the world industrialized and started spewing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, or face the worst environmental, social and economic impact of climate change."

That really made me understand how much research and intent has gone into the global warming movement. Before all this started, people would just say, "It's hot." Now we're dealing with average global temperatures, and we're keeping track of what we do and how it impacts the world.

The article also mentioned how many believe "the Bush administration is seriously out of step with the U.S. public's serious concerns about global warming and willingness to do something about it."

That makes so much sense. It feels like we're all ready, and we're just waiting for instructions on how to fix things.

Divorce Causes Global Warming

I think it was on Yahoo today that I read that divorce is bad for the environment. I read through the first sentence or two, that's it, because the basic idea was right in there. It said the reason for the negative impact on the environment is that a divorced couple use two residences, and not one. So if they're wealthy enough, that could mean two separate houses. To radios playing the same song. Two televisions with the same news. Two sets of lights, two furnaces, two air conditioners.

It makes sense. But what is the reverse, the solution? Get married, or stay together. Or, carpool your living arrangements.

Lewis Black Isn't Sure About Global Warming Since Bush Has Acknowledged The Threat

In a recently-aired comedy special (maybe Last Laugh '07, which I had hoped to be better) Lewis Black spoke about how Global Warming, which had been obvious to him, was finally getting the attention it needed. Even the President was now on board, ready to take action to set things right. But Lewis Black has heard George Bush say things in the past that have turned out to be incorrect. So he can't be sure anymore...

Is Global Warming real? He thought it was. But when the guy who sold us a lemon of a war on the promise of finding nonexistent WMD's backed up the claim that yes, Global Warming is real, doubt began to creep in.

Lewis Black makes an interesting point. It is easy to wonder now, especially since our leaders have mislead us in the past.

Scammers Use "Go Green" To Attract Business?

I guess a good rule of thumb in business is to stay fresh and up with the times. When a new catchphrase comes out, try to use it from time to time. I guess sometimes this idea can be abused.

On Random Waves of Insight, there's a post called "Black Friday Goes Green:" The Deception, about a newspaper that printed a headline on its front page advertising how the sales day after Thanksgiving somehow managed to be environmentally friendly. How you ask? Apparently the newspaper never got to that part.

It's like the paper forgot to print the part of the story they advertised. Don't you hate that?

Cure-All: Thermal Energy

If the world's getting hotter, and we're low on gas, and need more energy, why not harness the excess heat? Geothermal energy works, so would it be possible to get Atmospheric Thermal Energy?

If we could harness the warmth of the air around us, we could use that heat to generate electricity. We could heat water with it, making steam, spinning turbines, making electricity.

In many machines, energy is lost as heat. If we could manipulate the excess heat in all those machines, we could dramatically enhance their energy usage.

Is this impossible?

2006 Emissions: US Better, EU Worse

At Globalwarming.org, I read that, "US greenhouse gas emissions fell 1.5% in 2006, while the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions increased .8%."

I know that the "Go Green" movement has taken a while to pick up steam, and that it feels like it's hit pop culture in the recent months, but still. We achieved a small victory in 2006, and yet also suffered a loss in the area of global teamwork. It's like we're playing tug of war against ourselves.

I think if we're really serious about Going Green in everything, we should work to make the movement international. We probably already are.

The "Green Reich"

There's a post at Misinterpreted.org about how Global Warming is spurring us to act, while Big Oil keeps our actions slow and steady. Apparently, the theory is that as long as we prolong the hybridization phase, and stave off total technological solutions, Big Oil will be happy. It makes more money that way, stretching the last drops of oil.

I think we should move to the cleanest technologies as fast as possible, and the only reason we're not going to the Hydrogen Fuel Cell right away is because it's not 100% ready yet. But maybe soon we can skip that whole "intentional" hybrid phase.

If Global Warming Isn't Real, At Least The Tech Is

If Global Warming turns out to be mumbo jumbo, the scientific and technological breakthroughs that are achieved as a result will still be worth it. Maybe we need motivation at this point in order to move forward, even if that motivation is built on a lie.

Just think. We could be so much further along than we are. Clean energy could be widespread, common to the point of being taken for granted. Life could be better for all of us. And yet there are things holding us back.

Could it be that Global Warming is based on a benevolent conspiracy with the ultimate goal of reforming our technological and environmental standards? Maybe there's a group out there that knows we much reach a sustainable existence, but that we'll only change things in the face of adversity.

If so, why couldn't we do things right just for the sake of it?

Hotter Air Harder To Breathe?

When it gets cold outside during winter, the air gets really dry. I sometimes enjoy that, because the air seems cleaner, and easier to breathe. So I'm wondering if excess humidity would make it harder to breathe. I think it would.

The hotter earth gets, the hotter the air gets. Since warmer air can hold more moisture, global warming could potentially make the air a lot thicker with water. So in the future, we could be breathing steam.

Since dry air is easy to breathe, wet air will probably be more difficult. I wonder how that will impact us?

They say people with problems breathing like asthma need to breathe humid air. Maybe we'll all develop asthma as a sort of coping mechanism?

Global Warming Caused By Body Heat?

Today I had the idea that what if part of the reason the earth is warmer is because there are more warm bodies running around? Six billion is a record for worldwide population, right? And in "The Matrix," the body heat from "endless fields" of people was powerful enough to power the machine society. So why not?

What if there are so many people on earth that just being alive, you're contributing to global warming? What if the true source of the problem isn't the burning of fossil fuels, but is the conversion of food energy to heat energy through our normal biological processes?

If that were the case, I'm sure we could still set things right. We'd just have to do so through new forms of research and technology.

Free Energy

In the movie "The Saint," Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue found a working method for Cold Fusion and gave the world free energy -- clean, safe, and capable of producing as much power as we could possibly need. What if we found technology like that? How would the world be different?

We'd no longer need to worry about oil. No more messing around with foreign countries and fighting wars or manipulating nations just so we can fill barrels. No more polluting on such a massive scale. No more threat of rolling blackouts.

If we had free energy, the sky would be the limit. We could build a better world, as glorious as we could possibly imagine.

I know what I want for Christmas. Free energy!

Internet Brownouts In A Few Years?

I read somewhere, it might have been Yahoo, that the current infrastructure won't provide the needed bandwidth in the future when net demand skyrockets. But won't FiOS fix things?

The article sounded like it was written just to scare people into reading it. Of course things won't work if we stop growing and do nothing. That's why we all keep moving to keep up with the times.

And even if FiOS can't handle the load, I'm sure some technological breakthrough is already in the works to bail us out.

Train As The New Plane

I've heard that people have been turning to trains as a way to avoid the problems that one encounters with airline travel and high gas prices. It makes sense.

Could low oil reserves force us to create a nationwide network of trains that all travel faster than the speed of sound?

Could we engineer a magnetic floating train car that travels through a tube surrounded by a vacuum, like a combination of a normal levitating train and the small industrial communication tubes?

Public transportation may be our saving grace, and if it is, let's hope it grows to become clean, spacious, accommodating and efficient.

Crazy Weather Nature's Way To Fix The Air?

If we pollute and pollute and pollute, and throw all kinds of dust and dirt and chemicals and greenhouse gases up in the air, will some major storms and high winds clean it all up?

Are tropical storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and the like similar to automated pool cleaners? Do they move around spontaneously for various reasons, and in addition to being destructive, do they also have the effect of cleaning up the air?

Maybe the reason the earth of 2100 is predicted to be filled with gigantic storm systems is partially because by that point, if we're using the same technology, we'll have a lot more pollution for earth's Natural Housekeeping to deal with.

Blackouts - Foreshadowing?

Recently we've had a few (weather-related?) temporary blackouts. At first I was disappointed, as I figured living in the year 2007 we should have figured out how to eliminate such events altogether. Then I thought that maybe we're continually rebuilding things that are nearly guaranteed to break. My only comfort with that thought was that at least we keep working to fix problems as they crop up.

But then I started to wonder if I'm just taking electricity for granted. If we really do run out of oil and our energy needs aren't being met, a quick blackout could be the least of our worries. We might have rolling blackouts for a few months, followed by severe power rationing. A momentary blink in electric current would be inconsequential in the face of hours and even days without any power at all.

Will this all come to pass? I hope not, but it does seem possible.

Going Green Is Finally Hip

Years ago environmentalists were shunned by the public. Scorn was heaped upon tree-hugging hippies. Global Warming was seen as ludicrous. Caring about the environment seemed unnecessary. Now, everything has changed. Going Green is the thing to do.

What happened? I think major works like those of Al Gore, the UN, and others have spurred the public to be more earth-conscious and caring. We all believe we have a responsibility to prevent a catastrophe of our own making.

Whether or not global warming is real, we are now taking steps to insure that such a threat will not be able to harm us. Better safe than sorry.

Honda Hydrogen Fuel Cell Matrix Commercial

At first I thought the ad was for hardcore Super Soakers. The music, outfits worn, setting, and action seemed to mimic scenes from "The Matrix." "Adults selling water guns? This is new." All of a sudden the ad cut away to a future car driving around running on hydrogen. "Honda: Aww yeeaahhh!!!"

I read that within 3 years, hydrogen fuel cell cars might just get put into mass production. Sure, this is just an ad. And sure, there have been ads before with big promises that never got kept, like that one for "Ultra Nintendo 64."

But I think the fact that our technology does seem to be moving forward can give us hope.

Oil: $200/Barrel Soon

It seems like "it" is really happening. Oil prices are climbing higher and higher. Eventually there could be massive gas station crowding, long lines, and long waits.

It feels like there's potential for things to smooth out, but now hearing about the rising cost of oil, it feels instead like we're in the calm before the storm.

I hope our technology advances quickly enough so that hydrogen fuel cells become standard and safe.

"More of Me," A Green Version of "Multiplicity" Starring Molly Shannon

Yesterday the movie "More of Me" was released, and today I watched it. Molly Shannon is a dyna-Mom who is granted the wish of having more versions of herself to help accomplish her hectic schedule. The difference between "More of Me" and "Multiplicity" is that in "Multiplicity," Michael Keaton got to enjoy the fruits of his clones' labor. In "More of Me," as soon as Shannon's doubles show up, she becomes essentially a ghost. Can't see her, can't hear her. And she can't interact with her husband or kids, which provides the motivation to bring things back to normal in the end.

The reason I bring this up is how environmentally concerned the film is (or seems to be). A major portion of the plot revolves around not cutting down a tree, and it's revealed that Shannon's character has raised her family with a "Green Contract" that prevents unnecessary car trips and purchases like bottled water. The daughter even brought up how car exhaust hurts polar bears.

I didn't know the movie was pretty much brand new, but now that I do it makes a lot of sense. I thought if the movie was older, it must have been way ahead of its time. I guess we can expect more environmental rhetoric slipped into our entertainment from now on. Seems ok. It might even encourage some of us to take positive action.

Warmer Winter, or Wild Weather?

From what I've heard about Global Warming, it basically entails more extremes in weather. More droughts, more flooding. More blizzards, and hurricanes. More tornadoes and tropical storms. But I was watching a news program recently and they were discussing how the warming might lessen our heating bills by providing for a warmer winter. Could there be truth to this?

From what I've experience, the weather isn't really getting warmer, it's just getting unstable. Seasonal changes seem shifted beyond their normal time frames. Extremes do happen from time to time. An average warm-up effect doesn't seem to be happening.

So what do I expect for winter? If it seems warmer, it will only be because the weather is "saving itself" for a major storm. Either that, or winter will start late and last long. Time to prepare for the "Groundhog Day" effect!

Greenhouse Emissions Were Down A Couple Years Ago

I saw on an episode of the "Colbert Report" that a few years ago, 2005 or 2006, greenhouse gas emissions were down from the previous year. Colbert attributed this to higher oil prices lowering demand for gas, and our government's hesitation to correct the aftermath of wild weather like Katrina.

To me, the fact that we got a "good" result while taking little action as a nation means that when we finally do get into full-swing with the "War on Global Warming," we'll be able to make some major progress.

Good news, I think.

SUVs and Miles Per Gallon: Brush The Facts Under The Carpet

I just saw on Yahoo news how one certain SUV won an annual award for being great at going green. After some skimming I found that the figure for MPG was between 21 and 22. I thought, "Really, that's all?" I also wondered why they hid it down in the body of the article, rather than prominently displaying it right up top.

To me, it feels like SUV technology could be improving far more than it is, and the fact that a simple article about a "very green" vehicle is slightly deceitful (in not being completely up front) about the MPG leads me to believe that some groups are trying to make excuses. "Oh, it's too hard to make these gas guzzlers more efficient, so let's pretend that it doesn't matter by just barely making mention of a fact like MPG."

We all know miles per gallon is supremely important. It's not just some useless piece of data that we can brush aside when it's too low. If anything, we need to pay more attention when it's lower than it could be, especially when a vehicle with such a low number is being celebrated for its "soft" impact on the environment.

Will We Fix Global Warming In Time?

I feel like we could all be doing more. Like we're not taking the threats of a rapidly changing environment seriously. Like we're going along at a slightly altered pace of destruction, maybe slightly slower, but still steady and strong. Why aren't we taking bigger steps to stop global warming? Why aren't we trying harder, sacrificing more?

If we truly don't believe there's anything worth fighting to prevent, then maybe we're right. Maybe global warming isn't a problem at all. But I don't believe that's the case. I think global warming is a real threat, and things are only going to get worse. I also believe that we're just getting started, and things are going to become progressively more geared towards helping our environment. The first step is to get everybody on the bandwagon, and the engines of political persuasion have seemed to come into recent usage.

On NBC last week was "Green Week," where many shows had a Patrick's Day-esque green hue, and were accompanied by "green tips" from cast members and other VIPs. Once the public is ready, and I think we are, then the bigger steps can be put into effect. Maybe I'm just getting impatient. Maybe continual change has caused me to expect things like a new iPhone or a new Segway or a new nationwide conservation policy.

I just really want us to win in this.

Former Downfall Of The Electric Car

Remember back in the 90's when an electric car seemed possible but unnecessary? Apparently there were a variety of forces at work to convince the public that the electric car was lame and unnecessary.

An episode of the Simpson's lampooned the propaganda. When the family visited a theme park, they rode in an electric car ride. The car spoke in a weak, unattractive voice, saying, "Hello. I'm an electric car. I can't go very fast, or very far..."

It makes sense that Big Oil would want to keep profits up through limiting competition from alternative fuel sources. But the fact that our environment has suffered because of it, and the fact that the U.S. is to some extent under an oil-related foreign controlling influence just makes the idea of preventing a popular electric car seem ludicrous. If we'd had and used the technology ten years ago, I wonder if the middle east would be slightly less turbulent? Would terrorism be as big a threat?

Global Warming And A One-World Currency

I've heard that potentially, all of today's problems could cause the U.S. dollar to crash, and lead politicians to lobby for a single, unified currency worldwide. This would supposedly be done to promote and ensure economic stability.

Why would the dollar crash? If global warming continues and worsens, economic disasters could put a strain on our economy. If the oceans heat up too much, the ecosystem could be fundamentally altered in a way that has widespread effects across the food chain. This would limit the amount of food available, and we'd have to work harder and put more resources to use in correcting that imbalance. With fewer resources at our overall disposal, we'd then be more vulnerable to further financial woes, which could potentially lead to a major depression. At that point, if there were no other measures in place to prevent the dollar crashing, a one-world currency could seem like a good last resort. After all, the U.S. is interacting with many other countries, and is depended upon financially in many different areas. If our economy fell apart, the world would be worse off. So any alternative to that, including a single global currency, would be seen as potentially worthwhile.

Will it come to pass? Tick, tock...

If Resources Run Low, Kiss Freedom Goodbye?

If we ever reach the point at which resources are few in number and difficult to obtain, it makes sense that the government, to prevent chaos, would strictly enforce resource allocation. We'd all get rations of energy, food, water, and supplies. At that point, we'd be truly dependent on the State for our survival. Could such a situation be manipulated to then put us to work in some fashion?

The best scenario I can imagine where we've already begun the ration process would be to put us all to work trying to fix our environment and make things more efficient. We'd be brought together working for a cause that is not only necessary and worthy, but good.

On the other hand, if things took a turn for the worse, we might end up going to thorough and complete War. A non-nuclear, dragged-out World War III? If things get bad enough...maybe.

We Could Handle A Super Comet

Today I watched a show about what could happen if a super comet hit the earth and did to us what happened with the dinosaurs. I was surprised to learn that the outlook for us isn't nearly as bleak, since many species have evolved to weather cataclysmic events.

There's a toad or some such creature in Canada that has evolved to where it can survive being frozen three quarters of a year. If we could adapt the biological processes it uses, we could cryogenically preserve humans without needing more advance technology to thaw them out.

I once heard that some people believe the U.S. government has a system of underground tunnels and bases set in place. The show presented a scenario in which going to an underground facility would have been very helpful for a lot of people. If an extinction event does occur, I wonder if it will be revealed that we really do have abundant bunker space? Or maybe it's reserved for VIPs...

Give A Hoot: Plant A Tree

I've heard that a way to combat global warming is to plant a tree. Sounds good. Trees breathe in CO2, and give off O2. So the more trees we have, the less greenhouse gas, and the less the world will heat up.

If everyone on earth planted a tree tomorrow, we'd have roughly 6 billion new trees growing, providing shade, and purifying the air. It sounds like a very good deal.

I think if the world got together for Tree Day and pretty much mandated that one tree be planted for every individual, we'd all be the better for it.

Surge Protectors vs. The "Off" Light

Last night, taking my own advice, I decided to try using a surge protector as a means of eliminating the small power trickle that goes to gadgets in the "off" position. I had a power strip already being used with a TV and PS2. I turned it off, and noticed the red light on the PS2, which is always on when the system is off, went out.

When I first saw devices that had lights on even when the devices were off, I was a little taken aback. I thought, "What's the point?" But recently, I've gotten used to it. Now, however, in the face of growing energy concerns, it seems unnecessarily wasteful to have a light reminding you that something is off, when the absence of light is just as good a reminder.

And I'm sure there are many other minor "system-is-off" functions taking up electricity that are built into the average household product. So turning off a surge protector is good, as is unplugging an unused machine.

Let the savings begin.

How To Cut Your Electric Bill Nearly In Half!

On Monday on NBC, during "Chuck," there was a "green tip" that sounded incredibly useful. The tip said, "40% of home energy is used when appliances are off."

Can you believe it?! I had read somewhere before that there is always a trickle of power, but I never realized it was that much! The tip concluded by suggesting using power strips (surge protectors) to keep all your major appliances plugged in. That way, when you're done at night, you can turn them all off.

But, you'd have to run out and but a bunch of strips, and their not very eye-appealing in abundance. And some devices need a power trickle to keep their memory of the time. Like those VCR's that you unplug and then have to reset.

So I figure you can still get the same benefit of saving around 40% of your normal energy from being wasted by just unplugging something as soon as you're done with it, as long as it doesn't need to stay plugged in for some reason.

Maybe future outlets will have a simple button you can press, like on power strips, to cut off the power flow. Until then, a motto could be, "Unplug It!"

Earth Becomes Venus, Global Warming Style

I've heard that Venus, while closer to the sun, is just like Earth, and may have even looked like Earth once. Now, however, it's a hot, barren, lava filled wasteland. CO2 abound.

What if a previous alien civilization lived there and couldn't solve global warming?

What if the present of Venus is the future of Earth if we don't get our act together?

Next stop, Mars. Quaid, activate the reactor!

Acid Rain? Where?

Has anybody ever really experienced acid rain? I've only ever seen it on T.V. It makes me think of Captain Planet and the kind of pollution that would be necessary to create it. I imagine that in a city with a big, dirty factory, acid rain might be possible. But I don't recall hearing about it in the news.

I wonder how global warming would affect acid rain? The hotter it gets, the more water can be held as moisture in the hot, humid air. So then, the more other stuff that tags along with water can be held, too.

In science class, they say when you burn yourself with acid, neutralize it with a base. Water will only dilute it, or in some circumstances make it far worse. Thank goodness acid rain's not a newsworthy issue!

The Mindset Is The Cure

I guess to be honest I've been hoping for the ubiquitous, "No more Global Warming, period" kind of "cure." But now I realize that really, our mindset must be the cure. Environmental repair is such a complex issue that there probably won't be a "Big Easy Fix." There will be a ton of small steps, and the only way to get us on that path is to have the right mentality. So caring about the environment has to be cool.

Remember a few years ago when environmentalists were bullied as lousy "Tree Huggers?" The tables have turned! Now environmental awareness is becoming more and more popular. Does anyone else feel manipulated?

The Drudge Report Says Global Warming Is Fake

I don't read "The Drudge Report," but I'm aware of it. That's why it surprised me when I read on Wikipedia that Drudge himself has said, "global warming is 'faux science' and that 'the greening of our population, the falling for the science ... is making me nervous.'"

It doesn't make sense to me to have a problem with the "greening" of our population. Isn't going green a good thing? Whether we need to or not, doesn't having an awareness of our environmental impact make things better for everyone?

I got to wondering... Could going green be bad? I for one believe in Global Warming, but even if it wasn't real, what's the harm in being green? I guess it would be harmful if the idea of going green were taken up by some crazy faction that wants to dominate the public under the guise of saving the environment. I guess rallying people to "do their part" on behalf of going green could really be a tool of manipulation and control.

So this begs the question: Is Global Warming being touted as real as part of a conspiracy, the end goal of which being decreased personal freedoms and increased political power for the parties that lead the way?

Anything's possible...

Chupacabra Sighting, The Hairless Coyote, And Global Warming

Lately in the news there's been a story about a Chupacabra found in Texas. It turns out the animal was really a hairless coyote. What does this mean for us?

I was watching CNN today and the, "Stay tuned, we've got more news for ya" message centered around Al Gore and his Inconvenient Truth ties to the Chupacabra story. After the commercials, when the story was finally covered, there was no mention made of Al Gore or his movie. I've noticed that CNN sometimes seems to Bait and Switch when it comes to news stories.

Anyway, even thought CNN didn't explain it, I came up with an explanation regarding why a hairless coyote merits a tie to Global Warming. If the weather gets hot enough, it makes sense that animals will adapt and evolve to run cooler, so as to survive the heat. That means that animals like the coyote may end up becoming hairless in certain areas.

For those of you who haven't seen the now debunked photo of the alleged "Chupacabra" (a.k.a. the Hairless Coyote), it basically looks like the younger brother of one of those Hell Hounds from the "Ghostbusters" movie.

Wow... We're creating Hell Hounds on earth! A scary thought.

Motivating Us All To Change

If there were an event during which we all did something that had a major, visible, positive impact, I think that would get us fired up. Like if we were all told to change all the light bulbs in our house to compact fluorescents on December 21 or something. They'd need to show how much energy we're consuming already, and then the change that our collective action effected. If it was big enough, we'd probably be thrilled, and much more willing to change other things, as well.

I think most people are only subtly, vaguely aware of how becoming more energy efficient will also save us money. We're spending on energy that we don't necessarily need. If we each modified our households to make them more efficient, we'd all be richer for it. Maybe Al Gore should make a new movie explaining how to get rich and save the world at the same time.

I remember hearing that some people think it's better to leave the lights on because it saves on the heating bill, and some people like to drive with their windows down all the time, because it saves energy that would have been consumed using the air conditioner. I also remember hearing how each of these issues is far more complex than it's made out to be. But there are many who, for one reason or another, are dead-set on one idea that may or may not be correct. "I do this because it saves me energy." It may in fact do the opposite, but the person doesn't know any better. I'll bet in the near future the government or some organization is going to create a massive education campaign to clarify a lot of different ways we can all save energy. They'll hammer home ideas that will benefit us all, and will hopefully stick and be put into widespread practice. But when?

Energy Consumption And The Dot Com Bubble

Remember back in the 90's when internet stocks were way up, much higher than they should have been? There was a Dot Com Bubble. Remember in 2000 when it burst? Well, that got me thinking...

Right now, we're in the midst of an Energy Consumption Bubble. We're using a lot more energy than we need. I'll bet 10 years from now technology will have reached a point where we can be far more productive using far less energy. But first comes the correction.

When the Dot Com Bubble burst, things looked bleak. For many, things were bad. If something like that were to happen with energy -- a sharp decline in the amount of available power -- things again would look bad, seem bleak. But then after a while we'd have adjusted and prepared ourselves to soar to newer and greater heights, on energy-efficient wings. That will be fantastic.

But for us here in the present, the days of energy restructuring are still looming. When will the Bubble burst?

Could An End-Times Mentality Prevent A Solution To Global Warming?

It occurs to me that we could plan for the future, and for our children sure, but we could also engineer our own demise out of a desire for meaning. The Greatest Generation had meaning because they defeated the Nazis. Deep down, we all want to be special. What if some of us so want to be special that we're willing to have the world end, just so we can say, "I was there when it happened?"

What if so many of us think, "If the world ends, then I'll finally get an answer. My life will finally mean something! Jesus will come back and save us all!" If enough people thought that, could they then also think, "Sure, I could try to fix things on my own, but it would be so much cooler to get a bailout from Jesus!"

Is an End Times mentality all it takes to engineer the End Times? "It's all over, so why bother?" Maybe it's not all over, but if we believe that it really is, we ourselves will cause it to happen...

I hope we get our act together, environmentally speaking.

A Head Start On Saving Ourselves

Since I've never had to live through a major situation in which the powers that be deemed it necessary to ration water and electricity, one of my main memories of such an event is from an episode of, "The Twilight Zone." In it, the earth is moving closer and closer to the sun. I'm not sure if it was water or energy or both, but the government definitely had to ration its resources, because things were getting hot. In the end, the earth was actually moving away from the sun, and the opposite scenario had only been a dream. Still, it got me thinking: If the worst-case scenario entails rationing, could we start rationing early and prevent the worst-case scenario?

It's like when you had a huge project way back when you were still in school. You could have started studying and working like crazy from Day 1. Or you could have started a leisurely study schedule from Day 1. Both of those approaches would have likely set you up nicely, with a project to turn in when the time finally came. But what about Option 3? The one where you figure you've got all the time in the world, and keep putting your project off until the night before it's due. At that point, you've got no choice but to dig in and focus on doing what has to be done. You ration your "fun time" so severely that you just barely manage to crank out the project overnight. Although it's not perfect, it's good enough to get you by.

I feel like right now, we're all procrastinating because we "know" the time will eventually come when we'll wish we had acted sooner, but we feel that time is still far off. So what if we start rationing all our resources right now, when it's supremely "unnecessary?" The only way to make that work would be to have the rationing occur worldwide. Otherwise we'd handicap ourselves. But I believe a worldwide rationing system would be deemed "wholly impractical at this juncture." But if 10 years from now that's no longer the case, would our future selves think, "If only we had taken the opportunity to ration things sooner..."?

I hope not, because I just don't see us taking any kind of potentially useful, but "unnecessary" action.

Technology Can Save Us

I think even if we cross the point of no return, and get into a feedback loop in which things get worse and worse, there's always the hope that some monumental breakthrough can turn things around. Like John Connor, our saving grace will bring us back from the brink of destruction. Let's just hope we never reach the point where a miracle is necessary.

Nanotechnology can provide us with tiny air and water purification systems that self replicate and clean the oceans and atmosphere. Solar energy and hydrogen fuel cell technology can help us run our cars and machines on water and sunlight, as opposed to fossil fuels and even organic alternatives. I for one think biofuel is just a half-measure that itself will beg correction in a few years (or decades). What about cold fusion? A breakthrough in that would be fantastic!

It seems like we could forsake technology altogether, and get "back to nature," or we could hold out for a little while longer, and finally develop something amazing that proves we belong in the 21st century.

UN To Humanity: "Our Natural Resources Are Almost Gone"

This page reveals the details behind the UN's new report on our environment. It doesn't describe a very abundant future. According to the United Nations, we as a world society are almost past the point of no return. Recovery is possible, if we act now, but it seems we are too "in the moment" to take the necessary action.

With less than 1/6th of the world being industrialized we are already using 1/3 more of our natural resources than is sustainable. By 2050, we should have 150% as many people as we do now. That's a global population of 9 billion people. China and India are racing to catch up to the U.S.'s standard of living, but the report points out that there simply aren't enough natural resources to get them to where they want to be.

Farmers' runoff is changing the water in many areas, deoxygenating it and killing all the normal life. Deoxygenation is exactly what happened when the dinosaurs died. The water, devoid of oxygen, became a habitat for bacteria that produced hydrogen sulfide, which then killed the sea's portion of the food chain. That, in turn, caused a chain reaction that worked its way up to the very top.

Overfishing has already gone past the point of no return in some areas, destroying fish populations and creating an unfixable situation. And fresh water is badly polluted in many areas, as well.

But what is this report, really? Just more facts, just another warning. What we need is action, but we're dangerously short on supply of that, as well.

Mass Extinctions By 2100, According To Science

This article explains how scientists working at the University of York have found that four of the five previous mass extinction events, including the one that killed the dinosaurs, coincided with a phase of increasing greenhouse gases. This led to less global biodiversity, which could be on the horizon for us.

The predicted global temperatures for the next 100 years match levels required by this new evidence to eliminate more than 50% of all life on earth.

There's already been news on some species teetering on the brink of extinction. It looks like the threat of global warming is gaining definition and visibility.

Global Warming Solution: Use What Killed The Dinosaurs

A couple of theories on why dinosaurs are now extinct involve the dimming of the sky by massive amounts of dust or ash, provided either by an impacted space object or huge volcanic eruption. With less sunlight, the plants died, then the herbivores, then the carnivores. Less sunlight also would have cooled the earth somewhat. Maybe we can use this.

If we put a little bit of material in the air, which would technically be a lot, but little in comparison with the amount necessary for an extinction even, we could theoretically cool the earth. Sunlight would come into the atmosphere, and bounce off the dust, going back into space. We'd only need enough to adjust the average global temperature a few degrees.

How would we accomplish this? We could use factories that spew the specially-formulated dust mixture into the air, 24/7. Lots of dust would end up coming down in rain and snow, effectively creating muddy rain, but perhaps the natural cycles of nature would continue to filter our main water reservoirs at ground level. And the amount of new dust in each drop of water might not even be that much at all.

Crazy talk, or worth looking into?

Global Warming Is The Reason California Is On Fire

The hotter it is, the more moist the air will be, and the drier the ground will be. The drier the ground, the easier it is for a fire to start and quickly spread. With more extremes in weather, like droughts and floods, the easier it will be for forests to quickly dry out and become major fire hazards.

We are already seeing the effects of Global Warming fires in California, but any dry place with fuel for a fire is at risk. Now this old, somewhat rare breed of natural disaster is gaining new strength, and will likely become far more common in the hot years ahead. How do we stop it?

Higher Temperatures Mean More Humidity. That's More Water In The Air, And Less To Drink

For those of you who haven't read my previous post on how Global Warming is contributing to wetter air, allow me to fill you in.

Air that is warmer is capable of containing more water. By 2100, humidity worldwide may have increased by between 12 and 24 percent. Even the tiniest amount of greenhouse gas helps keep temperatures rising, and every time they go up 1 degree Celsius, the air can hold between 6 and 7 percent more moisture, overall.

What it comes down to is this: The hotter it is, the more humid it will be. The more water that's tied up in humid air, the less there'll be on the ground, to be used for plants, bathing, and drinking.

Can you imagine a world with dried oceans but nonstop rain? Hot rain. Scary.

Lights Our America, March 29, 2008

Mark your calendars, friends! On March 29, 2008, "Lights Out America" is recommending that we all turn off nonessential lights for one hour.

Why not the full day you ask? Good question! My guess is that LOA feels that one hour without extra lighting is a widely-accepted "sacrifice" that a lot of people will put up with. Then, once we "test the waters" and find out that everything's ok, even without the extra lights, we'll probably feel more comfortable leaving them off for longer and longer periods. Thus, we are paving the way to a world in which nonessential electric consumption is kept to a minimum.

This is of course far better than waiting until the government has to step in and ration all of our resources. "Attention citizens, between the hours of 4 and 5 pm, Eastern Standard Time, you will have access to electricity. And maybe water. That is all." Yikes!

Houses That Consume 0 Energy By 2020

I read somewhere that some country has decided to embark on an ambitious quest to make all new homes by 2020 capable of creating and producing as much energy as they use. It is theorized that developing solar technologies will greatly aid in this endeavor, as they will soon become small and flexible enough to coat most outer layers of a person's home. That would mean that every available square inch of the outer walls of a house would be set to harness sunlight energy at all possible moments.

Sounds great. I wonder what other sources of energy a house could utilize? Maybe go Matrix-style and find a way to harness excess heat produced by humans. In the summer, when it's hot, I wonder if the thermal energy could be converted into electricity? If we had the technology to convert heat into electricity, thereby reducing local temperatures, we'd pretty much have a cure to global warming, don't you think?

Tonight Google Goes Dark

From 8pm to 9pm Pacific Time, San Francisco is advising its residents to turn off unnecessary lights in honor of "Lights Out San Francisco," an event focused on improving efficient energy usage.

Google will contribute by dimming its web page for a full hour, though I'm not sure if it will be the same hour. If it does so happen that way, between 11pm and 12 midnight Easter Time, Google will appear to mimic "Blackle."

For those of you who've never heard, Blackle is basically Google with a black background. The white background Google's pages usually have produces more light and therefore requires more energy consumption by computer monitors. Blackle was started to dramatically reduce monitor energy consumption when searching the web. Now Google will try doing the same. I wonder if it will stick? If it does, these could be the final hours that we get to surf Bright Google before the evil Dark Google takes over! So go search!

To Improve The World, First Improve Yourself

So many people look to a vague solution that is, "Out there, somewhere," which will fix global warming and put an end to our energy woes. But Human Energy is the most important energy of all. And if we don't focus on it at an individual level, the world will be the worse of globally.

What this comes down to is: Take care of yourself. Yes, of course, staying alive is half the battle. But there are also ways in which you can shape and alter your life to give yourself more energy, and thus, more power.

People with the most power can do practically anything. The more power you have, the more you can do. So you want the most power you can get, right? Don't worry, it's highly unlikely you'll ever be in a position such that your absolute power corrupts you absolutely. And we could all use a boost!

Ok. The easiest and simplest way to increase your power is to improve your health. Maybe you already work out. That's great. Maybe you don't exercise, but you're "naturally" fit. Good too. Maybe you don't work out, and you eat a little bit more junk food than you should, but aside from a few extra pounds you could easily drop, you're fine. The point here is that wherever you are health wise, there is always something you can do to give yourself a powerful boost. You just have to find out what that is.

Ideally, we should:

• eat right,
  
• get daily exercise,
  
• drink a lot of water,
  
• drink very little alcohol,
  
• not rely on caffeine,
  
• not use drugs or cigarettes,
  
• get off any medications,
  
• take vitamins,
  
• use sunscreen,
  
• get enough rest every night,
  
• think positive,
  
• and stay calm and stress free.

It's a pretty simple lifestyle, but achieving it can be so complex that most of us have strayed from the ideal path.

With all those details available, even if you just pick one area and focus on improving that aspect of your life, you'll be better off. And so will the rest of the world, because not only will your energy and mood increase, but you'll also become more productive, and set an example for others to follow. So get to it!

Did I Read That A Proposed Solution To Global Warming Is To Drop A Few Nuclear Bombs Somewhere?

The other day, I could have sworn I read something somewhere about George Bush holding onto a last-ditch effort to "fix" global warming by detonating nuclear weapons at precise locations. Maybe out in the ocean somewhere? Where did I read this? I can't find it on the net... Maybe someone knows where this story is, or if it even exists?

If we bombed the ocean, what would that do? Nuclear weapons are hot, so it would release energy that would heat up the immediate area. More global warming?

Maybe the idea was to disrupt some ocean currents so that instead of moving in a "heating" pattern, they adjust to a "cooling" pattern. That could work -- maybe.

I don't know...Maybe I made the story up and forgot that its roots were in the Land of Imagination. But I could have sworn I read it somewhere! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

New "Biowall" Provides Cleaner Air The Natural Way

This article introduces the world to a wall that uses loosely-woven plastic to hold a variety of plants, which clean the air naturally. A pump waters the plants automatically, and a filter extracts the moisture from the air after the plants have finished with it. This prevents the building from becoming damp.

Once the Biowall is in place, the only maintenance required is to dust, prune, and wet the plants, while adding nutrients to the system from time to time.

The biggest benefit to having a Biowall is its ability to suck out air pollutants and generate clean oxygen. A lot of ordinary household items like paints, cleaning agents, and glue, can give off harmful airborne particles that over time have the potential to build up and make you sick. Having a wall made of plants is an excellent way to prevent this. Plus, it looks great, and is a unique conversation piece!

Solution To Global Warming: Nuclear Winter

Vladimir Putin said the U.S. is not to invade Iran. But given our track record of getting involved in the Middle East, it's difficult to imagine us backing down from Russia, especially when Iran seems to be developing potential to acquire nuclear weapons.

What if we don't acquiesce to Putin's recommendation? What if we enter Iran and somehow set off a chain reaction that escalates until an all out war breaks out? A Total War. World War III...

Then I guess it would end quickly. Abruptly. Brutally even, if we use the weapons at our disposal, and Russia does the same. Winter will last a while longer -- for the rest of the decade. At least Global Warming will be taken care of...

Terabytes in 2009, A Step Towards No More Pollution

This article explains how Hitachi is focusing on a hard drive technology that will allow them to store and read data in areas 2,000 times smaller than the width of a single strand of hair. This "new" technology is really a spin on an old version of hard drive tech that was abandoned due to size limitations. But the replacement has limitations of its own, which, when reached, will force major data storage companies back to the "new" take on an "old" technology.

Giant Magnetoresistance, or GMR, uses a disc that spins with an arm over it, like a record player. At the tip of the arm is an electromagnetic head which reads magnetic variations on the surface of the disc. GMR hit a ceiling a few years ago and new technology was the alternative. Now Hitachi has developed a way to use GMR at an incredibly small scale, which will change the way we talk about our iPods.

Today it's all about the Gigs - Gigabytes. But in 2009, we'll all be talking Terabytes.

If they can develop tiny hard drive technology, pretty soon we'll have tiny water- and air-purification technology, that can self-replicate and clean up the planet!

Fluorescent Light Bulbs Are Cool And All, But They Contain Mercury

Mercury is bad for you. You shouldn't touch it. If you breathe it in, that's even worse. So it's surprising that it's used in the new energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs. They're brighter and last longer than ordinary light bulbs, but the mercury means they're also potentially more harmful. It seems like this is evidence of a growing "half-measure" trend in the fight to combat energy inefficiency.

There are a lot of steps we've been taking as a society to clean up our act, environmentally speaking. These include moving from gas-powered vehicles to gas-electric hybrids, gas-electric-hydrogen tribrids, and cars that run on ethanol. Many of these measures have faults of their own.

We place so much emphasis on doing clean, environmentally-friendly work, and as of yet there is still no clear-cut technology that is pure and widely available. To save energy, we risk our own safety with things like mercury-infused light bulbs. Oh well. I guess we're just taking baby steps toward a cleaner, safer tomorrow.

New Water Technology Can Power A Cell Phone, Maybe Someday The World

There was a movie in the 80's about a futuristic motorcycle that could run on ordinary gasoline, or, with a Power Cell the size of a Game Boy, it could run on Hydrogen gleaned from moisture in the air.

We are one step closer to living that dream.

Samsung has created the first "micro-fuel cell and hydrogen generator that runs on H2O." Pretty soon, everyone's going to get in on the action, and that means better technology at low low prices.

How does it work, you ask? Water in the phone interacts with some metal, producing hydrogen which is sent to the fuel cell. There, the hydrogen interacts with oxygen and produce 3 watts of power.

First-generation cartridges will need to be replaced after only two uses, a shortcoming that will hopefully not last too long once the technology develops. But two uses at 3 watts a pop is about 20 hours of battery life. Not too shabby, for water power.

You can read more and see a picture here.

Ethanol Is Bad For The Environment

This article explains that Ethanol, the bio-fuel that is supposed to help ease our growing climate crisis, is just as bad for the environment as current fuel sources. Why you ask? The procurement of Ethanol has a huge impact on our water supply.

In the U.S., we can use corn-based Ethanol instead of petroleum and gasoline. First, we need corn. Quality-control dictates that we use pesticides to safeguard the corn, pesticides which runoff into the water supply and could potentially contribute harmful elements to our drinking water. There's a way around that, through timed-release fertilizers injected beneath the soil surface, but our water supply is also being messed with in other ways.

Essentially, the corn needs an incredible amount of water just to grow. Irrigation can be used, but pulling that water in can damage surrounding areas that themselves need a lot of water too.

What's the solution to this aqueous problem? Using other stuff instead of corn to make Ethanol, like grass, wood, and sawdust.

It's surprising that many of the proposed solutions to global warming and polution are themselves problematic, and end up being only half-measures that will ultimately need solving once they become the standard. Oh well.

Global Warming As A Means To A Political End

This article from a few weeks ago explains why global warming and climate change are really tools being used by politicians and groups to further their own interests. Those interests include higher taxes on things like gas and houses. It makes perfect sense that threats to our way of life can be manipulated in such a way as to shock us into action in one direction or another. However, the actions we are taking are, according to the article, not directed toward solving global warming.

The main idea is that cars are to blame, and that if the threat is as great as everybody's saying it is, then why allow us to drive cars? Why even allow hybrids, as they'll only postpone the inevitable? My take on it was just that the leaders and policy makers were taking their time, using it wisely to gauge the levels of public interest and potential before seeking to persuade any major changes. I think we're all interested in "fixing" this problem (now, anyway), but I'm wondering if some politicians still think that huge shifts are a ways away, and need to be worked towards, instead of implemented immediately.

During a Total War, major sweeping changes are necessary because they complement the major threat that can be seen and felt by everybody. The threat of global warming, however, is a bit more vague and distant. It might be hard to sell the public on doing some difficult rearranging in a time when doing nothing instead seems like it won't make that much of a negative impact.

Before we can start taking the drastic steps like eliminating cars altogether, as suggested in the article, we need to see some dramatic impact of the "wrong" we're doing already, and not just on a movie screen. It has to be real, it has to be devastating, and it has to be proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that our ordinary everyday habits are going to kill us all. Then rapid change will be easy. But as things stand today, I don't think that change really needs to be so rapid.

In the recent past, I've expected us to slowly ramp our efforts up toward going greener. That's what seems to be happening. A gradual shift. And that seems appropriate, for now.

We Made The Air Wet

Global warming has contributed to many different problematic issues, including widlfires, shifting water runoff, and rising ocean warmth. Now there's a new finding for yet another effect that is caused by global warming: Increasing Humidity.

Hotter air can hold more water, and by 2100, overall humidity could increase between 12 and 24%. Sure, it's not deadly (for everyone) but it will definitely be annoying and painful to bear.

Sweat helps us cool off, but only when it can evaporate and leave the skin. When it's humid, the body has a hard time cooling itself.

Every bit of greenhouse gas contributes to rising temperatures, and for every increase of 1 degree Celsius in the air, 6-7% more moisture can be absorbed. So it's not only getting hotter, it's getting wetter.

So when you think of a hotter future, don't think desert. Think jungle.

When Will It Snow?

Last year, and if I remember correctly, the year before, winter seemed to be a little late. It might have made an early appearance and then bailed for a month, though. So I'm wondering if this year we'll have snow for the holidays.

If we only get one week of snowing, I think it would be best to have it be the week encompassing December 25 and January 1. That way, two major winter holidays are covered, and all pre-holiday shopping and preparations have already been accomplished, and so will not be hindered by a concentrated dose of snow.

I wonder if a new seasonal trend will be a week's worth of expected weather, followed by a month of confusing weather, with patches of concentrated versions of the seasonal weather? So not that hot during the summer, except on some days, and not that cold during the winter, except on days where emergencies are declared.

Now that I think about it, this new weather stinks.

The Rain Is Shorter, The Thunder Is Longer

I've noticed that in our area (Northeast US) it seems like the rain is performing a scaled enactment of the global drought-flood theory for future weather. It's said that we can expect many more extremes weather-wise, as a growing replacement for our normal "softer" weather shifts. This seems to be reflected locally.

We used to get rain storms that would last at least an hour. Now we're lucky if we get rain that lasts more than fifteen minutes. The thunder used to arrive quickly and leave quickly. Now it lingers a ways away and seems to last a lot longer.

The rain shows up fast, comes down sudden and hard, and then lightens up quickly. Then it comes back with heavy-sounding droplets, and then fades.

Whenever it rains, the sense usually is, “Oh, all right, it’s raining! Good, our lawn could do with some liquid refreshment.” But it rarely lives up to expectation, with such a shortened duration.

A couple of months ago, during the summer, it rained for a week straight. I wonder if patterns of weather like that will translate to the winter? What if the weather will become more extreme when it’s colder? Maybe we’ll get a four-month blizzard…

Weird Weather

Summer was much longer than I expected, and here in October, we're still getting temperatures in the 80's. It's bizarre. There was about a week's worth of cooler, fall-like weather, but that was weeks ago, and it was quickly replaced with summeresque heat.

I saw a show a couple of months ago about a network of supercomputers that used current data to extrapolate the weather of the future -- 100 years in the future to be precise. What the data showed was a world of many tropical storms quickly developing left and right. I've heard that global warming has triggered a new "kind" of weather in which flooding and drought will take over and replace our formerly more evenly-dispersed system. Many more storms seem on the distant horizon, according to the supercomputer network.

The fact that the "normal" seasonal temperatures seem to be no longer "dependable," in that it could be cool during summer and hot during fall, shows in yet another way that global warming is now having a definite visible impact.

The scientific warnings seemed to be a little abstract and distant. But now seeing these changes, and being in a more open and aware frame of mind, brought about by the works of Al Gore and others, it seems like there's finally proof that even the most not-in-the-know citizen can latch on to.

They Said It Was A Lie

I remember between ten and fifteen years ago when the Global Warming debate was raging. Many of us became convinced it was all a lie. I remember not knowing what to believe, and feeling a bit of confusion as to why they couldn't figure it out. Why were so many people split right down the middle? Because of the divide, I couldn't take either side seriously, so I didn't worry about it (too much). I figured, "Well, maybe it could happen, but everybody says it's not real, so I guess it's not."

And now we've reached the point where we're acknowledging the threat as very real. I am thrilled that we've come to our saving realization ahead of schedule. According to some, we were supposed to wait until it was too late, and then suffer quick and blinding devastation at the hands of a hostile environment. Thankfully, we can plan ahead now and develop methods and technologies that will make that scenario pure fiction. I feel like we've just started rolling toward a greener future, and hope that once we get some major momentum going, we'll use it wisely. I have faith that we will.