MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'climate'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:49:51 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5174620&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fscientists-study-the-shape-of-the-nose-and-its-relationship-with-climate%2F2011.08.28 The basic function of the human nose is to warm and humidify the air before it reaches the lungs. Because of the wide variation of human habitats from the polar cold and dry air to the equatorial hot and humid weather, one would expect the nose to accommodate to these climate extremes accordingly through evolutionary pressures. In essence, logically one would expect the nose to change shape to enhance time that air is in contact with the warm and moist nasal interior in cold and dry climates compared to the opposite environmental extreme. German scientists evaluated this hypothesis through (more…) *This blog post was originally published at Fauquier ENT Blog* (Source: Better Health) Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5174620 Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0100 5174620 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5096318&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fcan-youtube-save-us-from-climate-change.html New media has rapidly become the mechanism by which information is spread quickly in many walks of life from alerting the public to local traffic incidents, terrorist attacks, earthquakes and celebrity deaths. The likes of Twitter and Facebook have become the first responders to almost every event the world over as well as creating the means by which to bring about political change through activist and rebel groups in the Middle East and elsewhere, for instance. Tina Askanius of Lund University, Sweden and Julie Uldam of Richmond the American International University in London, explain that one area in which new media could become rather powerful is in activism against the causes of climate change. They explain that in protesting against climate change, online video, available via popular ... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5096318 Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:45:23 +0100 5096318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008089&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F008172.html Robert K. Kaufmann of Boston University and a few other researchers have proposed a theory to explain why global warming basically stopped for about 10 years: sulfur aerosols emissions from China's big surge in coal burning (doubling from 2003 to 2007!) have canceled out most of the warming effects of higher carbon dioxide. Accidental large-scale climate engineering. What a fascinating experiment. Massive sulfur never would have been politically approved as an intentional intervention for cooling. Given the widely noted increase in the warming effects of rising greenhouse gas concentrations, it has been unclear why global surface temperatures did not rise between 1998 and 2008. We find that this hiatus in warming coincides with a period of little increase in the... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008089 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 23:00:00 +0100 5008089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960002&cid=t_99913_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F22%2Fjournal-of-public-health-2011-vol-33-no-2%2F This article considers the impact of the use of private cars on people’s health and what measures could be initiated to reduce car dependence. (Print subscription held at Fade Library) Filed under: Current Awareness, Journals Tagged: Climate Change, Ecology, Environment, Obesity, Physical Activity, Pollution, Public Health, Transport (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960002 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:32:43 +0100 4960002 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893393&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOZ9e91N17Gw%2F By Neal McCluskeyToday the Washington Post has a big story on efforts by the coal industry to get public schools to teach positive things about — you guessed it — coal. The impetus for the article is no doubt a recent kerfuffle over education mega-publisher Scholastic sending schools free copies of the industry-funded lesson plan “The United States of Energy.” Many parents and environmentalists were upset over businesses putting stealthy moves on kids, and Scholastic eventually promised to cease publication of the plan. Loaded curricula designed to coerce specific sympathies from children, however, hardly come just from industry, as the Post story notes. Indeed, as I write in the new Cato book Climate Coup: Global Warming’s Invasion of Our Government and Our Live... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893393 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:21:54 +0100 4893393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893351&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F008118.html An interesting article in Wired looks at research on the relative resistance of different types of plankton to increasing acidity caused by rising carbon dioxide dissolving into the oceans. The results showed that coccoliths are indeed resistant to dissolution. Inorganic calcite crystals begin dissolving around pH 8.2, but the coccoliths remained intact until about pH 7.8. Some marine plankton will run into trouble sooner. But the coccolithophores could survive until the end of the 21st century. Some marine plankton and invertebrates build shells from aragonite — a form of calcium carbonate which dissolves more easily than calcite — and these organisms will be the first to feel the effect of increasing ocean acidity. Calcite-secreting organisms which aren’t as resistant as... (Source: F... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893351 Sun, 29 May 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4893351 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768038&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fcurrent-science-news-2.html Uranium hard drive – A new uranium-containing compound maintains its magnetic behaviour at low temperatures. The discovery could take us a step closer to magnetic memory devices with capacities thousands of times denser than current high-end hard drives. Clouds from both sides – Atmospheric and climate models may have overlooked the fact that exactly how clouds appear to reduce the amount of sunlight available for warming the surface of the earth depends on the wavelength being measured across the spectrum from infrared to ultraviolet. The finding could now help researchers improve climate models by factoring in the effects of cloud cover more precisely. Soap story – It is perhaps no real surprise to any chemist who has unblocked a drain clogged with white lardy deposits,... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768038 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 08:19:59 +0100 4768038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734063&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FOJ5BsPWZczg%2F By George Scoville Please join us this Thursday, April 21 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern for a book forum and debate on “green energy” policy, following the recent release of the Cato book The False Promise of Green Energy. On Thursday, University of Alabama Professor of Law and Business Andrew P. Morriss (one of the book’s authors) and Center for American Progress Vice President for Energy Policy Kate Gordon will debate the merits of the “green” economic agenda, moderated by Cato Institute Senior Fellow Jerry Taylor. Complimentary registration is required of all attendees by noon TOMORROW, Wednesday, April 20. We hope you can join us in person and for the reception following the event–if you cannot attend in person, we hope you’ll tune in online or on Faceb... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734063 Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:29:37 +0100 4734063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723958&cid=t_99913_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F04%2F17%2Fthe-psychological-situation-of-climate-change%2F Situationist friend, Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology, describes the psychological impulses that make it difficult for humans to confront the threat of global warming. Related Situationist posts: Dan Gilbert on Why the Brain Scares Itself “Dan Gilbert To Speak at Harvard Law School,” “Dan Gilbert on the Situation of Our Decisions,” “Dan Gilbert on the Situation of Psychology,” “The Situation of Climate Change,” “The Heat is On,” “The Situation of Happiness,” and “Conversation with Dan Gilbert.” (Source: The Situationist) The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723958 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:54:35 +0100 4723958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723770&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F008034.html Okay, anyone fantasizing about a new Little Ice Age due to an extended period of low sun spot activity should probably give up hope for revival of Thames frost fairs on a frozen river because the sun appears to be swinging back up out of its recent low point of sun spot activity. The solar cycle appears to be kicking up again. Quiet spells on the sun are nothing new. They come along every 11 years or so—it's a natural part of the solar cycle. This particular solar minimum, however, was lasting longer than usual, prompting some researchers to wonder if it would ever end. The sun's flaring and doing big spews of particles. News flash: The pot is starting... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723770 Sat, 16 Apr 2011 23:00:00 +0100 4723770 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4714726&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fnj_4KnPBahk%2F By George Scoville One thing is clear after President Obama’s speech yesterday: He envisions a smaller national debt, but a much bigger government. One percent is better than nothing, but it’s still pretty close to nothing. One thing is clear about climate change: it’s causing a rising tide of red ink in Washington. See the forthcoming book Climate Coup: Global Warming’s Invasion of Our Government and Our Lives and join us for the accompanying book forum, featuring MIT meteorologist Richard Lindzen and American Meteorological Society fellow Bob Ryan, on Wednesday, May 4 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. Complimentary registration is required of all attendees by 12:00 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday, May 3. If you cannot join us in person, we hope you’ll watch live online. One can... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4714726 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:23:25 +0100 4714726 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704627&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F37Y-u-NanmY%2F By Gene HealyThat’s the topic of my Washington Examiner column this week. In it, I discuss last week’s budget battle and the failure of “policy riders” designed to rein in the Obama EPA’s attempts to regulate greenhouse gases without a congressional vote specifically authorizing it. The Obama team believes it has the authority to implement comprehensive climate change regulation, Congress be damned. Worse still, under current constitutional law–which has little to do with the actual Constitution–they’re probably right. Thanks to overbroad congressional delegation, “the Imperial Presidency Comes in Green, Too.” At home and abroad, the legislative branch sits on the sidelines as the executive state makes the law and wages war, despi... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704627 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 12:59:32 +0100 4704627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664220&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Ffive-more-science-stories.html Sperm condensation – Protamines are small basic proteins that condense the genetic material, the DNA, in mature sperm helping to form the head of the sperm. They are rich in the amino acid arginine whose residues are distributed in a number of stretches separated by neutral amino acids. The amino acid accounts for between 60 and 80 percent of the protamine. Now, a team in Spain has used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to investigate, for the first time, the secondary structure of protamines in sperm nuclei. The Forgotten Greenhouse Gas – In a carbocentric political environment, dinitrogen monoxide, is almost the forgotten greenhouse gas. Enormous volumes are released into the atmosphere naturally from soils and the oceans. This accounts for about two-thirds of the atmos... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664220 Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:00:05 +0100 4664220 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4664398&cid=t_99913_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fhey-johnny-ball-how-about-apology.html Hi Johnny, old friend.You've been leading those poor gullible journalists a merry dance, haven't you, you old rogue?! Perhaps you never expected them to be so lazy that they wouldn't check what you claimed and learn for themselves that it was much ado about nothing? But what can we say, they're probably humanities graduates, can't be doing with all that old evidence nonsense eh!How did you come to find my blog post anyway? A Google search of your name didn't link here in the 1st 4 pages and I gave up after that, you must have gone deep to get to that post! I admire your stamina. But somehow, you came upon my (as it was) retired blog. It would be obvious to anyone that it's hardy influential; presidents and popes don't hang on my every word. Well you dug deeper than any journalist and found... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4664398 Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:40:00 +0100 4664398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631610&cid=t_99913_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fguardian-journalist-explains.html After posting yesterday on the Johnny Ball fiasco, I had a conversation on Twitter yesterday with Leo Hickman who wrote the 2 Guardian articles regarding the imaginary hounding of Johnny Ball. His first article was Let's join Johnny Ball in condemning extremists in the climate debate.Shortly afterwards, due solely to the more clued up people who responded in the comments and who took the couple of minutes needed to check the claim wrt the wicked paedophile-labelling blogger, Hickman wrote an update to his post: Johnny Ball denies 'climate zealots are ruining my career' claims.Here's how it went. @sharonf Hello Sharon. Just seen your new blog about all this. Looks like you've seen my updated blog too. #1 ... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631610 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:55:00 +0100 4631610 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622445&cid=t_99913_133_f&fid=35127&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthefamilyvoyage.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fobscure-blogger-vilifies-johnny-ball-no.html I thought I might get back into blogging some time but didn't know it would happen like this.I wrote this small scale blog for a few years before taking a long break. In that time I deleted most of my sidebar, especially links to other blogs I am no longer regularly reading, leaving static links like a 3 year old blog awards badge and the link to sense about science's libel campaign. A working email address was still displayed on my Blogger profile, but I rarely checked it. All new comments go to my main email so I see those right away. Oh and I haven't checked my stats for at least a year- why bother?!Recently I checked that little used email address and had a message alerting me to a Science Blogs post on Deltoid, a blog by Tim Lambert. This was the first notice I had that Johnny Ball wa... The Voyage blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622445 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:42:00 +0100 4622445 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570522&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPc_OKJPdstk%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsThe Current Wisdom is a series of monthly posts in which Senior Fellow Patrick J. Michaels reviews interesting items on global warming in the scientific literature that may not have received the media attention that they deserved, or have been misinterpreted in the popular press. The Current Wisdom only comments on science appearing in the refereed, peer-reviewed literature, or that has been peer-screened prior to presentation at a scientific congress. **********  The recent publication of two articles in Nature magazine proclaiming a link to rainfall extremes (and flooding) to global warming, added to the heat in Russia and the floods in Pakistan in the summer of 2010, and the back-to-back cold and snowy winters in the eastern U.S. and western Europe, have gotten a ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570522 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:26:05 +0100 4570522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549750&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fhard-water-is-it-hard-on-your-skin%2F2011.03.04 Hard water is tap water that’s high in minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Hard water isn’t harmful, except the minerals prevent your soap from sudsing. Some people think that hard water is more likely to cause a rash than soft water. Take a recent patient of mine: He moved his family to San Diego from the East Coast (good move this winter, no?) After they moved here, they noticed their skin became dry and itchy. He blamed San Diego’s notoriously hard water and installed a water softener in the main water line. It was costly, but did it improve their skin? A recent study from the UK looked at this question: Does hard water worsen eczema? The answer was no, it doesn’t. Water hardness did not seem to have any impact on eczema, the most common skin rash. What’s more important t... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549750 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 22:00:50 +0100 4549750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540539&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007944.html Megadrought. What a great word. Not tinny at all. Looking at the previous interglacial most like our current Holocene era some climate history researchers found that the US southwest can undergo a megadrought during a warmer interglacial such as the interglacial we are currently in. In a letter published recently in the journal Nature, Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers and an international team of scientists report that the Southwest region of the United States undergoes "megadroughts"—warmer, more arid periods lasting hundreds of years or longer. More significantly, a portion of the research indicates that an ancient period of warming may be analogous to natural present-day climate conditions. If so, a cooler, wetter period may be in store for the region,... (Source: FuturePundi... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540539 Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4540539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4512365&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007926.html The 20th century was an outlier in terms of precipitation. PITTSBURGH—University of Pittsburgh-led researchers extracted a 6,000-year climate record from a Washington lake that shows that the famously rain-soaked American Pacific Northwest could not only be in for longer dry seasons, but also is unlikely to see a period as wet as the 20th century any time soon. In a recent report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the team linked the longer dry spells to the intensifying El Niño/La Niña climate pattern and concluded that Western states will likely suffer severe water shortages as El Niño/La Niña wields greater influence on the region. The researchers analyzed a sediment core from Castor Lake in north central Washington... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4512365 Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4512365 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4498289&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Ffive-picks-from-the-science-news.html Fix your H, increase citations and get more grant money – Citations have become the currency of science, which is used to reward scientists and scientific institutions. Small variations in citation scores can make millions of pounds difference in the financial outcomes of national Research Assessments . Therefore keeping your citation record updated is of critical importance. First February Alchemist – Something for the Alchemist to get his teeth into this week with chiton dental work offering new insights for biomimetic materials. Also, this week a sight unseen with calcite crystals revealing little but their invisibility prowess. Breath tests based on determination of acetone could be useful in sports science and training as well as diabetes monitoring. There's also a pl... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4498289 Sat, 19 Feb 2011 17:00:07 +0100 4498289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482815&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fheptastic-science-news.html The full list: The Twitter 100 – Its 200 million users share 110 million messages a day – and if you don't know who rules the twittersphere, you don't understand the 21st-century world. This guide is a definitive who's who of the UK's tweet elite. Although for some reason they included me on the list (at #47, same as Armando Ianucci). Why haven’t we cured cancer yet? – How many times have you been asked this question, how many times have you asked this question yourself? The answer boils down to the fact that cancer is not a single disease, it's hundreds of different diseases. Asking that question is like asking, "why haven't we cured viral infection?" or "why haven't we cured car accidents?". Even if we can cur... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482815 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:00:17 +0100 4482815 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450279&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FPnQYX822xdQ%2F By Ilya ShapiroAs Congress debates cap-and-trade, new fuel standards, and subsidies for "green" companies, some still feel that political solutions to global warming are not moving fast enough. In the present case, American Electric Power Co. v. Connecticut, eight states and New York City sued several public utilities (including the federal Tennessee Valley Authority), alleging that their carbon dioxide emissions contribute to global warming. This is the third major lawsuit to push global warming into the courts (another being Comer v. Murphy Oil USA, in which Cato also filed a brief). All of these suits try to use the common law doctrine of nuisance—which, for example, lets you sue your neighbor if his contaminated water flows onto your land and kills your lawn—to attack carbon emitt... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450279 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 15:22:34 +0100 4450279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4445781&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4cufxDvt22I%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsThe Current Wisdom is a series of monthly posts in which Senior Fellow Patrick J. Michaels reviews interesting items on global warming in the scientific literature that may not have received the media attention that they deserved, or have been misinterpreted in the popular press. The Current Wisdom only comments on science appearing in the refereed, peer-reviewed literature, or that has been peer-screened prior to presentation at a scientific congress. *********** It seems like everyone, from exalted climate scientists to late-night amateur tweeters, can get a bit over-excited about short-term fluctuations, reading into them deep cosmic and political meaning, when they are likely the statistical hiccups of our mathematically surly atmosphere. There’s been some major... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4445781 Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:28:32 +0100 4445781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394517&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Feven-more-science-news.html Science news snippets from the net meanderings of David Bradley Sir David King on climate change – King said, “We hear enough from the climate change skeptics that I have to repeat some fundamentals that you’ve probably heard before.” Fifty-five million years ago, atmospheric CO2 concentrations stood at about 1,000 ppm and global temperatures were much higher and ocean levels were about 110 m higher than they are today. Large mammals developed on Antarctica because the climatic conditions on all of the other continents were inhospitable to such development.<br /> <br /> In the past 500,000 years, every ice age was characterized by atmospheric CO2 concentrations around 200 ppm; every short interglacial period by concentrations around 285 ppm, which was a... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394517 Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:00:06 +0100 4394517 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394518&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fscience-news-5.html Latest science news snippets from Sciencebase Bee team funded by Bayer – It is revealed that the lead investigator in the study that recently published results suggesting that bee colony collapse disorder (CCD) is due to the combined effect of a virus and a fungus is funded by the insecticide company (Bayer). The researcher denies that this funding is connected to the research, it pays for other work, but you can't help but wonder whether there is a conflict of interest here. Who’s your favourite scientist? – Who's your favourite scientist? For me it has to be Feynman, although Faraday would be a close second, oh and perhaps Sagan, and then there's Curie, and Kroto…oh the list goes on… Definition of a chemistry research paper – I've ... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394518 Mon, 17 Jan 2011 10:56:48 +0100 4394518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4355709&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007835.html Who knew? What will organic apples do? Organic meat? Wetter, cooler summers can have a detrimental effect on the milk we drink, according to new research published by Newcastle University. Researchers found milk collected during a particularly poor UK summer and the following winter had significantly higher saturated fat content and far less beneficial fatty acids than in a more 'normal' year. But they also discovered that switching to organic milk could help overcome these problems. Organic supermarket milk showed higher levels of nutritionally beneficial fatty acids compared with 'ordinary' milk regardless of the time of year or weather conditions. In the comments if anyone takes this report seriously I will get very cross with you. Yes, it is a... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4355709 Sun, 16 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100 4355709 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4318310&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmpXSjggRUJo%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsThe Current Wisdom is a series of monthly posts in which Senior Fellow Patrick J. Michaels reviews interesting items on global warming in the scientific literature that may not have received the media attention that they deserved, or have been misinterpreted in the popular press. The Current Wisdom only comments on science appearing in the refereed, peer-reviewed literature, or that has been peer-screened prior to presentation at a scientific congress. Better Model, Less Warming Bet you haven’t seen this one on TV:  A newer, more sophisticated climate model has lost more than 25% of its predicted warming!  You can bet that if it had predicted that much more warming it would have made the local paper. The change resulted from a more realistic simulation of the wa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4318310 Thu, 06 Jan 2011 19:36:06 +0100 4318310 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4272271&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007762.html Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and the University of Colorado find evidence that wind turbines alter microclimates for farm crops, possibly for the better. “We’ve finished the first phase of our research, and we’re confident that wind turbines do produce measureable effects on the microclimate near crops,” said Ames Laboratory associate and agricultural meteorology expert Gene Takle.  According to Takle, who is also a professor of agricultural meteorology and director of the Climate Science Program at Iowa State University, the slow-moving turbine blades that have become a familiar sight along Midwestern highways, channel air downwards, in effect bathing the crops below via the increased airflow they create. Wind turbines might reduce temperature e... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4272271 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4272271 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266089&cid=t_99913_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FypwyaXVAGxs%2F photo: Brennan Cavanaugh By Brennan Cavanaugh This story begins with my killing several of my Facebook friendships last holiday season. In one of my “let’s fix the world we’ve ruined” moments, I updated my FB status thusly: “So let me get this straight. We celebrate the supposed virgin birth of Jesus by cutting down a tree, only to throw it out a couple weeks later? Maybe this year we try decorating a cactus instead, or a chair, or a bike?” Subtle, right? But I forgot: You can’t mess with people’s unquestioned rituals and traditions. The crazies came out of the firewall calling me a Scrooge, wishing me a Merry Christmas, fa la la la la, dripping with sarcasm, and accusing me of self-righteous over-stepping. One woman actually told me to &#822... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266089 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:48:07 +0100 4266089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258842&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fju0qZPSZcWg%2F This study provides an elegant solution to one of the two key ice sheet instability problems” noted by the United Nations in their last (2007) climate compendium.  “It turns out that, contrary to popular belief, Greenland ice sheet flow might not be accelerated by increased melting after all,” he added. I’m not so sure that those who hold the “popular belief” can explain why Greenland’s ice didn’t melt away thousands of years ago.  For millennia, after the end of the last ice age (approximately 11,000 years ago) strong evidence indicates that the Eurasian arctic averaged nearly 13°F warmer in July than it is now. That’s because there are trees buried and preserved in the acidic Siberian tundra, and they can be carbon dated.  Where there is no forest today—because it... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258842 Mon, 13 Dec 2010 20:04:58 +0100 4258842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4241692&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007726.html CO2 is food for plants and so higher atmospheric CO2 will boost plant growth. GREENBELT, Md. -- A new NASA computer modeling effort has found that additional growth of plants and trees in a world with doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide levels would create a new negative feedback – a cooling effect – in the Earth's climate system that could work to reduce future global warming. The cooling effect would be -0.3 degrees Celsius (C) (-0.5 Fahrenheit (F)) globally and -0.6 degrees C (-1.1 F) over land, compared to simulations where the feedback was not included, said Lahouari Bounoua, of Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. Bounoua is lead author on a paper detailing the results that will be published Dec.... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4241692 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100 4241692 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4214177&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSciencebaseScienceBlog%2F%7E3%2Fl3o0iZ_2UKY%2Fclimate-change-digital-music.html Information technology has a carbon footprint, that’s beyond doubt. Now, writing in a special issue of the Journal of Industrial Ecology, Christopher Weber, Jonathan Koomey and Scott Matthews in the US in work supported by grants from Microsoft Corporation and Intel Corporation have calculated that purchasing music digitally reduces the energy and carbon dioxide emissions associated with delivering music to customers by between 40% and 80% from the best-case physical CD delivery, depending on whether a customer then burns the files to CD (it’s five times better if they don’t). They point out that digital media services, such as subscription and streaming systems, like Spotify, last.fm and Pandora have higher energy usage than direct downloads, such as iTunes, Zune, amazon... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4214177 Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:00:54 +0100 4214177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4205980&cid=t_99913_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F11%2F27%2Fwarming-world-or-just-world%2F From UCBerkeley News: Dire or emotionally charged warnings about the consequences of global warming can backfire if presented too negatively, making people less amenable to reducing their carbon footprint, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley. “Our study indicates that the potentially devastating consequences of global warming threaten people’s fundamental tendency to see the world as safe, stable and fair. As a result, people may respond by discounting evidence for global warming,” said Robb Willer, UC Berkeley social psychologist and coauthor of a study to be published in the January issue of the journal Psychological Science. “The scarier the message, the more people who are committed to vi... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4205980 Sat, 27 Nov 2010 04:48:29 +0100 4205980 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151747&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FgKhRO7iRgbM%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsNovember’s Scientific American features a profile of Georgia Tech atmospheric scientist Judith Curry,  who has committed the mortal sin of  reaching out to other scientists who hypothesize that global warming isn’t the disaster it’s been cracked up to be.  I have personal experience with this, as she invited me to give a research seminar in Tech’s prestigious School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences in 2008.  My lecture summarizing the reasons for doubting the apocalyptic synthesis of climate change was well-received by an overflow crowd. Written by Michael Lemonick, who hails from the shrill blog Climate Central, the article isn’t devoid of the usual swipes, calling her a “heretic,, which is hardly at all true.  She’s simply another hardworking sci... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151747 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:48:35 +0100 4151747 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4124988&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FN0d3BALkRh8%2F By Michael D. TannerWith Tuesday’s election widely predicted to bring a near-historic shake-up of the political establishment, here are some things we can say for certain even before the first results are tallied: This election will be a win for economic conservatives, not social conservatives.  Not surprisingly given the economic climate, economic issues dominated the campaign, with social issues barely registering.  This was particularly helpful for Republicans, since economically conservative, socially moderate suburban voters, who backed Democrats in 2006 and 2008, switched to Republicans this year. There is a lesson here for Republicans in the future. In the months leading up to the election, we have heard a great deal about the so-called “civil war” in the Republican Party.�... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4124988 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:13:22 +0100 4124988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036623&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FWFxUx2Kc9Nw%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsNOTE:  This is the first in a series of monthly posts in which Senior Fellow Patrick J. Michaels reviews interesting items on global warming in the scientific literature that may not have received the media attention that they deserved, or have been misinterpreted in the popular press. The Current Wisdom only comments on science appearing in the refereed, peer-reviewed literature, or that has been peer-screened prior to presentation at a scientific congress. The Iceman Goeth:  Good News from Greenland and Antarctica How many of us have heard that global sea level will be about a meter—more than three feet—higher in 2100 than it was in the year 2000?  There are even scarier stories, circulated by NASA’s James E. Hansen, that the rise may approach 6 meters, alt... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036623 Wed, 06 Oct 2010 20:33:17 +0100 4036623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993843&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007514.html Your position on climate engineering might be driven by how it will change rains and temperatures where you live. Reflecting sunlight from the Earth by geoengineering would undoubtedly cool the climate, but would different countries agree on how much to reflect? Research by climate scientists at the University of Bristol shows that the impact of geoengineering would be felt in very different ways across the world. Previous studies of geoengineering approaches, aimed at averting dangerous climate change, have shown that although the average global temperature could be restored to 'normal' levels, some regions would remain too warm, whereas others would 'overshoot' and cool to much. In addition, average rainfall would be reduced. People in coastal and low land regions are... (Source: FutureP... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993843 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3993843 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3920805&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fclimate-change-cynic-changes-his-mind-in-new-book%2F photo via Guardian One of the most high-profile climate change skeptics in the world has decided that he was wrong. Bjørn Lomborg, a Danish scientist who has been compared to Hitler by the United Nation’s climate chief, has a book coming out next month recommending that tens of billions of dollars be spent every year to fight climate change. This is a man who, in the past, would aggressively challenge climate change activists, scientists, and advocates. We’re wondering what made him do such an about-face. Of course, this could’ve been his plan the whole time — to vehemently argue against the significance of global warming, only to later admit he was wrong in a potential best-seller. Is this just a ploy to make money, or did Bjørn really do a genuine 180º? via The ... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920805 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:45:27 +0100 3920805 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911671&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Flike-coffee-stop-driving-your-car%2F photo: Thinkstock If you’re one of millions who can’t fully function without a cup of coffee in the morning, you might want to rethink your driving habits. The coffee berry borer beetle thrives in warm weather, which the world is seeing a lot more of lately. When the temperatures in South America climb, the beetle is able to spread to more locations, destroying coffee crops along the way. Farmers haven’t yet found a way to kill the pest, so for now, coffee drinkers should do their best to work against climate change and global warming. Would you make your life a little greener to save your much-loved cup of Joe? via Treehugger Post from: BlissTree Like Coffee? Stop Driving Your Car (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911671 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 18:03:30 +0100 3911671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3911673&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fyou-know-youre-unwell-if-you-spend-10-days-in-a-traffic-jam%2F like hundreds and hundreds of bummed-out people recently did on China’s National Highway 110 outside Beijing. Nothing was moving for more than 60 miles. Drivers were playing board games in the middle of the highway. And all involved were lucky, because the tie-up was actually supposed to last for more than a month. Blame road construction and freight traffic for this vehicular madness. Oh, and the fact that there are a lot of people in China. But somehow, the whole mess just magically cleared up this week. All righty then: So no one else on earth is allowed to complain about their work commute for a good long while. via The Economist video via CNN Post from: BlissTree You Know You're Unwell If...You Spend 10 Days In a Traffic Jam (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3911673 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:09:22 +0100 3911673 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3907574&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fjohn-cleese-makes-climate-change-funny-tortoise-makes-it-cute%2F Sick of all the depressing photos of the effects of climate change? Then you’ll be glad to watch this adorable video courtesy of the Monterey Bay Aquarium (and John Cleese). Personally, we don’t think a dose of cutesiness will kick most people into high gear as far as taking better care of the planet – but even we can’t resist that little tortoise.via The Huffington PostPost from: BlissTreeJohn Cleese Makes Climate Change Funny, Tortoise Makes It Cute (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3907574 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:00:42 +0100 3907574 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3889065&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F196204%2F Global Warming: The rising temperatures that have occurred in the last ten years have diminished plants’ ability to soak up carbon from the atmosphere. (via Guardian) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3889065 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:06:21 +0100 3889065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3885381&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fcleaning-up-emissions.html Emissions trading is an economic workaround, a fudge if you will, to reducing one’s pollution levels by buying off the emissions credits of others who are polluting less. Emissions trading (also known as cap and trade) is a market-based approach used to control pollution by providing economic incentives for achieving reductions in the emissions of pollutants. The conventional approach as first suggested back in the 1960s is that a regulator sets a cap on the level of pollution allowed. Companies then buy permits representing their allowable emissions of any given pollutant. Critically, the total amount of pollution covered by the permits cannot exceed the cap, which supposedly then limits the total emissions across an industry. Companies who anticipate exceeding their permits can the... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3885381 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:30:26 +0100 3885381 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3881048&cid=t_99913_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2010%2F08%2F18%2Fglobal-warming-hardly%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on Politics Daily. Global Warming? Hardly. Who ya gonna believe? Me? Or your fryin’ eyes? Filed under: Politics Daily Tagged: climate change, comics, global warming, gop, humor, political cartoon, republican (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3881048 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:25:21 +0100 3881048 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3876618&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fclif-2-mile-challenge-can-you-switch-from-car-to-bike-for-2-miles-or-less%2F Blisstree is big on biking – for both exercise and as an eco-friendly transportation alternative – so we’re pretty stoked about the Clif 2 Mile Challenge. Here’s how it works: At least 40% of travel in the U.S. consists of trips that are 2 miles or less, and over 90% of those trips are made by car. So Clif Bar is encouraging commuters to ditch their cars and ride their bikes for all commutes that are 2 miles or less – and they’ll give away $100,000 to three non-profit organizations that support bike advocacy and fighting climate change. Check out this video to learn more about how much biking can help the environment, and visit Clif 2 Mile Challenge’s website to register for the challenge. Which charity would you support? Do you think you could meet the ch... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3876618 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:17:39 +0100 3876618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3831325&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2F193378%2F Bye Bye Rainforests: According to a new study, climate change and deforestation are going to wipe out tropical rainforests in about 90 years. (via Treehugger) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3831325 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:30:16 +0100 3831325 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798518&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007365.html Cutting soot emissions could cool the planet. The quickest, best way to slow the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice is to reduce soot emissions from the burning of fossil fuel, wood and dung, according to a new study by Stanford researcher Mark Z. Jacobson. Since soot is bad for human health soot emissions reduction ought to go the head of the line of methods for cutting global warming. Even people who question the anthropogenic global warming theory should be able to see soot reduction as good public policy. Only carbon dioxide causes a bigger warming effect. His analysis shows that soot is second only to carbon dioxide in contributing to global warming. But, he said, climate models to date... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798518 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3798518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3798525&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fthe-oracle-speaks-global-warming-will-kill-all-humans-in-100-years%2F Frank Fenner, looking appropriately smug in a photo from The Daily Mail. Frank Fenner, a scientist who helped eliminate smallpox, has predicted that human race will become extinct at some point soon, possibly within 100 years. Why? Because of climate change. A hundred years seems like a pretty short sentence to hand an entire species (maybe he’s been reading too much Cormac McCarthy?), but his doom predictions are as good a reminder as any of the seriousness of climate change. It seems like some people just don’t get it, and maybe this will convince them that we really need to do all we can to save the planet. And ourselves, apparently. via The Daily Mail Post from: BlissTree The Oracle Speaks: Global Warming Will Kill All Humans In 100 Years (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3798525 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:37:30 +0100 3798525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3767037&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007350.html Raising the albedo (reflectivity) of roofs and pavement with lighter colored and more reflective material could delay the effects of higher atmospheric CO2 by about 2 years. In the latest study, the Berkeley Lab researchers and their collaborators used a detailed global land surface model from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, which contained regional information on surface variables, such as topography, evaporation, radiation and temperature, as well as on cloud cover. For the northern hemisphere summer, they found that increasing the reflectivity of roof and pavement materials in cities with a population greater than 1 million would achieve a one-time offset of 57 gigatons (1gigaton equals 1 billion metric tons) of CO2 emissions (31 Gt from roofs and 26 Gt... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3767037 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3767037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740553&cid=t_99913_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F07%2F09%2Fhealthmatters-2010-no-79%2F Title: Saving energy Skinny: Under the government’s Climate Change Act (2008) reducing carbon emissions is something the public sector must do. Hand-in-hand with the goal to cut emissions is the need to improve patients care using technology. Article suggests solution. Filed under: Environmental, Integrated Care Tagged: Climate Change, Public Sector, Quality of Patient Care (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740553 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:00:37 +0100 3740553 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733056&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fyou-know-youre-unwell-if-you-live-in-the-northeast-because-its-really-really-hot%2F In fact, as you probably know, there’s a major heat wave happening in the Northeast. The Mid-Atlantic, too. And parts of the South. It was 103 degrees in New York City yesterday. So we’re allowed to complain about it a little bit. And then we’re going for ice cream. Post from: BlissTree You Know You're Unwell If...You Live In the Northeast, Because It's Really, Really Hot (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733056 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 14:00:12 +0100 3733056 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3710524&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007291.html One of the methods proposed to cool the planet involves building lots of large floating spray pump systems that would use wind or wave energy to spray water into the atmosphere. The purpose of the water would be to create more white clouds that would reflect away more sunlight and thereby cool the planet. Ken Caldeira and associates find that the ocean spray approach would increase the amount of precipitation on land. Palo Alto, CA— One proposed emergency fix to halt global warming is to seed clouds over the ocean to make them more reflective, reducing the solar radiation absorbed by the Earth. But the scheme could also change global rainfall patterns, raising concerns of water shortages on land. A... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3710524 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3710524 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3683581&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007269.html Rising yields in agriculture reduced the need to convert forests to farm land and by doing so reduced the amount of carbon dioxide released when forests get razed. Advances in high-yield agriculture over the latter part of the 20th century have prevented massive amounts of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere – the equivalent of 590 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide – according to a new study led by two Stanford Earth scientists. The yield improvements reduced the need to convert forests to farmland, a process that typically involves burning of trees and other plants, which generates carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The researchers estimate that if not for increased yields, additional greenhouse gas emissions from clearing land... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3683581 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3683581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3581556&cid=t_99913_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F20%2Fheatwave-plan-for-england-protecting-health-and-reducing-harm-from-extreme-heat-and-heatwaves%2F Title: Heatwave plan for England: protecting health and reducing harm from extreme heat and heatwaves Skinny: Aims to enhance resilience in the event of a heatwave. It is an important component of overall emergency planning. Publisher: DH Size of Publication: 47p. Published: 23/03/2010 Filed under: Ambulance Services, Emergency Planning, Grey Literature, Hospitals, NHS, Primary Care, Strategic Health Authorities, Strategic Planning Tagged: Climate, Disaster Planning, Emergency Planning, Environement, Grey Literature, Heatwave, NHS, Strategic Planning (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3581556 Thu, 20 May 2010 04:01:57 +0100 3581556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577511&cid=t_99913_125_f&fid=34820&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dentalblogs.com%2Farchives%2Fadministrator%2Fdr-radz-on-the-aacd-meeting%2F Two weeks ago, I attended the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s annual meeting in Dallas. Traffic is up, people are happy, and the positive atmosphere I noticed in January and February has continued. It’s especially good to see because there are more dentists at the AACD meeting who focus on elective procedures in their practices. The  temperature showed that things in even cosmetic dentistry are looking up. When you see patients coming back for elective services, it indicates consumer confidence and a positive trend. The one piece of technology that I saw (and had already purchased) was Discus’s new diode laser, the NV,  that’s extremely small and cordless. The booth was crowded, but I took my friends over to show them because I  am so pleased with my NV laser. It’s gr... dental blog for dentists about dentistry blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577511 Wed, 19 May 2010 13:41:56 +0100 3577511 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577338&cid=t_99913_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F05%2F19%2Fon-the-state-of-the-public-health-annual-report-of-the-chief-medical-officer-2009%2F Title: On the State of the Public Health: Annual report of the Chief Medical Officer 2009 Skinny: Annual report of the Chief Medical Officer identifies the need and value of: Physical activity Impact of winter on mortality Rare diseases Value of grandparents in parenting Climate change and health Regional reports of good practice Publisher: DH Size of Publication: 81p. Published: 15/03/2010 Filed under: Environment, Grey Literature, NHS, Public Health Tagged: Climate, Grandparents, Grey Literature, Parenting, Physical Activity, Public Health, Rare Diseases, Winter Planning (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577338 Wed, 19 May 2010 10:57:22 +0100 3577338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560214&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ftbj9Cdviku0%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsI see that my colleague Sallie James has already blogged on the inherent protectionism in the Senate’s long-awaited cap-and-tax bill.  A summary was leaked last night by The Hill. Well, we now have the real “discussion draft” of  “The American Power Act” [APA], sponsored by John Kerry (D-NH) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT).  Lindsay Graham (R-SC) used to be on the earlier drafts, but excused himself to have a temper tantrum. So, while Sallie talked about the trade aspects of the bill, I’d like to blather about the mechanics, costs, and climate effects. If you don’t want to read the excruciating details, stop here and note that it mandates the impossible, will not produce any meaningful reduction of planetary warming, and it will subsidize just about every fo... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560214 Wed, 12 May 2010 19:42:53 +0100 3560214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3560218&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F7gyl_CIugRU%2F By Sallie JamesThe Kerry-Lieberman-Graham (is he still part of these efforts?) climate bill summary has been leaked. I’m sure my colleague Pat Michaels will weigh in on its contents soon, but in the meantime I thought I would comment on the trade-related aspects of the bill, or at least the summary that is now in the public domain. As Scott Lincicome points out, the drafters have gone to great pains to emphasize that this bill is, like, totally about saving the environment.  (Which, by the way, is a bit of a turnaround). I’ve blogged before about why advocates of “border adjustment measures” need to be careful about the justification they offer.  In short, the World Trade Organization does not look too kindly upon disguised protectionism, and any legal challenger... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3560218 Wed, 12 May 2010 16:48:23 +0100 3560218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545423&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fworld-fair-trade-day-is-tomorrow%2F World Fair Trade Day (Saturday, May is a global celebration of Fair Trade, the trading partnership initiative that aims to combat poverty, food crises, and global warming. Tomorrow there will be indoor and outdoor Fair Trade events around the world with food, coffee, music, games, films, shopping, chocolate, ice cream, and lots of other Fair Trade products and activities. Check out the World Fair Trade Day website to find an event near you. Post from: BlissTree World Fair Trade Day Is Tomorrow! (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545423 Fri, 07 May 2010 19:43:53 +0100 3545423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3529764&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKfDaa9S6bb4%2F By Ilya ShapiroLast October, I blogged about Comer v. Murphy Oil USA, a lawsuit in Mississippi alleging that the defendant oil, coal, utility, and chemical companies emit carbon dioxide, which causes global warming, which exacerbated Hurricane Katrina, which damaged the plaintiffs’ property.  Mass tort litigation specialist Russell Jackson called the case “the litigator’s equivalent to the game ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.’”  In a brief that Cato was due to file this week, I framed the operative question as, “When a butterfly flaps its wings, can it be sued for the damage any subsequent tsunami causes?” The plaintiffs asserted a variety of theories under Mississippi common law, but the main issue at this stage was whether the plaintiffs had standing, or ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3529764 Tue, 04 May 2010 12:47:50 +0100 3529764 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3508137&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2F175999%2F Is Climate Change Making You Sneeze? Increased carbon dioxide levels lead to longer Spring Seasons and warmer weather, which means high pollen levels and a tougher season for allergy sufferers, according to Mother Jones. Post from: BlissTree (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3508137 Mon, 26 Apr 2010 19:04:30 +0100 3508137 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3502790&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007124.html At a conference on the ethical, political, and scientific issues surrounding climate engineering Princeton University climate researcher Robert Socolow laid out a variety of scenarios in which countries decide to do climate engineering unilaterally. In one, a single country unilaterally pumps aerosols into the stratosphere to block the Sun's rays and preserve — or perhaps create — a climate of its own liking. In another, climate policies result in a world full of forest plantations that are created solely to store the greatest possible amount of carbon, with no regard for preserving biodiversity. Or what if the very possibility of using geoengineering to mitigate climate change gives political leaders cover to say that greenhouse gases aren't a problem? The morning... (Source: FuturePund... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3502790 Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3502790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490792&cid=t_99913_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2F_djb9Hdoj9Q%2F The global environment crisis is, as we say in Tennessee, real as rain, and I cannot stand the thought of leaving my children with a degraded earth and a diminished future. – Al Gore Post from: BlissTree Earth Week Quote of the Day: Al Gore on the Environment (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490792 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:00:03 +0100 3490792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3487276&cid=t_99913_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FY6kk-AP1LUY%2F Google Wants to Price Your Carbon: Dan Reicher, Google’s director of climate change and energy initiatives, argues that carbon pricing is good for the climate and for business. (On Planet Green’s video news) Post from: BlissTree (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3487276 Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:09:53 +0100 3487276 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3483037&cid=t_99913_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FBbLL_Z5pbnM%2F This video from Moms Against Climate Change was originally made to encourage Canada’s role in the UN Climate Change Summit last December, but we’re watching it again in honor of Earth Week. Earth Day is this Thursday, April 22: Post from: BlissTree Earth Week Video of the Day: Moms Against Climate Change (Source: Genetics and Health) Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3483037 Mon, 19 Apr 2010 12:34:33 +0100 3483037 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3482866&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007103.html Where' the heat? Some scientists want to know. Current observational tools cannot account for roughly half of the heat that is believed to have built up on Earth in recent years, according to a "Perspectives" article in this week's issue of the journal Science. Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., warn that satellite sensors, ocean floats, and other instruments are inadequate to track this "missing" heat, which may be building up in the deep oceans or elsewhere in the climate system. "The heat will come back to haunt us sooner or later," says NCAR scientist Kevin Trenberth, the article's lead author. "The reprieve we've had from warming temperatures in the last few years will... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3482866 Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3482866 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3475775&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F007098.html Vehicles powered by natural gas would leak methane that would warm the planet way more than CO2. In fact, using natural gas rather than diesel in vehicles could actually increase climate change, says Robert Howarth, professor of ecology and environmental biology at Cornell University. "You're aggravating global warming more if you switch," he says. Howarth is basing his conclusion on a preliminary analysis that includes not only the amount of carbon dioxide that comes out of a tailpipe when you burn diesel and natural gas, but also the impact of natural gas leaks. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is much more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, so even small amounts of it contribute significantly to global... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3475775 Thu, 15 Apr 2010 23:00:00 +0100 3475775 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3424901&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fclimate-emails-ms-gulf-stream.html Latest science news snippets Hacked climate emails – Hacked climate email inquiry clears Jones but questions remain Trekking for multiple sclerosis – Wendy Booker (wendybooker.net), is determined to change the face of MS. Her mission? Climb the Seven Summits—the highest mountains on each continent; making her the first person with an MS diagnosis to do so. Expectations are she’ll conquer Everest, at 29,000 feet (the last of the Seven Summits) this May — right around World MS Day. The Gulf Stream ‘is not slowing down’ – The Himalaya, now the Gulf Stream are hot topics among climate change skeptics who assert that the climate models are once again throwing us a curve. The Alchemist for March 23, 2010 – The Alchemist has an eclectic mix o... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3424901 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:00:36 +0100 3424901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3342624&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006998.html Count me in the crowd who think cap-and-trade as a method for cutting CO2 emissions is a bad idea. It gets gamed by industries that have the best lobbyists. Europe serves as a poster boy for how cap-and-trade leads to ridiculous outcomes. Powerful firms got more carbon emission permits than they needed and sold them for big profits. PARIS—Europe’s system for industrial carbon quotas has enriched the continent’s biggest polluters, with 10 firms together reaping permits for 2008 alone worth $680 million, a new report revealed. Dominated by steel and cement makers, the same “carbon fat cats” stand to collect surplus CO2 permits that—at current market rates—could be worth $4.3 billion by 2012, it said. Of course, the whole point... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3342624 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3342624 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3335285&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FiEItZahRNDc%2F By Sallie JamesSen. John Kerry (D, MA) made an, er, interesting rhetorical case yesterday (as reported on E2 Wire, The Hill’s Energy and Environment blog) that borrows heavily from the Bush playbook: your patriotism hinges on voting for his favored policy — in this case, a climate change bill. Not that the bill is really about climate change, of course. It’s about a list of goodies completely unrelated to the changing political winds: What we are talking about is a jobs bill. It is not a climate bill. It is a jobs bill, and it is a clean air bill. It is a national security, energy independence bill,” he told reporters in the Capitol… “And people are going to have to decide whether they are going to vote for America or against it,” he concluded. (Source: Cato-... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3335285 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:17:19 +0100 3335285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3311763&cid=t_99913_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F26%2Fvalue-affirmation-and-the-situation-of-climate-change-beliefs%2F On NPR’s All Things Considered, Situationist Contributor Dan Kahan and Donald Braman were interviewed this week by Christopher Joyce regarding their important work on cultural cognition.  Here is an excerpt. * * * Over the past few months, polls show that fewer Americans say they believe humans are making the planet dangerously warmer, and that is despite a raft of scientific reports that say otherwise. And that puzzles many climate scientists, but not social scientists. As NPR’s Christopher Joyce reports, some of their research suggests that when people encounter new information, facts may not be as important as beliefs. CHRISTOPHER JOYCE: The divide between climate believers and disbelievers can be as wide as a West Virginia valley, and that’s where two of them square... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3311763 Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:01:47 +0100 3311763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3294554&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006965.html Assuming humans do not go extinct we should be able to prevent future ice ages. NASA Goddard Institute director and climate scientist James Hansen's Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity has a relevant passage. He says the Earth won't experience ice ages as long as humans live here. The size of continental-scale ice sheets is mind-boggling. Although thinner toward the edges, ice over New York towered several times higher than the Empire State building--thick enough to crush everything in today's New York City to smithereens. But not to worry--even though we sometimes hear geoscientists talk as if ice ages will occur again, it won't happen--unless humans go extinct.... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3294554 Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3294554 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3291863&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006959.html One way to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere involves pumping deep and nutrient-rich water up to the surface where the nutrients will boost algae growth and thereby pull lots of carbon from the atmosphere as carbon gets fixed to hydrogen (to make sugars, fats. protein) by photosynthesis. But some researchers in Germany find that if the pumping system ever stops the rebound would be worse never intervening in the first place. Pumping nutrient-rich water up from the deep ocean to boost algal growth in sunlit surface waters and draw carbon dioxide down from the atmosphere has been touted as a way of ameliorating global warming. However, a new study led by Professor Andreas Oschlies of the Leibniz Institute of... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3291863 Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3291863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3287722&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDRfzOrjjU3U%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsThere are numerous possible reasons for UN climate chief Yvo de Boer’s decision to resign—from his inability to cobble together a new climate treaty last December in Copenhagen (where he wept on the podium), to recent revelations of his agency’s mishandling of climate change data. What the climate science community and the public should focus on now are the ramifications of de Boer’s resignation.  For one thing, it signals that hope is dead for a UN-brokered global treaty that would have any meaningful effect on global temperatures.  It also means that the UN intends to keep its Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pretty much intact under the leadership of the scientifically compromised Rajenda Pauchari, who should have resigned along with de Boer.... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3287722 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:54:05 +0100 3287722 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3283535&cid=t_99913_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2764 I had never intended to write about climate. It is too far from the things I know about. But recent events have unleashed a Palin-esque torrent of comments from people who clearly know even less about it than I do. In any case, it provides a good context to think about trust in science, Earthrise from moon. (click to enlarge) My interest in it, apart from little matters like the future of the planet, lies in the reputation of science and scientists. I have been going on for years now about the lack of trust in science, and the extent to which it is a self-inflicted problem. The latest reactions to the developments at the University of East Anglia and the IPCC may show the nature of the problem with dreadful clarity, Many of us came into science because, apart from the sheer be... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3283535 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:09:04 +0100 3283535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3287705&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006957.html In an area around the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada the permafrost line has moved 130 kilometers (80 miles) northward in the last 50 years. Quebec City, February 17, 2010–The southern limit of permanently frozen ground, or permafrost, is now 130 kilometers further north than it was 50 years ago in the James Bay region, according to two researchers from the Department of Biology at Université Laval. In a recent issue of the scientific journal Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, Serge Payette and Simon Thibault suggest that, if the trend continues, permafrost in the region will completely disappear in the near future. The researchers measured the retreat of the permafrost border by observing hummocks known as "palsas," which form... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3287705 Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3287705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3279943&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006950.html The natural history of the planet Earth is full of extreme events that would wipe out humans if they occurred today. Geoengineering -- deliberate manipulation of the Earth's climate to slow or reverse global warming -- has gained a foothold in the climate change discussion. But before effective action can be taken, the Earth's natural biogeochemical cycles must be better understood. Two Northwestern University studies, both published online recently by Nature Geoscience, contribute new -- and related -- clues as to what drove large-scale changes to the carbon cycle nearly 100 million years ago. Both research teams conclude that a massive amount of volcanic activity introduced carbon dioxide and sulfur into the atmosphere, which in turn had a significant impact... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3279943 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3279943 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3272966&cid=t_99913_109_f&fid=36089&url=http%3A%2F%2Fthesituationist.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F02%2F15%2Fthe-situation-of-scientific-consensus%2F Situationist Contributor Dan Kahan, Hank Jenkins-Smith, and Donald Braman, have just posted another fascinating paper, “Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus” on SSRN.  Here’s the abstract. * * * Why do members of the public disagree – sharply and persistently – about facts on which expert scientists largely agree? We designed a study to test a distinctive explanation: the cultural cognition of scientific consensus. The “cultural cognition of risk” refers to the tendency of individuals to form risk perceptions that are congenial to their values. The study presents both correlational and experimental evidence confirming that cultural cognition shapes individuals’ beliefs about the existence of scientific consensus, and the process by which they for... The Situationist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3272966 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:01:09 +0100 3272966 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3248525&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006927.html Warming will reduce winter snow pack and therefore reduce tree growth in summer due to lack of water. Contrary to conventional belief, as the climate warms and growing seasons lengthen subalpine forests are likely to soak up less carbon dioxide, according to a new University of Colorado at Boulder study.As a result, more of the greenhouse gas will be left to concentrate in the atmosphere."Our findings contradict studies of other ecosystems that conclude longer growing seasons actually increase plant carbon uptake," said Jia Hu, who conducted the research as a graduate student in CU-Boulder's ecology and evolutionary biology department in conjunction with the university's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, or CIRES.The study will be published in the February... (S... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3248525 Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3248525 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3235799&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006921.html Painting roofs white in order to cool the planet has been proposed previously. Now some scientists do some computer modeling of the effects of more reflective roofing in cities. BOULDER—Painting the roofs of buildings white has the potential to significantly cool cities and mitigate some impacts of global warming, a new study indicates. The new NCAR-led research suggests there may be merit to an idea advanced by U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu that white roofs can be an important tool to help society adjust to climate change. But the study team, led by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), cautions that there are still many hurdles between the concept and actual use of white roofs to counteract... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3235799 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3235799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3231436&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006917.html Faster tree growth in eastern US forests in recent years. Speed is not a word typically associated with trees; they can take centuries to grow. However, a new study to be published the week of Feb. 1 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has found evidence that forests in the Eastern United States are growing faster than they have in the past 225 years. The study offers a rare look at how an ecosystem is responding to climate change. For more than 20 years forest ecologist Geoffrey Parker has tracked the growth of 55 stands of mixed hardwood forest plots in Maryland. The plots range in size, and some are as large as 2 acres. Parker's research... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3231436 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3231436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3224814&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006911.html Global temperatures over the last 10 years haven't risen as fast climate models predicted based on rising CO2. A new report might explain this result: a decline in water vapor appears to have slowed the warming. A decrease in water vapor concentrations in parts of the middle atmosphere has contributed to a slowing of Earth’s warming, researchers are reporting. The finding, they said, offers part of the explanation for a string of years with relatively stable global surface temperatures. Anyone know what mechanism might be responsible for the changes in water vapor reported in this study? Any reason to expect a continuation or reversal in the water vapor decline? A period of increasing stratospheric water vapor was followed by a... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3224814 Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3224814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3216547&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006904.html If the world heats up too much climate engineering with aersols might be needed. Internationally coordinated research and field-testing on 'geoengineering' the planet's atmosphere to limit risk of climate change should begin soon along with building international governance of the technology, say scientists from the University of Calgary and the United States. Collaborative and government-supported studies on solar-radiation management, a form of geo-engineering, would reduce the risk of nations' unilateral experiments and help identify technologies with the least risk, says U of C scientist David Keith, in an article published in the Jan. 27 online edition of Nature. Co-authors of the opinion piece are Edward Parson at the University of Michigan and Granger Morgan at Carnegie Mellon Unive... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3216547 Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3216547 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204834&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdX2X8JYc_vA%2F By Chris Moody The massive impact government spending has on job creation. Why climate change spurs whining about cold snaps. Beware the “Crusader Temptation”: “Afghanistan has become a target of aggressive pro-war activists in America, including feminists who believe in waging war to improve the status of women.” What happens when the only socialist in the U.S. Senate starts to look moderate when compared to his colleagues? Podcast: “Bush’s Budget-Busting Binge,” featuring Chris Edwards. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204834 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:15:30 +0100 3204834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139013&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006843.html If the current interglacial is going to naturally cause sea levels to rise 6.6 meters (21.6 feet) would you favor unnatural measures to stop it? Or would you prefer to lose south Florida as long as the cause isn't humans? In the last interglacial a lot more ice melted. At least that's the claim of a recent paper in Nature. We find a 95% probability that global sea level peaked at least 6.6 m higher than today during the last interglacial; it is likely (67% probability) to have exceeded 8.0 m but is unlikely (33% probability) to have exceeded 9.4 m. When global sea level was close to its current level (≥-10 m), the millennial average rate of global sea... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139013 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3139013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3137616&cid=t_99913_132_f&fid=35024&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBlindscientist%2F%7E3%2FUtWBLhTI55Q%2F At the time of the Copenhagen meeting about climate change, Brazilian representatives were major protagonists, specially when criticizing all developed countries about their carbon emissions. The crook, also known as the Brazilian president, kept reminding everyone how advance Brazil is on “green” policies, how much native forests are still there, and saying the the developed countries have to do something to erase their polluted heritage. Well, I don’t think many of my 3 readers (yes, I got an extra one this last week!) have ever been to Brazil, so I would like to list some of the lies about Brazilian “green” policies and actions: - São Paulo is the largest city of the Southern Hemisphere, and there’s no effective recycling service. Now, imagine, 10+ ... Blind.Scientist blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3137616 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:59:28 +0100 3137616 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3139014&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006842.html If the current interglacial is going to naturally cause sea levels to rise 6.6 meters (21.6 feet) would you favor unnatural measures to stop it? Or would you prefer to lose south Florida as long as the cause isn't humans? In the last interglacial a lot more ice melted. At least that's the claim of a recent paper in Nature. We find a 95% probability that global sea level peaked at least 6.6 m higher than today during the last interglacial; it is likely (67% probability) to have exceeded 8.0 m but is unlikely (33% probability) to have exceeded 9.4 m. When global sea level was close to its current level (≥-10 m), the millennial average rate of global sea... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3139014 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3139014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3129477&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006825.html Writing in Technology Review Duke University prof Franklin Hadley Cocks says even if a worst case scenario for global warming happens in a couple thousand years we'll be headed into the next Ice Age. Even if the rate of growth could be moderated enough to stabilize levels at about 550 ppmv, average temperatures might well rise by about 5 oC--with devastating effects for us earthlings, such as rising sea levels and dramatic changes in weather patterns. But even that warming will not stave off the eventual return of huge glaciers, because ice ages last for millennia and fossil fuels will not.In about 300 years, all available fossil fuels may well have been consumed.Over the following centuries, excess carbon dioxide will... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3129477 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3129477 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3115253&cid=t_99913_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F12%2F23%2Fneutral-news-network-tackles-climate-change%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. Neutral News Network Tackles Climate Change. Posted in Politics Daily Tagged: chaos theory, climate change, cnn, global warming, mainstream media, msm, political cartoon, propaganda (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3115253 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:08:05 +0100 3115253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3115049&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006810.html Writing in Technology Review Kevin Bullis reports that mainstream scientists are beginning to accept the necessity of climate engineering. Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide have already climbed to 385 parts per million, well over the 350 parts per million that many scientists say is the upper limit for a relatively stable climate. And despite government-led efforts to limit carbon emissions in many countries, annual emissions from fossil-fuel combustion are going up, not down: over the last two decades, they have increased 41 percent. In the last 10 years, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by nearly two parts per million every year. At this rate, they'll be twice preindustrial levels by the end of the century.... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3115049 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3115049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3104990&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FFC4-rdlcDkw%2F By Patrick J. MichaelsLate Friday afternoon, the White house announced a “meaningful agreement” at the Copenhagen climate summit.  Details are currently unavailable, but a White House official said that developed and developing countries have agreed to list their national actions and commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a “target” of a two degree (Celsius) limit to any further global warming. In other words, there are no specific emissions reductions targets and timetables.  A country may choose no national reductions, or maybe a national program and that would be their “list.” And just what carbon dioxide level will stop warming over two degrees? No one knows, at least until computer models stop forecasting warming that isn’t happ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3104990 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:40:35 +0100 3104990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3104994&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2M-FiGahb1g%2F By Chris Moody How to manufacture a climate consensus: “The East Anglia emails are just the tip of the iceberg.” Forecast for Copenhagen: “Cloudy with a chance of nothing.” A tale of how far modern “constitutional law” has taken us toward the executive state. How the president’s policies are holding back the economy: “Right now, the best thing Washington can do for our economy is to simply stop what it has been doing.” Podcast: “Liberty, Tradition and Values“ (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3104994 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:22:40 +0100 3104994 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3104996&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FSSVKuxXsqbI%2F By Roger PilonPolitico asks, “Was he convincing?” My response: In Copenhagen this morning, President Obama convinced only those who want to believe — of which, regrettably, there is no shortage.  Notice how he began, utterly without doubt:  “You would not be here unless you, like me, were convinced that this danger is real.  This is not fiction, this is science.”  The implicit certitude is no part of real science, of course.  But then the president, like the environmental zealots cheering him in Copenhagen, are not really interested in real science.  Theirs, ultimately, is a political agenda.  How else to explain the corruption of science that the East Anglia Climate Research email scandal has brought to light, and the efforts, presently, to dismiss the s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3104996 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:49:18 +0100 3104996 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3104997&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJPUOod4bfg0%2F By Daniel J. MitchellPat Michaels and others are working heroically to save America from global central planning for purposes of combatting global warming (or climate change, or whatever they’re calling it now). But let’s also be thankful this holiday season for our Founding Fathers, who wisely created a system based on separation of powers. If the United States had a parliamentary system, there would be no hope of derailing some of the statist schemes being discusssed in DC, even if Pat worked 24 hours a day. The secretary of state, for instance, is issuing pronouncements about putting American tapxayers on the chopping block to help finance $100 billion per year of new “climate change” foreign aid. This money can only be squandered, however, if the House and Sen... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3104997 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:44:29 +0100 3104997 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096834&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FkoW2Ldme7gM%2F By Andrei IllarionovYesterday, the Moscow-based Institute of Economic Analysis (IEA), of which I am President, issued a study (in Russian), “How Warming Is Being Made: The Case of Russia.” The report, prepared by IEA director Natalya Pivovarova, suggests that the Hadley Center for Climate Change based at the headquarters of the British Meteorological Office in Exeter (Devon, England) and the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia (CRU) in Norwich (England) apparently cherry-picked Russian climate data. The IEA report shows that Russian meteorological-station data in the last 130 years did not substantiate the rate of warming on Russian territory suggested by the Hadley Climate Research Unit Temperature (HadCRUT) database, which has now been partially released. IEA analy... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096834 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:47:47 +0100 3096834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092670&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fiux8TkE4uBY%2F By Chris Moody The top five most unbelievable lines from the health care reform debate this year. Alan Reynolds: Hey, leave Lieberman alone. “Human interest stories are sure to get readers’ sympathy. But emotion is no substitute for common sense.” The money behind climate science. Podcast: “Trouble for the Race to the Top Fund.” Cato Weekly Video: Is there a contradiction between Christianity and capitalism? (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092670 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:11:02 +0100 3092670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092884&cid=t_99913_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F12%2F15%2F2839%2F I say, “Bien oui!” to The Yes Men! Copenhagen Spoof Shames Canada; Climate Debt No Joke The Yes Men Punk Canada Who Are The Yes Men and Why Did They Punk Canada at Copenhagen Like Rick Mercer and This Hour has 22 Minutes, there’s a lot more truth than spoof in the treatment of Canada’s environmental policy by [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092884 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:35:32 +0100 3092884 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092659&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006793.html Bjorn Lomborg argues that we could adapt global warming more cheaply than we could prevent it. Take malaria. Most estimates suggest that if nothing is done, 3% more of the Earth's population will be at risk of infection by 2100. The most efficient global carbon cuts designed to keep average global temperatures from rising any higher than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels (a plan proposed by the industrialized G-8 nations) would cost the world $40 trillion a year in lost economic growth by 2100—and have only a marginal impact on reducing the at-risk malaria population. By contrast, we could spend $3 billion a year on mosquito nets, environmentally safe indoor DDT sprays, and subsidies for new therapies—and within 10... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092659 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3092659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3084748&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006781.html John Tierney points to discussions by climate scientists about whether to do climate engineering to prevent global warming. Tierney is confident that the nations of the world are not going to agree to huge sacrifices to cut back on carbon dioxide emissions. I tend to agree. So if CO2 really is going to warm the planet other measures will be needed to deal with it. So climate engineering is getting wider consideration. The National Academy of Sciences and Britain’s Royal Society are preparing reports on climate engineering, and the Obama administration has promised to consider it. But so far there has been virtually no government support for research and development — certainly nothing like the tens of billions of dollars... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3084748 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3084748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3082389&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FEhrIgHk52wE%2F By Andrei IllarionovAs the Copenhagen Climate Conference is taking place, it is appropriate to clarify once again what is more or less accurately known about the climate of our planet and about climate change. Obviously, a brief post can not substitute for detailed studies of professionals in a variety of scientific disciplines – climatology, atmospheric physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy, and economics. However, a short post can summarize basic theses on the main trends in climate evolution, on its forecasts, and on its actual and projected effects. 1. The Earth’s climate is constantly changing. The climate was changing in the past, is changing now and, obviously, will be changing in the future – as long as our planet exists. 2. Climatic changes are largely cyclical in nature. T... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3082389 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:33:41 +0100 3082389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3079305&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006773.html The question of climate sensitivity to atmospheric carbon dioxide levels is unsettled. If we only knew the correct level of temperature sensitivity to CO2 concentration we would have a much more accurate view of what is in store for our climate future. But no. A new paper argues that the climate is far more sensitive to CO2 changes than previously thought. The climate may be 30–50 percent more sensitive to atmospheric carbon dioxide in the long term than previously thought, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience yesterday.  Projections over the next hundreds of years of climate conditions, including global temperatures, may need to be adjusted to reflect this higher sensitivity. Is this report correct? I think it illustrates... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3079305 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3079305 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3075484&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FnclzWcxzEUg%2F By David BoazCould it be the Washington Post? Bannered across the top of the Post’s op-ed page today is a piece titled “Copenhagen’s political science,” titularly authored by Sarah Palin. I’m delighted to see the Post publishing an op-ed critical of the questionable science behind the Copenhagen conference and the demands for massive regulations to deal with “climate change.” But Sarah Palin? Of all the experts and political leaders a great newspaper might call on for a critical look at the science behind global warming, Sarah Palin? What’s even more interesting is that the Post also ran an op-ed by Palin in July. But during this entire year, the Post has not run any op-eds by such credible and accomplished Republicans as Gov. Mitch Daniels; ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3075484 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:33:02 +0100 3075484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3067013&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FyefUWEV1P1c%2F By Patrick J. Michaels25,000 bureaucrats, factota, hangers on, and representatives of various environmental organizations have just converged on Copehagen for the UN’s latest “Conference of the Parties (COP) to its infamous 1992 climate treaty. Expect a lot of heat, not much light, and a punt right into our next election. President Obama says that the US will agree to a “politically binding” reduction of our emissions of carbon dioxide to a mere 17% of 2005 levels by 2050. This will allow the average American the carbon dioxide emission of the average citizen in 1867. Obama’s pronouncement has stepped all over the toes of the US Senate, which really doesn’t want to vote on similar legislation this election year. Jim Webb, a democrat heretofore very loyal to the President recent... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3067013 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:01:37 +0100 3067013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3039727&cid=t_99913_85_f&fid=34924&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baggas.com%2Fposts%2F2009%2F11%2F30%2Fliberal-woes%2F Things are yet again quiet here at work so I’ve had plenty of time to scan the various news websites and read up on the Liberal party leadership intrigues. Here’s my 2c worth. 1. Malcolm Turnbull lost my remaining respect for him when he publicly sabotaged Joe Hockey on the weekend. It’s clear Turnbull has virtually no chance of remaining leader so why pre-emptively criticise the one person who might be a succesful leader who actually agrees somewhat with Turnbull’s position on the ETS? Turnbull’s loyalty only seems to be to himself rather than the good of his party. 2. Joe Hockey is my favourite person in the Liberals. He seems like a nice, smart guy with sensible opinions on things and he’s a Christian as well. I do feel sorry for him though because he... Baggas' Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3039727 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:59:41 +0100 3039727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3036006&cid=t_99913_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fpsycochemotherapy-for-masses.html The bitter fruits of our common human experience of the last rough decade are being distilled into an un-cordial essence of well-earned contempt. It's a distillation I savor at times like this; while I doubt it's good for me in the long run, and I do try to avoid overproduction from my own fruits - at the same time, perhaps it may do some good.As does chemotherapy - a toxin designed to be somewhat more fatal to a disease than the organism it's trying to kill. Axel erupts with what might be a promising insight in a thread over at FiveThirtyEight.Dwight, what you need to understand about today's rightwinger is that he wants all the ideological gratification with none of the work required.Surely you won't deny him the pleasure of running around with the rest of the mob while chanting the same... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3036006 Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:34:00 +0100 3036006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3012368&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ful9uy7lpje4%2F There are two different stories coming from the same political party on global warming, leading to only one conclusion: President Obama is about to (or has) ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to mandate some type of cap on U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. Harry Reid and other democratic leaders in the Senate have clearly indicated that cap-and-trade legislation will be put off at least, until what they call “spring”, which is long after the upcoming UN climate conference in Copenhagen next month. At the same time, President Obama has said that the U.S., along with China, will announce some type of emissions cap in Copenhagen. Obviously this cannot refer to legislation that has yet to be voted on in the Senate. President Obama keeps using the language “operati... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3012368 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:25:54 +0100 3012368 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2992659&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FCo0EmhS-QJo%2F Well, here’s an interesting pair. Today’s Washington Post contains an op-ed on climate change and trade, written jointly by Fred Bergsten, director of the Peterson Institute of International Economics, and Lori Wallach, director of Global Trade Watch at Public Citizen.  The authors readily admit, quite early in the piece, that they are usually on opposing sides of the trade debate.  The Peterson Institute scholars are well-known and well-respected advocates of freer international trade. Global Trade Watch, and Wallach in particular? Not so much. She has called NAFTA a “disastrous experiment” and has a special section on her website calling on people to Take Action! on trade (example: by hosting a house party to celebrate the tenth anniversary of ” the hist... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2992659 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:04:33 +0100 2992659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2989119&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006711.html William Patterson of the University of Saskatchewan, says the Younger Dryas mini Ice Age came on in a matter of months. JUST months - that's how long it took for Europe to be engulfed by an ice age. The scenario, which comes straight out of Hollywood blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow, was revealed by the most precise record of the climate from palaeohistory ever generated. Around 12,800 years ago the northern hemisphere was hit by the Younger Dryas mini ice age, or "Big Freeze". It was triggered by the slowdown of the Gulf Stream, led to the decline of the Clovis culture in North America, and lasted around 1300 years. Can our climate suddenly change drastically? Yes. We can't be... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2989119 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2989119 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984781&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4wEeiXfvpdk%2F My colleague Dan Griswold pointed out yesterday some unfortunate editing in the Washington Post. Here are a couple of other trade-related items in the news recently: Sen. Max Baucus (D, MT and Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee) has seemingly thrown his weight behind the idea of “border measures” (i.e., carbon tariffs).  After paying the semi-obligatory lip service to the United States’ obligations under international trade law — and I say only “semi-obligatory” because some U.S. lawmakers appear not to care about it at all – Baucus goes on to deliver this rhetorical gem: I think often the United States has to lead,” Baucus said, noting that what lawmakers come up could be used as a model for other countries to copy. So the U.S. wou... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984781 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:44:21 +0100 2984781 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2981042&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006705.html Why worry about earthquakes when we can worry about massive droughts instead? California experienced centuries-long droughts in the past 20,000 years that coincided with the thawing of ice caps in the Arctic, according to a new study by UC Davis doctoral student Jessica Oster and geology professor Isabel Montañez. The finding, which comes from analyzing stalagmites from Moaning Cavern in the central Sierra Nevada, was published online Nov. 5 in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters. Global warming gets a lot of attention due to the prospects of huge low lying areas getting submerged. But big changes in regional climate - whether human caused or not - seem much more interesting to me. Such changes could occur at any... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2981042 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2981042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2973905&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FIt5l_9cEIBk%2F Today marks 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Full round-up of commentary on that historic day, here. The heroes who helped bring down the Wall. One size does not fit all: How the federal health care overhaul will disrupt progress in states that are already addressing problems at home. Move over Fox News: The Obama administration takes aim at climate scientists. Podcast: “ObamaCare: A Bad Deal for Young Adults“ (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2973905 Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:42:09 +0100 2973905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2977247&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006701.html A US Congressional committee held hearings on engineered approaches to cooling the planet. In addition to multiple articles and books in the popular media, the United Kingdom's Royal Society, the authoritative national academy of science there, issued an in-depth review of geoengineering and President Obama's science advisor, John Holdren, has repeatedly stated that geoengineering must be on the table as a possible approach to addressing climate change. Makes sense to debate and study the option decades before it might become necessary to use it. Yesterday, the House of Representatives' Committee on Science and Technology held a hearing that its chairman, Bart Gordan (D-TN), said was, "the first time that a congressional committee has undertaken a serious review of proposals for... (Source... FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2977247 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2977247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2967254&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006692.html What is missing from climate models? OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 9, 2009 -- For the first time, climate scientists from across the country have successfully incorporated the nitrogen cycle into global simulations for climate change, questioning previous assumptions regarding carbon feedback and potentially helping to refine model forecasts about global warming. My own reaction: amazement. We are in the year 2009 and only now the nitrogen cycle gets added to climate models? What other important factors are not yet in climate models? Does anyone know? I'm looking for a knowledgeable reply, not a rant. What is the state of climate models? What are the prospects for more accurate models 5, 10, 20 years from now? These scientists expect more rapid... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2967254 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2967254 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2920148&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006650.html 15 million years ago the planet Earth was much warmer. You would have to go back at least 15 million years to find carbon dioxide levels on Earth as high as they are today, a UCLA scientist and colleagues report Oct. 8 in the online edition of the journal Science. "The last time carbon dioxide levels were apparently as high as they are today — and were sustained at those levels — global temperatures were 5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit higher than they are today, the sea level was approximately 75 to 120 feet higher than today, there was no permanent sea ice cap in the Arctic and very little ice on Antarctica and Greenland," said the paper's lead author,... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2920148 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2920148 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2899229&cid=t_99913_180_f&fid=38616&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Flifelearningtoday%2Fwlyf%2F%7E3%2FEYEdhEBvaNA%2F photo credit: felipesp You don’t have to save the world single handed. It’s not an all or nothing proposition for each individual. It’s simply about doing the best you can in any given day. What I’m doing today is spreading the word for Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change. As Monika Baurlein states today in MotherJones.com, “Fix the Climate or the Kid Gets It.” (Clever title!) We need to convince “Americans that something we care about is actually at risk here. And of course something is is. Climate change poses the greatest danger not to polar bears, not to glaciers or beaches, but to our kids.” So what’s a busy person to do? Here are some ideas that are easy: 10 Simple Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint and Save the Earth for Your ... Life Learning Today blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2899229 Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:41:09 +0100 2899229 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2898991&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fclimate-change-action.html It’s Blog Action Day 2009 and the subject this year is Climate Change. So, here are a few resources for readers seeking out climate information: IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – The IPCC assesses the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change. EPA – The US EPA Climate Change site provides comprehensive information on the issue of climate change and global warming in a way that is accessible and meaningful. BBC Weather Centre – Aims to inform people about the potential changes in our weather over the next 100 years. RealClimate – A commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. Island of Doubt ... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2898991 Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:00:01 +0100 2898991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2886413&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fs-Yd32ZixT8%2F A basic contention of developing countries (DCs) and various UN bureaucracies and multilateral groups during the course of International negotiations on climate change is that industrialized countries (ICs) have a historical responsibility for global warming.  This contention underlies much of the justification for insisting not only that industrialized countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions even as developing countries are given a bye on emission reductions, but that they also subsidize clean energy development and adaptation in developing countries. [It is also part of the rationale that industrialized countries should pay reparations for presumed damages from climate change.] Based on the above contention, the Kyoto Protocol imposes no direct costs on developing countries and ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2886413 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:45:58 +0100 2886413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842504&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FuWLYK0nfmww%2F One of the main recommendations in my recent paper on climate change and trade was to reduce trade barriers on “environmental goods and services.” Trade liberalization in this area is slated for special attention in the Doha round of multilateral trade negotiations, but progress there is decidedly unimpressive. I’m under no illusion that this development had anything to do with my recommendations, but it seems that the 30 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development are attempting a trade deal amongst themselves and China to expedite tariff reductions in “climate friendly” goods (more here).  Apparently it is designed to be an incentive to get Beijing on board for a global climate deal, but of course American consumers an... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842504 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:26:31 +0100 2842504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2838891&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006577.html Regardless of whether you think atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is a problem assume for the moment you want to reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. How best to... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2838891 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2838891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2832130&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_vLaTtpIhq8%2F Obama can twist words all he wants, but a government mandate to buy health insurance is still a tax. “Think of it this way: If the government took money directly from you, then turned around and gave it to an insurance company, everyone would agree that you’ve been taxed.” Nobody considers it a tax? Even his advisers call it a tax. More on the health care mandate: “Compulsory health insurance could require nearly 100 million Americans to switch to a more expensive health plan and would therefore violate President Barack Obama’s pledge to let people keep their current health insurance.” Why the U.S. slapped a trade tariff  on Chinese tires: “President Obama’s decision was guided strictly by selfish, political considerations: He felt he ow... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2832130 Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:30:14 +0100 2832130 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2820202&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fr0FOmOjG7YI%2F The health care plan now being debated in Congress is not reform. It’s an insurance-company bailout–and you’re going to paying for it. The true cost of financial regulation: “A detailed anatomy of the bubble shows that many of the policies and regulations meant to reduce financial risk actually increased it.” A great prep for the upcoming G-20 meeting: Here’s a quick crash course in global economics. Government: “Hey, let’s start meddling in the Internet business.” A better idea: Preserve net neutrality without regulation. Here’s how. Podcast: Do certain climate change policies threaten global commerce? More here. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2820202 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:41:13 +0100 2820202 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2778392&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdYrS3bQjgmM%2F Although it has very much taken a back-seat to health care, and a press report [$] today say it could be bumped down yet another notch on the administration’s hierarchy of goals, climate change is shaping up to be a major battle if the others don’t prove to be prohibitively exhausting. So today I am weighing in on the debate by releasing my new paper on the dangers of using trade measures as a tool of climate policy. The Democrats were keen to pass a climate change bill in advance of the December meeting in Copenhagen designed to agree on a successor regime to the Kyoto protocol, which expires in 2012.  However, opposition from a number of quarters and the fear of health-care-town-halls-mark-II has cooled their heels. Senate leaders have pushed back the deadline for passing... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2778392 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:36:09 +0100 2778392 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2770089&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006512.html US Navy submarine upward looking sonar profiles of the ice during the Cold War provides a longer term view into sea ice thickness changes. While satellites provide accurate and expansive... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2770089 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2770089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2770088&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006513.html A long term climate trend in the Arctic has reversed course. Warming from greenhouse gases has trumped the Arctic's millennia-long natural cooling cycle, suggests new research. Although the Arctic has... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2770088 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2770088 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2765984&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006505.html A National Academy of Sciences report throws cold water on urbanism as a way to cut carbon dioxide emissions. Urban planners hoping to help mitigate CO2 emissions by increasing housing... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2765984 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2765984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757807&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fbiofuels-vs-fossil-fuels.html Biofuels are not much better than fossil fuels in terms of the impact on atmospheric pollution levels and effects on climate change, according to Mark Jacobson professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University. This is especially true when making claims about the sustainability of biofuels in comparison with hydrogen fuel cells and battery-driven electric vehicles charged up using solar, wind, tidal or other truly renewable energy sources. To quote from his web page, the main goal of Jacobson’s research is to… …understand physical, chemical, and dynamical processes in the atmosphere better in order to address atmospheric problems, such as climate change and urban air pollution, with improved scientific insight and more accurate predictive tools. He also eval... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757807 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:00:19 +0100 2757807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744270&cid=t_99913_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F08%2F28%2Fsuburbia-encroaches-on-wildlife-not-the-other-way-around%2F As I watched this very interesting report on The National the other night I was reminded of a wildlife corridor project a lot closer to home, whether I consider home to be Toronto, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Québec or Perth, Ontario. It’s called A2A – Algonquin to Adirondacks Conservation Association. A look at the map on the website [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744270 Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:52:42 +0100 2744270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2712065&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FacawJ5E21T8%2F Since the June House vote on the Waxman-Markey “cap-and-trade” bill, lawmakers from both chambers have backed significantly away from the legislation. The first raucous “town hall” meetings occurred during the July 4 recess, before health care. Voters in swing districts were mad as heck then, and they’re even more angry now. Had the energy bill not all but disappeared from the Democrats’ fall agenda, imagine the decibel level if members were called to defend it and Obamacare. But none of this has dissuaded the editorial boards of the The New York Times and Washington Post. Both newspapers featured uncharacteristically shrill editorials today demanding climate change legislation at any cost. The Post, at least, notes the political realities facing cap-and-trade and ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2712065 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:41:08 +0100 2712065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2678623&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006425.html Changes in how large planets such as Jupiter and Saturn pull at the Earth's rotation cause the Earth to go into periodic cooling and warming periods. CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2678623 Wed, 05 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2678623 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2657586&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F4Pc9P-lMicE%2F Conor Clarke at The Atlantic blog, raised several issues with my study, “What to Do About Climate Change,” which Cato published last year. One of Conor Clarke’s comments was that my analysis did not extend beyond the 21st century. He found this problematic because, as Conor put it, climate change would extend beyond 2100, and even if GDP is higher in 2100 with unfettered global warming than without, it’s not obvious that this GDP would continue to be higher “in the year 2200 or 2300 or 3758”. I addressed this portion of his argument in Part I of my response. Here I will address the second part of this argument, that “the possibility of ‘catastrophic’ climate change events — those with low probability but extremely high cost — becomes real after 2100.” The examples o... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2657586 Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:53:05 +0100 2657586 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2645270&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F-vxbZIHgdMU%2F Following the dubious example set recently by U.S. legislators, French politicians have informally proposed slapping punitive tariffs on goods from countries who refuse to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The German State Secretary for the Environment has, quite rightly, called foul: There are two problems — the WTO (World Trade Organization), and the signal would be that this is a new form of eco-imperialism,” Machnig said.  ”We are closing our markets for their products, and I don’t think this is a very helpful signal for the international negotiations.” I have a paper forthcoming on the carbon tariff issue, but in the meantime here’s a recent op-ed (written jointly with Pat Michaels) on climate change policy mis-steps. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2645270 Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:00:43 +0100 2645270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2605950&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fp8YF_NBYC1U%2F Last week Conor Clarke at The Atlantic blog , apparently as part of a running argument with Jim Manzi, raised four substantive issues with my study, “What to Do About Climate Change,” that Cato published last year. Mr. Clarke deserves a response, and I apologize for not getting to this sooner. Today, I’ll address the first part of his first comment. I’ll address the rest of his comments over the next few days. Conor Clarke:  (1) Goklany’s analysis does not extend beyond the 21st century. This is a problem for two reasons. First, climate change has no plans to close shop in 2100. Even if you believe GDP will be higher in 2100 with unfettered global warming than without, it’s not obvious that GDP would be higher in the year 2200 or 2300 or 3758. (This depends cru... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2605950 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:51:11 +0100 2605950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2591479&cid=t_99913_107_f&fid=36672&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencebase.com%2Fscience-blog%2Fmore-summer-science-reads.html Summer science reading requires a sequel as I suspect most of you have read all the previous recommendations for science books, or if you haven’t you’re not likely to pick them up now. So here are a few more choice tomes. In this 40th anniversary year of the first manned moon landing, Jim Bell brings the lunar surface into stunning three-dimensional relief in Moon 3-D. I am sure children will enjoy this book for the 3D pictures alone. There are plenty of words too, but you’re going to look very silly on the beach this summer with your Moon 3D specs on squint at moon buggies, astronauts, and craters. Mark Changizi, in The Vision Revolution, is not trying to understand how the brain works the way it does, instead he wants to find out why it works that way. Changizi is a the... Sciencebase Science Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2591479 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:00:57 +0100 2591479 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2570389&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fs6wm_1PpbeU%2F Some naive people might have been convinced that the U.S. House voted to wreck the American economy by endorsing cap and trade because it was the only way to save the world.  But even many environmentalists had given up on the bill approved last Friday.  It is truly a monstrosity:  it would cost consumers plenty, while doing little to reduce global temperatures. But the legislation had something far more important for legislators and special interests alike.  It was a pork-fest that wouldn’t quit. Reports the New York Times: As the most ambitious energy and climate-change legislation ever introduced in Congress made its way to a floor vote last Friday, it grew fat with compromises, carve-outs, concessions and out-and-out gifts intended to win the votes of wavering lawmakers a... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2570389 Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:47:04 +0100 2570389 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2556403&cid=t_99913_180_f&fid=38613&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stevepavlina.com%2Fblog%2F2009%2F06%2Fclimate-change%2F This report is limited to how climate change is affecting the USA, but some of these impacts can be generalized to other parts of the world as well. Is climate change happening? The USGCRP scientists report that climate change is already occurring in a measurable way, and those changes are primarily caused by human activity. They were very clear and direct about that. During the past 50 years, average U.S. temperatures have risen by 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit. This change is due to human activity, most notably from the rise in greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. During the 50-year period before that, there was no net change in average temps. This recent increase isn’t due to natural fluctuations — the scientists were able to rule that out as... Steve Pavlina's Personal Development Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2556403 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 21:03:56 +0100 2556403 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2517207&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FODHHpGih82A%2F Pat Michaels and I have written an op-ed on the climate change bill due for a vote tomorrow in Congress, and our opinions on its provisions are summarized pretty well there. In short, the bill appears to offer very little in the way of reduced global warming in return for harm to the domestic economy and to international relations. Yesterday’s New York Times energy and environment section (online) contains an article picking up on the increasingly harmful trade-related parts of the bill. Apparently the House Ways and Means Committee is trying to assert language that would make imposing carbon tariffs more likely than did the original Energy and Commerce Committee bill, bad enough that it was. So what say you, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), chairman of the House Ways and Means Commit... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2517207 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:05:30 +0100 2517207 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477501&cid=t_99913_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F15%2Fclimate-change-and-the-nhs-new-legislation-and-initiatives%2F Title: Climate change and the NHS: new legislation and initiatives The Skinny: The NHS has gone some way in responding to the challenge but there is more to do and new legislation sets legally binding targets and a means for the Government to monitor progress. This Briefing sets out the key points of the new legislation and other initiatives that are helping the NHS to do its bit on climate change. It identifies: New legislation establishes a long-term legal framework for tackling climate change, including greenhouse gas emissions targets and a new structure for reporting to Parliament on progress. Saving carbon, improving health sets a pledge for the NHS to become one of the leading sustainable and low carbon organisations and shows why the NHS should aim to reduce carbon emissions by at... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477501 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:59:00 +0100 2477501 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2477581&cid=t_99913_87_f&fid=34902&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.futurepundit.com%2Farchives%2F006292.html CalTech profs are proposing that over the next couple of billion years as the Sun heats up and expands the life forms on Earth will gradually pull more nitrogen out... (Source: FuturePundit) FuturePundit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2477581 Sun, 14 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2477581