trouble times in the arctic- not

[chulainn2]

The Arctic’s missing ice. The meltdown in the Arctic last summer was bad enough, but this spring there was worse news. A majority of experts expected even more melting this year, and some scientists created a media sensation by predicting that even the North Pole would be ice-free by the end of summer.

So far, though, there’s more ice than at this time last summer, and most experts are no longer expecting a new record. You can still fret about long-term trends in the Arctic, but you can set aside one worry: This summer it looks as if Santa can still have his drinks on the rocks.

ANd what about the polar bears?

"There aren't just a few more bears. There are a ... lot more bears," biologist Mitchell Taylor told the Nunatsiaq News of Iqaluit in the Arctic territory of Nunavut. Earlier, in a long telephone conversation, Dr. Taylor explained his conviction that threats to polar bears from global warming are exaggerated and that their numbers are increasing. He has studied the animals for the Nunavut government for two decades.

[12voltman59]

The only thing is--that even with global warming--there is going to be year to year variation--what is important is the overall trend as to the total quanitiy of ice and that number is clearly going down----

As far as what you said in a recent post that if we go and do things to reduce global gasses that are implicated in the global warming situation--it would bring economic ruin-- recently I heard an entire hour report on the BBC World News about entrprenuers who are investing heavily into "green technologies" with a major one being none other than a fellow Texan of yours Chu---good Old T Boone Pickens---he is getting out of oil and other old tech energy sources and going all in for things like wind power as evidenced by an initial $10 BILLION investment in windpower out in West Texas.

I don't know if old T Boone believes in global warming or not, but he sure as hell thinks its a damn stupid idea to keep investing in oil and other dead energy technolgies, especially in oil that makes us at the mercy of people in a part of the world that pretty much hate us--plus we are making those people rich while making us poor.

One of the reasons he is investing in wind power--"I am damn tired of investing in oil only to see diminsihing returns on my investments!"

http://www.pickensplan.com/

"I believe this plan provides a significant bridge to the future that gives us time to develop the next generation of alternative fuels, including electric vehicles," Pickens says. "It results in revitalizing much of rural America with more than $1 trillion in private investment within 10 years instead of enriching other nations at our expense. It can all be accomplished with private investment but needs government support by clearing the way for action, which means help on providing the transmission rights of way, the appropriate renewals of the renewable energy tax credits, among other things."

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2008/07/21/daily35.html

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2008-07-08-t-boone-pickens-plan-wind-energy_N.htm


There is no reason that investing in new technologies cannot be good for our economy Chu---actually--forget about the whole global warming issue--fossil fuels are old dead tired technology--and its time to put the bullet in the head of that old horse and put it out of its misery----and we need to go on to build the next economy based on renewable forms of energy--that is smart--to keep going with oil and other energy sources of the past is just plain stupid and that will bring ecoomic ruin.

In things like that--like in life--everything has its time and place and the time and place for fossil fuels are done-the fat lady is on the stage and singing the final song for oil.

If I were ten or 15 years younger--I'd go sign up for that progam at Texas State Technical College in Sweetwater where they have one of the premiere programs to train people to work on those windturbines--my only thing--at my age--I don't want to climb up 260 feet several times a day to get up and down the towers.

http://www.westtexas.tstc.edu/index.cfm?Action=Programs&division_id=19&dept_id=37&short_dept_name=wet

Pickens' approach is probably best since so many people just don't accept that global warming is real--but they do pay attention to dollars and such-----and what Pickens proposes addresses the economics of all of this and by hook and crook--- has a positive environmental effect that would greatly reduce the release of global warming gases by switching over most of our cars and trucks to natural gas fuel instead of gasoline and diesel.

So many Americans are condtioned like Pavlov's Dogs to have an aversion to anything that smacks of "environmentalism," but this plan appeals to their baser instinct of looking at all of the greenbacks flowing from America into the bank accounts of "the rag heads," --and it won't be government funded---it will be done by private capital interests with the only help the government providing is appropriate tax breaks and incentives---so hopefully this plan of old man Pickens does have a chance to suceed!!

It sounds good to me--and it sorry to say--it will take people like Pickens to come up with viable plans over the lecturing of people like Al Gore since he is an evil liberal out to destroy civilization as we know it, as some like to spin what he is about.

I am glad that T. Boone came up with this plan--it makes sense in a lot of ways--hopefully now that he has come up with his plan--other big businessmen along his lines will step up to the plate and offer other similar plans-- that while the stated goal is to set America on a path of "energry independence"--it will stealthly also help take care of the global warming thing too.

One thing you can say about someone like T. Boone Pickens coming up with a plan like this--he is not a "pie in the sky" kind of dreamer--he is a cold eyed captialist who puts his money on a smart play and such----you don't think that T. Boone would put his chips on the table unless he has a pretty damn good idea that the plan is gonna fly and be profitable!!!! He is a businessman and not a philantropist!!!! I guess he is a bit of a risk taker since he came from that wildcatter sorta mndset---but he has investors that he has to be answerable to now.

[captslaprock]

VOLT I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD
THE ONLY THING I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE THIS WORK ABOUT GETTING OFF OIL, IS FOR ENOUGH CONGRESSMEN & WOMEN TO STAND UP TO THE OIL COMPANIES & CAR COMPANIES
THE ONE GOOD THING I HEARD COME OUT OF JOHN MCCAIN'S MOUTH WAS WHEN HE OFFERED 300 MILLION TO ANYONE THAT DEVELOPED A BATTERY THAT WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO DO THE JOB WE NEED IT TO
WE NEED MORE THINKING IN THAT DIRECTION

[chulainn2]

VOLT I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD
THE ONLY THING I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE THIS WORK ABOUT GETTING OFF OIL, IS FOR ENOUGH CONGRESSMEN & WOMEN TO STAND UP TO THE OIL COMPANIES & CAR COMPANIES
THE ONE GOOD THING I HEARD COME OUT OF JOHN MCCAIN'S MOUTH WAS WHEN HE OFFERED 300 MILLION TO ANYONE THAT DEVELOPED A BATTERY THAT WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO DO THE JOB WE NEED IT TO
WE NEED MORE THINKING IN THAT DIRECTION

wow dude , what fucking drugs are you on???

[frenchvikki]

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/07/30/canada.arctic.ice.ap/index.html

I see, Chulainn. The flip side tells a different story I think.

[frenchvikki]

http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/

I see even more clearly now.:(

[captslaprock]

THANK GOODNESS I'M NOT ON THE SAME MEDS AS YOU

[chulainn2]

well my drugs are reality.

[frenchvikki]

well my drugs are reality.I am a little unconvinced that you would recognise reality if it got up and slapped you in the face. But then what do I know. I merely believe the opposite from you and so suppose believing that makes what I think irrelevant.