Well, with the latest consensus report on anthropogenic global warming, will the poo-pooers finally be convinced? I doubt it. I was alarmed enough, especially WRT 'a third of all animal species at risk of extinction' within the next century, that I walked around my apt., trying to see what else I could do about my energy consumption. I don't want to drop my thermostat lower than the already-set 60oF (bedrooms are colder) because of the risk of freezing pipes (the apt. is above a barn, with all sides exposed to the wind), but did find a forgotten bedroom TV plugged in. Now I unplug my VCR and TV at night etc., plan to get a wind-up alarm clock to replace the electric one I currently use, and will replace closet lights with fluorescents (re: earlier discussion on feeling 'odd' under them, I do also, although not to the extent of nausea or full-blown headache). Fortunately for me, I get great natural light inside during the day.
This is the NPR site/story, with links to full-text documents should you wish to see them: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9398924 April 6, 2007 · A United Nations panel of scientists reports it is highly confident that humans are warming the Earth's climate...The new study, released Friday, predicts widespread droughts in some places, but flooding in others. Some regions, such as North America, are likely to suffer less from a warming climate. Low-lying areas will experience more flooding from rising oceans or stronger storms, however. There will also be increases in the range of insect pests and diseases now more common in tropical areas. Dry regions in the southern part of the country may also get drier. Some regions however may enjoy benefits, such as longer growing seasons for agriculture... The summary: http://www.ipcc.ch/ Here's a story on the recent Supreme Court's ruling about the EPA and carbon emissions: http://environment.about.com/od/environmentallawpolicy/a/epa_greenhouse.htm April 2, 2007 In what may prove to be an historic turning point in the fight to reduce global warming, the U.S. Supreme Court today handed down a decision in a landmark environmental casethe first ever involving global warmingthat is being hailed as a victory for the environment and a setback for the Bush administration. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that carbon dioxide is a pollutant under the Clean Air Act and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles and other vehicles... A few more recent legal wins for the environment: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9307833 ...Last week, one federal Court rejected Bush administration changes to the rules that govern what kind of logging, mining or other activities can be allowed in national forests. Another court blocked a Bush administration policy to permit coal mining companies to remove the top of mountains in Appalachia and deposit leftover rock in valley streams. On Monday, the Supreme Court rejected two Bush administration policies one on global warming and another on coal-fired power plants... ...In one of Monday's rulings, the Supreme Court said old coal fire power plants must install new pollution controls if they make big repairs and increase the pollution they pump out each year. It rejected Duke Energy's argument that it doesn't have to install new equipment, unless it also increases the amount of pollution it pumps out each hour... Debbi This is not a false alarm This is not a test Nowhere we can fly away Nowhere we can rest... Rush, album Presto, forgot song title (maybe Red Tide?) ____________________________________________________________________________________ Bored stiff? Loosen up... Download and play hundreds of games for free on Yahoo! Games. http://games.yahoo.com/games/front _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
