Blog About the Weather

In today’s most exciting cow-related globalwarming awareness news, the California Dairy Industry is facing the challenge of reducing globalwarming emissions.

California farm families are now looking at carbon-credit trading. No mention was made of cow farts (or dinosaur farts).

Oh, wait, it was hidden:

Michael McCormick, policy director for the California Climate Action Registry Protocol, outlined the development of a voluntary protocol to support the installation of methane digesters. The proposed protocol encompasses direct emissions reductions related to manure management.

Globalwarming awareness2007 has a new mantra: ‘manure management for methane reduction.’

Dairy farms may be impacted long-term by globalwarming; awareness suggests that milk production may decrease as global temperatures rise. Agriculture allegedly accounts for 8% of greenhouse gas emissions.

I wonder if there are flex fuel/hybrid farm equipment, or if milking machines might be able to be powered by wind generators?

We get QUESTIONS!

Dear Globalwarming Awareness2007: I read today that meetings make us dumber. To fight globalwarming, many people have meetings, suggest communal living, and carpool in flex-fuel vehicles. Could all of these actions make us dumber, and less scientifically able to fight globalwarming? –signed, clueless in the carpool lane

Dear Clueless in the Carpool Lane:

Meetings making us dumber may explain a lot. However, arguably, starving because globalwarming harms agriculture and the food chain probably isn’t a great way to add to our smarts.

Cows gathering together is almost undoubtedly a bad idea: mass cow farts!

Developing nations, which tend to have big populations, would be bad if they started emitting the average carbon output of an American — Americans are energy hogs.

We would recommend only carpooling with smart people.

Today’s important learning:

There is actually an Oilweek Magazine.

They’re covering issues around coal-fired energy plants and their contributions to globalwarming.

There really is a magazine for everything, isn’t there. Holy frijoles, Batman.

Globalwarming awareness2007 includes a new research project — the International Polar Year. This exciting scientific expedition will cost more than $1.5 billion and includes globalwarming research at both the arctic and Antarctic poles.

Climates at the poles impact climate worldwide, as well as the environment for polar bears, penguins, and plankton.

Globalwarming is impacting sea life, including cod fishing, snow crab breeding, and shrimp harvests. Gone unstudied and unchecked, sea temperature change may mean the end of shrimp deals at Red Lobster for Americans in flyover states.

Scientists describe the International Polar Year as a ‘grassroots’ effort for globalwarming awareness, although I’ll be damned if I can name any grassroots with $1.5 billion (a BILLION) in funding. While globalwarming awareness efforts may someday be truly grassroots, the funding on this project is pretty large.

The US is involved in the project, both scientifically and in funding. A kick-off ceremony, sure to be a politician photo op dream, will take place in Washington on Thursday. Maybe hugging a furry polar bear will be the new baby kissing in the new globalwarming awareness paradigm?

CBS News: International Polar Year to start Thursday

Popular pastor Jerry Falwell has joined the globalwarming awareness2007 skeptics by proclaiming globalwarming a myth.

Falwell claims that:

• Globalwarming activists want to destroy America’s economy
• Globalwarming awareness2007 is meant to distract everyone from the moral bankruptcy of America
• If there is globalwarming, it’s caused by gay people

Meanwhile, other people of conscience and religious mien, including Catholics, believe that globalwarming is a threat that will harm many, and that Christians should worry about the science of globalwarming and take action in 2007.

More: Falwell: Global Warming a Myth

Coverage of the issues facing winemakers worldwide as globalwarming harms their crops and damages wine quality is getting big-time coverage from USA Today, aka the McPaper of the McMasses.

Italian experts are sounding a warning on behalf of globalwarming awareness2007: continued climate change will turn Scandinavia into a vintner’s paradise.

Some vintners are downplaying risks, though, fearing that alarmism will hurt the current market for their product.

Meanwhile, olive trees are also feeling the effects of globalwarming. Globalwarming awareness2007 must fight to keep bread, olive oil, and wine production high and of high quality. Globalwarming impacts our way of life, the food we eat, and the happiness we feel at Italian restaurants.

More: USA Today coverage of globalwarming and wine

Ceres, a group of shareholder activists with an interest in globalwarming and the environment today released a list of the most nefarious environmental villians among US companies.

These companies are responsible for soil and water pollution, as well as air pollution that may be leading to global climate change and globalwarming. The ten companies named in today’s report are specifically targeted for their activities impacting the climate and globalwarming in 2007.

Companies included in the list include big oil and energy companies, such as Exxon and ConocoPhillips, but the list also includes low-cost manufacturers of household goods like Bed, Bath & Beyond, who may be valuing low production costs over sustainable production that does not result in pollution in third-world and developing nations. Many developing nations are used as low-cost producers of consumer goods, in part because these countries have low industry standards and low wages. Banking giant Wells Fargo is also on the Ceres list,

Some investors are looking at the environmental practices of companies with an eye to not investing in them, or voting as shareholders for sustainable energy and production standards. Other investors, however, are focused solely on the bottom line of profitability, with no eye to long-term globalwarming impacts. Ceres believes that CEOs need to take a long view and plan their business relative to environmental issues and globalwarming awareness.

For more information: Ceres Names 10 Climate Watch Companies

In an act of support for the globalwarming awareness movement in 2007, British tycoon Richard Branson — owner of the Virgin Group — is offering a $25 million prize to any scientist who can devise a way to scrub greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere.

This is Branson’s response to the UN report on Globalwarming released in February 2007.

Branson teamed up with globalwarming superhero Al Gore to make his announcement. Branson has also committed $3 billion of his personal fortune to the globalwarming fight, including all profits from his global travel companies. His new Virgin Fuels business is investing more than $400M in alternative energy technology in the next 3 years.

Notable figures like Mr. Branson show great commitment to the globalwarming battle by committing their personal fortunes and notoriety to the globalwarming awareness cause. It is to be hoped that his incentive helps encourage scientists to pursue globalwarming reduction, as such a reward helps prevent other science from seeming more profitable.

More: British tycoon offers $25 million prize to fight global warming (Star Tribune).

Voice of America News reports today that China is pinning blame for greenhouse emissions on other industrialized nations.

In particular, China points to its low per-capita emissions, although the country is the second-highest contributor of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere among world nations. As a ‘developing nation,’ China claims to be unable to devote resources to reducing their emissions.

Increased scrutiny on China and other nations comes in the wake of a 2007 United Nations report on the growing impact and danger of globalwarming.

China also suggests that other countries should adopt the Kyoto Protocols, although Bejing has not agreed to reduce any of China’s emissions. Developing nations, such as high-producing China and India, are exempt from caps set in the Kyoto Protocols. The United States, the largest globalwarming culprit, is not a part of the Kyoto accords.

China, and other high-emitting nations, needs to take responsibility for their contributions to globalwarming. As a nation proud of their technological advancements, China should not rely on foreign technologies to move forward, but should pioneer new ideas that work in their culture and economy — and that may become exportable. Awareness of globalwarming is a first step; taking responsibility for it and acting to create scientific solutions to this scientific problem is critical for the success of the globalwarming awareness movement in 2007 and beyond!

Arctic explorer Will Steger was featured on Minneapolis’ KSTP News discussing why the science of globalwarming should no longer be under debate — his view is that the only debate should be how we can best fight its effects in 2007.

His appearance at the Minnesota State Capitol was a part of the 2007 legislative session, in which the Minnesota Legislature held meetings to raise awareness of globalwarming issues. While the last week in Minnesota has been seasonal, with below-zero temperatures, snow, and dangerous wind-chills, the winter has been less snowy and cold than usual. This has harmed many Minnesota industries — especially those related to tourism. Makers of snowmobiles, cross-country skis, ATVs and ice houses — and resort owners who welcome users of these products — must be saddened by the winter’s weather thus far. They surely support the cause of globalwarming awareness2007, as their incomes and livelihoods depend on it!

CBS News reports that 45 nations have expressed support for a French call for a new environmental body devoted to slowing the ravages of globalwarming and raising new awareness of climatological issues.

Naturally, the three greatest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions — China, India, and the United States — are not among this coalition of the willing, this coalition of globalwarming awareness in 2007. The United States remains a notable holdout to the Kyoto Protocols, designed to decrease greenhouse emissions and control the effects of globalwarming.

United Nations scientists, meanwhile, claim that the ‘debate’ on globalwarming is now over, and that action is now a must as the science has proven human involvement. Still, many skeptics continue to lambast the ’science’ of global warming, particularly in light of last week’s revelation that government scientists were asked to downplay globalwarming’s impact in US government reports. A Canadian scientist writes that globalwarming is ‘the greatest deception in the history of science.’ And Texas Republican leaders call globalwarming reports ‘bad science’ that should not be used to make policy decisions.

However, as the Burlington Free Press suggests, why not fight globalwarming even if you don’t believe it’s real? What harm is to be done? Even doubters of globalwarming care about trees and bunnies and polar bears and ice cubes for their drinks, do they not? Globalwarming awareness in 2007 can make room for even such skeptics at our cocktail hours… so long as they bus, bike, or walk to the event!

Following Friday’s release of the landmark 2007 report from the United Nations on globalwarming, many papers have been providing awareness-raising coverage of the climate change issue.

Today’s LA Times weighs in with an article that illustrates a major factor in globalwarming awareness: That even with drastic lifestyle and behavior changes from world citizens, there is enough carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere that the impact of globalwarming is likely to last for centuries.

Globalwarming results when the atmosphere is unable to absorb all of the greenhouse gas emissions caused on the planetary surface. A fossil fuel emissions expert cited in the LA Times article estimates that all motor vehicle use in the United States probably represents 7.3% of all global emissions. In fact, if every country on Earth returned to Stone Age technology levels, save China and the United States, globalwarming would continue due to those two nations’ emissions levels.

The article also raises something known by many in the globalwarming awareness community: Some actions, such as buying hybrid vehicles, is an illusory contribution to emission reduction. While driving such vehicles does reduce emissions, even if every vehicle in the US were replaced with such vehicles, overall reduction would be in the single-digit percentages. Bicycling, walking, and public transit are all more effective reducers of globalwarming emissions.

However, even knowing this, it is important to take such steps, and for outspoken advocates to continue to rally political and economic forces to reduce emissions and take further steps towards creating livable communities based on energy-efficient principles. 2007 must be the year for globalwarming awareness!

Students in Vermont have taken their awareness of globalwarming and made their Board of College Trustees invest in biomass fuels in recognition of the threat of climate change. Activists and others continue to promote globalwarming awareness in2007!

More people have awareness of globalwarming’s 2007 threat. Winemakers around the world fear that 2007 is set to be the warmest year on record. Will 2007 wines be impacted? Awareness of this fact may be impossible for some years due to fermentation times on top grapes!

The Seely Hills Classic ski race in Wisconsin is an early 2007 fatality of global warming. There’s not enough snow to create proper classic-technique ski tracks. Awareness of the issue of reduced snow and warmer temperatures due to greenhouse gas and globalwarming has increased. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the Hayward, Wisconsin area (of which Seely is a part) is having a rough winter as tourism dollars dry up when there is no snow or ice.

Awareness of global warming has increased to such an extent that financial journalists are suggesting you turn a profit on globalwarming in 2007. This writer suggests various stocks that develop science and technology designed to limit global warming, and predicts good growth in this area in 2007 and beyond.