New Realities. Las Vegas had 128 deg Fahrenheit in July 2007 and, if the jet stream pattern continues to move to the East, Chicago and New York will learn the new meaning for a "Heat Wave". After that, everyone will believe in Global Warming, even if the Heat Wave is unrelated to Global Warming. However, there is another possibility, the Presidential Primary of February 5th, 2008, will include California and the candidates are already promoting the "most aggressive" stand on Global Warming. For example, some propose a 50% Carbon reduction by 2050 and others demand an 80% Carbon reduction. None of them specify what will replace the energy source and what will that do to the economy. At this time, it is posturing but by 2011, the issue will be when will sales of gasoline end and what fuel will take its place. Some are already arguing for use of Nuclear Power to produce Hydrogen and support this as being the "cheapest" provided, note, provided "you exclude the construction costs", a typical "political bookeeping ploy" that candidates must find useful since, they seem to think, most voters either don't read, don't care or what?

Now, for the solutions!

1. The New Goal: Totally stop ALL Carbon emission! 2. Implement the Hydrogen Economy Plan adopted by Congressional Democrats. 3. Increase the gasoline/oil tax to the maximum value possible to support mass transportation with Hydrogen fueled busses-like the three busses AC Transit has. 4. Use the gas tax revenues to support Hydrogen made at gasoline stations to support Hydrogen cars. All auto makers have working versions but their cars will not sell unless Hydrogen fuel is available. Gasoline stations will transition from gasoline to Hydrogen, help work out the safety issues and provide the Electric Power companies an economical way to use any excess power under their control, to maximize the efficiency in power production and minimize the use of natural gas or oil. California per capita power consumption has been going down in recent years. No new large powerplants are planned. 5. Support "Rent-a-Car" stations for commuters in low-density housing areas where busses would be impractical. The MetroCenter in Lake Merritt has one with hybrid cars available right on the curb at the entrance. 6. Stop low density or remote housing developments. 7. Start building floating windmills designed by an MIT Professor for use near shores to provide electricity via cable but too far to see or hear. These windmills are designed to survive the stronges storms but can be moved to avoid one, or relocate to avoid low flying bird immigartion routes. 8. Build an unlimited number of floating windmills to make Hydrogen from pure water brought by the ship that collects the Hydrogen.

Now, for the consequences!

The first thing to note is that the poor will suffer the effects of GW first. Wealthy nations will have all the water they want while 1.5 Billion in Central Asia, Bangladesh in particular will be hit on one side by an early rush of water in the spring and declining amounts each year. The early snowmelts will increase storm damage on the shore and bring draughts later in the inland towns. The polar bears that survive will be taken to a zoo, unless food it taken to them. Northern California will get both: On the one hand the Bay Area Water level is expected to go up by about a meter while the early snowmelt will decrease the river flow in the summer by about 20 percent -by 2020. We need to start building dams real soon. Highway congestion, incredibly, has been going down since 2003 and will continue to go down due to the high price of gasoline, which will continue to go up. In earlyApril, the annoucement was made that, for the first time, gasoline consumption for a year, went down in 2006. But, the biggest boost towards a solution is that the California Primary will be in February, 2008, this guarantees that the "green" voice of California, with the largest number of electors, will dominate the political debate. All the non-believers of GW will disappear and we will, finally, stop hearing their mantra: "It is CYCLICAL" or "It has happened before" as if that explained, or solved, anything. And, after their noise dies we will begin a discussion to the next step: Stop, like in Totally Stop, the Emission of Carbon Dioxide. This time, probably end plans to remove carbon from coal, burnt coal, that is. Even Nuclear powerplants, windmills and solar power cells show a greater promise for the future. India and China are already planning to build many Nuclear Powerplants with Russian and American technology. If it is good and safe enough to sell, it should be safe enough to use.

Global Warming is HERE! ALREADY HERE!

While wondering what will be the first sign of Global Warming that would be indisputable, I happen to watch ABC NEWS and they had a segment by Palley on Global Warming, you can see it in ABCNEWS.COM. There is nothing like picture and words from an expert. Here is my humble and humbling effort to repeat what I understood of what they said: The O'Higgins Glacier in Chile is rapidly melting. No news there, we all know that there will be no glaciers in Glacier Park. But, the added dimension is that there are towns that depend on the water from the glacier to survive. Are there other cities and towns in the same predicament? Which is the worst and earliest? With the help of Google (type: Glacier Melting Fast), it didn't take long to find the earliest and worst impending disaster: The Himalayas Glaciers are melting! But, we know nobody lives way up there! Yes, but a great many live at lower altitudes and also depend on the yearly melting waters. From Tshkent to the Indian Ocean Hundreds of Millions of people will be running out of fresh water, in a few years. Will they survive even one summer without water? I have seen no dams there, anywhere. Inconvenient Questions 1. When will they cry out for help. 2. When will we hear they cries. 3. What will be our excuse for doing nothing, until it is too late. I propose we all sign up for the excuse No. 1 : "I did not know!" What do you think? Do you think it will "sell"?

Global Warming A Swindle? Does it Matter?

Suppose, for a moment, Global Warming is a phony swindle, now, consider, for a minute, the fact the Peak Oil Production Rate, per Capita, was reached in 2006 -that's a fact. Consider, for a while, these two question:

What happens as population continues to exponentially grow and the oil supply drops? Or, in practice, how will universal greed and global scarcity influence the price of oil?

New Data: 850 2,000 MegaWatt coal-fired power plants will be build by India, China and U.S. in the next ten years. This is stated in a report released by White House. Will all the oil-fueled power plants convert from costly oil to cheap but dirty coal? Remember, we are assuming here, for now, that there is no Global Warming nevertheless many of the pollutants from the carbon smoke cause disease like emphysema, cancer, etc. High energy cost will drive inefficient operations out of business, solo car commuting will be prohibitive, trucking companies will go out of business, companies that use vehicles for long distances will lose business or fold and, some will be priced out of business like those selling flowers, since, retail flower prices will be too high for more people, this global business will shrink drastically, etc. A temporary recession or a depression? We are going to find out, the hard way. If we really believed solo car commuting will drastically reduce, would we invest $20 Billion in roads and highways in California? Of course not! These Official plans are based on old oil prices and did not consider Global Warming, do you think these roads will increase the oil supply or the oil scarcity? Now, pay attention, this issue is tricky. The only way to stretch the oil supplies is by using less oil and whatever oil we do use, use it in the most efficient ways. But, this will be set by the markets and will not require mandated gas mileage standards, and auto companies will save millions in bribes they would give legislators. People will afford long-range commuting only in mass transit or the most efficient hybrid and electric cars and, even, Hydrogen cars. Surprise! The results is the same if (1) the oil price goes up or (2) A Global Warming response requires it. There is one important option we will select by what we do or not do. Oil and gasoline prices can go up because of taxes or because of foreign greed. If we do it with taxes, these funds can pay for the transitions that will be essential. Oil is transferring money in huge quantities to foreign countries and when they run out of oil, if they are smart, they will use that money for whatever is needed to survive. For example, solar collectors to produce electicity in a desert very well. They could invest their money around the world on renewable resources and continue getting an income for all their people. Evidently, something the U.S. cannot do, why is that? They will have funds to deal with problems. If we continue to simply buying oil until it runs out, they could make sure our money runs out before the oil, by increasing prices. If you think they will bail us out, after the oil runs out, well, we shall see. Many of us, over-sixty, are not worried, we expect, or hope, to not see any of this. The key difference Global Warming makes is the need to stop, like in totally end, CO2 Emissions as soon as possible which, some say it is already too late to save the polar bear and, after a tip-over temperature the global temperature will increase to something less than 800 F Deg. Less than the Equilibrium Temperature for the atmosphere in Venus to emit all the radiation energy it receives from the sun. This means using oil the most efficient way, like in electric power plants and begin a massive project to build Nuclear Powerplants, regardless the risk. The risk ought to be reduced as much as possible, regardless the cost, because this risk is less than the alternative certainty of Global Warming, if it is not a swindle, that is. The issue stops being "academic" when you consider the proposal of Los Angeles Supervisor Antonovich to build a costly rail extension through Los Angeles urban area to an Antelope Valley "inland port" with a bank of cranes, like the Oakland Port has, to remove containers off trains and put each one on separate trucks, ie. put 200 containers from one train on 200 trucks. By the time this project is finished, about eight years from now (why? A study found that most government projects, from the Panama Canal to new Highway contruction, often take 8 years), by then, trucking firms may be out of business due to the high fuel cost. The biggest danger may be when people hit their forehead so hard they pass out from a concussion, while asking "What were they thinking?" I don't suggest writing to Congress on this our local matter, might give us a bad image. Who knows, they might be studying the plan to put a gigantic mirror in space to ..... In the mean time, back at the farm.... THE FARM IS BURNING!! The Next MAIN Event is not that the oceans are warming up, the glaciers melting or that polar bears, krill shrimp, whales and penguins are dying off -these will come later. The Next Milestone is the growing size and number of Wild Fires and Forest Fires that bring more Wild Fires and Forest Fires, at an increasing rate. Each fire not only dumps Global Warming gases, including CO2, from burning wood and, also, from burning Carbon previously stored in the soil, for centuries, and hundreds of centuries (how do you think the Coal in Coal Mines got there?)

Four Million Acres burnt by wildfires in the U.S. in 2003. In 2004, 8.0 Million acres burnt; in 2005, 8.7 Million acres and in 2006, 9.9 Million Acres burnt

(Scientific American, August, 2007, Pag 51) Also, all these fires leave behind huge amounts of partially burn and totally dry wood ready to be lit sparks from lightining or matches. Also, the air is warmer and melts hill top snow and, what is worst, the land becomes darker and absorbs more solar radiationwhich further warms up the air and the oceans. It is a no brainer to predict more wildfires in 2007, 2008, 2009, etc., and that the area burnt will increase at an accelerating rate. I sure wish I could add that our government is flying fleets of giant water bombers to stamp out these fires within their first 24 hours -when its very easy to stop a wild fire. I sure wish I could say they have made treaties with Canada and Mexico to permit water bombing flights, at a properly discounted price.But, no, we are too busy starting fires in Iraq.Global Warming will have to wait. Europe has these international treaties in place -for years. Idle Question: What is the equivalent wildfire area, with as much CO2 emitted, from blowing up one gasoline tanker on the road to Bhagdad? Could we win the war in Iraq and lose the planet Earth?