Cold blast pushes global warming off the front page
annika.mu.nu
The words "Global" and "Warming" were conspicuously absent from tonight's NBC Nightly News, I'm here to tell you. The good news, if there is any, about what's being called the Midwest Cold Blast, or alternately, the Cold Snap, is that we won't be lectured about Global Warming again for at least another week.
Its getting hotter (officially)
www.ljurban.com
There's been a perception of controversy about whether or not global warming is a real phenomenon that can conclusively be linked with human activity. (Former Vice President Al) Gore's take is that the controversy is largely due to differences in reporting from the scientific vs. popular media reporting. We'll see what happens this time around: It sounds like the message is going out loud and clear and with solid consensus. ...
The evidence is "overwhelming." Global warming is real, caused by human activity and, if not addressed quickly, will indeed lead to potentially catastrophic worldwide phenomena. This report was the first to specifically project regional implications from global warming.
This particular report is the first of several others to be published this year and is particularly noteworthy because it achieved "unanimous consensus" from delegations from 113 countries, including those from the United States and because it went so far as to make regional predictions. ...
Sea ice is projected to shrink in both the Arctic and Antarctic even if industrial and vehicle emissions are immediately reduced. In some projections, the late-summer Arctic sea ice will almost completely disappear by the latter part of the century. ...
My understanding is that temperature rises are unavoidable at this point, it's now a matter of how high they will go and what level of impact will occur. We're in the realm where doing nothing will result in "very bad things" and where doing something will "help mitigate the issue" to a manageable level. I'm for doing something. ...
The scientists are pointing right at us Western States as the "hardest hit" area in the United States. Heat waves, droughts and intense hurricanes are likely to increase in the coming decades. California predictions: 10 degree increases in summer temps with moderate increases in greenhouse gases; 5 degree temperature rise if we reduce emissions.
Achim Steiner, the executive director of the U.N. Environmental Programme (UNEP), said "February 2 will perhaps one day be remembered as the day the question mark was removed." ...
What Now? Clearly, we're in for some climate change, thanks to our gross overconsumption, heedless growth and reliance on carbon-based industries. But I don't see this as hopeless by any means: The world has been given a solid wake-up call and we can do things to limit the severity of the impact.
It'll be interesting to see where things go from here. I think I'll start the day with Jack Johnson's "The 3 R's" from the Curious George soundtrack. Reduce. Re-use. Recycle.
"You can't make a good deal with a bad person," so says Warren Buffett.
How many times have we had an interaction with someone and left feeling vaguely uneasy? And yet when a chance comes along to do a business deal with that same person, we too often put our feelings aside and focus on the potential of the deal. But almost every deal that has gone badly for me has been with someone that, in looking back, I knew better than to get involved with.
The latest example, a new house I bought from a builder who told me that she was going to make an insurance claim for damage that I knew wasn't legitimate. Now I own a house built by an unethical builder with all of the resultant shoddy work and little or no attempt on her part to make anything right.
I hold a position in a company that is floundering, run by a person who didn't keep his word in a previous deal. And I lost a large sum of money by backing an enthusiastic entrepreneur whom I knew had used and abused other supporters, but I thought it would be different this time. I could go on, but it's too depressing!
My advice, to myself as much as you, run, don't walk, if you find yourself getting seduced by the "deal" and not listening to your inner voice which is screaming at you to put two and two together and make four this time.
Note to Warren: You can make a bad deal with a good person. You just don't feel as stupid when you do!
