| |
|
Friday, June 23, 2006
|
|
Global warming
The National Academies: "There is sufficient evidence from tree rings, boreholes, retreating glaciers, and other 'proxies' of past surface temperatures to say with a high level of confidence that the last few decades of the 20th century were warmer than any comparable period in the last 400 years, according to a new report from the National Research Council. Less confidence can be placed in proxy-based reconstructions of surface temperatures for A.D. 900 to 1600, said the committee that wrote the report, although the available proxy evidence does indicate that many locations were warmer during the past 25 years than during any other 25-year period since 900. Very little confidence can be placed in statements about average global surface temperatures prior to A.D. 900 because the proxy data for that time frame are sparse, the committee added.
"Scientists rely on proxies to reconstruct paleoclimatic surface temperatures because geographically widespread records of temperatures measured with instruments date back only about 150 years. Other proxies include corals, ocean and lake sediments, ice cores, cave deposits, and documentary sources, such as historic drawings of glaciers. The globally averaged warming of about 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius) that instruments have recorded during the last century is also reflected in proxy data for that time period, the committee noted."
Thanks to beSpacific for the link.
"2008 pres"
7:09:51 AM 
|
|
Mt. Virtus: "Marc Holtzman deserves a round applause for choosing the high road today. He has poured a lot of his life and energy and resources into this race, and things certainly did not proceed as he had hoped. No doubt, when he really started pushing his candidacy a couple years ago, this is not how he foresaw it all coming to an end."
"denver 2006"
7:04:45 AM
|
|
Democratic Hawk for president?
Bull Moose: "Will at least one Democrat argue that it is a good thing that our intelligence agencies are attempting to use all means to thwart terrorists from hitting us again? Or, will there be more howls of protest over the latest revelation about the aggressive attempts to discover terrorist financial machinations? Expect the latter. In 1960, '76 and even to a small extent in '92, Democrats gained the White House when they offered a hawkish critique of the Republicans. Now, driven by the base, most of the Democrat can only either endorse the Administration's handling of Iran, or offer a more dovish critique on Iraq. But, maybe a savvy donkey will realize that he/she may get the nomination by running as a dove, but he/she will become President only as a hawk."
"2008 pres"
6:50:57 AM
|
|
Colorado Governors race to be costly, bloody and funded by large amounts of out-of-state money
Marc Holtzman has dropped out of the governors race after being tossed from the ballot this week by Colorado's activist judges, according to the Rocky Mountain News. Mr. Holtzman is now Bob Beauprez's biggest fan.
From the article, "Marc Holtzman's drive to be governor was quashed Thursday by the Colorado Supreme Court, ending a campaign that infuriated much of the state's Republican establishment and highlighted divisions in the party. Holtzman's last hope of getting a spot on the Aug. 8 Republican primary ballot died when the high court refused to consider an appeal of a lower court decision that effectively ended his bid. Putting aside an often bitter rivalry, Holtzman immediately endorsed Congressman Bob Beauprez and said he would campaign for him against Democrat Bill Ritter...
"Much of the staff is in its 20s and had little previous political experience. Many said they felt the campaign had succeeded in highlighting such issues as illegal immigration and opposition to Referendum C, which freed up money normally returned to Coloradans under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights to help the state recover from budget problems...
"Holtzman said he will soon make a joint appearance with Beauprez calling for party unity. 'I'll ask all of my supporters and contributors to close ranks behind Bob Beauprez,' he said. Holtzman called Beauprez to tell him he was ending his campaign. When asked if they had discussed whether he might join the ticket as a candidate for lieutenant governor, Holtzman smiled. 'That subject did not come up and I have a feeling it probably won't,' he said to laughter. Beauprez's campaign manager said they are looking forward to uniting the party behind his candidacy."
Here's the coverage from the Denver Post. They write, "Beauprez and Holtzman are expected to hold a Republican unity rally in the next few days. Ritter said that ever since the secretary of state's office found three weeks ago that Holtzman did not have enough signatures to make the ballot, he had considered Beauprez his opponent."
Jim Spencer adds, "Political consultant Eric Sondermann has bumped into Bill Ritter twice the past couple of weeks. Both times, said Sondermann, the Democratic candidate for governor was dining with 'former Republican legislators.' Sondermann wouldn't name the ex-lawmakers. Still, the ability of the Democrat to reach out to Republican players at this point in an election year shows how Marc Holtzman's scorched-earth campaign for governor has burned Republican Party nominee Bob Beauprez. The scars will remain visible and ugly, even though the Colorado Supreme Court on Thursday ruled Holtzman out of an August Republican primary. Holtzman's ads and rhetoric may be gone. They will not be forgotten...
"Thanks to Holtzman, Beauprez goes into the general election campaign recognized as 'Both Ways Bob.' Beauprez emphasizes his support for an initiative to deny state benefits to illegal immigrants, partly because Holtzman pushed the issue so hard. But Colorado provides virtually no benefits to illegal immigrants that are not required by the federal government of which Beauprez is a part. Meanwhile, Beauprez serves in the U.S. House of Representatives, which refuses to negotiate with the Senate to pass an immigration reform bill."
The general election is starting earlier than expected, according to the Denver Post. They write, "Colorado's race for governor officially begins today, as Republican Bob Beauprez and Democrat Bill Ritter battle each other for the right to lead the state for the next four years. Beauprez, coming off months of party infighting with Marc Holtzman, is considered wounded but also politically tested. Ritter, the sole Democrat, had looked forward to another month and half of quiet pre-primary campaigning. But Holtzman's departure from the GOP race forces Ritter immediately into the spotlight - for better and worse. And most experts agree the impending five-month battle will be costly, bloody and funded by large amounts of out-of-state money...
"How much damage Holtzman has inflicted on Beauprez over the past few months is unclear, political watchers say. On one hand, Holtzman's blows merely glanced Beauprez's shoulders as he pulled in large campaign donations and racked up high-profile endorsements. But in battling Holtzman, Beauprez moved himself even further to the right, which has already caused some problems. For instance, his continued opposition to Referendum C, which allowed the state to keep billions of dollars in tax revenues that would have otherwise been refunded to voters, has irritated some moderates in the business community."
"denver 2006"
6:23:56 AM
|
|
Carter on water
Former president, Jimmy Carter, was hanging in Colorado this week, on the Gunnison river, according to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article, "Jimmy Carter said in the nation's drive to forge new energy resources, it should not overdevelop at the expense of Colorado's natural beauty. Carter, who finished a three-day fishing trip down the Gunnison River on Thursday, said even though it would be very difficult for private companies to develop federal lands, destroying the state's natural assets in the pursuit of energy 'would be a tragedy for this country.' Along with protecting the region from unbridled energy development, Carter said Colorado and federal lawmakers needed to protect Western Slope water from being diverted away. Citing his own 'successful' fishing expedition, Carter said numerous industries would literally dry up without a stable, plentiful water supply...
"Carter, who served as president from 1977 to 1981, said one reason Colorado's scenic vistas could find themselves overdeveloped in the pursuit of ending the country's dependence on foreign energy was because of past leaders' failures to implement comprehensive energy reform. He said the power of auto industry and oil industry lobbyists had prevented the nation's leaders from implementing more stringent fuel-efficiency requirements for the country's automotive industry."
"colorado water"
6:09:43 AM
|
|
Hail cannons effective?
The Colorado Water Conservation Board renewed Center Colorado farmer John Smith's weather modification plan. He uses cannons to keep the hail away from his crops, according to the Jackson Hole Star Tribune.
From the article, "Farmer John Smith's spinach is dense, green and unblemished, just as it should be. His iceberg lettuce is still tiny, but healthy, with leaves sprouting whole and unmarred. They'll hopefully stay that way, Smith says, thanks to the eight hail cannons stationed across his 3,800-acre Southern Colorado Farms, aimed at the sky and poised to fire off sound waves that supposedly stop the nasty ice pellets that can ravage his crop. Smith believes in his cannons. So do many of his neighbors in the San Luis Valley. That's the problem. Although Smith maintains that his cannons, $40,000 apiece, can stave off the damage from summer storms, others are convinced they're doing more than that -- stopping the rain as well, drying up an already parched land and killing their livelihood. 'We need all the water we can get, and they're stopping it from raining,' said Don Evans, one of the ranchers upset with Smith...
"If some ranchers blame Smith, they're also reserving some of their wrath for the Colorado Water Conservation Board, which recently renewed Smith's weather modification permit for the next year. The board concluded that the cannons' effectiveness was questionable, but that there was no evidence they were causing harm. They also decided to study whether Smith's cannons do what he claims they do -- and what they're doing to everybody else...
"In Colorado, where Fort Lupton and Brighton are the only other places where farmers use cannons, the research on whether they actually work is slim, said Nolan Doesken of Colorado State University's Colorado Climate Center. 'Without some solid data, it is really hard to judge one way or the other,' he said. But the World Meteorological Organization dismisses cannons as nonsense, saying that 'there is neither a scientific basis nor a credible hypothesis to support such activities.' A pair of Dutch meteorologists recently published a study concluding that cannons have 'no significant effect' on hail. If rocket explosions and thunder can't destroy hailstones, they wrote, 'it follows that surface-emitted sound waves ... will be even less effective -- except maybe to annoy the neighborhood.' As far as Smith is concerned, the proof is in the Fresh Express bags of pre-washed, crisp lettuce and spinach found in any grocery store. The hard part about growing such crops is keeping them intact. If hailstones rip holes in the leaves, the damage will make customers not want to buy it, said Smith's administrative manager Mike Jones. Smith got the cannons to show his suppliers he was doing everything he could to deliver the product, he said. And although he hasn't documented it, he said he knows the cannons help him do that. 'All I know is the neighbors get hail, and we don't,' said Smith, who fired the cannons for a total of seven hours last summer. He's not the only believer. In Mississippi last year, Nissan installed cannons to guard against the hail that threatened its newly manufactured cars, much to the displeasure of neighbors who didn't appreciate the constant booming. According to news reports, Nissan officials insist they work, saying they've seen hail falling in the area, but not over the plant."
"colorado water"
5:55:21 AM
|
|
|
© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 8:18:59 PM.
|
|
|
