Friday, February 16, 2007

Global warming and the West Researchers are measuring the effects of warming on high altitudes in the west, according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "Mountainous areas of the western United States have warmed faster than plains regions over the past two decades, new research at Boulder's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration labs shows. Areas such as Colorado's Front Range that depend on mountain snow pack for water supplies, are especially vulnerable, as snowmelt is beginning earlier with high elevation warming, according to the analysis by Henry Diaz of NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory. 'Our high mountains are like the third pole of the planet,' Diaz said in a statement. 'It's the world's coldest regions that are the most susceptible to warming.' Warming trends are 50 percent greater at higher elevations, the research found, and much of the western United States, including much of Colorado, rises above 5,000 feet. Previous climate research has found snow melting and trees flowering in the Sierra Nevada, Cascades and other western mountain ranges two weeks earlier than 50 years ago. More beetle infestations and the movement of pine forests to higher elevations have also been documented, according to NOAA." Category: Colorado Water 6:26:23 AM     More evidence that Mars had water? Life as we know it requires water. The search for the existence of life on Mars now or in the past centers around the existence of water. Geologists are stoked by the discovery of rocks that look like they've held water in the past, according to the The Sun Online. From the article, "Stunning new colour images from Mars could provide more evidence of life on the Red planet. The amazing photos beamed from a new NASA satellite orbiting the planet appear to back up claims that water may have flowed on Mars. If so, the planet could have sustained life forms. The images were beamed back to earth by the new Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. While previous NASA probes have found evidence of past and even present-day water on Mars, scientists previously had few clues if the water existed long enough for life to evolve. US Scientists said new findings show light-colored features cutting across dark bands in an area known as Candor Chasma. Boffins believe the rock has been chemically altered by water flowing across the fractures 'If there are any sort of fossils, these would be good places to look,' the University of Arizona[base ']s Chris Okubo... "Living cells thought to be dormant on the planet could only survive if they were several metres down -- as Mars is not shielded by a thick atmosphere like Earth. Current space probes cannot dig deep enough to find them, a report by University College London claimed." Category: Colorado Water 6:10:32 AM     Changes at Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission? Governor Bill Ritter is looking at the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to determine if the agency needs a bit of a reorganization, according to the Durango Herald. From the article, "Gov. Bill Ritter's administration is considering a shake-up of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, a panel that critics say is too friendly to the energy industry. 'They are having discussions of a possible significant change in the makeup of the commission,' said Sen. Jim Isgar, D-Hesperus... "Details of the governor's potential reforms were not available. Harris Sherman, director of the Department of Natural Resources, was out of the office late Wednesday afternoon and was not available for comment. As a rule, the oil and gas commission's staff does not comment on pending bills, Executive Director Brian Macke said. The COGCC has a professional staff that issues permits and does on-the-ground inspections. The seven commissioners, appointed by the governor, decide policy questions, such as how many wells can be drilled on a plot of ground. By law, five of the seven commissioners must have experience in the energy industry. Two of them cannot be from the oil and gas industry, and at least two have to be from the Western Slope. Last year, the commission approved 5,904 drilling permits, setting a record for a third consecutive year. Ritter has said he's not comfortable with the high number of permits being issued. Ritter told the Herald in September 2005 that he believed the commission's critics were right to say it is too friendly to the industry. He pledged during the campaign to appoint people whose top priority is the protection of water, public health and the environment." Category: Colorado Water 6:00:30 AM

© Copyright 2007 John Orr. Last update: 3/1/07; 6:55:15 AM.