Comments on: Steven Chu on climate change: “Wake up,” America, “we’re looking at a scenario where there’s no more agriculture in California,” Part 2

By: нeзнaкoмaя

нeзнaкoмaя — Wed, 27 May 2009 20:17:16 +0000

Почитал, прикольнуло А может и на самом деле всегда думать только о хорошем, а все плохое переворачивать?

By: Barbara Drake

Barbara Drake — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:00:33 +0000

Hi, Joe. Great post. As you say,

“Eight years of disinformation and muzzling U.S. climate scientists has left the public largely unaware of the catastrophes that we face of the business as usual emissions path.”

The denial among most of the American public is frightening, particularly since it leaves citizens so unprepared for any extreme weather events that will come their way.

I raise some of these issues on my blog An American in Lima, where I write about daily life in Lima, Peru (my new home) and the effects of climate change on Andean culture (which I’m documenting with a photographer). The Andes region is on the frontlines of climate change, so we’re seeing GLOFs and extreme weather events already. People on the coast of Peru are finally waking up to the fact that their water supply is vanishing into thin air and that Lima will face a catastrophic drought.

Feel free to visit my post: “California to Die of Thirst Like Coastal Peru?”

http://americaninlima.com/ 2009/ 02/ 18/ california-drought-like-peru/

By: Edward Greisch

Edward Greisch — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:19:15 +0000

A reminder that when the drought/desertification covers the midwest, there will be no more food and civilization will fall, killing everybody who is able to read this on a computer.

By: Asteroid Miner

Asteroid Miner — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 07:39:36 +0000

Rick C: You were never in danger from 3 Mile Island. The containment building worked as we knew it would. Go get a degree in Physics or Nuclear Engineering before proving your ignorance again.
PS Generation 4 American reactors are impossible to melt down even if you try.

The only solution is to replace ALL coal fired power plants with 4th Gen nuclear ASAP or immediately.

By: chris lindsey

chris lindsey — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:59:59 +0000

Has anyone heard of Paul Chesser? He just came to Alaska telling stories of the myth behind global warming, siting cooling across the globe like Antarctica (I guess he doesn’t read Science or Nature) or the great winter we are having across the US (I guess he isn’t concerned with long term trends). I was surprised by the warm response he got after his presentation. But, given we live in a resource driven economy here in Alaska, I should not be that surprised. I was interested in hearing another’s perspective on Mr. Chesser.

By: NedK

NedK — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 00:16:28 +0000

It’s encouraging (and rare) to hear straight talk from a high-ranking politician, even if the news is alarming. Because of the uncertainty associated with all predictions about global warming and climate change (No agriculture in California in 2050? Or will 2075 be the year?) it’s easy for the conservative right to be skeptical, and given the power of the right-wing media, large numbers of people are easily confused.
I don’t know how much time we have to change prevailing North American lifestyles based on excess and waste, but despite increased awareness of the issues, action at the national and international level is positively glacial (pre-global warming era). To mobilize support for political action at all levels of government, I and a few others are exploring what we consider an unrecognized force for change: the universal human spiritual connection with the natural world. That’s an immense concept, I know, but we have a suggested starting point for practical application of spirituality: raising awareness of the sources of food, water, and air–the keys to human life. Dr. Chu’s statement relates directly to the sources of food and water. You’ll get a better idea of our approach, which is still at the experimental stage at http://www.morninglightsanctuary.org Whether we have time enough to change is a big question, but our view is “Let’s try it,” and to skeptics we say “Why not?”
PS:Climate Progress is a great website; it helps us believe in the concept of progress.

By: JeandeBegles

JeandeBegles — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:37:39 +0000

Roger,
I’d have Obama say: ~”Climate disruption is real, it’s serious, and it needs our urgent attention. I am therefore today declaring a war on climate disruption. I hope that I can count on your help. Here is our basic, ten-point plan…” (to include a ‘planet preservation fee’ on fossil fuels; a new, TVA-like, national utility dedicated to producing electricity from wind, solar and other non-fossil sources… and etc.).
I completly agree with you. This is what a grass root movement should target.

By: Dano

Dano — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:31:24 +0000

Of that, a huge fraction goes to growing alfalfa (to feed livestock), rice, and cotton. Half of the residential water use in California is used for irrigation.

Lawns and growing rice in the desert will soon be things of the past here, although the public is still very slow to realize this.

I may be glad I left, but I do miss these discussions. Certainly alfalfa can go away, and cotton too (replace with hemp and flax, please!) in Westlands dirt. Interestingly, tho, the rice has become a nice replacement for the sloughs we paved over, and waterfowl use them. I don’t expect us to ever fund replacing the wetlands we ruined, so rice is the next best option.

And having owned a landscape design business there, I can attest to the fact that far, far too much water is lavished on landscapes. Will we ever break our environmental psychology paradigm of the lawn?

Best,

By: Roger

Roger — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:17:27 +0000

It’s about time we had straight talk from key scientists to the public on this.
Now, as Joe has said, we need to hear more about climate disruption from Obama’s team. This is how we can quickly fill the Hansen knowledge gap.

I recantly met with a Holdren friend who promised to pass along the idea that Obama himself should go on prime-time, national television to speak bluntly to the American people specifically about climate disruption…

I’d have Obama say: ~”Climate disruption is real, it’s serious, and it needs our urgent attention. I am therefore today declaring a war on climate disruption. I hope that I can count on your help. Here is our basic, ten-point plan…” (to include a ‘planet preservation fee’ on fossil fuels; a new, TVA-like, national utility dedicated to producing electricity from wind, solar and other non-fossil sources… and etc.).

By: James T

James T — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:08:48 +0000

I’m so glad that everyone in the scientific community believes in this man-made global warming crisis. Good thing there aren’t any scientists that don’t believe anything contrary,we would be in alot of trouble then.

[JR: The scientists who are actually expert on the climate understand the science. This isn't about belief.]