Friday, December 21, 2007

California to sue over emissions snub in weeks: Schwarzenegger


Denial of State Emissions Plan Was Foreshadowed (click here)
...The industry pushed for the new ruling as part of its overall lobbying on the energy bill, which also calls for a huge increase in ethanol and other biofuels over 15 years.
In meetings in October with Mr. Cheney and sessions with White House staff members, auto executives made clear that they were concerned not just about the fuel economy measures in the bill but also about the California proposal for stricter emissions standards.
California developed rules in 2004 to reduce tailpipe emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants that scientists say contribute to
global warming. The state applied to Washington in December 2005 for a waiver from the Clean Air Act to let it apply the tougher standards. Eventually, 16 states joined the application for the exception....

Can't make much money on oil if cars aren't buring it !!!





The above graph released by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) charts the value of the Vice President's holdings in Halliburton in the past year. (click here)


Cheney's Puppet, George Walker Bush stated yesterday, there was no reason for California (or any other state) to enact laws regarding carbon dioxide as the USA needed a national strategy.

The USA has a national strategy, it's called "Look the Other Way" while KBR, Halliburton and USA Auto makers take the world for a ride !"


The vehicles that are sold and serviced by America's auto dealers are marvels of design, performance, and reliability, and all of you are rightly proud to work in this industry. You're part of the reason America remains among the strongest economies in the world. So it's a pleasure to be in the company of new-car and truck dealers from coast to coast -- and I bring good wishes to all of you and the members of your association from the President of the United States, George W. Bush. (click here)

Japan Backs Down from Hunting Humpbacks


Well, this may have profound implications for the future of whales - some of them may be smarter than we had previously thought!
Humpback whales have a type of brain cell seen only in humans, the great apes, and other cetaceans such as dolphins, US researchers reported on Monday. This might mean such whales are more intelligent than they have been given credit for, and suggests the basis for complex brains either evolved more than once, or has gone unused by most species of animals, the researchers said.
Patrick Hof and Estel Van der Gucht of the
Department of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York studied the brains of humpback whales and discovered a type of cell called a spindle neuron in the cortex, in areas comparable to where they are seen in humans and great apes. Planet Ark: Humpback Whales Have 'Human' Brain Cells – Study (Reuters)...

U.N. ice bridge reminder of melting Antarctica


Norwegian artist Vebjorn Sand (R), who was the driving force behind the building of a bridge near Oslo to the exact drawings and design of Leonardo da Vinci, works on a replica of the bridge constructed of ice outside the United Nations building in New York, December 17, 2007.

...Natural wonders of great beauty, coral reefs are a multi-billion dollar tourism draw. Australia alone makes $6.8 billion a year from its Great Barrier Reef. Damage to the corals puts at risk the world’s marine ecosystem. The total economic value of coral is estimated to be $30 billion.”

USA Today has a simple explanation about the phenomenon: “Burning coal, oil and gas adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, the same gas used to give soft drinks fizz. Just as carbon dioxide is absorbed into the drink, ocean water absorbs it from the air. When the carbon dioxide enters the ocean, it makes the water more acidic. That interferes with the ability of coral to calcify their skeletons: They can no longer grow and they begin to die.

“Coral reefs are important because they act as hatcheries and nurseries for open ocean fish. They also protect coasts from storms, and provide fish, recreation and tourism dollars. It is estimated that coral reef fisheries in Asia feed one billion people.”...

Another huge heat transfer from the Equator to Antarctica, with it goes water vapor supporting tropical rainforests

And whom is to blame for all this?

Whom?

The United States of America and it's consumerism, that's whom !!!!


December 21, 2007
1526 gmt
Western Hemisphere


December 21, 2007
1525 gmt
Africa - Europe Satellite


December 21, 2007
1103 gmt
Indian Ocean


December 21, 2007
1411 gmt
West Pacific Satellite


December 21, 2007
1611 gmt
Australia


December 21, 2007
1532 gmt
Pacific Global Satellite


December 21, 2007
1326 gmt
Antarctica

The first day of Summer in Antarctica and everything is melting or subliming. Negative 17 Fahrenheit in Vostok. Hideous. Completely


December 21, 2007
1200 PM
Antarctica Temperature Satellite

Click for animation at title to entry, missing from the 24 hour satellite are images from 9 AM, 3PM and 6 PM.

The frigid temperatures over Antarctica are gone. It's warmer than it's ever been. I doubt we'll see too many more summers before there is profound notice of the impact of Human Induced Global Warming on Antarctica.

The Warmest Reporting Station:

Base Belgrano li, Antarctica


Time :: 3 PM gmt


Elevation :: 823 ft/ 251 meters


Temperature :: 49 F / 9 C


Humidity :: 26%


Dew Point :: 25 F / -4 C


Wind :: 4 mph / 6 km/h from the SSE


Wind Gust :: -


Pressure :: 28.89 inches / 978 hPa (Falling)


Visibility :: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers

Base Marmabio, Centro Met. Antartico, Antarctica


Time :: 3 PM gmt


Elevation :: 650 ft / 198 meters


Temperature :: 42 F / 5 C


Conditions :: Mist


Humidity :: 68%


Dew Point :: 35 F / 2 C


Wind :: Calm


Wind Gust :: Well, if there isn’t much wind, there won’t be much of a wind gust either.


Pressure :: 29.38 inches / 995 hPa


Visibility :: 12.0 miles / 20.0 kilometers


Clouds :: Few 19685 ft / 6000 meters


Davis, Antarctica


Time :: 10 PM


Elevation :: 59 ft / 18 meters


Temperature :: 38 F / 3 C


Condtions :: Partly cloudy


Humidity :: 31 %


Dew Point :: 18 F / -8 C


Wind :: 24 mph / 39 km/h from the ENE


Wind Gust :: -


Pressure :: 28.57 inches / 967 hPa (Falling)


Visibility :: 16.0 miles / 25.0 kilometers


The coldest reporting stations ::


Dome C, Antarctica


Time :: 4:20 PM gmt


Elevation :: 10761 ft / 3260 m


Temperature :: -24 F / - 31 C


Wind :: 8 mph / 13 km/h from the SSE


Wind Gust :: -


Pressure :: in / hPa (Rising)


Vostok


6:00 PM VOST


Elevation :: 11220 ft / 3420 m


Temperature :: - 17 C / - 27 C


Humidity :: 55%


Dew Point :: -24 F / -31 C


Wind :: 9 mph / 15 km/h from the South


Wind Gust :: -


Pressure :: in / hPa (rising)


Visibilty :: 12.0 miles / 20.o kilometers



Amundsen-Scott, Antarctica


Time :: 5:49 AM NZDT


Elevation :: 9285 ft / 2830 meters


Temperature :: - 10 Fahrenheit / -23 C


Conditions :: Light Snow


Wind :: 9 mph / 15 km/h from the South


Wind Gust :: -


Pressure :: in / hPa (Falling)


Visibility :: 6.0 m / 9.0 km


UV :: 1 of 16


Clouds :: Mostly Cloudy 689 ft / 210 m
Overcast 4035 ft / 1230 m
(Above Ground Level)

The weather at Scott Base, Antarctica is temperate. This is ridiculous.