Comments

JackK7

The Environment

Greenland's Big Problem Is a Little One

By Rachel Durfee Posted on 9.16.2008 18 Comments
Though its cause may still be contentious for some (ahem, Sarah Palin), it is undeniable that Greenland is disappearing at a startling rate as large chunks of ice break off from the mainland and float away as icebergs. Until now, it was commonly thought that the melting and break up of mammoth glaciers was the most dramatic example of Greenland's changing landscape; however, new research shows that the real culprits are dozens of much smaller outflow glaciers dotting Greenland's coast.

9.17.2008 at 11:26pm - Comment by JackK7

WOW! A lot of good comments. I thought when I put down Comment #1, that it would just be followed by strings of insults from people who thought Al Gore was just the smartest scientist to ever live. I'm usually not this happy to be proven wrong. Just above, the comment from lan1108 circled around a question I have. Just why do we think the earth's present temperature is the ideal? If I were Sarah Palin, or anyone else living in Alaska, I would welcome a little global warming. If I lived in Texas or Florida, I would want the sunspots to stay away long enough to get a little start on one of those mini-ice ages. I think mankind can adapt to any changes in climate that may come along. If there are going to be great migrations, I wish I knew which direction they were going so I could by some property before they get there.
The Environment

Greenland's Big Problem Is a Little One

By Rachel Durfee Posted on 9.16.2008 18 Comments
Though its cause may still be contentious for some (ahem, Sarah Palin), it is undeniable that Greenland is disappearing at a startling rate as large chunks of ice break off from the mainland and float away as icebergs. Until now, it was commonly thought that the melting and break up of mammoth glaciers was the most dramatic example of Greenland's changing landscape; however, new research shows that the real culprits are dozens of much smaller outflow glaciers dotting Greenland's coast.

9.17.2008 at 12:21pm - Comment by JackK7

TheRedFox: I tend to agree with nearly everything you said, but there is no way to keep politics out of this particular topic. The whole topic of predicting the future climate changes and their causes is beyond our abilities at this time, but that doesn't keep us from pretending we are able to do just that. Whether we think mankind is effecting climate change or not is determined by what is essentially a new religion, and that is why disagreements can get so heated. Liberals what a big government in their lives. It is there to take away some of the need to make big decisions and take big risks. They want that government to hold their hand and walk through life with them. They want to feel they are a functioning part of this big government movement and that is how they fill their need for companionship and build their self esteem. The fight against man-made global warming is a natural for liberals. They can be part of the movement by battling their carbon footprint and preaching to others to get smaller cars. They know that government will end up telling them what kind of cars people must drive and how fast they can drive them, and government will say where their thermostats can be set in the winter, and if any air conditioning can be used in the summer. Eventually, the government will decide how many square feet of living space are the maximum per person so that no one hogs resources. Liberals want global warming to be true because it gives them a strong parental government to take care of them from cradle to grave. It makes them feel wanted, needed and protected. Conservatives are quite the opposite. They want the government to get out of their life. They have the confidence to provide for themselves. They don't need or want a government to try to give them self esteem - they will provide their own. They don't want the government telling them what to drive or where to set their thermostats. Conservatives will not put up with a phony global warming crisis giving government the power to completely take over control of their lives. The whole global warming thing is made up of a lot of politics and very little unbiased science.
The Environment

Looming Eco-Disasters

By Posted on 6.13.2008 14 Comments

9.16.2008 at 08:38pm - Comment by JackK7

Of all the problems the US has right now, the writer of this article represents the group causing the most damage. They are against, and they sue to block the development and transmission of all forms of energy. At one time it was thought these guys might go along with solar or wind farms. But no....Windmills disturb bats that fly too near them, and transmission lines from either solar or wind farms disturb the environment and can't be allowed. These guys are not really concerned with the environment, they simply wish no human being ever existed on earth. They think that without humans, the globe would be an all natural pristine place with lollipop trees and lions and lambs lying together in peace. They are very much anti-modernity. They may be able to tolerate a small population of humans as long as they live off the land with only tools made from sticks and rocks. They may be allowed to have a goat or two for milk and cheese. They hate humans because they hate themselves, but hating themselves is the only place they exercise good judgment.
The Environment

Inside the Vertical Farm

By Posted on 9.4.2008 7 Comments

9.16.2008 at 07:23pm - Comment by JackK7

Decades ago, I was excited about the idea of this type of farming. However, as the years passed, and I found that the only way to get a tomato with a good flavor was to put a plant outside in a pile of dirt, I gave up on the idea. At the supermarket, 12 months of the year I can buy perfect looking tomatoes that have absolutely no flavor. If they can't grow a good tomato, I sure don't want to try their meat products.
The Environment

Measuring Carbon Footprints

By the Editors of E - The Environmental Magazine Posted on 9.15.2008 1 Comments
Dear EarthTalk: How can I measure -- and then improve -- my overall "carbon footprint?" What are the major areas of one's daily life that one measures? -- Andy Fusco, Passaic, NJ With global warming dominating so many headlines today, it's no surprise that many of us are looking to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases our activities produce.

9.16.2008 at 06:46pm - Comment by JackK7

I'm hearing that in the past, any time there was a low number of sunspots for an extended time, the earth entered into a mini-ice age. We now have an unusually low number of sunspots. This tends to indicate that instead of warming, the planet is going to get much colder for the next 1000 years or so. Perhaps the government needs an 'Office of Carbon Footprint Regulation'. Every morning it would check the outside temperature and then tell us if we should all replace our compact florescent bulbs with incandescent for that day, and whether we should drive our new hybrid or our old SUV to work. With extreme climate swings, we may need to rip all the insulation out of our walls one day, and then replace it all a couple weeks later. It's beginning to look like being a green, tree hugging nutcase could be a lot of work.
The Environment

Mission to the North Pole

By Molika Ashford Posted on 9.12.2008 1 Comments
Ever since Russia planted a flag under the North Pole last year, the issue of sovereign rights under an increasingly slushy arctic has tensed. In a race to claim ownership of some of the arctic seabed, a two-ship caravan of Canadian and U.S. scientists is sailing around the Arctic Ocean right now. Their mission, which will last from September 6th to October 1st, is to measure the seabed and the continental margins in an attempt to solidify our possible rights over the far north—an area that will become accessible to oil drilling and mining as the earth warms and arctic ice melts.

9.16.2008 at 06:10pm - Comment by JackK7

I sure am glad to see them doing this. The way we have been handling the offshore oil question, I was sure we would just let everyone else drill there, and then we would buy the oil from them for $300 per barrel.
The Environment

Greenland's Big Problem Is a Little One

By Rachel Durfee Posted on 9.16.2008 18 Comments
Though its cause may still be contentious for some (ahem, Sarah Palin), it is undeniable that Greenland is disappearing at a startling rate as large chunks of ice break off from the mainland and float away as icebergs. Until now, it was commonly thought that the melting and break up of mammoth glaciers was the most dramatic example of Greenland's changing landscape; however, new research shows that the real culprits are dozens of much smaller outflow glaciers dotting Greenland's coast.

9.16.2008 at 05:49pm - Comment by JackK7

Though some, (ahem, Obama), wish to use the mankind-caused global warming hoax as a way of growing government and gaining tremendous personal power, others, (ahem, Sarah Palin, tens of millions of citizens and tens of thousands of scientists) and not going along with this scam. Yes, some ice is melting in the north, but ice is growing in the south. You have the word Science in your magazines' name, so use science and don't just drink the populist kool-aid. JackK7