Thursday, May 16, 2013

SAR #13136

“Don't tell me what you value.. Show me your budget and I'll tell you what you value." Joe Biden.

Our Excellent Adventure: That 400 ppm at Mauna Loa (okay, it was only 399.89) is not Fahrenheit 451, the world is not going to burst into flames, or civilization come to a halt. Not immediately. It is just a reminder that the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere is higher than at any time in the last few million years and that the Earth is going to keep getting warmer and the Arctic ice is going to keep melting away and the power plants are going to keep on spewing until the Earth does burst into flames or civilization falls apart, because we are not very smart.

Curb Your Enthusiasm: BP's chief economist says that some predictions of the amount of production to be had from fracking "may be overblown". BP expect US tight oil production to reach about 6.5 mbd by 2030, not the 10 mbd frequently cited.

Bedtime Reading: Scientific evidence suggests humanity is slowly but certainly marching - well, driving and otherwise spewing CO2 while burning fossil fuels - towards series of disasters that could trigger mass extinctions. Scientific evidence also suggests that enough humans will “Scatter, Adapt, and Remember" enough to start the process all over again. If we haven't burned up all the fossil fuels. If we have, it'll pretty much be game over.

Proof Reading: The headline asked: 'Will Climate Change Make You Homeless?' It should have started with 'When will...' Last year over 32 million people were displaced by weather-related disasters. Stick around, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

Predestination:“The European Union is the new sick man of Europe. The effort over the past half century to create a more united Europe is now the principal casualty of the euro crisis. The European project now stands in disrepute across much of Europe.” Downhill, gathering speed.

Rainbow's End: The WSJ says that the end is in sight, assuming the goal is to get back to the employment levels we had when the Current Unpleasantness began. And assuming you can see the middle of next year from here.

Stopped Clock: It doesn't happen often, but Justice Scalia was right when he said (during the Supreme Court's 5-4 election of George Bush to be president) that there is no constitutional guarantee of the right to vote. Now two wild-eyed Congressmen think it is time to remedy that lack. The effort is doomed before it starts, because the universal right to vote is contrary to Republican ideology.

To Whom It May Concern: SAR is on a brief bit of recuperation & will be back full strength come Monday next. Or Or Tuesday.

The Parting Shot:

130516

2 comments:

TulsaTime said...

The saddest part of climate change is the motivation for most of the deniers. They don't want anything to get in the way of the status quo, and they can't let knowledge get in the way. It reminds me of nothing so much as the 'controversy' over smoking and health. Screw the science, we have a profit to make !!

Anonymous said...

R &R is good for the body and soul.

Reading your take on life is good for mine. Reality often bites though.

Looking forward to your return.