GE seeds

Vermont has become the first state in the nation to require clear labeling of genetically engineered seeds. And they nearly passed the Farmer Protection Act, which would have protected all farmers from gene contamination lawsuits. That's a reaction to the Percy Schmeiser case (against Monsanto), which Schmeiser just lost by a close vote in the Canadian Supreme Court.

It will be interesting to see if the Vermont labeling law sets a precedent for other states.

David Appell @ 05:19 PM EST [link] [No Comments]

The Sound of Cicadas

This is the best description of the sound of cicadas that can imagine: "You ever watch that old 'Star Trek' episode where they leave their phasers on and try to melt something?" asked George Fox of Alexandria. "That's what it sounds like to me."

David Appell @ 03:41 PM EST [link] [No Comments]

The Boston Globe

Dan Kennedy disassembles the biased op-ed in today's Boston Globe on global warming.

David Appell @ 11:50 AM EST [link] [19 Comments]

Nuclear War

In my 20s I often had nightmares of nuclear war--I frequently woke up shouting and screaming about what I'd seen, which did not do my girlfriend any favors. Back then I thought there was little chance that my generation would escape unscathed. But lately, I have to admit, I think there's a chance the world might escape a nuclear holocaust. It's been almost 60 years since a nuclear weapon was used (and by the U.S., let us never forget). Great countries have come and gone, all without the destruction of the planet. Still, this nuclear scenario is frightening and hits a little too close to home, much like the move The Day After. I no longer wake up screaming, but the prospect of global nuclear war is something few generations have had to live with. But I guess everyone lives with it now.

David Appell @ 03:15 PM EST [link] [10 Comments]

Landscheidt

Climate skeptic Theodor Landscheidt, who last year threatened to sue me, and who blamed global warming on sunspot cycles, has recently died.

David Appell @ 10:40 AM EST [link] [3 Comments]

On Future Ice Ages

Dan Gillmor writes, commenting on The Day After Tomorrow, "The notion that global warming could set off an ice age is not stupid, however idiotically and unrealistically the movie portrays such an event." As proof he cites this Woods Hole Web site, which says

...global warming could instigate a new Little Ice Age in the northern hemisphere.

which refers back to the Younger Dryas cooling of 12,000 years ago, when for about 1,000 years the North Atlantic region cooled by about 5°C. (Note that a cooling of 5°C is only about halfway towards a real ice age.)

This issue came up at the recent AGU conference I attended, where climatologist Andrew Weaver presented evidence that an Ice Age categorically cannot take place due to global warming. Weaver presented results of model simulations where he dumped huge quantities of fresh water in the north Atlantic (did you know there's a unit for large quantities of water, called the "Sverdrup?" One Sverdrup equals 10⁶ cubic meters per second), and at no point did he ever find a new ice age. Indeed, he gave a press conference, whose abstract was the following:

Despite recent the recent IPCC (2001) assessment that "Most models show weakening of the Northern Hemisphere Thermohaline Circulation (THC), which contributes to a reduction of surface warming in the northern North Atlantic. Even in models where the THC weakens, there is still a warming over Europe due to increased greenhouse gases." there is still a widespread misunderstanding of the possible consequence of climate change on the Atlantic Ocean Meridional Overturning. In particular, it is often touted, especially in the media that a possible consequence of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions is: "Global warming will cause the onset of the next ice age". Here we document the history from where this misconception arose and quantitatively show how it is impossible for an ice age to ensue as a consequence of global warming. Through analysis of the paleoclimate record as well as a number of climate model simulations, we also suggest that it is very unlikely that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning will cease to be active in the near future. We further suggest that a region where intermediate water formation may shut down is in the Labrador Sea, although this has more minor consequences for climate than if deep water formation in the Nordic Seas were to cease. (emphasis mine)

I don't know how Weaver accounts for the Younger Dryas cooling--it would be interesting to know. Probably he distinguishes between a little ice age like the Younger Dryas and a real honest-to-goodness ice age where the northern part of the northern hemisphere is covered by ice a couple of kilometers thick. But he was pretty adamant that a new ice age cannot come about via global warming.

David Appell @ 09:47 AM EST [link] [4 Comments]

God

An interview with God.

David Appell @ 08:47 AM EST [link] [No Comments]

Petition

An online petition by those "concerned about the Bush administration’s manipulation of and disregard for science to meet its conservative political agenda" has over 10,000 signatures.

David Appell @ 12:35 PM EST [link] [5 Comments]

TDAT

Boston Globe: "There's hail in Japan, snow in New Delhi, and, hey, a twister just ate the Hollywood sign! Now that's entertainment -- for about 20 minutes. The other hour and 40 feel like the most expensive PowerPoint presentation ever made."

Hey, what's wrong with a PowerPoint presentation?

David Appell @ 11:36 AM EST [link] [No Comments]

Late Post

I'm not especially outraged over anything lately (I still haven't read Sallie Baliunas' latest in Tech Central Station), and am tired of op-eds on The Day After Tomorrow, so blogging has been light here. I'll try to pick up the pace as the movie comes out -- though I'll be late seeing that, as I'm dogsitting for a friend this weekend, and this dog is a barker, and for some reason that annoys my apartment-mates. (Party-poopers.) I'll need to wait until next Tuesday or so to see it. The dog's company is worth it.

David Appell @ 05:54 PM EST [link] [5 Comments]