Is Climate Change Real

Ken AshfordEnvironment & Global Warming & EnergyLeave a Comment

Somebody went back and looked at all the articles about climate change in peer-reviewed scientific journals. 10,853 articles accepted that climate change is real and humans are the cause of it. 2 did not. Graphically, that looks like this: Can we stop the “debate” now?

It Took A Spill, But NC Voters Finally Came Around

Ken AshfordEnergy and ConservationLeave a Comment

Good news: The Sierra Club on Tuesday released the results of a poll it commissioned from Hart Research Associates that shows broad bipartisan support for regulation of coal ash among voters in North Carolina. Hart polled 600 North Carolina voters earlier this month, and found that 83 percent of respondents want coal ash regulated as a hazardous substance and 90 percent think … Read More

Didn’t See This Coming?

Ken AshfordDisasters, Environment & Global Warming & EnergyLeave a Comment

West Virginia'ss image as caring more about corporations than people is really being bolstered this week. West Virginia emergency planners never put together any strategy for dealing with spills of a toxic chemical from the Freedom Industries’ tank farm, despite the facility’s location just 1.5 miles upstream from a drinking water intake serving 300,000 people, officials acknowledged this morning. Local emergency … Read More

Bad Day For West Virginians

Ken AshfordEnvironment & Global Warming & EnergyLeave a Comment

Although… the West Virginian who I'm thinking of is named Pat McGeehan.  Pat McGeehan is a 34 year old "constitutional conservative" running for U.S. Senate in 2014.  From his campaign website: Pat McGeehan is a strong proponent for constitutional government. Since returning to West Virginia from active duty military service, he has traveled across the state in order to spread … Read More

If There’s Global Warming, Then Why Is It So Cold?

Ken AshfordEnvironment & Global Warming & EnergyLeave a Comment

Forecasts in the midwest call for temperatures to drop to 32 below zero in Fargo, N.D.; minus 21 in Madison, Wis.; and 15 below zero in Minneapolis, Indianapolis and Chicago. Wind chills have been predicted to fall to negative 60 degrees — a dangerous cold that could break decades-old records. All of which begs the question — if climate change is real, … Read More

Where’s Cable News?

Ken AshfordEnergy and Conservation, Environment & Global Warming & Energy, Right Wing and Inept MediaLeave a Comment

Today, Obama made a very major environmental speech.  Here are the bullet points: Curbing carbon pollution • Directs the EPA to establish carbon pollution standards for both new and existing power plants. • Promises $8 billion in loan guarantees for fossil fuel projects. • Directs the Interior Department to permit 10 gigawatts of wind and solar projects on public lands … Read More

Blame Pb

Ken AshfordCrime, Environment & Global Warming & EnergyLeave a Comment

Violent crime has dropped significantly since the mid-90's.  In New York, it's down 75 percent. Dallas' has fallen 70 percent. Newark: 74 percent. Los Angeles: 78 percent.  Washington DC: 58 percent. Why? Conventional wisdom is that crime rates drop when the economy gets better.  Therefore, violent crime rates drop with the overall decrease in all crimes. But that doesn't seem to … Read More

Enjoy The Satellites While We Have Them

Ken AshfordDisasters, Environment & Global Warming & Energy, Science & TechnologyLeave a Comment

It's worth noting that those space images of Sandy that are not only cool but actually help scientists predicts its path and strength — well, they come from satellites which are nearing or past the end of their functional lives, and we have no replacement satellites scheduled to be launched for a few years. And if Republicans have their way … Read More

But Climate Change Is A Hoax, Right?

Ken AshfordEnvironment & Global Warming & EnergyLeave a Comment

Graph don't lie… The average global land surface temperature between June and August of 2012 was the warmest ever recorded,according to data from the National Climatic Data Center. The three month period saw an average land temperature that was 1.03°C (1.85°F) above the 20th century average. This follows a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showing that the period between January … Read More

Greenland Suddenly Melting

Ken AshfordEnvironment & Global Warming & EnergyLeave a Comment

Uh-oh: WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists say there's been a freak event inGreenland this month: Nearly every part of the massive ice sheet that blankets the island suddenly started melting. Even Greenland's coldest place showed melting. Records show that last happened in 1889 and occurs about once every 150 years. NASA says three satellites saw what it calls unprecedented melting over four days beginning July 8. … Read More