The Last Frost

Editorial: Why the carmakers seem to be dragging their feet on batteries - AutoblogGreen

Solar-Powered Device Converts CO2 to Fuel (TreeHugger)

First Successful Demonstration of Carbon Dioxide Air Capture Technology Achieved

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzXRxP7jBSU

Sun Microsystems makes energy efficiency a priority - [CNNMoney.com]

 This past Monday, the US Supreme Court ruled that the EPA does in fact have the authority to regulate auto emissions that contribute to climate change such as carbon dioxide. It was a close vote, but in the end they did the right thing voting 5-4 in favor. Unfortunately those 4 votes stemmed from the 4 justices you would expect to vote against the ruling, all Bush appointees. 

 This ruling may have widespread impacts across the automotive industry as States and the EPA are now able to set mandatory emissions standards.  

Court rules against Bush in global warming case - [Reuters]

China is poised to take the title of top emitter of greenhouse gases away from the United States either this year or in 2008, and boy did they catch up fast.

This is just one reason why Kyoto has taken so much flak from the conservative right. China is exempt from the Kyoto Protocol, so what sense does it really make? Their argument is that it hurts our economy in relation to developing countries. There are a lot of good arguments on both sides actually.

I guess my point is that this latest news shows how Kyoto really isn't and was never the answer to our problem of global climate change. It's too exclusive and it's not aggressive enough. We need a binding international agreement to lower greenhouse gas emissions EVERYWHERE and in much larger quantities than ever previously considered. If the US shut down all emissions tomorrow, there would still be China, and soon there will be India and the rest of the developed world who will go on polluting. The problem is massive and it needs a massive solution.

Otherwise we may be doomed to witness the graph depicted in the image above becoming reality. (Image borrowed from chinahousing.mit.edu)

China: Top generator of greenhouse gases - [FreeMarketNews.com]

China to promise cuts in greenhouse gases [New Scientist Environment]
    China has goal to reduce G.H.G. emissions by 10% over 5 years. 

Top 10 Largest Databases in the World [Business Intelligence Lowdown]
    #1 is interesting.

Wis. could become second state to require fewer greenhouse gases [Chippewa.com]
    CA was first.

It's rare these days that the American democratic process works in favor of environmental issues.  Exxon has recently been feeling the burn of a Democratic Congress, so much so they pulled the funding from many of their climate change "think tanks". Instead it's going to focus on what can be done to influence the actual policies that will affect them rather than denying there's a problem.

So in other word's their bullshit machine is moving underground where the public has to dig down deep to track.  

Exxon Yanks Funding from Global Warming Deniers - [Blue Mass Group]

Shall we change or shall we give up and accept what comes to us? I say let's change… some say fuck it, I say fuck that.

AlterNet: EnviroHealth: Global Warming is Here. Now What?