Global Warming: Worse then previously thought
PBS’s Nova is an amazing show. It does to science what Law and Order does to law. Unfortunately, the Nova episodes are not “based on actual events”. I watched a disturbing episode of Nova called Dimming the Sun. The basic idea is that multiple studies in the last decade have found that the amount of solar radiation reaching the earth has decreased a substantial amount (20%) since 30 years ago. Despite the decrease in solar heat, average temperatures across the world have continued to rise during this time. The implication is that global warming is occurring even faster than originally predicted. Imagine if solar dimming has not taken place… our average temperatures would have increased even more dramatically than they have now. So...
Article in Mercury on Taiwanese Election
Please email jboudreau@mercurynews.com if this article annoys you – Taiwanese in Bay Area return to island for closely fought presidential election —————— Dear Mr. Boudreau, I was excited to see that SJ Mercury covering the Taiwanese elections in a couple of articles this morning. I was raised in the US from a Taiwanese immigrant family, and only recently have tried to understand the Taiwanese political situation, but even to me, your description of the candidate positions underneath the candidate photos are politically biased Under Ma Ying-Jeau, the positional description you wrote was: “Wants closer ties with China in hopes of economic growth and possible reunification.” Reunification with China is...
Penny foolish and pound foolish
It is nice to see Business Week covering the issue of global warming without bias and taking a business-minded approach. In the most recent issue, they highlighted a McKinsey study that analyzed different measures to reduce emissions, and graphed them across 2 axis. X Axis – Cumulative reduction of Greenhouse Gases Y Axis – Annual cost of of reducing emissions per ton The full graph is scanned in below. Click on it to see it enlarged. The blue boxes are measures that would actually SAVE MONEY if implemented. The red boxes are measures that the costs of implementing would exceed the savings, or basically LOSE MONEY. It would seem to make sense that all businesses and households be mandated to execute on the blue boxes simply for the sake of saving...
Feb 5 California Primary Ballot
I received my ballot by mail, and I did not realize it. The attached letter stated: Because the voting precinct in which you reside contains less than 250 voters, it has been designated a mail ballot precint pursuant to California Elections Code Section 3005. This means that there is no polling place in your precinct for the upcoming election. Christine wise-cracked that even if I wanted to walk-in to vote, I could not. I guess this makes voting in the primaries easier for me this year. I have a hard time choosing between Hillary and Barrack, so that was decided by a coin flip, and Hillary won. Some of the other CA Propositions are more interesting. Here is how I am voting: Proposition 91: Transportation Funds. Initiative Constitutional Amendment Vote NO. ...
Politics of Hope – Dare to Believe?
Happy feelings in a cold and windy night that Barack emerged as the winner of the Iowa caucuses. Maybe Obama’s Politics of Hope message really can come true, and my deep cynicism towards politics is misplaced. “You did this because you believed, so deeply, in the most American of ideas… that in the face of impossible odds, people who love this country can change it.” – Obama’s Iowa Victory Speech At least for tonight, the air smells fresh with the winds of change.
Quote of the Day
Although, I am not as extreme as this writer, I can understand his sentiment. Inaction or inability to make the hard decisions and draw clear boundaries make the Democratic party just as guilty of this country’s decline. I filled out the paperwork yesterday. I am no longer a member of the Democratic Party. I can no longer support a party that caters to big business at the expense of the majority. The Democrats are a gutless version of the ruthless GOP. At least the GOP doesn’t even pretend to represent the average American anymore. Their utter contempt for non-wealthy Americans is evident with everything they do and say. The Democrats contempt is hidden behind cowardice…We are looking more and more like Germany in the 1930′s and the...