Climate change survey: the view(s) from Engineering

Date: January 11, 2008*
Setting: A bar on Broad Street, Nevada City, California
People: Five from Engineering: two Independents(I), one “leaning towards Democrat”(D), one Republican(R), one Libertarian(L)
Sources of information:
* Text: 4 of 5 read the local newspaper; 1(I) reads science magazines
* Video and Audio: Discovery Channel(I,D); Great Global Warming Swindle(R); Jon Stewart(L); NPR(I,L)(“but it seems one-sided, pretty liberal – though maybe that’s the reality?”)

Q: “What’s the scientific consensus on whether the world is warming due to greenhouse gases that humans are putting into the atmosphere?”

Election 2008 – Who do you support?

Who are you leaning towards for the next presidential election?

“I have not really decided yet. I agree with Kucinich on the issues. I always vote my heart but we are facing some real serious challenges and so voting pragmatically may be what I do.”

- Sam Spooner, Columbia Hill

“Obama. He is the only person who can bring the country together and who can demonstrate to the world that America cares about globalization. Hillary carries too much baggage and is too angry. Obama provides the only real hope that our country can more forward.”

- Sherri Walker, Grass Valley

“John McCain. He is calmer and collected a lot more. He has experience in foreign affairs. He shows more respect to the other candidates. I think he could get along with Congress and create a new environment. All the Democrats are talking about change but they don’t say what they are going to change.”

- Joe Mayer, Alta Sierra

“Obama. I just find him inspirational. I feel like he represents whats best in the county and he can bring together a consensus of different races. I guess I just have Clinton fatigue. I think we need someone inspirational right now.”

- Christina Billeci, Marysville

“Edwards would be my first choice if he was nominated but if not, I am leaning towards Hillary. Politically she has the most experience and backing. Her husband did not do too bad a job. At least he seemed to keep us out of wars!”

- Greg Powell, Nevada City

What is it – an organic appleoosa?

This apple came from a health food store, but it seems to be having some health problems of its own. What happened?
(and if you are what you eat, what will become of you, if you eat it?)

Christmas Lightbulb Exchange offered by PowerUp-NC on Sunday Dec. 2

Christmas lights use lots of energy, but never fear, PowerUp is here with a free Christmas light exchange. They will happily give two strands of super-efficient L.E.D. lights in exchange for your old power-guzzling traditional Christmas lights.

Set aside 2 strings of traditional lights and come and visit them this Sunday, December the 2nd in the Bonanza Market parking lot, on Broad St. in Nevada City. They will be there from 10am to 1PM, or until they have given away all the Christmas lights. As an added bonus you can pick up two free CFL lights for use in your home fixtures.

10 AM to 1 PM on Sunday December 2nd
421 Broad St. Nevada City
Bonanza Market Parking Lot

Bring 1 or 2 Strands of traditional Christmas Lights and
Your PG&E bill or account number.

Received by email.

On categorization, labeling and fairness

[Edited Dec. 1 to include retired engineer George Rebane's new blog ]
Mr. Russ Steele, retired engineer and proprietor of NC Media Watch, has emailed saying it seems unfair [to the others] to lump Martin Light’s Light on Nevada County and Dr. George Rebane’s Sierra Environmental Studies Foundation blog in with his, under the “global warming deniers” warning in the far right column of Nevada County Voices.

I disagree. Nevada County Voices aims to be fair to you readers, and part of that entails trying not to silently sit back and allow you to be misled, especially on an issue as critical as this one. Writers of the four blogs lumped in as “global warming deniers” are global warming deniers -e.g. see Martin’s Light on Nevada County here (“With all the hoopla about global warming…”), here (“… I figure Oscar Al must have several highly paid linguistic experts on his staff to stay a step ahead of the real scientists who are debunking his cry of ‘we are all doomed’.”), and here (“Al Gore’s movie, ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ has moved global warming from scientific theory to dogma by means of the media, which now treats global warming deniers nearly the same as ‘holocaust deniers.’ The jury is still out on the scientific basis of climate change but according to the media anyone questioning it is being very ‘un-PC.’”) – and see George Rebane’s Sierra Environmental Studies Foundation (background) here (no soundbite; it would call for the Heimlich Maneuver) (and his reavowal of his views in Nov. 2007, here.)

And if anyone wants to posit that these bloggers’ views on global warming shouldn’t reflect on their other posts, may I recommend spending some time with Daniel Davies’ One Minute MBA – and with Skeptical Science.

Anna Haynes
__________________________________

Addendum, from here:

…the neocons have a point: The personality of the global warming movement is fairly self-adoring, kind of sickening. Enthusiasm for the movement seems to be an identity thing, too.
But this is not important, or at least it shouldn’t be. Just because you don’t like people who wear biodegradable underwear doesn’t mean global warming is a hoax. …

What is it? – Power Flower Lifts Weary Spirits

(actually by Virginia Moran)
“What a perfectly adorable flower!” my friend Lorna said as she bent down to look into the face of this wildflower in the way an adult bends down to talk to a child. Indeed. What a perfectly adorable flower!

If you have not looked into the face of this pretty one, then you must, especially if you are having a bad day. I have never met a flower capable of making people smile as much as this one; it’s in flower by the hundreds right now in our foothill fields.

What is it?

Click here to find out.

What is it? – Alien Feeding Frenzy Conquers Compost

No worms-and-fluffy-soil for this compost bin – a voracious horde of inch-long crawlers moved in, and you wouldn’t want to run your hands through the result. This writhing mass swarms over, engulfs, and – like Midas, only not exactly like Midas – transmutes anything it can reach into gobs of brown slime.
What is it?

(and why is this black wasp loitering nearby?)

Nevada County’s Agricultural Biologist emeritus Eric Gunderson has an answer: “your compost bugs look like…

Notes and a view on Sunday’s Global Cooling Cafe

“If we continue the direction we’re going, we’re likely to end up where we’re headed.”

How do we help Nevada City citizens act to reduce their carbon footprint and fight global warming? Sunday’s Global Cooling Cafe brought together about 40 people and the Low Carbon Diet workbook to answer this question.

This was the last of three Cafes held after this spring’s Step It Up 2007 “Day of Climate Action” event. The Cafes’ goal has been to engage people’s ingenuity and help them come together to plan and take actions to help our community reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

I’d missed the first two, but a neighbor’s rave reviews brought me to this one. And I figured if I was going to attend, then you, dear reader, should get to come along; hence this account.

What is it? – The Guest from Hell

“It’s that season again. The dog showed up with dreadlocks and soon these little annoying balls of velcro will be everywhere: in the rug, in my socks, in my shoes, and of course, taking full advantage of my dog.”

What is it?

Click here to find out.