Tag Archives: environment

Dirty Finger Print

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds
of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creeps upon the earth.'” – Genesis 1:26

“And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master
will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?'”
– Luke 12:42

Satellite produces global air pollution map

Energy and Environment Based on 18 months of Envisat observations, this high-resolution global atmospheric map of nitrogen dioxide pollution makes clear just how human activities impact air quality. ESA’s ten-instrument Envisat, the world’s largest satellite for environmental monitoring, was launched in February 2002. Its onboard Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY) instrument records the spectrum of sunlight shining through the atmosphere. These results are then finely sifted to find spectral absorption ‘fingerprints’ of trace gases in the air.

Driven Crazy

Detroit Fights California Bid to Open Car Pool Lanes to Fuel-Conscious Import
By DEAN E. MURPHY

Aides to the governor say he will sign legislation approved on Thursday that could allow up to 75,000 hybrid drivers, mainly those behind the wheel of a gas-sipping Prius, to use car pool lanes even when taking to the road alone. The governor hopes the perk will encourage more people to buy the cleaner-burning cars, but by doing so, he will give the Japanese-made Prius vaunted status in a state where nearly 30 million registered vehicles compete for every inch of open asphalt.

[…]

But Mr. Schwarzenegger might as well promote a “Buy Japanese” campaign, William C. Ford, Jr., chairman of the Ford Motor Company, said in a letter to the governor. An official with the United Auto Workers National Ford Department also wrote to Mr. Schwarzenegger, urging him to veto the legislation because no American-built vehicle would qualify. The combined offensive nearly killed the bill in the Legislature; it passed the 80-member State Assembly with the minimum 41 votes.

It’s great seeing how Ford is complaining of prejudice, whereas in fact this law will only prefer the Japanese incidentally, insofar as they’re the ones building hybrids rather than whining about technical and economic difficulties. You’d think that a company like GM, with a gross income greater than many countries’ GDPs, would be be able to do it, but nooo….

Needless to say, I consider only buying American to be utter bunk with cars, especially with so many foreign companies building plants here. It’s like our "Dream Team" in basketball. Taking a dive might be beneficial for them in the long run.

Envirofiction

NASA
battles buzz from disaster movie

April 28, 2004
By Andrew C. Revkin, New York Times News Service
Published April 28, 2004

“‘Urgent: HQ Direction,’ began a message e-mailed on April 1 to dozens
of scientists and officials at the Goddard Space Flight Center of the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration in Greenbelt, Md.

Great…now all the environuts will be foaming at the mouth. I’m all about protecting
the environment, but I don’t think things are nearly as bad as they have been made
out to be (check out The
Skeptical Environmentalist
)