Dire warming report too soft, scientists say

[Rose Siding]

Source: LAT

....Despite its harsh vision, the report was quickly criticized by some scientists who said its findings were watered down at the last minute by governments seeking to deflect calls for action.

"The science got hijacked by the political bureaucrats at the late stage of the game," said John Walsh, a climate expert at the University of Alaska Fairbanks who helped write a chapter on the polar regions.

.....(S)ome nations lobbied for last-minute changes to the dire predictions. Negotiations led to deleting some timelines for events, as well as some forecasts on how many people would be affected on each continent as global temperatures rose.
...
Sharon Hays, associate director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, noted in the same teleconference that "not all projected impacts are negative."
...
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said in a prepared statement that political agendas need to be left behind and quick action taken to cut emissions.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-warming7apr07,0,6019103.story?coll=la-home-headlines

[wake.up.america]

1. Way warmer where I am. That's a fact.

[Igel]

15. We came home early from camping.

It started to sleet, and then it snowed for a little while.

Sixty miles north of Houston.

[Mnemosyne]

2. So it's worse than the dire report.

They won't even allow the truth to save humanity.

Evil is as evil does.

[Lorien]

3. K&R

ignoring the truth won't change it.

[truthisfreedom]

4. These scientists should publish an unredacted version.

They know we'd all like to see it. Where is it?

[candice]

5. Take Action

http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/

Even unplugging the flashing 12:00 appliances adds up to make a difference!

Yesterday, I dried my clothes outside...the dryer is the biggest carbon footprint in most homes.

Of course, the added warmth (more like summer than early spring) made it easier and faster to dry outside.

[ryanmuegge]

7. Thanks for the info.

I didn't know that the dryer was that big of a carbon footprint.

Doing small things does make a difference.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

8. Thanks for the good idea.

You just tweaked me to consider more outside drying. I started with energy-saving (and longer lasting!) light bulbs after I saw AIT.

I still feel the strategic stuff is the vast majority of the action required and problem-solving payoff. For example, in his congressional testimony Gore called for Kyoto Treaty follow up in 2012 to be moved up to 2010, so that the American president can lead the world in beginning to solve the climate crisis.

Are you going to Step It Up?

[Morgana LaFey]

9. Excellent points. Thanks. nt

[19jet54]

13. They missed one...

... If all Republicans stopped breathing, there would be less hot CO2 air expelled? And the Carter Era alternative energy tax credits would still be valid, automobiles would have stricter standards & the max speed limit would still be 55 mph? We are just now starting to repeat 1978 with 2008 and the same problems?

[Tesha]

16. Not here in the frozen north it isn't.

> the dryer is the biggest carbon footprint in most homes.

Not here in the frozen north it isn't; heating is
our heavy hitter.

We use natural gas to heat the house, heat hot water,
cook, and dry the clothes. During the summer, our
bill runs less than $30 a month (and we're certainly
still using hot water, cooking, and washing clothes).
During the winter months, our bill sometimes tops
$300 a month (so the heat is using roughly 90% of
the gas during that month). Just one such month puts
the heat far ahead of the dryer in carbon footprint.

Tesha

[dysfunctional press]

18. a lot of homeowner's association in many subdivisions have rules against outside drying.

personally, i would NEVER buy a house anyplace that had a homeowner's association.

[Harper_is_Bush]

6. The report is conservative/weakened, and the media is asking of it's an "overreaction".

That was the banner on CNN today.

"OVERREACTION?"

That, just before they interviewed an "award-winning" scientist who's main point was to ask viewers to remember all the good that burning energy has brought humanity.

1984 has arrived.

[reprobate]

10. Let's look on the bright side. It's not every generation

that gets the chance to be the LAST generation. Our children may have that honor.

[enough already]

11. I'm scared to death that you're right

Wish I knew what to do but I feel pretty helpless at this point. Bush doesn't give a shit if everyone dies.

[roguevalley]

12. we have warm weather and rain and Virginia Beach has snow today

when the hurricanes hit New York City and flooding washes Liberty Baptist University away, then maybe someone will get it.

[lovuian]

14. I think they know its all inevitable

So sad

[StefanX]

17. I am so freaked out by all this

I want to try to practice "Permaculture" (see eg books by Bill Mollison), but how do I get started alone?

I moved up into the hills and my life got to be so much work, I could barely deal with washing the laundry by hand. Simple things took up all day.

I missed strawberries and tilapia so I came back to civilization. But I feel guilty because I know I'm using way too much gasoline to do simple things like eat lettuce.

I think the only way to have a small footprint and still live "well" is to work together in a small group. One of us can take care of the strawberries, the other one can take care of the tilapia.

We're pretty used to a fabulous lifestyle based on burning massive quantities of fossil fuels. It's hard to go "back to the land" and give up all these luxuries.

But maybe a collective approach, with some specialization, might provide a good balance between small footprint and life's little luxuries?