Eastern Garbage Patch, aka Gilligan's Island

Steven Colbert reported Tuesday October 30, 2007 on the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch"

"It's heap of debris floating in the Pacific that's twice the size of Texas.  To give you a sense of scale, Texas is a heap of debris one time the size of Texas."

Turns out the garbage is real and there is a nice Wikipedia entry on it, including links to both popular press articles as well as genuine science publications:

Commentary

NASA: Aware Global Warming Exists

When NPR asked NASA Administrator Michael Griffin "Are you concerned about global warming", Griffin responded:

"I'm aware that global warming exists...  Whether that is a long term concern or not, I can't say."

Griffin is of the opinion that a little global warming might be good for us and that, in any case, NASA is not authorized to take any action on climate change one way or another.

Time to dump Griffin.  He's spouting the administration line.  Lunacy.  Shear lunacy.

Listen to the the entire interview:

Commentary

Solar Power

Science Newssn-solar-2007 has a nice introduction to the role solar power may play in fighting global climate change.  Some telling statistics:

Commentary

Cut CO2 Emmisions by 95% - Or Else

Reuters reports today

 "If we are to have a 50 percent chance of meeting a 2 Celsius target we would have to cut global emissions by 80 percent by 2050," Nathan Rive of the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo told Reuters.

 We are already up 0.7 oC.   The 2oC goal is somewhat arbitrary, but that level is expected to have serious consequences.  In order to reach the world goal of 80% reduction, industrialized nations will have to cut CO2 by 95%, so says the report.

Commentary