Polar Bears Don’t Really Drink Coke

And I’ll bet, if they could talk, they wouldn’t really want be around anything having to do with people - especially if those people were drilling for oil in their backyard. But polar bears and the 45 other species of mammals that reside in the Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) seem to be under represented in the US House and Senate. On Wednesday May 4, 2005 the Senate voted 51 to 49 to defeat a measure that would have banned oil exploration and drilling on the 1.5 million acre coastal plain that is the ANWR.

Who lives in the ANWR you may ask? Well, there is the small pygmy shrew and the large bowhead whale. Others mammals include the Dall sheep, caribou, moose, musk oxen, wolves, grizzly bears, and black bears. The waters also abound with life (36 species of fish) and 180 species of birds live in the refuge or pass through it on their migrations. And, of course, there is plant life.

But fear not, ANWR furry, fishy, and feathered residents. The natural inability for politicians to get along may save you yet, because the ban on ANWR drilling hinges on the passage of the budget. Melinda Pierce, a lobbyist on the Arctic issue for the Sierra Club, said controversial items like Medicare cuts may prevent a budget resolution from passing. She further suggested that those opposed to oil drilling could possibly join forces with other opponents of budget cuts to defeat any budget resolution.

So, ANWR animals, the plan is divide, kill the budget, and conquer. I would also like to propose an alternate plan. If we can’t divide the folks in Washington on the budget, maybe we can get them to unite against it. One sure way to get the budget not to pass is to call for salary cuts for all Senators and Representatives. I say we have a planning meeting on this subject. Polar bears-if you agree to come, we won’t ask you to bring the Coke.

P.S. Actually though-I do love the Coke commercials with the polar bears

Out of Balance

SCIENTISTS CONFIRM EARTH'S ENERGY IS OUT OF BALANCE

Scientists have concluded more energy is being absorbed from the
Sun than is emitted back to space, throwing the Earth's energy "out of
balance" and warming the globe.

Scientists from NASA, Columbia University, New York, and Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, Calif. used satellites, data from buoys and computer models to study the Earth's oceans. They confirmed the energy imbalance by using precise measurements of increasing ocean heat content over the past 10 years.

The study reveals Earth's energy imbalance is large by standards of the
planet's history. The imbalance is 0.85 watts per meter squared. That
will cause an additional warming of 0.6 degrees Celsius (1 degree Fahrenheit) by the end of this century.

To understand the difference, think of a one-watt light bulb shining
over an area of one square meter (10.76 square feet). Although it doesn't seem
like much, adding up the number of feet around the world creates a big
effect. To put this number into perspective, an imbalance of one-watt per square
meter, maintained for the past 10,000 years is enough to melt ice equivalent
to one kilometer (.6 mile) of sea level, if there were that much ice.

"The energy imbalance is an expected consequence of increasing
atmospheric pollution, especially carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, and black carbon particles. These pollutants block the Earth's heat radiation from escaping to space, and they increase absorption of sunlight," said Jim Hansen of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York. He is the lead author of the new study, which is in this week's Science Magazine Science Express.

As the Earth warms it emits more heat. Eventually the Earth will be
back in balance, if the greenhouse gas emissions are kept at the same level of
today. Scientists know it takes the ocean longer to warm than the land.
The lag in the ocean's response has practical consequences. It means there
is an additional global warming of about one degree Fahrenheit that is already in the pipeline. Even if there were no further increase of human-made gases in the air, climate would continue to warm that much over the next century.

Warmer world-wide water temperatures also affect other things. "Warmer waters increase the likelihood of accelerated ice sheet disintegration and sea level rise during this century," Hansen said. Since 1993, sea levels have been measured by satellite altimeters. Data has shown they have risen by approximately 3.1 centimeters or 1.26 inches per decade.

Although 3.1 centimeters is a small change, the rate of increase is twice as large as in the preceding century. There are positive feedbacks that come into play, as the area of ice melt increases. The researchers agree monitoring ice sheets and sea level is necessary to best ensure the system is in balance.

For more information and images about this story on the Internet,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/environment/earth_energy.html



-end-

Extinction

• Over 40% of all tropical forrests have been destroyed and another acre is lost every second.
• Worldwide, thousands of pounds of plutonium are stored under conditions of inadequate security. (if this fell into the handsof terrorists, they could build a Hiroshema size bomb with as little as ten pounds.
• 6-8 tons of carbon is added to the atmosphere by burningfoddile fuels and and destroying forrests. This could raise the temprature three -ten degrees (with Global Warming) by 2050.
  
• Worldwidw, more than 11,000 plants and animals are facing a high risk of extinction. This includes mammals!

At th rate--How long before humans are extinct?

Information from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
visit their website at www.nrdc.org

Wind Power isn't new either

5000 BC Wind energy propelled boats along the Nile River

2000 BC The first true windmill built in ancient Babylon

200 BC Simple windmills in China were pumping water, while vertical-axis windmills with woved reed sails

1270 AD Wind power used for mills

1854 AD Wind power used to pump water

1888 AD Windmill to generate electricity built in Ohio by Charles F. Brush

When did we start going backwards and using other things?

Solar and Electric Cars

Solar Racing

EURIKA ALERT!!! - The 2005 North American Solar Challenge (NASC2005) is almost here!!

The North American Solar Challenge (NASC2005) is a competition to design, build, and race solar-powered cars in a cross-country event. The route - a 2500 mile journey from Austin, Texas to Calgary, Alberta.

The race begins on July 17^th, but the kick-off conference stars at the end of March.

See the American Solar challenge NASC2005 website for more information.

If they can race solar cars – why can’t I own one????

That’s a good question – In the late 1990’s GM came out with the EV1. Many were sold, but later GM took them from their owners and crushed them claiming liability and insurance issues. 70 of the EV1 cars are remain and as of Feb 27 there was a vigil being held to try to save them. Visit the EV1 site for more information.

A similar vigil saved Ford Ranger electric trucks

Hybrids (cars using gas and electric), like the Ford Escape SUV, are still available for about $27,000 (front wheel drive). It will have to do until the car companies decide to let us drive electric cars with no ties to the pump.

Cave of the Sun

Solar Timeline Update (or back date)

All the way back to 3000BC – in what is now Newgrange, Ireland

In Gaelic it was called Uaimh na Greine – the “cave of the Sun.” The builders designed it so on a winter solstice the sunlight perfectly aligns with an opening in the structure to illuminate the inner chamber.

It is the oldest known structure with evidence of scientific thought.

Not really solar energy, but still really cool!

Solar Energy is not a new idea.

One day the red sky may choke us and the acids carried on the winds will rain down on the Earth bringing death. We already have seen the beginnings of the end, but it’s not too late to stop it.

Using alternative energy sources can help prevent global warming, air pollution, and acid rain. History tells us these alternative sources have been around for a very long time

When was the first recorded use of solar energy?

The 7^th century BC!! Evidence has been found that a magnifying glass was used to concentrate the sun's rays to light a fire for light, warmth, and cooking.

And it didn’t end there…..

In the 3rd Century B.C. Greeks and Romans use mirrors to light torches that were used for religious purposes.

Then-----they found another use-----

In the 2nd Century B.C. Historians believe that the Greek scientist Archimedes took advantage of the reflective properties of the Greek’s bronze shields to focus sunlight and set fire to Rome's wooden ships.

But there were peaceful purposes too---

In 100 AD Italian historian Pliny the Younger builds passive solar home using glass to keep heat in and cold out. It is the first house of its kind.

And

Starting in 100 AD The Romans built baths with large windows facing south to let sunlight in. The sunlight provides natural heat for the baths.

Today we call that passive solar energy.

Passive solar energy was so popular that---

In the 6th Century the Justinian Code establishes "sun rights" to ensure that a building has access to the sun.

The Romans weren’t the only ones making use of the Sun----

In the 13th Century in North America, the ancestors of Pueblo people known as Anasazi build south-facing cliff dwellings. These buildings captured the warmth of the winter sun.

So – you may ask---Where’s my free solar power?

One source you may try is a solar oven. There are many types of ovens that can be constructed at home and found online. Come back again for more information.