“Earth continues warmest winter since satellite measurements started” and “Feb should be warmest on record"

The partisan hissy fit over whether this winter's snowfall in the Eastern U.S. disproves the existence of global warming has taken an entertaining twist. Turns out one of the skeptics at Accuweather has reported that this is the warmest winter on record and the warmest February on record. 

This delighted the Climate Progress blog: "Ah, the anti-science crowd.  

Farmworkers against California water bond - SF Chron

Editorial by Arturo Rodriguez, President of the United Farm Workers' Union, in San Francisco Chronicle, excerpt: 

 "Expensive water: $11 billion, or $800 million in annual debt payments for the next 30 years. That's how much Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's water bond will cost California's taxpayers and their children to subsidize the agricultural industry for decades to come.

Feinstein and the Mojave vs. Solar Power - Newsweek.com

California has other lands, both federally and state owned, on which solar producers could relocate their projects. But no place is perfect; the sun doesn't shine as brightly in California's Central Valley and the desolate areas of Arizona or Utah are either too mountainous or too far from consumption centers to make transmission viable. Get too close to populated areas like San Bernardino and people complain that the infrastructure ruins the landscape. 

Fox Polls 120% on Climate Change. Honest

Have to share this one from Jon Stewart via TPM. Fox News published a poll critical of climate scientists doctoring numbers. But the Fox poll totals 120%. 

Find Polluters Near You

NYT.com has posted a national database of water pollution violations tied to a Google map, which you can search by city or zip code to find polluters in your neighborhood. 

Corn-Ethanol Hypocrisy Exposed

After years of denial, the hypocrisy of corn-based Ethanol is rising to the surface. 

Solar Tax Credits Increased

One surprise by-product of the financial bail-out legislation passed this Friday appears to be a substantial increase in federal tax credits for residential solar power, upping the tax rebate from today's $2,000 cap to 30% of systems total cost in 2009.

If my reading is correct, this dramatically changes the economics of installing photo-voltaic power systems on homes, making much larger systems affordable. For example, in one specific but representative quote, a 7,000 D.C. Watt system with a gross cost of cost $57,100 that nets out to $43,447.00 after California state rebates (through the local utility, PG&E in this case) and Federal tax credits today. That same system will have a net cost of only $31,812.90 after a tax credit of $13,634.10 next year.

Basically, that solar PV system couldn't be economically justified before, but is now a worthwhile investment for a home owner.

California Fire Update

Over 8,000 dry lightning strikes have created hundreds of fires across California this week. Since we haven't even reached the normal fire season, the impending drought and high temperatures don't bode well.
There are still roughly 232 active fires out of an estimated 400 plus. Air quality is so bad because of the smoke that military planes brought in to dump water on the fires were grounded yesterday, and flights delayed at SFO.
Fires can be tracked at this state site and air quality here.
After the continuation is a map of the fires as of today, June 27, followed by an embedded Google map that will presumably be updated as the status of the fires changes. To see a current list of fires, click "see larger map" on the Google embed and they should appear in the left menu.

Evidence Against Corn-Based Ethanol Mounts

Ages ago I wrote that corn-based Ethanol was an egregious example of bad science combined with bad politics.
Since then the evidence has gotten worse -- ditto the politics.
Ethanol-burning vehicles create cancer-causing smog. Although the studies are conflicting, corn-based Ethanol either offers tiny savings in oil consumption, or actually consumes more oil than it replaces. When the full process is taken into account -- fertilizer, harvesting machinery, refining, distribution -- Ethanol may be a net consumer of oil and probably produces more CO2 emissions than oil.

Better?: Prius, Airbus or Old Buick?

Which form of transportation is better for the environment: A Toyota Prius, an Airbus A380 airliner, or a smoking old Buick?

If you sense a trick question, you're right.

Users tell me their Prius (I think the word is its own plural) get about 35-40 MPG, which is great if not the 60 claimed.

Airbus claims its massive, new A380 airliner gets 80 miles per gallon per passenger. So, a Prius is only better in that regard if you travel with three or more people. The Airbus calculation