Catching up on some interesting stories that came out while I was in Massachusetts for Christmas ...
* Now even the Bush administration is admitting climate change is already here, finally recognizing the threat to polar bears.
* China has issued its first report on the impact of global warming in the world's most populous country. The results are ominous but not unexpected -- higher temperatures along with more rain AND more droughts (the extra rain will evaporate faster in the heat). Meanwhile, some American companies are recognizing China as a huge, untapped market for green products and services.
* Cool story from Forbes about a guy who figured out how to make big bucks by convincing people to recycle.
* Over at Bacon's Rebellion, Jim points out one reason why Arlington has fewer traffic problems than Fairfax -- it has 38 times as many people working to convince commuters to ditch their cars.
* And as the nation remembers Gerald Ford, I couldn't help remembering this classic 1996 Saturday Night Live skit, with Dana Carvey portraying Tom Brokaw recording some potential breaking news bulletins before leaving on vacation.
* Now even the Bush administration is admitting climate change is already here, finally recognizing the threat to polar bears.
* China has issued its first report on the impact of global warming in the world's most populous country. The results are ominous but not unexpected -- higher temperatures along with more rain AND more droughts (the extra rain will evaporate faster in the heat). Meanwhile, some American companies are recognizing China as a huge, untapped market for green products and services.
* Cool story from Forbes about a guy who figured out how to make big bucks by convincing people to recycle.
* Over at Bacon's Rebellion, Jim points out one reason why Arlington has fewer traffic problems than Fairfax -- it has 38 times as many people working to convince commuters to ditch their cars.
* And as the nation remembers Gerald Ford, I couldn't help remembering this classic 1996 Saturday Night Live skit, with Dana Carvey portraying Tom Brokaw recording some potential breaking news bulletins before leaving on vacation.
UPDATE: Chinese officials suspected of faking smog data to make clean air targets.
This is hardly a surprise. As the Europeans long ago recognized, "The Green tree has Red roots."
ReplyDeleteAnd remember what great protectors of the environment those Soviets were?
Despite 38 more people working the problem, and despite a thirty year experiment with Metro oriented development, invovlving millions of dollars, the Arlington traffic planning document concedes that a) a hihger percentage of people than ever are drivining out of the county to work, This ins spite of more jobs and more population in the county, and b) traffic is going to get worse, no matter how much they spend.
ReplyDeleteWhat part of failure is it that you don't understand?
Ray, what is this traffic planning document? The research I've seen shows only 55% of Arlington residents drive alone to work. In other suburbs including Fairfax, that number shoots up to 70%. 38% of Arlington residents Metro to work, compared to 0% 30 years ago when there was no Metro. All the research is here ...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dullescorridorrail.com/pdf/TOD_Leach_ArlCo.pdf
Do you have any numbers to back your argument up?