Climate Reconstruction

A fascinating and spirited conversation regarding past climates is underway at Climate Audit.

If you have issues with Climate Audit because it's allegedly a "global warming denialist site" (it's not, having read the site and Real Climate for several months now) then don't click the link. Or do, and learn something. Climate Audit is highly technical, and you may need a statistics textbook to understand what's going on.

For what it's worth, there was a time (after Katrina) that I considered this field for graduate work. Now, not so much, for a variety of reasons I'll get into in a future series of posts.

Summer Vacation

So, what are you doing for Summer Vacation?

I'm going to Austin, TX. July 16-21.

30 Days to Save the Mountains

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/11/7/7044/34891

Devilstower at Daily Kos has been doing 30 days to save the mountains. Essentially a bill in committee right now would stop mountaintop blasting, which is common in the western part of PA and in West Virginia. It destroys the environment, and while I'm not that much of a 'tree hugger', I hate seeing mountains blown up to get coal just as Pennsylvania finally has a mature forest covering much of it (read up on the history of lumber in PA.) Bush let this happen sort of in response to the Utah mine disaster earlier this year (it's too dangerous, apparently, to mine traditionally, so just blow the mountains up and forget the damage it does to ecosystems and the water that people drink.)

Appalachian Voices is documenting what mountaintop removal does in that region. It's pretty devastating.

http://www.appvoices.org/

It bothers me immensely that Congressman Platts is a cosponsor to this bill but Congressman Holden is not. Does Holden not notice the orange creeks in Schuylkill and Northumberland Counties?

I have written and emailed and called his office. If you all could do the same, that'd be great. He needs to get his name on this bill.

Here is his website: http://www.holden.house.gov/

Here is the relevant contact information:

Washington Office

Congressman Tim Holden
2417 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-5546
(202) 226-0996


Berks County Office
4918 Kutztown Road
Temple, PA 19560
Phone: (610) 921-3502
FAX: (610) 921-3504

Dauphin/Perry County Office
1721 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA 17102
Phone: (717) 234-5904
FAX: (717) 234-5918

Lebanon County Office
758 Cumberland Street
Lebanon, PA 17042
Phone: (717) 270-1395
FAX: (717) 270-1095

Schuylkill County Office
101 North Centre Street
Pottsville, PA 17901
Phone: (570) 622-4212
FAX: (570) 628-2561
Thanks!