My Goodness!

The California drought has forced a 3 week shut off to farmers --

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Farmers in the nation's No. 1 agriculture state predicted it would cause consumers to pay more for their fruits and vegetables, which would have to be grown using expensive well water.

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The state depends on winter snow in the Sierra Nevada for much of its summer water supply, but January was one of the driest winter months on record.

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The water shortages are so severe most cities will have to start mandatory ration programs by summertime, and residents will be asked to reduce their usage by 20 percent, Snow said.

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So, it was pretty baffling that Jeff Jacoby, the Think Tank Loon, felt the need to present weather reports from around the nation to proclaim "See, I told you so! There's No Global Warming!"

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In a December 2008 column, Jacoby presented Heartland Institute as a credible source. Since they may have recently determined that the earth was round, we won't pick on them today.

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One can't help but be suspicious since George Will was recently motivated to misstate Global Warming information.

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As the new President has appointed his cabinet and advisor, it's been impressive that he appointed those outstanding in their expertise -- the likes of Steven Chu as Energy Secretary [CSPAN] and the Education Secretary, Arnie Duncan.

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Because the public education system in the US has become so dysfunctional, our ability to compete is deteriorating, particularly in the area of the sciences.

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Some time ago, I was extremely distressed about an encounter with a local high school graduate and the graduate's functional illiteracy and discussed the matter with a friend, an educator. She explained that in graduate school, a professor had told her that poor education creates malleable masses. If that doesn't get you hopping mad about your local tax dollars, little else will.

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As I've posted information about global warming and related issues, it is striking that scientists who have written scholarly tomes filled with extensive statistical and analytical information, have written articles in laymen's terms that clearly define the surrounding issues.

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To place the issue is simple terms --

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The last time Methane Hydrate was released in large quantities on this planet was 250 MILLION years ago.

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That Methane release caused 90% of marine life and 70% of land creatures to be destroyed.

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Methane is 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

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The issues surrounding Global Warming can be bandied about forever, but we're confronting a catastrophe that defines a planet that is unfit for human habitation, unless we take action now.

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Dirty Energy has become so threatened by the truth, that they have funded opposition to Cape Wind to the tune of about $20 million -- you know, that's the offshore wind project that would provide 75% of Cape Cod's energy needs.

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On a selfish level, if you reduced or removed energy costs from your household budget, wouldn't you be better off?