Dr. Hansen's comments on the hot summer.

Not that we wouldn't have had a hot spell, says Dr. Hansen, but climate change has likely made it worse.

More on "Overpopulation"

From the Washington Post, a column discussing some population myths.

New climate change report leaked

The IPCC preliminary report is set to forecast more incidents of extreme weather, according to published reports.

Creativity and environmental consciousness

We've all heard of efforts around the world to create artificial reefs and to build awareness of the fragility of many of the world's great coral reefs.  Here's a man-made reef (still in progress) that is probably unlike any of the others.

Eco-profits: Jute fiber holds promise for Bangladesh

See the story and video here.

The Even Greater Tornado Outbreak

Eric Berger chronicles and analyses some of the facts about this week's horror in the South.

Earth protection....

"Bolivia will this month table a draft United Nations treaty giving "Mother Earth" the same rights as humans — having just passed a domestic law that does the same for bugs, trees and all other natural things in the South American country."

Several questions can be raised; among them are whether this type of 'statement' has merit or value, even inspirational or educative value, and whether a body of nations with unimaginable diversity can have sufficient "pull" with other nations to make such a thing "work" in practice.  What will be the everyday effect of the resolution, and to what extent can we be said be able to obey it?

More later....

Vegetarian Dreams

A "conversion" essay from the NY Times is at the link.

Earthquake and disaster links...

...following upon the Japan quake/Tsunami event.  This information seems solid.  This link is to All Things Nuclear, and is under the shell of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The next link I find valuable is from the blog Disaster Wise, "Comments about technological history, system fractures, and human resilience from James R. Chiles."  He seems to take this seriously and responsibly.

The best ongoing coverage seems to be at CNN.  On this incident, Fox News seems to be shouting a little too much, and they have at least one producer who is off the reservation.  Repeatedly yesterday they led into or ended segments on the nuclear-plant crisis by showing film footage from the burning refinery.  Not kosher at all.

I'll say that insomnia sometimes pays:  I woke up around 3:00 on Friday morning, unable to sleep.  My custom is to turn on the Coast-to-Coast program on local news radio.  Already people were calling George Noury with seismic reports about an incident off Japan, and the network news coverage began right after.