Errol Louis (columnist from NY Daily News) asked me to come to Bushwick Houses in Brooklyn and help him interview Mr. Gonzalez. His wife had died in his arms 10 days before our meeting. She was a chronic sufferer of asthma who depended on her oxygen tank. She died of an asthma attack triggered by having to walk 10 stories up to their apartment after waiting in the lobby of her building for over 5 hours for anybody from the New York City Housing Authority to come in and repair the elevator.

My wife, as I have often mentioned, is a climate scientist. And sometimes she hears some great stuff at seminars, hearing the facts straight from the horse's mouth. A couple of times she passed on stuff I REALLY wanted to blog but was a little confidential. You should have heard what the NASA administrators were trying to tell the scientists during the whole censorship scandal. Pretty scary stuff. But not something I can pass on.

Something she passed on to me recently, though, really got me thinking and doesn't involve any inside secrets as far as I know.

Some scientists have been advocating some pretty radical ideas to deal with Global Warming. One such idea is to lace our atmosphere with sulphate particles to increase the albedo of the atmosphere. This idea seems pretty crazy: possibly acidifying our atmosphere at who knows what cost to take a chance that it will reflect back enough solar energy to reduce warming. Apparently another such idea is even more crazy: increase the albedo of the ocean by covering large areas with white styrofoam. Hmmmm...

But back to sulfate particles. Apparently, one problem here is that no one actually, until recently, actually did the calculations to see if it would work or if it would cause massive acid rain. Well, according to data submitted for publication, calculations show that it COULD work and that the amount necessary to make a difference shouldn't have a large effect on acid rain. So, that actually is kind of promising. But...and here is where things get sticky when dealing with such ideas: the cost would be in the trillions (on a ROUGH calculation) AND no one knows what the dynamics would be. In other words, how long the sulfate particles would stay in place and how they would be distributed globally are completely unknown. I suspect that lack of understanding of the dynamics would include not being sure that LOCALIZED acid rain problems might not happen if concentrations became unusually high in spcific locations. A similar situation arose with the chemicals that caused the ozone holes: they reached exceptionally high concentrations at the polar regions and the specific dynamics of those locations made them particularly potent. We don't know what would happen with the sulfates in terms of the dynamics of the situation.

As I blogged on CultureKitchen recently, the Republic is having a Rome moment; now, The New Yorker sums up the feeling on this week's cover.

I knew it would be bad, back during the 2000 campaign and after the Supreme Court coup; how bad, nobody could have foreseen.

The global warming "debate" is not what the right wing portrays it as. Long ago a solid, overwhelming consensus was reached among scientists that a.) global warming is happening, b.) that humans are contributing to warming, and c.) warming will seriously impact our civilization in the near future...maybe already is.

The debate among scientists has shifted to details. Will there be localized cooling in the North Atlantic? Where will there be droughts and where flooding? How rapidly and how bumpy will the changes be? But the main question for all of society is whether it is too late to do anything. THAT is the new global warming debate. I have two answers to this: we sure had BETTER be able to do something about it and YES, WE CAN!

I have been aware of global warming science for at least 25 years. The science goes back even further, to the 1960's when measuring carbon dioxide levels and the observation that carbon dioxide was increasing were first done by Roger Revelle. Way back then, Revelle noticed changes and predicted that temperatures would rise as a result. When I became aware of global warming some 25 years ago, many predictions were made: increased storminess, Northward migration of tropical diseases, increased variability of temperature extremes, etc. What has astonished me as I read about current global warming science is just how many of the predictions of 25 years ago are coming true. In science the value of a theory is in its predictive value. From what I can tell as an informed, though not professional, observer is that the predictive value of the global warming models has been good. Details may be inacurate, but the general predictions have come true.

For some time I have been writing about the fact that Bush has lost the war on terrorism and has, in fact, pretty much been enabling the rise of a new, extremist Caliphate that aims to control lands from Africa to Pakistan (and hence to have a nuclear capability). Some of my writings even came to the attention of BBC radio some time back.

Well, now even Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is admitting that the Republicans have lost the war against terrorism. From Salon.com:

Frist: Taliban Should Be in Afghan Gov't

- - - - - - - - - - - -

By JIM KRANE Associated Press Writer

October 02,2006 | QALAT, Afghanistan -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Monday that the Afghan war against Taliban guerrillas can never be won militarily and called for efforts to bring the Islamic militia and its supporters into the Afghan government.

The Tennessee Republican said he learned from briefings that Taliban fighters were too numerous and had too much popular support to be defeated on the battlefield.

My friend, Devin Cohen, former President if Independent Neighborhood Democrats, is also a dedicated community member who has served as an EMT for 10 years and serves on Community Board 6. He has sent me the following information:

Hello Brooklyn friends and neighbors,

I'm writing to let you know about an opportunity to receive some cool training and to join a team of civilian responders for our community. These teams are being set up in the various Community Board Districts throughout the City, and it is now CB6's turn. We are recruiting through Community Board 6 and the board's Public Safety Committee, which I chair.

Please note that the Mayor's OEM is NOT recruiting residents who are already Emergency Responders in another capacity (i.e. EMTs who are already assigned to a unit.) They want citizens who do not yet have another assigned role during times of emergency/crisis.

I am writing today because the OEM has extended our application deadline to September 29th.

The New York City Community Response Team (CERT) Program is designed to train basic disaster skills and emergency preparedness to groups of neighborhood and community-based volunteers.

You will be taught to:

Photo Courtesy of the New York City Public Advocate's Office

Four more years of the phantom New York City Public Advocate. There is a photo of her allegedly giving food out in Queens. Nice? WHAT THE F&*#K IS HER PROBLEM!

The Public Advocate should be voice of moral outrage of the people of New York. Handing out sandwiches is the best Gotbaum could do?

It utterly pains me to see how this woman has turned that post into a charade. I don't care if Bloomberg stripped the position of any actual governmental mandate. Then raise hell, use the media access you've got with the post and raise utter, raging hell. No media access? Then take it to the people. Take it to the streets.

There is no reason whatsoever for people in Queens to be in the situation they are at the moment.

Facilitating the implementation of alternative sources of energy for emergency situations like this ought to be the #1 priority of New Yok City, especially after the 2002 Blackout. And if it is not on the agenda of the mayor or City Council, then shame them publicly for their oversight.

I just posted a rant about the government's use of "the weather" to clear themselves of any responsability over at culturekitchen. My pet peeve? The refusal to link the freakishly hot and stormy weather to any environmental upheavals caused by the last hurricane season, including Hurricane Katrina.

I mean, if Puerto Rican's and countries all across the Caribbean have created preparedness plans for not just the before and during of a hurricane but particularly the environmental upheavals that come after it, why can't U.S. Americans? Do y'all really believe the U.S. is above any laws of nature?

From the Union of Concerned Scientists:

An external review of NOAA’s Hurricane Intensity Research and Development Enterprise has been released for public comment. The NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB) announced the availability of the preliminary report of the SAB Hurricane Intensity Research Working Group’s (HIRWG) external review for public comment. The report can be found HERE

The Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere requested the SAB to conduct an external review of NOAA's hurricane intensity research and development enterprise. Details on the report’s draft recommendations are appended below. “The report recommends that NOAA strengthen its efforts to develop numerical models which incorporate essential physics and have sufficient resolution to resolve hurricane structure. The essential physics includes full representation of clouds and a much improved representation of the exchanges of heat, moisture, and momentum at the atmosphere-ocean surface. Development of these representations will require extensive analysis of data from carefully planned field studies using both traditional airborne and ground-based observing systems and novel observing platforms such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.”

The report is open for comment until 5pm (EST) on June 23, 2006. Email comments are encouraged noaa.sab.comments2@noaa.gov Directions for postal mail are below. When submitting comments, include: your name(s), organization(s), area(s) of expertise, mailing address(es), telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address(es).

Deadline: 5 pm (EST) June 23, 2006

On 9/11/2001 the consequences of ignoring the threat of al-Qaeda was driven home dramatically. America, NYC in particular, had the lesson slammed home on that day. President Clinton had warned us, Bush included, that al-Qaeda was the threat to watch. His warnings were ignored. We paid the price on 9/11.

But has the lesson been learned? Did the Bush administration realize that its agenda had to focus on defeating al-Qaeda? At first it seemed that they had. The invasion of Afghanistan and the toppling of the al-Qaeda-allied Taliban was clearly the right first step. I was heartened when Bush took that first step.

But then came Tora Bora. Bush abandoned the War Against Terrorism, pulled out a large chunk of our troops and let Osama bin Laden get away. Why? To invade Iraq, a nation that had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11. Bush let his attention wander from the war against those who attacked NYC and America. Bush dropped the ball.

As I have written recently, and perhaps at too great a length, that decision by Bush to abandon the real war in favor of his directionless war on Iraq has allowed al-Qaeda and the Taliban not only to regroup, but to expand. They are stronger than ever by our own admission. Bush dropped the ball and the enemy that attacked NYC and America is stronger than ever. Bush is losing the War Against Terrorism, just as he is losing his directionless war against Iraq, "Mission Accomplished" not withstanding. In fact, the Iraqis are taking Bush up on his offer and are "Bringing it on." And now we have even given al-Qaeda its long-desired foothold in Iraq.

Why is Bush losing? Why is he refusing to learn the clear and simple lesson of 9/11: al-Qaeda is the enemy and we must defend ourselves against them. Everyone in America understands that except apparently the Republican Party. From NYC to Davenport, Iowa, to Helena, Montana: Americans understand who the enemy is. But the Republican Party does not.

While Bush continues to bog us down in Iraq and wants to put 6000 National Guardsmen on the Mexican border to defend against poor migrant workers, NYC is unprotected. NYC is a target and Bush refuses to help. He has NEVER even tried setting up a system of inspecting the cargo that comes into our port. He has privatized and outsourced our security and in the process has completely ignored some of the biggest threats to our city. Our port is unprotected and al-Qaeda knows it. Is Bush DARING them to attack NYC again?

But it gets even worse. The Department of Homeland Security, which already is failing to protect NYC, has basically given us a further slap in the face by cutting our security funding by $83 Million. NYC will be even less protected in the future. And
New York State is also taking a cut of almost $115 million, despite promises from Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff earlier this year that his department would be distributing money based on risk. NYC and NY State are being slapped in the face and abandoned. While New York is getting less, Bush has decided to increase funding for cities like Omaha, Nebraska, Louisville, Kentucky, and Jacksonville, Florida.

Mr. Bush: Why don't you just hang a giant "Bomb Me" sign on NYC and wait for the terrorists to attack?

I never bought into the conspiracy theories that Bush WANTED 9/11 to happen so he could have an excuse to do whatever he wants. I think he was insanely stupid and incompetent and ignored the warnings then was surprised when it bit him in the ass. Of course nearly 3000 Americans died because of that mistake. But I do not think Bush wanted it to happen. Gross negligence, not conspiracy. That has always been my view on 9/11.

But what about now? Every American citizen learned the lesson of 9/11: terrorists will get us unless we defend ourselves. But Bush is not defending us! Bush is practically inviting terrorists in while failing to fight them abroad. The terrorists have regrouped and Bush is letting our guard down further. It seems like Bush is hanging NYC and NY State out as bait and telling al-Qaeda to "bring it on."

Does Bush want us to be attacked again? Is that what is going on? He is doing everything he can to facilitate another attack. It becomes harder to believe it is just gross incompetence and conspiracy theories are starting to sound more plausible. Bush is abandoning the defense of America! He cares more about oil fields in Iraq than in the homes, ports and infrastructure of regular Americans. He cares about protecting no-bid contracts for Lockheed, Bechtel and Halliburton, but not about the safety of American families. Why?

Does Bush want us to be attacked again?

There has to be a backlash. Bush has abandoned NYC and NY State over and over again. We already paid the price for his neglect. How many times will we let the Republican Party screw us? NYC and NY State HAVE TO FIGHT BACK. We have to send the Republican Party a message that NY STATE is as American as Omaha or Jacksonville, and they neglect us and screw us at their peril. Forget messing with Texas. DON'T MESS WITH NEW YORK!

Mr. Bush. We got your backlash right here. It is time to sweep the Republicans out of Congress in NY State. This is a matter of life and death for New York, not to mention state pride. We are being dissed in favor of Omaha, Nebraska, for God's sake! Let's also get rid of these incompetent Chickenhawks and replaces them with people who KNOW the consequences of war: the Fighting Democrats. Again, this is a matter of state pride and the security of our homes and families. If we don't show the Republicans they can't keep screwing us over then we may find ourselves facing another 3000 of our friends and families dead because of Bush's stupidity. I, for one, refuse to sit back and let that happen. And while we're at it, isn't it about time we Impeach this incompetent, corrupt President who refuses to protect American citizens? New York says to Bush and the Halliburton Republicans: Screw You!