Articles by David Roberts

George Allen’s parting shot

Priceless:

As a last little gift to America, Senator George Allen, who was narrowly defeated by James Webb this month, has introduced what may be his final piece of legislation: a bill that would allow the carrying of concealed weapons in national parks.

(via TP)

Perpetually

AP:

As many as 100 million acres of cropland and pastures would have to be dedicated to cultivating biomass fuels like switchgrass to support a national goal of 25 percent renewable energy use by 2025, a University of Tennessee study says.

Moreover, new commercial technologies will be needed to turn switchgrass, wheat, rice and forest products into ethanol fuel, now principally made from corn, and their byproducts into feedstock for power generation.

And on that note, see: Robert Rapier, "Cellulosic Ethanol Reality Check"

Yes? No? Maybe?

I've seen about 10 head-scratchers since the election about the prospects of climate-change legislation in the new Democratic Congress. They're all working with the same basic premises:

• Scientific consensus has rendered denialism untenable.
• International pressure is growing.
• Barbara Boxer, the new Senate EPW committee chair, gets it.
• John Dingell, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, doesn't get it.
• Dingell is in powerful thrall to American automakers, who still -- unbelievably -- don't get it.
• The oil barons have Democratic quislings in the House too, not just Republicans.
• Bush may veto a bill, or then again, may be forced to compromise.

Every piece more or less rearranges these facts. If I were smarter, better at self-promotion, and less lazy, I would have cranked out such a piece myself.

All of this is a roundabout way of saying that Brad Plumer at The New Republic has one of these pieces out. It's better than most, and has some background on Dingell's history on climate change. Worth a read.

Gloom and doom with a sense of precipitation

Does your blog proprietor seem sluggish and grumpy today? Perhaps it's because his home city, Seattle -- or as it's known around the house these days, "f**king Seattle" -- is in the midst of its rainiest November ever.

Outside my home office window, it is dark as night. The wind is blowing. The air is frigid. And if I'm not hallucinating, I think it just started hailing.

Kill me.

Update [2006-11-21 14:1:18 by David Roberts]: Oh, hey, speaking of darkness, does anybody out there know what's up with those full-spectrum lamps? Supposedly they make your body squirt happy chemicals? Anybody got one? Do they work or is it a scam? Know where I can find a cheap one? I have a feeling it's going to be a long, dark winter.