Is the Cause of Global Warming in the Stars?

Global warming seems to be one of the most significant long-term problems (along with terrorism) the world faces today. Thus, I always keep my eyes peeled for new insights into the issue. There are ultimately three questions we must answer:

• Is the current global warming in fact a long-term trend or a short-term blip in millions of years of temperature swings the earth has experienced?
• Is the current global warming caused by human behavior?
• Are there positive externalities (to use an economic term) to global warming? In other words, are there benefits to global warming that no one mentions?

The linked news article addresses only the second issue, suggesting that cosmic rays are the cause of today's global warming:

University of Ottawa science professor Jan Veizer says high-energy cosmic rays, originating from stars across the expanse of space, are hitting Earth's atmosphere in ways that cause the planet to cycle through warm and cold periods.

Dr. Veizer goes on to say:

"Empirical observations on all time scales point to celestial phenomena as the principal driver of climate," Veizer wrote in his paper, "with greenhouse gases acting only as potential amplifiers."

The cost of assuming that people create global warming when that assumption is mistaken could be enormous. Billions of dollars of new government programs, new restrictions on economic growth, population control programs, ... . Where it would all stop is difficult to say.

Imagine everyone's standard of living in steep decline as job #1 worldwide becomes stopping global warming. Then picture the world as an overcooked french fry even after all those frantic efforts to send a "chill out" message to the planet.

I'm old enough to remember the predictions by scientists in the 1970s: a new ice age. Will global warming eventually fade from memory the way those predictions have?

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QuickTake: I Wish I Had a Billion Dollars

Maybe I could just print a few billion dollar bills, like the guy in the linked article.

Too bad there's no pictures of the billion dollar bill in the story. Of course, if I print my own, then they can look however I want them to look. Maybe I'll put my picture on the front. Would a bank teller notice? Nah.

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QuickTake: Senate Votes to Raise Debt Limit

The news media had a field day alarming Americans with the news that the U.S. debt limit was raised by Congress tp $9 trillion. The idea that everyone--man, woman, and child--owes $30,000 to someone else when the overall federal debt is alloted proportionally seemed to catch the fancy of reporters.

The fact is that the debt finances both government consumption, some of it worthy and some of it wasteful, plus government investment. People are getting something for their money, although it may not always be what they want. Most importantly, however, realize that the debt is not $30,000 per year. The $30,000 represents the accumulated per capita debt. I seem to recall that this number was about $26,000 five or six years ago.

Maybe stories on debt should also mention the increase in private debt, such as mortgage and credit card debt, when they bring up the public debt. Oh, and another thing, it would make sense to state the debt in real terms, meaning adjusted for inflation.

I guess it's too easy just to write an alarming headline and dash off a story.

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QuickTake: Anybody Can Be Beautiful!

This post comes under the heading of "Is it fraud?" Beauty sells, but what if that beauty is enhanced? There's deception going on, even if it doesn't rise to the level of fraud.

First, take a look at the linked web site. Click on a thumbnail of any of the beautiful ladies (and a few guys). Once you see your selected picture full size, run your cursor across the photo to see what the lady looked like before the photo was retouched. Alicia Keyes is a good one. See Alicia glowing in perfection, then see Alicia complete with a mild case of acne.

Now I know why some celebrities exhibit an unreal, almost unimaginable beauty. I hope the folks who doctor the photos are well paid. They deserve it.

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QuickTake: Picture of a Ticking Time Bomb: The Hayward Fault Line

This picture of the Hayward fault line is one of three pictures of Bay Area fault lines in the linked story. When the big quake comes, scientists predict 155,000 housing units will be destroyed. I don't have my New Orleans statistics in front of me, but I do know that the Bay Area is more heavily populated than the Big Easy. A big quake could make the Katrina disaster look like small potatoes. Can FEMA come up with 155,000 trailers overnight?

Much devastation and misery await. Of course, there's a good reason to build a city on the fault line. That reason is also clearly seen in the picture. The large, safe harbor is a world leader in shipping.

What I want to know is how will the bloggers on the left blame George Bush for the quake! They'll try. And one other question: We name hurricanes, why not earthquakes?

Just asking.

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