Re: SUO: Multi-Source Ontology (MSO) Draft Ballot Question
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Cooper" <rich@valutech.com>
To: "Murray Altheim" <m.altheim@open.ac.uk>
Cc: "John F. Sowa" <sowa@bestweb.net>; "Philippe Martin"
<phmartin@meganesia.sci.griffith.edu.au>; "standard-upper-ontology"
<standard-upper-ontology@ieee.org>
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2004 15:35
Subject: RE: SUO: Multi-Source Ontology (MSO) Draft Ballot Question
(Snipped)
>
> As for global warming, that "risk" is so amazingly unsoundly
> supported by any real science, its amazing that anybody but
> the media would take it seriously.
LIEBERMAN, MCCAIN OFFER PLAN HARNESSING MARKET FORCES TO COUNTER GLOBAL
WARMING
WASHINGTON - Senators Joe Lieberman (D-CT) and John McCain (R-AZ) today
unveiled legislation to curb global warming by establishing a market-based
emissions credit trading system that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions
and spur innovation by giving companies maximum flexibility in meeting
emissions goals.
http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Newscenter.ViewPressRelease&Content_id=730
RC, previous e-mail > "I once was solidly behind McCain. I think he is very
bright, a confirmed hero, and one of the very few, very good
politicians...."
>
> As for the environment, we in Southern California have fresh
> air most of the time now because we took action in the sixties
> to control emissions, to establish monitoring bodies, and to
> find technological trump cards that help clean up the air.
South Coast Air Quality Management District: Historic Ozone Air Quality
Trends
http://www.aqmd.gov/smog/o3trend.html
Note particularly the last four years of data on that page.
See also: A brief synopsis of California's Air Quality History, from 1930 to
the 1990's, by the Air Resources Board.
http://arbis.arb.ca.gov/html/brochure/history.htm
>
> There are lots of environmental issues, and they need attention,
> but the environmental extremists are the least equipped to
> realistically deal with them.
SENATE CASTS HISTORIC VOTE ON MCCAIN-LIEBERMAN GLOBAL WARMING BILL
Despite Narrow Loss, Growing Support For Action Seen As Encouraging
WASHINGTON- Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Joe Lieberman (D-CT) said today
that they were encouraged by the strong Senate support for their legislation
to curb global warming. The bipartisan Climate Stewardship Act of 2003,
which was defeated this morning by a narrow margin of 43-55, represented the
first time the Senate has addressed the threat of global warming since 1998.
"We've lost a battle today, but we'll win over time because climate change
is real. And we will overcome the influence of the special interests over
time. You can only win by marshaling public opinion," McCain said.
http://mccain.senate.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=Newscenter.ViewPressRelease&Content_id=1171
>
>
> Just to add more coal to the fire, I've seen a plan (somewhat
> crazy, but still a plan) to control global warming by having
> a moon base develop a suite of giant sunshields and put them
> in orbit around the earth to block enough sun to counteract
> so-called global warming. See a nutty description at:
> http://www.androidworld.com/prod60.htm
>
> The point is that there are lots of other ways to handle the
> environmental issues. What we need are deeper studies to
> figure out which ways make sense technically and economically,
> and which ways just don't.
The triumph of fringe science:
Aug. 7, 2003 | When the White House announced its 10-year strategic plan
for its Climate Change Science Program this July, the more than 300-page
document could be summed up in two words: more research.
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2003/08/07/global_warming/index_np.html
"Science Friction":
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2003/0307.thompson.html
Jay
>
> That's my prescription for the future threats we've identified,
> but there are lots more (asteroid impact, ...) including some
> we haven't even thought of yet.
>
> JMHO,
> Rich
>