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Published online 3 September 2008 | Nature 455, 12 (2008) | doi:10.1038/455012b
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The energy election
In the first of a special series of election podcasts starting this week, Nature gathered an expert panel to discuss how energy and climate issues will play out in the US presidential election. Excerpts:
"The world has made transitions from one type of energy source to another … in the 75- to 125-year kind of timeframe. We don't have that luxury here.
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There is considerable concern about climate change. This is understandable, especially if it happens rapidly. It is usually assumed that it is from carbon dioxide increase. This is without a doubt a considerable part of it. However, I suspect a major part of it these days is the removal of vegetation to create annual farms, roads, buildings, denuded land, and desertification. You can easily confirm this phenomenon by touching a stone walk in full sun and adjacent grass, and noting the dramatic difference in temperature. In an area in Oregon where fire bared the soil, there was a temperature difference between burned and unburned adjacent areas that rose to as much as 20 degrees centigrade. Also leaves in warm climates have adaptations in warm climates that lower leaf temperatures toward their optimum photosynthetic temperature, which should lower climate temperature a little. Denudation could be easily reversed by planting shade trees along roadways, substituting nut and fruit trees for annual crops, and growing vegetation on rooftops. Also, pumping water out of rivers during catastrophic floods into water tables under arid regions should be a little advantageous. If not, no problem, we will have plenty of room for the people of southern Florida on our Canadian and Siberian farms. Sincerely, Charles Weber
In the 11 years since the Kyoto Protocol, nothing has been achieved in respect to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon trading has been introduced to allow countries to hide their true emissions, making them look much cleaner than they are. What is needed is for countries to start building dykes or levees around low-lying cities and towns to protect themselves from rising sea levels. While expensive and potentially crippling, it is much easier to obtain political will.