How Climate affects Energy which affects National Security

Although some people have disputed the reality of climate change it is a certainty that minimizing CO2 emissions will have the very desirable effect of encouraging greater energy efficiency and resort to alternative energy sources. Indeed, one could reasonably suspect this is the hidden motivation behind concern about the climate.

We really need improved energy efficiency and alternative sources. It is the nature of industrial change that it takes a long long time to implement for the simple reason that it takes a long time for existing infrastructure to become too worn for use. Typically this means a lifetime for infrastructure of around 20 to 40 years. Thus the sooner we start the better. Wind and solar both have the potential to supply a lot of energy, but is will be too late if we wait until an emergency. Quite simply, the security of the nation depends upon starting energy change as soon as possible.

We are lucky that the 1973 oil crisis has already had some good effect on conservation. More is needed. Most critically, that change is needed in the personal transportation sector. Basically that means resort to electrical propulsion. Here is a link to a recent bill in Congress that establishes CO2 emission goals.

Y2K bug strikes 9 years later

It seems that some of the alleged global warming can be attributed to a Y2K bug in software of sensors that gathered data circa 2000. Here is a link to this bizarre basis for a multi-trillion dollar policy decision based on a computer programming bug.

This is not to say there might not be other data that support global warming. It might exist.

Myopia and My Mother

In recent comments on eyesight my children have mentioned how their eyesight is so much better than mine. I am very nearsighted. It is a condition known partly to be environmental (i.e. reading a lot) and partly inherited. If inherited, why is it that I am myopic but my children are not? A remarkable article recently published shows that myopia is more inherited from the mother. It derives from interaction of chromosome 3 (inherited from both parents) with the mitochondria (inherited solely from the mother). Thus it is more Lona's contribution that has influenced my children's eyesight than mine. Lona is nearsighted but not severely so. She read a lot so it is only natural that her eyesight might not be the very best.

I must have some good eyesight genes though, considering that Jon has such good eyesight. Those passed on by me interacted with Lona's to produce my kids good eyesight.