Good news, bad news, getting back to normal

Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted. My brain just hurt after this political season (really the last 2 years). I'd been glued to political commentary sites, Obama volunteer remailers, and other resources trying to do my very small part to help Obama win. I just needed a break. On the other hand, even after the election, I felt compelled to scour news sites every day to see what last minute mischief Bush was up to (lots, apparently). But now, I feel a complete and total sense of relief. So far I've been pleased with Obama's performance on the job. It's just so refreshing to have a president I actually respect, and even better, a president who respects our Constitution. But those of us who worked our hineys off to get a Democrat into office shouldn't just skip off into the sunset singing kumbaya. There's still bad news out there and lots to do. I just read a disturbing report from NOAA about the real impact of climate change:

…the climate change that is taking place because of increases in carbon dioxide concentration is largely irreversible for 1,000 years after emissions stop…. Among illustrative irreversible impacts that should be expected if atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increase from current levels near 385 parts per million by volume (ppmv) to a peak of 450-600 ppmv over the coming century are irreversible dry-season rainfall reductions in several regions comparable to those of the ”dust bowl” era and inexorable sea level rise.

That's scary. Is there anything we can really do to prevent such a catastrophe? Another piece of disturbing news (and one of the main reasons I have yet to give in to my desire to move to southeastern Utah)--the American southwest may "permanent dry up":

The serious hydrological changes and impacts known to have occurred in both historic and prehistoric times over North America reflect large-scale changes in the climate system that can develop in a matter of years and, in the case of the more severe past megadroughts, persist for decades. Such hydrological changes fit the definition of abrupt change because they occur faster than the time scales needed for human and natural systems to adapt, leading to substantial disruptions in those systems. In the Southwest, for example, the models project a permanent drying by the mid-21st century that reaches the level of aridity seen in historical droughts, and a quarter of the projections may reach this level of aridity much earlier.

The desert southwest has experienced very severe and prolonged drought in the prehistoric past, but at that time, there weren't all that many people there. When drought worsened, people generally just picked up and moved to more hospitable areas. Now, the southwest has millions and millions of people relying on water resources that evidently may just completely dry up. Not good.

So among all the good political news, there is still lots of work for conservationists to do. But at least we now have a president who will listen to and value scientists.