The United State’s top climate scientist, Dr. James Hansen, believes it is still feasible to avert climate disasters, but only if the next administration’s policies are consistent with the actions the science indicates to be required. The solutions demanded by science are as follows: a moratorium and phase-out of coal plants, a rising price on carbon emissions, and urgent R&D on fourth generation nuclear power.

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Microsoft’s responded to the Zune 30GB failure, blaming a leap-year handling bug. And they’ve provided a fix. Which is to wait til New Years, when the bug will go away by itself. Huh.

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For a rocket scientist who holds seven degrees, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin sure doesn’t seem to get the basic concept of cause and effect.

First, he refused to cooperate with the Obama transition team because they were “not qualified” to judge his pet project.

Now, worried that his job might be in jeopardy, Rebecca Griffin has decided to launch a public marketing blitz to help her husband keep his plum position at the top of NASA.

Is anyone really surprised?

After all, Mr. Griffin may have a scientific background, but as any lackey in the Bush knows, spin always trumps science, no exceptions allowed.

Remember when Mr. Griffin sacrificed his integrity by secretly editing the NASA mission statement to exclude the phrase to “protect the home planet” so he could later claim that his agency’s work did not include fighting global warming.

Hmmm, and what about his very unscientific comments on NPR’s Morning Edition.

In an interview broadcast yesterday on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” program, Griffin was asked by NPR’s Steve Inskeep whether he is concerned about global warming.

“I have no doubt that a trend of global warming exists,” Griffin told Inskeep. “I am not sure that it is fair to say that it is a problem we must wrestle with.”

“To assume that it is a problem is to assume that the state of Earth’s climate today is the optimal climate, the best climate that we could have or ever have had and that we need to take steps to make sure that it doesn’t change,” Griffin said. “I guess I would ask which human beings — where and when — are to be accorded the privilege of deciding that this particular climate that we have right here today, right now is the best climate for all other human beings. I think that’s a rather arrogant position for people to take.”

Right, nothing could be more arrogant than trying to maintain a planetary climate which sustains about 6.7 billion people, countless ecosystems, and wildlife.  Talk about elitism.

If Obama truly wants to put science at the top of his agenda and “restore America’s place as the world leader in science and technology” then political hacks like current NASA administrator Michael Griffin have to go.

No exceptions.

Why are newspapers dying?  Could it be that reading the paper is a lot like paying for yesterday’s news at today’s prices.

Don’t believe me.  Check this out.

The Seattle P-I’s environmental blog Dateline Earth just discovered a real 52-mpg car which they breathlessly describe as the “car of the future”.

Of course, anyone who spends less than five minutes with the google will soon discover the car of the future has been available in Europe and Japan for many years now.

This turned up on my very first search in an article entitled Why automakers don’t sell a car that gets 50mpg from an article printed in Newsweek on April 4, 2008.

So gas just hit another miserable milestone. Unleaded regular is averaging a record $3.30 a gallon and seems likely to blast past $4 by Memorial Day. Wouldn’t it be great if you could drive a car that gets 50 miles per gallon? Well, you can. Just hop on a plane and fly to Europe, where all new cars average 43mpg, or Japan, where the average hits 50mpg. Here in the United States, we’re stuck at 25mpg in our considerably larger and more powerful cars, trucks and SUVs. So why can’t we do better? Here’s the dirty little secret: we can. “If you want better fuel economy, it’s just a question of when auto companies want to do it and when consumers decide they want to buy it,” says Don Hillebrand, a former Chrysler engineer who is now director of transportation research for Argonne National Labs. “Auto companies can deliver it within a year.”

Ouch.  Just because Detroit refuses to build cars that get 50 MPG, doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

Intrepid reporters for Dateline Earth, please take note.

Paul Krugman once again calls out the idiocy of the short sighted fiscal conservatives who worship at the alter of a balanced budget, no matter the true cost to the economy or the social safety net.

No modern American president would repeat the fiscal mistake of 1932, in which the federal government tried to balance its budget in the face of a severe recession. The Obama administration will put deficit concerns on hold while it fights the economic crisis.

But even as Washington tries to rescue the economy, the nation will be reeling from the actions of 50 Herbert Hoovers — state governors who are slashing spending in a time of recession, often at the expense both of their most vulnerable constituents and of the nation’s economic future.

Sadly, Governor Gregoire, after all of her enlightened talk on the campaign trail, has cowardly decided to embrace her inner Herbert Hoover in order to please her political opponents, who, no doubt, will reward her with more smears and personal attacks.

Here are some of the highlights of Gregoire’s atrocious budget from the P-I:

HIGHER EDUCATION: Gov. Chris Gregoire proposes a $300 million reduction in higher education, including a 13 percent reduction for the state’s research and regional institutions. Raises for faculty and staff are suspended.

K-12 EDUCATION: Suspends nearly a quarter of the money from the voter-approved initiative to ensure smaller class sizes, and suspends the entirety of another initiative for cost-of-living raises for teachers.

PUBLIC SAFETY: Gregoire proposes eliminating the requirement to supervise misdemeanor criminals and low-risk felony offenders once they are released from prison, saving nearly $70 million. Sex offenders and violent criminals would still fall under supervision. She also proposes early release for elderly and ill criminals, and deporting noncitizens who have committed property or drug offenses.

HUMAN SERVICES: Gregoire suggests saving $160 million by eliminating grants to people in the General Assistance- Unemployable program. About 21,000 people, as well as 6,500 people in a program for alcoholism and drug addiction, would stop receiving assistance.

HEALTH CARE: Gregoire wants to continue providing access to health care for low-income residents, but is calling for a $252 million reduction in the state basic health plan, a 42 percent reduction. Medical coverage would also be eliminated for those in the General Assistance- Unemployable program, and the state would no longer buy vaccines for children not covered by Medicaid.

PUGET SOUND: Gregoire is seeking more than $284 million for Puget Sound recovery projects, including hatchery production and toxic prevention and cleanup. But she suggests closing 13 state parks.

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In Japan, young adults prefer public transportation to the expense of owning an auto, and no longer view cars as the ultimate status symbol . Rather, the younger generation has shifted its interest from cars to the allure of communication tools like personal computers, mobile phones and services.

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