Friday, December 19, 2003

1. CLIMATE CHANGE: AGU STATEMENT REFLECTS THE GROWING CONSENSUS.
It is now "scientifically inconceivable that human activity has not altered climate systems," explained John Christy, Director of the Earth Systems Science Center at the University of Alabama, Huntsville. He spoke this week at an American Geophysical Union press briefing in Washington to announce a new position statement on Human Impact on Climate. An AGU statement three years ago was far more tentative (WN 29 Jan 99). Even the Bush administration now accepts the reality of anthropogenic warming (WN 7 Jun 02).

2. MISSILE DEFENSE: DEPLOYMENT IS STILL SCHEDULED FOR LATE 2004.
It was just one year ago that President Bush ordered deployment of a limited system of interceptor missiles in California and Alaska by the end of 2004 (WN 20 Dec 02). But in the meantime, according to a story this week in Space News, the test schedule has fallen behind by about six months. "Tough break," I said to my friend General Persiflage at the Missile Defense Agency, "how much will postponing the tests delay deployment?" He was clearly amused: "Not one day; it's all part of the plan. The Commander- in-Chief ordered us to deploy in 2004, and deploy we will. The only thing that could get in our way is to blow a test. So why ask for trouble?" He chuckled, "You scientists always think you have to do experiments. This is a faith-based initiative."

3. NUCLEAR WEAPONS: THE OVERTURNING OF US NUCLEAR WEAPONS POLICY.
For more than half a century, the sole use for US nuclear weapons had been to deter a nuclear attack. Two years ago, however, the Bush Administration completed its Nuclear Posture Review (WN 15 Mar 02). It led to the repeal of a 1994 ban on research and development of new, low-yield nuclear weapons (WN 28 Nov 03). National Nuclear Security Administration head, Linton Brooks, has been dancing in the end zone. He sent a letter to lab directors proding them to "take advantage of this opportunity to close any gaps in understanding of the possible military applications of atomic energy."

4. ENVIRONMENT: MtBE CAUSES CANCER, AND A BIG STINK IN CONGRESS.
The Bush Administration had expected to enact legislation this year setting a new energy policy. The bill struggled under the weight of special-interest deals, but what finally sank it was a provision immunizing makers of a gasoline additive, MtBE,, from lawsuits (WN 28 Nov 03). MtBE has a way of getting into groundwater, where even in trace amounts it smells and tastes terrible so terrible no one can stand to drink it. That turns out to be a very good thing, because MtBE also causes cancer in laboratory animals and the International Agency for Research on Cancer treats it as a carcinogen. Most of the makers seems to be in the Houston district of House Majority Leader Tom Delay.



Bob Park can be reached via email at whatsnew@bobpark.org
THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the University, but they should be.