According to scientific estimates, the methane gas produced by cows is responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions. And now, German scientists have invented a pill to cut bovine burping.

The fist-sized plant-based pill, known as a bolus, combined with a special diet and strict feeding times, is meant to reduce the methane produced by cows…

Prof Drochner wants to use the pill to trap some of the energy from the methane, which is naturally produced in the fermentation process when a cow digests grass and is later mostly burped out through their mouths. Until now it has been wasted.

“We could use the energy to boost the cow’s metabolism,” he said. The idea is that the cows would use the methane to produce glucose instead of passing it as wind. In turn this should help them to produce more milk.

Full story here. 

One thing about this story:  Here we have the ingenuity of man when faced with a problem/challenge which led to the research to find a solution. 

A scientist finds a solution, and apparently without resulting to the socialist standard - more government and higher taxes.  Of course, this is in Germany, but the initial reports are promising.

By Alan Caruba
web posted February 26, 2007

The latest summary of yet another revised edition of a report by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control has evoked all the usual fears predicting the deaths of millions by 2080, and other end of the world scenarios.

2080 is a mere 73 years from now. In meteorological terms, it is a blink of the eye. Real climatologists measure time far differently than the rest of us. While the IPCC, Al Gore, and the other fear mongers are warning of the horrors of Global Warming, it is useful to look at the time scales. The end of the last Ice Age was 11,500 ago.

It is also useful to keep in mind that the known cycle of time between Ice Ages is about 11,500 years. If you believe the fear mongers, in less than the lifetime of the average American, coastal cities will be under water. If the Ice Age cycle holds true, however, at some point it is far more likely that they will be under a thick sheet of ice.

Since we are at the end of an inter-glacial period, we are far closer to the next Ice Age than the last. Everything we call "civilization" has occurred since the last Ice Age. The rise of various empires began about five thousand years ago with Egypt initially being the most prominent.

Let me stipulate that none of the facts to be cited—taken from the open source of Wikipedia—will make any difference to those who are wedded to the global warmer's end of the world scenario, though dying from too much ice is surely as unpleasant as dying from an over-heated planet.

The notion that humans can prevent either is so absurd as to defy belief, but it clearly doesn't defy belief because millions have been convinced it can be done.

For now, it comes down to the amount of time in which Global Warming is predicted to end life on planet Earth. For the Global Warmers, the real agenda is not about somehow pumping all the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Even they know it's impossible. It is also an idiotic goal given the fact that all vegetation is totally dependent on CO2 for its existence. Take away vegetation, forests, jungles, and all crops, and you also remove all human and other species. For true believers, the real pollution of the Earth is the human race.

The real agenda of Global Warming is political and economic. The IPCC's predictions are intended to stampede the legislation of vast restrictions on all use of energy. It is energy and "labor saving devices" that have transformed what we regard as the modern world. Take away electricity and we are all instantly transported back to the days when the Declaration of Independence was written by candlelight.

An Ice Age, says Wikipedia, "is a period of long-term reduction in the temperature of Earth's climate, resulting in an expansion of the continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and mountain glaciers."

Bear in mind that real science is of little interest to Global Warming advocates. History, too, is a great nuisance because it inconveniently suggests they are lying through their teeth.

For example, there was a Little Ice Age that Wikipedia says occurred "approximately the 16th to the mid-19th centuries, while others suggest a span from the 13th to the 17th centuries. It is generally agreed that there were three minima, beginning about 1650, about 1770, and 1850, each separated by slight warming intervals."

Prior to the Little Ice Age of some three centuries length there was the Medieval warm period, sometimes called the Climate Optimum because it was a period when more crops produced more food, populations expanded, life spans were extended, and, life for those in the northern hemisphere improved.

Remember the stories of Valley Forge where George Washington's rag-tag Revolutionary Army damned near froze to death in the winter of 1777-1778? Think mini-ice age. The one that began again around 1850 didn't end until around 1950, a century later.

Now apply a bit of common sense. If the last mini-ice age ended in 1950, does it not follow that the Earth has warmed since then? Yes, it has. Climate scientists agree it has warmed about one degree Fahrenheit. Is this cause for panic? No. Should we cease using oil, natural gas and coal? No.

The Global Warmers tell you that it will get worse barely seven decades from now, but history and science suggests that we are, in fact, on the brink of the next major, cyclical Ice Age and it is far more likely that the northern hemisphere will begin to cool. The really bad news is that this will occur quite rapidly once it begins.

For those with the wits to examine the history and science of climate, it is obvious that the Global Warmers are seeking to deceive whole nations and continents into the destruction of a thriving period of world trade and relative peace we call globalization.

Short range, this is occurring today in the Congress of the United States. It must not be allowed to happen and those behind it should be driven from public office at the earliest possible moment.

Editor's Note: To learn more, visit www.iceagenow.com.

Alan Caruba writes a weekly column, "Warning Signs", posted on the Internet site of The National Anxiety Center. His book, "Right Answers: Separating Fact from Fantasy", is published by Merril Press. © Alan Caruba, February 2

Madrid - Holidaymakers may be ruining their favourite destinations through pollution and greenhouse gases, making the tourism industry one of the world's worst polluters, experts say.

A flight to that pristine beach and a few nights in an air-conditioned hotel room, when repeated on the mass scale of modern tourism, is all it takes to put the holiday business on a polluting par with heavy industries.

"Tourism is unfortunately one of the vectors of (climate) change at the moment and contributes, through its excesses, to the process of global warming," World Tourism Organisation (WTO) director general Francesco Frangialli told an international conference on meteorology in Madrid this week.

In 2006, 842 million people took a holiday in a foreign country and 40% of them flew to their destinations. That's 336 million people, or more than the population of the United States, taking trips which spew greenhouse gases that fuel global warming.

Total air transport still only accounts for two percent of carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere, but its contribution is growing and tourism is one of the driving forces behind rising passenger numbers, Frangialli said.

He said 1.1 billion tourists were expected to take trips abroad in 2010, and 1.6 billion by 2020.

Tourism faces 'tragedy'

At the same time, tourism itself was facing "tragedy" if climate change continued unabated, Frangialli said.

As tourists pollute their way around the world, popular destinations such as the pristine but low-lying Maldive islands in the Indian Ocean may disappear as sea levels rise.

Tanzania's famous lakes, a staple of the African tourism industry, will dry up. In Europe's alps the ski season will become shorter, the pistes fewer and harder to find.

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned in February that by 2100, global average surface temperatures could rise by between 1.1 C and 6.4 C compared to 1980-99 levels.

The most likely surface temperature rise will be between 1.8 and 4.0 C, it said.

According to a French weather expert, a temperature rise of 1.8 degrees C would translate to 40 fewer days of snowfall at mid-level altitudes of 1 500m.

The WTO has backed an EU proposal to include air travel by 2011 or 2012 in limitations on emissions and creating transferable carbon accounts in a bid to limit the greenhouse effect.

Such measures would encourage airlines to put pressure on manufacturers to produce aircraft which are more fuel-efficient, Frangialli said.

That could mean higher air fares, but some in the travel industry believe tourists would be ready to pay a little more to protect the places they love.

The first quality of a commander
is a cool head.

- Napoleon

GOP Forces House Democrats To Pull DC Voting Bill

House Democrats pulled a bill to grant voting rights to Washington, D.C., after Republicans offered a motion that would repeal the gun ban for the District.

The move is a clear signal that Democrats have lost control of the House floor on the voting rights issue after minority Republicans presented the Democratic majority with a politically unpalatable motion that their conservative members would be forced to support for fear of angering the gun rights community.

Fifty-two Democrats voted with Republicans on a similar measure to repeal the gun ban in 2004. That would be more than enough support for Republicans to add a repeal to the voting rights bill - something a majority of Democrats would vehemently oppose.

Republicans have taken great pride in offering motions to recommit during their time in the minority, an often over-looked legislative procedure that has allowed them to amend various bills on the House floor.

Democratic Rep. Ellen Tauscher of California, who served as chair when the House began consideration of the motion, called the postponement at the request of the Democratic leadership, saying the speaker has complete discretion to postpone consideration of any legislation at any time.

Democrats scrambled to remedy the situation on the floor but were eventually forced to pull the bill to begin debate on a controversial wartime funding measure that is expected on the floor Friday.

Republicans could offer a similar procedural motion to slow consideration of that measure whenever it comes to the floor.

The House was expected to approve the bill to grant Washington, DC, a vote in the House by a wide margin, with several Republicans expected to vote in favor of the legislation.

Tender and juicy if it's true!  The Politico has had some issues this week; let's hope this is one for the ages.

A very audacious plan.  A clarion call for the grassroots?

To quote Gen. Patton:  "In war nothing is impossible provided you use audacity."

H/T:  Jawa.

The following is re-printed from the Operation America Rising website:

Largest Rally in History
"Operation America Rising" Will take place on 7-7-07 in every capitol city in America at the same time. There will be prominent speakers and entertainers. Children and adultswill be gathered together saluting America's finest. This national salute to our troops will be a gleaming observance of America's patriotism. People of all ages will show our troops that we are behind them and their mission and that we are not the silent majority anymore.

Why We Need You
Quite simply, a rally of this magnitude requires the help and leadership of Americans all over the country. We need volunteers to organize their state rally. We need volunteers to assist the state leaders. We will need entertainers, speakers, and sponsors to make this the largest support the troops rally in history. The media, government leaders, and United States military will hear our voice on that bright July day.

We need all of the support we can get. We will accept donations for flags, banners, entertainment, stages and all of the things needed to make this rally possible. 100% of the donations made here and on the Real American Truth will be donated to the rally. Also, a large portion of rally merchandise purchased at Conservative Buys will be donated for the rally. The rest of the money made from the merchandise to various support the troops charities that will be posted on this site.
God bless you and we will see you on 7-7-07!

Explanation: Follow the handle of the Big Dipper away from the dipper's bowl, until you get to the handle's last bright star. Then, just slide your telescope a little south and west and you might find this stunning pair of interacting galaxies, the 51st entry in Charles Messier's famous catalog. Perhaps the original spiral nebula, the large galaxy with well defined spiral structure is also cataloged as NGC 5194. Its spiral arms and dust lanes clearly sweep in front of its companion galaxy (right), NGC 5195. The pair are about 31 million light-years distant and officially lie within the boundaries of the small constellation Canes Venatici. Though M51 looks faint and fuzzy in small, earthbound telescopes, this sharpest ever picture of M51 was made in January 2005 with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on board the Hubble Space Telescope.

Al Gore on Florida weather

By Amie Parnes
Posted at 04:09 PM on March 21, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Former Vice President Al Gore's testified today on his favorite topic --yes you guessed it-- global warming before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee today and had a few things to say about the climate in South Florida.
Reciting a series of unusual events tied to climate change, Gore made his point:
"Manatees live in South Florida," he said. "One of 'em showed up off Memphis this summer. Yep. First time ever. You ever seen a manatee in Memphis? No. It got too hot in southern Florida. I'm not making this up."