Global Warming's Dramatic Sea Level Impact

Flood Maps:

What will happen if the impact of Global Warming is as dire as some predict. In particular, there are some that say that the impact of global warming will be that the massive Greenland ice shelf will melt. If this were to happen, sea levels around the world would rise -- how much? Perhaps 7 meters, 14 meters, 28 meters: depending on the severity of the impact, these are all numbers being talked about.

When I first hear of this, I wondered what the impact would be on the area where I live (Boston, MA, USA). What better way to display this information than on a map. So, I looked around the web and found this web site, which is an application of GoogleMaps with image overlays. You can select the severity of the flood and then see how the sea level would change for any area in the world. Pretty scary...

Solving Hard Infrastructure Problems

I, Cringely . The Pulpit . The $200 Billion Lunch

This is an excellent example where technologists knew the right solution to a problem that may now get solved because of a crisis: and solved not because of leadership by the US but by the leadership of China. There are many other examples:

• The threat of global warming induced rising water levels
• The ill-conceived process of funding and developing electronic voting machines
• Security on the Internet
• Internet and eMail protocols that allow spoofing
• Homeland security of shipping ports
• Bird flu and other potential global pandemics
  

The usual reason for not solving these problems is that it would cost too much. I believe that may not always be the most significant reason. Frequently these solutions lack a strong advocate with the leadership and power to take us in the right direction. Quite often solutions could occur on an incremental basis incurring much less cost by being part of normal replacement investments.

Of course other times, it does require massive Government investment. But many of the items above are hard problems that aren't as "easy" as building weapon systems and so the collective product of our elected officials punt and spend massive amounts on money on the easy projects.

Introduction

Hello,

For quite a number of years I have written entries in various blogs that I have created. The topics of these snippets have included, observations about the Internet as it has developed, neat applications that I have discovered, fine art on the web that has interested me, travelogs, photography, other hobbies and new ideas I have about computers and networks.

Recently, I find that as I read or watch the news, more and more I have comments about the articles I encounter. Other times, I think of non-technical stuff that I would like to write down and get other people's reactions. Perhaps it is my age, perhaps it is the polarization of the political world we are in, perhaps something else -- but in any case, it makes me feel better if I get a chance to write about what I am thinking.

In any case, I have created this blog as a place to capture all of these ideas.

The title of this Blog comes from a segment of Edward R. Murrow's early television show where people would get a chance to present their thoughts. I like the phrase because it captures the sense that in writing down ideas, I acknowledge that in everything I say, there is part of it based not on certainty but belief -- i.e., sometimes you need to proceed based on a belief, not something that is totally provable.

If you would like to comment on what I have written, there is a link on each article for this. You can also subscribe to an email feed of these articles by sending a blank message to thisibelieve@googlegroups.com . You cannot post messages to this group. you will receive notification when I create a new entry in the blog.

I hope you enjoy these writings and give me feedback on them.