This week in Nature is all about the climate change. However, there is some good news. In Environmental policy: Regional commitment to reducing emissions by Brendan Fisher and Robert Costanza (Nature 438, 301-302 (17 November 2005)) they make the argument that while the U.S. did not join the Kyoto protocol, enough states and municipalities are self-regulating to lower greenhouse gas emissions that it might not be as necessary.

Now, for the Give up part. Guess which states have decided to reduce emissions? See table 1. For non-subscribers the states are California, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington. These states represent 90 million people or about 30% of the population and national GDP. If you include the individual cities that have adopted regulations to prevent climate change the percent population rises to 40% and percent of national GDP to 50%, and these reductions alone would be equivalent to the reductions made by the second largest world economy of Japan.

It's like I've been telling ya. Liberals don't need the federal government. Just forget about it. The Blue states will provide.

In addition, Nature reports on how global warming will first dehydrate us and then sicken us. Yay!