Carbon offsets offer a chance to feel better about ourselves, but how much to they help the environment? In practice, there are significant problems in which projects they support, and how they affect our long-term environmental policies.

Paul Krugman charted the average annual global temperatures since 1880 to show that while there are fluctuations, the overall temperature trend is very much on the increase. That line is going to keep curving upwards until we start to take global warming seriously.The curve is also going to be happening faster, meaning that actions need to be taken now rather than later.

Will has made something of a habit of misrepresenting data to say climate change is not occurring. This particular column happens to contain the warming-denialist argument that irritates me the most.

The Red River at Fargo crested Saturday at 40.82 feet, breaking a record of 40.1 feet set in 1897. The river’s level has begun to decline but it is only expected to fall to below 36 feet (twice flood stage level) by next week. President Obama has declared emergencies in the affected regions in North Dakota and Minnesota, freeing up federal aid money. The communities have done an amazing job of coming together- packing and stacking millions of sandbags amongst other flood preparations.

The EPA issued a press release yesterday that seemed to imply that the agency was prepared to take a more active and responsible role in preventing potentially harmful mining practices from continuing. The Agency sent letters to the Corps of Engineers “expressing serious concerns about the need to reduce the potential harmful impacts on water quality caused by certain types of coal mining practices, such as mountaintop mining” especially in relation to specific new mining projects in Kentucky and West Virginia.

Southern Australia was hit hard this past weekend by a series of wildfires. Authorities suspect that arsonists were behind at least some of the fires. The fires came on quickly and with too much force for people to evacuate out of the path of destruction. The NYT details the disaster while Space.gs provides resource links for those wanting to help.

A new study linking decreasing lead blood levels to increasing SAT scores isn’t particularly news, but it can certainly make for some interesting questions pertaining to education.

Consider this a sequel to the Coolest. Snake. Ever. post from yesterday in which everyone (except Will) fell in love with a green pit viper. 
Today I present to you- via Reddit- the Goblin Shark. Fun Goblin Shark Fact #1: About 25% of its body weight is in its liver (for no apparent reason). Fun Goblin Shark Fact #2: Well, watch the video to see what this thing can do with its jaws….

National Geographic has up photos of six of the “1,068 new species that have been discovered in Southeast Asia’s Greater Mekong River region in the last ten years–an average of two a week, the international conservation group WWF announced today.” 
Which is all just a scientific excuse for my posting a cool looking green pit viper:

And, for Ben, the spider (put under a cut because some people aren’t fond of looking at spiders): 

A good friend of mine moved to the Los Angeles area about a week ago but I found out last night that he’s fine and far from the burning. Governor Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties. The fire that started in the Angeles National Forest has burnt through 8,000 acres so far and its spread is being helped by winds of nearly 80 mph. No deaths are reported so far but it is likely that some may have occurred in a mobile home …