The White Synergy

...SYDNEY, Australia — Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the world's oceans, combined with rising sea temperatures, could accelerate coral bleaching, destroying some reefs before 2050, a new Australian study says.

The study says earlier research may have significantly understated the possible damage to the world's reefs caused by man-made change to the Earth's atmosphere.

"Previous predictions of coral bleaching have been far too conservative, because they didn't factor in the effect of acidification on the bleaching process and how the two interact," said Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and Queensland University...

Using CO₂ and temperatures predicted for the middle and end of the century, the scientists found ocean acidification from CO₂, which reduces coral calcification, had the potential to worsen the impact of bleaching and the death of reef-building organisms.

The study found that coralline algae, which glue the reef together and help coral larvae settle successfully, were highly sensitive to increased CO₂ levels.

"These may die on reefs such as those in the southern Great Barrier Reef before year 2050," study leader Ken Anthony said in a statement released on Tuesday.

Some coral species were able to cope with higher levels of ocean acidification by enhancing their rates of photosynthesis, but if CO₂ levels became too high "the coral-algal system crashes and the corals die," the study said.

"The implications of this finding are massive, as it means that our current bleaching models, which are based on temperature only, severely underestimate the amount of coral bleaching we will see in the future," Dr. Anthony said.

"These results highlight the urgency of reducing CO₂ emissions globally. Without political will and commitment to abatement, entire reef systems such as the Great Barrier Reef will be severely threatened in coming decades."

Synergy often drives the unanticipated results of an ill-considered action.

Let's consider the election of say, Barack Obama.

Driftglass notes the internal purge of the Republicans has begun. The Republicans seem to be split into two main groups, the Corporate Cons- CorpCons- and the TheoCons. The CorpCons, with Goldman-$acks Amerika leading the way, have decided Obama the One.

They've lowered the Skull and Crossbones, and are flying the Unity flag all the way to the Treasury. George Bu$hie's Secretary of the Treasury is enabling them. Don't get me wrong: they're funding McCain, and he'll be owned if he wins, too. It's just they're funding Obama more- probably because they can't count on Palin's behavior when she gets the Oval Office. And belive it, if McCain wins, she'll be there shortly.

Real Apocalypse is what the TheoCons pray for, and the more rational CorpCons dread.

The consensus seems these two groups will not be operating as an unified front after 11.4.08.

If that were the case, it would be good, but such optimism is unjustified.

1) Both sides will come together to protest the loss of the $election. In some places, white riots will occur, where strangely enough all the arrested perpetrators will be people of color. The military has to try out all their new nonlethal toys somewhere.

2) The Pigs are much more complex than TheoCon vs. CorpCon. Remember the NeoCons? The PaleoCons? The Pig power base is a brotherhood of contentious pirates, who will unite instantly to lynch Obama... and continue with their plunder of the country.

3) You might even argue McCain's crashing and burning was a set-up. McCain himself at times has made life embarrassing for Poppy's brood. On the other hand, Obama is just perfect for a scapegoat to pave the way for Petreus Caesar/ Jeb Bu$h ticket in 2012 (let's face it, Hillary would have also fit perfectly in this role).