Right Wing Fixation on Fertilization

The NY Times ran a comprehensive article today (here) that explores the important role of the world's forests in controlling CO2 emissions and global temperature. The causal diagram below summarizes the article (click to enlarge).

CO2 emissions from fossil fuel burning enter the atmosphere where the greenhouse effect increases global temperature. At the same time, atmospheric CO2 concentrations are absorbed (Co2 sequestration) by the oceans and by the forests. Co2 fertilization increases the growth rate of the forests, but wild fires, insect infestations and water deficits created by global warming decrease forest biomass as does outright deforestation and poor forest management techniques.

The article details how the right wing has latched on to C02 fertilization to argue that global warming (if it really exists) will benefit the planet. Unfortunately, the forces reducing forest growth are overwhelming the CO2 fertilization effect.

In addition to being sinks for carbon emissions, the forests and the oceans provide biodiversity (fish, animals and plants) that are threatened by ocean acidification and forest die-off. The article concludes that we cannot count on natural feedback effects to control climate e.g., there are limits to how many trees we can plant on the available land as a way to absorb Co2 emissions. The only option is to reduce CO2 emissions.

Right Wing Social Security Scare

In the video above, Uncle Milty (Milton Friedman) lays the groundwork for scaring people above Social Security.

Let's be honest: the right wing has been trying to eliminate Social Security since it was first enacted during the Great Depression. Henry J. Aaron makes a few great points: (1) the argument that Social Security must be reformed because people are living longer only applies to the wealthy who are living longer and who do not need Social Security--working people's life expectancy still remains relatively short, (2) Social Security payments are very modest, really not enough to live on in retirement, (3) the system is currently not insolvent (there is no crisis and David John of the conservative Heritage Foundation was caught out with his own version of the facts here) and (4) the future of the system could easily be made sustainable by eliminating the income cap on Social Security taxes.

I would make the further point that wage earners paid their Social Security payroll deduction on the assumption that they were buying social insurance for retirement. The right wing is willing to break that social contract on the simple grounds that they and their wealthy contributors don't want to pay up.

Somax Sequence: Stage 4

I have used video analysis from the Somax Performance Institute in past analysis of Tiger Woods (here) and Arnold Palmer (here). Somax golf swing theory is detailed in their book, The Efficient Golfer. What's really interesting about their golf theory is the emphasis on the correct sequence, an idea that would be a useful addition to Stack & Tilt theory.

Once at the top of the backswing, the Somax sequence involves (1) starting the downswing with the left knee, (2) then the left hip, (3) then the left shoulder, (4) then the hands, and (5) followed lastly by the clubhead.

Stage 4 interests me because it involves moving the hands backward (see the arrow above) rather than down toward the ball, increasing wrist cock and width. Since casting is a problem most golfers (including me) have a problem with, Stage 4 should prove useful. For me, it's something to work on for the next few days.

One thing that not emphasized in Somax theory is ground loading (here) and the S&T standup (here). These ideas could be usefully added to Somax theory as a Stage 0 in the graphic above. It's also useful to compare the Somax graphic (above) with Arnold Palmer's position at the top (here and here). The Somax Institute feels that Palmer had a extremely efficient golf swing but he is far more bent over and ground-loaded (his head has moved downward slightly) than their model. Experimenting with ground loading (and unloading using the S&T standup) should not really interfere with the Somax sequence since it happens in another dimension.

Whitney Promo Ad Wins Golden Tweener

A great social faux pas advertisement for the computer age.

Experience Using the Long Putter

I have been having trouble with putting this year. Partly, it's because I'm playing on greens that have wildly different speeds. I seem unable to adjust my putting stroke quickly enough during a round to compensate. On fast greens, I start taking too short of a backswing. On slow greens, I keep leaving putts short. I'm sure there are lots of solutions to this problem but the one I have chosen is to switch to the long putter.

I have had a long putter for at least a decade after reading an article by Scott McCarron. It worked well for about a month (all new golf equipment works perfectly for the first 40 days) but then I began "looping" the putter (in a figure eight) and gave it up.

After dusting off the putter again and watching a few instructional videos, I realized that McCarron's approach to the long-putter was probably not the best for me and that other options were available. Three issues turned out to be important: (1) whether to use the shoulders when making the swing (McCarron rocked his shoulders), (2) the right-hand grip (McCarron used a conventional putter grip rather than the claw) and (3) where to anchor the putter on your upper body (McCarron anchored to his sternum but the butt of the club can be anchored anywhere from the chin (!) to the belly button--lots of room for experimentation).

First let's look at two videos of Adam Scott who has turned around his golf game using the long putter. Scott bends over a lot, anchors the club fairly high up on his chest, rocks his shoulders and uses the claw grip.

All these elements can be seen clearly from the face-on video. Scott's use of the claw was particularly interesting given an article on putting by Dave Stockton (here). In Stockton's Step 3 ("Skip the Practice Stroke"), he talks about using the right hand to help visualize the speed for the putt (like throwing a ball underhanded), a movement that is very similar to the claw.

The video above details another approach to the long putter. In this approach, the shoulders remain fixed and the putter is swung with a pendulum motion, again using the claw. Which approach: Tour Player or Golf Instructor?

After some experimentation on the practice green, it turned out that the fixed-shoulder, pendulum approach proved better (dramatically better) for me. Notice also that since I'm a stack and tilt guy, I have a little more weight on my left foot (just slightly). I can use a much longer, more fluid stroke that doesn't seem to change as much between fast and slow greens and I can hold my follow through without recoiling after hitting the ball. All-in-all, a big improvement for me.

The World According to Australians

Following up on an earlier posting (The World According to Americans), here is an upside-down map of the World using the Hobo-Dyer projection. Evidently, it is favored by the Australians, according to a correspondent from South Africa--a country equally as elevated in the upside-down World.

Since I find myself unexpectedly blogging about cartography, a neighbor of mine in Door County, WI has a unusual story: he served as a cartographer both in the British army during World War II and the US Army during the Korean War (my guess is that he was rudely surprised coming to the US after WWII and being drafted again, although he did have quite valuable skills).