The Week in Editorial Cartoons - Republican Thuggery on Full Display, Part I

by JekyllnHyde

Rob Rogers, see reader comments in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Buy this cartoon This election season has brought out some real ghouls, some, but not all, as a result of the Tea Party.  These monsters are great for cartoonists, but not so great for the voters.  The saddest part is, none of these characters offers a message of hope.  It is all about tearing the other guy down.  I know this kind of negative campaigning happens with every election.  It just seems more frightening this year.

continued at Daily Kos....

Hurricane Tomas to Turn Towards Haiti: Tents & Cholera

by FishOutofWater

Wind shear has weakened Hurricane Thomas to a minimal 75mph storm, but new track models forecast Thomas is heading towards Haiti. Hundreds of thousands of Haitian earthquake survivors struggling to survive in tents now face an approaching hurricane. A cholera outbreak caused by sewage tainted water supplies could spread disastrously if the storm hits Haiti's  tent cities and impoverished rural villages.

The NHC forecasts hurricane Tomas to hit Haiti near Port au Prince Friday afternoon with winds over 100mph.

continued at Daily Kos....

A More Ancient World: The Forests of the Night, the Silence of the Sea (Warning - Many Photos)

by matching mole

I'm going to post-pone part II of the Great Barrier Reef for a week to take a bit of break for Hallowe'en.  Below the fold are a bunch of scary looking critters.  A lot of biologists and environmental types attempt to de-scarify snakes, spiders, etc.  This is a valuable thing to do - it saddens me to see people so cut off from the natural world that their response to any organism is (unjustified) fear, horror, or disgust.

And yet...

continued at Daily Kos....

Indiana, hotbed of climate zombies

by DWG

Last night, I had the privilege of seeing John Mellencamp perform in his hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. For those unfamiliar with Mellencamp, many of his songs focus on rural and urban decay and the people left in the wake. In the introduction to "Longest Days," he told the story of a friend that died last year because the health insurance company decided his condition was not severe enough to warrant the treatment recommended by his doctors. His story was interrupted several time by shouts from the Tea Party Klan about "Obamacare." Since Mellencamp's message was social ("we have to look out for each other") rather than political, it was a stark reminder of the callousness and belligerence of Tea Party Republicanism.

The Republican Tea in Indiana is heavily infused with religious fundamentalism. That mixture was recently profiled in the New York Times in a story about climate zombies.

continued at Daily Kos....

Gulf Watchers Sunday - NOAA, FDA Lower Standards So Gulf Seafood Will Pass - BP Catastrophe AUV #417

by Yasuragi

You are in the current BP Catastrophe Morning Edition - AUV #417. ROV #416 is here.

Bookmark this link to find the latest Gulf Watchers diaries.

Please RECOMMEND THIS DIARY, the motherships have been discontinued.

The digest of diaries is here.

Please be kind to kossacks with bandwidth issues. Please do not post images or videos. Again, many thanks for this.

PLEASE visit Pam LaPier's diary to find out how you can help the Gulf now and in the future. We don't have to be idle! And thanks to Crashing Vor and Pam LaPier for working on this!

continued at Daily Kos....

Slay some Vampires for Halloween ... and help defeat the Climate Zombie Invasion

by A Siegel

Vampires are among us. When you aren't looking (or, when you are looking but not seeing), when you are sleeping, when you aren't paying attention, Vampires are sucking up vital juices, threatening our very existence.  

For Halloween, kill some Vampires and contribute to defeating the invasion of Climate Zombies!

continued at Daily Kos....

Overnight News Digest: Science Saturday (Trick or Vote 2010 edition)

by Neon Vincent

Welcome to Science Saturday, where the Overnight News Digest crew informs and entertains you with this week's news about science, space, energy, and the environment.

This week's featured story comes Trick or Vote.

According to a 2001 Yale study, face-to-face interaction is the single best way to get someone to vote.  Knocking on doors increases voter turnout by a whopping 8-12%, more than any other method.

If knocking on doors is the best way to get out the vote, what is the one day each year people expect a knock on their door? Halloween.

And when does Halloween happen to fall on the calendar? Always a few days before the election.

So, while you may be too old to Trick or Treat, you’re never too old to Trick or Vote.

This week's science, space, energy, and environment stories after the jump.

continued at Daily Kos....

Stupid Goes Viral: The Last Stand of the Climate Zombies

by RLMiller

They roam the sands of the Golden State's shoreline, moaning for caaasshh.

Their stupid has gone viral.

And if they win, humanity loses.

I'm tracking Climate Zombies: every Republican candidate for House, Senate, and Governor who doubts, denies, or derides the science of climate change. Today, I finish the series in California.  Although California is just as badly infected with Teh Stoopid as every other state, it's also the birthplace of the resistance: Climate Hawks who confront the crisis head on.

continued at Daily Kos....

Climate Change and Debating Science: Why It's Hard

by matching mole

I teach a class for students in the honors program.  It is a science class (biology) but the students can be from any major.  A primary theme of the course is linking basic science to environmental issues.

This week we delved into climate change.  The results were very interesting, informative, and I have to say, somewhat unsettling.  More below the fold

continued at Daily Kos....

Coal Industry Highlights American Disgrace

by RDemocrat

Crossposted from Hillbilly Report.

It is no secret that Corporate America and big business are going all out to buy this next election. You see, to certain segments of our population profit margins are considered more valuable than life. While I am all for business making profit and people making money it is simply wrong in any society for all the money to be horded among a very small segment of the population who control, circumvent or completely ignore laws and regulations. It is wrong too for them to turn the very ideals our country was founded on up on their heels in their never-ending lust to control the money and our government.

continued at Daily Kos....

o what a fright! 1st ever eco-halloween earthship

by eKos

Welcome to the eKos Earthship, your one-stop-shop for green diaries and series.

Beneath the fold you will find news and notes, community announcements, and our eco-diary roundup.

Peruse the eKos Library to find previously listed diaries. You can also follow eKos on Twitter.

Tonight's editor: boatsie

continued at Daily Kos....

Unprecedented Tropical Storm Tomas Forms off S America

by FishOutofWater

Never in historic records has a tropical storm formed so far south and east in the north Atlantic this late in the season. Never. And Tomas has the potential to become a major hurricane in the Caribbean, possibly threatening Haiti, Jamaica or Cuba next week.

Tropical Storm Tomas forms Friday afternoon north of South America in the tropical Atlantic.

8pm EST Update: Tomas strengthening rapidly

AIR FORCE RECONNAISSANCE DATA INDICATE THAT MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS
HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS.  SOME
ADDITIONAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS...AND
TOMAS COULD BECOME A HURRICANE BY LATE SATURDAY.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 105 MILES...165 KM
FROM THE CENTER.

THE LATEST MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED BY RECONNAISSANCE
AIRCRAFT WAS 999 MB...29.50 INCHES.

continued at Daily Kos....

Vote Sanity: you're mad, they're CRAZY!

by A Siegel

A new website went up: Vote Sanity!  Vote Sanity calls attention to how so many candidates' views are not extreme but, well, simply leave the reservation.

As Billy Wimsatt put it:

My Fellow Sane Americans,

What does it say about us that the most effective counterweight to the Tea Party is not a political party or leader, but a comedian?

continued at Daily Kos....

Defeat Texas!

by LaughingPlanet

This weekend, we will see a full-page ad in the California newspapers (just in case anyone still reads newspapers).

I heard about the ad via the internets' version of newpaper, or the  newpaper version of the internets.

http://www.sfgate.com/...

Leave it to our California activists to transform the California vs Texas World Series into a chance to make a political statement.

On Sunday, a huge print ad will run in various publications opposing Prop 23 -- the measure that would overturn California's ground-breaking 2006 climate change law.

It's the most creative static political ad I've seen in a long time.

We not only need Prop 23 to fail, we need an EPIC FAIL.

continued at Daily Kos....

Improving the Harvest, From the Soil to the Market

by NourishingthePlanet

Crossposted from the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet.

Farmers in the Uluguru Mountains in Tanzania are fighting a losing battle against increasingly degraded land. Repeated plantings are quickly depleting the nutrients in the soil, leaving it nearly barren and vulnerable to erosion. Meanwhile, downstream, the water is dark with sediment, unfit for drinking and expensive to treat. "Downstream, people are complaining about the quality of water," says Lopa Dosteus, program manager for CARE International’s Equitable Payment for Watershed Management (EPWM) program. "And upstream, the farmers are struggling to grow enough food while their soil washes away."

continued at Daily Kos....

Gulf Watchers Friday: GOTV-All Politics is Local: Kamala Harris/CA-AG: BP Catastrophe AUV#416

by ArthurPoet

This is a Gulf Watchers GOTV SPECIAL MID-TERM ELECTION EDITION: Focusing on 2 CA Local Ticket Items:

1. Kamala Harris for CA-AG

2. NO on PROP 23

California sets the direction for our nation, and as such, this is probably one of the most critical battles for our environment today. Her opponent is backed by big oil. The latest poll shows Kamala slightly up, but she has been behind up until now. Please help if you can.

"All Politics is Local" ~ Former Speaker of the House ~ Tip O'Neil ~

You are in the current BP Catastrophe Morning Edition: AUV #416. ROV #415 is here.

Bookmark this link to find the latest Gulf Watchers diaries.

Please RECOMMEND THIS DIARY, the motherships have been discontinued.

The digest of diaries is here.

Please be kind to kossacks with bandwidth issues. Please do not post images or videos. Again, many thanks for this.

continued at Daily Kos....

NCAR Predicts Possible Extreme Drought In Next Decades

by Something the Dog Said

They say in the Mountain West that whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting. This simple saying shows how little water there really is and how critical it is a semi-arid environment like Colorado. There are more law practices that deal with water rights here than anywhere else in the United States. However what is the normal way of life for the Rockies might become the norm for large parts of the country and the world.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has released a new study combining 22 climate models. These models are not looking at global warming, but rather the chance of increased drought world wide as temperatures climb. (Just a quick aside, you see real scientists aren’t falling for the "debate" meme that climate change deniers push. They know what is going on and have moved on to what will happen)

"Originally posted at Squarestate.net"

continued at Daily Kos....

Could the stakes be higher?

by A Siegel

Simply put, I wish that I could say yes ... that the 2010 election does not have the potential for undermining our already horribly weak fiscal system, for deepening the incredible gap between haves and have-nots, for worsening our blind rush into the looming crash of Peak Oil, for cementing our spiraling descent into catastrophic chaos, for ...

Let me be clear, despite some tremendous appointments and some great actions, the Administration has fallen short on too many issues. In the face of the devastating situation when he entered office and the Republican "Just Say No" to everything style, the actual achievements are not to be discounted.

If, come next Wednesday, the Republicans take the House (and, even worse, the Senate) the progress since the 2008 election will screech to a halt in Washington -- on issue, after issue, after issue.  

FOR ACTION: Act Blue for Climate Heroes

continued at Daily Kos....

Stupid Goes Viral: Toomey's Not A Witch, Either

by RLMiller

They roam the once-pristine shores of Chesapeake Bay, moaning for caaasshh.

Their stupid has gone viral.

And if they win, humanity loses.

I'm tracking Climate Zombies: every Republican candidate for House, Senate, and Governor who doubts, denies, or derides the science of climate change. Today, I visit Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, where I also stumble upon a ResistNet member running for Congress: Rick Hellberg in PA-02.

continued at Daily Kos....

World Bank this morning: let's count the environment

by jakbeau

I hope I'm not stepping on someone's diary, but I searched the site just now for any news of the World Bank's announcement this morning that new accounting rules will be(gradually) put in place to (re) evaulate a nation's GDP.  In the future, nations may have to place the cost of environmental destruction on their books.

Robert Zoellick, president of the WB, described a situation ripe for accounting on NPR this morning when he (paraphrasing here) said, " ... for example, a developer may want to fill in wetlands, but there is a social cost to private industry.  The area will lose the protection that wetlands provide from storms, from hatcheries for fish .... et al."

The Guardian does a good job of describing what's happened at the U.N. Biodiversity Confernce in Nagoya this week, from whence the World Bank's announcement issued.

Bypassing for a brief moment the idea that nature can be quantified, this idea will, if implemented, set on its head the decades long complaint many of us have had regarding calculating the GDP.  

http://www.guardian.co.uk/...

continued at Daily Kos....

Great Power Race: Global College Competition, ARPA-E, and Automotive X-Prize

by gmoke

http://www.greatpowerrace.org/

The Great Power Race is a clean energy competition between students in China, India and the United States, an "open-source" campaign where participating teams are welcome to connect with other teams across the globe - collaborate, form partnerships, share information and ideas.  Presently, there are 965 competing campuses, 1008 people registered, and 671 projects going on.

From September 1 to November 12, these teams are working on climate and clean energy solution projects to earn points. The teams earning the most points in this phase will enter a final judging round from November 12 to 24.  Judging will then take place with an award ceremony broadcast from Cancun, Mexico (and the international climate conference) sometime between December 4 and 7.

continued at Daily Kos....

Texas' Fight Against Coal and Coal Ash

by Bruce Nilles

This is the latest in our series of community coal ash profiles. This piece was written by Sierra Club Apprentice Sari Ancel.

Here's lovely daydream if you're from southeast Texas: It's a warm fall afternoon and you're out fishing on the banks of the Colorado River, listening to the sounds of birds migrating south.

Unfortunately, a proposed coal-fired power plant will soon ruin that daydream. There will be no fish to catch because their habitat has long been polluted. Those birds overhead will be flying through smoke plumes from the nearby coal-fired power plant. And forget a quiet afternoon, you'll be hearing the hum of that nearby power plant.

continued at Daily Kos....

Village Green: A family copes with the unexpected costs of sprawl (video)

by Kaid at NRDC

Queen Creek, Arizona, is on the far southeastern fringe of metropolitan Phoenix.  According to Google Maps, it’s 38 miles and about an hour to central Phoenix by the shortest route.

The land use pattern in and around Queen Creek consists of random enclaves of newly developed leapfrog sprawl, with equally random patches of irrigated agriculture to the north and east.

continued at Daily Kos....

The Corporations Want their Country Back! BP funding Tea Party Climate Zombie Campaigns

by worldforallpeopleorg

BP and several other big European companies are funding the midterm election campaigns of Tea Party favourites who deny the existence of global warming or oppose Barack Obama's energy agenda, the Guardian has learned.

I'm sure a lawyer could tell us how that is somehow not a case of foreign corporations influencing American elections? ( They're outta be a law!) But this is worse than a corporate take-over of a nation.

This is a deliberate and knowing corporate manipulation of the gullible minds out there that buy into Rush's lies - and Inhofe's and Palin's and Beck's insanities - against the facts, to the detriment of Americans and people everywhere. You can help. Send the following facts to the climate zombie/denialist nearest you:

continued at Daily Kos....

The GOP has identified the number one threat to our "Fredoms"...

by Renzo Gasolini

And evidently it is fiendishly disguised as a 260 mph train

Because the Chinese have one, and we don't. And by God the Republicans are going to make damn sure it stays that way

China unveils 260mph train line

"A new high-speed rail line has been opened in China amid boasts from officials over the use of domestic technology to set world records...

...The China-made CRH380 train has been clocked at almost 262 mph - a world speed record - though it will usually operate at a maximum speed of 220 mph...

The line was opened as China prepares to have 10,000 miles of high-speed rail in operation by 2012...

Ten Thousand Miles of of High Speed Rail (HSR) by 2012? Holy fucking yikes!!

continued at Daily Kos....

Engage the Climate Zombies!

by A Siegel

As if you aren't already aware, the vast majority of Republican candidates for Federal office are "climate zombies": people who reject the scientific method, falsely accuse the leading scientific institutions and scientists around the world of fraud, and who embrace service to fossil-foolish interests over service to the American people (both today's and the yet-to-be-born).  

With all their talk of being "Pro-Life", the Anti-Science Syndrome Hatred Of a Livable Environment tendencies of these leading Republicans is yet another nail in the coffin proving their utter hypocrisy. These people care about life? Fossil Foolish practices and Climate Chaos devastation has killed, are killing, and will kill people around the globe. A lot of people ...

Sadly, however, far too few Democratic politicians and Democratic institutions are calling out these climate zombies for their (proud) anti-science stance.

continued at Daily Kos....

This Ain't No Farmville

by Michael Brune

The recent profiles published in the Sierra Club's Compass blog of communities affected by toxic coal-ash waste sites can make grim reading. Some excerpts:

continued at Daily Kos....

Massive weathered oil plumes off Louisiana coast

by DWG

The New Orleans Times-Picayune has been reporting massive plumes of weathered oil off the Louisiana coast.

Just three days after the U.S. Coast Guard admiral in charge of the BP oil spill cleanup declared little recoverable surface oil remained in the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana fishers Friday found miles-long strings of weathered oil floating toward fragile marshes on the Mississippi River delta.

The report was dismissed by the Coast Guard, which suggested the miles long orange plumes were likely to be algae.

It is déjà vu all over again.

continued at Daily Kos....

Nourishing the Planet TV: Water From Thin Air

by NourishingthePlanet

Crossposted from the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet.

In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, people are forced to travel long distances and several hours a day collecting the water for cooking and drinking. In this week’s episode of Nourishing the Planet TV, Nourishing the Planet research intern, Dan Kane, explains how one community in South Africa has developed a unique solution for the area’s lack of clean water. By setting up nets across a high mountain pass, the village of Cabazane is harvesting fog to produce water from thin air.

continued at Daily Kos....

Gulf Watchers Wednesday - EPA Whistleblower Crucifies BP on Safety - BP Catastrophe AUV #415

by peraspera

You are in the current BP Catastrophe Morning Edition - AUV #415. ROV #414 is here.

Bookmark this link to find the latest Gulf Watchers diaries.

Please RECOMMEND THIS DIARY, the motherships have been discontinued.

The digest of diaries is here.

Please be kind to kossacks with bandwidth issues. Please do not post images or videos. Again, many thanks for this.

PLEASE visit Pam LaPier's diary to find out how you can help the Gulf now and in the future. We don't have to be idle! And thanks to Crashing Vor and Pam LaPier for working on this!

continued at Daily Kos....

A Climate Hero battles a Climate Peacock who will support Climate Zombies

by A Siegel

Retired Air Force Colonel Jeff Barnett is one of the hardest working Congressional candidates in the nation, having walked his entire (reasonably large) district in an effort to introduce himself to the citizens and voters.    Just as in much of his professional career, Barnett's campaign is focused on the future -- recognizing today's challenges while offering solutions to create a stronger tomorrow.

Here is Barnett describing his ideological position:

3. How would you describe yourself ideologically – "progressive," "conservative," "moderate," "liberal," or something else?

I am a Democrat. Period. Democrats believe in social justice and economic progress. These are not separate ideals; they are equal sides of the same coin. Social justice means equal opportunity, which ignites competition and creativity, which fuels economic growth, which underwrites social justice. Democrats understand that social justice and economic progress work together to fuel the American Dream. That’s why I’m a Democrat.

continued at Daily Kos....

Stupid Goes Viral: "To stop climate change, vote GOP."

by RLMiller

They pay lip service to the Statue of Liberty, moaning for caaasshh.

Their stupid has gone viral.

And if they win, humanity loses.

I'm tracking Climate Zombies: every Republican candidate for House, Senate, and Governor who doubts, denies, or derides the science of climate change. Today, I look at deep blue states of the Northeast, only to find that their red candidates and incumbents are infected with Teh Stoopid.

continued at Daily Kos....

Sun, Sun, Sun, Here We Come! [No on CA Prop 23]

by citisven

SF Gate reports today that the Interior Department approved a plan to build Blythe Solar Power Project, the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world, in eastern Riverside County by the end of the year.

On the same page of its business report there's an article talking about German clean-tech firms looking toward the Bay Area as their potential North American headquarters.

There's something happening here, and what it is, is exactly clear: California is poised to become a worldwide leader in clean energy, creating new investments, jobs, and a less carbon-emitting economy. It's setting the stage for the rest of the U.S. to follow in the irreversible path of the global market toward a clean energy future.

Meanwhile, big Texas oil refineries are working to derail the bullet train toward the future with Prop 23, a cynical attempt at preserving their right to pollute and keep us stuck on the economic road to nowhere.

continued at Daily Kos....

Voting is a climate issue, and the time is now. With pooties.

by rb137

                     

I made mah hooman git off her behind an GOTV, so I haz to rite a diary an watch teh kidz. Lucky 4 u, I haz lolz 2 hooman tranzlator engine. I know humanz r not bright enough 2 understand teh subtlety ov lolz, so I postd teh convertd diary below.

Kitteh iz far 2 Zen 2 be botherd wif ur linguistic inadequaciez.

continued at Daily Kos....

Science Tidbits

by possum

Welcome, welcome.  Magical, marvelous Monday is here.  The time has come to gather around and take a well deserved hiatus from all the politics of the day.  Science talk is here.  New discoveries, new takes on old knowledge, and other bits of news are all available for the perusing in today's information world.  Over the fold are selections from the past week from a few of the many excellent science news sites around the world.  Today's tidbits include a larger role for plants in cleaning the atmosphere than thought, a bit of good news from the Gulf oil spill, scientists open an electrical link to living cells, a new way to weigh planets, and taste receptors in the lungs.  Come in, sit down, and relax.  There is plenty of room for everyone.  Settle in for one more session of Dr. Possum's science education and entertainment.

continued at Daily Kos....

Big European polluters funding Tea Party climate zombies

by DWG

The Tea Party Republicans like to pretend to be patriots while they take large sums of cash from European companies. A new report released by the Climate Action Network Europe (CANE) indicates that Republican climate zombies received even more money from European polluters than from the Koch brothers.

Big European emitters Lafarge, GDF-SUEZ, EON, BP, BASF, BAYER, Solvay and Arcelor-Mittal supported climate change deniers in the US senate in 2010 for $107,200. Their total support for senators blocking climate change legislation in the US amounts to $240,200, which is almost 80% of their total spendings in 2010 senate race. This is why those funds are seen as systemic. This amount is higher than the same type of spending of the most notorious US climate denier and Tea Party funder: Koch Industries ($217,000).

continued at Daily Kos....

Lablab: The Bountiful, Beautiful Legume

by NourishingthePlanet

Crossposted from the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet.

Although it is often sold as an ornamental flower in the U.S., the lablab has numerous benefits. This legume, native to sub-Saharan Africa, is both a versatile food staple and tool for land restoration.

continued at Daily Kos....

Gulf Watchers Monday Edition - Reparations, Repair, Responsibility - BP Catastrophe AUV #414

by shanesnana

You are in the current BP Catastrophe Morning Edition - AUV #414. ROV #413 is here.

Bookmark this link to find the latest Gulf Watchers diaries.

Please RECOMMEND THIS DIARY, the motherships have been discontinued.

The digest of diaries is here.

Please be kind to kossacks with bandwidth issues. Please do not post images or videos. Again, many thanks for this.

PLEASE visit Pam LaPier's diary to find out how you can help the Gulf now and in the future. We don't have to be idle! And thanks to Crashing Vor and Pam LaPier for working on this!

continued at Daily Kos....

A More Ancient World: Great Barrier Reef 1

by matching mole

Good evening and welcome a more ancient world, the world of biodiversity.  Tonight let's take a tour of one of the great wonders of this world, the great barrier reef.  I had the great privilege of spending a day snorkeling on the reef in May 2009.  It was also the first time I used the underwater housing for my camera.  Let's learn a bit about the reef and put away the cares of the day.

continued at Daily Kos....

Risking Arrest to Plant Trees on a Mountaintop Removal Site

by mogmaar

Today 44 volunteer 'reclamation workers' (activists) illegally marched onto a supposedly reclaimed mine site to plant trees.  Why?  Because the 'reclamation' efforts done by the mining company resulted in a barren hillside with sparse grass and baking sun - a far cry from the lush and diverse forest destroyed in the process.  

After negotiating with the police and planting all the trees, all 44 were allowed to leave the site without repurcussions.  

continued at Daily Kos....

The Water Lords: Who Owns Your Water?

by Patric Juillet

One of the most important trends (and least understood) in the water industry in the last two decades has been the selling out contracting of private companies to operate existing facilities or build and operate new facilities. I don't have to remind you that the fate of the world rests principally on mitigating climate change and on its water policies as Daniel Zimmer (executive director of the World Water Council) explains:

Water is a political issue, but politicians need to understand why they should care more about water.

Yes, one would think so but unfortunately the commoditization of water is rife, aided and abated by the IMF and the World Bank, never mind that it is unethical and environmentally unsound. Like a case of déjà vu, we are rapidly losing control of our most vital resource to a handful of monopolistic corporations.

Corporations don’t care about the environment, and they certainly don’t care about human rights. They only care about profit.

continued at Daily Kos....

Who can put a Price on the Environment?

by jamess

EcoEconomics in a Nutshell

Our free market economy is nothing more than a huge auction called 'Supply and Demand', which - very efficiently - puts a price on on everything.

The problem is that it allows us to sell everything - the last drop of oil, the last tree, the last fish, the last of everything. It's called growth - but it is, obviously, growth into oblivion - the exact opposite of EcoEconomics. It is a fatal flaw of our present economic system.

Or, as Greenpeace puts it: "When the last tree is cut, the last river poisoned, and the last fish dead, we will discover that we can't eat money..."

[...]
The eco-economic price for a natural resource is, therefore, the price you would have to pay if our planet were to release that resource only at a sustainable level.

Who can put a Price on the Environment?  ... We all should.

Afterall if we end up decimating the planet's EcoSystems --  trying to sell off their once abundant natural resources -- We can't eat the money ... or gold either, can we?

continued at Daily Kos....

Dawn Chorus Birdblog: It's all just a blur

by lineatus

I'm a decent bird photographer, but I'm not a great bird photographer.  For those of us with average abilities, a big part of looking like a halfway decent photographer is just knowing what not to show anyone else - don't annoy them with bird-dots (unless that tiny little object is actually quite rare and this is your only documentation and you can actually see some identifying marks on that little sesame seed of a bird...), don't post a lot of out of focus, underexposed/overexposed shots where the bird is half-obscured.

Except, sometimes those photos really work...

Pileated Woodpecker... they always feel like they're part of a dreamscape when I see them.  Even this blurry, they're so iconic that there's never any doubt.  (BTW, this is a color photo.  srsly.)

continued at Daily Kos....

Gulf Watchers Sunday Edition - Will New Lawsuit Revive the Moratorium? - BP Catastrophe AUV #413

by Yasuragi

You are in the current BP Catastrophe Morning Edition - AUV #413. ROV #412 is here.

Bookmark this link to find the latest Gulf Watchers diaries.

Please RECOMMEND THIS DIARY, the motherships have been discontinued.

The digest of diaries is here.

Please be kind to kossacks with bandwidth issues. Please do not post images or videos. Again, many thanks for this.

continued at Daily Kos....

Today the rain fell

by mwmwm

Today the rain fell
and the small barn roof
was the timpani
in the symphony of the rain

Today the rain fell
and the big barn roof
thrummed like a thousand
marching hobnail boots.

continued at Daily Kos....

Open thread for night owls: Arctic Report Card

by Meteor Blades

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released its Arctic Report Card for 2010 [101-page pdf]. It's so simple and straightforward that even Sen. Jim Inhofe could get it. But then he would have to admit that his long-standing claims of climate change being a hoax are themselves a hoax, one perpetrated with the inherited money of billionaires and self-interested corporations who have spread lies and smeared scientists during a two-decade-long propaganda campaign.

Although Inhofe gets much of the press because of his aggressive stance in this matter, he's not alone in the informal caucus of climate-change deniers in Congress who have done all in their power to throw up obstacles against even the mildest ameliorative action, much less the tough legislation actually needed to make a difference.

Like the climate zombies they hope to join, plenty of candidates for Congress this year parrot the lies. Speaking Wednesday before a fund-raiser that Inhofe attended in Loveland, Colo., Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck said:

“Sen. Inhofe was the first person to stand up and say this global warming is the greatest hoax that has been perpetrated,” Buck said according to several reports. “The evidence just keeps supporting his view, and more and more people’s view, of what’s going on.”

Supporting their view if you ignore reports such as NOAA's:  

In 2010, the Arctic-wide warming seen in recent years is continuing, impacting every aspect of the Arctic environment and beyond. Sea-ice extent remains at record lows, which is opening northern shipping routes. Some wildlife populations are increasing, such as some sea birds and whales, while many others are in decline or negatively impacted. With more warmth, permafrost is melting in many places. Northern forest fires are occurring more frequently. Duration of snow cover is decreasing. And many glaciers are losing mass. Impacts on commercial fisheries are complex, depending on the species and location. What does all this mean? The Arctic is continuing to move into a new and different climate state. Loss of Greenland glacial ice impacts sea level. Arctic sea-ice coverage is shrinking, and the ice remaining is much thinner than it was in the past. Ice-free areas of the ocean are warmed by the sun during the summer, releasing that heat to the atmosphere in autumn. This weakens the winds that normally circle the North Pole, allowing outbreaks of cold, Arctic air to the south. Will this trend continue? As the Arctic becomes warmer, it is increasingly difficult to rebuild the thick, multi-year sea-ice cover seen in previous decades. Therefore, recent conditions seen throughout the Arctic environment are likely to persist into the future.

^{See DWG's diary for a discussion and many more details from the report.}

• • • • •

At Daily Kos on this date in 2002:

Jesus, it's about time the mainstream media woke up to the BS spewing from this administration. Given the fact that Gore got crucified for his half-truths and occasional lies, it's nice to see someone giving Bush a taste of that medicine: As Bush leads the nation toward a confrontation with Iraq and his party into battle in midterm elections, his rhetoric has taken some flights of fancy in recent weeks. Statements on subjects ranging from the economy to Iraq suggest that a president who won election underscoring Al Gore's knack for distortions and exaggerations has been guilty of a few himself. Read the article, it's a litany of lie, after half-truth, after obfuscation, after exaggeration. Hopefully other news outlets will follow suit.

continued at Daily Kos....

Mutualism and Global Change {eKos Earthship Friday}

by eKos

Welcome to the eKos Earthship, your one-stop-shop for green diaries and series.

Beneath the fold you will find news and notes, community announcements, and our eco-diary roundup.

Peruse the eKos Library to find previously listed diaries. You can also follow eKos on Twitter.

Tonight's editor: patrickz

All views expressed by today's editor do not necessarily represent those of eKos or eKos listed diarists.

Important announcement: Now you can receive a daily compilation of eKos diaries straight to your inbox! If you would like to sign up, please follow this link. This service is provided by Feedburner, and can be canceled at any time.

continued at Daily Kos....

It Takes a Region: A Working Conference to Build Our Northeast Food System

by gmoke

IT TAKES A REGION - 2010:
A  WORKING CONFERENCE TO BUILD OUR NORTHEAST FOOD SYSTEM

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION ENDS TODAY!!  
WHEN:            November 12-13, 2010
                        Pre-conference trainings on November 11

WHERE:           Desmond Hotel and Conference Center, Albany, NY (Lodging availability not guaranteed after 10-19)

CHECK OUT THE GREAT AGENDA along with CONFERENCE INFORMATION: Visit http://www.ittakesaregion.org.

REGISTRATION: EARLY DEADLINE is Friday, OCTOBER 22.
Limited scholarships  available. Link to online registration via http://www.ittakesaregion.org.

HOSTED BY: the NORTHEAST SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WORKING GROUP http://www.nefood.org. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

continued at Daily Kos....

Fired for telling the truth at FOX News

by Deep Harm

With FOX News on a tirade about free speech, the timing seems right to reach into the Wayback Machine for a story about the reporters FOX News fired when, they said, they tried to tell the truth about a public health issue--widespread use in Florida of Monsanto's recombinant bovine growth hormone, rBGH, for increasing milk production. rBGH had been banned in Canada and other countries based on multiple concerns, including a possible connection to cancer.

-From the documentary, "The Corporation."

continued at Daily Kos....

Climate hawks attack! Ken Buck cowers?

by RLMiller

As I work my way through tracking climate zombies -- Republicans who doubt, deny, or deride the science-based reality of climate change -- it's become obvious that sheer political expediency is a factor in their denialism.  They've made a crass calculation that it's better to pledge fealty to Koch-funded Americans For Prosperity and promise to oppose a chimerical "climate tax" than to listen to scientists.  They're far more interested in winning over the right wing tea party base, for whom climate change doubt is an act of faith, than they are in governing.  

But crass political calculation only goes so far.  Consider the case of Ken Buck, running for the Senate in Colorado.

continued at Daily Kos....

The grim Arctic Report Card

by DWG

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has just published its 2010 update on the Arctic environment. This report was produced in collaboration with scientists from the United States, Canada, Russia, and European Union. The bottom line in this report can be summarized in a single sentence:

Return to previous Arctic conditions is unlikely.

Warming of the atmosphere and sea water in the northern hemisphere are expected to produce long-term changes in the polar region, including the loss of summer sea ice, depletion of Greenland glacial ice, permafrost melt, and stress on many animal populations. Scientists first raised the possibility of an Arctic "death spiral" several years ago, which was dismissed as a passing fantasy by the ethically-challenged, half-term governor of Alaska. The possibility of an Arctic "death spiral" now looks highly likely.

continued at Daily Kos....

NOAA - Arctic Changes Profound

by greendem

Here's the latest science, folks.

continued at Daily Kos....

One More Thing to Worry About in Middle School - Energy Regulations?

by Bruce Nilles

Mary Anne Hitt, the new director of the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign, is a new mom and has some words for those trying to greenwash schoolkids and college students:

As a new mom, I'm paying more attention these days to how big companies are trying to influence our kids. I just learned that one of the biggest blockers of climate action in the U.S. is now bringing its obstructionism to your kid's middle school classroom. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy just released an energy education guide for teachers of 5th - 8th grade.

continued at Daily Kos....

Gulf Watchers Morning Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #412

by gchaucer2

You are in the current BP Catastrophe Morning Edition - AUV #412. ROV #411 is here.

Bookmark this link to find the latest Gulf Watchers diaries.

Please RECOMMEND THIS DIARY, the motherships have been discontinued.

The digest of diaries is here.

Please be kind to kossacks with bandwidth issues. Please do not post images or videos. Again, many thanks for this.

PLEASE visit Pam LaPier's diary to find out how you can help the Gulf now and in the future. We don't have to be idle! And thanks to Crashing Vor and Pam LaPier for working on this!

continued at Daily Kos....

Daily bigjac not the ideal Poetry Slam

by bigjacbigjacbigjac

There is no ideal way to tell you
anything.

There is no ideal way to phrase it;
there is no ideal way to get you to understand.

That was philosophy.

continued at Daily Kos....

League of Conservation Voters Dirty Dozen for 2010: Part 3--Three Toxic Tea Partiers

by Neon Vincent

Earlier this week, I profiled three candidates on the the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Dirty Dozen list who are running for the House of Representatives.  Yesterday, I continued my series with Part 2--Four Filthy Senators.  Both of these diaries described the anti-environmental records of candidates who consistently vote (or promise to vote) against clean energy and natural resource conservation.

Join me over the fold for part 3, in which I profile the final three GOTeaP senate candidates on the LCV's list, all of whom put the Tea in GOTeaP.  I also include a first from the LCV--a propostion has been named to the list, making this a Dirty Baker's Dozen.  Most important of all, I include action items for their Democratic opponents and the No on 23 campaign.

continued at Daily Kos....

eKos: Return of the Dust Bowl

by FishOutofWater

Dust Storm, Texas Panhandle

Photo:Library of Congress Source: Red River Historian Desperation Road

In 2004 NASA's Siegfried Schubert discovered how ocean temperature anomalies caused the dust bowl drought in the Great Depression.

The study found cooler than normal tropical Pacific Ocean surface temperatures combined with warmer tropical Atlantic Ocean temperatures to create conditions in the atmosphere that turned America’s breadbasket into a dust bowl from 1931 to 1939. ...

These changes in sea surface temperatures created shifts in the large-scale weather patterns and low level winds that reduced the normal supply of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and inhibited rainfall throughout the Great Plains.

The sea surface temperature anomaly patterns that caused the dust bowl drought have returned.

continued at Daily Kos....

Energy and the Election, Part 2: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

by NRDCActionFund

Congress is considering clean energy legislation that would increase our security by cutting dependence on oil, reduce pollution that contributes to global warming, and create millions of new jobs. Yet this legislation, passed by the House and supported by President Obama, is stalled in the Senate. How can this be in an election year when once again, “It’s the economy, stupid”?

continued at Daily Kos....

Stupid Goes Viral: "the John Birch Society was extreme, too."

by RLMiller

They prowl the tea party rallies of America's heartland, moaning for caaasshh.

Their stupid has gone viral.

Their supporters: "Some people say I’m extreme, but they said the John Birch Society was extreme, too."

And if they win, humanity loses.

I'm tracking Climate Zombies: every Republican candidate for House, Senate, and Governor who doubts, denies, or derides the science of climate change. Today, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia, with a highlight from Indiana's Ninth District.

continued at Daily Kos....

Virginians want clean energy and politicians who will make it happen

by Heather TaylorMiesle NRDC Action Fund

According to a poll conducted by Public Policy Polling and released this week by the NRDC Action Fund, voters across the country by a wide margin are more likely to vote for someone who supports clean energy legislation -- Virginians are no exception.

continued at Daily Kos....

Does Koch have the Courage to debate a citizen?

by A Siegel

The multi-billionaire libertarian Koch brothers are bankrolling efforts across American to undermine the basic principles of American Democracy.  Thanks to the Roberts-led SCOTUS and Citizens United, it is clear that their billions, of course, have more merit than your one vote.

One of their efforts: massive bankrolling of Proposition 23 in California designed to turn back the clock from 21st century climate action to 19th century polluting fossil foolish ways.

California citizen and Marine-Corps veteran Joel Francis has had enough. His message to Koch Industries CEO Charles Koch to a debate on Proposition 23.

I challenge you to a public debate.

You pick the terms.

And, I'll meet you.

Anytime.

Anywhere ...

continued at Daily Kos....

Flood or Drought? Pick yer poison

by LaughingPlanet

You've heard the term Feast or Famine?

It's time for a new version-

Drown or dehydrate.

Not quite as catchy, but scary relevant.

Have you noticed how many times we hear the term "100-year flood" these days? More often than once per hundred years, I'd wager.

Maybe you recall that the tragic mega-floods in Pakistan.

This is but the latest.

Thai Flooding Worst in Decades

Devastating floods spreading from northeastern Thailand  have left 17 people dead over the past two weeks as heavy rainfall has put entire villages underwater, destroyed crops and disrupted transportation and commerce.

continued at Daily Kos....

The Aftermath of the TVA Coal Ash Disaster

by Bruce Nilles

Tennessee's Emory River has long been treasured for its natural beauty.

In 1867, when a young man by the name of John Muir decided to walk from his home in Indiana, all the way to Florida, he crossed the Emory River. Its beauty struck him, and he wrote the following in his journal (which became his famed book "A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf"):

"There is nothing more eloquent in Nature than a mountain stream, and this is the first I ever saw. Its banks are luxuriantly peopled with rare and lovely flowers and overarching trees, making one of Nature's coolest and most hospitable places. Every tree, every flower, every ripple and eddy of this lovely stream seemed solemnly to feel the presence of the great Creator. Lingered in this sanctuary a long time thanking the Lord with all my heart for his goodness in allowing me to enter and enjoy it."

Unfortunately, 141 years later, the Emory River would inspire sorrow.

continued at Daily Kos....

Village Green: Walking to School Is a No-No in Laguna Beach

by Kaid at NRDC

I gave a presentation about sustainable communities on October 6, which happened to be International Walk to School Day.  In my talk, I mentioned that, in 1973, sixty percent of American kids walked to school; by 2006, that portion had dropped to a paltry 13 percent.  I’ve written before about school sprawl and how the location and design of some schools seems explicitly designed to prevent or discourage access by foot or bicycle.

To counter this, the National Center for Safe Routes to School has sponsored a number of programs, including Walk to School Day (or, as some places called it, "Walk and Roll to School Day").

continued at Daily Kos....

My Shovel Ready HUD Housing Goes Solar

by SmileySam

This week the Housing Authority where I moved into a few months ago is holding info meetings to inform all the tenants we are going Solar. I live Close to Vandenberg Air Force Base, about 50 miles north of Santa Barbara, in Lompoc, Ca.
The HUD staff told us they were converting about 100 units locally. Using Stimulus money amounting to around 14 Million dollars HUD will be buying locally made panels, brackets, and using Local Labor.

continued at Daily Kos....

Charles Koch Challenged To Debate Prop 23 By California Student Leader Joel Francis

by bdemelle

Joel Francis, a Marine Corps veteran and senior at Cal State Los Angeles, has issued a debate challenge to Koch Industries' billionaire CEO Charles Koch on his support for the disastrous Prop 23 attack on California's climate and clean energy progress.

continued at Daily Kos....

What's So Funny About a Little More Sanity?

by Michael Brune

Maybe you've heard: Comedy Central's Jon Stewart is holding a "Rally to Restore Sanity" next week. His fellow satirist, Stephen Colbert, will be there, too, leading his "March to Keep Fear Alive." This is all going down on the day before Halloween, right on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Jon Stewart's not a politician (yet), but I suspect he'll get more people -- especially young people -- thinking about how politics work (or don't work) in this country than any elected official could. Stewart says the goal of his rally is to "take it down a notch for America." Sounds reasonable. Of course, with Colbert around, you can be sure things won't get too reasonable. This is the guy, after all, who once serenaded my predecessor, Carl Pope, with a suicidal black bear hand puppet.

continued at Daily Kos....

ACTION ALERT: Pacific NW Residents - Stop the Navy's Coastal Weapons Testing

by Carol Van Strum

Pacific Northwest residents have a last chance to stop the U.S. Navy from expanding deadly weapons and sonar operations off the California, Oregon, and Washington coasts. After widespread and intense opposition to its plans in 2009, the Navy has ignored or dismissed some 1,000 pages of critical comments in issuing its final environmental impact statement for this program. By the end of October, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is scheduled to authorize it.

Only the U.S. Congress can stop this carnage now. And only intense pressure from constitutuents and coastal governments will goad Congress into acting.

continued at Daily Kos....

Tea Partiers Unclear on Meaning of "Elite," Content of Bible

by TheGreenMiles

The NYTimes today reports on how the Tea Party is being spoon-fed climate denial by big polluters like Koch Industries, conveniently laundered by conservative media mouthpieces:

continued at Daily Kos....

Climate Change and Risky Business

by Steven D

Seriously deranged people (or bought and paid for shills) attack the scientific consensus opinion that climate change is occurring at an ever accelerating rate as a result of greenhouse gas emissions (especially carbon dioxide).  However, no one has ever accused Price Waterhouse Coopers, the second largest professional services firm in the world, of a lack of seriousness when it comes to analysing the risks of investments.

So when Price Waterhouse releases a study that suggests municipal bond rating companies are not taking into account the long term consequences of one of the effects of climate change, water scarcity, thus putting at risk the investments of municipal bond purchasers, I, for one, take note:

continued at Daily Kos....

League of Conservation Voters Dirty Dozen for 2010: Part 2--Four Filthy Senators

by Neon Vincent

Earlier this week, I profiled three candidates on the the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Dirty Dozen list who are running for the House of Representatives.  As I wrote then, "[t]hese candidates consistently vote (or promise to vote) against clean energy and natural resource conservation.

Join me over the fold for part 2, in which I profile the first four GOTeaP senate candidates on the LCV's list, along with action items for their Democratic opponents.

continued at Daily Kos....

Hell is coming: Drought in the age of global warming

by DWG

"Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over."

-- Mark Twain (unverified)

Climate has always determined the availability of water resources. The human primate, proof of unintelligent design, has become a very potent force in depleting and destroying water resources. Together, it is recipe for disaster.

A study published in Nature last month showed that 80% of the human population lives in areas with severe threats to water security. A comprehensive review by Aiguo Dai at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) paints a grim picture of the effects of climate change on water resources during this coming century. Drought will be the hallmark of the 21st century.

The detailed analysis concludes that warming temperatures associated with climate change will likely create increasingly dry conditions across much of the globe in the next 30 years, possibly reaching a scale in some regions by the end of the century that has rarely, if ever, been observed in modern times.

continued at Daily Kos....

Drumming For The Planet: MA Climate Action, 11/6/10

by WarrenS

This is a repost of a previously published diary.

Three Traditions of Rhythm
Come Together to Beat Climate Change!

Saturday, November 6 — 7:00 pm

Emmanuel Church, 15 Newbury Street, Boston

continued at Daily Kos....

Nourishing the Planet TV: Staying Tuned for More Innovations

by NourishingthePlanet

Crossposted from the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet.

Nourishing the Planet research intern, Abisola Adekoya, explains how Farm Radio International is taking advantage of radio’s popularity throughout sub-Saharan Africa to improve livelihoods for smallscale farmers. By broadcasting shows about improved composting methods and organic fertilizer, for example, Farm Radio International is helping farmers to repair degraded soil, increase harvests, and improve their incomes.

continued at Daily Kos....

Gulf Watchers Wednesday Edition - 6 Months of Gulf Sorrow -BP Catastrophe AUV #411

by peraspera

You are in the current BP Catastrophe Morning Edition - AUV #411. ROV #410 is here.

Bookmark this link to find the latest Gulf Watchers diaries.

Please RECOMMEND THIS DIARY, the motherships have been discontinued.

The digest of diaries is here.

Please be kind to kossacks with bandwidth issues. Please do not post images or videos. Again, many thanks for this.

PLEASE visit Pam LaPier's diary to find out how you can help the Gulf now and in the future. We don't have to be idle! And thanks to Crashing Vor and Pam LaPier for working on this!

continued at Daily Kos....

China stops our Green Revolution in its tracks

by gjohnsit

 The news media and the political blogs are enraptured with handicapping the political races. No one has time to worry about real issues anymore. This is the silly season, when immigrant nannies and comments from comedians become "important". When shady television hucksters are inexplicably taken seriously and hold huge political rallies.

 Yet the real world, the one that operates on tangible things that make an actual difference in our lives, keeps chugging along.
  While some of you were busy obsessing about political trivialities, the governments of the world were entering a global trade war. This development entered a scary stage yesterday when Brazil decided not to attend the coming G20 summit.

 However, that was nothing compared to China's latest move.

continued at Daily Kos....

US Croplands, Climate Change, Biofuels and, um, Science.

by NNadir

I don't know if you've ever had occassion to sit at the dinner table with religious fundementalists and discuss science.

I have.   (I have, in fact, sat in the laboratory, and discussed science with religious fundementalists, but let's not talk about that.)

One of the more fun conversations like this - dinner table, not laboratory - involved a family member, who I happen to know has never opened a science book seriously in her life - informing all of the members of our family that "everything in the Bible has been verified by science."  

This is not by itself even remotely interesting except to inform us on one level about the prestige of science, since in former times science was only considered valid if it conformed to religion whereas, subtly without all that much notice, religions now seek validity from science and not the other way around.

Science has become a cultural talisman worldwide.   As it happens, the paper from the primary scientific literature comes from the journal Science...

continued at Daily Kos....

Another international failure to regulate greenhouse gas emissions

by DWG

The Obama administration announced what appeared to be a breakthrough in international cooperation to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation sector. Here is the description from the State Department.

The United States welcomes the historic agreement today at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on international aviation and climate change. Delegates to the Assembly adopted an unprecedented global commitment to collective action among countries around the world —developed and developing—to limit and reduce carbon emissions from international aviation. ICAO recognized that further work is necessary to define the path forward on implementation and the United States affirmed its commitment to further efforts within ICAO.

An agreement "to limit and reduce carbon emissions from international aviation" would indeed be worthy of celebration because aviation emissions currently represent 5% of industrial emissions. Unfortunately, the agreement is mostly smoke and mirrors.

continued at Daily Kos....

Climate Hero Marshall closing in on Climate Zombie Burr

by A Siegel

In North Carolina, Democratic Party Senate nominee Elaine Marshall is closing on incumbent Senator Richard Burr.  While polling shows Marshall trailing some eight points, that is five points closer than just a week ago. North Carolinians are waking up to the election and taking notice of the stark contrasts between the two candidates.

One of those arenas of (extremely) stark contrast:  Clean Energy Opportunities and Climate Change Science.

continued at Daily Kos....

ecojustice: "where am i needed, how can i help?"

by boatsie

"Environmentalists often say that we are the one species the earth could very well do without. That's so well-accepted among the people of my tribe that it seems to go without saying.

"But what if it's not true?

"What if we have been designed, crafted, fed, modified, and adapted by the ecosystem (aka Mother Earth), so that both the human species, and all other life, can carry on? What if we are intended to discover and actually engage capacities that deep down we know we have, but rarely utilize?

"What if we've been given that special role all along?

"Imagine how important and how joyful the taking up of that responsibility could be, as well as daunting." Andy Lipkis. Catalyzing Rapid Response Climate Change

continued at Daily Kos....

Hawai'i Underwater and More - A Photo Diary

by Haole in Hawaii

Welcome to another one of these photo diaries meant as a brief respite from the stuggles of the day and as a reminder that we share this planet with all manner of wonderful critters...

Byodo-In Temple in Kaneohe
...and the occasional beautiful human-created space.  
(this is an infrared-HDR photo)

continued at Daily Kos....

The Taming of the Dika: West Africa’s Most Eligible Wild Tree

by NourishingthePlanet

Crossposted from the Worldwatch Institute's Nourishing the Planet.

When forests are cleared in West Africa for firewood or for farmland, the Dika trees are, more often than not, left untouched. Farmers have too much to gain from harvesting the tree’s fruits and seeds to burn or discard a Dika found in the wild.

continued at Daily Kos....

Why Protecting Natural Habitats Will Save Human Lives. 25% essential group says b4 summit

by vc2

Cross posted at Environmental Graffiti

Photo: Robin Moore
The curve of the earth is visible as a man launches his boat into the sunset in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Oceania

This week, world leaders are meeting for the UN's Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to discuss targets for protecting biodiversity in the world. A study by Conservation International shows that at least 25% of the world land mass and 15% of the worlds oceans need to be protected by 2020.

continued at Daily Kos....

Science Tidbits

by possum

Welcome once again.  Magical, marvelous Monday is here.  The time has come to gather around and take a well deserved hiatus from all the politics of the day.  Science talk is here.  New discoveries, new takes on old knowledge, and other bits of news are all available for the perusing in today's information world.  Over the fold are selections from the past week from a few of the many excellent science news sites around the world.  Today's tidbits include rare form of rock melting accounts for explosive volcanoes, using ancient animal urine to measure climate change, insecticides from genetically modified corn found in adjacent streams, carbon dioxide controls Earth temperature, both humans and nature harm food webs in rivers, and new fish species discovered in one of world's deepest ocean trenches.  Come in, sit down, and relax.  There is plenty of room for everyone.  Settle in for one more session of Dr. Possum's science education and entertainment.

continued at Daily Kos....

Voters Overwhelmingly Support Clean Energy Candidates

by Heather TaylorMiesle NRDC Action Fund

Americans know a good idea when they see one. No matter how many millions of dollars the deep-pocketed polluters spend on spreading mistruths this election season, new polling released by the NRDC Action Fund today shows that voters in 23 close Congressional races overwhelmingly support clean energy legislation and would be more likely to support candidates who do the same.

continued at Daily Kos....

Gulf Watchers Monday Edition - BP Catastrophe AUV #410

by shanesnana

You are in the current BP Catastrophe Morning Edition - AUV #410. ROV #409 is here.

The digest of diaries is here.

Please RECOMMEND THIS DIARY, the motherships have been discontinued.

Bookmark this link to find the latest Gulf Watchers diaries.

Please be kind to kossacks with bandwidth issues. Please do not post images or videos. Again, many thanks for this.

PLEASE visit Pam LaPier's diary to find out how you can help the Gulf now and in the future. We don't have to be idle! And thanks to Crashing Vor and Pam LaPier for working on this!

continued at Daily Kos....

League of Conservation Voters Dirty Dozen for 2010: Part 1--House of Representatives

by Neon Vincent

All of us Kossacks who have ever wanted to know the names of the most enviromentally unfriendly candidates running for national office are in luck.  Every election season, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) compiles a Dirty Dozen of candidates for Congress, both Senate and House of Representatives.  These candidates consistently vote (or promise to vote) against clean energy and natural resource conservation.  Election year 2010 is no exception.

This year, the LCV lists eleven GOTeaP candidates and office holders running for federal office.  They also list a bonus ballot measure.  It's such a big list that I'll have to break it up into three installments that I'll post during the week.

Join me over the fold for part one, where I feature three GOTeaP candidates and office holders running for election or re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives who are among the national LCV's Dirty Dozen for this year.

continued at Daily Kos....

GOP Boo Boo: Americans Trust Scientists Over Climate Deniers

by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse

For years, climate deniers have lied and misinformed to confuse the public on climate change and denigrate scientists.  Last year, it was no surprise when climate denier was picked as the GOP candidate litmus test for 2010. The GOP were filled with cocky confidence that their disinformation campaigns and lies convinced enough people that scientists were involved in a global climate change conspiracy, something that GOP teabaggers want to flip into Congressional investigations should they prevail in the midterms. However, findings from a study can assist achieving comprehensive climate change legislation as well as debunking intended probes: Generally, Americans do not buy climate denier arguments, scientists are trusted more than any other source for information about global warming, and the public wants to be educated about climate change.

continued at Daily Kos....

Questioning Growth: "I Want You To Imagine A World"

by Edger

"Questioning growth is deemed to be the act of lunatics, idealists and revolutionaries. But question it we must."

"the only thing that has actually remotely slowed down the relentless rise of carbon emissions over the last two to three decades is recession."

-- Tim Jackson

British Economist Tim Jackson studies the links between lifestyle, societal values and the environment to question the primacy of economic growth.

He currently serves as the economics commissioner on the UK government's Sustainable Development Commission and is director of RESOLVE - a Research group on Lifestyles, Values and Environment. After five years as Senior Researcher at the Stockholm Environment Institute, Jackson became Professor of Sustainable Development at University of Surrey, and was the first person to hold that title at a UK university.

continued at Daily Kos....

Stupid Goes Viral: Climate Zombies of the Gulf Coast

by RLMiller

They prowl the oily shores of the Gulf of Mexico, moaning for caaasshh.

Their stupid has gone viral.

And if they win, humanity loses.

I'm tracking Climate Zombies: every Republican candidate for House, Senate, and Governor who doubts, denies, or derides the science of climate change. Today, I visit the Gulf of Mexico states -- Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida -- with a hypothesis to be tested against a small coastal state.

continued at Daily Kos....

Climate change is an economic crisis

by Laurence Lewis

Last week, a generic right-wing propagandist named S.E. Cupp appeared on Bill Maher's show, spewing what to a certain breed of climate denialist has become a favorite misdirection. They don't flat out deny the science, although they certainly don't acknowledge the gravity of what the science tells us; but they attempt to pretend that the real question isn't whether or not anthropogenic climate change is occurring, rather it's whether or not we can afford to deal with it. But any excuse for not dealing with it is but a different flavor of the same. It all boils down to ignoring the depth of the crisis so the fossil fuels industries can churn right along, reaping massive profits from the destruction of the biosphere.

Cupp's cutesy claim was that we can't afford to address climate change. It's about people's mortgages, she blithered. But not only does she ignore the obvious fact that the environmental consequences of climate change will render such concerns trivial if not moot, she also ignores the actual economics of climate change. Because it's not a question of whether we can afford to deal with it, it's the answer that we can't afford not to. Perhaps living in some fantasy land divorced from science provides people like Cupp with some sort of psychological solace, but it doesn't require exercising one's imagination to consider the geopolitical consequences of some 200,000,000 people being displaced, worldwide. It does require a sober acceptance of the meaning when even the usually staid and cautious National Academies of Sciences reach this conclusion:

The compelling case that climate change is occurring and is caused in large part by human activities is based on a strong, credible body of evidence, says Advancing the Science of Climate Change, one of the new reports. While noting that there is always more to learn and that the scientific process is never "closed," the report emphasizes that multiple lines of evidence support scientific understanding of climate change. The core phenomenon, scientific questions, and hypotheses have been examined thoroughly and have stood firm in the face of serious debate and careful evaluation of alternative explanations.

"Climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for — and in many cases is already affecting — a broad range of human and natural systems," the report concludes. It calls for a new era of climate change science where an emphasis is placed on "fundamental, use-inspired" research, which not only improves understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change but also is useful to decision makers at the local, regional, national, and international levels acting to limit and adapt to climate change. Seven cross-cutting research themes are identified to support this more comprehensive and integrative scientific enterprise.

And while Republicans such as Joe Miller, Ken Buck, Carly Fiorina, Linda McMahon, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, David Vitter, Roy Blunt, Richard Burr, Rob Portman, Jim Huffman, Pat Toomey, Dino Rossi, John Raese, and Ron Johnson are among those Republicans that specifically deny the clear scientific consensus on climate change, other Republicans, such as John McCain, Christine O'Donnell, Mark Kirk, Kelly Ayotte, and both Republicans running in New York are among those opposed to cap-and-trade to address it. The National Academies?

A carbon-pricing system is the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions.  Either cap-and-trade, a system of taxing emissions, or a combination of the two could provide the needed incentives.  While the report does not specifically recommend a cap-and-trade system, it notes that cap-and-trade is generally more compatible with the concept of an emissions budget.

Of course, those opposed to cap-and-trade don't offer any realistic alternatives, not only because there aren't any to offer but because they aren't interested in a realistic response. But to be even more specific and direct, the false question of whether or not we can afford to deal with climate change ignores the economic impacts of climate change itself, which have actually been studied. And written about--for those who actually care about the research and that are capable of reading.

Four years ago, the British government's HM Treasury produced a comprehensive analysis, titled the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change. It takes its name from the radical hippie who led the team making the analysis: Nicolas Stern, former chief economist and senior vice president of the World Bank, former chief economist and special counsellor to the president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and currently the first holder of the I. G. Patel Chair at the London School of Economics and Political Science, as well as the chair of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics.

When it was released, the BBC summarized the Stern Review's conclusions about the environmental impacts of climate change:

TEMPERATURE

# Carbon emissions have already pushed up global temperatures by half a degree Celsius

# If no action is taken on emissions, there is more than a 75-percent chance of global temperatures rising between two and three degrees Celsius over the next 50 years

# There is a 50-percent chance that average global temperatures could rise by five degrees Celsius

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

# Melting glaciers will increase flood risk

# Crop yields will decline, particularly in Africa

# Rising sea levels could leave 200 million people permanently displaced

# Up to 40 percent of species could face extinction

# There will be more examples of extreme weather patterns

And the economic impact:

# Extreme weather could reduce global gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 1 percent

# A two-to-three degree Celsius rise in temperatures could reduce global economic output by 3 percent

# If temperatures rise by five degrees Celsius, up to 10 percent of global output could be lost. The poorest countries would lose more than 10 percent of their output

# In the worst case scenario global consumption per head would fall 20 percent

# To stabilise at manageable levels, emissions would need to stabilise in the next 20 years and fall between 1 percent and 3 percent after that. This would cost 1 percent of GDP

But what is that compared to the cost of dealing with climate change? For Cupp and anyone else who might need things explicitly spelled out, The Guardian two years ago quoted Stern from a London speech:

Lord Stern of Brentford made headlines in 2006 with a report that said countries needed to spend 1% of their GDP to stop greenhouse gases rising to dangerous levels. Failure to do this would lead to damage costing much more, the report warned - at least 5% and perhaps more than 20% of global GDP.

But speaking yesterday in London, Stern said evidence that climate change was happening faster than had been previously thought meant that emissions needed to be reduced even more sharply.

This meant the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would have to be kept below 500 parts per million, said Stern. In 2006, he set a figure of 450-550ppm. "I now think the appropriate thing would be in the middle of that range," he said. "To get below 500ppm ... would cost around 2% of GDP."

Yes, the cost of stopping the rise in greenhouse gases is now estimated at up to 2 percent of global GDP. But the cost of the damage from them is estimated to be- at a minimum- more than twice as much, with a maximum of up to 10 times as much. Even someone with Cupp's challenges and values ought to be able to understand that!

And a little closer to home, the University of Maryland's Center for Integrative Environmental Research compiled a series of reports, some broken down by state and some by region, which can be found here. As explained in the introduction of the full report, titled The US Economic Impacts of Climate Change and the Costs of Inaction (pdf):

In the West and Northwest, climate change is expected to alter precipitation patterns and snow pack, thereby increasing the risk of forest fires. Forest fires cost billions of dollars to suppress, and can result in significant loss of property. The Oakland, California fire of 1991 and the fires in San Diego and San Bernardino Counties in 2003 each cost over $2 billion. Every year for the past four years, over 7 million acres of forests in the National Forest System have burned with annual suppression costs of $1.3 billion or more.

The Great Plains and the Midwest will suffer particularly from increased frequency and severity of flooding and drought events, causing billions of dollars in damages to crops and property. For example, the North Dakota Red River floods in 1997 caused $1 billion in agricultural production losses, and the Midwest floods of 1993 inflicted $6-8 billion in damages to farmers alone. The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region will see increased vulnerability to sea level rise and storms. Depending on the category of the event, evacuation costs for the Northeast region may range, for a single event, between $2 and $6.5 billion. Since 1980, there have been 70 natural weather-caused disasters, with damages to coastal infrastructure exceeding $1 billion per event. Taken together, their combined impact surpassed $560 billion in damages.

Decreased precipitation levels in the South and Southwest will strain water resources for agriculture, industry and households. For the agriculturally productive Central Valley in California alone, the estimated economy-wide loss during the driest years is predicted to be around $6 billion per year. Net agricultural income for the San Antonio Texas Edwards Aquifer region is predicted to decline by 16-29% by 2030 and by 30-45% by 2090 because of competing uses for an increasingly scarce resource – water.

The true economic impact of climate change is fraught with “hidden” costs. Besides the replacement value of infrastructure, for example, there are real costs of re-routing traffic, workdays and productivity lost, provision of temporary shelter and supplies, potential relocation and retraining costs, and others. Likewise, the increased levels of uncertainty and risk, brought about by climate change, impose new costs on the insurance, banking, and investment industries, as well as complicate the planning processes for the agricultural and manufacturing sectors and for public works projects.

In other words, climate change isn't just an environmental issue, and it isn't just a humanitarian issue. Those who don't much care about the environment or humanity can't find comfort in making economic excuses, unless they don't really care about the economy, either. To be as explicitly clear as is possible: The climate crisis is an economic crisis, and unless one cares only about the continued staggering profits of the fossil fuels industries, there are no rationales or excuses not to be addressing climate change as the global environmental, human and economic crisis that it is.

continued at Daily Kos....