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....