by rserven
I've posted a few pieces about the ongoing saga of the McClellan old-growth forest in West Orange, NJ, which Seton Hall Prep and the Archdiocese of Newark want to turn in to something "productive", like baseball fields, rather than what it is now, which is a possible home for endangered animals. Save the Trees Saving the Trees...and maybe the bats Working to Save our Environment This is an update. The photo on the right shows the remnants of the deceased 90-year old Japanese Yew. More on the story inside.
continued at Daily Kos....
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Justice for BP's Gulf Gusher
by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse
Justice is needed for the workers who were killed and their families, the people of the Gulf states, wildlife, marine life and for all Americans. Justice takes many forms, including debarment, civil penalties, criminal penalties, compensation and a proposed Gulf Recovery Fund to balance the injustice of a nation that benefits from offshore drilling, yet leaves the Gulf states to deal with the pain, costs and risks. Justice also means that we fight harder for a climate bill that moves away from fossil fuels. When you look at the issues that arise from this disaster --- such as corporate greed, reckless policies, deregulation, special interest legislation, indifference to humanity and environment, lack of transparency, etc --- they all make the case that we need a real climate change bill that addresses real reform.
continued at Daily Kos....
Justice is needed for the workers who were killed and their families, the people of the Gulf states, wildlife, marine life and for all Americans. Justice takes many forms, including debarment, civil penalties, criminal penalties, compensation and a proposed Gulf Recovery Fund to balance the injustice of a nation that benefits from offshore drilling, yet leaves the Gulf states to deal with the pain, costs and risks. Justice also means that we fight harder for a climate bill that moves away from fossil fuels. When you look at the issues that arise from this disaster --- such as corporate greed, reckless policies, deregulation, special interest legislation, indifference to humanity and environment, lack of transparency, etc --- they all make the case that we need a real climate change bill that addresses real reform.
continued at Daily Kos....
Sunday Train: The Liberty Fund, 1 cent/gallon and 1 percent
by BruceMcF
Burning the Midnight Oil for Living Energy Independence Remember the ontroversy over whether the Stimulus would be "going overboard"? Well, when we net Federal, State and Local Government ... there is no Stimulus. The Federal Spending from ARRA was too small to cover the drop in spending at the State and Local government in the last quarter of last year and first quarter of this year. And yet those who are unhappy that we have not yet had a Depression since the 30's have been successful in getting the recipe for a Depression installed as the Conventional Wisdom. This diary is about one strategy to side-stepp the neo-Hooverites with a "fully funded" program that will still provide the stimulus that our economy desperately needs to get the recovery into second gear where it can start cutting into the unemployment crisis.
continued at Daily Kos....
Burning the Midnight Oil for Living Energy Independence Remember the ontroversy over whether the Stimulus would be "going overboard"? Well, when we net Federal, State and Local Government ... there is no Stimulus. The Federal Spending from ARRA was too small to cover the drop in spending at the State and Local government in the last quarter of last year and first quarter of this year. And yet those who are unhappy that we have not yet had a Depression since the 30's have been successful in getting the recipe for a Depression installed as the Conventional Wisdom. This diary is about one strategy to side-stepp the neo-Hooverites with a "fully funded" program that will still provide the stimulus that our economy desperately needs to get the recovery into second gear where it can start cutting into the unemployment crisis.
continued at Daily Kos....
Changing the Tide, Without Republicans, President Obama Must Act
by Ellinorianne
The unprecedented disasters that seem to be building up around us are numerous. Environmental emergencies are easy to ignore because they happen mostly out of sight, so therefore, they can't be happening for a huge number of those who live around us. Deforestation? I see trees. Climate change, there was snow on the ground just this winter, a lot of it. As eloquently as Bill Maher put it, the lack of sunlight each night does not negate the existence of the sun. Plastic islands floating in our oceans, birds dying around the plastic contents in their stomachs, whales digesting tons of plastic, species lost every year on a scale not seen before unless for reasons that were nature or disaster caused, industrialized farming practices killing oceans and the people it was meant to feed, the problems go on forever and yet we cannot thread all these issues together because for some odd reason either we choose not to, or the more obvious reason, we are forced not to.
continued at Daily Kos....
The unprecedented disasters that seem to be building up around us are numerous. Environmental emergencies are easy to ignore because they happen mostly out of sight, so therefore, they can't be happening for a huge number of those who live around us. Deforestation? I see trees. Climate change, there was snow on the ground just this winter, a lot of it. As eloquently as Bill Maher put it, the lack of sunlight each night does not negate the existence of the sun. Plastic islands floating in our oceans, birds dying around the plastic contents in their stomachs, whales digesting tons of plastic, species lost every year on a scale not seen before unless for reasons that were nature or disaster caused, industrialized farming practices killing oceans and the people it was meant to feed, the problems go on forever and yet we cannot thread all these issues together because for some odd reason either we choose not to, or the more obvious reason, we are forced not to.
continued at Daily Kos....
Free Food: What Not to Forage
by wide eyed lib
People frequently ask me if I'm concerned that I might someday eat the wrong plant. I'm always nice about answering that no, I'm not at all worried. I know the plants I harvest, and if I can't ID a plant with certainty, I won't eat it. Some people, though, almost can't believe that someone can easily distinguish between individual species. That's sad enough, but then they want to project that inability on to me as well. (Right: Golden Alexander Flower (Zizea aurea) by wide eyed lib. Tea made from the root of this carrot and parsnip relative has been used to reduce fever.) There's also a misconception among some people that you have to know every plant out there before you can forage. That's like saying I would need to know every word before I could read, or like saying that I'd need to see every face out there in order to recognize my dad. Sounds kind of absurd when I put it like that, doesn't it? Covered: poison hemlock
continued at Daily Kos....
People frequently ask me if I'm concerned that I might someday eat the wrong plant. I'm always nice about answering that no, I'm not at all worried. I know the plants I harvest, and if I can't ID a plant with certainty, I won't eat it. Some people, though, almost can't believe that someone can easily distinguish between individual species. That's sad enough, but then they want to project that inability on to me as well. (Right: Golden Alexander Flower (Zizea aurea) by wide eyed lib. Tea made from the root of this carrot and parsnip relative has been used to reduce fever.) There's also a misconception among some people that you have to know every plant out there before you can forage. That's like saying I would need to know every word before I could read, or like saying that I'd need to see every face out there in order to recognize my dad. Sounds kind of absurd when I put it like that, doesn't it? Covered: poison hemlock
continued at Daily Kos....
"Head in Sand" Award Goes To........
by Julie Gulden
HALEY BARBOUR! To win this award (voted on by me alone), you must be able to plausibly deny what is right in front of your lying eyes. You must face facts and stare them down. You must be a 100% certifiable Denier with a capital D. Certifiable is best described by Wikipedia as: genuine, authentic, such as certifiable liar ...
continued at Daily Kos....
HALEY BARBOUR! To win this award (voted on by me alone), you must be able to plausibly deny what is right in front of your lying eyes. You must face facts and stare them down. You must be a 100% certifiable Denier with a capital D. Certifiable is best described by Wikipedia as: genuine, authentic, such as certifiable liar ...
continued at Daily Kos....
20,000,000
by marabout40
Twenty million a day. That's what this disaster is about. This disaster is about you, me and our 20,000,000-barrels-a-day oil addiction. Until we understand that, and actually do something meaningful in our individual lives to reverse that number, we will have more BP oil "spills." You think putting BP out of business is gonna solve the problem? Ha! Have you seen the list of petroleum companies out there? Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/... take a look for yourself.
continued at Daily Kos....
Twenty million a day. That's what this disaster is about. This disaster is about you, me and our 20,000,000-barrels-a-day oil addiction. Until we understand that, and actually do something meaningful in our individual lives to reverse that number, we will have more BP oil "spills." You think putting BP out of business is gonna solve the problem? Ha! Have you seen the list of petroleum companies out there? Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/... take a look for yourself.
continued at Daily Kos....
Mojo' hikin' / A Capitol Reef Photo Journal
by delmardougster
Capitol Reef? What is that? Is it in the south seas somewhere? I thought you guys were going to take a road trip to go hiking? I know Capitol Reef is not well known but some of the responses I get are downright comical. I guess that is part of the allure - it's far enough of the beaten path that fewer know about it's existence and fewer still make the effort to go. I hope this helps put CRNP on your radar. Tucked away in south central Utah off Highway 24, Capitol Reef National Park is part of an awesome geological feature - a one hundred mile long warped and folded terrain called a Waterpocket Fold. Jutting out of the surrounding landscape, it is visible from miles away. CRNP has miles of trails and countless ravines and mesas to explore. Massive, colorful, and full of life, this is a national park you must make the effort to visit. Get your pack...
continued at Daily Kos....
Capitol Reef? What is that? Is it in the south seas somewhere? I thought you guys were going to take a road trip to go hiking? I know Capitol Reef is not well known but some of the responses I get are downright comical. I guess that is part of the allure - it's far enough of the beaten path that fewer know about it's existence and fewer still make the effort to go. I hope this helps put CRNP on your radar. Tucked away in south central Utah off Highway 24, Capitol Reef National Park is part of an awesome geological feature - a one hundred mile long warped and folded terrain called a Waterpocket Fold. Jutting out of the surrounding landscape, it is visible from miles away. CRNP has miles of trails and countless ravines and mesas to explore. Massive, colorful, and full of life, this is a national park you must make the effort to visit. Get your pack...
continued at Daily Kos....
Maher ends the 'debate': 'What the f**k is wrong with you people?'
by LaughingPlanet
Bill Maher is a funny guy, but sometimes he can drive me nuts. I literally turned the show off & deleted the recording when he kept interrupting Cory Booker a few weeks ago. Maher sounded like a pompous doofus on "This Week" a month ago. He can be the broken clock of liberal leftist libertarian librarian whatever TV hosts - right twice per day. But the conclusion to Friday's "New Rules" on that little HBO show know as "Real Time with Bill Maher" was one of their better segments in a while. New Rule: Al Gore must come out with a sequel to his movie about climate change and call it - "An Inconvenient Truth II : What the fuck is wrong with you people?" The whole show was above average, with Andrew Sullivan stealing most of the limelight. But I want to hone in on the climax of the night. For embedded video (about 5 mins long) and some transcription, come on down below.
continued at Daily Kos....
Bill Maher is a funny guy, but sometimes he can drive me nuts. I literally turned the show off & deleted the recording when he kept interrupting Cory Booker a few weeks ago. Maher sounded like a pompous doofus on "This Week" a month ago. He can be the broken clock of liberal leftist libertarian librarian whatever TV hosts - right twice per day. But the conclusion to Friday's "New Rules" on that little HBO show know as "Real Time with Bill Maher" was one of their better segments in a while. New Rule: Al Gore must come out with a sequel to his movie about climate change and call it - "An Inconvenient Truth II : What the fuck is wrong with you people?" The whole show was above average, with Andrew Sullivan stealing most of the limelight. But I want to hone in on the climax of the night. For embedded video (about 5 mins long) and some transcription, come on down below.
continued at Daily Kos....
Deepwater Horizon: A Reflection On Our Use Of Oil
by webranding
Let me start off by saying that BP is directly to blame for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill gusher. I think my comments here are totally clear on that point. However, Americans as a whole are also to blame at some level, even if indirectly. We are just addicted to "cheap" oil. It is as simple as that. Oil companies love nothing more than massive windfall profits. So if they could drill for oil in places not located miles from the shoreline and/or water surface, get it with less effort and charge the same price they would. Alas I'd say the "easy to get oil" has already been used up. So I'd say Deepwater Horizon is just what might be the first of many environmental nightmares we're going to see as we search for oil in harder to reach locations. With that little intro, the "meat" of this Diary is my suggestion for how to change our behavior. I'd do realize it might be short term political suicide for our party, but I see no other way to change the behavior of my fellow Americans. We should add a massive, several dollar a gallon tax to all gasoline. Period. Below the fold just a story or two and then let me tell you how this would work.
continued at Daily Kos....
Let me start off by saying that BP is directly to blame for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill gusher. I think my comments here are totally clear on that point. However, Americans as a whole are also to blame at some level, even if indirectly. We are just addicted to "cheap" oil. It is as simple as that. Oil companies love nothing more than massive windfall profits. So if they could drill for oil in places not located miles from the shoreline and/or water surface, get it with less effort and charge the same price they would. Alas I'd say the "easy to get oil" has already been used up. So I'd say Deepwater Horizon is just what might be the first of many environmental nightmares we're going to see as we search for oil in harder to reach locations. With that little intro, the "meat" of this Diary is my suggestion for how to change our behavior. I'd do realize it might be short term political suicide for our party, but I see no other way to change the behavior of my fellow Americans. We should add a massive, several dollar a gallon tax to all gasoline. Period. Below the fold just a story or two and then let me tell you how this would work.
continued at Daily Kos....
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