by gmoke
When I read a book, I note anything that strikes me. Here are my notes from Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne NY: Viking, 2009 ISBN 978-0-670-02114-7 David Byrne, the musician and artist who was in Talking Heads, has become a bicycle advocate after years of riding all over the world. He takes a folding bike with him on his journeys and tours and bikes wherever he is. Byrne also keeps a blog: http://journal.davidbyrne.com/
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Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Holder: We Can Investigate BP While It Cleans Up The Crime Scene
by The Cunctator
From the Wonk Room. This afternoon, Attorney General Eric Holder announced "that the federal government has launched criminal and civil investigations into the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that is now the worst in U.S. history," even as BP runs the disaster response. The Department of Justice investigation comes on top of the Minerals Management Service-Coast Guard investigation, the work of the independent Presidential commission, and several oversight investigations by Congress. Saying the criminal investigation had begun weeks ago, Holder told reporters that the federal government "will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who has violated the law":
continued at Daily Kos....
From the Wonk Room. This afternoon, Attorney General Eric Holder announced "that the federal government has launched criminal and civil investigations into the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that is now the worst in U.S. history," even as BP runs the disaster response. The Department of Justice investigation comes on top of the Minerals Management Service-Coast Guard investigation, the work of the independent Presidential commission, and several oversight investigations by Congress. Saying the criminal investigation had begun weeks ago, Holder told reporters that the federal government "will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who has violated the law":
continued at Daily Kos....
Renewable Energy Round-Up
by mark louis
This edition is solar-heavy. I didn't plan it that way, it's just how the stories fell. Here we go.
continued at Daily Kos....
This edition is solar-heavy. I didn't plan it that way, it's just how the stories fell. Here we go.
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Fishgrease: Problems with Money Shot
by Fishgrease
Yo, Boomers. In yesterday's diary, I renamed the LMRP Cap process that BP is now trying, Money Shot. Apart from any technical fitness of that name, I meant for BP to basically give all their money to people along the Gulf Coast, without those folks having to resort to litigation. Just give it to them. Just hand it to them. All BP's money from all their U.S.A. production. Now. Money Shot. I had some complaints that the technical aspects of Money Shot I discussed were, Stream of Thought... too difficult to understand. Covering simple things that the Unified Command BP LMRP teams have obviously thought of and accounted for... therefore showing arrogance on my part. Generally poorly written, a weak attempt at humor, as was that entire diary and all my other diaries. All these complaints are valid. All of them are accurate. My Bad. So leap the heap with me, Boomers, and I'll try to do this better. I'll also discuss some recent rumors regarding the demise of the LMRP, before it's even tried once.
continued at Daily Kos....
Yo, Boomers. In yesterday's diary, I renamed the LMRP Cap process that BP is now trying, Money Shot. Apart from any technical fitness of that name, I meant for BP to basically give all their money to people along the Gulf Coast, without those folks having to resort to litigation. Just give it to them. Just hand it to them. All BP's money from all their U.S.A. production. Now. Money Shot. I had some complaints that the technical aspects of Money Shot I discussed were, Stream of Thought... too difficult to understand. Covering simple things that the Unified Command BP LMRP teams have obviously thought of and accounted for... therefore showing arrogance on my part. Generally poorly written, a weak attempt at humor, as was that entire diary and all my other diaries. All these complaints are valid. All of them are accurate. My Bad. So leap the heap with me, Boomers, and I'll try to do this better. I'll also discuss some recent rumors regarding the demise of the LMRP, before it's even tried once.
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Hike On! Yosemite endures, endears
by LaughingPlanet
The 2nd national park in the U.S. remains one of the nation's greatest legacies over 100 years later. People from across the globe seek things that cannot be found elsewhere on Earth; few leave disappointed. Let children walk with nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life, and that the grave has no victory, for it never fights. All is divine harmony. Below I will share a few more photos, quotes, and bits of advice for anyone hoping to visit in the near future.
continued at Daily Kos....
The 2nd national park in the U.S. remains one of the nation's greatest legacies over 100 years later. People from across the globe seek things that cannot be found elsewhere on Earth; few leave disappointed. Let children walk with nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life, and that the grave has no victory, for it never fights. All is divine harmony. Below I will share a few more photos, quotes, and bits of advice for anyone hoping to visit in the near future.
continued at Daily Kos....
(Video) Reality and inconvenience for BP CEO Tony Hayward settling in
by icebergslim
First off, the BP Oil Disaster on the Deepwater Horizon is British Petroleum's fault at the end of the day. Now BP can continue to point fingers at Transocean or Halliburton, but at the end of the day, it was BP who was drilling in deep ocean water for crude oil. Next, this is not Barack Obama's fault. This was a man made disaster caused by greed, in my opinion. Greed of a company to make more money, and greed of the money received to allowe BP to drill by the United States of America. Finally, the reality is that this oil will probably spill until the relief wells are on line, the earliest late July and the latest late August. So, for another solid 60 days, we have the glorious opportunity to continue to view the toxic oil dumping into the Gulf Coast.AND
continued at Daily Kos....
First off, the BP Oil Disaster on the Deepwater Horizon is British Petroleum's fault at the end of the day. Now BP can continue to point fingers at Transocean or Halliburton, but at the end of the day, it was BP who was drilling in deep ocean water for crude oil. Next, this is not Barack Obama's fault. This was a man made disaster caused by greed, in my opinion. Greed of a company to make more money, and greed of the money received to allowe BP to drill by the United States of America. Finally, the reality is that this oil will probably spill until the relief wells are on line, the earliest late July and the latest late August. So, for another solid 60 days, we have the glorious opportunity to continue to view the toxic oil dumping into the Gulf Coast.AND
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UPDATE - Building the Berms Isn't As Easy As It Sounds - BP CEO Would Like his Life Back!
by Ellinorianne
I heard about that tweet that Sarah sent out recently to Governor Jindal regarding the fight to build the berms to protect the marshes of Lousiana. Those are important ecological areas for more than just his State, I get that and I think it's important that everyone care about finding a way to protect them. But we most certainly can't do it in a way that might actually do MORE harm to the environment. If you missed the tweet, someone here was kind enough to write a diary about it. It seems Sarah was just as concerned as the rest of us and the fragile marshes being "ravished" by the oil. But the berms are not as simple as it sounds, Sarah, and I will let you know why.
continued at Daily Kos....
I heard about that tweet that Sarah sent out recently to Governor Jindal regarding the fight to build the berms to protect the marshes of Lousiana. Those are important ecological areas for more than just his State, I get that and I think it's important that everyone care about finding a way to protect them. But we most certainly can't do it in a way that might actually do MORE harm to the environment. If you missed the tweet, someone here was kind enough to write a diary about it. It seems Sarah was just as concerned as the rest of us and the fragile marshes being "ravished" by the oil. But the berms are not as simple as it sounds, Sarah, and I will let you know why.
continued at Daily Kos....
"Oil Spill Threatens Native American Land"
by Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse
The BP gusher now threatens the community of Louisiana's Point Aux Chenes Indian Tribe, their sacred burial ground, fishing livelihood and their way of life. The marshes in Pointe Aux Chenes, Louisiana is where this tribe of around 700 members live after their "ancestors were forced from their lands and resettled to Louisiana more than 100 years ago." The oil spill is approaching, but there is no help from state or federal government. So, the tribe must rely on BP to help them protect their community. Fortunately, CNN is covering this story and the reporter was not discouraged by BP telling him he could not go with the boomers, so he took another boat and filmed it. (Video at CNN link but not embedded here due to some problems with CNN videos.)
continued at Daily Kos....
The BP gusher now threatens the community of Louisiana's Point Aux Chenes Indian Tribe, their sacred burial ground, fishing livelihood and their way of life. The marshes in Pointe Aux Chenes, Louisiana is where this tribe of around 700 members live after their "ancestors were forced from their lands and resettled to Louisiana more than 100 years ago." The oil spill is approaching, but there is no help from state or federal government. So, the tribe must rely on BP to help them protect their community. Fortunately, CNN is covering this story and the reporter was not discouraged by BP telling him he could not go with the boomers, so he took another boat and filmed it. (Video at CNN link but not embedded here due to some problems with CNN videos.)
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BP Shares Drop 17% and that's before litigation.
by Cedwyn
That represents a total drop of $23 billion in BP's market value. So, while I'm not lifting a finger to defend BP, I do want to point out that the company truly does have every interest in fixing this problem. That includes the fiduciary obligations to its shareholders. The failure to solve this problem reflects on them, as it should. Or more to the point, it reflects on their bottom line, as it should. BP is going to get their clocks cleaned over this and it's one hell of an object lesson for others in the business. I'm very fond of saying "just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should" and BP's spectacle of fail is a perfect example of it. Yes; the regulatory environment made it possible for them to do what they did, but they very clearly shouldn't have. They've been penny-wise and pound-idiotic. Thankfully, they're paying the price and will be for quite a while.
continued at Daily Kos....
That represents a total drop of $23 billion in BP's market value. So, while I'm not lifting a finger to defend BP, I do want to point out that the company truly does have every interest in fixing this problem. That includes the fiduciary obligations to its shareholders. The failure to solve this problem reflects on them, as it should. Or more to the point, it reflects on their bottom line, as it should. BP is going to get their clocks cleaned over this and it's one hell of an object lesson for others in the business. I'm very fond of saying "just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should" and BP's spectacle of fail is a perfect example of it. Yes; the regulatory environment made it possible for them to do what they did, but they very clearly shouldn't have. They've been penny-wise and pound-idiotic. Thankfully, they're paying the price and will be for quite a while.
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UPDATE: Obama Sends Attorney General Holder To Gulf Coast
by slinkerwink
The attorney general of the Department of Justice, Eric Holder, is on his way to the Gulf Coast with two other attorneys, Assistant Attorney General for Environmental and Natural Resources Ignacia Moreno, and Assistant Attorney General For The Civil Division Tony West. The Justice Department announced on April 30 that a team of Justice Department lawyers had been sent to "monitor" the spill and make sure environmental laws were enforced. "The British Petroleum oil spill has already cost lives and created a major environmental incident," Holder said in a statement at the time. "The Justice Department stands ready to make available every resource at our disposal to vigorously enforce the laws that protect the people who work and reside near the Gulf, the wildlife, the environment and the American taxpayers." The question then becomes---will they look into the reports of BP refusing to give their workers protection, seeking to destroy evidence, and their lies about the respiratory illnesses by these workers? Hopefully so. Here's more on this story below:
continued at Daily Kos....
The attorney general of the Department of Justice, Eric Holder, is on his way to the Gulf Coast with two other attorneys, Assistant Attorney General for Environmental and Natural Resources Ignacia Moreno, and Assistant Attorney General For The Civil Division Tony West. The Justice Department announced on April 30 that a team of Justice Department lawyers had been sent to "monitor" the spill and make sure environmental laws were enforced. "The British Petroleum oil spill has already cost lives and created a major environmental incident," Holder said in a statement at the time. "The Justice Department stands ready to make available every resource at our disposal to vigorously enforce the laws that protect the people who work and reside near the Gulf, the wildlife, the environment and the American taxpayers." The question then becomes---will they look into the reports of BP refusing to give their workers protection, seeking to destroy evidence, and their lies about the respiratory illnesses by these workers? Hopefully so. Here's more on this story below:
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New WPA for the Gulf oil spill
by mcgee85
The American people are looking for some response to this disaster. We feel powerless while we wait for the so called experts to cap the well. We know that if we ever drill anywhere again that the lessons learned here will be put to good use. But we still want action and I have a starting point for that action. A new WPA for the gulf region.
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The American people are looking for some response to this disaster. We feel powerless while we wait for the so called experts to cap the well. We know that if we ever drill anywhere again that the lessons learned here will be put to good use. But we still want action and I have a starting point for that action. A new WPA for the gulf region.
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BP's Disaster - Mississippi Gulf Coast Edition - 1 June (Tuesday) Diary #29
by khowell
NEW ROV POSTED - Please move discussion to ROV #30, hosted by Nika7k. You are in the current BP disaster ROV, number 29. If you'd like to go back to see what we've said in days past, visit the current mothership. This is where you want to be for discussion, worrying, tearing up, and caring for each other. It's also where you're welcome to be angry and scream and curse and cry and rant at the criminal negligence and greed that have brought us all together. Most importantly, though, it's where we can learn from those kossaks among us (I'll not name names for abject fear of leaving one of you out, but you know who you are.) who bring the light of knowledge - sometimes with heat, sometimes without it - and teach us about what's happening beneath our Gulf of Mexico.
continued at Daily Kos....
NEW ROV POSTED - Please move discussion to ROV #30, hosted by Nika7k. You are in the current BP disaster ROV, number 29. If you'd like to go back to see what we've said in days past, visit the current mothership. This is where you want to be for discussion, worrying, tearing up, and caring for each other. It's also where you're welcome to be angry and scream and curse and cry and rant at the criminal negligence and greed that have brought us all together. Most importantly, though, it's where we can learn from those kossaks among us (I'll not name names for abject fear of leaving one of you out, but you know who you are.) who bring the light of knowledge - sometimes with heat, sometimes without it - and teach us about what's happening beneath our Gulf of Mexico.
continued at Daily Kos....
BP, Bad Processes And Profit Equal Disaster
by Something the Dog Said
While all the facts are yet to be disclosed or discovered in about what led up to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig, and the subsequent sinking shows that there was a shocking lack of quality control or even process control. Even though there was a fractured structure with BP contracting with Transocean and Halliburton for work, BP is, as the contract holder, ultimately the final say in how work would proceed. This is clear from the testimony of one of the rig workers who overheard an argument with the BP Offshore Installation Manager and the "Tool Pusher". The argument was over when to remove the heavy drilling mud that is used to control the oil which is under pressure in the undersea reservoir. It seems that the removal of this mud and the failure to react when more was mud was coming out than seawater was going in are likely to be the proximate causes of all that followed, including the massive and on going leak. "Originally posted at Squarestate.net"
continued at Daily Kos....
While all the facts are yet to be disclosed or discovered in about what led up to the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig, and the subsequent sinking shows that there was a shocking lack of quality control or even process control. Even though there was a fractured structure with BP contracting with Transocean and Halliburton for work, BP is, as the contract holder, ultimately the final say in how work would proceed. This is clear from the testimony of one of the rig workers who overheard an argument with the BP Offshore Installation Manager and the "Tool Pusher". The argument was over when to remove the heavy drilling mud that is used to control the oil which is under pressure in the undersea reservoir. It seems that the removal of this mud and the failure to react when more was mud was coming out than seawater was going in are likely to be the proximate causes of all that followed, including the massive and on going leak. "Originally posted at Squarestate.net"
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How BIG is 12 Thousand Barrels, anyways?
by jamess
Tracking the Oil Spill in the Gulf New York Times, May 31, 2010 larger image Check out that link, for a VERY Good interactive map of tracking the Oil Sheens in the Gulf, day-by-day. The Map has a 'slider bar' that lets you follow the Surface Oil for any Day you choose. You can even make it a movie -- just click play! Be sure to check out the Tab Pages too -- lots of Good Info there too. After looking over the Data, and the various estimates of "Barrels per Day" -- I was left wondering, just ... How BIG is 12 Thousand Barrels, anyways? (the current "Best Case Scenario") ...
continued at Daily Kos....
Tracking the Oil Spill in the Gulf New York Times, May 31, 2010 larger image Check out that link, for a VERY Good interactive map of tracking the Oil Sheens in the Gulf, day-by-day. The Map has a 'slider bar' that lets you follow the Surface Oil for any Day you choose. You can even make it a movie -- just click play! Be sure to check out the Tab Pages too -- lots of Good Info there too. After looking over the Data, and the various estimates of "Barrels per Day" -- I was left wondering, just ... How BIG is 12 Thousand Barrels, anyways? (the current "Best Case Scenario") ...
continued at Daily Kos....
Fisherman Files Restraining Order Against BP
by scorpiorising
There continues to be a BP stranglehold on this river of oil response, and there appears no end in sight to it. Imagine an ecological catastrophe in your state or home town, and the perpetrators are allowed to control the response, the flow of information, and what is or isn't done to protect workers, all apparently, with Federal blessing.
continued at Daily Kos....
There continues to be a BP stranglehold on this river of oil response, and there appears no end in sight to it. Imagine an ecological catastrophe in your state or home town, and the perpetrators are allowed to control the response, the flow of information, and what is or isn't done to protect workers, all apparently, with Federal blessing.
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British Petroleum's Bhopal
by Stranded Wind
The evening of December 2nd was quiet and normal in the Indian state of Madha Pradesh. The dawn on December 3rd found almost 3,800 dead and half a million poisoned due to negligence at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in the state's capitol of Bhopal. Twenty five years on the arrest warrant for then CEO Warren Anderson goes unserved. Criminal and civil cases continue to wind their way through courts in India and the United States. Justice delayed is justice denied; Anderson has slipped from sight and may already have died of old age, while the victims of Union Carbide of all ages live with the misery brought by relentless, irresponsible pursuit of profits. It will be interesting, and all too predictable to watch British Petroleum play this very same game as they poison the fish, birds, and whales, along with those who inhabit the states that surround the Gulf of Mexico.
continued at Daily Kos....
The evening of December 2nd was quiet and normal in the Indian state of Madha Pradesh. The dawn on December 3rd found almost 3,800 dead and half a million poisoned due to negligence at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in the state's capitol of Bhopal. Twenty five years on the arrest warrant for then CEO Warren Anderson goes unserved. Criminal and civil cases continue to wind their way through courts in India and the United States. Justice delayed is justice denied; Anderson has slipped from sight and may already have died of old age, while the victims of Union Carbide of all ages live with the misery brought by relentless, irresponsible pursuit of profits. It will be interesting, and all too predictable to watch British Petroleum play this very same game as they poison the fish, birds, and whales, along with those who inhabit the states that surround the Gulf of Mexico.
continued at Daily Kos....
I woke up this morning to the smell of smoke
by mataliandy
It wasn't the first time. As a matter of fact, I smelled it yesterday, too. The last two days have been thick with smoke-scented haze from the wildfires raging through Southern Canada. The smell is strong enough, I thought our neigbors were burning brush - but I couldn't imagine the fire department giving a burn permit, considering how dry it is. Later, I heard that the haze we've been seeing isn't just the annual holiday weekend driving pollution (32 million Americans planned to drive someplace this weekend), but instead a blanket of smoke from fires tearing through the Quebec region. Meanwhile, Quebec's forest fire protection agency, SOPFEU, reported 52 wildfires were active on Sunday, with eight being classified as out of control.
continued at Daily Kos....
It wasn't the first time. As a matter of fact, I smelled it yesterday, too. The last two days have been thick with smoke-scented haze from the wildfires raging through Southern Canada. The smell is strong enough, I thought our neigbors were burning brush - but I couldn't imagine the fire department giving a burn permit, considering how dry it is. Later, I heard that the haze we've been seeing isn't just the annual holiday weekend driving pollution (32 million Americans planned to drive someplace this weekend), but instead a blanket of smoke from fires tearing through the Quebec region. Meanwhile, Quebec's forest fire protection agency, SOPFEU, reported 52 wildfires were active on Sunday, with eight being classified as out of control.
continued at Daily Kos....
Bring back the CCC
by draghnfly
My PBS station rebroadcast American Experience Civilian Conservation Corps tonight. I cried. Again. Is it possible that we could be even more in need of such an institution now than we were when drought and dust ravaged the land? Along the Gulf Coast we can only watch in helpless, impotent rage as another manmade environmental disaster destroys habitat, wildlife, livelihoods, and lives. On par with, perhaps exceeding, the devastation of the "Dirty Thirties." From the program transcript: Jonathan Alter, Writer: When Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933, it was almost a perfect match of man and moment. He was somebody who could inspire people and used the crisis to redefine what we owe each other as a people. That’s one of the reasons why the New Deal really was a "New Deal" between the public and the government.
continued at Daily Kos....
My PBS station rebroadcast American Experience Civilian Conservation Corps tonight. I cried. Again. Is it possible that we could be even more in need of such an institution now than we were when drought and dust ravaged the land? Along the Gulf Coast we can only watch in helpless, impotent rage as another manmade environmental disaster destroys habitat, wildlife, livelihoods, and lives. On par with, perhaps exceeding, the devastation of the "Dirty Thirties." From the program transcript: Jonathan Alter, Writer: When Franklin Roosevelt took office in 1933, it was almost a perfect match of man and moment. He was somebody who could inspire people and used the crisis to redefine what we owe each other as a people. That’s one of the reasons why the New Deal really was a "New Deal" between the public and the government.
continued at Daily Kos....
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