Upper Big Branch electrician ordered to disable safety monitor (UPDATED)

by Christian Dem in NC

NPR's Morning Edition dropped a bombshell earlier today.  Two months before the Upper Big Branch explosion,an electrician was ordered to disable a key safety device.

On Feb. 13, an electrician deliberately disabled a methane gas monitor on a continuous mining machine because the monitor repeatedly shut down the machine.

Three witnesses say the electrician was ordered by a mine supervisor to "bridge" the automatic shutoff mechanism in the monitor.

Listen to the full story here:

If I'm the supervisor who issued that order or the electrician who carried it out, I'd have a lawyer on speed dial.  Disabling a methane monitor is blatantly illegal, according to the MSHA.  

How significant is this?  Well, back in April, rescuers had to pull back at least TWICE because methane levels were still off the scale even though there was no active production.

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The Smart Grid: Smart Pricing

by Richard Lyon

Smart grid technology offers consumers the opportunity to become active participants in the management of their power costs. It seems fairly certain that the rates for energy will be on the rise. People are likely to have a greater interest in ways to control those increases. Looking at the possibilities for implementation of such schemes requires an understanding of the economics of the electrical power industry.

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She Won't Back Down: Ashley Judd Defies Critics, Continues to Blast Mountaintop Removal

by rperks

Today in The Hill, a quintessential inside-the-Beltway political newspaper, Ashley Judd scores a scathing commentary on one of the causes she cares most about: the campaign to abolish mountaintop removalcoal mining in Appalachia. 

"I am proud to stand with Eastern Kentuckians everywhere, building a positive future for our region," she writes.  "There’s so much potential today, right now, for Eastern Kentucky to proudly and bravely lead the way to a new energy economy in this country, with more jobs and overdue justice for the people of Appalachia.  It is time for a community abused and exploited by outsiders who have never had our best interests at heart to rise and lead the U.S. into a renewable energy future."

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A Scientist takes down Lord Monckton - Updated

by tomasyn

John Abraham, a professor of thermal sciences at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, took eight months to research and produce a thorough debunking of a talk given by notorious climate-change denier Lord Christopher Monckton. Monckton, whose credentials include degrees in classics and journalism (but none in any scientific field) is a prolific producer of nonsense on climate matters. Taking it all apart in a thorough and rigorous manner is quite a task, and I thank Dr. Abraham for this important work.

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Great environment news! Illegal logging down across the globe

by vc2

Logging in the rain forest, jungles and woods across the world has caused loss of habitat for wildlife, leading to extinction of species as well as contributing to the global warming challenges. Tribes and indigenous people have been left with no land to live on, ending their traditional ways of life.  Clearing millions of miles of woods has caused a catastrophe, but over the years people have started to wake up to the problem and even some 3rd world government are cracking down.  More and more areas are set aside as national parks and protected areas. (Brazil has been a leader in this area).  That however has meant a rise in the illegal logging industry and companies who make a profit off the backs of the poor villagers working for them.  

A report released this week shows fantastic news for all who have fought for the animals, the people, and the planet.

Illegal logging is down 25% across the board since 2002.

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Christopher Monckton trying to take down Prof. John Abraham's rebuttal of global warming talk

by apeescape

There is a climate of confusion on global warming, as the "Merchants of Doubt" use any non-scientific tool to delay any legislative action. When a scientist tries to right its ship by providing a thorough, scientific rebuttal, he/she risks time constraints, undue attention, accusations of libel, threats of litigation, demands for apology and retraction, etc.

This is exactly what is happening to Prof. John Abraham against Christopher Monckton.

To counteract the impending censorship, a website is up to Support John Abraham and St. Thomas University. Hopefully some Kossacks could leave a comment to show some support.

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Big Cities Want Big Changes in Energy

by Bruce Nilles

Today I'll focus on yet another community suffering from coal's pollution - but this community is a little bit larger, and it's on the front end of an emerging trend. The city is Chicago and it's starting what could be a national movement to clean up dirty energy in the inner city.

Some of our oldest and dirtiest coal plants are located in major cities across the U.S.; and they are often located in areas with other major pollution sources, exposing residents of these densely populated areas to higher levels of harmful pollution than their neighbors.

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Special Guest Mothership #51 - Human Health Issues and the BP Catastrophe

by Gulf Watchers

Please rec the new Mothership #52 here. This one has expired.
The current ROV DIARY: Daily Kos Gulf Watchers ROV #212 - BP's Gulf Catastrophe - David PA

Rules of the Road

• We take volunteers for subsequent diaries in the sub diaries or ROV's as we have playfully coined them.
• Please rec this mothership diary, not the ROVs.
• Please be kind to fellow kossacks who may have limited bandwidth and refrain from posting images or videos.

PLEASE visit Crashing Vor and Pam LaPier's diaries 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!

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Fishgrease: Booming Feynman's Ghost

by Fishgrease

Boomers! Yesterday! A date which will live in fuckery.

"It has been indeed fuckery most foul."

-- Kossack Onomastic in yesterday's Gulf Watchers ROV liveblog diary.

REC AND SUPPORT THE MOTHERSHIP!!!

Yesterday, Our Government bought in to BP's lies and maneuvering. Yesterday, Our Government approved the Integrity Test. That test is now underway. If anything bad happens, and there are many many bad things that can happen, Our Government will be visited by the Ghost of Richard Feynman.

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A very large and complicated problem

by olmanwillow

For a long time I've had suspicions that something big was happening, that the global system as it has been for the past century is failing. There are glimmers of the giant crisis that shine through smaller problems. However when these smaller problems are viewed in concert there is reason for serious concern.  

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