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Things we could do right now to combat climate change
The issue of climate change often arrives at a standstill because the proposed "solutions" always seem futuristic and unassured. But there are things our society could do right now, with the technology we already have, to drmatically reduce air pollution:
(1) Telecommuting and flextime. Every days the roads in the East and West Coasts are clogged with gridlock traffic, just because employees do not have telecommuting and flexible hours. Just allowing employees to set a shifted schedule after the rush hour is over would ease the congestion and pollution. The argument that enployees have to be together all day long is hogwash. There are many jobs that could be done on shifted schedules or with some work completed at home.
(2) Support for a single lifestyle. Paul Erlich has been speaking out about overpopulation and the hunger across the world that results from it. Not everyone has to have a child. Many people have children just to have them as a support system in old age. If we had elder care alternatives, people could make the choice not to have children unless they really want to. Right now we consider it to be a cultural anomaly not to have children. However, the environment is at the point where some people can choose to devote their lives to other interests.
(3) Public transporation. After moving away from New Jersey, I began to notice something one doesn't see in the suburbs of New Jersey: buses. The baby boomer generation is getting older and driving will be riskly. Not only do we need to develop ubiquitous mass transit. The buses have to be maintained. There are too many cases of bus drivers leaving their motors on between routes because they do not know whether the bus will start again if turned off. We need to have buses, but they should not be idling.
(4) Buying less "stuff." In the current economy, that is not even a matter of choice. But every extra, unneeded item bought required energy to manufacture. The money spent on unnecessary "stuff" could be directed to contributing to one's favorite candidates. I am talking about people throwing away perfectly usable home fixtures just on a whim to have everything redone. Or complicated, high tech toys that rob the child of the need to use one's imagination in play.
(5) Restrict junk mail. Every day we take the junk mail out of our mail boxes and throw it in the trash can. There needs to be a restruction on how many pieces of mail a business can send out without the permission of the recipient.
These are just a few ideas. Saving energy doesn't necessarily involve futuristic technologies that haven't been discovered yet. It involves throwing away old fashioned ways of thinking.
And putzie called Putin and Musharraf friends with good souls or somesuch. Wrong again.
FOCUS | Pakistan Nuclear Security Questioned
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/111107Y.shtml
Joby Warrick of the Washington Post reports that "when the United States learned in 2001 that Pakistani scientists had shared nuclear secrets with members of al-Qaeda, an alarmed Bush administration responded with tens of millions of dollars worth of equipment... to safeguard Pakistan's nuclear weapons. But Pakistan remained suspicious of US aims and declined to give US experts direct access to the half-dozen or so bunkers where the components of its arsenal of about 50 nuclear weapons are stored. For the officials in Washington now monitoring Pakistan's deepening political crisis, the experience offered both reassurance and grounds for concern."
Hopefully, 2012 is the magic number for moving into enlightment. Someone was saying today that 2008 will be the year of greatest turmoil before the end of the Mayan calendar.
FOCUS | Broken Supply Channel Sent Weapons for Iraq Astray
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/111107Z.shtml
Eric Schmitt and Ginger Thompson of The New York Times report that turmoil, bent rules and signs of theft at a Baghdad armory help explain how the US lost track of some 190,000 small arms meant for Iraq's security forces.
3. And it's all Iran's fault.
Two things:
Bob Moser and Laura Flanders on AAR today spun the Florida primary thing to make it look like Florida was a victim. I thought we got that straightened out.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/1635
And more...I hear Nader is suing the Democrats about keeping him off the ballot. Maybe he forgot some of his stunts using right wing money.
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/33
This part is really bad from a very right wing group leader:
""Hi, my name is Russ Walker, director of Citizens for a Sound Economy here in Oregon, and I wanted to tell you about an opportunity we have to drive a wedge through the Liberal Left’s base of support.
In this year’s presidential race, Ralph Nader could peel away a lot of Kerry support in Oregon, but he has to be on the ballot first. He will make it if at least 1,000 people show up this Saturday at Benson High school at 4:00 pm and sign the petition to certify his candidacy.
Liberals are trying to unite in Oregon and keep Nader off the ballot to help their chances of electing John Kerry. We could divide this base of support by showing up at Grant High school on Saturday.
Poor Ralph Nader: He just wants to make the ballot here in Oregon. Let’s give him what he wants and just watch what happens in November!"
On topic: Things you can do
Use energy efficient light bulbs wherever possible.
If you are building a home or re-roofing your old one, consider adding skylights in those rooms where you always have to turn a light on in the daylight.
Get use to swinging your faucet handle to the cold side when warm isn't necessary.
Recycle, recycle, recycle, paper, metal, plastics.
Forget about burning wood in your fireplace. Put a grate inside and a false log to decorate.
A low-energy automatic attic exhaust fans can keep a house cooler in summer.
44 minutes ago
Storms sink five ships;
oil spill called catastrophe
At least two sailors died and 23 were missing Sunday when five ships sank in storms in the Black Sea and the Azov Sea. One official told CNN that a Russian ship split in two, spilling up to 560,000 gallons of fuel oil, and the severe weather is hampering efforts to contain it. full story
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/11/russia.spill/index.html
Here's a clickable about the oil tanker splitting in half.
Musharraf is Doing What Bush Wants To Do By Sandy Sand (3 comments) George Bush must be ghastly green with envy of President General Perez Musharraf, because Musharraf is doing what Bush has put in place for himself to...
Gee, what a surprise.
Give an inch and they want a foot. Give a foot and they want a leg. I
I hope our Congress Critters are just so happy that they've voted away our rights and
protections as they and these presidential candidates have.
Intelligence deputy to America: Rethink privacy
Story Highlights
Deputy director of national intelligence: Privacy no longer means anonymity
Statements come as Congress examines Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
Law allows government to eavesdrop on phone calls inside the U.S.
Next Article in Politics »
WASHINGTON (AP) -- As Congress debates new rules for government eavesdropping, a top intelligence official says it is time that people in the United States change their definition of privacy.
Donald Kerr, principal deputy director of national intelligence, said wants Americans to redefine privacy.
Privacy no longer can mean anonymity, says Donald Kerr, the principal deputy director of national intelligence. Instead, it should mean that government and businesses properly safeguard people's private communications and financial information.
Kerr's comments come as Congress is taking a second look at the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/11/terrorist.surveillance.ap/index.html
Pakistan and Georgia anyone???
During the last debate, most of the candidates said they couldn't promise to be out of Iraq by 2013, because they didn't know what the circumstances would be in the future. By that thinking they would not be able to pass any legislation. But Dodd, last night said he thought he could get us out in six years. ????
We don't call any of our 400 plus bases "permanent", and troops to maintain them probably wouldn't be called "combat". so the candidates may be talking about a relatively small number of troops to pull out.
So far, Dennis is the only one not engaging in hat double talk. He plainly says, he'll start withdrawing as soon as elected, no bases, only a small no. of troops remaining while a coalition force takes over. That makes sense and sounds doable. The others could do the same, but they don't want to give up control.
12. NOW it's 6 years? He already answered Russert when he said he would get us out by 2013, the date the others couldn't even agree on. Now he's changing from that, too?
OY VEY
HELP US AL GORE!
OH wait.......6 years from now is 2013. LOL
Still pitiful that we're talking about 6 years away, isn't it?
Who chose this stupid 2013...OH wait, everything is politics, that would be the end
of the first term of the next President.
I saw a good arguement in relation to Sen Cain (R-AZ) which I would like to share, because it cuts just right:
(clip/paste)
"I am profoundly disapointed in Senator McCain for his view on the "now" attorney general. This is a "confederate flag" moment for McCain.
He had a chance to stand up and say quite clearly that the illegal and immoral activities of this administration were not acceptable. He must know that they are not and yet like in SC he flinched.
Straight talk is one thing, straight action is another. The AG is not a Commander in Chief thing; we are not a police state and water torture has no place in this countrys "arsenal"...as for passing a law, this administration routinly ignores them.
McCain is pandering to the right wing of the GOP which is a very very small minority of the voters in the country...and it is not very seemly.
(end clip/paste)
Yes, it's 2013, but during the debate they couldn't meet that, now Dodd thinks he can. That is what I heard him say last night. It's the double talk we need to watch out for, like "combat", "permanent" .
Issue Oriented Politics With Cannibals
Do you think that it is possible to have issue oriented negotiations, politics, with cannibals? Do you think?
Those who negotiate issue oriented politics for political advantage with cannibals end up in the cannibals pot.
When politics, as it is today, resolves itself down to two bipolar constituent groups, one constituent group of cannibals and one constituent group that are not cannibals, it would be extremely unwise for the constituent group that are NOT cannibals to negotiate issue oriented politics for political advantage with the constituent group that ARE cannibals. Politics is the leadership of constituents in their best interest and nonconstituents against their best interest. From the stand point of cannibals, what do you suppose leadership of constituents in their best interest and nonconstituents against their best interest means?
Since the time of Goldwater and Reagan, the 10% minority of the American aristocracy and the 20% minority of the professional middle class as combined duopolistic classes and cultures politically, have resolved themselves into one group of political cannibals preying upon the 70% majority common population as a class and culture; this group of political cannibals are represented politically by the Republican Party and the Democratic Leadership Council, DLC, of the Democratic Party.
The only politics that is possible with those who are cannibals and those who are not cannibals is "constituent oriented politics". Much is made in all areas of the media about issues and "issue oriented politics", but "issue oriented politics" with cannibals will not counterbalance the drive of constituent oriented cannibalism. Those who are cannibals and those who are not cannibals do not have enough in common politically and morally to have sufficient issues in common to sustain "issue oriented politics", only "constituent oriented politics".
Those who are cannibals and those who are not cannibals differ drastically, both politically and morally, to the extent that commonality of issues do not apply; the only thing that matters is whether or not constituents as a group are cannibals or are not cannibals. Therefore, "constituent oriented politics" the politics of either being a constituent of cannibals or NOT being a constituent of cannibals is all that matters.
Politics in the 21st Century has resolved itself down to a bipolar political choice between those who are political cannibals, the 10% minority of the American aristocracy and the 20% minority of the professional middle class, that as cannibals prey on the 70% majority common population as a class and culture; and, a second political choice, those who are not political cannibals. The 70% majority common population have made a second choice not to be political cannibals, and have therefore become the prey of those who have chosen to be political cannibals.
The 70% majority common population of the United States must deal with its cannibal problem by way of "constituent oriented politics", rather than to continue to talk "issue oriented politics" with cannibals.
The 70% majority common population of the United States must become aware that there is no basis for "issue oriented politics" between those who are cannibals and those who are not cannibals; the only possibility between those who are cannibals and those who are not cannibals is "constituent oriented politics", and "constituent oriented politics" will resolve itself down to which side is stronger, which side will end up in the pot, or which side will change the "culture of cannibalism".
Scratch Dodd.
That leaves Kucinich.
Al, Al, come on, Al. If you don't run, at least endorse Kucinich.
People can pitch Rep K all they want, but he will not get the nomination.
I would love to see Al become POTUS, but it is less than two months till the primary season.
WE must face the facts and deal with (for some increasing possibility) Al will not run.
There is plenty of time for Al to decide he needs to seek the Presidency and as time passes, it becomes even clearer he needs to.
And please note, Al Gore has not ruled it out and has not stopped
or asked to stop any of the draft efforts.
THANK GOODNESS....because WE NEED HIM.
By Roger Cohen Published: November 11, 2007 document.writeln('
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NEW YORK: In the gym at the NATO base in Kabul, U.S. soldiers hit the treadmills every morning and gaze at TV screens broadcasting Al Jazeera's English news channel. When Osama bin Laden makes news, as he did recently with a statement about Iraq, America's finest work out beneath the solemn gaze of their most wanted enemy.
This sounds like a scene from Donald Rumsfeld's private hell. The former Secretary of Defense dismissed Al Jazeera as a "mouthpiece of Al Qaeda." He once called the Qatar-owned and based network "vicious, inaccurate and inexcusable."
In an indication of what the Bush administration thinks of Al Jazeera journalism (and habeas corpus), it has locked up one of the network's cameramen, Sami al-Hajj, in Guantánamo for five years without charging him.
The choice of viewing at the NATO gym is a lot wiser than Rumsfeld's choice of words or the unconscionable treatment of al-Hajj. America, and not just its front-line soldiers, needs to watch Al Jazeera to understand how the world has changed. Any other course amounts to self-destructive blindness.
The first change that must be grasped is America's diminished ability to influence people. Global access to information now amounts to an immense à la carte menu. Networks escape control. To hundreds of millions of people accessing information for the first time, from central China to Kenya's Rift Valley, the United States can easily look exclusive, discriminatory and less relevant to their future.
Today in Opinion
Roses and reality in Georgia Abdicate and capitulate Greater import safety ord = Math.random() * 10000000000000000; document.write('
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By seashell on Nov 11, 2007 6:27 PM ESTHoward is first and Dennis and Mike deserve honorable mention for telling truth to power and picketing last night's dinner.