Any scandal will do.

The USA State Department and the FBI has cleared the emails and have no reason for any action. Now, the US House has gotten there hands of thinks yet unread by the American people and they are willing to spend millions and millions more on political priorities, namely to defeat Secretary Clinton in her election bid to the Presidency.

Secretary Clinton has a very long history of service to the USA at many different levels of government. She has been in service to the American children long before she entered politics. I am fairly sure I know who she is and her character.

What never enters the discussion are the multitudes of trumped up scandals about them and their use of power. There isn't a library big enough. I am sure the authors made a lot of money, but, I am quite confident generosity from the sale of their books to the poor never was realized.

The Clinton Foundation has been in existence since President Bill Clinton finished eight years in office. Why does it exist? Not because just the American people dearly wanted President Clinton to remain active, but, the entire world did. THE ENTIRE WORLD. That is not an exaggeration. Ask the late President of North Korea who he would rather deal with in any talks and he would always say, "Clint-on." No word of a lie. The North Korean nuclear seals were firmly in place when President Bill Clinton served the American people. 

The Clinton Foundation is vital to the global network. The poorest of countries are welcome. The Clinton Foundation seeks to resolve the status of disadvantaged people by bringing donors, grants and loans together to solve an important problem. It works. Is the work controversial? Is that really a question? Donald Trump is calling for a special prosecutor. MORE USA TREASURY MONEY WASTED ON POLITICAL ASPIRATIONS.

I would like to know how many lives were saved, how many countries were served, how many wars averted and how many countries appreciated the USA due to the Clinton Foundation. I suppose the foundation could make the controversy end by moving it's office to Europe, but, why would we want a former President of the USA to leave in order to continue his work. That is not the case with President Carter or either of the Bushs. And it might be interesting to note none of them are under scrutiny or demanding a special prosecutor. 

The Clinton Foundation does what governments can't, they reach across all venues of funding to solve problems. The former president and former secretary earn their money the hard way, they earn it. They worked in government and when not serving in office they made speeches and met donors and friends at dinners. They carried out their lives open and above board without any cabals to serve them while in power. 

These scandals trumped by the Republican party and those Republicans in the US House are nonsense. They have always been nonsense, they are nonsense today and they will be nonsense in the future.

Why can't a country appreciate a Rhodes Scholar (click here) and talented man that builds consensus and minimizes his influence in agreements made between parties he is able to bring together. 

Former President Bill Clinton is a man of peace. He believes in his ability to understand the strife of Americans and foreign countries and their people. There is nothing wrong with that and there is a lot right with that. After his second term in office his spouse and later his daughter would help him achieve incredible cooperation between parties no one other than he could dream of bringing consensus to solve problems. 

The Clinton Foundation is vital to many problem in the world. It is not a clearinghouse for corrupt cash. I though that was exclusive to offshoring and Panama. There is no reason for the foundation to end it's work. The world would be the worse for it. That is probably what bothers Republicans the most. There might not be another Saddam to scapegoat for the next oil invasion.

August 23, 2016

By Michael A. Cohen

I’m fairly sure (click here) that when William Shakespeare penned the phrase “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” he did not have in mind the constant cycle of scandals that envelop Bill and Hillary Clinton. But the phrase easily applies.

When it comes to the Clintons, the most mundane actions can be raised to the specter of national outrage, because of the appearance, but not actual incident, of impropriety.

Take, for example, the imbroglio over newly released e-mails regarding interactions between the Clinton Foundation and the State Department when Clinton was secretary of state. These exchanges, primarily between Clinton’s assistant Huma Abedin and Clinton Foundation top honcho Doug Band, have become Exhibit A in efforts to brand Clinton as a corrupt figure and the Foundation as a pay-for-play operation. The evidence, however, speaks to a different reality....       

Does anyone actually see this little sweetheart in a boys bathroom?

Their identity will follow them the rest of their lives. The least society, including the society of American children, can do is accept their reality and get on with living.

From the Huffington Post:

June 24, 2015
By James Micheal Nichols

For the past twelve years, (click here) Dutch photographer Sarah Wong has documented the lives and experiences of a group of children who have transitioned - or are in the process of transitioning - to live as their authentic selves....

The proper name for this phenomena is called "gender dysphoria." 

Honestly.

Children. As a country we should be doing everything possible to bring about a person's healthy 'self' and end BULLYING which is exactly what Judge O'Connor did. Besides malpractice he is bullying children!

Puberty blockers to prevent the development of SECONDARY SEX characteristics. It leaves the child in their current body image to work out their own identities. 

Sexual characteristics don't begin at puberty. Sexual identity begins long before the physical sexual characteristics present themselves.

How can any judge be so warped as to not understand the incredible children that are brave and strong to look in the mirror and say, "I am a girl." or "I am a boy." And then not to make them as safe as they can be in society is completely wrong.

This is the kind of insulated society the right wing nuts live in. No difference, no understanding of others and their struggles, but, simply sequestered into their own arrogant faction of society. And they make it all the way to the bench. Amazing.

by Karin Selva, MD
Pediatric Endocrinologist
Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel, Portland, OR

Let’s start by describing (click here) what happens during puberty. When the brain determines that it is time to start puberty, usually around age 11 in male-bodied persons and 10 in female-bodied persons, the pituitary gland releases 2 hormones called LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH(follicle stimulating hormone). With a rise in these two hormones, they both then affect the sex gland at hand by producing sex hormones: testes produce testosterone, and ovaries produce estrogen. It is these sex hormones that cause the typical changes we see with puberty and they occur in a series of steps called Tanner Stages 1-5. Tanner Stage 1 is, generally speaking, the time from birth to the onset of puberty, at which point the child enters Tanner Stage 2.

In male-sexed persons:

• First, the LH and FSH cause increase in testicular size;
• Which then results in an increase in testosterone production;
• Testosterone causes increase in pubic hair and phallic size;
• There is more acne;
• They get axillary (armpit) hair and facial hair;
• Eventually they get a growth spurt and their voice changes;
• When they are around 18 years of age, puberty is complete and growth stops

In female-sexed persons:

• Estrogen causes breast development first;
• This progresses and the person then gets more curves, and fat deposits in the typical adult female places;
• About 2 years after the start of breast development, menstrual periods start;
• A female-bodied person does get pubic hair, axillary (armpit) hair and acne, but not from estrogen. These changes come from hormones that are produced from the adrenal glands, and happen independently of LH, FSH and estrogen....

For all the sexual content to American society I never thought they would need a sex education lesson.

Understanding one's self and how identity enters their personality and life choices begins at a young age. That child that self identifies as the opposite gender needs acceptance by his or her family, teachers, peer and friends. Those peers and friends have just as much commitment to accept people that are different. Acceptance of difference makes for a far healthier society. It is very unfortunate that ADULTS don't have the same capacity to understand and accept difference as children do.

Sexual identity is complex; (click here) it exists on multiple continuums, which together encompass infinite variability and possibility.

Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation and Romantic Orientation are three integral components of sexual identity. Each component exists independently, yet they also intersect in ways that form a person's overall sexual identity.

• Gender identity is one's internal experience of their gender. Many people identify their gender primarily with their sex as assigned at birth, which is referred to as cisgender. Trans/transgender people identify with a sex/gender other than what was assigned to them at birth. For example, a person may have been assigned female at birth based on a doctor's examination of external genitalia, yet they might identify as a man and present as male socially. Examples of non-cisgender identities are: agender, bigender, gender neutral, non-binary or genderqueer.
• Sexual orientation is to whom we are sexually and romantically attracted. Terms for sexual orientation can include heterosexual/straight, gay/lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, queer/questioning.
• Romantic orientation reflects our intrinsic desire to engage in romantic connections with others. A person may have romantic desire or attraction, but not experience sexual attraction, or vice versa (e.g. hetero-romantic asexual, aromantic bisexual). Terms for romantic orientation may include aromantic, demi-romantic or polyamorous.

Looking at the ways these three components of sexual identity intersect can be confusing or overwhelming. However, it is important to recognize that there are limitless possibilities and that all are natural expressions of human sexuality....

Where in the USA Constitution does it say the President of the United States of America has to receive public comment before writing an Executive Order?

This is the man that makes decisions about the deployment of the USA military arsenal. Like. What?

The White House (click here) on Monday voiced support for the administration's directive for public schools to allow transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms based on the gender with which they identify after they were was blocked by a federal judge.

“The primary goal in offering this guidance was to ensure a safe educational environment for all students,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Monday....

Look, these guys are homophobic bigots. Let's just get that out there. 

As a matter of fact, he stating President Obama didn't follow procedure is malpractice. 

Take a good long look. This is what it looks like to sell your soul to the GOP.

Any state can act on President Obama's order and bring CHILDREN under the safety net of knowing ones self and is SAFE to say it. These are children. 

By Nabeal Twereet

President George W. Bush (click here) nominated O'Connor to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on June 27, 2007. On November 16, 2007, the U.S. Senate confirmed the judge's appointment. He received his commission five days later.

According to Dallas News editorial, "Federal judge ends 43-year-old desegregation order for Richardson ISD," on Thursday, July 25, 2013, U.S. District Judge O'Connor ended judicial oversight of Richardson ISD schools. His ruling dismisses a desegregation lawsuit, which was filed in 1970. O'Connor overruled arguments by the civil rights division of the Department of Justice that Richardson's polices causes racial desegregation.

Donald Trump was never a right wing fruit cake.

August 22, 2016

By Nick Gass

Donald Trump (click here) and his surrogates on Monday pushed back against the idea that the Republican nominee is softening his hardline positions on immigration, with the GOP nominee himself insisting there was no “flip-flopping” on his part.

The campaign has found itself on the defensive after BuzzFeed reported over the weekend that Trump had indicated an openness to legalization for undocumented immigrants and after his new campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said Trump’s use of a deportation force is “to be determined.”

Trump on Monday was vague when pressed about his specific immigration plans, but was adamant that he’s not shifting on the issue that has been core to his campaign....

He has wanted to pivot or was it pirouette to the left for some time now. The question is, who is the real Donald Trump? 

After spending her life working for the people of the USA the truth is finally out !

August 22, 2016
By Ginger Gibson and Arshad Mohammed

A judge ordered the State Department (click here) on Monday to review and determine the potential release of 14,900 documents, most of which are believed to be emails to or from Hillary Clinton, that turned up in an FBI investigation of her use of a private email server as secretary of state.

The documents are part of a cache that the FBI turned over to the State Department at the end of its probe into Clinton's use of the server. The Federal Bureau of Investigation found Clinton was "extremely careless" with sensitive information by using the private server but recommended against bringing charges against Clinton. She has been dogged by questions about the issue throughout her run for the White House.
The State Department could make public the first batch of emails in October, weeks before the Democratic nominee faces Republican rival Donald Trump in the Nov. 8 election. State Department employees are due to craft a timeline for the release at a meeting on Sept. 23....

               

I got a new rooster and he didn't crow this morning. I slept away half the day.

"Morning Papers"

The Rooster

"Okeydoke"

I had them pegged all along. Some mornings Mira had this "Come hither" (click here) look. That is from Shakespeare by the way.

August 22, 2016
By Brian Stelter

On Monday morning (click here) he trained his Twitter fire at the MSNBC show "Morning Joe," formerly one of his favorite places to campaign.
Trump criticized "Joe" co-host Mika Brzezinski in highly personal terms, calling her "off the wall, a neurotic and not very bright mess!"
He also implied that Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough have been secretly dating. He called them "two clowns."
The comments about Brzezinski were reminiscent of Trump's highly personal attacks against Fox host Megyn Kelly....

Donald Trump would not know William Shakespeare if he tripped over him. He just wants to pick on women for some reason. I guess other men come to the rescue of women and that gets him his attention. He should know it isn't getting him votes. Picking on women is not the right way to go.

And I am tried of this "Liberal" slander either. I do believe President Obama is a Progressive and it was a Progressive that saved this country from the most dangerous economic slide this world has ever seen. Get over it. Democrats are great people and they know how to govern. Jealous, Mr. Trump?

"Good Night, Moon"

The waning gibbous

18.8 day old moon

82.7 percent lit

Pokeman is pollution for the mind.

August 21, 2016
By Ollie Barder

With not long (click here) until the November release for Pokémon Sun and Moonon 3DS, we now have news of more Pokémon that will be in the game.

The first of these is Crabrawler, a fighting type Pokémon that seems to be based on a coconut crab. The second of these is a dual Pokémon, Sandygast and its evolved form of Palossand. This is a ghost and ground Pokémon and looks like a sand castle. Finally, we have Stuffulthat is another fighting type and is based on a red panda. Stufful also evolves into Bewear.

All of these Pokémon definitely fall into the theme set by the Alolaislands in Sun and Moon, as in the kind of animals you might find on a tropical island. However, the sand castle inspired Sandygast and Palossand is probably taking the concept a bit far....

And then there is Wall Street.

The "Political Economy Research Project" (click here) at University of Massachusetts, Amherst has compiled a list of top 100 Wall Street darlings, some engaged in the production of energy, and their responsibility to the USA greenhouse gas emissions.

* Percentages are the parent corporation or entity's percentage of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, including electric power, transportation, industrial, commercial, residential, and agricultural emissions, the total of which is 6,673 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents according to the April 2015 U.S. Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks. Note that this total is for 2013 while Greenhouse 100 parent and facility emissions are for 2014.

The links from each parent name lead to an application that gives detailed facility and sector information about the company. You can also search for companies not on the Greenhouse 100. For more information on the data, see the technical notes.

Here is a new image to get your mind around:

The animated spiral The animated spiral (click here) presents global temperature change in a visually appealing and straightforward way. The pace of change is immediately obvious, especially over the past few decades. The relationship between current global temperatures and the internationally discussed target limits are also clear without much complex interpretation needed....

1.5 and 2.0 are the red zone. They are incredibly high temperatures that imperil Earth's climate. We are dangerously close without reprieve from greenhouse gas pollution. This is the time the world needs to become very, very serious about reversing the trend of this death spiral.

Trains come with their own history, culture, population of enthusiasts and romance.

Photo Flashback:  Electromotive Division (Oakway) (click here) 9056 leads a CP Rail container train eastbound at South Lyon.  The train has stopped to be re-crewed and has split the Pontiac Trail crossing to let cars get across the tracks - 2001

States like Michigan are having a resurgence of rail service, but, this time it is a little different.

The Southern Michigan Railroad Society plans it's first run for the autumn colors in 2016.

About the Southern Michigan Railroad Society (click here)

We are a non-profit, all volunteer railroad museum. Our mission is to preserve the vast railroad history of Michigan, as well as northwest Ohio and northern Indiana.

Our organization was formed to preserve this branch line railroad, the Jackson Branch. It started in Palmyra in 1836 (in the MIchigan territory), reached Tecumseh in 1837, and Clinton in 1853. Unlike many railway museums, we own the railroad "lock, stock and barrel", and it used only for preservation - making us a living museum, able to operate our historic fleet.

And don't leave out northern Michigan.

July 21, 2016

...Enter Great Lakes Central Railroad, (click here) the Owosso-based company that operates trains along 400 miles of Michigan tracks from Ann Arbor to Petoskey and branch lines in between. Great Lakes’ rail cars are hauling grain, plastics, lumber, fertiziler and hazardous materials within the state and connecting to the major rail companies criss-crossing the nation.

Today, companies from Williamburg (Amerhart) to Kalkaska (Magnum Solvents) to to Grawn (Cherry Growers) are regular Great Lakes customers, as are Petoskey Plastics to the north and clients in Cadillac to the south. All told, Great Lakes’ General Manager Chris Bagwell tells The Ticker a train or two per week rumbles through Traverse City.

(The next time you’re tempted to complain about the delay as you wait at one of Traverse City’s 11 railroad crossings, consider this: most local crossings hold cars for 30-60 seconds. It’s not uncommon in a downstate town like Plymouth for 90-car trains to hold crossings for 45 minutes).

Though freight trains serve important roles as engines of commerce, it's the tantalizing potential of passenger rail that has many in northern Michigan excited.

A campaign to begin passenger service between Ann Arbor and Traverse City is gaining steam, led by TC-based Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities. It’s an idea that will require political support, funding, and a proven market – but the most immediate problem is the track itself: An estimated 95 percent of the tracks between Ann Arbor and Traverse City are ready to haul tourists north, but that last five percent is located right here in northern Michigan.

The Federal Railroad Administration classifies all track; class 6 track allows for speeds above 100mph for freight or passenger traffic. Much of the local track is classified as “excepted track,” which falls below Class 1, which carries a 10mph speed limit for freight and does not allow use by revenue passenger trains.

Groundwork is prioritizing advocacy for more funding to upgrade those tracks because – according to Bruckbauer – there is “widespread interest in establishing passenger rail service,” noting his organization has received “dozens of support letters from various communities and groups along the line, and we’ve raised enough funding to advance a major study on the project."...

Amtrak has it's own guest rewards program and it's own credit card. No one is giving up anything.

Every ride counts (click here) as an Amtrak Guest Rewards® member. In addition to riding the train, there are a variety of ways to earn points that quickly add up to rewards like free Amtrak®travel, upgrades, hotel stays and more.

These are some of the job listed at CSX. It isn't just train engineers.

CSX (click here)

CSX employs nearly 28,900 people. (click here)

Clerical (Support business processes and problem resolution) (click here)

Clerks provide a number of support jobs throughout the railroad with different titles, working in different departments. Clerks may work in the yard office, towers, mechanical shops, and other various office locations. Clerks assist with data entry, billing, customer service, procurement and transportation of items and services necessary for running the railroad. Office experience may be required. Good interpersonal and problem solving skills are important and union membership is required. Select a job description below to learn more.

Clerical positions include:

• Crew Dispatcher: Assign train crews for rail yard and over-the-road train operations. See description
• Field Clerk: Transport crews, perform janitorial service, and general rail yard office duties. See description
• Jacksonville Clerk: Perform routine office or clerical support tasks. See description
• Janitor Messenger: Perform janitorial service and general rail yard office duties. See description
• Purchasing and Materials Clerk: Receive, maintain, and disburse inventory. See description
• Stevedore: Operate motor vehicles on and off multi-level railcars. See description

CSX has a young voter program.

How Tomorrow Votes (click here) is a program that was conceived to provide a glimpse into what our country’s next generation of voters is thinking and feeling about the presidential election. If you can’t vote yet, you can have a voice. If you can vote, this is your chance to hear the voice of teens on the candidates, issues and what’s happening in the world as a whole.

Jobs.

Blog "America by Rail" (click here)

America’s rolling prairies, (click here) plains, and towering mountain peaks paint the picturesque backdrop for a USA train vacation. Add to that landscape bustling metropolises, expansive national parks, and acclaimed historic sites and attractions, and it’s easy to see why the United States is a perfect destination for a train trip.

The beauty of a vacation by rail is it begins the moment you step aboard the train. Settle into your cozy onboard accommodations and leave the driving to someone else as you travel deep into unspoiled natural beauty. Admire the passing scenery from your seat or the train’s observation lounge. Enjoy a hot meal in the dining car or the café, read a book, or listen to music as the train crisscrosses the country. While many of our independent train tours and escorted train tours include overnight travel aboard an iconic long-distance train, there is a great selection that solely feature excursions aboard day trains that are just as historic including vintage trains like the Grand Canyon Railway as well as scenic tourist trains like Colorado’s Durango & Silverton and New England’s Cape Cod Central Railroad.

Each train vacation incorporates an iconic train journey into a well-planned itinerary that also includes visits to popular destinations, comprehensive sightseeing, and more. Choose from rail trips in Alaska, popular Coast to Coast train vacations, fall foliage tours, or visits to America’s national parks by train. With more than 100 vacations in the United States alone, you’re sure to find the perfect itinerary....

Commuter rail is among the most efficient use of electrical power in trains.

March 5, 2012
By Kim Upton

...How do they do that? (click here) Power the trains

In politics the third rail is an issue so powerful, politicians do their best to avoid it. In the subway the third rail is a line of track so powerful, patrons make sure they avoid it.

And rightly so, since Metro’s trains run on 800 volts – enough to propel a packed rush-hour train at speeds of up to 70 mph through the Red Line tunnel between Hollywood/Highland and Universal City station.

On subway trains, the third rail is the source of the electrical delivery system. The same power is delivered to light-rail lines such as the Blue, Gold, Green and Expo lines via an overhead catenary system. No petroleum gas for the trains. No CNG (compressed natural gas). Just good old-fashioned electricity.

Where does the electricity come from? Like petroleum gasoline and compressed natural gas, Metro buys it. Electricity can be a product of nuclear, coal, gas, oil, water, wind or solar farm sources. In Metro’s case, the intermediary source is utility companies, including LADWP and Pasadena Water and Power — the same companies that supply power to many of our homes.

Although Metro buys many millions of dollars a year in electricity to power the rail lines, electricity is a whole lot less expensive than petroleum gasoline or even CNG. And CNG, as we’ve said in the past, is much less expensive than petroleum gas....

The top ten environmental 'johns' list of any city.

I think it is a great idea and a sound way of taking control of a city or town's carbon foot print. It is unrealistic to expect the federal government to mandate a top ten listing, but, it is very realistic for states to mandate every city or town to begin to monitor their carbon footprint and ways to do better.

Mayors of the USA have been involved with the global climate for some time now. The United Nations gave up on the USA, so it turned to the country's mayors to find an interest in protecting people from the anticipated ravages of the climate crisis. 

I congratulate Taipei, Taiwan for taking this issue seriously and I look forward to them solving their problem.

The climate crisis has a local component that is all too easy to spot in the air movement through and around the USA. Local achievements in greenhouse gas reductions can change the physics to some extent. A local effort is not a minor consideration. Every city and town should consider following this example from Taiwan.

August 19, 2016

By Yu Hsiao-han and Kuo Chung-han

Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) The state-owned Taiwan Power Co. (click here) (Taipower, 台電) is the main source of carbon dioxide emissions in Taiwan, according to a list released Friday by the country's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).

The list showed the top 10 carbon dioxide emitters in Taiwan in 2014, with Taipower at the top as it was responsible for 84.59 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), or 37.36 percent of the total 226.4 million metric tons that year.

In the No. 2 spot was Formosa Petrochemical Corp. (台塑石化), with 29.77 million metric tons of CO2e, or 13.15 percent of the total.

Taipower and and Formosa Petrochemical accounted for more than half of the total emissions in 2014, the EPA data showed. They were followed by China Steel Corp. with 19.38 million metric tons of CO2e, or 8.56 percent of the total, Mai-Liao Power Corp. with 11.86 million metric tons, or 5.24 percent, and Dragon Steel Corp. with 9.76 million metric tons, or 4.31 percent, according to the list.

The top five emitters in 2014 accounted for 68.62 percent of the total emissions, the list showed....         

Electric trains and I am not talking model trains.

All those electric lines are all part of the train. 

Electric locomotives (click here) are the epitome of efficiency. Even today, no other locomotive type can match the low operating costs, high tractive effort, and swift acceleration speeds of electrics. However, electrified operations do have one substantial downside; the initial cost of capital involved to reap the benefits afforded by electricity is extremely high, so much so that most railroads, even today, do not find it justifiable and choose to stick with diesel powered locomotives. The first electrics date back to 1879 when Werner Von Siemens demonstrated the first successful use of the propulsion on a small railway in Berlin, Germany. However, electrified rail operations in the United States did not come about for nearly another ten years when in 1888 General Electric successfully demonstrated the motive power on the Richmond Union Passenger Railway....

...While electrics may no longer be used in the U.S. to haul freight trains their reliability and efficiency in passenger service will likely keep them operating for decades to come, particularly as oil prices continue to rise. Extremely quiet and fast, motors are a very unique and interesting aspect of our nation’s rail system, even if they are somewhat rare in comparison to the U.S. railroad industry as a whole, and other systems around the world. Heck perhaps even one day we will again see electrics lugging freights over Stampede Pass or through the Rockies. One can always hope, anyway! 

No small achievement.

August 16, 2016

By Matt Stevens

Map to the left is August 15, 2016 (click here)

California (click here) may be in its fifth year of drought, but on Tuesday, state water regulators effectively turned back the clock to 2013.

Staff members of the State Water Resources Control Board announced that 343 of the state’s 411 water districts reported having enough water to meet their customers’ demands -- even if the next three years are unusually dry.

To blunt the impact of drought, the state required water providers to reduce their consumption compared to 2013 levels. Each provider was assigned a so-called conservation standard, which was expressed as a percentage.  As of Tuesday, the vast majority of those standards have been officially set at 0%....

Mountain snowpacks (click here) are frozen reservoirs, their spring melt supplying as much as 75 percent of the West’s water. Decades of measurements, taken by hand or automatic sensors, show dramatic decline. Readings are taken yearly on April 1, when snowpack water content has historically peaked.

The California Water Crisis began with a chronic short fall in snow pack. This is an article form National Geographic explaining the importance of snow to a person's water reservoir. That is right. The people in California came to realize how very personal the water crisis was. It began with poor snow pack. That is what every environmentalist and conservationist has always tried to have the people of the USA realize; it is not about tree hugging (although I find nothing wrong with tree hugging), it is about water, survival and realizing how close a person is to snow pack they have never seen in their lives.

Snowpack is a legal term. It is simple and nearly self explanatory. Don't look at environmentalists and conservationists as if they failed their service to the American people; they did their job; the real people responsible for this crisis are the politicians and lobbyists for the petroleum industry and election monies.

Eurostar has done its homework (click here) and commissioned independent research to assess the CO2 per passenger produced by a London-Paris Eurostar journey versus that emitted by a passenger on a London-Paris flight.  The research looked at actual Eurostar passenger loadings, actual Eurostar power consumption, the way Eurostar's electricity is generated, actual aircraft loadings, actual aircraft fuel consumption, and so on.  The conclusion was remarkable:  Taking the train to Paris instead of flying cuts CO2 emissions per passenger not just by a measly 10% or 20% or even 50%, but by a staggering 90%...

And with airport security tightened, check-ins up to 2 hours even for a 1-hour flight, plus the time and cost involved in getting to and from remote airports at each end, taking the train city centre to city centre will probably cut your stress levels by a similar percentage.

Incidentally, the environmental benefit of taking the train instead of a plane may be much greater than 90%.  Airliners emit their CO2 directly into the upper atmosphere, where it is likely to do over twice the damage of the same quantity of CO2 emitted at ground level (estimates vary between 2 & 3 times the damage, but 2.7 is the factor normally used).  This factor isn't included in the Eurostar findings.  Here are some estimated comparisons (showing CO2 quantities alone, excluding the upper atmosphere effect):...

Many countries in the world are not as lazy as the USA when it comes to the climate crisis. They are knee deep in solving it.

They don't sacrifice conscience for economic wealth. The balance is interesting and in some cases merchants and environmentalists see the same goal.

21.8.2016

Finland’s forest protection (click here) goals may remain unrealised if current programmes to promote biodiversity don’t receive more funding, says the country’s top forest products companies and environmental organisations. The unlikely partnership says the Metso forest biodiversity programme needs 30 million euros more than have been allocated by the government if it hopes to have lasting impact....

I know it is difficult to prioritize conservation over other national priorities, but, it is a dire need that has no voice. It is important countries globally assess their conservation programs and move forward to protect forests, ecosystems and species. Earth is drying up and the only thing that will stop it is the biology that thrived before.

...One-of-a-kind functioning solution

Finland’s forest industry giant UPM says it is clear that forest protection is an integral part of sustainable forest management. Timo Lehesvirta, UPM’s global forest director, has been active in the development of the Metso programme since its inception.

He praises its voluntary approach to forest conservation, saying it is both unique and has been clearly shown to meet a need.

“When conservation efforts stem from the owner, its voluntary nature adds to the overall acceptability of the decision among forest owners,” says Lehesvirta, adding that this is true especially when compared to the alternative: the state determining which areas should be protected.

UPM alone owns 700,000 hectares of forested land in Finland, approximately ten percent of which is protected, Lehesvirta says.

The Nature Conservation Association’s Lundvall says Metso’s achievements to date won’t be lost if more funding can’t be secured, but many things will be left unfinished and, more importantly, great locations will remain unprotected....

Any silviculturist first had to love the forest before the profit to an economic engine is thought about. Trees are paramount to Earth's greenhouse gas balance.

Silviculturists salaries vary from $42,000 to $62,000 annually, depending on education and experience. 

Silviculturists (click here) who are sometimes called "forester silviculturists" "forestry professionals" or "natural resource professionals" work to shape policies for managing maintaining and conserving sustainable forests. They develop procedures and plan projects that will ensure trees will remain healthy and disease-free.

According to the website www.careerplanner.com silviculturists study the rate at which trees grow and how factors such as fires and animals may affect whether various species of trees germinate. They also determine whether trees are in need of pruning and they develop systems for labeling and identifying trees to keep track of their growth and evaluate when pruning may be beneficial. They may work for tree nurseries that cultivate new trees that will replace old ones that die. In short their expertise is in planning and monitoring forests to insure their continued viability over a long period of time. 

Silviculturists often work outdoors driving to remote sites and then walking through thick forests to examine the state of the trees and plan projects that will ensure that the tree stands remain a valuable commodity. 

The website pacificforestfoundation.org says that the credentials for becoming a silviculturist include a bachelor's degree in forestry as well as experience in managing forests. Silviculturist positions are greatly coveted and those who aspire to this profession often spend time as entry-level technicians or lower level technician supervisors either during or after they earn a college degree in forestry. 

Silviculturists work for landowners private companies or for the government. According to the website www.simplyhired.com earnings by silviculturists vary widely depending on level of experience and location as well as type of employer for whom they work but the average annual salary is approximately $52000....

To the left are other jobs and their salaries in similar fields.

Environmentalists and conservationists frequently talk about trains as an answer in the climate crisis.

But, do they know exactly what they are talking about?

People concerned with the climate crisis, which should be the entire world by now, would be pleasantly surprised, it isn't diesel fuel that pulls the freight. It is the wheels that pull the freight and they are powered with electricity. The diesel engine of a locomotive is the power house that supplies the electricity to the wheels.

Diesel locomotives, (click here) technically known as diesel-electrics, came into widespread use here in the United States with the development of the Electro-Motive Corporation’s (EMC, later to become the General Motors' Electro-Motive Division, or EMD) EA/EB design, first tested on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) in the late 1930s. The diesel-electric locomotive would also become a major milestone in technological development for North American railroads as it symbolized the end of the only motive power type (aside from electrics) to be used in the industry up until that time, the steam locomotive....