Every time Rand Paul is the last holdout, it tells his constituency back home they are the most powerful people in the world. Rand Paul has to be chased by the President and Rand makes his concerns and wins concessions. The vote for Pompeo is yet another proof of the power of his constituency.
His "no" vote is a permanent placemark for the GOP. Libertarians never have a grand win to influence policy. Rand Paul says that is not so anytime he votes "no."
That "no" vote holds his place with his constituency, but, also glues the Libertarian Party together.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Everyone sincerely concerned about the White House has a strong basis other than instinct.
Donald Trump is enjoying the power and privilege or the USA without doing any of the work.
When Donald Trump (click here) had a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin on the morning of March 20th, the two were at an excruciatingly delicate juncture....
...The National Security Council has a comparatively lean budget—approximately twelve million dollars—and so its staff consists largely of career professionals on loan from the State Department, the Pentagon, and other agencies. When Trump assumed office, N.S.C. staffers initially generated memos for him that resembled those produced for his predecessors: multi-page explications of policy and strategy. But “an edict came down,” a former staffer told me: “ ‘Thin it out.’ ” The staff dutifully trimmed the memos to a single page. “But then word comes back: ‘This is still too much.’ ” A senior Trump aide explained to the staffers that the President is “a visual person,” and asked them to express points “pictorially.”
“By the time I left, we had these cards,” the former staffer said. They are long and narrow, made of heavy stock, and emblazoned with the words “the white house” at the top. Trump receives a thick briefing book every night, but nobody harbors the illusion that he reads it. Current and former officials told me that filling out a card is the best way to raise an issue with him in writing. Everything that needs to be conveyed to the President must be boiled down, the former staffer said, to “two or three points, with the syntactical complexity of ‘See Jane run.’ ”....
When Donald Trump (click here) had a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin on the morning of March 20th, the two were at an excruciatingly delicate juncture....
...The National Security Council has a comparatively lean budget—approximately twelve million dollars—and so its staff consists largely of career professionals on loan from the State Department, the Pentagon, and other agencies. When Trump assumed office, N.S.C. staffers initially generated memos for him that resembled those produced for his predecessors: multi-page explications of policy and strategy. But “an edict came down,” a former staffer told me: “ ‘Thin it out.’ ” The staff dutifully trimmed the memos to a single page. “But then word comes back: ‘This is still too much.’ ” A senior Trump aide explained to the staffers that the President is “a visual person,” and asked them to express points “pictorially.”
“By the time I left, we had these cards,” the former staffer said. They are long and narrow, made of heavy stock, and emblazoned with the words “the white house” at the top. Trump receives a thick briefing book every night, but nobody harbors the illusion that he reads it. Current and former officials told me that filling out a card is the best way to raise an issue with him in writing. Everything that needs to be conveyed to the President must be boiled down, the former staffer said, to “two or three points, with the syntactical complexity of ‘See Jane run.’ ”....
The USA EPA needs a highly qualified person as Secretary.
Arieh Warshel, (click here) Nobel laureate, Distinguished Professor in Chemistry and Biochemistry, holder of the Dana and David Dornsife Chair in Chemistry, will join other outstanding luminaries on May 12, to receive a 2018 Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO).
The Ellis Island Medal of Honor commends a select group of individuals whose achievements and exceptional service to our nation embody the American spirit in their patriotism, tolerance, brotherhood and diversity, and is among the nation’s most celebrated awards. The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have officially recognized the Ellis Island Medals of Honor, and each year the recipients are listed in the Congressional Record....
Monday, April 23, 2018
Review of the troops. Great pageantry..
This happened at the school fairly frequently. Like on Alumni Weekend and Mother's Day.
It was part of the US Army's assessment of the JROTC program. It was nice. Everyone got to wear their uniforms and show off their practicing paid off. They even had a color guard.
Yep.
I knew it, but, wished it he would be okay.
April 23, 2018
By Jamie Gangel
Former President George H.W. Bush, (click here) who just buried his wife first lady Barbara Bush on Saturday, is in intensive care, CNN has learned.
"President Bush was admitted to the Houston Methodist Hospital yesterday morning after contracting an infection that spread to his blood. He is responding to treatments and appears to be recovering. We will issue additional updates as events warrant," spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement....
It has happened in my own family, where an elderly couple died within days of each other when there was no other reason except a broken heart. We saw it with Carrie Fischer and Debbie Reynolds.
When people are that close and suffer the loss of 'the other' it takes a toll. I sincerely hope the Former President Bush will be okay. It is too hard on him. Her loss to him carries far deeper meaning than most can understand. I wish the family peace and hope.
By Jamie Gangel
Former President George H.W. Bush, (click here) who just buried his wife first lady Barbara Bush on Saturday, is in intensive care, CNN has learned.
"President Bush was admitted to the Houston Methodist Hospital yesterday morning after contracting an infection that spread to his blood. He is responding to treatments and appears to be recovering. We will issue additional updates as events warrant," spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement....
It has happened in my own family, where an elderly couple died within days of each other when there was no other reason except a broken heart. We saw it with Carrie Fischer and Debbie Reynolds.
When people are that close and suffer the loss of 'the other' it takes a toll. I sincerely hope the Former President Bush will be okay. It is too hard on him. Her loss to him carries far deeper meaning than most can understand. I wish the family peace and hope.
Relationships are complicated and can't be solved as easily as signing a non-disclosure agreement. Relationships don't work that way, contracts do.
Michael Cohen needs to tell the truth.
In addition to contributing money, (click here) a nonconnected committee may donate goods or services to candidates and their committees. Gifts of goods or services are called in-kind contributions. For example, a committee makes an in-kind contribution when it:
- Pays for consulting, polling or printing services provided to a candidate committee
- Donates office supplies or mailing lists to a campaign
- Sponsors a fundraising event benefiting a candidate; or
- Pays for a campaign advertisement on behalf of a candidate (if the advertisement does not qualify as an independent expenditure)
Hm.
See, I don't think it was an in-kind donation. Hush money is a form of intimidation. That is a very different animal than the 'normal' in-kind donation.
If it was an in-kind donation, all Mr. Cohen would have to do to clear this up, is report it and pay fines for not reporting it on a timely basis. I believe this is different and is criminal. The fact Ms. Stephanie A. Gregory Clifford was provided a non-disclosure agreement to protect Donald Trump's reputation before an election makes the entire scenario a really odd thing.
To begin, why didn't Mr. Cohen expect Ms. Clifford to be represented in the agreement? There is no doubt Michael Cohen was acting in the interest of candidate Trump. Why didn't Ms. Clifford have her own lawyer to speak to her about the non-disclosure agreement, whether or not she was an employee of Trump and to what capacity.
See, this was about a personal relationship and I think legally that gets very murky when linked to non-disclosure agreements. This was not at all the same as a prenuptial agreement. This is a document that negates an entire segment of her life with Donald Trump.
This is different than the issue with the non-disclosure agreement Ms. McDougal had with American Media. Ms. McDougal was sort of an employee of the company. She was under contract with the company. Ms. Daniels and Mr. Trump had no contract prior to their affair.
Additionally, Ms. Clifford was threatened with her life by someone who knew the details of the relationship with Donald Trump.
The issues surrounding Ms. Clifford is very different than Ms. McDougal. There is an element of danger and fear both in signing the non-disclosure agreement AFTER THE FACT and the threat. No one is saying Mr. Cohen knew about the threat either, but, it is plain there was a lot going on with Ms. Daniels she never counted on when first having a relationship with Trump.
In signing a nondisclosure agreement for money without the benefit of counsel presents the FACT that while Ms. Clifford was an adult and can decide to sign or not to sign she was still in the dark about her own rights and what exactly all the legal implications mean. It has the appearance of intimidation rather than trust.
So, Mr. Cohen needs to be honest. He needs to tell the truth.
Ms. Daniels needs to be safe in her person and with her family. That element of danger that exists with Ms. Daniels is very dark. It is highly problematic and carries no guarantees. I believe she has a civil suit beyond the issues with Michael Cohen so she can have enough of a financial cushion to protect her and her family (daughter) the rest of their lives. She never bargained for any of this and now her life is imposed on in a way she cannot handle.
I think this case is important and needs the truth, fact finding and the entire weight the law can bring to insure her safety and that of her family.
In addition to contributing money, (click here) a nonconnected committee may donate goods or services to candidates and their committees. Gifts of goods or services are called in-kind contributions. For example, a committee makes an in-kind contribution when it:
- Pays for consulting, polling or printing services provided to a candidate committee
- Donates office supplies or mailing lists to a campaign
- Sponsors a fundraising event benefiting a candidate; or
- Pays for a campaign advertisement on behalf of a candidate (if the advertisement does not qualify as an independent expenditure)
Hm.
See, I don't think it was an in-kind donation. Hush money is a form of intimidation. That is a very different animal than the 'normal' in-kind donation.
If it was an in-kind donation, all Mr. Cohen would have to do to clear this up, is report it and pay fines for not reporting it on a timely basis. I believe this is different and is criminal. The fact Ms. Stephanie A. Gregory Clifford was provided a non-disclosure agreement to protect Donald Trump's reputation before an election makes the entire scenario a really odd thing.
To begin, why didn't Mr. Cohen expect Ms. Clifford to be represented in the agreement? There is no doubt Michael Cohen was acting in the interest of candidate Trump. Why didn't Ms. Clifford have her own lawyer to speak to her about the non-disclosure agreement, whether or not she was an employee of Trump and to what capacity.
See, this was about a personal relationship and I think legally that gets very murky when linked to non-disclosure agreements. This was not at all the same as a prenuptial agreement. This is a document that negates an entire segment of her life with Donald Trump.
This is different than the issue with the non-disclosure agreement Ms. McDougal had with American Media. Ms. McDougal was sort of an employee of the company. She was under contract with the company. Ms. Daniels and Mr. Trump had no contract prior to their affair.
Additionally, Ms. Clifford was threatened with her life by someone who knew the details of the relationship with Donald Trump.
The issues surrounding Ms. Clifford is very different than Ms. McDougal. There is an element of danger and fear both in signing the non-disclosure agreement AFTER THE FACT and the threat. No one is saying Mr. Cohen knew about the threat either, but, it is plain there was a lot going on with Ms. Daniels she never counted on when first having a relationship with Trump.
In signing a nondisclosure agreement for money without the benefit of counsel presents the FACT that while Ms. Clifford was an adult and can decide to sign or not to sign she was still in the dark about her own rights and what exactly all the legal implications mean. It has the appearance of intimidation rather than trust.
So, Mr. Cohen needs to be honest. He needs to tell the truth.
Ms. Daniels needs to be safe in her person and with her family. That element of danger that exists with Ms. Daniels is very dark. It is highly problematic and carries no guarantees. I believe she has a civil suit beyond the issues with Michael Cohen so she can have enough of a financial cushion to protect her and her family (daughter) the rest of their lives. She never bargained for any of this and now her life is imposed on in a way she cannot handle.
I think this case is important and needs the truth, fact finding and the entire weight the law can bring to insure her safety and that of her family.
The Rooster
"Okeydoke"
See the really interesting thing about the Banteng is that it is really, really smart. The heat from the climate crisis began to cause distress among the remaining Bantengs.
Ever hear the expression, "He doesn't know enough to get in out of the rain?" Well that can never be said about the banteng. They understand heat. They are sort of a canary in the coal mine. Literally, I suppose.
These wild cows, rather than dying in the heat, will seek out areas of forest that provide a cool enough temperature to protect their lives. Imagine that. Knowing when the air is too hot.
But, these cows go beyond knowing when the temperature is too hot, they know how to survive in a rainforest without insects effecting their skin opening them to infection and ultimate death.
Kota Kinabalu: (click here) A study has found that the endangered Bornean banteng (wild cattle) is highly threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and heavy poaching.
Dr Penny Gardner, lead author and programme manager of banteng research at Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), said logging and high temperatures affect the banteng by limiting their activity and influencing how they use the habitat.
“We monitored locations created by timber harvesting, such as abandoned roads and dense forest in reserves that were logged six, 17 and 23 years ago,” she explained.
Dr Gardner said the study showed that recently-logged forests were hotter for longer than forests that had regenerated for more years.
“High temperatures can suppress plant growth, slow forest regeneration, and increase the risk of forest fires.
“Banteng reduce activity and avoid degraded areas during hot hours in recently-logged forest, possibly to avoid thermal stress, which can be fatal,” she added.
Dr Gardner concluded by saying that banteng continue to be active in the forest throughout the day with more regrowth because it offered more shade and refuge....
The cow allows birds to feed off insects, such as ticks, off it's skin preventing a break down of the skin and potential infection and death.
One thing I find really disturbing about people who disregard the words of scientists is that they really don't respect life at all.
The endangered wild cattle (click here) of Malaysian Borneo have eased back on their daytime activities because of higher temperatures brought on by loss of forest cover — a finding that has important implications for the species’ well-being.
The findings, in a report published April 12 in the open-access journal PLOS One, showed that recently logged forests in Sabah state were hotter, reaching temperatures of up to 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit), for longer periods of time in the day than forests that had experienced regrowth for longer. This temperature differential, it turns out, affects the activity of the Bornean banteng (Bos javanicus lowi).
The researchers, from the Sabah Wildlife Department and the Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC) in Malaysia, Cardiff University in the U.K., and the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Germany, carried out the study from 2011 to 2013 in three secondary protected forests in Sabah: the Malua Forest Reserve, Maliau Basin Conservation Area Buffer Zones, and Tabin Wildlife Reserve....
Destroying habitat is insane. The bantengs know enough to move into cooler forests during exceptionally high temperatures. They know enough to allow birds to MUTUALLY feed insects off their bodies to prevent skin infections and potential death. But, the most beautiful part of the bantengs is that they have a mutualism they can't convey. It is the mutualism of their habitat.
The mutualism of their habitat is Earth and the people that live on it, especially those people nearest the forests where the bantengs take shelter.
What people in Germany, France, Austria, Belgium and Canada to mention a few have learned about forests is THE SERVICE they provide to human beings WITH NO COST AT ALL.
Forests around the world provide service to human beings. In the film loop about a German forest, there was noted a mist rising off them in the early morning hours. That mist is water. It is not from the ground, it is from THE CANOPY of the forest.
The service of the forest is evapotransporation. It allows the tree to reach deep into the soil where it is anchored to bring water to the tree and the very tiniest of leaves to allow the tree to breath. The trees' respiration produced oxygen while using carbon dioxide in that respiration process to allow the tree to EXIST and GROW.
There are places in this world, and I haven't been to the Smokey Mountains lately, where there are cloud forests. Those clouds are always there. Why? Why aren't those clouds moving on or up to bring rain? Because those clouds belong to the forest. The forest produced them and they remain where they were produced. Now the reality is the clouds do move on air, but, the density of the canopy of the trees is so great the water vapor is constantly producing the clouds.
So, what the banteng would say to the people destroying it's habitat if it could, is that destroying the trees is more than destroying the place we find shelter from the heat, it is destroying the very air you breath and the cooler Earth everyone hungers for now.
There is reason for habitat and there are reasons for wise animals such as the Banteng. The problem is people don't see the forest for the WEALTH of the trees. The real wealth from trees is the forest and not the wood.
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah...
...Mike Pompeo doesn't even come close to the qualifications of John Kerry or Hillary Clinton.
To begin they know carbon dioxide is not completely spelled CO2. They also recognize there are people that identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and they have done so since birth.
The previous Secretaries of State also believe in hope. But, they recognize the loss of it when it is evident.
Evidently, the Trump administration doesn't see anything wrong with Russia annexing and invading a disarmed country. Where has that happened before?
Here is something the Trump White House Press Secretary might want to explore to address as she come to the microphone. A worthy bull.
Unlike attempts by the USA with the Russians to revitalize friendly relations and trade, the Banteng doesn't get a reset button.
Despite its endangered status, (click here) Banteng, or wild cattle of Borneo, have received little attention from researchers and their plight rarely receives publicity. A research project in the area known as the Malua Bio-bank, in the rainforests of Sabah, in the Heart of Borneo, is hoping to shed a little more light on this much neglected species.
The Bornean Banteng Programme is a new research initiative and the first of its kind for this species. Its primary aim is to collect baseline ecological data, construct the first status report and to make recommendations on the future management of banteng and their habitat. Led by Penny Gardner, Dr. Laurentius Ambu, Dr. Benoit Goossens and Prof. Michael Bruford, it stems from collaboration between Danau Girang Field Centre (Cardiff University) and the Sabah Wildlife Department, in alliance with the Sabah Forestry Department, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, New Forests Pty Ltd and HUTAN.
Banteng are classified by the IUCN Redlist of threatened species as ‘Endangered’. They were once widespread in Borneo but now they are confined to isolated forest reserves in Sabah and (unconfirmed) on the Sabah/Kalimantan border....
To begin they know carbon dioxide is not completely spelled CO2. They also recognize there are people that identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and they have done so since birth.
The previous Secretaries of State also believe in hope. But, they recognize the loss of it when it is evident.
Evidently, the Trump administration doesn't see anything wrong with Russia annexing and invading a disarmed country. Where has that happened before?
Here is something the Trump White House Press Secretary might want to explore to address as she come to the microphone. A worthy bull.
Unlike attempts by the USA with the Russians to revitalize friendly relations and trade, the Banteng doesn't get a reset button.
The Bornean Banteng Programme is a new research initiative and the first of its kind for this species. Its primary aim is to collect baseline ecological data, construct the first status report and to make recommendations on the future management of banteng and their habitat. Led by Penny Gardner, Dr. Laurentius Ambu, Dr. Benoit Goossens and Prof. Michael Bruford, it stems from collaboration between Danau Girang Field Centre (Cardiff University) and the Sabah Wildlife Department, in alliance with the Sabah Forestry Department, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, New Forests Pty Ltd and HUTAN.
Banteng are classified by the IUCN Redlist of threatened species as ‘Endangered’. They were once widespread in Borneo but now they are confined to isolated forest reserves in Sabah and (unconfirmed) on the Sabah/Kalimantan border....
"Good Night, Moon"
7.6 day old moon
52 percent lit
April 20, 2018
By Daniel Patrick Sheehan
No telling (click here) how “Blue Moon” would have fared on the charts if it had been titled “Green Moon.”
A blue Moon is a real thing, after all. A green Moon is not.
Or is it? Word on the internet, which is always reliable, says the Moon will glow green in the sky tonight, thanks to the reflected light of Uranus.
Well, no, of course it won’t. Uranus is nearly two billion miles from the Moon, more or less, and couldn't reflect off it even if it wanted too.
No, the green Moon story is a hoax, apparently perpetuated in connection to today’s non-federal, non-state holiday, National Weed Day.
According to Snopes, the myth-debunking web site, the green Moon hoax dates back at least to 2016. The story claims, variously, that the green Moon was last seen 420 years ago, or maybe in 1847.
An old Facebook post explained the “phenomenon”:
“All night long...the seventh planet from the Sun, Uranus, will park itself near the moon. The green giant is only 4 degrees away from the moon. The cosmic odd-couple will appear about four degrees apart in the sky—equal to 8 full moons side-by-side.”
Various incarnations of the hoax have surfaced since, all of them replete with sly-to-obvious pot jokes....
Sunday, April 22, 2018
The World Resources Insitute is a private non-profit and reports on issues of the environment from around the world.
Metric tonnes of CO2 per capita:
Germany
1990 - 14.59
2013 - 11.00
United States of America
1990 - 23.23
2013 - 19.9
Those figures are PER CAPITA.
Knock it off. Peak oil was in 2005, but, the crooked politicians just won't stop.
This level of unaddressed greenhouse gases is immoral. The rest of the First World has been addressing the climate crisis since scientists have first reported it back in the 1960s. The USA's governance has bearly gotten started under President Obama. Every Republican in the greedy country should be hanging their heads in shame.
Metric tonnes of CO2 per capita:
Germany
1990 - 14.59
2013 - 11.00
United States of America
1990 - 23.23
2013 - 19.9
Those figures are PER CAPITA.
Knock it off. Peak oil was in 2005, but, the crooked politicians just won't stop.
This level of unaddressed greenhouse gases is immoral. The rest of the First World has been addressing the climate crisis since scientists have first reported it back in the 1960s. The USA's governance has bearly gotten started under President Obama. Every Republican in the greedy country should be hanging their heads in shame.
There are 98 German national parks.
Germany can also use these forests for greenhouse gas mitigation.
Germany (click here) ranks among the densely wooded countries in Europe. Around 11 million hectares corresponding to one third of the national territory are covered with forests. In regional terms,the proportion of woodland cover varies widely, ranging from 10 % in Schleswig-Holstein to over 40 % in Rhineland-Palatinate and Hesse, the most thickly wooded Länder(federal states).
Forests increased by approx.1 million hectares in Germany over the past four decades. The percentage of over 80-year old stands also rose from one quarter to one third of the forest area. The timber stocks in Germany account for 320 m3 per hectare, with the annual timber increment totalling around 100 million m3 in accessible forest without logging restrictions in the mainstand today, i.e. around 9.5 m3 /ha. Hence, Germany occupies a leading place compared with other European countries. This is largely a result of the efforts to rebuild high-yielding and ecologically valuable forests after the destruction of large forest tracts over the past centuries and, more recently, after the clear-cuttings due to both World Wars....
Everyone can take a few lessons from these magnificent forests. The USA has imperiled it's national parks, public lands and national forests by placing them in the hands of plutocrats.
Hainich National Park - an ancient primeval woodland in the heart of Germany
At first glance, (click here) the nature in Hainich National Park might seem like nothing special: Here you will find neither chalk cliffs nor canyons nor coral reefs. And yet it is unique in the world and so belongs to the exclusive family of UNESCO World Heritage sites: Only here grow the last remaining remnants of extensive, undissected beech forests with Central European characteristics on limestone at average altitude. Many rare species live in this specific habitat.
In most areas of Germany, a national park with large forests is within walking distance.
In most areas of Germany, a national park with large forests is within walking distance.
The Greatest Generations' grandchildren have become the "Desperate Generation."
I don't know about all these letters that indicate a generation; but, what I do know is between being shot in school and a planet on fever watch; the current generation born and growing has to be the most threatened from within the borders of the USA.
April 16, 2018
By Andrea Germanos
A new lawsuit filed Monday says that Florida, its governor, and numerous state agencies have exercised "deliberate indifference" with regards to the young plaintiffs' "fundamental rights to a stable climate system in violation of Florida common law and the Florida Constitution."
Kids in Florida, says one climate activist, are "rocking it again. (click here)
That's because a group of eight young Floridians just filed suit (pdf) against the Republican-controlled state, arguing that it has—as a result of propping up a fossil fuel-based energy system—violated their constitutional rights.
"The reason that I'm a part of this lawsuit is because I believe that the climate change crisis is the biggest threat that my generation will ever have to face," says 18-year-old plaintiff and climate activist Delaney Reynolds. "Right now we live in what I like to call the state of denial because the state of Florida is doing nothing to address climate change, but everything to cause it. That is completely immoral."
"If we ever want to have a future of living here in Florida, if my children ever want to live here in Florida," she adds, "we need to start working together to implement solutions for climate change or the state of Florida won't exist."
In addition to the state, the new suit, Reynolds v. State of Florida, names as defendants Gov. Rick Scott and a number of state agencies including the Department of Environmental Protection. These entities, the suit charges, have exercised "deliberate indifference to [plaintiffs'] fundamental rights to a stable climate system in violation of Florida common law and the Florida Constitution." The lawsuit says these state officials and agencies....
April 16, 2018
By Andrea Germanos
A new lawsuit filed Monday says that Florida, its governor, and numerous state agencies have exercised "deliberate indifference" with regards to the young plaintiffs' "fundamental rights to a stable climate system in violation of Florida common law and the Florida Constitution."
Kids in Florida, says one climate activist, are "rocking it again. (click here)
That's because a group of eight young Floridians just filed suit (pdf) against the Republican-controlled state, arguing that it has—as a result of propping up a fossil fuel-based energy system—violated their constitutional rights.
"The reason that I'm a part of this lawsuit is because I believe that the climate change crisis is the biggest threat that my generation will ever have to face," says 18-year-old plaintiff and climate activist Delaney Reynolds. "Right now we live in what I like to call the state of denial because the state of Florida is doing nothing to address climate change, but everything to cause it. That is completely immoral."
"If we ever want to have a future of living here in Florida, if my children ever want to live here in Florida," she adds, "we need to start working together to implement solutions for climate change or the state of Florida won't exist."
In addition to the state, the new suit, Reynolds v. State of Florida, names as defendants Gov. Rick Scott and a number of state agencies including the Department of Environmental Protection. These entities, the suit charges, have exercised "deliberate indifference to [plaintiffs'] fundamental rights to a stable climate system in violation of Florida common law and the Florida Constitution." The lawsuit says these state officials and agencies....
It must be a real trick to get more crude oil out of the Gulf with less drilling platforms.
U.S. crude oil production (click here) in the Federal Gulf of Mexico (GOM) increased slightly in 2017, reaching 1.65 million b/d, the highest annual level on record. Although briefly hindered by platform outages and pipeline issues in December 2017, oil production in the GOM is expected to continue increasing in 2018 and 2019, based on forecasts in the EIA’s latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO). EIA expects the GOM to account for 16% of total U.S. crude oil production in each year.
Because of the amount of time needed to discover and develop large offshore projects, oil production in the GOM is less sensitive to short-term oil price movements than onshore production in the Lower 48 states. In 2015 and early 2016, decreasing profit margins and reduced expectations for a quick oil price recovery prompted many GOM operators to pull back on future deepwater exploration spending and to restructure or delay drilling rig contracts, causing average monthly rig counts to decline through 2017....
Based on STEO’s expected production levels at new fields and existing fields, annual crude oil production in the GOM will increase to an average of 1.7 million b/d in 2018 and 1.8 million b/d in 2019. However, uncertainties in oil markets may still affect long-term planning and operations in the GOM, and the timelines of future projects may change accordingly.
In 2016, producers brought seven new projects and expansions online and ramped up production in 2017, collectively contributing to an average of 126,000 b/d of production in 2017. Another two projects came online in 2017, contributing 10,000 b/d of new production last year. EIA expects these nine projects to ramp up over the next two years. Producers expect four new projects to come online in 2018 and six more in 2019.
Because of the amount of time needed to discover and develop large offshore projects, oil production in the GOM is less sensitive to short-term oil price movements than onshore production in the Lower 48 states. In 2015 and early 2016, decreasing profit margins and reduced expectations for a quick oil price recovery prompted many GOM operators to pull back on future deepwater exploration spending and to restructure or delay drilling rig contracts, causing average monthly rig counts to decline through 2017....
The US Energy Secretary can't keep up with reports that are due.
February 3, 2018
By Ron Patterson
...This data with updates for 2016 (click here) has been due since November but so far has been twice delayed. BOEM make their own estimates for 2P (i.e. proved and probable) based on strict adherence to SEC/SPE rules (i.e. the reserve must be on production or be expected to be produced within five years). I think this usually comes out in May. In the absence of the latest EIA numbers I’ve presented the 2015 numbers with adjustments for subsequent production. There will be revisions and additional discoveries to include once the actual data is available though I think fairly small, especially for gas, but it will be interesting to see....
Methane extraction does nothing to reduce the effects of the climate crisis.
, 108:601
Carbon dioxide (CO2) (click here) emissions from fossil fuel combustion may be reduced by using natural gas rather than coal to produce energy. Gas produces approximately half the amount of CO2 per unit of primary energy compared with coal. Here we consider a scenario where a fraction of coal usage is replaced by natural gas (i.e., methane, CH4) over a given time period, and where a percentage of the gas production is assumed to leak into the atmosphere. The additional CH4from leakage adds to the radiative forcing of the climate system, offsetting the reduction in CO2forcing that accompanies the transition from coal to gas. We also consider the effects of: methane leakage from coal mining; changes in radiative forcing due to changes in the emissions of sulfur dioxide and carbonaceous aerosols; and differences in the efficiency of electricity production between coal- and gas-fired power generation. On balance, these factors more than offset the reduction in warming due to reduced CO2 emissions. When gas replaces coal there is additional warming out to 2,050 with an assumed leakage rate of 0%, and out to 2,140 if the leakage rate is as high as 10%. The overall effects on global-mean temperature over the 21st century, however, are small....
...In our analyses, the temperature differences between the baseline and coal-to-gas scenarios are small (less than 0.1°C) out to at least 2100. The most important result, however, in accord with the above authors, is that, unless leakage rates for new methane can be kept below 2%, substituting gas for coal is not an effective means for reducing the magnitude of future climate change....
This is from the World Bankl.
The USA was trending down in CO2 emissions until 2006. Six years after Republicans took office and provided subsidies to the petroleum industry and not more control of GHG.
This trend above refers to the CO2 from gaseous fuel. That would be methane. Burning methane releases CO2. The removal of methane from oil shale also releases the methane directly to the troposphere. That doesn't show up, but, it should. When methane is monitored for it's GHG properties in graphs like this, leaks directly into the troposphere are all "CO2 equivalents."
There is alternative energy production available for all countries.
An international coalition of Catholic institutions (click here) have pledged to take their money out of fossil fuels.
The commitment by 35 religious orders, lay organisations and social justice movements to “divest” their money from the polluting energy sources was announced by the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM).
Those signed up to the move include humanitarian aid organisation Caritas Internationalis, three Catholic banks with balance sheets totalling about E7.5 billion, as well as several dioceses and other institutions.
The announcement, aimed at tackling climate change and its impact on communities, was made on Earth Day.
Caritas Internationalis president Cardinal Luis Tagle said: “The poor are suffering greatly from the climate crisis and fossil fuels are among the main drivers of this injustice.
“That is why Caritas Internationalis has decided not to invest in fossil fuels anymore. We encourage our member organisations and other groups or organisations connected to the Church to do the same.”
The banks switching away from fossil fuels are Pax Bank, Bank Im Bistum Essen eG and Steyler Ethik Bank, GCCM announced.
The archdiocese of Luxembourg, Salerno-Campagna-Acerno in Italy and Communaute Mission de France also announced divestment by their dioceses on Sunday.
Religious orders and institutions from four continents, in countries such as Belgium, Cameroon, Canada, China, Germany and Rwanda have also signed up to the pledge....
"You need to go into another line of work if you don't want people to be mean to you," Gowdy said.
Now consider the leadership in the USA and the intentional damage it is taking for the sake of greed rather than excellence of governance to the people of the USA.
Every one of these men has acted to add greenhouse gases to the Earth's troposphere. When is this going to stop in the face of existing solutions? Did ya get that? Every one of these men has acted to change regulations to add greenhouse gases to Earth's troposphere.
Germany makes changes to it's emissions. France and an entire list of countries monitor and adjust their human activity to reduce emissions of their countries. These men are plutocrats seeking excessive profits for the petroleum industry, so they deregulate every type of FOSSIL FUEL in the country to insure profits are far higher. That is not an economy, that is surrender. President Obama didn't surrender.
Did everyone get that? Every one of these men has acted to end regulations in the USA to increase profits to the petroleum industry.
April 15, 2018
By Eliza Relman
House Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy, (click here) a South Carolina Republican, said he's troubled by recent reports of Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt's unprecedented spending of taxpayer funds on his personal security, first-class travel, and luxury hotels.
During an interview on Fox News Sunday, Gowdy questioned both the appropriateness of Pruitt's choices and the credibility of his explanations.
While Pruitt has cited unspecified security concerns resulting from a "toxic" political environment to justify his first-class plane tickets (which are only allowed for government employees in special circumstances), the congressman argued that Pruitt's positioning at the front of the plane would put him in contact with more passengers than a seat at the back of the plane.
If the EPA chief was genuinely concerned with his exposure to potentially dangerous passengers, he would choose to sit at the very back of the plane, Gowdy argued.
April 17, 2018
Washington -- An internal government watchdog (click here) says the Environmental Protection Agency violated federal spending laws when purchasing a $43,000 soundproof privacy booth for Administrator Scott Pruitt to make private phone calls in his office.
The Government Accountability Office issued its findings Monday in a letter to Senate Democrats who had requested a review of Pruitt's spending.
GAO General Counsel Thomas Armstrong determined that EPA's purchase of the booth violated federal law prohibiting agencies from spending more than $5,000 for redecorating, furnishings or other improvements to the offices of presidential appointees without informing Congress. Because EPA used federal money in a manner specifically prohibited by law, Armstrong said the agency also violated the Antideficiency Act, and is legally obligated to report that violation to Congress....
April 16, 2018
Two weeks ago, (click here) in the face of mounting ethical lapses, this page urged Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to take the first first-class flight from Washington back to his Oklahoma home.
In the fortnight since we wrote, it’s gotten worse. Much worse. A man with an ethical compass so demonstrably broken has no business leading the nation’s top environmental regulator.
Last week, in a pair of letters sent to Pruitt and President Trump, former EPA deputy chief of staff Kevin Chmielewski — a Trump political appointee and former campaign aide — wrote that he has been “marginalized, removed from his senior position and placed on administrative leave” for daring to speak up about Pruitt’s wasteful spending....
Every one of these men has acted to add greenhouse gases to the Earth's troposphere. When is this going to stop in the face of existing solutions? Did ya get that? Every one of these men has acted to change regulations to add greenhouse gases to Earth's troposphere.
Germany makes changes to it's emissions. France and an entire list of countries monitor and adjust their human activity to reduce emissions of their countries. These men are plutocrats seeking excessive profits for the petroleum industry, so they deregulate every type of FOSSIL FUEL in the country to insure profits are far higher. That is not an economy, that is surrender. President Obama didn't surrender.
Did everyone get that? Every one of these men has acted to end regulations in the USA to increase profits to the petroleum industry.
April 15, 2018By Eliza Relman
House Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy, (click here) a South Carolina Republican, said he's troubled by recent reports of Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt's unprecedented spending of taxpayer funds on his personal security, first-class travel, and luxury hotels.
During an interview on Fox News Sunday, Gowdy questioned both the appropriateness of Pruitt's choices and the credibility of his explanations.
While Pruitt has cited unspecified security concerns resulting from a "toxic" political environment to justify his first-class plane tickets (which are only allowed for government employees in special circumstances), the congressman argued that Pruitt's positioning at the front of the plane would put him in contact with more passengers than a seat at the back of the plane.
If the EPA chief was genuinely concerned with his exposure to potentially dangerous passengers, he would choose to sit at the very back of the plane, Gowdy argued.
April 17, 2018
Washington -- An internal government watchdog (click here) says the Environmental Protection Agency violated federal spending laws when purchasing a $43,000 soundproof privacy booth for Administrator Scott Pruitt to make private phone calls in his office.
The Government Accountability Office issued its findings Monday in a letter to Senate Democrats who had requested a review of Pruitt's spending.
GAO General Counsel Thomas Armstrong determined that EPA's purchase of the booth violated federal law prohibiting agencies from spending more than $5,000 for redecorating, furnishings or other improvements to the offices of presidential appointees without informing Congress. Because EPA used federal money in a manner specifically prohibited by law, Armstrong said the agency also violated the Antideficiency Act, and is legally obligated to report that violation to Congress....
April 16, 2018
Two weeks ago, (click here) in the face of mounting ethical lapses, this page urged Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to take the first first-class flight from Washington back to his Oklahoma home.
In the fortnight since we wrote, it’s gotten worse. Much worse. A man with an ethical compass so demonstrably broken has no business leading the nation’s top environmental regulator.
Last week, in a pair of letters sent to Pruitt and President Trump, former EPA deputy chief of staff Kevin Chmielewski — a Trump political appointee and former campaign aide — wrote that he has been “marginalized, removed from his senior position and placed on administrative leave” for daring to speak up about Pruitt’s wasteful spending....
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