Let's say the Trump Administration has every right to harass and exit any scientist it wants without reason or cause. That is the way most southern states see employment, as if a beauty contest. "If I like you then the job is yours. If I don't then I get to throw you out the door."
In other words, if from some reason Scott Pruitt didn't like his secretary because she had hazel eyes, then he could fire her without any reasons or backlash. I think we all know where and why that standard exists. By the way, how is Scalise doing?
June 27, 2017
By Rhett Jones
...According to emails (click here) obtained by the New York Times, the top scientist on the Environmental Protection Agency’s scientific review board was instructed to downplay the mass dismissal of advisors when she testified before Congress. “I felt bullied,” she says now.
The EPA is technically required to listen to official scientific advice when setting policy. In fact, the Supreme Court ruled in the case of Whitman v. American Trucking Associations that the Administrator of the EPA is not even allowed to factor in the costs of implementation when setting new air quality standards. It, therefore, behooves the current climate change-denying administration to clean house and try to find some kooky (or greedy) scientists that agree with them.
In May, EPA head Scott Pruitt informed 18 members of the agency’s Board of Science Counselors that their terms would not be renewed. The scientific community was outraged and several scientists on the board resigned in protest. One member of the board told the Washington Post, “I’ve never heard of any circumstance where someone didn’t serve two consecutive terms.” Two weeks later, Dr. Deborah Swackhamer, an environmental chemist, and leader of the board was due to testify in front of the House Science Committee.
Her formal testimony had already been submitted to the committee when she received emails from the EPA’s chief of staff, Ryan Jackson. The emails reportedly informed Dr. Swackhamer that when it came to the dismissals she should follow the agency’s “talking points.” He also pressed her to publicly note that “a decision had not yet been made” about the dismissals. But according to the Times, “several scientists on the board had already received notices that their terms would not be renewed.” In the weeks following her testimony, dozens of scientists at the EPA have been informed that their terms would not be renewed and according to Dr. Swackhamer, “The Board of Scientific Counselors had 68 members two months ago. It will have 11 come September 1.” That date is also when the EPA is expected to eliminate more than 1,200 employees....
But, the people are expecting fairness and high quality employees in their government. When manipulation of the truth, in the name of domestic tranquility of course, is at the center of an administration the idea quality employees get paid reasonably good salaries, becomes a real issue because THEY ARE SMARTER THAN THEIR BOSS!
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Conway is lying.
The Republican Governors are already throwing large numbers of recipients off Medicaid. It is palpable some say.
June ...“You yesterday on the Sunday (click here) shows were saying that is not true, no cuts,” Earhardt said. (On ABC’s “This Week,” Conway told host George Stephanopoulos that “these are not cuts to Medicaid.”) “Now, if we watch the mainstream media this morning, they’re saying you were caught in a lie.”...
The Governors are disqualifying people above 133% of the national poverty level. There simply wasn't enough money in the state budget to shovel to cronies. It had to happen some way, 2018 is coming.
January 24, 2017
by Shefali Luthra
...It’s called “block granting.” (click here) Right now, Medicaid, which was expanded under the 2010 health law to insure more people, covers almost 75 million adults and children. Because it is an entitlement, everyone who qualifies is guaranteed coverage and states and the federal government combine funds to cover the costs. Conservatives have long argued the program would be more efficient if states got a lump sum from the federal government and then managed the program as they saw fit. But others say that would mean less funding for the program —eventually translating into greater challenges in getting care for low-income people....
The only way to fight corruption and right wing politics is to educate the public. Why are Americans continuing to be ignorant of their own best interests? Republicans flourish in a sea of ignorance. Their politics count on it.
February 10, 2017
By Laura Joszt
...Recently, (click here) The American Journal of Managed Care® polled readers and found that while 49% of respondents do not agree with the GOP’s plan to fund Medicaid through block grants, 33% admitted that they don’t fully understand what block grants are....
...2. So how do they work? Block grants are a lump sum from the federal government that is provided to the states. The plan caps what the federal government spends on Medicaid each year. The fixed spending is based on the state and federal spending and would grow each year to account for inflation.
3. The pros and cons Currently, states must cover certain services and people. However, under a block grant, states would be given more flexibility to design their own Medicaid program. States could decide who is eligible for the program and what services are covered. Avalere Health recently published an analysis that found block grants could save the federal government $150 billion by 2022.
Unfortunately, these savings might mean gaps in services. In addition, while the block grant amount grows yearly with inflation adjustments, medical inflation is often higher and so the growth in block grants is unlikely to keep up. As of now, it is expected that North Dakota is the only state that would receive an increase in funding under the block grant model, while the rest of the states and the District of Columbia would see a decrease in funding....
Democrats should always know the facts and state the truth; where it is working and where it is not and why radical changes to the health care law imperils the lives of Americans, including block grants.
Democrats should be open minded to their constituents and the road ahead. This is about American lives and how to improve their quality of life. The additional financial burden because of block grants is enormous. Services to many people; 133% coverage compared to 400% is enormous no matter how you look at it. Additionally, paying physicians and hospitals are one thing, but, what about medications. When Florida refused the Medicaid expansion Americans died. They may have had the emergency room to go to and in some instances that doesn't even exist, but, the medications are impossible to pay for and that is why they die. Regardless the quality of care provided, it all unravels and Americans die because they can't afford the medications.
January 25, 2017
by Shefali Luthra
...Many Republicans say that, (click here) because states will have greater flexibility, they can innovate with their Medicaid programs.
But opponents note that experimentation alone won’t make up for smaller budgets. The fixed grants could mean states cut benefits or force beneficiaries to take on more cost-sharing, for instance.
Some federal requirements are necessary, said Tom Miller, a resident fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. Block granting could “be great or a disaster,” he said, depending on how it’s implemented. “The ideal model from the view of states is, ‘Give us the money, and I’ll let you know what I did.’ That’s not going to work,” he said.
The potential impact is significant. More than 10 million who got insurance through Obamacare are on Medicaid and could be affected. That’s also why some Republican governors — particularly in states that embraced the health law’s Medicaid expansion — have joined their Democrat peers in expressing qualms....
Republicans always say a common health clinic will solve the problems of the poor. That is not the case. Where does the Working Poor and the abject poor find the monies for vaccines, medications and surgeries? It doesn't exist. So, while medical clinics can provide expert and competent diagnosis, the treatment plan can never be met.
And forget about physical therapy. The idea the Working Poor or abject poor would ever consider physical therapy the way back to health and wellness is out of the question. Who can possibly pay for physical therapy?
June ...“You yesterday on the Sunday (click here) shows were saying that is not true, no cuts,” Earhardt said. (On ABC’s “This Week,” Conway told host George Stephanopoulos that “these are not cuts to Medicaid.”) “Now, if we watch the mainstream media this morning, they’re saying you were caught in a lie.”...
The Governors are disqualifying people above 133% of the national poverty level. There simply wasn't enough money in the state budget to shovel to cronies. It had to happen some way, 2018 is coming.
January 24, 2017
by Shefali Luthra
...It’s called “block granting.” (click here) Right now, Medicaid, which was expanded under the 2010 health law to insure more people, covers almost 75 million adults and children. Because it is an entitlement, everyone who qualifies is guaranteed coverage and states and the federal government combine funds to cover the costs. Conservatives have long argued the program would be more efficient if states got a lump sum from the federal government and then managed the program as they saw fit. But others say that would mean less funding for the program —eventually translating into greater challenges in getting care for low-income people....
The only way to fight corruption and right wing politics is to educate the public. Why are Americans continuing to be ignorant of their own best interests? Republicans flourish in a sea of ignorance. Their politics count on it.
By Laura Joszt
...Recently, (click here) The American Journal of Managed Care® polled readers and found that while 49% of respondents do not agree with the GOP’s plan to fund Medicaid through block grants, 33% admitted that they don’t fully understand what block grants are....
...2. So how do they work? Block grants are a lump sum from the federal government that is provided to the states. The plan caps what the federal government spends on Medicaid each year. The fixed spending is based on the state and federal spending and would grow each year to account for inflation.
3. The pros and cons Currently, states must cover certain services and people. However, under a block grant, states would be given more flexibility to design their own Medicaid program. States could decide who is eligible for the program and what services are covered. Avalere Health recently published an analysis that found block grants could save the federal government $150 billion by 2022.
Unfortunately, these savings might mean gaps in services. In addition, while the block grant amount grows yearly with inflation adjustments, medical inflation is often higher and so the growth in block grants is unlikely to keep up. As of now, it is expected that North Dakota is the only state that would receive an increase in funding under the block grant model, while the rest of the states and the District of Columbia would see a decrease in funding....
Democrats should always know the facts and state the truth; where it is working and where it is not and why radical changes to the health care law imperils the lives of Americans, including block grants.
Democrats should be open minded to their constituents and the road ahead. This is about American lives and how to improve their quality of life. The additional financial burden because of block grants is enormous. Services to many people; 133% coverage compared to 400% is enormous no matter how you look at it. Additionally, paying physicians and hospitals are one thing, but, what about medications. When Florida refused the Medicaid expansion Americans died. They may have had the emergency room to go to and in some instances that doesn't even exist, but, the medications are impossible to pay for and that is why they die. Regardless the quality of care provided, it all unravels and Americans die because they can't afford the medications.
January 25, 2017
by Shefali Luthra
...Many Republicans say that, (click here) because states will have greater flexibility, they can innovate with their Medicaid programs.
But opponents note that experimentation alone won’t make up for smaller budgets. The fixed grants could mean states cut benefits or force beneficiaries to take on more cost-sharing, for instance.
Some federal requirements are necessary, said Tom Miller, a resident fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. Block granting could “be great or a disaster,” he said, depending on how it’s implemented. “The ideal model from the view of states is, ‘Give us the money, and I’ll let you know what I did.’ That’s not going to work,” he said.
The potential impact is significant. More than 10 million who got insurance through Obamacare are on Medicaid and could be affected. That’s also why some Republican governors — particularly in states that embraced the health law’s Medicaid expansion — have joined their Democrat peers in expressing qualms....
Republicans always say a common health clinic will solve the problems of the poor. That is not the case. Where does the Working Poor and the abject poor find the monies for vaccines, medications and surgeries? It doesn't exist. So, while medical clinics can provide expert and competent diagnosis, the treatment plan can never be met.
And forget about physical therapy. The idea the Working Poor or abject poor would ever consider physical therapy the way back to health and wellness is out of the question. Who can possibly pay for physical therapy?
Why not "Internet Explorer?" It dictates commercial sites even when not searching for them. It is a horrible platform.
Google should appeal and point to the fact a large company, namely Microsoft, uses a platform worse than anything Google has done.
June 27, 2017
By Mark Scott
Google suffered a major blow (click here) on Tuesday after European antitrust officials fined the search giant a record $2.7 billion for unfairly favoring some of its own search services over those of rivals.
June 27, 2017
By Mark Scott
Google suffered a major blow (click here) on Tuesday after European antitrust officials fined the search giant a record $2.7 billion for unfairly favoring some of its own search services over those of rivals.
The penalty, of 2.4 billion euros, highlights the aggressive stance that European officials have taken in regulating many of the world’s largest technology companies, going significantly further than their American counterparts.
By levying the fine against Google — more than double the previous largest penalty in this type of antitrust case — Margrethe Vestager, Europe’s antitrust chief, also laid claim to being the Western world’s most active regulator of digital services, an industry still dominated by Silicon Valley.
“In Europe, companies must compete on the merits regardless if they are European or not,” she said on Tuesday. “What Google has done is illegal under E.U. antitrust rules.”...
CNN has made Vladimir Putin very happy. HIs latest student, Trump, is coming along nicely and CNN wants to help.
Trump's Saudi Arabia is his first real exercise in ruling over a country that he has no sovereign right to engage. I suppose Trump is going to make the USA the most powerful and influential country in the world.
Wait. The USA is already the most powerful and influential country in the world. Oh, Trump is simply a Putin wannabee. Dictator and Chief.
If Trump is taking lessons from Putin the USA is no longer the most powerful and influential country in the world. As a matter of fact, with Trump emulating Putin there are probably more missiles pointed at it than ever before.
CNN seriously lost credibility and probably because the
27 June 2017
Three journalists, (click here) including the executive editor of a new investigative branch, have left CNN following the recent retraction of a story on an alleged Congress investigation into a “Russian investment fund with ties to Trump officials.”
Report author Thomas Frank and two senior CNN Investigations Unit figures resigned over the story. Investigations Unit editor Eric Lichtblau and Lex Haris, CNN Investigations executive editor, who was building a team that includes notorious Russia-hawk Michael Weiss, both resigned.
“In the aftermath of the retraction of a story published on CNN.com, CNN has accepted the resignations of the employees involved in the story’s publication,” CNN stated....
Well, Trump and Twitter. Don't need anything else. Trump should pay for the license to run the White House from any location in the world. Who knew 160 characters could manage an entire country and it's military?
30 May 2017
The White House communications director (click here) has resigned only three months after being hired by President Donald Trump.
Mike Dubke, an experienced Republican strategist, was hired in March to revamp the White House media strategy.
As part of the shake-up, White House press secretary Sean Spicer will reportedly hold on to his position, but there will be fewer media briefings.
The reshuffle follows reports of disarray in the White House communications team....
Wait. The USA is already the most powerful and influential country in the world. Oh, Trump is simply a Putin wannabee. Dictator and Chief.
If Trump is taking lessons from Putin the USA is no longer the most powerful and influential country in the world. As a matter of fact, with Trump emulating Putin there are probably more missiles pointed at it than ever before.CNN seriously lost credibility and probably because the
27 June 2017
Three journalists, (click here) including the executive editor of a new investigative branch, have left CNN following the recent retraction of a story on an alleged Congress investigation into a “Russian investment fund with ties to Trump officials.”
Report author Thomas Frank and two senior CNN Investigations Unit figures resigned over the story. Investigations Unit editor Eric Lichtblau and Lex Haris, CNN Investigations executive editor, who was building a team that includes notorious Russia-hawk Michael Weiss, both resigned.
“In the aftermath of the retraction of a story published on CNN.com, CNN has accepted the resignations of the employees involved in the story’s publication,” CNN stated....
Well, Trump and Twitter. Don't need anything else. Trump should pay for the license to run the White House from any location in the world. Who knew 160 characters could manage an entire country and it's military?
30 May 2017
The White House communications director (click here) has resigned only three months after being hired by President Donald Trump.
Mike Dubke, an experienced Republican strategist, was hired in March to revamp the White House media strategy.
As part of the shake-up, White House press secretary Sean Spicer will reportedly hold on to his position, but there will be fewer media briefings.
The reshuffle follows reports of disarray in the White House communications team....
Monday, June 26, 2017
Some middle east Arab countries take terrorism seriously and take it head on. Qatar has never taken that approach.
14/06/2017
Four UAE nationals (click here) have been condemned to sentences ranging between placement in a counselling center and imprisonment terms by the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeal Court today for joining terror organisations and promoting their fanatic ideologies.
The first person, "KH.S.A.S.A", has been condemned to life in prison and the court bore him to pay all the charges and expenses of the judicial lawsuits pressed against him.
The second, "K.SH.M.A'.S.", has been sentenced to seven years in prison for attempting to inflict damage to UAE's relations with a sisterly country.
The third, "A'.A.A.A.", has been placed under surveillance for five years for attempting to join the terrorist organisation of Daesh, and the court ordered to confiscate all means and devices of communications used by the convict during his criminal endeavours, bearing him to pay all the charges and expenses of the judicial lawsuits pressed against him.
The court ordered to place the fourth convict, "A'.M.A'.R.A.A", in a counselling center under surveillance for six months effective upon the issuance of the court ruling.
I congratulate the Arab countries for taking on a very difficult set of values to end the threat of terrorists, but, Daesh is a very different threat.
November 16, 2015
By Peter Kovessy
...Nonetheless, (click here) in spite of last year’s threats on ISIS forums about bombing the 2022 World Cup, a foreign policy analyst said it’s unlikely that Qatar would be attacked by the group.
This is because the Gulf country has a “low profile” in the ongoing military campaign against ISIS, Andrew Hammond, a policy analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Doha News:...
I am uncertain that Qatar has the ability to carry out the intelligence to end any presence or predict the next attack. There is a USA military base in Qatar and it might be best if the Qatar leadership consulted with them to engage a strategy that would work.
Qatar can no longer take a back seat to ending terrorist networks; it has to stop being a hostage to dangerous people. Daesh is a very different threat than other terrorist groups, including al Qaeda (where it still may exist). Daesh is seeking to end all middle east countries as we know them, including Sunni Arab countries.
Qatar's approach is not dissimilar to that of Saudi Arabia. Qatar's position is strongly based in the Muslim belief expressed in the five pillars.
Qatar is committed (click here) to fighting extremism and terrorism in all its forms, in co-ordination with its Coalition partners. By providing humanitarian aid, supporting educational and economic development initiatives, and building more resilient communities, Qatar aims to contribute to the security, stability and prosperity of the region.
There is a very big difference, however, between Saudi Arabia and Qatar in that the Saudis have very big guns. The country has a substantial military.
The real danger to the region comes from the instability created by Daesh. It is a brutal regime and if it can establish itself among the people that is the beginning of government infrastructure failure and any defense. The people must remain loyal to their current sovereign and protect from such a regime as Daesh.
13 June 2017
By Tom Keatinge
The dispute (click here) that has seen Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies isolate Qatar stems from allegations that the tiny gas-rich nation is sponsoring extremist groups which are destabilising the Middle East.
This is not the first time Qatar's neighbours have expressed their displeasure over its individualist foreign policy - diplomatic relations were severed for nine months in 2014.
Tensions have arisen from Qatar's support for the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood; its close relationship with groups such as the Taliban and certain al-Qaeda affiliates; and its relationship with Iran, which has most recently led to allegations from Saudi Arabia that the state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera is supporting Houthi rebelsin Yemen fighting government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Doha has strongly denied Riyadh's accusations, and said it has taken more robust counter-terrorism measures than some of its neighbours.
The events of 2011 surprised and shocked Saudi Arabia. First the rebellion in Yemen, which no one expected to have succeed and then the removal of Ali Abdullah Saleh. The Houthis became a force to contend with and Saudi Arabia was caught off balance in it's southern region.
Just as surprising to Qatar were the events of 2017. This was no less a shock and surprise than the rebellion in Yemen that lead to an unstable southern Saudi border.
...In April, it reportedly paid a ransom of as much as $1bn (£790m) to a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria and to Iranian security officials as part of a deal that resulted in the release of 26 royal family members reportedly kidnapped by Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia militiamen and of dozens of Shia fighters captured by jihadists in Syria.
Thus it is Qatar's alleged continued funding of radical ideology and extremism that is seemingly the cause of concern this time....
I don't call that funding of terrorists, so much as love of family. We all know the tragedy of repeated hostage taking and Somalia. Somalia is a failed state, but, because of the poverty the people face, most shipping companies see the hostage amounts of pirated ships as a cost of business.
The idea there are elements within Iran and Syria willing to put precious royal family members in peril is a deep concern. Is there any wonder why the Shia are not embraced by the Sunnis. The Iranian security forces (which I doubt were acting under government orders, so much as an independent extremist group) must be brought to justice for this act of violence. The Somali model of kidnappings cannot enter the frey in the middle east and should be ended with Somalia as well.
The Arab countries seeking a stronger Qatar should be looking to the infrastructure that will protect a country and it's beautiful cities from Daesh as well as any hostage takers.
Qatar is not supporting terrorists, so much as reacting to threats in the way it has always worked in the past. Qatar needs to follow the leadership and example of it's neighbors and affiliates (click here) because Qatar's well honed methods no longer work. The kidnappings should have been a very stark reality to that fact.
It would be best if Qatar is heard by the other countries in the region so it can develop methods that will be consistent across the security spectrum and will end the dangers that concerns Qatar leadership. I see this as a stronger middle east and not a weaker one, however, a weaker middle east can occur if there is not a common underlying effort to end the presence of Daesh and other independent terrorist groups be they Sunni or Shia.
June 24, 2017
Saudi Prince Khalid Bin Farhan al-Saud, (click here) who lives in Germany, has revealed what he claims are the US conditions for helping Mohamed Bin Salman to become King of Saudi Arabia before his father’s death, thenewkhalij.org reported on Friday.
Writing on Twitter, Khalid said that he had received the information from an informed source within Saudi Arabia’s ruling family.
The alleged conditions include “absolute obedience to the US and Israel and carrying out whatever they ask him to do.” Three other conditions, claimed Khalid, are stated in return for helping Bin Salman take the throne before the death of his father: “Working to settle all Gaza residents in north Sinai as an alternative homeland and Saudi Arabia along with the UAE will afford the needed funds; getting rid of Hamas and whoever supports it; and getting Sanafir Island from Egypt.”
Bin Farhan said that the last condition would make the Gulf of Aqaba international waters instead of Egyptian territorial waters, which would facilitate Israeli shipping to and from the port of Eilat. It would also help Israel to carry out a project planned to operate in parallel to the Suez Canal. A retainer of around $500 million is also involved, he claimed.
The prince said that this issue split the ruling family even before the death of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz in 2015, as a wave of royal decrees ousted several officials from within the royal family and others.
This is Trump's middle east peace plan? I have no problem with the son of the current ruler taking over after his father's death. It seems more secure in that he holds the loyalty to the people in the same manner of his father, however, the CONDITIONS by Mr. Kushner is nothing less than blackmail.
Saudi Prince Mohamed Bin Salman should be placed in leadership for the good of the people of Saudi Arabia, not because Mr. Kushner wants to be the savior of Israel.
Is there any wonder why the USA Secretary of State is ineffective when there is nothing but back room deals being conducted by the Oval Office?
Stability in the middle east is based on POLICY that will stabilize a region, not a reassignment of an entire race of people to the Sinai. This is astounding.
I look forward to Saudi Prince Mohamed Bin Salman taking leadership of Saudi Arabia. He must lead and giving in to back room deals with Kushner and Trump is not leadership. I apologize to the Saudi Prince for such an illegal demand and look forward to him being the mitigator of peace that will last with consent of all the people.
There can be no such agreement between Saudi Arabia and the USA without the consent of all other parties involved and the USA Congress. The President of the USA is allowed to negotiate peace agreements and treaties, but, it is the Congress that ultimately has to pass the treaty into law. The good Saudi Prince Khalid is be commended for coming forward to free his country of such demands by Trump. Mohamed Bin Salman is probably too kind to stand against the demands of an immoral administration only interested in personal goals. I wish the King ease in passing and solace to his family, including Prince Khalid and Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.
These shocking demands by the USA's current president should not derail any agreement between the regions countries to end the threat of terrorism and Deash. I wish all the leaders great success in bringing about a stable middle east where family is not used as bargaining chips to terrorist wealth.
Iran has a lot to answer for in the circumstances of a royal family of Qatar. I would expect the UN Security Council summon the Iranian ambassador to explain these circumstances and how they occurred.
First it is ill health of Americans leading to their deaths by disease and now it is power brokering in the back rooms of deal making. What else should we expect from the USA Republican Plutocrats? I demand an investigation to the role of the President and Kushner in manipulating the fate of a Saudi Prince.
Four UAE nationals (click here) have been condemned to sentences ranging between placement in a counselling center and imprisonment terms by the Abu Dhabi Federal Appeal Court today for joining terror organisations and promoting their fanatic ideologies.
The first person, "KH.S.A.S.A", has been condemned to life in prison and the court bore him to pay all the charges and expenses of the judicial lawsuits pressed against him.
The second, "K.SH.M.A'.S.", has been sentenced to seven years in prison for attempting to inflict damage to UAE's relations with a sisterly country.
The third, "A'.A.A.A.", has been placed under surveillance for five years for attempting to join the terrorist organisation of Daesh, and the court ordered to confiscate all means and devices of communications used by the convict during his criminal endeavours, bearing him to pay all the charges and expenses of the judicial lawsuits pressed against him.
The court ordered to place the fourth convict, "A'.M.A'.R.A.A", in a counselling center under surveillance for six months effective upon the issuance of the court ruling.
I congratulate the Arab countries for taking on a very difficult set of values to end the threat of terrorists, but, Daesh is a very different threat.
November 16, 2015
By Peter Kovessy
...Nonetheless, (click here) in spite of last year’s threats on ISIS forums about bombing the 2022 World Cup, a foreign policy analyst said it’s unlikely that Qatar would be attacked by the group.
This is because the Gulf country has a “low profile” in the ongoing military campaign against ISIS, Andrew Hammond, a policy analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Doha News:...
I am uncertain that Qatar has the ability to carry out the intelligence to end any presence or predict the next attack. There is a USA military base in Qatar and it might be best if the Qatar leadership consulted with them to engage a strategy that would work.
Qatar can no longer take a back seat to ending terrorist networks; it has to stop being a hostage to dangerous people. Daesh is a very different threat than other terrorist groups, including al Qaeda (where it still may exist). Daesh is seeking to end all middle east countries as we know them, including Sunni Arab countries.
Qatar's approach is not dissimilar to that of Saudi Arabia. Qatar's position is strongly based in the Muslim belief expressed in the five pillars.
Qatar is committed (click here) to fighting extremism and terrorism in all its forms, in co-ordination with its Coalition partners. By providing humanitarian aid, supporting educational and economic development initiatives, and building more resilient communities, Qatar aims to contribute to the security, stability and prosperity of the region.
There is a very big difference, however, between Saudi Arabia and Qatar in that the Saudis have very big guns. The country has a substantial military.
The real danger to the region comes from the instability created by Daesh. It is a brutal regime and if it can establish itself among the people that is the beginning of government infrastructure failure and any defense. The people must remain loyal to their current sovereign and protect from such a regime as Daesh.
13 June 2017
By Tom Keatinge
The dispute (click here) that has seen Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies isolate Qatar stems from allegations that the tiny gas-rich nation is sponsoring extremist groups which are destabilising the Middle East.
This is not the first time Qatar's neighbours have expressed their displeasure over its individualist foreign policy - diplomatic relations were severed for nine months in 2014.
Tensions have arisen from Qatar's support for the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood; its close relationship with groups such as the Taliban and certain al-Qaeda affiliates; and its relationship with Iran, which has most recently led to allegations from Saudi Arabia that the state-funded broadcaster Al Jazeera is supporting Houthi rebelsin Yemen fighting government forces backed by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Doha has strongly denied Riyadh's accusations, and said it has taken more robust counter-terrorism measures than some of its neighbours.
The events of 2011 surprised and shocked Saudi Arabia. First the rebellion in Yemen, which no one expected to have succeed and then the removal of Ali Abdullah Saleh. The Houthis became a force to contend with and Saudi Arabia was caught off balance in it's southern region.
Just as surprising to Qatar were the events of 2017. This was no less a shock and surprise than the rebellion in Yemen that lead to an unstable southern Saudi border.
...In April, it reportedly paid a ransom of as much as $1bn (£790m) to a former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria and to Iranian security officials as part of a deal that resulted in the release of 26 royal family members reportedly kidnapped by Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia militiamen and of dozens of Shia fighters captured by jihadists in Syria.
Thus it is Qatar's alleged continued funding of radical ideology and extremism that is seemingly the cause of concern this time....
I don't call that funding of terrorists, so much as love of family. We all know the tragedy of repeated hostage taking and Somalia. Somalia is a failed state, but, because of the poverty the people face, most shipping companies see the hostage amounts of pirated ships as a cost of business.
The idea there are elements within Iran and Syria willing to put precious royal family members in peril is a deep concern. Is there any wonder why the Shia are not embraced by the Sunnis. The Iranian security forces (which I doubt were acting under government orders, so much as an independent extremist group) must be brought to justice for this act of violence. The Somali model of kidnappings cannot enter the frey in the middle east and should be ended with Somalia as well.
The Arab countries seeking a stronger Qatar should be looking to the infrastructure that will protect a country and it's beautiful cities from Daesh as well as any hostage takers.
Qatar is not supporting terrorists, so much as reacting to threats in the way it has always worked in the past. Qatar needs to follow the leadership and example of it's neighbors and affiliates (click here) because Qatar's well honed methods no longer work. The kidnappings should have been a very stark reality to that fact.
It would be best if Qatar is heard by the other countries in the region so it can develop methods that will be consistent across the security spectrum and will end the dangers that concerns Qatar leadership. I see this as a stronger middle east and not a weaker one, however, a weaker middle east can occur if there is not a common underlying effort to end the presence of Daesh and other independent terrorist groups be they Sunni or Shia.
June 24, 2017
Saudi Prince Khalid Bin Farhan al-Saud, (click here) who lives in Germany, has revealed what he claims are the US conditions for helping Mohamed Bin Salman to become King of Saudi Arabia before his father’s death, thenewkhalij.org reported on Friday.
Writing on Twitter, Khalid said that he had received the information from an informed source within Saudi Arabia’s ruling family.
The alleged conditions include “absolute obedience to the US and Israel and carrying out whatever they ask him to do.” Three other conditions, claimed Khalid, are stated in return for helping Bin Salman take the throne before the death of his father: “Working to settle all Gaza residents in north Sinai as an alternative homeland and Saudi Arabia along with the UAE will afford the needed funds; getting rid of Hamas and whoever supports it; and getting Sanafir Island from Egypt.”
Bin Farhan said that the last condition would make the Gulf of Aqaba international waters instead of Egyptian territorial waters, which would facilitate Israeli shipping to and from the port of Eilat. It would also help Israel to carry out a project planned to operate in parallel to the Suez Canal. A retainer of around $500 million is also involved, he claimed.
The prince said that this issue split the ruling family even before the death of King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz in 2015, as a wave of royal decrees ousted several officials from within the royal family and others.
This is Trump's middle east peace plan? I have no problem with the son of the current ruler taking over after his father's death. It seems more secure in that he holds the loyalty to the people in the same manner of his father, however, the CONDITIONS by Mr. Kushner is nothing less than blackmail.
Saudi Prince Mohamed Bin Salman should be placed in leadership for the good of the people of Saudi Arabia, not because Mr. Kushner wants to be the savior of Israel.
Is there any wonder why the USA Secretary of State is ineffective when there is nothing but back room deals being conducted by the Oval Office?
Stability in the middle east is based on POLICY that will stabilize a region, not a reassignment of an entire race of people to the Sinai. This is astounding.
I look forward to Saudi Prince Mohamed Bin Salman taking leadership of Saudi Arabia. He must lead and giving in to back room deals with Kushner and Trump is not leadership. I apologize to the Saudi Prince for such an illegal demand and look forward to him being the mitigator of peace that will last with consent of all the people.
There can be no such agreement between Saudi Arabia and the USA without the consent of all other parties involved and the USA Congress. The President of the USA is allowed to negotiate peace agreements and treaties, but, it is the Congress that ultimately has to pass the treaty into law. The good Saudi Prince Khalid is be commended for coming forward to free his country of such demands by Trump. Mohamed Bin Salman is probably too kind to stand against the demands of an immoral administration only interested in personal goals. I wish the King ease in passing and solace to his family, including Prince Khalid and Prince Mohamed Bin Salman.
These shocking demands by the USA's current president should not derail any agreement between the regions countries to end the threat of terrorism and Deash. I wish all the leaders great success in bringing about a stable middle east where family is not used as bargaining chips to terrorist wealth.
Iran has a lot to answer for in the circumstances of a royal family of Qatar. I would expect the UN Security Council summon the Iranian ambassador to explain these circumstances and how they occurred.
First it is ill health of Americans leading to their deaths by disease and now it is power brokering in the back rooms of deal making. What else should we expect from the USA Republican Plutocrats? I demand an investigation to the role of the President and Kushner in manipulating the fate of a Saudi Prince.
"Morning Papers"
"Okeydoke"
I have had enough of White Supremacy in the USA and in other countries as well.
Every American should know by now that as there is less and less income to a person or family the more problems exist while living in this democracy.
I believe Republican lawmakers don't care about people or their suffering or their striving which is a form of suffering. I also believe their are not minorities in any type of significant membership of that party for a reason. Occasional black faces and members are not enough. A party that does not reflect the needs of the nation and caters only to the wealthy is not a party worthy of leadership in the USA.
I do not believe there is a difference between a Republican, Plutocrat or White Supremacist. Not a bit of daylight.
When Kentucky had that spike in diagnosis of mining related illnesses there were dollar signs spinning in my vision of that party. See, a diagnosis does a lot. It provides for the foundation of health. The word diagnosis is not just a word of illness, the absence of it is a clear indication a person is healthy, but, in this case people were not healthy, they were NEGLECTED. The people of the Kentucky mining industry were invisible to the health care system and the health care dollar.
February 26, 2016
For the first time (click here) in about a century, no union coal miners are working in Kentucky. The state’s few remaining union miners were laid off New Year’s Eve when Patriot Coal’s Highland Mine in Western Kentucky shut down, the United Mine Workers of America confirmed.
“Appalachia was always a really tough nut for the union to crack, and I think maybe Kentucky was the toughest nut of all,” said labor historian James Green, author of a new book about West Virginia’s mine wars....
I am grateful for the reality that coal mining no longer exists in Kentucky. Tell me, how it was still an issue in the 2016 elections? It was a lie. It was rhetoric and no one bothered to tell the electorate it was a lie.
The illnesses diagnosed with the Kentucky coal miners is not a lie or rhetoric. It is real and those families are facing greater challenges than ever before.
There are many industries in the USA that are dangerous, but, the ones that have the highest death rates is among the petroleum industry, including coal which is a fossil fuel. Haven't the American people had enough of the dirty energy produced by the fossil fuel industry.
It is time to lay the last fossil to rest and that is the petroleum industry and it's immoral exports.
I have had enough of White Supremacy in the USA and in other countries as well.
Every American should know by now that as there is less and less income to a person or family the more problems exist while living in this democracy.
I believe Republican lawmakers don't care about people or their suffering or their striving which is a form of suffering. I also believe their are not minorities in any type of significant membership of that party for a reason. Occasional black faces and members are not enough. A party that does not reflect the needs of the nation and caters only to the wealthy is not a party worthy of leadership in the USA.
I do not believe there is a difference between a Republican, Plutocrat or White Supremacist. Not a bit of daylight.
When Kentucky had that spike in diagnosis of mining related illnesses there were dollar signs spinning in my vision of that party. See, a diagnosis does a lot. It provides for the foundation of health. The word diagnosis is not just a word of illness, the absence of it is a clear indication a person is healthy, but, in this case people were not healthy, they were NEGLECTED. The people of the Kentucky mining industry were invisible to the health care system and the health care dollar.
February 26, 2016
For the first time (click here) in about a century, no union coal miners are working in Kentucky. The state’s few remaining union miners were laid off New Year’s Eve when Patriot Coal’s Highland Mine in Western Kentucky shut down, the United Mine Workers of America confirmed.
“Appalachia was always a really tough nut for the union to crack, and I think maybe Kentucky was the toughest nut of all,” said labor historian James Green, author of a new book about West Virginia’s mine wars....
I am grateful for the reality that coal mining no longer exists in Kentucky. Tell me, how it was still an issue in the 2016 elections? It was a lie. It was rhetoric and no one bothered to tell the electorate it was a lie.
The illnesses diagnosed with the Kentucky coal miners is not a lie or rhetoric. It is real and those families are facing greater challenges than ever before.
There are many industries in the USA that are dangerous, but, the ones that have the highest death rates is among the petroleum industry, including coal which is a fossil fuel. Haven't the American people had enough of the dirty energy produced by the fossil fuel industry.
It is time to lay the last fossil to rest and that is the petroleum industry and it's immoral exports.
"Good Night, Moon"
The waxing crescent,2.3 day old moon.
5.8 percent lit.
The longest day of the year was perfect for detecting any hint of daylight. There was a waxing crescent not really detectable unless a light meter was present.
At just below 45 degrees north the sunlight completely disappeared at approximately 11:18 pm.
21 June 2017
The human race (click here) must start leaving Earth within 30 years to avoid being wiped out by over-population and climate change, Professor Stephen Hawking has warned.
Making an impassioned speech at the Starmus science festival in Trondheim, Norway, the astrophysicist said it was crucial to establish colonies on Mars and the moon, and take a Noah's Ark of plants, animals, fungi and insects, to start creating a new world.
Hawking said it was only a matter of time before the Earth as we know it is destroyed by an asteroid strike, soaring temperatures or over-population.
He said that becoming a "cosmic sloth" was not an option because "the threats are too big and too numerous"....
One might ask, "Where does any colonization prove to work and who gets to go?"
Sunday, June 25, 2017
In the larger scheme of things, methane is a real threat. I know it produces less carbon dioxide when burned compared to coal or oil, but, the dangers to the troposphere is nearly greater than carbon dioxide.
We cannot continue to allow methane leaks. It is just that simple. The problem for the petroleum industry is that pollution is built into their profit structure.
Why is methane cheap? Because the containment of leaks is in place? No. It is cheap because emissions are allowed. Methane hasn't been followed as closely as carbon dioxide. Not nearly as close. It is only because Cheney's energy policy allowed for pollution of any kind; air and water. Horizontal drilling was going to save the petroleum industry in the face of "Peak Oil" which also occurred in 2005.
Think about the outrageous dangers affiliated with the petroleum industry, including a significant death rate compared to any other industry in modern times. The payouts for any fines that might exist and the settlements of lawsuits when there are deaths and maiming, and even the $20 billion BP Fund (as if that was enough) is more acceptable to CEOs like Secretary Tillerson than actually conducting a clean industry.
June 22, 2017
Oil will continue to flow(click here) through the Dakota Access Pipeline through the summer while authorities conduct additional review of the environmental impact, after a judge on Wednesday ordered more hearings in coming months.
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg in Washington ruled in favor of Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes, who said more environmental analysis of the Dakota Access line should have been carried out. The tribes had said the 1,170-mile (1,880 km) line violates their hunting, fishing and environmental rights.
On Wednesday, Boasberg set out a schedule of hearings that will decide what will happen to the line while additional review is completed.
A lawyer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is responsible for environmental review, would not estimate when asked by Boasberg how long additional review would take. The judge could still order the line to be shut at a later date following a series of hearings scheduled through the summer....
There needs to be a $20 billion fund established to protect the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes when there are leaks. There will be leaks and the aquifer will be damaged PERMANENTLY. At that point there will have to be elaborate methods to protect the tribes water supply, not to mention what will occur to the natural world they value.
I think the judge is irresponsible in allowing the oil to flow in the first place, but, even more irresponsible to ignore the dangers affiliated with the pipeline and neglect setting up a fund to protect the lives of the Sioux when the leaks occur.
This is the petroleum industry. They don't care about human life and they fund the elections of the Republicans that don't care about human life either. When I realized the numbers of lung disease suffers in Kentucky that had not been diagnosed until the ACA's preventive check up every year, it was all I needed to know to realize the perverse priorities of a political party in the USA. They could give a damn about people and profits are their only priority.
The petroleum industry gets away with murder and the Republican Party insures it.
Methane has to be controlled. Simple as that. There are methods to address it with the agricultural community. Those methods need research and implementation. The EPA grant funds that weren't included in the EPA Secretary's budget need to be reinstated. When the research is done it will require some degree of grants to farmers to implement those measures. The sooner the better.
We cannot continue to allow methane leaks. It is just that simple. The problem for the petroleum industry is that pollution is built into their profit structure.
Why is methane cheap? Because the containment of leaks is in place? No. It is cheap because emissions are allowed. Methane hasn't been followed as closely as carbon dioxide. Not nearly as close. It is only because Cheney's energy policy allowed for pollution of any kind; air and water. Horizontal drilling was going to save the petroleum industry in the face of "Peak Oil" which also occurred in 2005.
Think about the outrageous dangers affiliated with the petroleum industry, including a significant death rate compared to any other industry in modern times. The payouts for any fines that might exist and the settlements of lawsuits when there are deaths and maiming, and even the $20 billion BP Fund (as if that was enough) is more acceptable to CEOs like Secretary Tillerson than actually conducting a clean industry.
June 22, 2017
Oil will continue to flow(click here) through the Dakota Access Pipeline through the summer while authorities conduct additional review of the environmental impact, after a judge on Wednesday ordered more hearings in coming months.
Last week, U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg in Washington ruled in favor of Standing Rock Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes, who said more environmental analysis of the Dakota Access line should have been carried out. The tribes had said the 1,170-mile (1,880 km) line violates their hunting, fishing and environmental rights.
On Wednesday, Boasberg set out a schedule of hearings that will decide what will happen to the line while additional review is completed.
A lawyer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is responsible for environmental review, would not estimate when asked by Boasberg how long additional review would take. The judge could still order the line to be shut at a later date following a series of hearings scheduled through the summer....
There needs to be a $20 billion fund established to protect the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Sioux tribes when there are leaks. There will be leaks and the aquifer will be damaged PERMANENTLY. At that point there will have to be elaborate methods to protect the tribes water supply, not to mention what will occur to the natural world they value.
I think the judge is irresponsible in allowing the oil to flow in the first place, but, even more irresponsible to ignore the dangers affiliated with the pipeline and neglect setting up a fund to protect the lives of the Sioux when the leaks occur.
This is the petroleum industry. They don't care about human life and they fund the elections of the Republicans that don't care about human life either. When I realized the numbers of lung disease suffers in Kentucky that had not been diagnosed until the ACA's preventive check up every year, it was all I needed to know to realize the perverse priorities of a political party in the USA. They could give a damn about people and profits are their only priority.
The petroleum industry gets away with murder and the Republican Party insures it.
Methane has to be controlled. Simple as that. There are methods to address it with the agricultural community. Those methods need research and implementation. The EPA grant funds that weren't included in the EPA Secretary's budget need to be reinstated. When the research is done it will require some degree of grants to farmers to implement those measures. The sooner the better.
Waste lagoons associated with feedlots are not only smelly and emitting methane, but, they are simply dangerous.
...Not all waste impoundments (click here) are planned to have an embankment. Those that do must consider the risk to life and property should the embankment fail. The information that follows is limited to embankment impoundment sites where the potential risk is limited to physical damage of farm buildings, agricultural land, or township and county roads. This hazard criterion is the low hazard classification for dams that will impound clean water. Waste impoundments, however, present additional risk beyond that of clean water impoundments because of the nature of material they contain. This material can be high in organic matter, nutrients, and microorganisms. In addition, the wastewater may produce offensive odors. As such, even though a waste impoundment is sited so the risk is limited to physical damage of property, there may still be a significant potential in failure to degrade soil, water, air, plant, and animal resources as well as negatively impact the human environment....
The feedlot in the picture above is in Kansas. The government regulations don't demand reducing methane emissions.
December 19, 2012
By Jeremy Bernfeld
You think you deal with a lot of bull crap? (click here) Allan Sents needs a front-end loader and a dump truck to deal with all the cattle manure he’s up against. Literally.
Sents and his wife Deanna co-own McPherson County Feeders, a beef feedlot home to more than 11,000 head of cattle. It’s in Marquette, Kan., and it’s the penultimate stop for cattle, fattening them up before they head to the slaughterhouse.
Sents doesn’t just feed his cattle. He has to dispose of the unending stream of manure his cattle produce every day.
“Realistically, it’s as much a part of the job for us as feeding for the cattle and caring for them that way,” Sents said.
With more than 2.3 million cattle in Kansas feedlots dropping millions of pounds of waste each year, the environmental challenge is immense. And an increase in bigger, specialized feedlots over the last two decades doesn't make it any easier....
Seaweed. Hm?
BEC Crew
If we add (click here) dried seaweed to 2 percent of sheep and cattle feed, we could cut methane emissions by more than 70 percent, scientists have found.
With livestock responsible for 44 percent of all human-caused methane - a gas that has 36 times the global warming potential of CO2 - this could cut a huge chunk of the 3.1 gigatonnes these animals release into the atmosphere each year in burps and farts....
Now, look, I've tried this stuff straight up and while it is type of food one eats for nutrition, it needs preparation.
...yep, your sushi wrapper (click here)—provides a good dose of the muscle-building nutrient.
While the amount of protein differs among varieties of seaweed, it ranges from about 2 to 9 grams per cup. And besides being high in protein, seaweed is also loaded with minerals, vitamins, and hormone-like substances that are good for the body. In fact, the variety dulse contains renin-inhibitory peptides similar to those found in ACE inhibitors, a class of medicines that helps relax the blood vessels used to treat high blood pressure, migraines, and other conditions, says Mary Hartley, R.D., nutrition expert for DietsInReview.com....
This salad is very quick, simple, nutritious and filled with flavor.
Ingredients:
Leafy lettuce
Onions
Nori seaweed
Lemon Juice or Umeboshi Vinegar
Sea salt
Olive oil
Onions
Nori seaweed
Lemon Juice or Umeboshi Vinegar
Sea salt
Olive oil
Directions:
- Tear lettuce into pieces.
- Slice onion very thinly and chop finely, mixing together.
- Lightly toast Nori until it turns a green color and is crumbly.
- Mix in a few drops of olive oil with the lettuce.
- Sprinkle lemon juice and salt on lettuce and toss.
- Crumble Nori into the salad.
- Toss and serve.
This is capitalism at work. One product better for society than another.
May 30, 2017
By Marlene Cimons
...It turns out, (click here) though, that beans are good for more than your heart. Eating them could also be good for the climate.
Shunning beef for beans could mitigate the effects of climate change by slashing greenhouse gas emissions in a very big way, according to new research published in the journal Climatic Change. The study predicts such a swap could help the United States meet upwards of 50 percent of its emissions targets by 2020.
It’s tempting have a little fun with this. Maybe we’re just trading one gas for another. (The study recalls the classic campfire scene from Blazing Saddles — even the scientists admit it’s funny.)...
I know it sounds funny and strange, but, back in the 1970s, an agricultural manager at American Cyanamid in West Windsor, NJ experimented with the introduction of beans as a crop in the USA. His name was Miguel Garces and he immigrated form Cuba when the Castro regime couped the government. He was one of the wealthy landowners that lost most everything, except, his education.
His idea was his own and planted a species of beans on a few acres in Hopewell Township near his home. They did okay, but, they didn't do as well as soybeans and he concluded it would be difficult selling his idea if he couldn't get the yield OR the INCOME per acre to increase.
So, while the cattlemen in Texas are biting their nails right now, the fact of the matter is a combination of vegetables including beans will create a complex and complete protein.
By Marlene Cimons
...It turns out, (click here) though, that beans are good for more than your heart. Eating them could also be good for the climate.
Shunning beef for beans could mitigate the effects of climate change by slashing greenhouse gas emissions in a very big way, according to new research published in the journal Climatic Change. The study predicts such a swap could help the United States meet upwards of 50 percent of its emissions targets by 2020.
It’s tempting have a little fun with this. Maybe we’re just trading one gas for another. (The study recalls the classic campfire scene from Blazing Saddles — even the scientists admit it’s funny.)...
I know it sounds funny and strange, but, back in the 1970s, an agricultural manager at American Cyanamid in West Windsor, NJ experimented with the introduction of beans as a crop in the USA. His name was Miguel Garces and he immigrated form Cuba when the Castro regime couped the government. He was one of the wealthy landowners that lost most everything, except, his education.
His idea was his own and planted a species of beans on a few acres in Hopewell Township near his home. They did okay, but, they didn't do as well as soybeans and he concluded it would be difficult selling his idea if he couldn't get the yield OR the INCOME per acre to increase.
So, while the cattlemen in Texas are biting their nails right now, the fact of the matter is a combination of vegetables including beans will create a complex and complete protein.
Think detritivores. That's right, bugs that eat shit. Got a problem with that? I think engineered critters resistant to vermicides yet harmless can be a solution to methane emissions, too.
From Penn State Extension:
...Horse manure (click here) has been considered a valuable resource rather than a “waste.” Fertilizer value of the 8 1/2 tons of manure produced annually by a 1,000-pound horse is about 102 pounds of nitrogen, 43 pounds of P2O5 (phosphorus pentoxide [phosphate] = 43.7% P), and 77 pounds of K2O (potash = 83% K). The nutrient content of horse manure can also be represented as 12 lb/ton of N, 5 lb/ton of P2O5, and 9 lb/ton of K2O (nutrient values for any manure vary widely so these are only guidelines). Traditionally, nitrate-nitrogen is the component that presents the most pollution potential since it moves freely in the soil. Most of horse manure’s nitrogen is contained in the urine.
These values are an average for horse manure (urine and feces). With the large amount of bedding material mixed with manure in typical stall waste, the fertilizer nutrient value would vary (see Direct Disposal section)....
Ever try bugs? Yeah, bugs. Worms to be exact. Red worms. Why not? The folks that specialize in COMPOSTING WITH WORMS have a little problem when it comes to deworming medicine in the manure.
As I’ve written (click here) many times here on the blog, aged manure is hands-down one of the best materials to add to a vermicomposting system. Horse manure, in particular (especially when mixed with bedding materials), happens to be my personal favorite! Some of the most successful populations of Red Worms (highest densities, largest worms) I’ve ever encountered have been living in old outdoor heaps of horse manure, such as the one pictured above.
Agriculture may hold 35% of the methane emissions, but, they are far from the most egregious practices.
By Ramon Alvarez
Look up in New Mexico (click here) and on most days you’ll see the unmistakably vast blue skies that make the Southwest region so unique.
But there’s also something hovering over the Four Corners region that a naked eye can’t detect: A 2,500-square mile cloud of methane, the highest concentration of the heat-trapping pollution anywhere in the United States. The Delaware-sized hot spot was first reported in a study by NASA scientists two years ago.
At the time, researchers were confident the cloud was associated with fossil fuels, but unsure of the precise sources. Was it coming from the region’s sprawling, naturally occurring coal beds or from a leaky oil and gas industry?
Now a NASA-led team has published a paper in a top scientific journal that provides some answers. Many of the highest-emitting sources are associated with the region’s oil and gas production and distribution.
And that’s actually good news – because we know the leaks in these wells can be located and plugged with relative ease, and without adding significant costs to the industry. This, in turn, means we can make a big dent in the methane cloud....
So, get 'er done!
The Four Corners region of New Mexico and Colorado. Numerous light-colored spots are sites of gas and oil development.
In an extensive airborne survey, (click here) a NASA-led team has analyzed a previously identified "hot spot" of methane emissions in the Four Corners region of the United States, quantifying both its overall magnitude and the magnitudes of its sources. The study finds that just 10 percent of the individual methane sources are contributing half of the emissions.
Scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Caltech, both in Pasadena, California; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Boulder, Colorado; and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, used two JPL airborne spectrometers to identify and measure more than 250 individual sources of methane. The sources emitted the gas at rates ranging from a few pounds to 11,000 pounds (5,000 kilograms) per hour. Results are published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in a paper titled "Airborne methane remote measurements reveal heavy-tail flux distribution in Four Corners region." Christian Frankenberg of JPL and Caltech is the lead author....
There have been laws that made an effort to control waste, but, methane was more elusive.
The specialization (click here) and industrialization of American agriculture during the past several decades has resulted in an increased number of agricultural facilities that house and feed a large number of animals in a confined area. These facilities, known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), offer a more efficient system to feed and house animals through specialization, increased facility size and close confinement of animals. They also pose increased environmental and health problems for neighboring properties and communities. Because more waste is generated in CAFOs than other less-dense animal farm facilities, the potential for greater air, water and land pollution increases in nearby areas. In 2003, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) projected that the nation’s 257,000 animal feeding operations annually produced more than 500 million tons of manure. EPA estimated that CAFOs accounted for more than half of this amount....
The Law:
...The EPA has set the permitting requirements for CAFOs (click here) under the NPDES (40 CFR Part 122) and Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards (ELG) (40 CFR Part 412)....
The waste from these facilities are often dumped into holding ponds outside. Need I explain how the acceleration of CH4 (methane) production takes place when full sunshine meets liquified animal manure. The investigation as to how to best handle these facilities is yet to be written.
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