Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) can be made small enough to power a home or office or shop.

Our unique patented High Output Vertical Axis Wind Powered Generator (click here) design operates independently of the wind direction. The unit produces electricity in all wind speeds and never shuts down in high winds. They are Bird friendly, lightweight, and may be self-installed. Guaranteed year round low cost 24/7 reliable clean wind power. 

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT)

The eagerness of the American citizen to move away from fossil fuels only reflects the fact we don't need anymore drilling, it is wrong to export USA oil and defeats the purpose of the country to recover from CO2 emissions.Why export CO2 emissions?

Seven Wind Energy (click here)

Now about those transmission lines.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT)

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) are a type of wind turbine where the main rotor shaft is set vertically and the main components are located at the base of the turbine. They have their main rotor shaft arranged vertically. The main advantage of this arrangement is that the wind turbine does not need to be pointed into the wind. This is an advantage on sites where the wind direction is highly variable or has turbulent winds.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT)

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) are a type of wind turbine where the main rotor shaft is set vertically and the main components are located at the base of the turbine. They have their main rotor shaft arranged vertically. The main advantage of this arrangement is that the wind turbine does not need to be pointed into the wind. This is an advantage on sites where the wind direction is highly variable or has turbulent winds.

- See more at: http://www.preranaenergy.com/windpower.html#sthash.2QJqcKOl.dpuf

Electric or fossil fuels? Which is less expensive in resistance to movement?

The Internal Combustion Engine is a complex, amazing machine. In perfect concert, valves open, spark plugs ignite, pistons move, and the crankshaft turns. Every fourth cycle an air-fuel mix explodes and a piston is forced down. The crankshaft converts the linear motion of the piston and connecting rod to rotational motion that eventually propels the vehicle.

Internal Combustion Engine power output could be improved with faster rotation. However, combustion engines have a limit to how fast they can spin - as RPM exceeds 5,000 or 6,000 it becomes challenging and costly to keep the timing of the engine on track and keep all of the parts together.  For example think of the springs that push the valves closed: a spring can only bounce back into place so quickly.  As the engine RPM increases the springs can fall behind and the valve could end up striking the piston, leading to catastrophic engine failure.

Unfortunately, Internal Combustion Engine (click here) complexity results in wasted energy. At best, only 30% of the energy stored in gasoline is converted to forward motion. The rest is wasted as heat and noise. When the engine is not spinning, there is no torque available. In fact, the engine must turn at several hundred revolutions per minute (RPM) before it can generate enough power to overcome its own internal losses – that’s why cars idle around 1,000 RPM when at rest.

Electric MOTORS, not electric engines, are more efficient at producing energy in a complex system of movement.

Now, if I haven't lost everyone, I'll return to resistance in an electric wire.

Does every consumer in the USA know they pay for the physics within their electrical delivery system?

Did they know they are paying for the physics within the internal combustion engine? And which has higher resistance in the complex system of movement, an electric motor or an internal combustion engine? Maybe that is not a fair question considering the movement involves a very heavy object and electricity is not at all heavy. It is only the wires it travels on that is heavy.

The problem those that struggle with in changing the way energy is delivered to consumers always looked at this disaster of a delivery system and was basically unable to overcome the resistance in that system. In other words, why does traditional wind power and solar fields carry more electricity to consumers without being lost. How does society build a better mouse trap? How is it that completely wholesome energy could not be wasted and would service more and more customers?


For the most part, energy had to be delivered along these power lines. 

Then came "The Smart Grid."

The Smart Grid (click here).

The Smart Grid video (click here)

And, of course, computers attempt to squeeze all the efficiency that can be achieved out of "The Smart Grid."

What Makes a Grid “Smart?”

In short, the digital technology that allows for two-way communication between the utility and its customers, and the sensing along the transmission lines is what makes the grid smart. Like the Internet, the Smart Grid will consist of controls, computers, automation, and new technologies and equipment working together, but in this case, these technologies will work with the electrical grid to respond digitally to our quickly changing electric demand.

What if there was the potential for Americans to deliver their own power to their own homes without a grid? Would that not be best?

But, first the question that is making every American sit on the edge of their seats right now;  which has higher resistance in the complex system of movement, an electric motor or an internal combustion engine?

Resistance. The physics of complex systems.

The definition below is from Wiki. It was about as simple a definition I could find. This one is a little more technical. Chapter 10 from an online text at Rutgers' University (click here).

Whatever is your flavor.  

Some of the power that is fed into a transmission line is lost because of its resistance. This effect is called ohmic or resistive loss (see ohmic heating). At high frequencies, another effect called dielectric loss becomes significant, adding to the losses caused by resistance. Dielectric loss is caused when the insulating material inside the transmission line absorbs energy from the alternating electric field and converts it to heat (see dielectric heating). The transmission line is modeled with a resistance (R) and inductance (L) in series with a capacitance (C) and conductance (G) in parallel. The resistance and conductance contribute to the loss in a transmission line.

My Father called them "High Tension Wires." Most everyone in the USA will recognize the monster towers that get blown down and twisted in tornadoes. These wires carry the capacity of the Power Plant regardless of the type of fuel. 

There was always a frustration with these wires from the standpoint of Greenhouse Gases and the transition to alternative energy. See, these lines cause loss of electric power as it travels to city, towns and homes. The reason for the loss is 'resistance.'

Resistance is a physics term for the characteristic found in all systems. 

Below is a cartoon of an experiment whereby a student views what "Air Resistance" does to the same objects on the Moon where there is no air and on Earth where there is.
 

Peak oil occurred between 2005 and 2007 at the latest.

The petroleum industry is always stating they are pushing back the date of "Peak Oil." 

Peak Oil was something scientists held onto as a measure of when dependency on fossil fuels would be impractical. They believed the governments of the world, especially in The West, would move away from fossil fuels and have more and more alternative sources simply because the availability of alternative energy out paced that of fossil fuels.

In 2005, there was a Texas oil man in the White House and his side kick 'Darth Cheney.' Did you know that "Darth Vader" was chosen because is sounds like "Dark Invader?" That would mean Darth Cheney would mean Dark Death Speaker. Something like that.

But, to get back to Peak Oil. I recently had to come to terms with what was scientific optimism and the world we live in, so in reflecting on the observation Peak Oil would curtain fossil fuel I started to realize the morality in those statements.

Besides the severe deterioration of Earth's climate; there was this understanding among the community that the USA would never compromise the standards of the oil to their consumer economy. "Certainly, the USA of all nations would set the standard for quality."

What occurred after 2005 was The Cheney Energy Committee of 2001 and a new national policy. The idea that finding energy for the USA would take every aspect of fossil fuel available on Earth regardless of it's quality at a time when the USA had soldiers engaged in two wars was incredible propaganda.

Part of what scientists believed about the USA in regard to the Greenhouse Effect and fossil fuel use; was it's deep seated morality to conduct high principles over greed of any kind. It was national pride on the line. The USA was to conduct itself morally above all others.That was until the year 2001.

So, has Peak Oil arrived yet? 

Peak Oil has not only arrived, but, passed right by the American consumer without anyone noticing.

If you follow oil prices, you’re familiar with the phrase “light, sweet crude.” “Light” means that the oil contains a high proportion of the lighter fractions that give us gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, and jet fuel, and less of the heavier fractions that give us stuff like bitumen and asphalt. “Sweet” means that the oil contains a lower proportion of sulphur. The lighter and sweeter the oil is, the more useful liquid fuel it contains and the easier and cheaper it is to refine. Over the last quarter century, the average quality of conventional crude oil has steadily declined in both these categories.

Here are two graphs from 2005 showing the long-term trends. First, API Gravity, which is an inverse measure of how heavy the oil is (i.e., the bigger the number, the lighter the oil).

Light crude oil is defined as having an API gravity higher than 31.1°, medium oil as having an API gravity between 31.1° and 22.3°, and heavy oil as having an API gravity below 22.3°. So in the 20 years from 1985-2005, average crude fell an entire grade on this measure of quality.

The sulphur picture is no better:

Higher sulphur content requires more expensive refining processes and newer equipment.

This information is from "Outlook for Liquid Fuels 2010 - 2020."

Jon Bosak

16 October 2010

Why indeed.

What is really curious to me is why Murkowski would be leading this effort to export USA crude oil. Alaskan oil is all but dried up. Except for all these horrid oils such as that found in Canada's oil sands there is little to export from the USA.

By Liz Ruskin, APRN - Washington DC
Posted on January 31, 2014 at 6:23 am

A campaign by Senator Lisa Murkowski(click here) to lift the decades-old ban on crude oil exports got its first hearing in Washington today. It’s been 25 years since Congress has formally considered the ban it adopted during the Arab oil embargo, but the recent energy boom in the Lower 48 is triggering new debates.

To some people it still sounds crazy. Why consider selling American crude overseas when the U.S. still imports 40 percent of its oil from other countries? And then there’s the question of the impact on consumer prices.

Chairman of the Senate Energy Committee, Ron Wyden of Oregon, says that’s his focus.

“American families and American business deserve to know what exports would mean for their specific needs when they fill up at the pump or get their delivery of heating oil,” Wyden said.

The witnesses at the hearing spoke from their own economic corners. Harold Hamm, CEO of Continental Resources, the largest leaseholder in North Dakota’s Bakken play, says the ban gives undue advantage to U.S. refineries. They can sell their fuel overseas, but as he put it, producers

like him are stuck being their milk cows.  A Delta Airlines executive, on the other hand, says allowing crude exports will force the price up to whatever OPEC wants it to be, and American consumers will have to pay more for airline tickets and everything else....

...Murkowski says it’s good for policymakers to ask questions and ponder the issue. She figures it will take a lot more dialogue before Congress members and their constituents feel comfortable with lifting the ban. But she also says we’re running out of time.

“We get to a point where we have a mismatch between what we are producing domestically and the capacity within our refineries,” Murkowski said.

Murkowski says without exports, we may reach that point of oversupply in just two years. After the hearing, Murkowski said Alaskans have a special reason to be concerned, because North Slope oil may have to compete for West Coast refinery space....

Over supply.

Sounds good to me. 

If in two years time the USA has an oversupply of crude oil and we are using far less for energy, why drill? 

Perfect timing if you ask me.

Why drill for more oil, when the auto industry is a beacon of promise and performance?

Yes, I am stating that the USA's domestic supply of oil production is more than the country might need. So, why continue to push the limits on production when those reserves actually belong to our children?

December 5, 2012
Brad Plumer

...New vehicles purchased (click here) in November of 2012 got 24.1 miles per gallon, on average. That includes all new cars, SUVs, and light trucks. By contrast, new vehicles averaged just 20.1 miles per gallon average back in the fall of 2007....

...This trend is likely to continue. The Obama administration has already set strict new fuel-economy standards for cars and light trucks, which are expected to average around 35.4 miles per gallon by 2025. Indeed, this is one big reason why U.S. oil imports have been shrinking — along with increased domestic oil production — and it's why imports are projected to keep shriveling in the decades ahead....

I am not even approaching radical thinking. It is the work of the American people that has brought about real change in the way the nation views energy. More and more electricity is becoming part of our day to day reality for our energy needs. So, what is this all about anyway? Why produce American hydrocarbons? Why import garbage oil from Canada? Why endanger the Nebraska aquifer at all?

Not everything is terrible news in the USA. Corn recovered from 2012 drought.

Hopefully, farmers are balancing their books from the losses of last year.

 

February 3, 2014

By: Bloomberg

 Corn extended (click here) its first monthly gain since August, climbing to the highest level in seven weeks amid signs of rising demand for supplies from the U.S., the world’s biggest grower.
U.S. exporters sold 110,000 metric tons to Spain for delivery by Aug. 31, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Jan. 31. That followed the sale to Spain earlier last week of a consignment of the same amount and another for 150,000 tons reported on Jan. 24, as well as sales last week of 127,000 tons and 119,888 tons to unknown destinations. The agency is scheduled to report weekly export inspections today.
"Export activity for American origins remains very strong, as to date 86 percent of the target has been reached, compared to a five-year average of 63 percent at this stage," Paris- based farm adviser Agritel wrote. "It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the USDA review its target upward."

 Corn for March delivery rose as much as 0.6 percent to $4.365 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade, the highest since Dec. 12, before trading at $4.36 by 7:06 a.m. Prices rose 2.8 percent in January. Futures trading volumes were about average for the past 100 days for this time of day, according to data compiled by Bloomberg....

Wyoming is considered the west, the Cowboy State. But, the drought of 2012 hit them hard. I would expect some better outcomes this year.
 
Barley had the next highest crop value in 2008, at $32 million followed by wheat at $31 million followed by corn for grainat $28 million. 

Wyoming ranks 8th nationwide in barley production, 20th in Hay, and 33rd in wheat production.

The cattle industry is by far the largest component of Wyoming agriculture. Cattle led the way in 2008 in terms of value of production at $599 million dollars.

 

Wyoming sheep producers produced 3,124,299 pounds of wool in 2007. Wyoming is ranked 4th

in lambs and sheep. Wyoming inventory of sheep and lambs was 411,952 head. Ewes one year old and older was 258,096 in 2008 

 

The figure to the left is the January 28, 2014 Wyoming Drought Monitor. 

The view from the USA.

Drought’s strain on the livestock industry (click here)

Years of drought have stressed the livestock industry, forcing producers to cull cattle as forage and water supplies become scarce, prompting changes in the industry. The cattle herd dipped to 89.3 million on Jan. 1, 2013, a low not seen since 1952. With fewer cattle, the nation has a greater livestock capacity than needed, leading businesses like Cargill to downsize.

Cargill officials announced that the cattle feed yard in Lockney, Texas, would close during the summer of 2014, due to the small cattle population in the region, years of drought and smaller grain harvests in the area for feed. The director of communications for Cargill stated that the regional drought that began in 2011 increased the cost of feeding cattle from $2 per day per animal to $8 per day. The Lockney feed yard was established in 1985, employs 45 people and has a capacity of 6,200 cattle.

Earlier this year, Cargill idled a meat processing plant, not 20 miles down the road from Lockney in nearby Plainview, Texas, on Feb. 1, 2013, for similar reasons. About 2,000 jobs were lost in a town of roughly 22,000 people. The high cost of corn resulted in another business casualty when an ethanol plant in Plainview, Texas, belonging to White Energy stopped production on Jan. 7, due to the high cost of grains.

Water Supply

Persistent drought in the western U.S. has strained water supplies, as demand has exceeded supply, and is approaching a critical situation without good snowfall this winter. 

Colorado River Basin
The Colorado River Basin needs above-normal snowfall to prevent water shortages as the levels of lakes Powell and Mead continue to drop. The 14-year drought the region has endured has drained Lake Mead by a depth of 100 vertical feet and may cause the lake to hit a record low by November 2014. 

California
California farmers were warned by state and federal water providers to expect no water in the spring of 2014 and possibly no water for the entire growing season. This is not a workable solution for farmers with permanent crops, such as vineyards, orchards and groves. Without water, the crops will die, at an enormous cost to farmers....

"The burning heat has just scorched everything off right back to the ground and then these hot winds have just blown it all away": Rod Barnes. Photo: Paul Mathews

February 4, 2014
Peter Hannam

Sydney (click here) has recorded its lowest summer rainfall to date in more than 70 years, as the state swelters through its driest January in more than a decade.
Since December, the city has had just 48.4 millimetres of rain, a little more than a quarter of the usual amount, and the lowest since 1941-42, said Acacia Pepler, a climatologist at the weather bureau.
NSW has had its driest January since 2003, with a statewide average of just 20.6 millimetres - or less than a third of the average rainfall.
For grazier Rod Barnes, drought has advanced on his property and those of his neighbours in northern NSW much quicker than anybody expected....

...Drying out
 
Three big heatwaves have hit the state this year, the latest one still searing its way across southern parts of the state on Monday. Hay Airport clocked up 45.5 (113.9 F) degrees, Deniliquin a fourth day of at least 43 (109.9 F), while Canberra set a record for the most days of 37 (98.6 F) or warmer with its sixth such day.

Sydney, while shielded from the worst of the blasts of summer by sea breezes, is also drying out. 

Last month alone, Sydney collected just 17.4 millimetres of rain, or less than a fifth of the long-term average, making it the driest January since 2003. Temperatures were about 1 degree above average for the city.

For NSW, maximum temperatures last month were 2.7 degrees above average, the 10th highest, adding to farmers' woes.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce is reported to be seeking $7 billion for a bailout package for farmers, particularly in Queensland, a claim he later denied making during Monday's Q&A program on ABC. Most of Queensland is already declared to be in drought.

Ed Fessey, a grazier near Brewarrina in northern NSW, said his region had not had decent rain in almost two years. Bores on his farm supply water but with almost no grass left, Mr Fessey has had to cut his sheep numbers by more than half to 4500 head, and has reduced some of his 700 cattle....

Dispelling the myth that transporting oil by pipeline is safer, it is not.

...Responsiveness. Rail facilities (click here) can almost always be built or expanded much more quickly than pipelines and refineries can be. 

Essentially, railroads are the only transportation mode that can invest in facilities quickly enough to keep up with production growth in the 

emerging oil fields....

Why is responsiveness important? Because rail services can adjust to
changing markets without huge and permanent infrastructure projects
that endanger water supplies and farm crops.

It also means, as the USA's demand for oil and gas drops the rail services

can respond easily to that decreasing commodity.

...Moving Crude Oil Safely Railroads have an excellent crude oil safety 

record — better, in fact, than pipelines in recent years. Based on data 

from the U.S.Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous 

Materials Safety Administration, the “spill rate” for U.S. railroads

from 2002-2012 was an estimated 2.2 gallons per million crude oil 

ton-miles generated. The comparable spill rate for pipelines is nearly 

three times the rail rate at approximately 6.3 gallons per million 

ton-miles. 

Pipelines carry —and spill — much more crude oil than railroads do. From 2002-2012, an estimated 19.9 million gallons (474,000 barrels) of crude 

oil were spilled in pipeline incidents, compared with an estimated 

95,000 gallons (2,300 barrels) of crude oil spilled in rail incidents over the same period.

The rail figure is less than 1 percent of the pipeline figure.... 

Associations of American Railroads (click here)

These statistics fly in the face of the disastrous train derailments of oil 

cars recently in Canada and USA. These derailments just don't happen that

often. I don't take phenomena like that lightly. If pipelines were safer, 

I'd say there were safe, but, they are not. It is why I find those three derailments very suspicious. None of it makes sense when the facts about

the safety or the freight railroads are examined. 

Do Americans realize how much of their economy moves on rail? 

Think about it. 

Then realize how much the media is lying about the issue regarding the 
promotion of a more dangerous transportation method in the Keystone 
pipeline. Then ask why would the media do that?

Interesting, isn't it?

It is Monday Night

"Lies" performed by Zlatomira Atanasova (click here)

You said the moon was ours, yeah
You said the moon was ours, to hell with the day
The sunlight is always gonna take love away
Brings up suspicions and, and alibi
But I can see blue, tear-blinded eyes
Lies, lies, lies, ohh lies

I got a stone where my heart should be
I got a stone where my heart should be
And nothing I do will make you love me
I'd leave this time, break all my ties
Be no more use for any disguise
Lies, lies, lies, ohh lies

I wanna die without pain, yeah
I wanna die, oh, without pain
All this deception,
I just can't maintain
The sun, moon, stars in the sky
It'd hurt me too bad if you said goodbye
Lies, lies, lies, ohh lies 

The Late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was not afraid of peace.

December 1969 Portrait Of Israeli General Ariel Sharon, Head Of The Southern Command Of The Israeli Army. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images)

He sought it. Embarrassed it. Longed for it.

He made some incredible strides with the Palestinian people. He was even befriended by Chairman of the PLO, Yassar Arafat.

Maybe it was because he knew personally the conviction of the Israeli Defense Force and their abilities, loyalties and how they placed Israel ahead of their very lives.

Prime Minister Sharon was not a weak man. He looked at the future and knew without strides to find peace the children of either nation would never be healed of the rift that divided them.

I always thought Israel would build on his legacy. I guess I was wrong.

In case Karl actually FORGOT how many Executive Orders Bush wrote and what the US Consitution says.

“I don’t see any part of the Constitution or the amendments to it that say the President has the right, if Congress is less popular than he is, to ignore their responsibilities to legislate and his responsibility to execute, to faithfully execute, the laws of the United States,” Rove said on Fox’s “America’s Newsroom.”

And then there was the whole expansive rant by Cheney about expanding the Executive Branch scope of power.
 

Executive power: an overview (click here)

In its first three articles, the U.S. Constitution outlines the branches of the U.S. Government, the powers that they contain and the limitations to which they must adhere. Article II outlines the duties of the Executive Branch.

...can issue executive orders, which have the force of law but do not have to be approved by congress.

Karl, really thinks the American people are this stupid? I can see the political ads now. "Congressman states Executive Orders are unconstitutional in error of understanding the US Constitution. Who do you trust with your legislative seat in Washington?"

Now if Karl wants to discuss the CONSTITUTIONALITY of Bush's decrees that attacked the wall between church and state, we can begin with one of the very first he wrote. In 2001 alone, Bush wrote at least 55 Executive orders.

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 29, 2001

Executive Order Establishment of White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (click here)

By the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to help the Federal Government coordinate a national effort to expand opportunities for faith-based and other community organizations and to strengthen their capacity to better meet social needs in America's communities, it is hereby ordered as follows:

The US Government is not suppose to support religious initiatives. Religion is suppose to stand on it's own as per the tithing of it's members. Religion stands alone in the USA as a right with the privilege of taxable non-profit. That didn't stop Bush though, did it?

So, for all those Red States where Congressmen seem to be confused about Executive Orders (click here), opposing candidates might want to point to what the Executive Order has actually done for them under previous administrations. 

February 3, 2014
With Brad Friedman...
After a recent three-to-three decision (click here) by a partisan-deadlocked Federal Elections Commission (FEC), Karl Rove may have thought he was off the hook for federal campaign finance violations by his Crossroads GPS organization. Two non-profit, good government groups, however, feel differently. Last Friday, they filed a federal lawsuit [PDF] against the FEC in hopes of forcing the agency to reverse its ruling, revisit the complaint against his group's 2010 electioneering, and to enforce federal campaign finance rules as specified by law.

Late last Friday, Attorneys from the non-partisan Campaign Legal Center and the Public Citizen Litigation Group filed a civil complaint against the FEC in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C.

The suit seeks to reverse what the plaintiffs describe as an "arbitrary" and "capricious" decision by the three Republican FEC Commissioners, in contradiction of the advice of their own staff attorneys, to dismiss the administrative complaint the groups had filed against Rove's organization. That administrative complaint charged that Rove's group violated federal campaign finance law during the 2010 election cycle....

...I'm just sayin'...

by The Canadian Press on Sunday
February 2, 2014 12:55pm 

OTTAWA – Almost half of Canadians (click here) followed Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent trip to the Middle East, and a third said they had positive views of his inaugural visit to the region, a new poll has found.

The survey, conducted from Jan. 23-Jan. 27 by Harris/Decima for The Canadian Press, suggests a third of Canadians held a favourable impression of Harper’s first foray to the Middle East.

Twenty-six per cent, meantime, said they held an unfavourable view.The majority of those polled, however — 42 per cent — said they had no opinion.
The survey also suggested a clear majority of Canadians feel it’s important for prime ministers to make international trips like Harper made last month to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan.

Nationally, 22 per cent said such overseas trips are very important to a prime minister while 41 per cent said they were somewhat important. Ontarians were more likely than Quebecers, at 67 per cent and 58 per cent respectively, to say such trips are significant.

More than a third of those polled said the primary benefit of prime ministerial trips is diplomacy and strengthening international relations. Only 12 per cent pointed to economic benefits, and even fewer — nine per cent — said they’re important in raising Canada’s profile.

Fifty-nine per cent of those polled believe Harper’s visit will have a positive impact on Canada’s ties with Israel. But respondents were divided evenly on what the trip would mean for Canada’s relationship with the Palestinian Authority: 32 per cent expect a positive impact, while 31 per cent anticipated a negative one....

Starting to get that anti-gay rights feeling yet?

January 28, 2014

Ten influential evangelical Protestant pastors and leaders (click here) flew with Prime Minister Stephen Harper on his recent trip to Israel, which included visits to holy sites and extensive photo opportunities.
No mainline Protestant leaders — from such large denominations as the United Church of Canada, the Anglican Church, the Lutherans or the Presbyterians — were on the trip, according to the official list of more than 208 selected guests, many of them donors to the Conservative Party.
Dozens of the official participants had their way funded by taxpayers, but the PMO’s office said those in the “accompanying party” did not. However, some journalists are starting to look into whether parts of the expenses of the “accompanying party” were covered by taxpayers....
...Even though the census shows more than four out of 10 Canadians are Catholics, there were no Catholic bishops or other Catholic officials on the prime ministerial tour, which was almost unprecedented for its size.
However, 21 rabbis (mostly Orthodox) plus scores of other Jewish figures and business people took part in the trip, including Winnipeg’s David Asper and Vancouver’s Sam Belzberg.
There were no Muslims, as far as anyone can tell. Nor Buddhists, Hindus or Sikhs. (Hard to tell re atheists :-))

Any excuse is a good excuse. Israel is afraid of peace. It is easier to be at war and believe it is in control.

Palestinians and Israeli activists hold a banner reading "No peace with settlements" as they take part in a protest denouncing the repeated refusals of the Israeli Prime Minister to dismantle Jewish settlements, on January 31, 2014, near Jericho in the occupied West Bank. (Photo: AFP - Ahmad Gharabli)

Published Sunday, February 2, 2014

 

Updated at 1:40 pm: Israeli Finance Minister Yair Lapid (click here) has decided to suspend the transfer of public funds to West Bank settlements pending a probe into their alleged misuse, his office said.
The move announced late Saturday was not expected to affect plans for illegal settlement expansion, which the Palestinians view as a major obstacle to US-backed peace talks relaunched last year.
The decision came as Israeli politicians lashed out after comments by US Secretary of State John Kerry mentioned "talk of boycotts" if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict did not end.
Lapid's move came after he was informed that "funds were allegedly transferred from settlements to the Yesha Council," which represents Israelis living in the West Bank, a statement late Saturday read....

The USA and Europe needs to supply the funding for Palestinian housing.

by Khaled Neimat
Feb 02, 2014

AMMAN — Jordan will not accept any solution (click here) to the Palestinian refugee issue without taking into consideration its national interests including those of its citizens of Palestinian origin, a senior official said on Sunday.

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh told lawmakers that the Kingdom retains its right “to reject, accept or express reservation” over any solution that comes at the expense of the country’s national rights.

His remarks came during a Lower House meeting designated to discuss US Secretary of State John Kerry’s ongoing efforts to push the Mideast peace process forward and hammer out a framework agreement to the almost seven-decade-old Middle East conflict. 

Judeh stressed that Kerry’s approach in this regard is compatible with Jordan’s vision of a solution to the conflict based on ending the occupation, establishing an independent Palestinian state within pre- June 4, 1967 lines and a just and agreed upon solution to the refugee issue according to international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.

“We do not negotiate on behalf of the Palestinians, but we are a key and central stakeholder in these negotiations, as we are concerned with certain final status issues… that directly touch on our higher national interests.”... 

The USA needs to do more than simply provide assistance to refugee efforts, they need to help the Palestinians build their homeland. The USA cannot provide a half hearted approach to a Palestinian state while so many live in the status of a refugee in very dangerous areas of the Mideast. It is globally accepted the Palestinians are to have a homeland, so why the delay in allowing the construction of that homeland. If there is doubt that the funds will go to rockets and Hamas, then send USA contractors and pay them to hire Palestinians to build what is vitally needed.

If the USA doesn't provide the initiative to end the suffering, it will never end.
 
USA Responds to UNRWA Syria Appeal 27 January 2014 East Jerusalem

USA Responds to UNRWA Syria Appeal
27 January 2014
East Jerusalem - See more at: http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/47d4e277b48d9d3685256ddc00612265/942325cd501f499885257c6d004fef92?OpenDocument#sthash.eneJiyV9.dpuf

At the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference (click here) for Syria, in Kuwait City, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) received a generous contribution of US$ 28.1 million from the United States of America. This voluntary contribution by the United States will support the Agency's emergency efforts on behalf of Palestine refugees affected by the ongoing conflict in Syria at a time when such support is critically needed. As the largest bilateral donor to UNRWA, the United States has helped ensure that Palestine refugees affected by the conflict receive lifesaving assistance, including access to clean water, medicine, food and other critical needs. The United States has contributed more than US$ 100 million to UNRWA emergency appeals for Syria since the start of the crisis, and provided over US$ 294 million to support the Agency in 2013....

Jordan is 35,637 square miles and opens doors and hearts to refuges all over the region. If one wants to understand the refugee status in the Middle East ask Jordan.

Israel is 8,019 square miles and it cannot even find a place for Palestinians that belong there.

Jordan is not a wealthy country. If it weren't for the USA it's people would be in far worse condition today. Israel flourishes in the world. The USA stands by Israel without question only to see it dismiss the right of Palestinians to live at peace. This is ridiculous.

At the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, in Kuwait City, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) received a generous contribution of US$ 28.1 million from the United States of America. This voluntary contribution by the United States will support the Agency's emergency efforts on behalf of Palestine refugees affected by the ongoing conflict in Syria at a time when such support is critically needed. As the largest bilateral donor to UNRWA, the United States has helped ensure that Palestine refugees affected by the conflict receive lifesaving assistance, including access to clean water, medicine, food and other critical needs. The United States has contributed more than US$ 100 million to UNRWA emergency appeals for Syria since the start of the crisis, and provided over US$ 294 million to support the Agency in 2013. - See more at: http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/47d4e277b48d9d3685256ddc00612265/942325cd501f499885257c6d004fef92?OpenDocument#sthash.eneJiyV9.dpuf

At the Second International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, in Kuwait City, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) received a generous contribution of US$ 28.1 million from the United States of America. This voluntary contribution by the United States will support the Agency's emergency efforts on behalf of Palestine refugees affected by the ongoing conflict in Syria at a time when such support is critically needed. As the largest bilateral donor to UNRWA, the United States has helped ensure that Palestine refugees affected by the conflict receive lifesaving assistance, including access to clean water, medicine, food and other critical needs. The United States has contributed more than US$ 100 million to UNRWA emergency appeals for Syria since the start of the crisis, and provided over US$ 294 million to support the Agency in 2013. - See more at: http://unispal.un.org/unispal.nsf/47d4e277b48d9d3685256ddc00612265/942325cd501f499885257c6d004fef92?OpenDocument#sthash.eneJiyV9.dpuf