There are multiple crisis the USA is facing. None of them are easy to solve, but, they have something in common, neglect.

They also have politics in common. These topics for the USA have all been used for political leverage by Republicans leading to neglect of profound problems this country faces.

Racism, a deadly virus, and the climate crisis. 

All of those issues became political volleyballs and they should never have been and it was the case for two reasons. There were multiple extremist groups that could be tapped for votes and they attracted big money to elect Republicans that would obstruct the legislature from doing what they needed to do in order to resolve these problems.

This political volleying with fear and big money politics has to stop. The USA has to be confronted politically with people willing and ABLE to solve the problems not obstruct them, that is a fool's game.

The Republicans like to say we are spending our children's future when they bellyache about the national debt and deficit. But, yet they squander our children's future to allow the pollution of deadly greenhouse gases for the bottom line of wealthy cronies such as Big Oil and the Kochs.

The Republicans can complain all they want about SPENDING, but, when it comes to collecting taxes they won't pass legislation that requires outstanding taxes to be collected.

 

...The shift came after pushback from Republicans (click here) who were wary of granting the agency more money and power, Sen. Rob Portman (R., Ohio), one of the lead negotiators, said Sunday on CNN. Legislative aides from both parties confirmed the move....

No wonder corporations never pay taxes. Let's not forget the tax package the Republicans passed. They don't care about paying the bills, only padding their own pockets with foreign investment and bankrolling donations to stay in office.

The elections are corrupted by wrongful methods in election advertising and now even at the ballot box.

The American people made the right choice in electing President Biden. He is doing all the work that has needed to be done for decades. He is a good and moral man that will bring about the change we have needed but never were able to achieve because of a corrupted election process including making money a citizen and allowing limitless spending.

2030 is not far off and if the changes President Biden is proposing aren't carried forward we will all be sorry.

End the SPREAD.

End the HATE.

End the POLLUTION.

We can't keep doing this. 2030 is only nine years away. End the Greenhouse Gas Pollution across the board.

August 1, 2021
By Dan Becker and James Gerstenzang

With the gas mileage and auto pollution decisions (click here) President Joe Biden is expected to announce in coming days, environmentalists are increasingly worried the administration will yield to automakers' pressure and adopt modest limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars, instead of the strict standards they say are necessary to combat climate change.

The United States can begin to take the biggest single step of any nation in the fight against climate change. The President must set tough rules that restore, and later strengthen, tailpipe emissions standards that President Donald Trump trashed while putting us on course to phase in a new car fleet that is 100% electric by 2030....

The country is very ill prepared for the reality of the climate crisis.

July 29, 2021
By Brad Plumer and Ivann Penn

Smoke from the Dixie Fire near a Pacific Gas & Electric power station in California this month.Credit...

The phone call to the Eugene Water & Electric Board (click here) was startling. A group of homeowners, fearing a storm could knock down nearby power lines and ignite wildfires, was asking the Oregon utility to turn off their electricity.

“I about fell out of my chair,” said Rodney Price, the utility’s assistant general manager, of the people who were voluntarily asking to live in the dark in September, during one of the worst fire seasons Oregon had ever seen. It was a sign of growing angst, he said. “We’re seeing more and more widespread impacts of climate change. It’s clear it’s impacting how we do our business.”

Across the United States, power companies are scrambling to keep up with a barrage of extreme weather from a rapidly warming climate. In the West, that means trying to meet soaring demand for air-conditioning because of record heat, without sparking wildfires made more destructive because of record drought. A desperate tactic pioneered in California, utilities intentionally shutting off power lines to avoid starting fires, has now spread to Oregon and Nevada.

On Wednesday, California’s grid operator asked the state’s 39 million residents to conserve electricity or face rolling power outages, the sixth time it has done so this summer. The Texas power grid operator has forecast that demand will reach a record high over the next week as a heat dome bakes the state....

People know there is something wrong and there has been something wrong for a long time. Their victory gardens are more survival than county fair competition.

July 28, 2021
By Zach St. George

Jeff Lowenfels in his greenhouse in Anchorage, Alaska.Credit...

In the summer of 2019, (click here) Jeff Lowenfels told me, one of his friends successfully grew okra in Anchorage. Lowenfels could not believe it. The crop was shorthand for all the change he has witnessed since he moved to the city in the 1970s, a distance between past and present that he has measured in vegetables and fruits — from cabbage, snow peas, and potatoes to tomatoes, pumpkins and now, incredibly, okra. “Holy crow!” he said. “We can grow anything!”

Lowenfels, a 72-year-old retired lawyer, has written several best-selling books on organic gardening and one on growing cannabis. He is a former president of the Garden Writers Association and was inducted into the organization’s Hall of Fame in 2005; his personal website describes this as “the highest honor a garden writer can achieve.” Perhaps his most notable feat, though, is one of endurance. Lowenfels has written a gardening column for The Anchorage Daily News since November 1976. It is the country’s longest-running such column. In it, he gives advice: on the care and feeding of African violets; on the benefits of raking or not raking your lawn; on how to ward off hungry moose. He also observes. Gardening is fundamentally a local endeavor, an experiment in fitting plants to a specific soil and climate. For more than 40 years, Lowenfels has noted Alaskans’ successes with new plants, tracked the lengthening stretch of frost-free days and recorded the arrival of new horticultural pests....

The Climate balance of Earth is not manmade.

Now, if there are textbooks written about a subject, the knowledge has been around for a while.

28 July 2021

By Shiv Priyam Raghuraman, David Paynter and V. Ramaswamy

Nature Communications volume 12, Article number: 4577 (2021) 

Earth's Radiation Balance. (click here) Image Source: Steve Ackerman and John Knox. US Department of Energy (ARM)

The observed trend in Earth’s energy imbalance (TEEI), (click here) a measure of the acceleration of heat uptake by the planet, is a fundamental indicator of perturbations to climate. Satellite observations (2001–2020) reveal a significant positive globally-averaged TEEI of 0.38 ± 0.24 Wm−2decade−1, but the contributing drivers have yet to be understood. Using climate model simulations, we show that it is exceptionally unlikely (<1% probability) that this trend can be explained by internal variability. Instead, TEEI is achieved only upon accounting for the increase in anthropogenic radiative forcing and the associated climate response. TEEI is driven by a large decrease in reflected solar radiation and a small increase in emitted infrared radiation. This is because recent changes in forcing and feedbacks are additive in the solar spectrum, while being nearly offset by each other in the infrared. We conclude that the satellite record provides clear evidence of a human-influenced climate system....

This should have been headlines over and over to bring this country into line with the rest of the world.

July 21, 2021
By USA Today Editorial Board

Our View: Heat dome (click here) killed hundreds in the Pacific Northwest as global temperatures rise. Biden infrastructure bill is a good start to protect America.

Not long ago, climate change for many Americans was like a distant bell. News of starving polar bears or melting glaciers was tragic and disturbing, but otherworldly.

Not any more.

Hundreds died in unprecedented triple-digit heat in Oregon, Washington and western Canada late last month when a "heat dome" of enormous proportions settled over the region for days. Some victims brought by stretcher into crowded hospital wards had body temperatures so high, their nervous systems shut down. People collapsed trying to make their way to cooling shelters....

When is the USA media going to catch up with their global peers that discuss the climate crisis and the remedies all the time. This is a real issue for USA allies and the USA still sits back and leaves everything to chance. That time is OVER.

Dust storms where they have never been before. People dying in wrecked vehicles when they had no clue about the size and scope of the problems they were facing. The dangers in sandstorms are not much than blizzards. There is no help coming anytime soon.

Another thing. Tankers carrying chemicals and gasoline and liquid natural gas; at what temperature does the outside heat make it's' way into the inside and the cargo explode? The same goes for trucks transporting nuclear waste. YES, IT IS GOING TO GET THAT HOT!!!!!!!

When I state the USA is not nearly ready for what is coming, I mean there is nothing within the infrastructure of this country, and probably the same holds true for Canada, that will ensure that mass catastrophe of exploding tankers, be they trucks or train, won't happen. 

Chemical plants, fertilizer plants, and all those places, including delivery tankers of oxygen to hospitals have not even begun to have plans in place to prevent mass catastrophe. The USA's vital infrastructure is not in step with what is going to happen with rising global temperatures.

When President Biden says there need to be mass amounts of investment in infrastructure he means it.

The USA with Republican denial of THE TRUTH has postponed any and all investment needed to protect this country from the climate crisis. Now, that the USA is at the precipice of catastrophe, the country finally has a moral man in the White House that sincerely cares about the future of the democracy and the people.

It is very heartening to read the endorsement of President Biden and his path forward for the USA in regard to Climate.

President Biden is having a difficult time filling the holes of qualified scientists for the Climate Crisis.

I am not surprised President Biden has to start from scratch when it comes to finding qualified scientists to staff all the agencies. During the Trump years, there were labs closed and the destination of the records from those buildings have yet to be stated as present and accounted for or simply missing without a trace. I would not be surprised if the hatred of science exhibited by Trump lead to the mass destruction of reports and even unfinished studies.

Scientists left the USA and some went to Europe. I am sure by now some are citizens, either dually or changing completely, to another country. It was a fairly substantial agenda to close all the scientific agencies, except those that produced good press for him, namely "The Space Force." But, other than that there were scientists simply put out of a career in the USA government because of Trump's hatred for them.

So, welcome a new leader to the Climate Crisis leader, Allison Crimmins, who is familiar with government and the Climate Crisis. I am hopeful there will be a significant change including new staff coming under the new leadership. I am sure Ms. Crimmins could consider inviting scientists back to their old jobs if they are around and want to continue to practice in government.

16 July 2021
By Jeff Tollefson

US President Joe Biden’s administration (click here) has appointed a new director to lead the nation’s next major climate assessment, finalizing the roster of its federal climate team and marking the end of a turbulent period in the office that coordinates work on global warming.

By law, the US government must complete a national climate assessment every four years, reviewing the latest science and highlighting the local and regional impacts of climate change — with the goal of helping individuals, businesses and state and local officials to make decisions about how to curb emissions and adapt to global warming. The most recent such report was finalized in 2018.

Work on the next report — the fifth National Climate Assessment — began last year, under the administration of former US president Donald Trump, whose industry-friendly policies were often at odds with efforts to limit climate change. In November 2020, Trump officials appointed a climate-change denier to head the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), which produces the assessments and coordinates climate activities across 13 federal agencies. Many experts feared that the move was intended to influence the report.

Since Biden took office in January, his administration has been assembling its own team of specialists to work on it. The latest is Allison Crimmins, who has worked on climate issues for the past decade at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and was appointed this week to head the fifth assessment. She joins Mike Kuperberg, an environmental toxicologist at the US Department of Energy, who was restored as head of the USGCRP in May. Together, they will attempt to put the report back on track: it is a year behind schedule after delays in appointing authors and defining its scope.

“We want to put this out in a timely manner,” says Crimmins, who also worked on the fourth assessment. “But I think the most important part is ensuring the quality and the scientific integrity of this report.”...

Another sad story for the people in the southern ocean. A long lived Orca appears to be dying.

July 30, 2021

Victoria - Researchers with the Orca Behavior Institute in Washington state (click here) say a well-known southern resident killer whale was seen in poor condition earlier this week.

The "iconic" male orca, K21, was spotted off the southern tip of Vancouver Island in the Race Rocks Marine Protected Area by a whale-watching vessel on Wednesday.

According to the Orca Behavior Institute, the orca, also known as Cappuccino, appeared emaciated and in poor health. His dorsal fin was also collapsed which can be a sign of illness, according to the institute.

"Cappuccino is one of the best-known southern residents, easily identifiable by his check-mark shaped saddle patches and a notch in his tall dorsal fin," said Monika Shields, director of the Orca Behavior Institute, in a release Friday.

Shields says Wednesday's sighting was a disheartening development after dozens of orcas were spotted in the Salish Sea on Tuesday, after being noticeably absent from their usual summer hunting ground for more than 100 days.

Shields adds that 35-year-old Cappuccino made it well into adulthood, which can be rare for the endangered southern residents.

"The average life expectancy of a male resident killer whale is about 30 years," Shields said. "It’s never easy to lose one of these whales, but it’s even worse when they aren’t living a complete life. K21 at least had that."...

...Researchers say that southern resident killer whales sometimes gather in the Salish Sea to mark the birth or death of an orca....

I particularly found this one statement interesting. They think in family groups similar to elephants. But, also the fact the Orcas hadn't been noticed in their usual summer hunting grounds in more than 100 days again reminds us there is something very wrong with the warmed waters of Antarctica.

They came to see the Olymics. A lot of spashing I guess. Came to check it out. 2 albino killer whales.

July 29, 2021
By Harry Baker

The pair of white orcas swim side by side off the coast of Rausu in Hokkaido, Japan on July 24.

Whale watchers in Japan (click here) were recently treated to a rare wildlife encounter when they saw, not one, but two white orcas swimming side by side.

The pair and their pod were spotted by a group on a Gojiraiwa Kanko Whale Watching boat off the coast of Rausu on the northernmost of Japan's main islands called Hokkaido on July 24, according to a Facebook post.

The white coloration of orcas, also known as killer whales, can be the result of either albinism or leucism.

"Albinism is caused by defects of melanin production and equally affects the whole skin, fur, and eyes," Erich Hoyt, a research fellow at Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) in the U.K., told Live Science. "Leucism results from defects in pigment cells and can be patchy."

Albinism in orcas is the result of inbreeding, but there is no clear evidence to suggest that this negatively impacts the killer whales in any other way, Hoyt said. Leucism is the result of a random genetic mutation and also doesn't seem to impact the orcas' health, according to WDC....

Interesting article in Brookings this week about teacher expectations of students.

I think expecting good performance out of students is important, but, no one can deny things have changed in the teaching and learning of students. They are still going to be wearing masks for children under 12.

I think 12 years old is when Junior High School or Middle School begins, yes? So, the Middle Schools should be maskless because I am confident the school systems will require vaccines where they are available.

I will say this, the schools may have a problem enforcing that rule because of the inflammatory response noted in this age group, of 12 - 17. Parents might be apprehensive in having their children in this age group vaccinated. So, if the youngest elementary students still have to wear masks, perhaps that should still be system-wide. No chance of cross-contamination because some teachers such as art and music travel from school to school to teach.

But, the article from Brookings is interesting. I think school systems need to be ready to try different evaluations for students who are not doing well and whether or not they need to repeat a grade or find a better venue for their learning.

July 29, 2021

By Niharika Gupt and Sameer Sampat

In primary school, (click here) we were both lucky to have teachers who thought we were brilliant: Ms. Darrow believed Sameer was an excellent student despite average grades, and Ms. Lewis made Niharika feel like she could survive anything. Looking back, neither of us knows why they thought this way, but we’re certain that they both truly felt this way, and their feelings made us believe it as well. Our time with these teachers made us believe in our ability to take on academic challenges, building a base of confidence that we would draw on throughout our lives.

We experienced firsthand that what a teacher expects from a student can have a powerful effect. But we also know that there are many students who never have a teacher who believes in them. There is a strong perception among teachers and other stakeholders that students from disadvantaged economic and social backgrounds cannot learn as well. These beliefs adversely impact what teachers do in the classroom and in turn how much students learn and grow. It’s precisely these students from disadvantaged backgrounds who have been hit hardest by COVID-19 and who need the most help. To bridge this growing inequality in learning, we must design support for teachers to nurture the belief that all students can learn....

No surprise here, Florida still holds the title of the SuperSpreader State.

August 1, 2021
By John Bacon and Jeanine Santucci

Trump's Super Spreader Rally in Florida (click here)

The U.S. likely won't see the lockdowns (click here) that plagued the nation last year despite surging infections, but "things are going to get worse," Dr. Anthony Fauci warned Sunday.

Fauci, making the rounds on morning news shows, noted that half of Americans have been vaccinated. That, he said, should be enough people to avoid drastic measures. But not enough to crush the outbreak.

"We are looking, not I believe to lockdowns, but to some pain and suffering in the future," Fauci said on ABC’s “This Week."

The U.S. reported more than 1.3 million new infections in July, more than triple the number from June. Fauci acknowledged that some breakthrough infections are occurring among the vaccinated. No vaccine is 100% effective, he noted. But he stressed the Biden administration's recurring theme that vaccinated people who do become infected are far less likely to become seriously ill than unvaccinated people who become infected....

A lot of people sick and dead.

 WHO Coronavirus (COVID-19) Dashboard (click here)

If you look at this blog regularly, I thank you for that, but, you would also recognize the graph to the left. Right now you are scratching your head going, that doesn't look a whole lot different than the beginning of this thing.

That would be correct. However if you scroll to the top of this epage you will see the date the information was updated, 30 July 2021.

Globally, as of 6:30pm CEST, 30 July 2021, there have been 196,553,009 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 4,200,412 deaths, reported to WHO. As of 29 July 2021, a total of 3,839,816,037 vaccine doses have been administered.

There is also the addition of the word vaccine which did not appear in the earlier days of the Global Pandemic. And if you toggle between weekly figures and daily, there is basically no difference between the two. What is high on a daily basis is high on a weekly basis.

The situation by country has the USA still being first in confirmed cases. That is even with President Biden's July 4th goal nearly met. Why? Because the people that are not vaccinated are still getting sick over and over and over again, except for the ones that die for listening to Trump.

India is coming in a close second after it's escalation in cases in May of this year. 

Next is Brazil that is basically out of control. 

Russia comes in behind Brazil and for some reason, their Sputnik vaccine doesn't seem to be doing as well with the Delta variant if indeed that is what the problem is as of late.

So, with Brazil out of control and the USA still making a significant showing in confirmed cases, the Americas are still producing the most confirmed cases.

It's Sunday Night

So this is the COVID-19 reaction, right? Oh, my, goodness I really got this thing.

So, the song "Sick" below reminded me of a really good theme song for Trump. "I am so sick of being sick of you." Think about it. Isn't that what his entire theme is, destroying government that invokes taxes and then spends the taxes appallingly on things governments spend taxes on. How dare they.

But, I really do believe that is Trump's Theme Song, "Sick." I also think his loyal followers have that same attitude. It is an attitude. I am so sick of me being sick of you. No wonder he speaks in the Third Person.

This is the stage version. The guitar in this song became quite popular for teaching lessons.

Acoustic version

Sick by Adelitas Way (click here for official website - thank you)

I'm so sick of me, being sick of you

And the way you look, all the things you do
You drive me crazy, drive me crazy
Sick of being broke, can't pay for shit
I'm about to snap, I can't handle this
I'm going crazy, doing crazy (Going crazy)

If you're sick like me
There's no stopping now
Try to break it up
And just let it out
If I was sick like you
I would feed the fire
I would light it up
And watch it all drop down

I'm so sick of my life
It's the same old shit
Try to make it bend
But it never gives
Look what you made me (What you made me)
Well I hate my boss
He's a little bitch
If he keeps it up
I'll make him quit
Or I'll go crazy
I'm going crazy

If you're sick like me
There's no stopping now
Try to break it up
And just let it out
If I was sick like you
I would feed the fire
I would light it up
And watch it all drop down
And watch it all drop down

I'm so sick of me, being sick of you
And the way you look, all the things you do
You drive me crazy, drive me crazy
Yeah!

If you're sick like me
There's no stopping now
Try to break it up
And just let it out
If I was sick like you
I would feed the fire
I would light it up
And watch it all drop down

If you're sick like me
There's no stopping now
There's no stopping now
Watch it all drop down
If you're sick like me
Then you're sick like me