Water and food security is a problem in nearly every corner of the world, the Middle East is no different.

The USA military very early on stated water security is going to be a problem. That is playing out in international relations and building relationships that work for the people.

March 16, 2023

The Ministry of Water and Irrigation (click here) on Thursday launched the National Water Strategy 2023-2040 to serve as a long-term plan to achieve water security in Jordan.

The strategy outlines the government's goals and plans to achieve water security in line with His Majesty King Abdullah's vision, tackling issues such as water scarcity, population growth and climate change, said Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar, deputising for the prime minister, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Noting that Jordan's per capita share of water currently stands at less than 61 cubic metres per year, Najjar highlighted Jordan's need for new water sources, optimal management of current water resources, water security and sustainable development.

Najjar noted that non-conventional water sources, including the National Water Carrier Project and wastewater treatment for agriculture, are essential components of Jordan's efforts to boost water supply and sustainability.

He highlighted the potential of non-conventional water sources to decrease water loss, improve water supplies and provide water for industrial, agricultural, and tourism projects.

The minister emphasised the importance of building an effective management system, tackling climate change and minimising groundwater depletion.

The strategy aims to reduce water losses, install modern smart meters and control systems and improve water sector governance, management and operation via modernising water sector institutions, streamlining processes and saving costs, he said....

16 March 2023

Minister of Water and Irrigation Mohammad Najjar (click here) confirmed that Israel supplied Jordan with about 100 million cubic meters of water in 2022.

Among the 100mcm of water that entered Jordan last year, about 35 million through the 'peace treaty', and about 50 million additional ones outside the treaty were purchased, and about 10 million are stored in Sea of Galilee.

Jordan and the Israeli occupation signed a declaration of intent to rehabilitate and improve the environment and water system of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea, on the sidelines of the Sharm el-Sheikh climate summit.

A quarter of Jordan's water resources are shared with neighbouring countries, according to Ibrahim Hiyasat, advisor to the Minister of Water and Irrigation.

The Secretary-General of the Jordan Valley Authority, Manar Mahasneh said that the water supply to Jordan outside the treaty (50mcm) over a period of 3 years began in May 2021 and it will end in May 2024.

March 16, 2023

...This invention by the Technion researchers consists of a unique wind turbine, (click here) that does not require any electricity for it to run, and is cheap and easy to use and maintain.

The electric energy consumed today by desalination processes stands at about 3.5 kilowatt-hours (kWh) for each cubic meter of water. For the sake of illustration, approximately 4% of all electric energy produced in Israel in 2015 was used for desalination.

 
In addition to the high environmental costs of such vast energy consumption – energy which is produced in Israel mainly by burning fossil fuels – the need for so much electricity keeps the technology of desalinating and purifying water beyond the reach of over a billion people around the world who have no access to clean drinking water.

At the core of the new invention lies a turbine not known by many – the vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). This turbine rotates around an upright axis (to visualize the movement of the turbine blades, imagine a man running around an electric pole), unlike the more familiar wind turbines, whose axis is horizontal....

Of course the real answer is for normal rainfall to return along with far more reduction of greenhouse gases.

With the serious issues facing the Middle East, it doesn't make sense that Saudi Arabia has chosen to create tensions with Israel. These tensions aren't even about delicate issues, this is about tourism.

13 March 2023

A man rides his bicycle past a mosque in the Circassian village of Kfar Kama in the northern Galilee region, on December 21, 2022.

...Saudi Arabia (click here) refused to issue visas for an Israeli delegation to a UN event honoring spots picked as the world’s top rural tourist destinations for 2022, Israeli officials confirmed to The Times of Israel on Sunday.

The delegation was representing the Circassian town of Kfar Kama in the Galilee region of northern Israel, which was selected in December as an international “tourist village” by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

The town, whose 3,500 residents are Muslim, was named among 32 villages from 22 countries including Morocco, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, Peru and others....

Israel is doing a lot of good work in regard to conservation and clean waterways.

28 December 2022
By Sue Surkes

...Water authorities (click here) on Tuesday inaugurated an innovative project to pipe desalinated water into the Sea of Galilee in order to maintain the lake’s water level during dry years even as its waters fill growing regional demands.

One of the lowest-lying bodies of water on Earth, the Sea of Galilee is Israel’s largest freshwater lake and its emergency water store.

It is the first time in the world that desalinated water is being used to replenish a lake....

13 June 2022

In the Jordan Valley, (click here) reconstructed changes of the Sea of Galilee level have shown sharp fluctuations of the water elevation during the Holocene. In this paper, we provide new data originating from the excavations of Kursi Beach archaeological site located on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee and compare them with other data gathered from the archaeological site of Magdala, located on its western shore. Our data yield to constrain Sea of Galilee level changes between the Iron Age II (10th–9th centuries BCE) and the Crusader period (11th–12th centuries CE), a period of high interest for the archaeological community. We demonstrate that water level was around -212 to -210 m mean sea level (msl) for the Iron Age II period. Lake level rose to -208/-209 m msl during the Late Hellenistic/Early Roman period. Water level remained low (<-213/-214 m msl) from the Byzantine to the Crusader period (from 5th to 12th centuries CE). Our data provide new knowledge for the understanding of variations in the Sea of Galilee level in antiquity. We highlight that water level fluctuations must have been key factors taken into account in the habitation pattern.

20 February 2023
By Sue Surkes

Ten environmental organizations (click here) said Monday that they have joined forces to campaign for the rehabilitation of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea has been shrinking dramatically in recent years and is currently about half the size it was in 1976. Currently at 436 meters (1,430 feet) below sea level, it is dropping by 1.1–1.2 meters (45–48 inches) each year.

The umbrella body, called From the Point of View of the Sea, includes several not-for-profits already involved in water issues, such as Dead Sea Guardians, EcoPeace, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, EcoOcean, Zalul, and the Negev Desert-focussed Sustainable Desert, as well as Lobby 99, a crowd-funded legal organization that is following the impending renewal of the state franchise to mine minerals from the Dead Sea. The student-based Green Course has also joined, as has Life and Environment, the umbrella body for all of Israel’s green groups....

This area of the world was never this parched. Besides being capable of producing food and water for populations of people, there were lush areas. Ethiopia, as an example, was a lush rainforest (click here).

In order to have rain there has to be water vapor. All the water vapor needed for rainfall globally cannot come from the oceans and travel far distances. The rainforests are a place where water vapor is produced through evapotranspiration of plants and ultimately into the air to create clouds and rain. These areas must be returned to Earth's ecosystems to return the planet back to it's natural state. 

Currently, there is  only one way to return these regions of vital importance to a contributing element of a healthy climate of the troposphere and that is desalination and restoration of rivers and lakes. There is no other feasible way. Countries that accept the challenge of the climate crisis work with scientists to end the crisis and begin to heal Earth.

22 June 2022
By Sue Surkes

...The Dead Sea’s issues (click here) have been exacerbated by mineral mining operations that pump its water into massive evaporation pools to its south. The mining lease has been enshrined in law for nearly seven decades, but in the coming years the government will finally have a chance to reopen the contract, and possibly help slow the Dead Sea’s decline.

In the meantime, the Environmental Protection Ministry called this week for the government to set a target below which the level of the Dead Sea will not be allowed to fall. This was one of a slew of recommendations in a draft policy document issued for public comment.

It’s unclear whether such a target will win cabinet approval. But even if it does, serious questions remain regarding how, and if, Israel can keep the Dead Sea from dwindling further....

Israel is amazing in other ways. They have a new method of detecting contamination in water.

March 15, 2023

The Israeli startup (click here) that invented a connected toilet clip-on device that uses AI for continuous, 100 percent passive urine analysis now is developing a mobile kit to detect chemical and biological contaminants in lakes and natural water sources in Israel.

The unique optical system is being developed by Olive Diagnostics for national water carrier Mekorot to improve the monitoring and analysis of water sources.

The development agreement, which includes an investment by Mekorot in Olive Diagnostics, was signed following a series of successful tests in the early detection of chemical and biological micro-contaminants in treated wastewater reservoirs....

The deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran had to occur for the kingdom. Iran is backing the militias in the Middle East attacking Saudi Arabia, so finding a path to end these aggressions is a goal for Saudi Arabia.

For Iran this is a no brainer. The protests in Iran (click here) are continuing and are exacerbated by economic deprivation. Saudi money is going to return an economy to Iran and with that Shi'ite Muslims in Iran hope the protests will end and bring the people back to the flock.

March 16, 2023
By Parisa Hafezi, Aziz El Yaakoubi and James Pomfret

...Iran denied involvement. (click here) Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan has said that Saudi investments into Iran could now happen quickly.

Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran was stormed during a dispute between the two countries over Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shi'ite Muslim cleric.

Hostility between the two powers had endangered stability in the Middle East and fuelled regional conflicts including in Yemen, Syria and Lebanon.

Asked whether the Saudi-Iran deal might fray, Wang Di, a senior Chinese diplomat involved in the talks in Beijing, told reporters the rapprochement was a process without expectations that all issues would be solved overnight.

"The important thing is for both sides to have the sincerity to improve ties," he said, according to state Xinhua news agency reporter Yang Liu on Twitter....

What is concerning is why would relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia change? If China has brokered a peace deal that will also serve as an economic engine in Iran, why is Israel considered a point of contention? It has nothing to do with Israel.

It appears China is attempting a power play that also includes ostracizing Israel from international relationships of long time friends.

July 11, 2022

Saudi Arabia (click here) has taken a complex approach to the recognition of Israel by several Arab countries in the Abraham Accords. It has a long history of clandestine cooperation with Israel against mutual enemies. Recently, it has said public recognition of Israel will come only if there is movement to resolve the Palestinian conflict and create a two-state solution. But the kingdom has tolerated and even abetted the development of diplomatic and military ties between some of its closest allies and Israel....

China appears to be attempting to divide the Middle East into allies of the communists or allies of the Free World. That type of division will not serve to bring peace to the region, but, invite more instability and a definite approach to a larger war of choice by China and Russia.

Israel has the right values for land and water in this climate crisis environment. It is a country with great talents that produce peaceful products that can stem disease. There is absolutely no reason for Israel to be regarded as a threat to the Middle East. There is no doubt there is a continued conflict with Palestine, but, taking that to a larger global venue is a mistake. 

March 16, 2023

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories — Israeli forces (click here) on Thursday killed four Palestinians including a teenager in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said, the latest deadly raid on Jenin.

The Israeli forces said they "neutralised" two suspects accusing them of "terrorist activities".

The Palestinian health ministry said 23 others had been wounded in the raid in the northern West Bank city, five of them seriously....

If China is sincerely interested in peace in this area of the world, why then is Israel left out of the peace solution. If Israel can be at the same table to bring about a peaceful Middle East, that would have to include the Palestinians. China is going to Russia to broker a unilateral peace that only Russia has to agree to, it is basically doing the same thing in the Middle East without all parties involved in a solution. 

February 3, 2023
By Anshel Pfeffer

Benjamin Netanyahu's sixth government (click here) is only five and a half weeks old and we’re already into week 5 of the protests against its plan to drastically weaken the Supreme Court and fundamentally change the nature of Israel’s limited and fragile democracy.

It was a fifth weekend of mass protests in Tel Aviv and other cities, somewhat overshadowed by a bizarre social media post by a retired air force officer. According to Col. Zeev Raz, “If a prime minister stands up and assumes dictatorial powers, he's a dead man. It’s as simple as that.”...

Israel is facing political divisions no different than the rest of the Free World. It is time for Israel to ask who benefits from these divisions and when will be the right time to end such issues. The Netanyahu government needs to limit it's attacks on it's own democracy and realize there are larger issues outside of Israel that need to be front and center of the attention of it's government to unify it and end these divisions. I believe China is a threat to Israel. The time is now to prevent any further tensions with any of it's neighbors. 

The International Criminal Court…

 …did the right thing in issuing an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. He is directly responsible for ordering the invasion into Ukraine killing, maiming, and displacing millions of Ukrainians, including children.

It should be noted that a vast number of Russians do not approve of the invasion and do not share Vladimir Putin’s values in regard to the deaths of so many including their own sons. At the onset of the invasion, many of the Russian military soldiers had no knowledge of the war they were marching into or the deaths they were to cause.

The land that is Ukraine is some of the most agriculturally productive in the world and control of it means control of millions, if not billions of peoples’ food supply.

The current government of Ukraine has regarded the rest of the world as customers to their commodities. That freedom of trade is a reassurance of a good supply to the countries in the world that requires it. It would be very dangerous to allow a change of governance to Russia considering the blatant brutality of this Putin regime.

Last I read of Vladimir Putin’s whereabouts was a self-exile to his armored train. If the armor of the train is the same as Russian tanks, a 50 caliber bullet through the engine block should stop it.

Earth matters.

 

The Secretary of Defense is not the only one pushing the existential threat of the climate crisis into clear view.

There are plenty of people in the environmental community and movement that wants this to happen. There will be independent businesses that will roll out this initiative to find and mitigate the leaks. The petroleum industry has been grossly negligent in all aspect of the climate that began decades ago with lies to the public. This effort will work and methane will be controlled to end it's very severe threat to our Earth's climate.

March 13, 2023

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) (click here) today announced nearly $47 million in funding for 22 research projects to advance the development of new and innovative measurement, monitoring, and mitigation technologies to help detect, quantify, and reduce methane emissions across oil and natural gas producing regions of the United States. Methane emissions are the second largest contributor to climate change—only carbon dioxide ranks ahead of methane as a greenhouse gas source. The selected projects will help to ensure an efficient, resilient, and leak-tight U.S. natural gas infrastructure and support President Biden’s U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan and the Biden-Harris Administration climate goal of a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.

“Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, making methane reduction a critical part of our nation’s long-term climate solution,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “The projects announced today will help DOE accelerate the deployment of technology that detects and reduces methane emissions across the oil and gas sector—our largest source of industrial methane—leading to long-lasting health and environmental benefits for communities across the country.”...

The Ohio methane leak was one of the largest in the country's history, but, it was exceeded by Aliso Canyon blowout. There is no excuse for any of this, except, laziness by the industry and lack of government oversight to protect the people. Protecting the people is the FIRST job of government, not the massaging of profits through gross government negligence.

A little-known gas well accident in Ohio (click here) appears to have led to one of the largest methane leaks in U.S. history, according to a recent study.

Using data from a satellite that monitors the entire planet for methane leaks and emissions, the study estimated that a gas well in Powhatan Point, damaged during a drilling operation in February 2018, leaked methane at a rate of 120 metric tons an hour for nearly 20 days. The emission rate of the Ohio leak was twice that of a widely reported 2015 gas leak at Aliso Canyon in California, and the amount of methane released was estimated to be more than some European countries emit in a typical year, according to the study....

This is also negligence of the natural resources of the United States of America. These natural resources of the USA belong to the people. The leases provided to industry to use our country's natural resources aren't strong enough to end the negligence allowed for the sake of profiteering. Why are leaks allowed to occur? Because no one says they can't. This level of negligence of the people's natural resources must end and companies held responsible in the very place they covet, the leases. The restrictions on methane leaks, all the nasty toxins of oil wells, dangerous explosions that kill employees and filthy water used by fracking can be stopped with simple words in leases and the strength of the rule of law to punish lawbreakers and jail their responsible parties including CEOs. If the rule of law was exercised and made to be vigilant over these abuses, the abuses would stop. This is all a part of environmental justice. Giving companies free reign over our nation's natural resources is wrong!

19 July 2019
By Sid Perkins

Natural gas, long touted as a cleaner burning alternative to coal, has a leakage problem. (click here) A new study has found that leaks of methane, the main ingredient in natural gas and itself a potent greenhouse gas, are twice as big as official tallies suggest in major cities along the U.S. eastern seaboard. The study suggests many of these fugitive leaks come from homes and businesses—and could represent a far bigger problem than leaks from the industrial extraction of the fossil fuel itself.

"This is an issue that people tend to ignore when trying to estimate methane emissions," says Kathryn McKain, an atmospheric scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado, who wasn't involved in the new research. When compared with the global amount of natural and human-driven methane emissions, she notes, "These emissions are small, but they're preventable."...

Naysayers are grossly out of step with most people regarding climate.

10 March 2023
By George Monbiot

In 2014, (click here) the Guardian asked me to nominate my hero of the year. To some people’s surprise, I chose Russell Brand. I loved the way he energised young people who had been alienated from politics. I claimed, perhaps hyperbolically, he was “the best thing that has happened to the left in years” (in my defence, there wasn’t, at the time, much competition).

Today, I can scarcely believe it’s the same man. I’ve watched 50 of his recent videos, with growing incredulity. He appears to have switched from challenging injustice to conjuring phantoms. If, as I suspect it might, politics takes a very dark turn in the next few years, it will be partly as a result of people like Brand....

It is unfortunate Russell Brand has become corrupt when it comes to his statements about climate, but, he is a growing group of people identified as incompetent in their messaging or down right corrupt.

Environmental Justice is taking hold. The concept has developed over the past seven years. First, it was ignored as nothing but noise makers, but, today it carries clout with voters of effected communities. Environmental Justice is more the the climate, but, it weighs in from time to time, when storms over take drainage and people die in basement apartments.

16 March 2023

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (click here) will bring many forms of fallout. One of the most obvious consequences is that the biggest banks – Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, Bank of America – will probably get even bigger. That is why we’re joining protests across the United States outside hundreds of those banks’ branches on Tuesday, 21 March: if they’re going to hold that much power over the planet’s economy, we need them to recognize and help with our great crises. We need them not to do what they did last century, which is to ignore or exacerbate our deepest troubles....

Real people are suffering due to the lack of status of their communities in a larger picture. These communities add up to voter rolls that have become aware of their own power to change the trajectory. There is also an administration in DC listening and willing to do the work to turn the corner on adverse outcomes due to environment of living conditions.

This is just one example of the work the Biden/Harris administration is conducting to change quality of life for all Americans.

March 8, 2023

Washington - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (click here) announced the availability of $16 million for two new grant opportunities to support states and Tribes in providing technical assistance to businesses seeking to develop and adopt pollution prevention (P2) practices that advance environmental justice in underserved communities. EPA has published two Request for Applications for P2 investments, which were made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental Justice in Communities, and the Pollution Prevention Grant: Environmental Justice Through Safer and More Sustainable Products programs.

“For too long, underserved communities have suffered the harmful effects of pollution across the country,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pollution Prevention Jennie Romer. “President Biden’s investment in America is supercharging our efforts to protect more communities than ever before. These new grants will advance environmental justice by equipping American businesses with resources that save money, prevent pollution at the source, reduce the use of hazardous materials, and cut climate pollution.”

The United States produces billions of pounds of pollution each year and spends billions of dollars per year controlling this pollution. Preventing pollution at the source, also known as P2 or source reduction, rather than managing waste after it is produced, is an important part of advancing a sustainable economic and environmental infrastructure....

This is from the White House and it is all based in facts. There are two major legislative accomplishments by this administration that is pushing the country toward a better energy future.

March 9, 2023

...In signing the Inflation Reduction Act last year, (click here) the President also secured the largest investment to advance energy security and combat climate change in American history—all while lowering energy costs for the American people. The Administration is continuing to implement the Inflation Reduction Act, which is already galvanizing our clean energy transition and making clean and energy efficient technologies more affordable for American families. At the same time, the Administration has launched numerous initiatives to accelerate America’s clean energy future and advance environmental justice—from jumpstarting an electric transportation future that is Made in America, to announcing new climate-smart agriculture and forestry initiatives, to investing in the places that kept America’s lights on for generations, to implementing the President’s Justice40 Initiative that ensures 40 percent of the benefits of Federal investments in climate and clean energy are delivered to disadvantaged communities. The Budget invests in clean energy across America, bringing jobs to rural communities and cities, leaving no one behind....

This movement to better energy sources is not new. Some of these initiatives are spring boarding off the Obama White House energy initiatives. So, this is a strong position from which real change is occurring and Americans can plot a better future for their children. The Climate Crisis is a threat to the future and Americans are taking it seriously.

Is climate an existential threat? The USA military says it is and that has been the case for more than a decade now.

April 22, 2021
By David Vergun

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke today at the Leaders Summit on Climate. (click here)

"Today, no nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis. We face all kinds of threats in our line of work, but few of them truly deserve to be called existential. The climate crisis does," he said, adding that "climate change is making the world more unsafe and we need to act."...

The USA military is backing up it's focus with issues of environmental justice, too. It is calling forward those in the military exposed to burn pits and the water at Camp LeJune. The USA military is taking responsibility for environmental threats no matter the source. One example is the use of biofuels for jets. Yes, jets. The USA military was among the first to make climate a priority and why? Because it is a national security issue and has been for some time.

So, people like Russell Brand may be making a lot of noise, but, people are more in tune with the truth of climate and less willing to listen to the noise makers.

Now is the time for the energy paradigm change. It can't happen fast enough.

March 16, 2023
By Herman K. Trabish

Federal clean energy supports in the August 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA, (click here) could transform the U.S. economy, analysts widely agree.

By December, announcements for “over $40 billion” in new capital were committed to over 13 GW of new clean energy, and 20 manufacturing facilities representing over 6,850 new jobs, the American Clean Power Association, or ACP, reported in December.

But by March 1, nearly 4,000 comments submitted to the U.S. Treasury Department by clean energy advocates and analysts had requested clarification on how investors can be certain of qualifying for the IRA’s new and extended tax credits, grants, and programs....

American consumers are not souring on banking because of SVB.

March 15, 2023

A customer (click here) stands at an ATM machine at a Bank of America office in Burbank, California August 19, 2011.

Bank of America Corp. (click here) mopped up more than $15 billion in new deposits in a matter of days, emerging as one of the big winners after the collapse of three smaller banks dented confidence in the safety of regional lenders.

The inflows offer a first glimpse into the deluge of deposits that made its way to the country’s largest banks as customers fearful of a spreading crisis sought refuge in the firms seen as too big to fail.

The money flowing into the second-largest US bank was described by people with direct knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified as the information isn’t public....

Communists

Sometimes they are reasonable leaders looking for peaceful co-existence with the Free World. They understand the benefits of peace, like focusing on domestic issues that increase citizens quality of life. They understand under the shield of peace international relations are about trade and growing a country’s wealth. They value peaceful venues like the Olympics and the World Cup and the pride those venues bring to the people. Icons of competition that translate into childhood dreams of being a great representative to the sports and country. Participating in trials that reveal greater human accomplishment.

Then there are the ideologues. Putin and Xi are ideologues. Nothing else matters except the global rule of an ideal regime that kills who they have to and want to, in order to ensure communism lives on forever or at least until the sun supernovas. 

The reason the Russian jet dumped fuel was to hide the operation and the crash and loss of the drone would be a mystery and proof of inferior American weaponry. The Russians are afraid of the USA and hide their aggression so the world thinks it all an unfortunate failure of technology.

There are comments and articles I read stating the arming of the Free World is sending the wrong signal and is guaranteeing a path to unthinkable war.

The only way democracy and freedom exists is through strength and overwhelming ability of citizens as soldiers, housewives, professionals of all venues of human imagination and application and even great businesspersons that can lead the wealth and growth of a country.

The world has witnessed a genocide upon an entire country of people. There is no limit for the entire world to prepare for an unthinkable war. No one in this world wants it, either. There is only one path forward. We did not choose it, but, we will end it.

NJ State Senator

 The New Jersey state delegation should pay tribute to the Late State Senator Ron Rice on the US Senate and USHouse floors. He was the longest serving legislator in New Jersey’s history. He will be missed for his tough stands for justice.

If it weren't so sad, it would be funny.

March 15, 2023
By Paul Schartzman

At first glance, (click here) the flurry of real estate sales two blocks east of the U.S. Capitol appeared unremarkable in a city where such sales are common. In the span of a year, a seemingly unrelated gaggle of recently formed companies bought nine properties, all within steps of one another.

But the sales were not coincidental. Unbeknown to most of the sellers, the limited liability companies making the purchases — a shopping spree that added up to $41 million — are connected to a conservative nonprofit led by Mark Meadows, who was chief of staff to President Donald Trump. The organization has promoted MAGA stars like Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.).

The Conservative Partnership Institute, as the nonprofit is known, now controls four commercial properties along a single Pennsylvania Avenue block, three adjoining rowhouses around the corner, and a garage and carriage house in the rear alley. CPI’s aim, as expressed in its annual report, is to transform the swath of prime real estate into a campus it calls “Patriots’ Row.”...

King 101: Donald John Trump

Assistant King 102: Mark Meadows

Ethics, morals and standards 101: Steve Bannon

How to look the other way of women dying of ectopic pregnancies 101: Marjorie Taylor Greene

How to exploit American Natural Resources and ignore the climate crisis: Lauren Boebert sponsored by Exxon

Can we please stop Trump University 2.0 before it gets started? These are all ethical violations. These people are attempting to build an alternate reality as if legitimate.

In case no one recognizes it, this is all corruption and it's propagation as a legitimate belief system. IT IS FRAUD!

Free speech protected under the First Amendment does not include plans for overthrow of democracy. The USA Constitution is very plain in it's provisions for disagreements between people and/or the government.

First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Who's flyin' these things crop dusters?

Are there any pilots left in Russia? The Ukraine pilots were taking them down on a regular basis in the beginning. I mean seriously, who is flying these Russia planes? It is astounding a jet like that would crash into an unmanned drone. What the heck?

Xi Jinping is suppose to visit Putin, it is time he told him to stop this war. No one needs jets flown by crop dusters carrying bombs. This war will take a quick turn if other countries are accidentally bombed because the Russia pilots haven't got a clue.

...As we have said earlier, (click here) U.S military drone costs can range up to tens of thousands of dollars. In detail, the common Predator drone that the military is known to use (in Iraq and Afghanistan) is roughly 40 million dollars per system. Here is what the pricey Predator drone looks like:...

Russia needs to write the USA a very big check!

 

The idea that Russia could ever be a partner for Earth's troposphere ends with it's nuclear ambitions and expansionism.

Front. Conserv. Sci., 15 February 2023
Sec. Global Biodiversity Threats
Volume 4 - 2023 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2023.989019

Maintaining peace and conserving biodiversity (click here) hinge on an international system of cooperation codified in institutions, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brings recent progress to a crossroads. Against this backdrop, we address some implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the governance of biodiversity conservation both within and beyond Russia. The Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens the governance system for biodiversity conservation, as it pertains to Russia and beyond, due to three interacting factors: (i) isolation of Russia from the international system, (ii) halt and delay of international cooperation, and (iii) changes in international and domestic policy priorities. We recommend making the existing international system of governance for conserving biodiversity more resilient and adaptable, while aligning security agendas with biodiversity conservation goals....

Russia was the final signator to the Kyoto Protocols in 2004. It did so because of huge forests. Putin was the endangered tiger's best friend. All through the concern for the climate and endangered species Russia has conducted nuclear experiments that have cost Russian scientists their lives. 

August 11, 2019
By Tom Balmforth and Andrey Ostroukh

Moscow - Russia’s top nuclear official promised on Monday (click here) to succeed in developing new weapons as he paid tribute to five scientists killed in what U.S. experts suspect was the botched test of a new missile vaunted by President Vladimir Putin....

This is just one instance. To know the degree Russia plays with and practices with radiation just ask the Scandinavian countries how often their radiation monitors go off when Russia's accidents emissions in the air reach their sovereign borders. The idea Russia is causing problems with the natural world is a huge understatement. Russia has always caused problems with the natural world.

October 25, 2010

By Steven Gutterman

...Nearly 56,000 more people died (click here) nationwide this summer than in the same period last year, said a monthly Economic Development Ministry report on Russia’s economy.

“In connection with the unusual heat, forest fires and smoke, in July of this year 14,500 and in August 41,300 more people died than during the same period last year,” a section of the report on demographics said....

Russia has never been concerned with climate, except, where it was easy and convenient. So if conservationists are worried about that region of the world facing war and expansionism, there will be no mercy or concern for the climate crisis from Russia or China.

This is GM's commitment to future generations of Americans. The Biden White House needs to ask GM how we can make this happen faster.

• GM plans to be carbon neutralⁱ by 2040 in its global products and operations
• GM aspires to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035
• GM has committed to the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5⁰C

Detroit - Today, GM announced that it plans to become carbon neutral in (click here) its global products and operations by 2040 and has committed to setting science-based targetsⁱⁱ to achieve carbon neutrality. The company has also signed the Business Ambition Pledge for 1.5⁰C, an urgent call to action from a global coalition of UN agencies, business and industry leaders.

“General Motors is joining governments and companies around the globe working to establish a safer, greener and better world,” said Mary Barra, GM Chairman and CEO. “We encourage others to follow suit and make a significant impact on our industry and on the economy as a whole.”

In addition to GM’s carbon goals, the company worked with the Environmental Defense Fund to develop a shared vision of an all-electric future and an aspiration to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035. GM’s focus will be offering zero-emissions vehicles across a range of price points and working with all stakeholders, including EDF, to build out the necessary charging infrastructure and promote consumer acceptance while maintaining high quality jobs, which will all be needed to meet these ambitious goals....

Oil companies record profits do not dictate offering them ANY deals on drilling except shutting down!

March 13, 2023

Berlin - The head of the United Nations (click here) called Monday for scientists to serve up “cold, hard facts” to push governments into making policies that curb climate change before a key global warming threshold is passed.

His comments came as experts and officials from around the world gathered for a week-long meeting in the Swiss Alpine town of Interlaken to finalize the last of seven reports issued by the global body’s panel of top scientists since the Paris climate accord was forged in 2015.

In a video address to delegates, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change “could not come at a more pivotal time.”

“Our world is at a crossroads — and our planet is in the crosshairs,” he said. “We are nearing the point of no return; of overshooting the internationally agreed limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) of global warming.”...

What about this doesn't the Biden White House understand? Voters, as well as the media, need to understand this is not a bargaining issue. There is NO LEEWAY OR WIGGLE ROOM, for anything except eliminating carbon based energy from the world order!

The petroleum industry has received record profits because the average American was exploited as Congress sees no need for regulation at all. The people of the USA are paying the price for petroleum profits with their Greenbacks, their property and their lives and this is the answer from the White House? "But, it was a really good deal."

There is no DEAL that is a good deal unless it eliminates carbon from any form of energy source.

With the profits petroleum has made on the backs of Americans, there is no need for any type of rescue plan as they are no longer needed. The American people already paid them their future earnings!

February 2, 2023

Houston - ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) today reported fourth-quarter 2022 earnings of $3.2 billion, (click here) or $2.61 per share, compared with fourth-quarter 2021 earnings of $2.6 billion, or $1.98 per share. Excluding special items, fourth-quarter 2022 adjusted earnings were $3.4 billion, or $2.71 per share, compared with fourth-quarter 2021 adjusted earnings of $3.0 billion, or $2.27 per share. Special items for the current quarter were primarily driven by impairment of certain aged, suspended wells and corporate expenses.

Full-year 2022 earnings were $18.7 billion, or $14.57 per share, compared with full-year 2021 earnings of $8.1 billion, or $6.07 per share. Excluding special items, full-year 2022 adjusted earnings were $17.3 billion, or $13.52 per share, compared with full-year 2021 earnings of $8.0 billion, or $6.01 per share....

Navalny!

https://www.thewrap.com/dasha-navalny-message-to-alexei-navalny-oscars-red-carpet/amp/

Ukraine has every right to defend and take back it's sovereign borders. Slava Ukraine.

 

I am extremely skeptical about the detente between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Wouldn't it be wonderful for China to be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize while attempting to support Putin's genocide?

Hezbollah and the Houthis have become powerful and quite frankly they and Israel are on a path of conflict. Iran supports both the Houthis and Hezbollah and it's drug cartel with Venezuela. But, China also has investments in Africa and the Middle East. Beijing is more than scared about the tensions in this region of the world and what a war might do to it's wealth.

Oh, by the way, I hope Treasury is looking into the level of investment by China, any Chinese oligarchs, Russia and Russian oligarchs and Silicon Valley Bank. It would be more than amusing if the FDIC on Monday is sending checks to Russia while it is on sanctions to end the war with Ukraine.

But, as the Iran and Saudi Arabia, the tensions started when Saudi Arabia assassinated a Shi'ite Imam, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr (click here). No surprise here, the Imam was a critic of Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are Sunni Muslims. Iran is Shi'ite Muslims.

December 18, 2017

By Bruce Reidel

Al-Houthi (click here) was given a ceremonial funeral, nine years after he was killed

For over two-and-a-half years, (click here) the United States has supported Saudi Arabia in a war against the Houthi movement in Yemen. The war has created the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world and threatens to turn into the largest famine in decades.

Yet very few Americans know who the Houthis are, what they stand for, and why they are our de facto enemies. Two administrations have backed the war against the Houthis without a serious campaign to explain why Americans should see them as our enemies.

Yemeni politics are incredibly complex and volatile—rather than get drawn into a quagmire against an enemy they hardly know, the United States and its partners should get serious about finding a political solution....

...The American invasion of Iraq in 2003 deeply radicalized the Houthi movement, like it did many other Arabs. It was a pivotal moment. The Houthis adopted the slogan: “God is great, death to the U.S., death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory for Islam,” in the wake of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. The group also officially called itself Ansar Allah, or supporters of God. It was a turning point largely unrecognized outside Yemen, another unanticipated consequence of George Bush’s Iraq adventures.

Hezbollah, the Shiite movement in Lebanon which successfully expelled the Israeli army from the country, became a role model and mentor for the Houthis. Although different kinds of Shiites, the two groups have a natural attraction. Hezbollah provided inspiration and expertise for the Houthis. Iran was a secondary source of support, especially since the Houthis and Iranians share a common enemy in Saudi Arabia....

Saudi Arabia has the greatest incentive to negotiate a peace with Iran. I just don't see Iran laying down arms shipments to the Houthis. The USA has been successful in confiscating the missile shipments. The meetings haven't really begun. I guess it is a wait and see sort of thing.

It is the Savings and Loan mess all over again.

I am quite sure an investigation has already begun and people will be held accountable.

March 12, 2023

By Jeanna Smialek and Alan Rappeport

Federal regulators (click here) announced on Sunday that they would ensure that all depositors of Silicon Valley Bank — which failed Friday — were paid back in full as they rushed to contain fallout from the collapse of the large institution.

The Federal Reserve, Treasury and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation announced in a joint statement that “depositors will have access to all of their money starting Monday, March 13. No losses associated with the resolution of Silicon Valley Bank will be borne by the taxpayer.”...

...The move to cover deposits came after the F.D.I.C. on Friday took over Silicon Valley Bank on Friday, putting nearly $175 billion in customer deposits under the regulator’s control. The bank’s failure, the largest since the depths of the financial crisis in 2008, has raised concerns that other financial firms could suffer similar fates as rising interest rates put pressure on the banking sector and as nervous depositors consider pulling out their money....

...That kind of broader panic is what regulators were trying to avert with the freshly announced package, which took advantage of an exception that allows the F.D.I.C. — which is usually supposed to clean up a failed bank in the cheapest way possible — to risk incurring additional costs if there is a risk to the financial system involved.

The agencies said that “any losses to the Deposit Insurance Fund to support uninsured depositors will be recovered by a special assessment on banks, as required by law.”...

History will hold former Vice President Pence in the highest esteem for his heroism on January 6th.

March 12, 2023

By Jonathan Weisman

Former Vice President Mike Pence, (click here) delivering his strongest public rebuke yet to the president who made him his running mate, said on Saturday night “that history will hold Donald Trump accountable” for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, which he called “a disgrace.”

The annual Gridiron Club Dinner in Washington is usually a venue for lighthearted ribbing between political figures, government officials and the district’s media veterans, but Mr. Pence used the occasion on Saturday to dig into Mr. Trump at a moment when conservative media commentators and some Republicans in Congress have again tried to dismiss the seriousness of the Capitol riot.

“Tourists don’t injure 140 police officers by sightseeing,” Mr. Pence said, according to media reports from the event, an implicit rebuke of the Fox News host Tucker Carlson and other conservatives who have used selective security camera footage to reframe the riot as a largely peaceful demonstration. Thousands of hours of that footage was released to Mr. Carlson by the House speaker, Kevin McCarthy of California. “Tourists don’t break down doors to get to the speaker of the House or voice threats against public officials.”

And Mr. Pence made his reprimand of Mr. Trump personal when he said, “President Trump was wrong; I had no right to overturn the election. And his reckless words endangered my family and everyone at the Capitol that day. And I know that history will hold Donald Trump accountable.”...

Vice President Mike Pence (click here) returns to the House Chamber, just before midnight on January 6, 2021.

The insurrection of January 6, 2021 and the timeline leading up to it will be studied forever as part of the history of the United States of America.

Former Vice President Pence stood in the breach and never wavered or surrendered to fear or threat. He had an amazing role in protecting the country and the USA Constitution. No one will forget the bravery he exhibited that day and his dedication to our great country.

History is important. The January 6th Committee made sure that history received all the facts and passed on to the Justice Department the necessary focus to hold the former president accountable for his actions and his plans.

January 6th was not a happenstance. The insurrection was planned and orchestrated. It failed, but, it was not for the trying.

The National Guard finally made it to the USA Capital and ended the siege. Someone needs to do the story about the National Guard. They arrived to an incredible scene and never wavered in their resolve. People's lives were at stake and they were not about to fail. Their training allowed them to move into position to end the siege and return order to one of the most iconic buildings of our country. Hopefully, they are all okay. We have lost police officers to their despair over the events of that day. They and the National Guard were heroes. They will always be a vital part of the country's history as well.

There are three systems converging on the West Coast. Every system has different temperatures.

Two hour loop map (click here)

There is an Arctic System in the north and it looks like a circle. There is an air mass off the Equator which is the lower edge. The air mass in the center is coming straight off a warm Pacific Ocean. Any one of these air masses are enough to cause significant rain, however, the three coming together with varying temperatures and water vapor content equates to nothing but disastrous.

Californians need to pay attention to their weather stations. It would be helpful if they had NOAA radios to keep on top of developing conditions. These are dangerous circumstances and the people must pay attention to their weather forecasts.

These are not fun times for families, so keep everyone close until this resolves. In my opinion all beach access is off limits and no one should be trying to catch the perfect wave. There are no perfect waves with these systems, they are turbulent and produce rough and rouge waves.

March 12, 2023
By Nouran Salahieh and Holly Yan,

...A new atmospheric river (click here) is expected to slam the state Monday, threatening heavy rain and even more flooding in central and Northern California just as another atmospheric river winds down, the National Weather Service said....

The east coast has its fair share of cold and snow. The northeast are veterans at cold and snow, but, every day there are biting temperatures and bitter cold snow accumulations is another day of managing heat in the house and elsewhere.

I like the way this meteorologist is dressed at the link below. He is definitely dressed for the weather with layers of clothes to insulate. 

March 12, 2023
By Ryan Hanrahan

...Our meteorologists (click here) are tracking a major nor'easter that could bring over a foot of snow to parts of the state early this week.

The storm will form Monday into Tuesday. Rain will begin across most of Connecticut and will quickly change to snow in the Northwest Hills....