President Trump is not needed to sign a bill.

On this date, (click here) in the waning hours of the 28th Congress (1843–1845), the House joined the Senate to pass Congress’s first presidential veto override (over lame-duck President John Tyler’s veto of an appropriation bill). Introduced by Senator Jabez Huntington of Connecticut in January 1845, the original bill prohibited the President from authorizing the building of Revenue Marine Service (Coast Guard) ships without approved appropriations from Congress. President Tyler vetoed the bill to protect existing contracts and to retain presidential prerogative....

This is fantastic news.

I congratulate North and South Korea on their cooperation to bring two teams together for the Winter Olympics. I look forward to the competition and the participation of North Korea.

I sincerely hope this is just the beginning of peace on the Korean Peninsula. This is a real victory for both Presidents, Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-Un. 

President Moon Jae-in was elected to return the peace on the Korean Peninsula. He won by an incredible margin of 42 percent.

This is what the South Koreans have longed for and now they have a President bringing peace in his administration. I hope this joint representation of the Korean Peninsula will bring a kinship to the people of the two countries. I look forward to greater and greater cooperation between the two countries.

January 16, 2018
By Oren Dorell

South Korea and North Korea (click here) agreed during talks at the border village of Panmunjom Wednesday to form their first joint Olympic team and have their athletes march together during the Winter Olympics' opening ceremony.

Seoul’s Unification Ministry said the athletes will march under a “unification flag” and will field a women’s ice hockey team.

The ministry said the two Koreas will consult with the International Olympic Committee — which must approve the plans — this weekend.

A week after North Korea said it would send a delegation to next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea, the regime's demands have taken on a sinister pattern....

The Trump Administration are monsters. This is the National Parks and there is no sensitivity to the people.

January 17, 2018
By Juliet Eilperin

Three-quarters of the members of a federally chartered board advising the National Park Service abruptly quit Monday night out of frustration that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke had refused to meet with them or convene a single meeting last year.

The resignation of nine out of 12 National Park System Advisory Board members leaves the federal government without a functioning body to designate national historic or natural landmarks. It also underscores the extent to which federal advisory bodies have become marginalized under the Trump administration. In May 2017, Zinke suspended all outside committees while his staff reviewed their composition and work.

In a letter to the secretary, departing board chairman Tony Knowles, a former Alaska governor, wrote that he and eight other members "have stood by waiting for the chance to meet and continue the partnership . . . as prescribed by law." All of the signatories had terms set to expire in May....

Mental acuity is not the same thing as a Personality Disorder.

Why would Donald Trump lie daily and without conscience?

Conformity

If one is loyal to White Supremacy and/or racism, giving permission to hate among people who do not, is vital.

When I hear Donald Trump's racism, such as announcing that The Dreamers (legislation) are dead, on Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday; it sends a chill down my spine in recognizing the fact he is fomenting hate. 

At some level, if a reasonable person hears over and over that minorities of the USA are the cause of law breaking and unwanted changes in our social structure, it will catch on. Donald Trump is hoping CONFORMITY kicks in as it did with "W"s "God Society."

Almost immediately upon taking the White House in 2000, there was a social paradigm change to enforce "Christianity Politics." The Freedom Caucus is the remnant of that social shift. North Carolina's shift in 2010 has caused corruption to be lawful within it's government under a majority Republican State Legislature, (ie: Pat what's his name governor and ALEC). There is victimization of those different than Christians in NC. That is a fact. All that was due to Christian conformity that has seeped into every aspect of the society.

When a government holds the power of paychecks, people will conform. In the case of "W," there was that whole "Purposeful Life" mess. It is when there was an interesting shift of spending to allow religious based organizations receive government money. PACs broke out in large number under "W."

I hear racism on a regular basis with Trump and it is to enforce conformity in whatever way he can. Absolutely. It is all premeditated.

Conformity is insidious, especially when gambling can become habitual.

It is my opinion, the casinos will run the American people into the ground. Somehow Trump believes expanding the casinos reach into online opportunities to 'try it' will result in a revitalized industry that is benevolent to the American landscape. "W"rong. The only thing online gambling will accomplish is more deprivation of wealth. The casinos have run their course in the USA and by expanding their reach will only result in movement of money to the gambling establishment until the well runs dry again.

There is a lot of corruption in this administration. Seeking conformity, when people are losing their shirt, is not the best environment.

The sixties was such a great time in the USA, if it weren't a time when we lost some of the best Americans ever born within these boundaries. I think recognizing the strength of the people during the sixties and their non-conformity will create a renewed economy of entrepreneurs. I think non-conformity is important, especially with a president as corrupt as this one.

A USA federal agency is begging people to stop eating laundry pods. Begging? Take them off the damn shelves!

Legit enough that it’s apparently become something of a minor public health crisis in the US, and overnight, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, an actual federal government body, sent out a Tweet pleading with Americans to stop consuming detergent.

Testosterone has its problems. Thinking things through before acting will prevent embarrassment.

Cinnamon is a very dry powder. If successful in swallowing a full tablespoon of such spices it would wad up in the throat and a person will be unable to breathe. The Heimlich Maneuver may not work to dislodge it either.

At best this hubris is extremely strange behavior. I am sure there are A+ grades begging to emerge.

Chairman, Mr. Kaye has to be sued and held responsible for deaths under his leadership.

...Exactly how many morons are doing this? (click here)

The Washington Post reported that more than 50 teens were “intentionally” exposed to the capsules last year, and ABC says that there have been 20 cases of intentional exposure this year alone. (Scientists chalk this up to everyone being trapped inside either by the bracing cold or accidental Hawaiian nuclear missile impacts.) Luckily, there’s an upside: These figures mean that whatever kettleball-brained nonsense your teenager is doing this week, there are least 70 teenagers in the country being much, much dumber. At least trying to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon won’t kill you, usually....

DACA

Trump is threatening a review of DACA by the Supreme Court to force the Democrats hand.

Pelosi and Schumer should have their thumb on the pulse of the Dreamers community. Put out the legislation Paul Ryan will bring to the floor and have the community review it. The Democrats should not go it alone. They need to know what the community thinks.

There are cities where they can reside without fear of ICE. It might be disheartening at this point to realize a President of the USA hates them to this level, but, they need to take care of themselves. They are our kids. They are bright and have a lot to offer. They can do this.

Any legislation proposed by the Republicans need to go to the community to realize what is being handed them. They need to sound off about any action on their behalf. Is it reasonable and fair or not? What are they looking for in legislation? They are their own best resource. They are great people.

He would have made a great president. He reached out to all people and disdained war.

Dr. King first delivered this sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where he served as co-pastor. On Christmas Eve, 1967, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation aired this sermon as part of the seventh annual Massey Lectures.

Peace on Earth... (click here)

This Christmas season finds us a rather bewildered human race. We have neither peace within nor peace without. Everywhere paralyzing fears harrow people by day and haunt them by night. Our world is sick with war; everywhere we turn we see its ominous possibilities. And yet, my friends, the Christmas hope for peace and good will toward all men can no longer be dismissed as a kind of pious dream of some utopian. If we don't have good will toward men in this world, we will destroy ourselves by the misuse of our own instruments and our own power. Wisdom born of experience should tell us that war is obsolete. There may have been a time when war served as a negative good by preventing the spread and growth of an evil force, but the very destructive power of modern weapons of warfare eliminates even the possibility that war may any longer serve as a negative good. And so, if we assume that life is worth living, if we assume that mankind has a right to survive, then we must find an alternative to war and so let us this morning explore the conditions for peace. Let us this morning think anew on the meaning of that Christmas hope: "Peace on Earth, Good Will toward Men." And as we explore these conditions, I would like to suggest that modern man really go all out to study the meaning of nonviolence, its philosophy and its strategy.

We have experimented with the meaning of nonviolence in our struggle for racial justice in the United States, but now the time has come for man to experiment with nonviolence in all areas of human conflict, and that means nonviolence on an international scale....

"Good Night, Moon"

The Waning Crescent

27.8 day old moon

3.4 percent lit

It is my opinino there will always be parts of the universe too volitile and dangerous for any human exploration. There are some areas of the universe where even robots would not survive the trip, but, there must be a duplicate area similar to where Earth exists now that can be explored and inhabited. To that end this video seemed appropriate.

This is criminal. It is yelling fire in a theater.

14 January 2018

An incoming missile alert (click here) plunged residents of Hawaii into panic on Saturday morning before it was declared a false alarm.

Mobile phone users received a message saying: "Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek 
immediate shelter. This is not a drill."

State Governor David Ige apologised and said it was caused by an employee pressing the wrong button.

The US government announced there would be a full investigation.

An alert system is in place because of the potential proximity of Hawaii to North Korean missiles.

In December, the state tested its nuclear warning siren for the first time since the end of the Cold War.

What made the false alarm worse was a drill in December. The false alarm revealed the lack of preparedness the people of Hawaii and the USA have. The sirens made noise and the people stood confounded to know what to do next.

At least "Duck and Cover" made people think about what to do next. The reality that there is dearly little to do if there are nuclear missiles on the way should make people of all countries realize how moronic such weapons are in preventing war. What extreme do we go to in believing nuclear weapons are a deterent? It is ridiculous. The Emperor needs new clothes.

2 December 2017

Hawaii tests nuclear warning siren (click here)

The US state of Hawaii has tested its nuclear warning siren for the first time since the end of the Cold War.

The resumption of the monthly tests comes amid a growing threat from North Korea's missile and nuclear programme.

Pyongyang has tested a series of ballistic missiles and in September carried out its sixth nuclear test.

There are no excuses anymore. Get this done and hold responsible those that place greed at the top of "To Do List."

There can be no more denials or mistakes. It is possible to control GHG emissions and return Earth's gaseous layer to balance.

The petroleum industry purchased the USA federal government in the 2016 elections and they are trying to reverse any and all laws they find impacts profits. It is time to act against the grossly immoral agenda of families such as the Kochs and companies such as ExxonMobile with a former CEO in the State Department of the USA who promotes more oil and gas drilling to every country he visits.

It is time to take international legal action against legislators that look the other way and companies that pretend there are no impending deaths due to a climate crisis. There was a time when plausible denial of ending the Era of Oil was impossible, that is not the case anymore.

Currently, the international community is allowing work in environmental protection to end the assault against Earth by people such as Elon Musk, Tom Steyer and James Hansen; to name a few; to exist as a joke for Plutocrats. These people took up the challenge and are yet to be rewarded to end the climate crisis. This form of injustice is immoral and unethnical. The global community, especially the First World countries, should be grabbing onto the change that is needed and achieve it and now. There is no excuse left, simply exploitation of Plutocrats without morals and value of life. This is definitively an abuse of power entrusted to government leaders.

The dismissal of the foregone conclusion there are immeasurable profits and environmental protections when trucks are "Earth Friendly," in order to have rules reliquish such advanced technology to ideology is an assault against humanity. This particular form of assault has to end. It doesnt carry weapons, but instead greed as a tool to use against others. Government is not suppose to destroy citizens, but, uphold their greatest dignity. 

Jan. 8, 2018 - 

OttawaToday's operating environment (click here) for the commercial transportation industry is marked by growing fuel costs and the need for increased environmental responsibility. By promoting initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the Government of Canada is helping industry contribute to Canada's climate commitments.

Today, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Jim Carr, announced a redesigned online SmartDriver for Highway Trucking (SDHT) program to help the commercial trucking industry reduce operating costs while decreasing GHG emissions.

Developed in consultation with industry, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)'s flagship training program for commercial truck drivers offers improved tools to prepare drivers for the demands of modern trucking. Flexible and convenient, the online, in-classroom and on-road training materials help drivers and instructors improve their driving efficiency.

With heavy-duty vehicles accounting for 37 percent of GHG emissions from the transportation sector, fuel-efficient equipment and the driving practices featured in the SDHT program can help individual drivers reduce their fuel consumption by up to 35 percent....

Thank you, Fayetteville, Arkansas; generations of Americans are grateful.

January 3, 2018
By David Ramsey

The city of Fayetteville (click here) yesterday became the fifty-fourth city in the nation — and the first in Arkansas — to commit to 100 percent clean and renewable energy. The City Council voted to adopt the city's Energy Action Plan, which aims to move all government operations to clean energy by 2030 and achieve 100 percent community-wide clean energy by 2050.

It can be done!

The graph...expands the time period from 1850 to 2011, during which data only on CO2 emissions are continuously available. In this case, the five major emitters—the United States, European Union, China, Russian Federation, and Japan— together contributed two-thirds of the world’s historic CO2 emissions - using up around 37 percent of our global carbon budget.

The Industrial Revolution was started before there was any notable increase in Greenhouse Gases. So to account for all the liability of the damage to Earth's troposphere it was necessary to return to 1850 and determine the percentages of historic responsibility.

The Industrial Revolution (click here) spanned the 18th and early 19th Century. Over this period, global CO2 emissions were a fraction of current levels. During the 18th Century, global CO2emissions were around 3 to 7 million tonnes per year. During the early 19th Century, CO2emissions steadily rose reaching 54 million tonnes per year by 1850. Currently we are emitting over 8000 million tonnes per year....

The oil sands is a waste land that desperately needs restoration of some kind.

January 2, 2018
By David Harvey

Mercury levels (click here) have risen to 16 times the regional “background” levels in an area around oilsands developments in northeastern Alberta, according to Environment Canada researchers.

At the Paris climate conference (click here) in December 2015, Canada reaffirmed its target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30 percent from the 2005 level by 2030. The Liberal government was roundly criticized by environmental groups and some opposition politicians for not going beyond the “weak” target of the previous Conservative government, but even today — two years later — there is still no plan in sight for how Canada could achieve its target by 2030, given that current total emissions are about the same as they were in 2005. At the same time, the oil industry is planning an expansion of oil production from the oil sands — one of the highest CO2-emitting sources of oil in the world on a per-barrel basis — and the federal government has approved contentious new pipelines to facilitate that expansion....

...As our calculations show, only with a complete phase-out of oil production from the oil sands, elimination of coal for electricity generation, significant replacement of natural-gas-fuelled electricity generation with electricity from carbon-free sources, and stringent efficiency measures in all other sectors of the economy could Canada plausibly meet its 30 percent target.

However, expected improvements in the performance and reductions in the cost of electric vehicles, combined with across-the-board improvement in the efficiency of cars and trucks, could see a permanent collapse in the price of oil by 2030, if not sooner, rendering oil sands oil a permanent money loser. Thus, the most urgent task related to the oil and gas industry in Canada is to plan an orderly phase-out of oil sands oil production — before such a phase-out is imposed by external economic forces. Doing so would align Canada’s international climate promises with its economic well-being....

World class scientists should work on a plan to return some biotic order to the oil sands. Besides being a blight on the world, producing the heaviest CO2 producing source of oil; there is a huge loss of green chlorophyll. There is much ot be done and ending the exploitation of the Alberta oil sands is only the start.

There are 195 countries in the world responsible for 31 percent GHG emissions.

The single country with the most historic GHG emissions in the USA. One single country, the USA, is responsible for 18 percent of all the historic GHG emissions. Those gases are still in the troposphere.

Cumulative emissions (click here) describe a country’s total historic emissions. They are a commonly used concept for understanding responsibility for climate change, since they are a proxy for the amount of current warming caused by specific countries. This measurement can vary significantly depending on the chosen start date and the inclusion of gases and sectors.

The graph below shows cumulative emissions including Land-Use Change and Forestry (LUCF) for the top 10 emitters during the period 1990 to 2011, when complete data are available. Almost half of emissions come from just four countries: the United States, China, European Union and Russian Federation.

California has the "Midas Touch." Everything it does turns golden.

January 11, 2018

Water-saving measures in California (click here) have also led to substantial reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and electricity consumption in the state.

That is the conclusion of new research from the University of California, Davis, published today in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

Measures to cut water use by 25 per cent across California were implemented in 2015, following a four-year drought in the state that caused the fallowing of 542,000 acres of land, total economic costs of $2.74 billion, and the loss of approximately 21,000 jobs.

The UC Davis researchers found that, while the 25 per cent target had not quite been reached over the one-year period -- with 524,000 million gallons of water saved -- the measures' impact had positive knock-on effects for other environmental objectives.

In California, the water and energy utility sectors are closely interdependent. The energy used by the conveyance systems that move water from the wetter North to the drier and more heavily populated South -- combined with utility energy use for treatment and distribution, end-user water consumption for heating, and additional pumping and treatment -- accounts for 19 per cent of total electricity demand and 32 per cent of total non-power plant natural gas demand state-wide.

Lead author Dr Edward Spang, from UC Davis, said: "Due to this close interdependence, we estimated that the decrease in water usage translated into a significant electricity saving of 1,830 gigawatt hours (GWh). Interestingly, those savings were around 11 percent greater than those achieved by investor-owned electricity utilities' efficiency programs over the same period.

"In turn, we calculated that the GHG emissions saved as a direct result of the reduction in electricity consumption are also significant -- in the region of 524,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e). That is the equivalent of taking 111,000 cars off the road for a year."...

This is an interesting graph. Emission intensity or what is a country doing to mitigate it's emissions.

 The graph...shows emissions intensity for the top 10 emitters’ whole economies and energy sectors. For the energy sector, the world average is 372 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) per Million $GDP, but intensities vary across countries. Seven of the top 10 emitters actually have a below average emissions intensity; Russia, China and Canada are above the world average. These differences result from varying emissions levels and size of economy, but are also dependent on factors such as a country’s energy mix the carbon intensity of sectors like electricity and heat generation, manufacturing, and transportation.

While many countries focus their de-carbonization plans on energy-related emissions, high emissions intensity could actually result from emissions from other sectors. For example, with emissions from deforestation and land-use change taken into account, Indonesia becomes the most intensive emitter.

Said differently, when Indonesians have a GDP of deforestation rather than tourism, their emission intensity changes.

June 30, 2014

By Ariana Alisjahbana, Fred Stolle and Belinda Margono

New analysis published (click here) in Nature Climate Change shows that Indonesia is losing primary forest at a staggering rate. The country now has the highest rate of loss in tropical primary forests in the world, overtaking Brazil. Primary tropical forests are the most carbon- and biodiversity-rich type of forest ecosystem....

The same phenomena exist with iceland and it's aluminum smelters. Iceland is geothermal. 100 percent geothermal, but, in contract to the zero or negative GHG emissions they have smelters polluting the air and ground. While other countries would heavy regulate the smelters and end their GHG pollution, Iceland has balanced their negative emissions with emitter industries.

There are three aluminum smelters in Iceland, (click here) in Reyðarfjörður, East Iceland, owned by Alcoa, on Grundartangi near Akranes, West Iceland, owned by Norðurál Century Aluminum and in Straumsvík near Hafnarfjörður, Southwest Iceland, owned by Rio Tinto Alcan Iceland....

The jump in emissions in 2008 was the opening of the Alcoa smelter in Iceland.

In Denmark, (click here) Finland and Sweden, greenhouse gas emissions decreased by between 22 and 25 per cent between 1990 and 2015, but emissions have increased in Norway and Iceland. Iceland has had the highest increase in greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, an increase of almost 25 per cent.

In both the Nordic countries and the EU, the energy sector (including the transport sector) accounts for the highest share of emissions of greenhouse gases. The exception being Iceland, where the largest share of emissions stems from industrial processes....

The Clean Air Act

January 8, 2018
By Steven Martinez

Environmental advocates, (click here) state attorneys general, and others are urging the Environmental Protection Agency to maintain the Obama administration’s regulation restricting the use of glider kits under the Greenhouse Gas Phase 2 rules, calling the current efforts to reverse the rule at odds with the Clean Air ActE.
Last November, EPA moved ahead with its promise to repeal the glider provision found in the 2016 GHG rules. EPA’s proposed repeal contended that glider kits should not be included in GHG regulations because glider vehicles are not technically “new motor vehicles” and glider engines are not “new motor vehicle engines," and thus are not subject to the EPA’s authority on environmental regulations.

In a phone conference Monday, the Environmental Defense Fund challenged this reading as intentionally misrepresentative of the CAA, saying it went against the principles upon which the legislation was founded....

The attack by Scott Pruitt on accomplishments of the US EPA is an assault on Earth by the US EPA. The current program began in the 1990s. This entire focus now to destroy a program that has been inexistance and successful for decades is nothing but pure hatred, a personal animosity for the responsible government and oil barron hubris.

The industry is not hurt by these regulations. The regulations have improved the efficiency of these engines.

Below is only one example out of thousands upon thousands of ads selling trucks already equipped with Glider Kits. Removing this progression in emission regulations on these trucks would put the current fleet too expensive to sell. The entire idea of ending this vital program makes absolutely no sense at all, both from an environmental perspective and an economic perspective. Pruitt is simply filled with hate for people who care about Earth and it's ability to support life.

This is a personal venteta that would destroy fuel efficiency and sell more dirty diesel. Pruitt is out to increase petroleum sales. His entire focus is nothing but laced with corruption of government.

Febuary 16, 2016
By Curt Bennink

Greenhouse gas emissions regulations (click here) being implemented through 2018 promise $50 billion in fuel-cost savings for the US fleet

On-road diesel engine emissions regulations have been around since the early 1970s, but these standards were achieved with in-cylinder solutions that did not require extensive technological innovations. That changed when the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set on a path to dramatically reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) almost two decades ago.

In October 1997, EPA adopted new emissions standards for model year 2004 and later heavy-duty diesel truck and bus engines. The goal was to reduce NOx emissions from on-road heavy-duty engines to levels of approximately 2.0 g/bhp-hr beginning in 2004. Since then, emissions limits have been cut to 0.01 g/bhp-hr for PM and 0.20 g/bhp-hr for NOx....

With Phase 1 GHG standards currently being implemented, regulators have turned their attention to Phase 2. Announced this past June, these proposed regulations would build on the success of Phase 1 standards.

The proposed Phase 2 program, which is expected to be finalized this year, would cut GHG emissions by approximately 1 billion metric tons and conserve approximately 1.8 billion barrels of oil. The standards phase in over the long term beginning in model year 2021 and culminate in standards for model year 2027.

“The proposed regulations in Phase 2 don’t just address the engine, but also the vehicle as a whole,” says Dorwart. “The EPA is still in the process of refining vocational vehicle requirements for Phase 2. Given the varied applications and configurations of vocational trucks, including a wider range of operating conditions than highway trucks, more time is needed to fully understand the impacts Phase 2 may have.”...

Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol

Appropriately, Australia is at the top of the list of Annex B of Kyoto Protocol. But, before individual countries can be appreciated, I thought an overview would be appropriate.

In the previous entry I mentioned GDP at PPP (Purchasing power parity). A review of that concept might be helpful.

Chart to the left is from the world bank (click here).

PPP is an attempt to work out (click here) how much currency will be needed to buy the same quantity of goods and services in different countries. If this can be done, it can show the underlying exchange rate between the two different countries and a more accurate reflection of actual living standards in countries.

Often exchange rates don’t actually reflect different living costs because some goods are not easily traded. For example, if you live in Norway, it is irrelevant if there is cheaper accommodation elsewhere in the world. What is important is how far your income goes in buying goods and services.

Norway v India

For example, GDP per capita in Norway is $98,102. However, in Norway the cost of living is much higher (higher VAT, higher wages, higher rents). Therefore, even if you have a salary of $98,102 – it doesn’t go as far as elsewhere in the world..

By comparison, in India, GDP per capita is $1,489 per year. However, in India, living costs are much lower and so that income goes much further. If we adjust for the relative cost of living in the different countries, the gap between India and Norway is much reduced.

• Using GDP per Capita in $US, Norway’s national income is 65 times higher than India.
• Using GDP per Capita adjusted for PPP, Norway’s national income is only 17 times higher than India....

The Hague. Absolutely. There is no intention by the USA government to curtail any emissions anywhere no matter the cost to Earth's troposphere.

April 29, 2016
By Michael Biesecker and Matthew Brown

To left is the Bakken oil and gas fields.

Washington (AP) — An oil and natural gas field (click here) in the western United States is largely responsible for a global uptick of the air pollutant ethane, according to a new study.

The team led by researchers at the University of Michigan found that fossil fuel production at the Bakken Formation in North Dakota and Montana is emitting roughly 2 percent of the ethane detected in the Earth’s atmosphere.

That was 2 percent of the entire Earth's atmosphere. That is a lot of ethane from one source. It is an international crime to add ANY danger to the people of this planet. Just because this is a gas and an emission doesn't mean it is any less dangerous than dangerous dictators. It is ultimately killing of people even if with skin cancer alone.

This is international and settled law to protect life on Earth. Get serious about the polluters.

A flagrant violation that allows this level of emission is gross negligence of a first world country and the State of North Dakota Governors. If the time period is 2000 going forward, that would be John Hoeven, Jack Dalrymple and Doug Burgum.

This increase of ethane occurred under the management of the CEOs of Whiting Petroleum, Continental Resources, Hess, ExxonMobil and EOG Resources (click here).

This added danger to Earth's troposphere is all preventable. Enough! The cancer rates of the people that live and work in those fields is probably ridiculous.

Along with its chemical cousin methane, ethane is a hydrocarbon that is a significant component of natural gas. Once in the atmosphere, ethane reacts with sunlight to form ozone, which can trigger asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, especially in children and the elderly. Ethane pollution can also harm agricultural crops. Ozone also ranks as the third-largest contributor to human-caused global warming after carbon dioxide and methane.

“We didn’t expect one region to have such a global influence,” said Eric Kort, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of climatic science at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

The study was launched after a mountaintop sensor in the European Alps began registering surprising spikes in ethane concentrations in the atmosphere starting in 2010, following decades of declines. The increase, which has continued over the last five years, was noted at the same time new horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques were fueling a boom of oil and gas production from previously inaccessible shale rock formations in the United States.... 

Ethane is a volatile organic compound. It is dangerous to human health in North Dakota and it forms CFCs in the upper atmosphere that effects the ozone layer.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): when derived from methane and ethane these compounds have the formulae CClmF4-m and C2ClmF6-m, where m is nonzero.

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs): when derived from methane and ethane these compounds have the formulae CClmFnH4-m-n and C2ClxFyH6-x-y, where m, n, x, and y are nonzero.