The Straight Talk About John McCain, Energy and the Environment

BUILDERGATE: Illegal Rossi Fundraising

Fuse

New evidence released today clearly proves that Dino Rossi was an active participant in the illegal BIAW fundraising campaign now being prosecuted by the Attorney General. In fact Rossi was the only collaborator the illegal fundraising scheme who was not a senior officer of the Building and Industry Association of Washington (BIAW).

“Buildergate is a major scandal for Dino Rossi – he was undeniably directly involved in an illegal fundraising campaign orchestrated by an ultraconservative trade association of powerful developers,” said Aaron Ostrom, Executive Director of Fuse. “And this may just be the tip of the iceberg.”

Two weeks ago the Chair of the State Public Disclosure Commission found that the participants in this illegal activity reached a “meeting of the minds” and demonstrated an “egregious lack of judgment.” What he didn’t know at that time was that the participants in this illegal activity included Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Dino Rossi.

The evidence clearly shows that Dino Rossi contacted all of the top officers of at least one BIAW chapter urging them to contribute to the BIAW’s warchest for the Governor’s race—also known to BIAW members as their “Fund for Rossi.” These calls were part of an illegal fundraising campaign that is now being prosecuted by the Attorney General.

Update: Fuse is calling for the immediate appointment of a Special Prosecutor to fully investigate Dino Rossi's role in this fundraising scandal. The clear documentation of Dino Rossi's direct and active participation in the BIAW's illegal fundraising campaign makes it extremely important that the public have access to the full information about his role in the dealings as soon as possible.

Fuse was created to fight for the power of ordinary people in politics, and against the corrupting influence of wealthy and powerful special interests. We all need to know the entire story about the BIAW's collaboration with Dino Rossi. Please sign our petition to the Attorney General.

http://www.fusewashington.org/page/s/buildergate

Some additional information from the attorney's web page:

http://smithandlowney.com/statement-rossi.html

John McCain: Economic Disaster

Plate Tectonics - On shifting to vegetarianism - By Umbra Fisk

On shifting to vegetarianism | By Umbra Fisk | Grist | Ask Umbra | 29 Sep 2008

29 Sep 2008

Dear Umbra,

I recently became a vegetarian for environmental reasons. Everyone says I should start eating soy products and tofu. But doesn't soy come from evil industrial farms in Iowa? I thought the idea was to increase biodiversity, not just eat the same thing 20 different ways. Also, can I keep eating eggs and milk?

Ben T.
New Hampshire

answer Dearest Ben,

Why are people so dang bossy about food? There's a vein of "food as personal savior-ism" in the U.S., and it can be quite annoying. Umbra is no exception, admittedly, but we hope to limit our bossiness to environmentally focused dictates. Good job on going vegetarian -- I hope you are enjoying your meals! And you're right: Biodiversity is good for you, both inside and out.

Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

Great diet advice in this article. I especially believe that the key to most of this is the advice contained in these three paragraphs:

Monounsaturated fats, found in avocado, fish, canola and olive oils, are anti-inflammatory and fight disease at the cellular level. And olive oil, with its rich monounsaturated fat content, has gotten lots of attention. But according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2003, it may not be the olive oil itself, but the interaction or synergy
between all the foods that leads to the health benefits.

The interaction in foods is one that Michael Pollan discusses in "Omivore's Dilemma".

According to the American Heart Association, there is not one single "Mediterranean diet." Instead, there's a dietary pattern: Plenty of plant foods (perhaps as much as a pound a day), limited amounts of animal protein, and very little saturated fats.

The Mediterranean diet also emphasizes minimally processed, fresh, and preferably local foods. Typical meals include plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, olive oil, whole grains, pasta, and cereals, with lesser amounts of fish, poultry, eggs, and low-fat dairy, and even smaller amounts of meat. A glass of wine is almost always served with lunch and dinner.

WebMDHealth Newletter : Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet

When we think of the Mediterranean diet, we picture Europeans leisurely dining on meals of fish, vegetables, fruits, olives, and crusty whole-grain bread dunked in olive oil, along with a glass of wine.

For thousands of years, residents of the Mediterranean coastal region have enjoyed this kind of delicious diet -- high in plant foods and monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) -- while getting plenty of regular physical activity. They don’t think of their eating habits as a diet plan; it's simply their way of life. And it's a way of life that apparently leads to long, healthy lives virtually free of chronic disease.

AP Investigation: Palin got zoning aid, gifts

Not so "squeaky" clean, is she?

AP Investigation: Palin got zoning aid, gifts

By BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASILLA, Alaska -- Though Sarah Palin depicts herself as a pit bull fighting good-old-boy politics, in her years as mayor she and her friends received special benefits more typical of small-town politics as usual, an Associated Press investigation shows.

When Palin needed to sell her house during her last year as Wasilla mayor, she got the city to sign off on a special zoning exception - and did so without keeping a promise to remove a potential fire hazard.

Fur Wars: Gillian Anderson Joins PETA In Going After Armani

Fur Wars: Gillian Anderson Joins PETA In Going After Armani // Archives // ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

Filed under: animals, fashion — michael @ 11:27 am

In their new offensive against Giorgio Armani, PETA has managed to recruit another Anderson to help lead the charge. X-Files star Gillian Anderson met PETA vice-president Dan Mathews in NYC yesterday, a day after he flew back from Milan having visited Armani executives. Apparently, the actress walked away from the meeting having agreed to narrate a video of undercover footage taken inside rabbit fur farms.

Gillian said that she’s pretty angry at Armani and is contributing her time to help expose his hypocrisy. “I am stunned that Armani has gone back on his word,” she said. “I can’t understand why anyone would want to use real fur, and especially rabbit because it is so easy to replicate as the pile is so short.”

Whose Skin are You In?

Toxin-Free Dry Cleaning:

This is very cool!

Blue Sky Cleaners | Washington and California Toxin-free Dry Cleaning

Using naturally occurring and reclaimed Carbon Dioxide (CO2), not harsh chemicals, to clean your clothes better and safer than any other dry cleaning method available.

John McCain's health records must be released

Umbra on reducing emmisions

On small steps with big impacts | By Umbra Fisk | Grist | Ask Umbra | 24 Sep 2008

Dear Umbra,

This year my family is not in the position to make any major CO2-reducing changes. We will not be purchasing a new car, a smaller house, or more efficient appliances. And honestly, with two small children living in a suburb, public transportation is not a realistic option. Still, we'd like to reduce our carbon footprint and help the environment. Would you be able to point out other meaningful, smaller changes we could make? Thanks for your guidance.

Tara H.
Indianapolis, Ind.

answer Dearest Tara,

Don't abandon hope for significant greenhouse-gas reductions. If your life is anything approaching the typical American's, there are at least two major CO2-reducing changes still within your grasp. You can't drive less, buy a better car, or make any major home investments, but you can probably eat less meat and avoid the airport. Conventional meats and air travel are two personal climate impact behemoths.

Global warming fight will boost California economy, study says

Politics - Global warming fight will boost California economy, study says - sacbee.com

By Chris Bowman - cbowman@sacbee.com

Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, September 18, 2008

Costly as it may seem, California's mandate to cut climate-altering exhausts from vehicles and industry by nearly one-third in the next 12 years actually will boost the economy, a state analysis released Wednesday predicts.

The improvements in fuel and energy efficiency and extra clean-technology jobs needed to achieve the required 30 percent emissions reduction would result in a net household savings of $400 to $500 a year and a net 0.2 percent or $4 billion gain in the total annual output of goods and services, according to the report.

Palin tries to bar reporters, still hasn't held press conference

She is still afraid to talk to reporters. She too green? And not in a good environmental way.

Palin tries to bar reporters, still hasn't held press conference

By SARA KUGLER
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK -- Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who has not held a press conference in nearly four weeks of campaigning, initially barred reporters from her first meetings with world leaders Tuesday, but reversed course after they protested.

Western initiative to cut greenhouse gas emissions

Despite our federal government, some states are pressing ahead...

Western initiative to cut greenhouse gas emissions

By LISA STIFFLER
P-I REPORTER

A coalition of West Coast states and Canadian provinces Tuesday released the most far-reaching plan yet for cutting the emissions of greenhouse gases that are warming the globe.

The Western Climate Initiative will create a market-based system that limits carbon dioxide releases and allows polluters to trade for the right to emit the gases.

The "cap-and-trade" plan is touted by elected officials and environmentalists as a means of reducing the country's dependence on fossil fuels -- and give Washington a running start in development of clean, green energy.

Use of U.S. Croplands for Biofuels Increases Greenhouse Gases Through Emissions

Use of U.S. Croplands for Biofuels Increases Greenhouse Gases Through Emissions from Land-Use Change -- Searchinger et al. 319 (5867): 1238 -- Science

Most prior studies have found that substituting biofuels for gasoline will reduce greenhouse gases because biofuels sequester carbon through the growth of the feedstock. These analyses have failed to count the carbon emissions that occur as farmers worldwide respond to higher prices and convert forest and grassland to new cropland to replace the grain (or cropland) diverted to biofuels. By using a worldwide agricultural model to estimate emissions from land-use change, we found that corn-based ethanol, instead of producing a 20% savings, nearly doubles greenhouse emissions over 30 years and increases greenhouse gases for 167 years. Biofuels from switchgrass, if grown on U.S. corn lands, increase emissions by 50%. This result raises concerns about large biofuel mandates and highlights the value of using waste products.

No blank check for Wall Street.

No blank check for Wall Street.

Congress is on the brink of making a one-sided deal to give George W. Bush a blank check to bail out his pals - offering nearly (or perhaps more than) a trillion taxpayer dollars to Wall Street to cover its bad debts. That works out to somewhere between $2000 and $5000 from every American family. So what do the taxpayers get in return?

Nothing. No new regulation or oversight to help avoid this kind of crisis in the future. No public interest givebacks to help people whose homes are in the hands of the banks. Perhaps most shockingly of all, the taxpayers get absolutely no share in the profits if and when these finance giants bounce back, even though we are now assuming a great deal of the risk.

This is worse than a bad deal - this isn't a deal at all. This is a blank check to some of the richest companies in the world.

65 MPG Ford You Can't Buy

Sigh.... we (America) shoot ourselves in the foot so many times in so many ways. This would be such a cool car to motor around in....

65 MPG Ford You Can't Buy - AOL Autos

Ford's Fiesta ECOnetic gets an astonishing 65 mpg, but the carmaker can't afford to sell it in the U.S.

By DAVID KILEY
BusinessWeekOnline

Ford Fiesta ECOnetic

If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system, and gets a whopping 65 miles to the gallon. Oh yes, and the car is made by Ford Motor, known widely for lumbering gas hogs.

Ford's 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic goes on sale in November. But here's the catch: Despite the car's potential to transform Ford's image and help it compete with Toyota Motor and Honda Motor in its home market, the company will sell the little fuel sipper only in Europe. "We know it's an awesome vehicle," says Ford America President Mark Fields. "But there are business reasons why we can't sell it in the U.S." The main one: The Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel.

Smart Homes: Reclaimed lumber is a strong choice

Smart Homes: Reclaimed lumber is a strong choice

By JIM DULLEY
SYNDICATD COLUMNIST

Dear Jim: We are planning an addition to our house that we want to be efficient and "green." I heard using reclaimed lumber makes sense. Is this more efficient and as strong as new lumber, and what are its sources?

-- Kent H.

Dear Kent: Reclaimed (recycled) lumber is popular today for many reasons. Most of the reclaimed lumber salvaged from old buildings was made from old-growth trees. This wood typically is very strong as compared to fresh lumber produced today. The grains are straighter and it is denser.

Cities rethink wisdom of 50s-era parking standards

This is a great article about parking and car oriented society that exists here in America. Parking is a pain and here in Seattle too many people push to have more parking. It's really time, IMO, to start pushing away from car oriented policies and spend money instead on public transit and making cities more walkable.

Cities rethink wisdom of 50s-era parking standards

By SARAH KARUSH
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

WASHINGTON -- Alice and Jeff Speck didn't have a car and didn't want one. But District of Columbia zoning regulations required them to carve out a place to park one at the house they were building.

Michael Pollan and Monsanto CEO at Google on YouTube. True story.

I love Michael Pollan....

Michael Pollan and Monsanto CEO at Google on YouTube. True story.

Here's a 36-minute video on YouTube featuring an unusual forum with Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant, talking with "In Defense of Food" author Michael Pollan and Google.org's head of global development, Sonal Shah, on the topic of "Creating a World That Can Feed Itself." (Larry Brilliant, executive director of Google.org, moderated the panel, telling the Google audience that he and Grant became friends when both visited the Doomsday seed vault in Norway.)

The discussion was polite and humanizing and occasionally pointed, but held no breakthrough surprises.

My favorite Sarah Palin quote up to this point.

Seriously She actually said this:

"Oil and coal? Of course, it's a fungible commodity and they don't
flag, you know, the molecules, where it's going and where it's not. But
in the sense of the Congress today, they know that there are very, very
hungry domestic markets that need that oil first," Palin said. "So, I
believe that what Congress is going to do, also, is not to allow the
export bans to such a degree that it's Americans that get stuck to
holding the bag without the energy source that is produced here, pumped
here. It's got to flow into our domestic markets first."

What the hell does this mean?

"and they don't
flag, you know, the molecules, where it's going and where it's not."

You know, like these molecules, like you know they were cute and we got a pedicure...and like, you know....

Ugh...

From:
Political Radar: Palin Takes Questions at a McCain Town Hall

Palin Takes Questions at a McCain Town Hall
Email
Share

September 18, 2008 5:56 AM

ABC News' Brett Hovell and Imtiyaz Delawala report: At a joint McCain-Palin town hall meeting in Grand Rapids, Mich., Wednesday night, Gov. Sarah Palin took questions directly from voters for the first time, but rarely directly answered the questions posed to her or ventured from lines she often delivers on the campaign trail.

Mexico's Supreme Court slams Walmart's labor practices

Mexico's Supreme Court slams Walmart's labor practices - Yahoo! News

Thu Sep 4, 9:26 PM ET

MEXICO CITY (AFP) - Mexico's Supreme Court compared the practices of US retail giant Walmart in Mexico to employer-worker relations during the dictatorship of former president Porfirio Diaz.
ADVERTISEMENT


Diaz served as president and absolute ruler of Mexico from 1877-80 and from 1884-1911.

Mexico's top court on Thursday backed a Walmart employee who had complained that vouchers handed out by the company as part of its salary payments could only be spent in the company's stores.

The practice of vouchers "that come from the worker's salary only to be exchanged in the management company's establishment is similar to what happened in old company stores (that existed during Diaz's dictatorship)," the court said in its decision.

Beaverton boy lauded for solar cell invention

Beaverton boy lauded for solar cell invention | KATU.com - Portland, Oregon | News

Beaverton boy lauded for solar cell invention

BEAVERTON, Ore. – A new invention could revolutionize solar energy – and it was made by a 12-year-old in Beaverton.

Despite his age, William Yuan has already studied nuclear fusion and nanotechnology, and he is on his way to solving the energy crisis.

It all started with Legos - after he learned nanotechnology to make robots take off. The seventh grader then got an idea inspired by the sun.

"Solar it seems underused, and there are only a few problems with it," Yuan said.

Encouraged by his Meadow Park Middle School science teacher, the 12-year-old developed a 3D solar cell.

Onetime Alaskan backer-turned-foe is 'shocked' by Palin's pick as McCain V.P.

Onetime Alaskan backer-turned-foe is 'shocked' by Palin's pick as McCain V.P. - Salt Lake Tribune

By Robert Gehrke
The Salt Lake Tribune

Sarah Palin's meteoric rise to political superstardom got its start thanks to Nick Carney, who soon came to regret the move. Carney, who now lives in Ivins, Utah, has known Palin almost her whole life - his daughter went to school and played basketball with Sarah "Barracuda" Heath. He recruited her to run for office, but says her tenure as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, was a disappointment, during which she looked out for herself and her cronies who she put in management positions. Since Palin was nominated to be vice president, he has received countless phone calls from media outlets and he has given less than glowing reviews on his former colleague.
"I'm shocked" that she was picked to be vice president, Carney said Thursday. "And the reason I am has nothing to do with our personal relationship. As a voter, I can't believe Mr. McCain would pick someone who has no foreign experience, someone who has . . . nothing to offer for solving our economic woes, has, frankly, far less experience in the energy field than she would like to think she does."

Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator

Polit Tsk Tsk Tsk: Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator

Sarah Palin has picked out an All-American set of names for her children. There's Track, Trig, Bristol, Willow, and Piper.

Ever wonder, What would your name be if Sarah Palin was your mother? Well now you can find out!

GOP senator: A 'stretch' to say Palin is qualified

GOP senator: A 'stretch' to say Palin is qualified - Yahoo! News

Thu Sep 18, 10:47 AM ET

WASHINGTON - Nebraska Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel said his party's vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin, lacks foreign policy experience and called it a "stretch" to say she's qualified to be president.
ADVERTISEMENT

"She doesn't have any foreign policy credentials," Hagel said in an interview published Thursday by the Omaha World-Herald. "You get a passport for the first time in your life last year? I mean, I don't know what you can say. You can't say anything."

Could Palin lead the country if GOP presidential nominee John McCain could not?

"I think it's a stretch to, in any way, to say that she's got the experience to be president of the United States," Hagel said.

Tell Harry Reid: Don't cave on offshore drilling.

Tell Harry Reid: Don't cave on offshore drilling.

On Tuesday, September 16th, House Democrats reversed the position they've held for 26 years. They voted to allow offshore oil drilling.

The House "compromise" bill will now come up for a vote in the Senate. As if this bill weren't bad enough, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has stated that he will also allow a vote on a Republican bill that allows even more drilling than the House approved.

Several Democrats are championing better bills in the Senate. Majority Leader Reid should bring these stronger bills up for a vote before caving to pro-drilling Republicans. Even if the Senate eventually caves, we need to put Senators on the record so their constituents can hold them accountable for opposing the moratorium on offshore drilling.

A look at safe water bottles

Outdoors | A look at safe water bottles | Seattle Times Newspaper

With some drinking bottles believed to give off toxic bisphenol A (BPA), here's a look at safe alternatives.

IAN CAMPBELL

When the old, white high-density polyethylene (HDPE) Nalgene bottles gave way to the smoky-gray Lexan (polycarbonate) bottles in the early 1990s, I thought it was a godsend. Unlike the original HDPE, the new Lexan bottles didn't absorb flavors, nor did they give off any flavors or odors. Today, as the whole world seems to know, those polycarbonate bottles are bad juju.

Offshore Oil = Increased Risk for Polar Bears

Greenpeace - Take Action

Polar bears are hanging on for dear life. They are faced with a rapidly shrinking arctic environment due to global warming. And now the Senate is poised to drive another nail in polar bears' coffins by voting for more drilling off of America's shores.

More oil drilling will do nothing to lower gas prices. It will, however, increase global warming pollution and put the polar bear on an even faster track towards extinction. To solve our dead-end dependence on fossil fuels we need legislation that immediately ends the massive tax breaks for Big Oil; doubles the average fuel efficiency of existing cars to at least 50 miles per gallon; substantially invests in public transportation so people have more and better choices; and provides robust incentives for renewable energy investments to transition us to a clean energy future.

Write your Senator today! A vote to protect our coastal waters from more drilling is a vote the polar bears desperately need right now.

Senator McCain's NOT Lying!

-he just gets some facts wrong in all his ads. ...

Undercover Investigation Reveals Hormel Supplier Abusing Mother Pigs and Piglets

Take Action: Undercover Investigation Reveals Hormel Supplier Abusing Mother Pigs and Piglets

For more than three months, PETA went undercover at an Iowa pig factory farm, which supplies piglets who are raised and killed for Hormel products. PETA found rampant cruelty to animals - committed by workers and supervisors. The farm changed ownership and management during PETA's investigation, but that made no difference to the animals who were born and confined there: Abuse and neglect were widespread during PETA's entire investigation.

Updates to this Posting:

Hormel apparently doesn't want public opinion so they've turned off the email:

Here is the kick-back I received while doing this:

The following message to <brands@hormel.com> was undeliverable.
The reason for the problem:
5.1.0 - Unknown address error 550-'mailbox unavailable'

Attached Message

To:	brands@hormel.com
Subject:	Stop Cruelty to Animals at Your Suppliers' Facilities
Date:	17 Sep 2008 18:23:32 -0000

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

You can use this page to contact them:


http://www.hormelfoods.com/contact.aspx

Candidate Pledge - Recapture the Flag - advocacy

The past seven years have seen unprecedented abuses of power by the Executive Branch of our government, and the failure of Congress to stand up for what’s right.

We have seen White House-sanctioned torture, secret prisons, and illegal spying on ordinary Americans. We’ve seen the criminal justice system hijacked to punish political opponents. We’ve seen presidential signing statements abused to evade the laws passed by Congress. And we’ve seen phony evidence and half-truths cynically used to drag our nation to war.

The result? Our democracy has suffered at home, and our reputation has been tarnished abroad.

The U.S. flag stands for something different. It is the living symbol for freedom, liberty, justice and the rule of law. Help us Recapture the Flag and restore the promise of American democracy today by asking your congressional candidates to sign the Recapture the Flag Pledge!

Candidate Pledge

If elected, I pledge to Renew America’s Promise:

• I promise to end torture, respect human rights, and restore America’s reputation in the world.
• I promise to respect the rule of law and to fiercely challenge anyone who seeks to undermine the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
• I promise to root out corruption, special interest abuses and partisan prejudice in the administration of justice.
• I promise to hold to account – without exception – anyone who breaks the law or violates the public trust.
• I promise to protect personal freedom by rejecting warrantless
  spying, stifling of dissent, and other affronts to individual liberty.

Supreme Cork Justice

On wine bottle stoppers | By Umbra Fisk | Grist | Ask Umbra | 17 Sep 2008

On wine bottle stoppers
By Umbra Fisk
17 Sep 2008

Got questions about the environment? Ask Umbra.
Send your green-living questions to Umbra.

Dear Umbra,

Here's a question I couldn't find an answer to in the Grist archives: What kind of plastic is being used for the corks in wine bottles? If I decide to put a bottle in the cellar for several years, will the plastic leach into the wine? Thanks for your help!

Holli B.
Portland, Ore.

New evidence of Kimberly-Clark’s shocking mismanagement of forest resources

New evidence of Kimberly-Clark’s shocking mismanagement of forest resources | Greenpeace USA

September 16, 2008

Shocking new photos released today reveal the existence of a massive stockpile of old-growth logs that are destined to become disposable products like Kleenex tissue and Cottonelle toilet paper for tissue giant Kimberly-Clark Corporation (K-C). The logs originate from the Ogoki Forest, the single most ecologically valuable area left in Ontario’s southern Boreal Forest and the site of growing controversy.
The stockpile is evidence of Kimberly-Clark’s egregious mismanagement of the forests despite company claims that “much of [the] fiber from the Canadian Boreal forest comes to K-C in the form of wood pulp produced from sawdust and chips – or leftovers – of the lumber production process.”1

Can you chip in to take on John McCain?

MoveOn.org Political Action: Can you chip in to take on John McCain?

For weeks, John McCain has run one of the most dishonest campaigns in American history. Now it's time to strike back. So today, we're launching a new ad that uses the facts to hit John McCain hard—reminding voters of his numerous ties to big oil companies and their lobbyists.

But we can only get it on the air if enough of us chip in. Can you donate?

This is Your Nation on White Privilege

This is Your Nation on White Privilege | Red Room

September 13, 2008, 2:01 pm

This is Your Nation on White Privilege

By Tim Wise

For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

Crisis at the Gas Pump Puts Arctic Refuge and Coastlines at Risk

NRDC: Nature's Voice - Crisis at the Gas Pump Puts Arctic Refuge and Coastlines at Risk

With fuel prices soaring, President Bush and his congressional supporters are again pushing to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and vast stretches of America's coastlines to destructive oil and gas development. Drilling proponents would have the public believe that giving the oil industry free rein in these sensitive areas would lower gas prices at the pump. But in reality, the Bush Administration's scheme would only enrich oil companies while doing nothing to lower the price of oil, which is set on the world market. "We just don't have enough oil to drill our way to lower prices," said NRDC President Frances Beinecke. "The only way to ease our pain at the pump is to boost fuel efficiency and start kicking our oil habit." As part of the NRDC Move America Beyond Oil campaign, we are now pressuring Congress to stop Big Oil's latest attempted land grab and to focus instead on advancing solutions that will help break America's addiction to oil.

Tell Congress You Don't Buy the Lie!

Take Action: Tell Congress You Don't Buy the Lie!

President Bush and Big Oil's allies in Congress are trying to persuade the public that opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and America's coastlines to oil drilling will lower gas prices. That's a lie! This land grab will boost profits for the oil giants and despoil our natural heritage, but it will do nothing to ease our pain at the pump.

Tell your Senators and Representative you're not buying the lie!

Note: this action is for residents of U.S. states only; please do not attempt to send the message without using a valid U.S. state address.

John McCain's health records must be released

John McCain's health records must be released

John McCain has not yet released his medical records to the public. McCain is 72 years old, and has been diagnosed with invasive melanoma. In May of this year, a small group of selected reporters were allowed to review 1,173 pages of McCain's medical records that covered only the last eight years, and were allowed only three hours to do so. John McCain's health is an issue of profound importance. We call on John McCain to issue a full, public disclosure of all of his medical records, available for the media and members of the general public to review.

What's so eco about all those eco-meat labels?

This is an interesting article about meat and labels such as free-range...


Checkout Line: Meat of the matter | Gristmill: The environmental news blog | Grist

Checkout Line: Meat of the matter

Posted by Lou Bendrick (Guest Contributor) at 3:39 AM on 12 Sep 2008

Hilary vs. Palin

This is hilarious!

Eve Ensler on Sarah Palin

       By Eve Ensler, a feminist who wrote the play "The Vagina Monologues."

She is highly respected as a playwright, actor and activist to stop
violence on women.

"Drill, Drill, Drill

I am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was a
member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of
drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a particular
thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or their bigness
or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have never seen one
in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that they live so
comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar bears.

I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life
trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against
them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin
choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people who made this
choice count on the goodness and solidarity of Feminists.

But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical to
Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving the
earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls options,
opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence and war.

I believe that the McCain/Palin ticket is one of the most dangerous
choices of my lifetime, and should this country choose those candidates
the fall-out may be so great, the destruction so vast in so many areas
that America may never recover. But what is equally disturbing is the
impact that duo would have on the rest of the world. Unfortunately, this
is not a joke. In my lifetime I have seen the clownish, the inept, the
bizarre be elected to the presidency with regularity.

Sarah Palin does not believe in evolution. I take this as a metaphor. In
her world and the world of Fundamentalists nothing changes or gets
better or evolves. She does not believe in global warming. The melting
of the arctic, the storms that are destroying our cities, the pollution
and rise of cancers, are all part of God's plan. She is fighting to take
the polar bears off the endangered species list. The earth, in Palin's
view, is here to be taken and plundered. The wolves and the bears are
here to be shot and plundered. The oil is here to be taken and
plundered. Iraq is here to be taken and plundered. As she said herself
of the Iraqi war, "It was a task from God."

Sarah Palin does not believe in abortion. She does not believe women who
are raped and incested and ripped open against their will should have a
right to determine whether they have their rapist's baby or not.

She obviously does not believe in sex education or birth control. I
imagine her daughter was practicing abstinence and we know how many
babies that makes.

Sarah Palin does not much believe in thinking. From what I gather she
has tried to ban books from the library, has a tendency to dispense with
people who think independently. She cannot tolerate an environment of
ambiguity and difference. This is a woman who could and might very well
be the next president of the United States. She would govern one of the
most diverse populations on the earth.

Sarah believes in guns. She has her own custom Austrian hunting rifle.
She has been known to kill 40 caribou at a clip. She has shot hundreds
of wolves from the air.

Sarah believes in God. That is of course her right, her private right.
But when God and Guns come together in the public sector, when war is
declared in God's name, when the rights of women are denied in his name,
that is the end of separation of church and state and the undoing of
everything America has ever tried to be.

I write to my sisters. I write because I believe we hold this election
in our hands. This vote is a vote that will determine the future not
just of the U.S., but of the planet. It will determine whether we create
policies to save the earth or make it forever uninhabitable for humans.
It will determine whether we move towards dialogue and diplomacy in the
world or whether we escalate violence through invasion, undermining and
attack. It will determine whether we go for oil, strip mining, coal
burning or invest our money in alternatives that will free us from
dependency and destruction. It will determine if money gets spent on
education and healthcare or whether we build more and more methods of
killing. It will determine whether America is a free open tolerant
society or a closed place of fear, fundamentalism and aggression.

If the Polar Bears don't move you to go and do everything in your power
to get Obama elected then consider the chant that filled the hall after
Palin spoke at the RNC, "Drill Drill Drill." I think of teeth when I
think of drills. I think of rape. I think of destruction. I think of
domination. I think of military exercises that force mindless
repetition, emptying the brain of analysis, doubt, ambiguity or dissent.
I think of pain.

Do we want a future of drilling? More holes in the ozone, in the floor
of the sea, more holes in our thinking, in the trust between nations and
peoples, more holes in the fabric of this precious thing we call life?

Eve Ensler

Some interesting info on Sarah Palin and the Anne Kilkenny Letter

It seems as though the Anne Kilkenny letter is real and that it contains largely facts although much of the interpretation is based on the fact that Anne Kilkenny is liberal (I'd likely interpret the facts in a similar fashion). This "About.com" article contains a reprint of the original letter plus some interesting links that deal with specific points in the letter.

What really scares me is that Sarah Palin is ANTI-ENVIRONMENT which is really the opposite of McCain who actually is a fairly environmental friendly candidate considering he is a republican:

 

Sen. McCain opposes ANWR drilling. In an interview
with The Wall Street Journal in June, Gov. Palin said that when she met
with Sen. McCain at a governor's conference in Washington, they
discussed energy but parted company on the issue of drilling in ANWR,
which he has opposed.

"We have agreed to disagree on ANWR," she said at the
time. But the governor said there were other untapped oil reserves she
wanted to drill, including more fields in Prudhoe Bay and closer to the
rugged Brooks Range. "We don't need to send our president to Saudi
Arabia begging for oil," she said, in a slap to President George W.
Bush's visits there. "We can start drilling here."

...and

Though she has said that "a changing environment will
affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location," Gov.
Palin is among a shrinking group of politicians who are skeptical that
humans are responsible for climate change -- a position sharply at odds
with that of Sen. McCain, who has earned kudos from environmentalists
for his support of a measure in Congress to fight global warming by
imposing limits on greenhouse-gas emissions.

Her administration has announced its intent to file
suit challenging the recent federal listing of Alaskan polar bears as a
threatened species, on grounds the bear populations in the state are
thriving and the listing would cripple oil and gas development along
Alaska's arctic coasts. That's another contrast with Sen. McCain, who
embraced the polar bear decision.

Her stance on global warming has drawn criticism from
some native Alaskan groups, who say shrinking permafrost has
destabilized the ground under native villages and affected subsistence
hunting, fishing and farming. The governor did announce plans last year
to address climate-change issues in Alaska and reduce greenhouse-gas
emissions within the state.

Lastly what scares me about Sarah Palin is that she is an UBER social conservative and is a my way or the highway type of person....

Let's make sure we get a good P/VP this election, the Bush administration has done enough damage. Vote Obama!

Letter from Wasilla: Anne Kilkenny on Sarah Palin - Urban Legends

Letter from Wasilla: Anne Kilkenny on Sarah Palin
Netlore Archive: Widely-forwarded email written by Wasilla, Alaska resident Anne Kilkenny questions Sarah Palin's fitness to be Vice-President.

Write a Letter to your Newspaper About Palin

MoveOn.org Political Action: Democracy in Action

Letter to the Editor: Palin: Unprepared
This week, Governor Sarah Palin sat down for her first media interview since she became the Republican nominee for vice president. She also gave a speech about Iraq. Both of these episodes revealed a scary picture of the person John McCain chose to be one heartbeat away from the presidency.

Can you help spread the word by writing a letter to papers in your area? Please use your own words in your letter. Below are some points to help guide you.

The process is simple -- just follow the three steps. See the tips on the bottom right of the page for ideas (click on the "Writing Tips" tab). Please report any problems you have here.

King County Elections: Vote for Mass Transit!

Mass Transit Now! - Yes on Prop. 1 to bring mass transit to Puget Sound!

Soaring gas prices and increased traffic congestion threaten our economy and quality of life. It's time to take action.

We Need Mass Transit Now!

Vote YES on Proposition 1

Host a MoveOn for Obama Party

MoveOn.org Political Action

Thanks so much for hosting! Hosting is simple — we'll give you everything you need to have a successful "MoveOn for Obama" party. Here are a few important tips to help you sign up:

• We'll make phone calls as a central activity of the party — so you should choose your location accordingly. Your house is a great place, and a community center room can also work. You'll need a space that is quiet, with enough room to spread out, and cell phone reception.

• Part of the party is an exciting and fun program that you'll access via the web, so you'll need a location where you have access to a computer with speakers and internet.

• This is also MoveOn's 10th birthday, so we'll eat cake and ice cream at the party! We'll ask your guests to help provide the desserts. Make sure your party has an appropriate space to eat food.

• If you have any questions about choosing a location or hosting overall, just email call4obamaparty@moveon.org.

Don't Let Dino Rossi Make Global Warming Worse!

Fuse

Worried about Rossi's global warming plan?

Dino Rossi’s global warming plan would add over 21.5 million tons of carbon dioxide pollution to the atmosphere. It’s the only global warming plan we’ve ever seen that literally goes the wrong way by actually increasing carbon dioxide pollution. We all have to make sure that Dino Rossi never has a chance to implement his plan, and that voters learn the truth about his record on global warming.

Analysis of Dino Rossi's Global Warming Plan

Fuse

Fuse press conference, Sept. 9, 2008

Gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi claims his global warming plan is “the only serious proposal that would remove carbon from the air.”

A serious plan deserves serious review. That’s why Fuse, Washington Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club have conducted an emissions-focused analysis of Rossi’s approach to reduce the size of Washington’s carbon footprint. The analysis included only those components of the plan with substantial impacts on carbon dioxide emissions.

Our analysis was alarming. Far from Rossi’s assertion that his plan would remove millions of tons of carbon pollution from the air, the analysis found just the opposite. When you do the math, it shows Rossi’s global warming plan would in fact increase carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere in this state by more than 20 million tons.1

What does 20 million tons look like? Picture 400,000 coal-carrying semi trucks stretched nose to tail across the nation twice – 4,968 miles from Seattle to Boston and back to Seattle again. Fill each truck to the brim with 50 tons of black fuel. Now add 335 miles more. Rossi’s proposed emissions addition looks like 400,000 coal trucks lined up for 5,303 miles.

That is the potential outcome of Rossi’s plan to reduce Washington’s global warming pollution. In the pages that follow, we evaluate the carbon emissions impacts of the key components of the Rossi plan, documenting the performance of a plan that would significantly increase our global warming pollution.

NOTE: Washington State law (SB 6001) requires the Governor to develop a plan that achieves the adopted goal of reducing Washington’s carbon dioxide emissions to 50% below 1990 levels by 2050. Although Governor Chris Gregoire has led the adoption and implementation of aggressive new strategies to reduce Washington’s global warming emissions, analyzing the results of her proposals is beyond the scope of this report.2

New Movie: Flow

FLOW

IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 2008
OPENS SEPTEMBER 12, 2008 in New York and Los Angeles

"Water is the sleeping giant issue of the 21st Century and we all need to wake up about it. FLOW opens our eyes about the greatest threat of our time - the global water crisis. It is a compelling and passionate film. Its engaging narrative will grip the viewer."
Robert Redford

Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.

Sierra Club Political Committee

Sierra Club: Login

GasMoney - This November it’s critical that we elect leaders who will provide real energy solutions.

Please help us elect a president and members of Congress who will make the right decisions about energy and the environment by making a donation to the Sierra Club Political Committee.

Fight back with the truth

MoveOn.org Political Action: Democracy in Action

McCain and the Republicans are attacking Obama hard right now. This race is going to get very ugly. The only way to counter these kinds of nasty attacks is to tell the truth. We're working on producing ads right now, but we need help. MoveOn doesn't have billionaire donors--it just has all of us, chipping in together. Can you chip in to the Truth Fund? You can make a monthly contribution by clicking here or contribute by check.

Nuclear Proliferation...at the Grocery Store

Nuclear Proliferation...at the Grocery Store | Seventh Generation

By the Inkslinger - September 8, 2008

Food IrradiationStewart Brand, founder of the Whole Earth Catalog, once wrote that "we are as gods and might as well get good at it." I was reminded of that wisdom last week by two pieces of news: that the Large Hadron Collider is maybe about to eat the Earth for dinner. And that the FDA has approved radiation as a treatment for the lettuce and spinach you and I will place on our own plates.

If it seems like the term "weird science" is rapidly ceasing to have any meaning at all, you're right. I think it's pretty much all going to be weird science from here on out, and that's all the more reason for extra precaution on our parts. Because once you start unleashing atoms, the law of unintended consequences kicks right in. Nowhere does it loom larger than in the issue of food irradiation, a technology where unexpected side-effects may far outnumber the intended benefits. In response to the FDA's decision to allow more nuked foods into our pantries, we've created a quick guide to food irradiation, including why it might not be such a hot idea and what we can do to keep it out of our kitchens. Take a minute or two to digest it and save yourself some heartburn down the road.

Create the New American Dream with us...

Support New American Dream

Make a donation to New American Dream

By supporting our work as a member, you will be helping us to:

• Promote positive changes in the way goods are produced and consumed

• Shift the economy toward the "green" marketplace while reducing overall consumption

• Develop responsible and sustainable purchasing practices for corporations, government agencies, and academic institutions

• Educate Americans to become conscious consumers

Green Voter Campaign Pledge

Green Voter Campaign Pledge — Washington Conservation Voters

Sign up to become a Scorekeeper and help us spread the word about Dino Rossi's dismal environmental record.

This November, it's going to take environmental voters like you to protect our natural heritage here in Washington.

We're taking on Dino Rossi and his dismal record on the environment and making sure that everyone knows that Voting Green means voting for Governor Gregoire, so sign up now to volunteer and help us get the word out.

What to expect: We need volunteers with all different skills and backgrounds in every corner of this state. By sharing a little about yourself here, you're saying that you're ready, willing and standing by. You will be contacted as needs arise in your community. No prior experience is necessary. We’ll give you all the tools you need to be plugged in and be successful.

What not to expect: This campaign can only succeed if all of us who care about the environment do our part. Don’t just fill out this volunteer form and wait—fill it out and let us know more about you and then visit your county page, to see what's happening in your community.

Thanks for your interest in helping us re-elect Governor Gregoire. You’re almost done, there are just a few things we need to know about you to get you started.

Random Stuff - Not much interesting.

Presidential Election:

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell me Obama is going to win.If you have friends, releatives, enemies, co-workers who might be Obama supporters, but are not voting or if you know people on the fence please encourage them to vote. McCain is scary enough, add Palin to him and many republican's might seem like communists in comparison. This is truly scary.

Speaking of Palin:

Do any of you out in blogland have opinions of Palin? I'd love to hear them so comments are welcome and appreciated.

It's College Football Time:

I'm not really a sports guy. I really don't tend to care for sports fans...all that chest thumping and high-fiving drivel. (Of course if we settled the world's problems via sport we'd have a lot less dead people; W? Are you listening?) However I really love college football, it's my dirty little secret. I attribute this to my father who started taking me to University of Utah football games at the ripe old age of five. From the start to the age of thirteen I think I may have missed one or two home games.

We also attended basketball games but for some reason they don't hoild as many memories as college football. You know there are all the memories asscociated with football, fall leaves, the cripsness in the air, snow soon on the way (yes I am a skier so I always looked forward to the snow), it is really quite magical.

There is also something to be said for amateur sports. I know that in major college sports there is a lot of bla bla and money involved, but by the same token there is a bit of purity and innocence to college sports....call me crazy. Now if we could do away with many of the fans...

Stupid SUV's- Cadillac Escalade: Don't believe GM as far as you can throw them.

So GM is patting themsleves on the back for coming up with such an "environmentally friednly" vehicle. This is such a load of crap. The statement comes from the FAQ published by GM regarding the new hybrid Escalade:

Q: How does the 2 mode hybrid system perform in city and highway driving? A: When compared to the traditional 2008 Escalade, the 2009 Escalade hybrid will offer up to an estimated 45% improvement in city fuel economy and an estimated 25% in combined fuel economy.

The traditional 2008 escalade has a fuel economy of 12 city and 19 highway.

So let's see using my math an increase of 45% over the old one can be figured out by Y * 145% = new mileage. So let's see: 12 * 1.45 = 17.4 and to get combined (I believe an average if I am not mistaken) would be 12 + 19 / 2 = 15.5 * 1.25 to get the new combined = 19.375.

Are they kidding? if these are the numbers 17.4/19.375 then I say your vehicle is still a pretentious, gas-guzzling piece of crap that still represents everything wrong with society today.

Works Cited: Directly from GM's Website

BLEAH!

Okay folks, signing off now. I looking forward to ranting with you all in the future.

Be safe, be green, don't be republican.

Endangered Species Act Under Assault: Send Comments to Secretary Kempthorne

Center for Biological Diversity

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced devastating changes to the Endangered Species Act, signaling the end of protection for thousands of imperiled species.

The new regulations would:

- Exempt thousands of federal activities from review under the Endangered Species Act;
- Eliminate checks and balances of independent oversight;
- Limit which effects can be considered harmful;
- Prevent consideration of a project’s contribution to global warming;
- Set an inadequate 60-day deadline for wildlife experts to evaluate a project in the instances when they are invited to participate – or else the project gets an automatic green light;
- Enable large-scale projects to go unreviewed by dividing them into hundreds of small projects.

We must stop Kempthorne from fatally crippling our nation’s most successful wildlife law.

Urgent - Tell Congress to say Yes to clean energy and No to drilling

Take Action: Urgent - Tell Congress to say Yes to clean energy and No to drilling

As high energy costs are challenging households across America, Congress is scheduled to vote on comprehensive energy legislation in the coming days. Urge your senators and representative to pass legislation that focuses on clean energy technologies and does not expand offshore drilling.

Palin will not give an interview...even Fox is questioning

What's up with this? She's going for VP and is not ready to talk to the media?

Give a Gift for the Beluga Today

Center for Biological Diversity

With your support, the Center for Biological Diversity's Ocean's Program can continue to protect this magnificent animal and its habitat. Our goal is to raise $10,000 in support of the Cook Inlet beluga whale case. Please make a gift today to help.

We've been rated a four star charity by Charity Navigator, and you can trust us to make the most of your donation. Please complete the form below to make your gift online or see the address at the bottom of the screen if you prefer to mail a check.

Global warming: Western U.S. feels the heat

Global warming: Western U.S. feels the heat

By JOEL CONNELLY
P-I COLUMNIST

DUBOIS, Wyo. -- As pilot Bruce Gordon lifts up from the local airport, the distant perspective of the Teton Range raises the spirits, but the unfolding sight of dying forests sears the soul.

High-elevation white bark pines, which have endured droughts and lightning and insect attacks in life spans as long as 1,000 years, are being killed by a tiny beetle whose numbers were once limited by a bitter winter climate.

"What you are seeing is a natural process on steroids: All these trees will be toast unless the pace of global warming is drastically slowed," said Diana Tombeck, a University of Colorado-Denver professor. She studies white bark pine and calls it "a foundation species."

Tell Congress Not to Purchase Dirty Fuels!

Sierra Club:

Tell Congress Not to Purchase Dirty Fuels!

1. Personalize the message text on the right with your own words, if you wish.
2. Complete the form below with your information.
3. Click the Send Your Message button to send your letter to these decision makers:

* Senator Lamar Alexander
* Senator Richard 'Dick' J. Durbin
* Senator Herb Kohl
* Senator Byron L. Dorgan
* Senator Arlen Specter
* Senator Tom Harkin
* Senator Sam Brownback
* Targeted recipients based on your address

America Needs Clean Energy, Not More Drilling

Sierra Club:

America Needs Clean Energy, Not More Drilling

1. Personalize the message text on the right with your own words, if you wish.
2. Complete the form below with your information.
3. Click the Send Your Message button to send your letter to these decision makers.

Don't gamble on offshore oil

Greenpeace - Take Action

Record high gas prices have been making headlines for the past few months, and some politicians and corporations are taking advantage of the dire situation by organizing a push to lift a 27-year moratorium on drilling for oil along our coastlines.

The Minerals Management Service is accepting public comments on its new 5-year drilling plan that would open up more of our coasts to oil drilling. Voice your opinion today and help lead the charge for real solutions, like renewable energy, instead of false solutions that will threaten this country’s coasts with oil spills and contribute to global warming. (For more information, read our fact sheet >>)

Tell the Minerals Management Service not to gamble on offshore drilling. It's just not a safe bet.