Ancient Forests petition

The Bush administration is bound and determined to do as much damage as they can before leaving office. They are trying to open up the tiny amount of ancient forests we have left to exploitation. Let them know this is unacceptable.
Sign the petition.

Thanks to the Rogue Valley Independent Media Center for the graphic

Whew! At last an "energy expert" VP! - By Robb

Boy am I relieved. Now that John McCain has an "energy expert" as a VP candidate I can sleep better at night knowing that the US energy future is secure.

What with 45 new Nuclear power plants providing 3 QBtu's by 2030 and all that wonderful offshore oil he wants to drill for providing .5 QBtu's by 2030 I'm sure we will be just fine. After all, projections indicate that with business/growth/lack of foresight as usual the US will need a mere 118 QBtu's by 2030.

So, hmmm, that's 2.5% from 45 nuclear plants at the cost of how many billions per plant, $4.9 billion per reactor or there abouts. Not to mention the unknown costs of decommissioning and waste storage, two things we don't even know how to do safely yet. And let's not forget that the fuel is set to get really scarce in about 40 years which will drive up the costs considerably.


Thankfully if we allow the oil industry, those trustworthy fellows who have taken such good care of us up to now, to despoil our coastlines we'll get a staggering .42% of our needs there. And goodness knows if McCain follows GW's lead, which McCain reminds us he has done 90% of the time up till now, he won't even make his oil buddies pay any royalties not to mention the billions of corporate welfare those cash strapped good ole boy American oil prospectors deserve and demand from the taxpayers of America.

Yessirree I feel loads better knowing he's got an "energy expert" helping him draft his bold new energy plan.

To find out more and to see a plan that could really deliver us from all evil, at least some of the evils that have been foisted upon us up until now by the Republicans, check out;

Architecture 2030

Thanks to Architecture 2030 for the graphics and figures for this post.

The Other Bail-Out | celsias°

This excellent article by George Monbiot details further corporate welfare slipping under the radar these days.
The Other Bail-Out | celsias°

But that's not all, check this out;

"While we have all been preoccupied with the staggering $700 billion bail-out of wall street, boggled with the size of the dollar amount, having to raise the National debt limit and borrow money from foreign nations to fund it, late Saturday night the Senate passed a bill of a comparably huge dollar amount which made little news, but gives $488 Billion to the Pentagon for the continued funding of the the war, There has been a near media blackout of this vote, and we need to get the word out that this outrageous warfunding is quietly continuing while the news media is being distracted by the gigantic and horrendous Wall Street bailout bill."

read all about it at Organic Consumers Association

Crimes against humanity?

The GM food industry has bought the FDA. For those in the UK, the FDA is the agency charged with protecting US citizens from dangerous food and drugs but which during the Bush administration has become a de-facto headquarters for the GM food industry which has prevented labelling of GM food in the states even though the majority of people want it. Most Americans eat GM food every day yet 52% believe they have never eaten it. These corporations fire and persecute scientists who publish results demonstrating the toxic effects of their products and they are attempting to convince the British public that they hold the key to the food crisis.

I agree, they are creating it!

For more about the crimes of the GM industry see the Seeds of Deception website.

Here is a grief, oops, make that brief extract from the speech by H. E. M. Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, President of the General Assembly at the High-level Event on the Millennium Development Goals 25 Sept 2008, United Nations, New York

"EXTRACTS:

9. It is clear that the world food crisis is increasing social tensions and bringing about a significant rise in extreme poverty...

11. The World Bank has concluded that 75 per cent of the increase in food prices stems from the production of biofuels and factors related to rapidly growing demand for biofuels.

14. The essential purpose of food, which is to nourish people , has been subordinated to the economic aims of a handful of multinational corporations that monopolize all aspects of food production, from seeds to major distribution chains, and they have been the prime beneficiaries of the world crisis. A look at the figures for 2007, when the world food crisis began, shows that corporations such as Monsanto and Cargill, which control the cereals market, saw their profits increase by 45 and 60 per cent, respectively..."

Monsanto is at the very heart of the biofuels lobby.

For more on this speech see The article at the Organic Consumers Association website.

Drilling for Oil is Not the Answer | celsias°

Something to keep in mind, oil companies are sitting on licenses already issued in the US as they wait for the price of oil to rise high enough to justify drilling, adding more area available to them to purchase licenses for will only increase their profits, not decrease the price at the pump, not increase our energy security. It will increase the amount of money they spend to purchase politicians. Every drop of oil we produce continues the paradigm of addiction and the war, global warming, and corrupt politics that go with it.

Check this out;
Drilling for Oil is Not the Answer | celsias°

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A real American Heroe - By Robb

This morning I watched the beginning episode in a new series by Dr. Iain Stewart. He has produced some wonderful earth science programs for the BBC. His new one is specifically about Climate Change. This first episode details the history of the debate and the science. I was gratified to see Dr. James Hansen making commentary, both in 1988 before congress and today for this series. Then I found this article in the Independent online.

Nasa scientist appears in court to fan the flames of coal power station row

By Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor
Thursday, 4 September 2008

"Prof James Hansen: Urged Gordon Brown to refuse planning application to build new coal-fired units at the Kingsnorth plant in Hoo, Kent"

You can read the whole article at

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/nasa-scientist-appears-in-court-to-fan-the-flames-of-coal-power-station-row-918057.html

Like to eat? Then save the Bees!

Check out this article over at Organic Consumers Association regarding the US EPA's efforts to protect corporate interests, surprise surprise, at the cost of the environment. This time it involves a pesticide banned in Germany and France for years now due to it's danger to bees, those hard workers upon which "every third mouthful of food" we eat depends.

EPA is Hiding Colony Collapse Disorder Information

" 'This is a real mystery right now," said Dr. Gabriela Chavarria, director of NRDC's Science Center. "EPA needs to help shed some light so that researchers can get to work on this problem. This isn't just an issue for farmers -- this is an issue that concerns us all. Just try to imagine a pizza without the contribution of bees! No tomatoes. No cheese. No peppers. If you eat apples, cucumbers, broccoli, onions, squash, carrots, avocados, or cherries, you need to be concerned.' "

The EPA is at it again! - by Robb

It still astounds me the depths to which the Bush administration will sink to to delude the American people! Once again the agency charged with the protection of the environment has resorted to obfuscation and a complete lack of decency when owning up to it's behaviour. It

"has ordered employees not to talk to internal auditors, Congress or the media".


Apparently the truth is too scary for the American people to handle, or is it that they no longer have the right in corporate America to know the truth about what their lobbyist controlled government is up to?

Senator Boxer has stated,

"Stephen Johnson is turning the EPA into a secretive, dangerous ally of polluters instead of a leader in the effort to protect the health and safety of the American people".

Check out more details in the Guardian article on the subject.