 Kit B. (304) | Friday December 28, 2012, 9:39 am (Photo Credit: Jean Lee/ Shutterstock.com) This article was published in partnership with GlobalPossibilities.org. The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), the agency in charge of the Delaware River as it winds through four states, conveniently sidestepped taking responsibility for overseeing the cumulative effects of the many natural gas pipelines being built around or through the Delaware River watershed by saying, essentially, "that's not our job." It's a tried-and-true political maneuver. But, if it's not the job of the DRBC, then we are really screwed here in the Delaware River Valley. That means it's not anybody's job to look after the aggregate environmental degradation in the watershed and threats to human (and animal) well-being caused by the standard procedures of the natural gas industry, operating as they do without need to comply with the Clean Air or Clean Water Acts. Oh well, I guess they can monitor themselves. The DRBC did however give the go-ahead to two controversial projects: a $1.2 billion electrical transmission line through 72 miles of Delaware River watershed connecting New Jersey and Pennsylvania substations, and a $6.4 billion project to expand the Philadelphia airport- by filling in 130 acres of wetlands. Wetlands mitigate the effects of disastrous storms like Sandy, which we can expect more of, thanks to climate change. But you can't charge for prudence. Every time I revisit the airport expansion, the numbers get bigger. There's the usual amount of cheerleading for this project, from the usual cheerleaders- the ones that brought you casinos and the expanded convention center. And I'm sure they all stand to make piles of money. Airport director Mark Gale promises jobs and revenue and a more efficient airport. Let's hope any of that is true. US Airways Vice President Micheal Minerva questioned the proposition back in 2010, so some pretty smart people see things differently. The project now only needs permission from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (an oxymoron under Corbett) and the US Army Corps of Engineers, so consider it a done deal. And here, in microcosm, is the problem with solving climate change. There's too much money to to be made doing the same old same old. There's no incentive to change, I mean, unless you like breathing the air and drinking the water. But apparently that's just not as sexy as the old "jobs and revenue" line that gets trotted out by every fill-in-the-blank financially interested party to defend every project that will add more carbon to the atmosphere. The sticking point with climate change is it's not an environmental problem, primarily, but an economic problem. The entire world's economy revolves around carbon-spewing technologies. And until the kingpins controlling the resources that keep this economy running figure out how to make money in changing, there will be no serious change. Period, the end. Too bad about the air and water. The natural gas industry is big in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, and is grossly unregulated. The prize the industry promotes is replacing oil with natural gas - liquified natural gas, to be precise. That way cars keep running, factories don't have to retool, there's no need to worry so much about rapid transit, and hey, natural gas is clean, they say, kind of like clean coal (not). Tar sands development in Canada continues at a breakneck pace, although it may not go as smoothly as envisioned. GE recently announced plans to expand "natural gas highway" partnerships and the US government issued a report last week that makes the case for exporting natural gas, which the US now has in surplus. Sure it'll drive up domestic natural gas prices, but ultimately... jobs and revenue. So that's the plan, a natural gas superhighway and exporting the stuff so other countries can build natural gas superhighways. Good old, same old thing. And nary a word about the hit to the earth's warming climate of these "clean energy" technologies. According to the International Energy Agency the world cannot afford to burn two-thirds of all identified fossil fuel resources. All that new carbon alone will doom the planet. It has to stay in the ground. So what the heck are we all talking about? "Jobs and revenue" is beginning to sound like the ditty Nero might sing as Rome burns. Earlier this month, countries of the world met in Doha, Qatar under the auspices of the United Nations, to continue their nearly 20 year conversation about what they could or should do concerning climate change. Twenty years of talk and no action. Why? Because there's way too much money to be made doing nothing, and besides, say some, carbon regulation is not the UN's job. When ordinary people have a concern about the impacts to their well-being of an industry, they naturally turn to their elected political leaders. So it's disappointing when those leaders aren't that interested in protecting public health. Susan Rice, current UN Ambassador, whose name is being floated for Secretary of State, has over a million invested in the Keystone Pipeline, a deal that needs - surprise! - a permit from the Department of State to proceed. It's hard for politicians to care about whether you can breathe air or drink water when they're so busy toting up their own return on investment. I'm not against jobs and revenue but I've come to highly value breathing air and drinking water. The only force in the world capable of ultimately winning out over all this prevailing wisdom about jobs and revenue and the incredible boon of "clean" fossil fuels is sustained direct action by people. For real change, people will have to push harder, because politicians can talk forever, if you let them. This is the conclusion many activists have come to across a variety of campaigns like Greenpeace, the Tar Sands Blockade and the new student movement to force colleges and universities to divest themselves of their fossil fuel investments, to name a few. It's surely going to get hotter - literally and figuratively - before health and well-being win out over jobs and revenue. This article originally published at GreenCityJournal.com.
By: Caryn Hunt | alternet | Caryn Hunt lives and writes in Philadelphia. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Diane O. (136) | Friday December 28, 2012, 11:39 am 'm going to post something which is rather lengthy but it is "good reading." When you get to the end you'll remember most of what you've read. To: Kit - the devil made me post this....DianeO. Global Warming proven a Global Scam
Study: Half of warming due to Sun! ?Sea Levels Fail to Rise? ? Warming Fears in ?Dustbin of History? POZNAN, Poland - The UN global warming conference currently underway in Poland is about to face a serious challenge from over 650 dissenting scientists from around the globe who are criticizing the climate claims made by the UN IPCC and former Vice President Al Gore. Set for release this week, a newly updated U.S. Senate Minority Report features the dissenting voices of over 650 international scientists, many current and former UN IPCC scientists, who have now turned against the UN. The report has added about 250 scientists (and growing) in 2008 to the over 400 scientists who spoke out in 2007. The over 650 dissenting scientists are more than 12 times the number of UN scientists (52) who authored the media hyped IPCC 2007 Summary for Policymakers. The U.S. Senate report is the latest evidence of the growing groundswell of scientific opposition rising to challenge the UN and Gore. Scientific meetings are now being dominated by a growing number of skeptical scientists. The prestigious International Geological Congress, dubbed the geologists? equivalent of the Olympic Games, was held in Norway in August 2008 and prominently featured the voices and views of scientists skeptical of man-made global warming fears. [See Full report Here: & See: Skeptical scientists overwhelm conference: '2/3 of presenters and question-askers were hostile to, even dismissive of, the UN IPCC' ] Full Senate Report Set To Be Released in the Next 24 Hours ? Stay Tuned? A hint of what the upcoming report contains: ?I am a skeptic?Global warming has become a new religion.? ? Nobel Prize Winner for Physics, Ivar Giaever. ?Since I am no longer affiliated with any organization nor receiving any funding, I can speak quite frankly?.As a scientist I remain skeptical.? - Atmospheric Scientist Dr. Joanne Simpson, the first woman in the world to receive a PhD in meteorology and formerly of NASA who has authored more than 190 studies and has been called ?among the most preeminent scientists of the last 100 years.? Warming fears are the ?worst scientific scandal in the history?When people come to know what the truth is, they will feel deceived by science and scientists.? ? UN IPCC Japanese Scientist Dr. Kiminori Itoh, an award-winning PhD environmental physical chemist. ?The IPCC has actually become a closed circuit; it doesn?t listen to others. It doesn?t have open minds? I am really amazed that the Nobel Peace Prize has been given on scientifically incorrect conclusions by people who are not geologists,? ? Indian geologist Dr. Arun D. Ahluwalia at Punjab University and a board member of the UN-supported International Year of the Planet. ?The models and forecasts of the UN IPCC ?are incorrect because they only are based on mathematical models and presented results at scenarios that do not include, for example, solar activity.? ? Victor Manuel Velasco Herrera, a researcher at the Institute of Geophysics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico ?It is a blatant lie put forth in the media that makes it seem there is only a fringe of scientists who don?t buy into anthropogenic global warming.? ? U.S Government Atmospheric Scientist Stanley B. Goldenberg of the Hurricane Research Division of NOAA. ?Even doubling or tripling the amount of carbon dioxide will virtually have little impact, as water vapour and water condensed on particles as clouds dominate the worldwide scene and always will.? ? . Geoffrey G. Duffy, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering of the University of Auckland, NZ. ?After reading [UN IPCC chairman] Pachauri?s asinine comment [comparing skeptics to] Flat Earthers, it?s hard to remain quiet.? ? Climate statistician Dr. William M. Briggs, who specializes in the statistics of forecast evaluation, serves on the American Meteorological Society?s Probability and Statistics Committee and is an Associate Editor of Monthly Weather Review. ?For how many years must the planet cool before we begin to understand that the planet is not warming? For how many years must cooling go on?? ? Geologist Dr. David Gee the chairman of the science committee of the 2008 International Geological Congress who has authored 130 plus peer reviewed papers, and is currently at Uppsala University in Sweden. ?Gore prompted me to start delving into the science again and I quickly found myself solidly in the skeptic camp?Climate models can at best be useful for explaining climate changes after the fact.? ? Meteorologist Hajo Smit of Holland, who reversed his belief in man-made warming to become a skeptic, is a former member of the Dutch UN IPCC committee. ?Many [scientists] are now searching for a way to back out quietly (from promoting warming fears), without having their professional careers ruined.? ? Atmospheric physicist James A. Peden, formerly of the Space Research and Coordination Center in Pittsburgh. ?Creating an ideology pegged to carbon dioxide is a dangerous nonsense?The present alarm on climate change is an instrument of social control, a pretext for major businesses and political battle. It became an ideology, which is concerning.? - Environmental Scientist Professor Delgado Domingos of Portugal, the founder of the Numerical Weather Forecast group, has more than 150 published articles. ?CO2 emissions make absolutely no difference one way or another?.Every scientist knows this, but it doesn?t pay to say so?Global warming, as a political vehicle, keeps Europeans in the driver?s seat and developing nations walking barefoot.? ? Dr. Takeda Kunihiko, vice-chancellor of the Institute of Science and Technology Research at Chubu University in Japan. ?The [global warming] scaremongering has its justification in the fact that it is something that generates funds.? ? Award-winning Paleontologist Dr. Eduardo Tonni, of the Committee for Scientific Research in Buenos Aires and head of the Paleontology Department at the University of La Plata. # # In addition, the report will feature new peer-reviewed scientific studies and analyses refuting man-made warming fears and a heavy dose of inconvenient climate developments. (See Below: Study: Half of warming due to Sun! ?Sea Levels Fail to Rise? ? Warming Fears in ?Dustbin of History?) The Senate Minority Report is an update of 2007?s blockbuster U.S. Senate Minority Report of over 400 dissenting scientists. See here: This new report will contain the names, quotes and analyses of literally hundreds of additional international scientists who publicly dissented from man-made climate fears in just 2008 alone. The chorus of scientific voices skeptical grow louder as a steady stream of peer-reviewed studies, analyses and real world data challenge the UN and former Vice President Al Gore?s claims that the ?science is settled? and there is a ?consensus.? The original 2007 U.S. Senate report is available here: Full Report Set To Be Released in the Next 24 Hours ? Stay Tuned? Meanwhile, while the UN climate conference is in session here in Poznan, the bad scientific news for promoters of man-made climate alarm just keeps rolling in. Below is a very small sampling of very inconvenient developments for Gore, the United Nations, and their promoters in the mainstream media. Peer-reviewed studies, analyses, and prominent scientists continue to speak out to refute climate fears. The data presented below is just from the past week.
Peer-reviewed study: Half of recent warming was solar! ? December 10, 2008 Excerpt: In this dose of peer-reviewed skeptical climatological literature, we follow Climate Research News. The blog was intrigued by a new article in Geophysical Research Letters that was accepted on Friday, December 5th. Eichler, A., S. Olivier, K. Henderson, A. Laube, J. Beer, T. Papina, H. W. G?ggeler, and M. Schwikowski: Temperature response in the Altai region lags solar forcing ? Recall that the Siberian Altai Mountains are found at the intersection of Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan. The authors looked at 750 years worth of the local ice core, especially the oxygen isotope. They claim to have found a very strong correlation between the concentration of this isotope (i.e. temperature) on one side and the known solar activity in the epoch 1250-1850. Their data seem to be precise enough to determine the lag, about 10-30 years. It takes some time for the climate to respond to the solar changes. It seems that they also have data to claim that the correlation gets less precise after 1850. They attribute the deviation to CO2 and by comparing the magnitude of the forcings, they conclude that ?Our results are in agreement with studies based on NH temperature reconstructions [Scafetta et al., 2007] revealing that only up to approximately 50% of the observed global warming in the last 100 years can be explained by the Sun.? Well, the word ?only? is somewhat cute in comparison with the ?mainstream? fashionable ideology. The IPCC said that they saw a 90% probability that ?most? of the recent warming was man-made. The present paper would reduce this figure, 90%, to less than 50% because the Sun itself is responsible for 1/2 of the warming and not the whole 50% of the warming could have been caused by CO2 because there are other effects, too. Note that if 0.3 ?C or 0.4 ?C of warming in the 20th century was due to the increasing CO2 levels, the climate sensitivity is decisively smaller than 1 ?C. At any rate, the expected 21st century warming due to CO2 would be another 0.3-0.4 ?C, and this time, if the solar activity contributes with the opposite sign, these two effects could cancel. Even if you try to stretch these numbers a little bit ? but not unrealistically ? you have to become sure that the participants of the Poznan conference are lunatics. Flashback: New scientific analysis shows Sun ?could account for as much as 69% of the increase in Earth?s average temperature? (LINK) & (LINK) Dr. Bruce West, A U.S Army Chief Scientist, Says Sun, Not Man, Is Driving Climate Change ? June 3, 2008 ? (LINK) 21 spotless days and solar magnetic field still in a funk ? Meteorologist Anthony Watts Excerpt: We are now at 21 days with no sunspots, it will be interesting to see if we reach a spotless 30 day period and then perhaps a spotless month of December. New Arctic ice analysis reveals ?No clear evidence of a delay in the start of the later summer/early fall freeze up or the start of the late winter/early spring melt? ? Excerpt: Based on analysis by William Chapman, author of The Cryosphere Today website, graciously prepared an analysis of the dates of the minimum and maximum Arctic sea ice coverage since 1979. Oscillation Rules as the Pacific Cools ? December 9, 2008 Excerpt: A cool wedge of lower-than-normal sea-surface heights continues to dominate the tropical Pacific, ringed by a horseshoe of warmer waters. The continuation of this long-term cool phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation stacks the odds against a wetter-than-average winter/spring in the southwestern United States. The latest image of sea-surface height measurements from the U.S./French Jason-1 oceanography satellite shows the Pacific Ocean remains locked in a strong, cool phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, a large, long-lived pattern of climate variability in the Pacific associated with a general cooling of Pacific waters. [?] Sea-surface temperature satellite data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mirror Jason sea-surface height measurements, clearly showing a cool Pacific Decadal Oscillation pattern, as seen at: http://www.cdc.noaa.gov/map/images/sst/sst.anom.gif . ?This multi-year Pacific Decadal Oscillation ?cool? trend can cause La Ni?a-like impacts around the Pacific basin,? said Bill Patzert, an oceanographer and climatologist at NASA?s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. [?] This cool phase will likely persist this winter and, perhaps, beyond. Report: Sea Level rise ?has stumbled since 2005? ? Meteorologist Anthony Watts ? December 5, 2008 Excerpt: We?ve been waiting for the UC web page to be updated with the most recent sea level data. It finally has been updated for 2008. It looks like the steady upward trend of sea level as measured by satellite has stumbled since 2005. The 60 day line in blue tells the story. From the University of Colorado web page: ?Long-term mean sea level change is a variable of considerable interest in the studies of global climate change. The measurement of long-term changes in global mean sea level can provide an important corroboration of predictions by climate models of global warming. Long term sea level variations are primarily determined with two different methods.? ? Yes, I would agree, it is indeed a variable of considerable interest. The question now is, how is it linked to global climate change (aka global warming) if CO2 continues to increase, and sea level does not? Peer-Reviewed Study: Recent worldwide land warming? NOT ?a direct response to increasing greenhouse gases (GHGs) over land? ? WorldClimateReport.com ? December 3, 2008 ?Rethinking Observed Warming?? Key quote: ?Evidence is presented that the recent worldwide land warming has occurred largely in response to a worldwide warming of the oceans rather than as a direct response to increasing greenhouse gases (GHGs) over land.? Alert: 2008 will be coolest year of the decade!- December 5, 2008 Excerpt: This year is set to be the coolest since 2000, according to a preliminary estimate of global average temperature that is due to be released next week by the Met Office. The global average for 2008 should come in close to 14.3C, which is 0.14C below the average temperature for 2001-07. [Note: For evidence of the panic apparently gripping the promoters of man-made climate fear, read the quotes in the article from the warming partisans absolutely assuring everyone that cool temperatures are ?absolutely not" evidence that global warming is on the wane. Those same voices are usually absent when it comes to linking heat waves to global warming. ] Flashback: Global Cooling? ? ?Thirty years of warmer temperatures go poof? ? National Post ? October 20, 2008 Report: NASA?s James Hansen ?adjusts? a cooling trend into a warming trend ? December 9, 2008 Excerpt: ?[H]ere is what the data looks like before and after NASA GISS adjusts it. These are the USHCN ?raw? and ?homogenized? data plots from the GISTEMP website. The before and after is quite something to behold. ? What was down, is now up.? ?How not to measure temperature, part 79? Geophysist: ?It is time to file this theory in the dustbin of history? ? ?Alarmists are in denial and running for cover?- Washington Times By Geophysicist Dr. David Deming, associate professor of arts and sciences at the University of Oklahoma who has published numerous peer-reviewed research articles. Excerpt: Environmental extremists and global warming alarmists are in denial and running for cover. Their rationale for continuing a lost cause is that weather events in the short term are not necessarily related to long-term climatic trends. But these are the same people who screamed at us each year that ordinary weather events such as high temperatures or hurricanes were undeniable evidence of imminent doom. Now that global warming is over, politicians are finally ready to enact dubious solutions to a non-existent problem. [?] To the extent global warming was ever valid, it is now officially over. It is time to file this theory in the dustbin of history, next to Aristotelean physics, Neptunism, the geocentric universe, phlogiston, and a plethora of other incorrect scientific theories, all of which had vocal and dogmatic supporters who cited incontrovertible evidence. Weather and climate change are natural processes beyond human control. To argue otherwise is to deny the factual evidence. Climate Chancellor? No More ? Der Spiegel Excerpt: Angela Merkel is facing withering criticism for remarks she made on Monday that seemed to back away from her earlier commitment to tackling climate change. Alert: Under the Weather: Internal Report Says U.N. Climate Agency Rife With Bad Practices ? Fox News ? December 4, 2008 Excerpt: As more than 10,000 delegates and observers gather in Poznan, Poland, to discuss the next phase in the battle against ?climate change,? a U.N. agency at the center of that hoopla badly needs to do some in-house weather-proofing. [?] But the WMO, the $80 million U.N. front-line agency in the climate change struggle, and the source for much of the world?s information in the global atmosphere and water supply, has serious management problems of its own, despite its rapidly expanding global ambitions. The international agency has been sharply criticized by a U.N. inspection unit in a confidential report obtained by FOX News, for, among other things, haphazard budget practices, deeply flawed organizational procedures, and no effective oversight by the 188 nations that formally make up its membership and dole out its funds. The inspection was carried out by a member of the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit (JIU), a small, independent branch of the U.N. that reports to the General Assembly and is mandated to improve the organization?s efficiency and coordination through its inspection process. [?] WMO did not respond to a series of questions from FOX News regarding its future programs, sent on the eve of the Poznan meeting. 16-year-old suggests sheep dung can help save planet Card business has really dung good ? Daily Post North WalesExcerpt: The company makes its products at the Twll Golau Papermill in Aberllefenni Slate Quarry using sustainable fuel and materials. Every sheet of paper is made from recycled materials, including sheep dung, waste paper and discarded rags, using processes designed to affect the natural environment as little as possible. [?] Katie 16, from Tal-y-Bont, Conwy, was appointed to help spread the word on how Wales can reduce its carbon footprint and is urging other North Wales businesses to follow Creative Paper Wales? example and adopt innovative approaches to the design and manufacture of products and the delivery of services. Lord Christopher Monckton: ?Companies could be sued over climate change? Excerpt: The alarmist faction knows that, if it were to bring a case against a corporation whose executives were not minded merely to believe in the extremist presentation of ?global warming? just because it is temporarily in fashion, they would lose. The case of Dimmock v. Secretaries of State for Education and for the Environment in the UK in 2007 was a very clear warning. The UK Government threw all of the resources of the taxpayer and of the Meteorological Office at the case, attempting to defend Al Gore?s sci-fi comedy horror movie against the plaintiff?s allegation that it was serially and seriously inaccurate. The Government failed and was humiliated. The judge, having heard both sides, said bluntly of Al Gore, and particularly of his unscientific allegation that sea level was about to rise by 20 feet, that ?the Armageddon scenario that he depicts is not based on any scientific view?. A few more judgments like that and the ?global warming? fantasy would rapidly collapse. End of scare. OOPS, We Forgot Siberia! (M4GW) - Weather Stations in Coldest parts No Longer Reporting Excerpt: The thing that these skewed chart never take into account is that when the Soviet Union fell in 1990 the number of reporting weather stations went form a high of 15,000 in 1970 to 5,000 in 2000. This takes some of the coldest places on the planet out of the equation like Siberia. # # Related Links: UN Data shows ?Warming has Stopped!? ? Climate Fears Called ?Hogwash? ? ?Global Carbon Tax? Urged ? December 3, 2008 ?Planet Has Cooled Since Bush Took Office? & Global Warming Theory has ?failed consistently and dramatically? ? November 20, 2008
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 Dave C. (119) | Friday December 28, 2012, 12:24 pm ....and its more than just a warming world, its about a planet with less clean air to breathe (a necessity), less clean water to drink (a necessity) and less clean food to eat.... Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Kit B. (304) | Friday December 28, 2012, 12:55 pm To bad the devil couldn't teach you how to post your own articles. That one is trash but that's never stopped you before. News Flash - Climate Change is reality! Those who actually do understand the science and mathematics, would know better than to try spread such fertilizer as fact. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (136) | Friday December 28, 2012, 1:14 pm Even a frog would be able to tell that it was a posted article, Kit. Actually it sn't trash and there are some serious elements of truth in it. Just because you believe in global warming doesn't make it a fact, Kit. Remember all the documents that were found supporting that global warming is a myth. Problem is that the world has cyclical weather. This has been going on since the beginning of time. No hard data proves anything, Kit. It's "he said she said," Liberals are glombing onto global warming.....and chasing a ghost. And now you want to suggest that people who actually do understandthe science and mathematics would know better.....why? Because YOU said so? Come on down from your high horse. Our country is divided on global warming. That means I'm not a lone ranger and it also means that there's a good chance that you are wrong. Have a nice day, Kit, and wrap up when you go outside....it's freezing out there!! Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 pam w. (178) | Friday December 28, 2012, 1:28 pm Funny how some people want to hide, smirking, behing the old "global warming" label. CLIMATE CHANGE is a reality. We've essentially lost the arctic and methane trapped in and under that ice will impace the world's climate in ways we can't fully appreciate yet. We'll lose thousands of species, islands will disappear and weather such as we've had this past winter will become increasingly common. Just because Kit posts it doesn't mean it's false, Diane....although you do seem to enjoy following her about and yelling "NAY! NAY!" Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| pam w. (178) | Friday December 28, 2012, 1:29 pm typo alett.....I meant IMPACT, of course. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Kit B. (304) | Friday December 28, 2012, 1:57 pm Of course, Pam that was obvious and typos are just a part of life on the Internet. Indeed she does like following those foolish but ever so predictable ideas of those of the Goats Of Past or perhaps a Tea bagger? Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Jennifer C. (150) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 5:37 am Thanks. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (136) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 6:42 am What Kit should've considered was presenting both sides of the argument. Global warming is speculative and we don't know why the North Pole is becoming warmer and the South Pole is becoming icier. That would tell logical thinking people that our weather is cyclical. Al Gore's carbon tax and the Kyoto accord have no genuinely peer reviewed analysis to support the idea that the carbon tax OR the Kyoto Accord will affect climate change. This is geared towards global redistribution of wealth and lining the pockets of selected political and science environmentalist. So, is it no wonder that when a thread like this is posted stating that this is a REAL problem I have to step in and say "prove it" because so far there's nothing to prove that a real problem exists. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (136) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 6:43 am another type for you: "So, is it any wonder..." Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Roseann D. (155) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 6:55 am Ironic how Diane turns pseudo scientist saying "prove it" yet she's never provided a single credible source for any of her own claims. We'd like the names, credentials and links to your sources Diane. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (136) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 7:16 am No, Roseann, I'm no more of a scientist than you and Kit are so we are all on a level playing field. My information comes from articles I have read from credible sources throughout the years. There are two very different opinions about global warming and the one that resonates with me is the fact that no one knows why the North Pole is getting warmer....there is only speculation so far. But, you already know that, right? Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (136) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 7:20 am Roseann, both you and Kit seem to have a problem in exchanging information on global warming because you resort to name calling when you read an opposing view. We should all be here for discussion purposes. I don't agree that global warming exists and I'm not the only one. You have your freedom of speech and I have mine. If you believe global warming is real then state your case like an adult. We already know we aren't going to agree but we should be able to exchange information without taking the information personally. There's nothing you can say that will change my mind that global warming is a myth and that Al Gore is a lying buffoon with two cartons of eggs on his face. He pushes global warming for the money at the end of the rainbow. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Hayley Cruze (5) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 8:34 am Thanks for the info....such harsh arguments lol Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Diane O. (136) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 8:57 am Thanks, Hayley. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 John S. (200) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 9:08 am Thanks, noted. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Emily Sheety (0) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 10:12 am Ruining the environment around us is basically self-destructive in everyway. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Patricia H. (4) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 12:11 pm noted Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Kit B. (304) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 12:38 pm On some issues there is no "both sides" and this is one of those issues. In a recent study of 13,500 (+-) articles only 25 scientists offered any form of disagreement with the facts of the issue of global warming or climate change being a man made global problem of catastrophic consequence . Obviously, you know nothing of my background or college studies in this field, so do not proclaim that I have no science background in this area. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Theodore S. (15) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 12:45 pm They just don't get it do they? They either are entirely and completely ignorant of how this planet works or the are wantonly, covetously and deliberately destructive; using progress for an excuse, as a serial killer uses the excuse of religion or moral indignation. Everything is connected. The wetlands and the bayous help to mitigate the intensity and velocity of storms. Coral reefs help to mitigate climate regulating the direction and intensity of storms as they form. Then there is all the water that has been used to date by fracking and bitumen tar sand harvesting to the tune of 37 billion + gallons and growing. Then there is the possible contamination of major aquifers. How do you justify this. What will their grandchildren eat and drink? Do they care? Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Mitchell D. (13) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 12:47 pm No doubt about it. The problem is, I believe, in the USA, that they are only interested in immediate profit, can not conceive of doing what the Norwegians are doing, and think in the long term. But, what a long range boon it would be for any companies that did do that! what if the execs got their bonuses based, not on what the company made THIS quarter, only, but on how the company set itself up for a transition to cleaner running. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Kit B. (304) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 12:49 pm I do believe, Theodore this is just another example of low information, following a thought process that allows for little room for growth or understanding of the magnitude of the problem. Or perhaps it's another case of Ostrich Syndrome? Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
| Kit B. (304) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 12:53 pm Another possible answer to taking on the difficult problem of converting to alternative fuels, Mitchell. Not difficult because of the lack of choices, but difficult because in the US we have an old and inefficient grid system that drains more energy than it allows for transfer to the end user. If we do not address the basics we can not begin to address the deeper issues. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Mary Donnelly (43) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 1:49 pm Thanks Kit. What an extraordinary debate. Life is dynamic, hence climate change has been part of this planet for about 5 billion years. During that time the climate changed enough to allow humans to evolve. (roughly 5 million years ago). About 250 years ago humans discovered how useful fossils can be, exploited them, then grew and multiplied. Fossil fuels spew out toxins, which have seldom been controlled; take a long time to form, but a short time to use up; meanwhile the planet is adjusting to their impact. These conditions might well continue for a while, but fossil fuels will run out; what do we do then, surrounded by air which is difficult to breathe, water which is difficult to drink or use for agriculture, and soil which has much reduced productivity? We might well go extinct, but (barring external collisions etc.) the planet will probably keep going for millenia. Your report has been submitted to Customer Service. Thank you. There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later. ? |
 Christeen Anderson (70) | Saturday December 29, 2012, 1:53 pm This is the same problem they are having in Congress today...................... Yash Chopra George McGovern braxton miller braxton miller Whitney Heichel Tippi Hedren Big Tex Four killed when Russian airliner crash landsMOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian airliner flying without passengers broke into pieces after it slid off the runway and crashed onto a highway outside Moscow upon landing on Saturday, killing four of the eight crew on board and leaving smoking chunks of fuselage on the icy road. The crash during peak holiday travel ahead of Russia's New Year's vacation, which runs from Sunday through January 9, cast a spotlight on the country's poor air-safety record despite President Vladimir Putin's calls to improve controls. Television footage showed the Tupolev Tu-204 jet with smoke billowing from the tail end and the cockpit broken clean off the front. Some witnesses told state channel Rossiya-24 they saw a man thrown from the plane as it rammed into the barrier of the highway outside Vnukovo airport, just southwest of the capital, and another described pulling other people from the wreckage. "The plane split into three pieces," Yelena Krylova, chief spokeswoman for the airport, said in televised comments. Police spokesman Gennady Bogachyov said: "The plane went off the runway, broke through the barrier and caught fire." The pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer and a flight attendant were killed and the other four crew members aboard - all flight attendants - were in a serious condition in hospital with head injuries, the Emergency Situations Ministry said. Officials had earlier said there were 12 crew aboard. The mid-range Tu-204 was operated by the Russian airline Red Wings and travelling from the Czech Republic, Krylova said. WARNING Wreckage from the crash was scattered across the highway and the plane's wings were torn from the fuselage, witnesses said. "We saw how the plane skidded off the runway ... The nose, where business class is, broke off and a man fell out," a witness, who gave his name as Alexei, said. "We helped him get into a mini-bus to take him to the hospital." Another witness described pulling four people from the wreckage when he arrived at the scene before emergency service workers. "We could not get the pilot out of the cockpit but we saw a lot of blood," he told Rossiya-24. Russian investigators said preliminary findings pointed to pilot error as the cause of the crash. But Russia's aviation authority said it had sent state-owned Tupolev a warning on Saturday ordering it to fix problems that may have caused a Tu-204 with 70 aboard to go off a Siberian runway on December 21 after suffering engine and brake trouble on landing. It said similar problems had occurred before. The billionaire owner of Red Wings, tycoon Alexander Lebedev, said on Twitter that the Tu-204 in Saturday's crash was built in 2008. He offered condolences to the victims' families and promised financial compensation and other aid. Red Wings' website said it operated nine Tu-204 aircraft. Russia and other former Soviet republics had some of the world's worst air-traffic safety records last year, with a total accident rate almost three times the world average, the International Air Transport Association said. A passenger jet crashed and burst into flames after takeoff in Siberia in April, killing 31 people, and an airliner slammed into a riverbank in September 2011, wiping out the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team in a crash that killed 44 people. The Russian-built Tu-204, which is comparable in size to a Boeing 757 or Airbus A321, is a Soviet-era design that was produced in the mid-1990s but is no longer being made. There have been no major accidents reported involving Tu-204s. (Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Steve Gutterman and Alison Williams) Source: http://news.yahoo.com/two-killed-russian-passenger-plane-splits-apart-landing-135518719.html macauly culkin joe namath stefon diggs nazi ss naomi watts andrej pejic steve jobs fbi Wednesday, December 26, 2012What home buyers want in their next new home | St Louis Real ...
By Dennis Norman, on December 26th, 2012
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Source: http://stlouisrealestatenews.com/st-louis-new-homes/what-home-buyers-want-in-their-next-new-home/ chris stewart evo 4g lte marlins new stadium arnold palmer augusta national blake griffin pau gasol Tuesday, December 25, 2012Seahawks soar to early lead over 49ersSEATTLE (AP) ? Marshawn Lynch scored twice and Richard Sherman returned a blocked field goal 90 yards for another touchdown to give the Seattle Seahawks a 21-0 lead over the San Francisco 49ers early in the second quarter Sunday night. San Francisco failed to gain a yard on its opening possession and Seattle took the field for the first time with great field position. A good return from Leon Washington on the punt and a personal-foul penalty on Tremaine Brock gave the Seahawks the ball at the 49ers 35. Two plays later, Seattle struck. Russell Wilson completed a pass to Zach Miller for 11 yards and Lynch ran for 24 yards for a touchdown. On the first play of the Seahawks' next series, Wilson connected with Doug Baldwin for a 46-yard gain on a juggling catch to move back into San Francisco territory. Wilson then connected with Lynch out of the backfield for a 9-yard stroke. It was Lynch's first receiving touchdown since Nov. 27, 2011, against Washington. It was only the second time this season the 49ers have allowed 14 points in the first quarter. San Francisco finally mounted its first substantial drive into Seahawks' territory. A personal-foul penalty against Kam Chancellor moved San Francisco into the red zone. A third-down pass from Colin Kaepernick to Michael Crabtree went through Sherman's hands, forcing a field goal try. On the third play of the second quarter, defensive end Red Bryant and got his right hand up to block David Akers' 21-yard attempt. The ball caromed sideways and bounced perfectly to Sherman, who scooped up the ball and ran 90 yards untouched to give the Seahawks a 21-0 lead. Source: http://news.yahoo.com/seahawks-soar-early-lead-over-49ers-023045936--spt.html texans lana del rey snl enemy of the state golden globe nominees joe philbin miss america pageant 2012 shipwreck Monday, December 24, 2012CBT donates laptop computers to KwaraPoly ? The Punch ...An indigenous Information and Communication Technology firm, CBT, has donated laptops worth millions of naira to the Kwara State Polytechnic to help improve the quality of education in the school. Apart from the laptops, Core Business Technologies has also announced a scholarship scheme to be given to three best students from year one to final year. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Edward Essien, said that the gesture was to create a more robust relationship between the Polytechnic and his company. He said, ?We will still fulfil our obligation and promises to the school by giving 250 laptops even though our initial figure was to be 25,000 applicants. We will further provide support for all the systems for one year. ?We are willing to provide ad-hoc trainings and certification programmes for your college as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility and also give scholarship to three best students from year 1 to final year (tuition fees). May we also reiterate that should we be retained for three years, we will increase our services and laptops to 750 and put them in a Local Area Network and also automate certain departmental processes.? The Rector, KwaraPoly, Alhaji Mas? ud Elelu, expressed happiness over the donation describing it as timely and a service to humanity. Elelu appealed to other corporate members of the society to partner with the institution for producing high quality manpower. It would be recalled that Core Business Technologies Limited, had successfully integrated systems for the conduct of next session?s post UTME test for candidates of Kwara State Polytechnic. Working with eTranzact Plc, the company had promised to deliver a crisis free test. Core Business Technologies had also deployed over 500 laptops to test over 35,000 applicants as part of its CSR.. The company also recently completed the first ever bank payment and online real time integration with Interswitch Nigeria Limited with First Bank Plc as the receiving bank for Alhikmah University. Alhikmah is a private university, located in Ilorin Kwara State and Core Business Technologies Limited has a five year agreement to build and operate their ePortal and website including content Management and ePayments. More Stories in Information TechnologySource: http://www.punchng.com/business/technology/cbt-donates-laptop-computers-to-kwarapoly/ jennifer hudson tribute to whitney houston nicki minaj grammy jason whitlock beach boys tony bennett joe walsh the civil wars Wednesday, December 12, 2012After fire, Wal-Mart vows to tighten source safeguards(Reuters) - A factory fire that killed more than 100 garment workers in Bangladesh has led the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc, to concede that it needs to do more to control its supply chain and keep unauthorized manufacturers out. In an interview with Reuters, his first since the November 24 Tazreen Fashions fire, Wal-Mart Vice President of Ethical Sourcing Rajan Kamalanathan said the company's current controls could only go so far in preventing a factory Wal-Mart did not approve of from making its clothes, as was the case here. "If a supplier or an agent chooses to subcontract without informing us, then that is a problem," Kamalanathan said. "We can put all kinds of controls in place, but if they don't tell us where they're putting our order, then that is a problem." Wal-Mart has said repeatedly that its Faded Glory clothing should not have been in production at the Tazreen factory, a facility Bangladeshi authorities said was not safe for use. The building was not cleared to be used by any party manufacturing garments for the world's largest retailer. Wal-Mart says that in 2011 alone it audited over 9,000 factories globally to check whether its standards were being met. But still, Wal-Mart acknowledges it only controls its supply chain up to a certain point. If suppliers hired by Wal-Mart in turn hire agents who then line up production, the seemingly tight controls Wal-Mart has put in place can fail. "We have a contract with the supplier and that's where our control is and where our relationship is," Kamalanathan said. The lack of control down the supply chain represents a challenge not just for Wal-Mart, but for the industry overall, Kamalanathan added. Companies such as Bentonville, Arkansas based Wal-Mart must figure out how get more involved in the operations of factories in countries such as Bangladesh, rather than hoping that contact with suppliers and factory audits will suffice. "We are actively thinking about how to better work with suppliers who work with agents," he said. "This is something we are talking about internally and across the industry." Among other things, retailers and clothing designers have been talking about the possibility of fire safety codes that would be written into contracts with suppliers, although those efforts are still at the early stages. MORE INDUSTRY WORK NEEDED Wal-Mart established a factory certification program in 1992, focused on Bangladesh and China, currently the top two garment exporters in the world. Wal-Mart says the program, which was established amid pressure on the company over worker rights, is dedicated to improving standards for foreign labor. Since then, Wal-Mart has taken measures such as increasing factory audits, expanding the program to other countries, setting stricter standards for suppliers and lengthening the penalty period for disapproved factories to one year from 90 days. Kamalanathan's team now includes more than 120 employees, plus third-party audit firms, with people based in Bangladesh, China, India and elsewhere. Kamalanathan says he visits factories "quite often." Still, such efforts matter little when companies push their Wal-Mart manufacturing off to agents who then link up with factory owners and choose not to fill Wal-Mart in on which factory is being used - a key part of the agreements Wal-Mart has with its suppliers. "It is a must that they disclose factories they use for our production. Once we know who these factories are, then we initiate the process for an audit to occur," he said. Factories must address problems highlighted in Wal-Mart audits, which assign a rating of green for minor to no violations; yellow for medium risk, orange for higher risk and red for the most serious violations, which lead the company to sever ties with the factory. Factories with orange ratings can go through an "Orange School" program for Wal-Mart to show them how to fix high-risk violations and get at the cause of the problem. Wal-Mart said a May 2011 audit found violations at Tazreen, which led to the factory getting Wal-Mart's "orange" rating, and a subsequent audit in December 2011 again found violations that led to an "orange" rating. Tazreen did not participate in the Orange School, Wal-Mart said. Tazreen was no longer authorized before the fire. Wal-Mart said that was for a variety of reasons, including poor audit ratings. Tazreen owner Tuba Group has said it was not aware it was making clothes for Wal-Mart at the time of the fire. PUSH TO CUT COSTS Kamalanathan has been Wal-Mart's vice president of ethical sourcing since 2002. He sits on the board of the Global Social Compliance Program, which was formed in 2006 and now includes more than 30 companies that work on measures such as developing a clear and consistent message for suppliers. Some industry groups claim the push from Wal-Mart and other retailers for low-cost merchandise pressures factory owners to pay workers little and to cut corners on fire safety training and proper exits that would cost them too much. At a meeting held in Dhaka in April 2011, participants including government representatives, trade union leaders, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association and buyers discussed rules that would require factories to be paid prices high enough to cover the cost of safety improvements. Amirul Huque Amin, president of National Garment Workers Federation, was at the meeting and said that, when the question of financing was raised, Sridevi Kalavakolanu, a Wal-Mart director of ethical sourcing, strongly opposed the move, saying it was not possible for "us" due to the high cost. Wal-Mart vehemently denies such charges and said her remarks were taken out of context. It points to efforts such as its audit program, rating system and work with the Bangladeshi government, industry groups and suppliers as proof that it has been proactive in raising fire safety awareness and increasing fire prevention. Wal-Mart operates on the premise that running its business on a low-cost basis leads to low prices for its 200 million weekly customers. The 50-year-old chain, founded by Sam Walton, now has more than 10,000 stores and its annual sales rose nearly 6 percent to $443.85 billion last year. Still, it contends that making factory improvements should not lead to sky-rocketing prices. "Our policy is designed to create a supply chain that meets our standards and at the same time delivers high quality products at low prices. It is clearly possible to do both," Kamalanathan added. (Reporting by Jessica Wohl in Chicago. Additional reporting by Serajul Quadir and John Chalmers in Dhaka. Editing by Ben Berkowitz and Andre Grenon) Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-fire-wal-mart-vows-tighten-source-safeguards-061703615--finance.html mlb trade rumors Misty May And Kerri Walsh Jake Dalton London 2012 field hockey Missy Franklin Hunter Pence NBCOlympics Wednesday, December 5, 2012Peek Through Makes Windows Transparent, Lets You Click Through to the Window Below
Peek Through is a simple app that sits in your system tray and waits for your custom hotkey. When you press it, the current window becomes transparent, and (if you've turned on the click through setting) you can click through to the window below. When you're done, just press your hotkey again and your window will become opaque. Note that the app has a few quirks. If you use the click-through feature, you can sometimes run into a problem where you accidentally lose focus on your main window, and you can't just click on it to bring it back in focus (because clicks fall through to whatever's behind). Usually you can just click on the program in the taskbar to bring it back into focus before pressing your hotkey again, but it takes some getting used to. Still, it can be useful in situations where your desktop is hidden under layers and layers of windows. Hit the link to try it out. Peek Through is a free download for Windows only. Peek Through | via AddictiveTips chris kreider correspondents dinner 2012 white house correspondents dinner 2012 whcd 2012 nfl draft kevin durant jazz fest
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The real estate recession and weak economy has not pushed homebuyers into downsizing their next home, at least not according to the results of a survey conducted by national home builder, PulteGroup.? In fact, 84 percent of homeowners between the ages of 18 and 59 said they do not have plans to downsize their next home. Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau supports this notion as well, with the average size of a new home increasing to 2,480 square feet in 2011, an increase of 3.7 percent from the year before.Other highlights from the survey:
Windows: Sometimes you have more windows on your screen than you can deal with at once, and even with a good window manager, things can get tough. Peek Through makes any window temporarily transparent with a hotkey, then lets you click through to the window below it.