the year of Global Warming

Apparently 2007 was the year of climate change. Apparently the news of global warming has become a mainstream issue, something in politics even the Republicans have to talk about (begrudgingly, but still talking about it).

"The world's climate, about as global a topic as one can imagine, was the hot issue of 2007, primarily because most signs pointed to the climate itself heating up. But the controversial phenomenon known as global warming also played a big role in local politics and policy debates, and local scientists' voices were clearly heard."

Of course, talking about it doesn't mean people are agreeing about it.

"But while there's no question global warming had a bigger real-world impact in policy debates in 2007, many people, including some scientists, continued to debate the scientific theory's veracity. They questioned how much of climate changes are being fueled by human activities."

Hopefully 2008 will be more than the year we continued talking about global warming. Hopefully 2008 will be the year of trying to change human behavior. If only it could be done in a year.

Remember the midwest remembers Minnesota

We at Remember the Midwest are going to Minnesota this day. I haven't been up there for the holidays in a couple years, and it will be nice to see the family. Chicago and its surroundings have been tough this holiday time, but I think it will be good to get away for a few days and see the folks and the peeps that reside in the North Star State.

Year in Review: Weather

"U.S. weather stations broke or tied 263 all-time high temperature records, according to an Associated Press analysis of U.S. weather data."
Here's an article detailing the crazy weather that occurred in 2007.
Some notables:
it was the hottest year ever recorded in the Northern Hemisphere.
England had the hottest April in 348 years of record keeping.
the Greenland ice sheets are at an all time low.
there's no need to mention the droughts in the U.S.
but maybe most bizarre of all, to me: the tornado that hit New York City.

read the article here for the rest of the craziness.

faux fur is murder.

Wandering around downtown Chicago, I occasionally see a middle-aged woman who appear exorbitantly wealthy wearing a fur coat. Other than that, I don't see many wearing fur these days, and that doesn't really break my heart. But if fur is no longer fashionable, what are all those stores with fur coats doing with them? What else: they're pretending that those fur coats are not fur coats, and selling them. Take that animal lovers.
Buying fake fur that looks like real fur doesn't especially appeal to me anyhow.
(I looked for a picture to add to this post buy going to images.google.com and searching "peta", but all I got were sexy naked women posing in opposition of fur")

and just as it was is just how it will be

Promise of Water, The Angels of Light.
merry christmas.

Cheney hinders environmentalists?

I thought, this can't be true. Cheney would never stand in the way of people wanting to protect the environment. Anyway, apparently Cheney was to blame for the EPA's ruling about California regulating their own emissions.
"The US vice-president, Dick Cheney, was behind a controversial decision to block California's attempt to impose tough emission limits on car manufacturers, according to insiders at the government Environmental Protection Agency."

I also heard he bites the heads off of endangered species.

Italy and the climate change mosquitos

It seems that Italy has started seeing the affects of climate change. It's not rising seas or flooding or heat waves. Instead, a small Italian village has seen the first wave of tropical disease in modern European history.
"Italian public health officials discovered that the people of Castiglione di Cervia were, in fact, suffering from a tropical disease, chikungunya, a relative of dengue fever normally found in the Indian Ocean region. But the immigrants spreading the disease were not humans but insects: tiger mosquitoes, who can thrive in a warming Europe...Climate change creates conditions that make it easier for this mosquito to survive and it opens the door to diseases that didn’t exist here previously. This is a real issue. Now, today. It is not something a crazy environmentalist is warning about."

I wonder when a story about the affects of climate change will not have to be buffered by statements like "this isn't some wacky treehugger" or "no crazy environmentalists" are saying this. Science facticians are saying it, not eco-terrorists who want to see the humans fall to save the jackelopes. So pay attention.

animals

Two animal stories this morning.

1: "The yellow-billed loon is one of the rarest and most vulnerable birds in the United States," Andrea Treece, attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a news release. "If the loon is to survive in a warming Arctic, we need to protect its critical habitat, not open it up for oil development."
Environmental groups are suing to get the yellow-billed loon on the Endangered Species List. It lives in the Alaskan tundra, where new oil production is trying to begin.

2. Wonder where those largest animals on the planet come from? Well, scientists believe they have found the evolutionary link for the modern whale. They've long thought whales ancestors were walking land dwellers. Now, they think it's linked to Indohyus, "a racoon-sized creature with the body of a small deer."

notes

Curious about what Bush has been doing as president? "I go around spreading good will and talking about the importance of spreading freedom and peace." Good to know.

Today's WTF headline: "McDonald's Sees Restaurants as Green Laboratories." Um. I mean, it's great that they are trying to do their part. It just caught me off guard to see the headline. What have they done?
"In the last 20 years, McDonald's has made a variety of environmentally driven changes that are, for the most part, invisible to customers. They included reducing the amount and type of packaging it was using, moving a third of its fish purchases to more sustainable sources and implementing a program to buy goods made from recycled materials." Who knew?

CA and the EPA

Yesterday the news came out, not unexpectedly, that the EPA would not allow California and 16 other states to regulate their own fuel efficiency standards. The state standard, says EPA administrator Stephen L. Johnson, is made "moot by the energy bill signed into law," referring to the recently passed congressional energy bill.
In response, California Gov. Schwarzenegger has decided to sue the federal government. Good for him. According to Arnold, the EPA ruling is "another example of the administration's failure to treat global warming with the seriousness that it actually demands."
CA and 16 others had planned to raise the standard to 43.7 mpg for cars, some SUVs and trucks, and all larger vehicles would rise to 26.9. This standard was to be set by 2016.

I'm glad to see California continuing to fight for the stricter standards their state wants. The energy bill makes an important step forward, but if there are states and communities who want to put greater restrictions, isn't that their right? The new bill sets a 35mpg for cars by 2020. Doesn't it seem that in 12 years, we will think that's not that high? I hope CA, Vermont, Illinois and all the other states involved continue to fight for their states' right to fight global warming.

Nuclear Power or Wind and Solar?

On Pandas, there has been a conversation brewing regarding whether our country would be better off making the energy transition to nuclear energy, something that has been done with a degree of success in Europe, or whether it would better serve our country to move towards clean alternative energies like Solar and Wind power, which has much success but on smaller scales.

I'm going to try and conduct a bit of a survey, but what do you think would benefit the U.S. more?

Dump links into the comments, try and make your point in the comments, because I'm curious what RemembertheMidwest readers (who are silently growing, so stop being so silent) think about the issue. I know it's not an either/or situation, but we can pretend.

book report: Deep Economy

I read the first economics book of my life. Bill McKibben, author of the famous The End of Nature, put together Deep Economy to investigate the current economic trends of the U.S., arguing essentially that for the first time in the history of human civilization, a selection of people no longer believe More is equal to Better. If we as humans want to continue down the road to Better, slowly more and more people will realize that not only is More not the same, but it is often antithetical to Better.
McKibben attempts to demonstrate the error of the standard economic model of "growth=good" and turn it upside down to local is better, smaller is better, community is better. But it will cost economic growth. Of course, the United States doesn't want to hear anything but growth growth growth, so McKibben, using agriculture, radio, entertainment and production examines models that have been in place for years, whether we have been aware of it or not. What I found to be the most interesting examination is McKibben's look at Cuban Agriculture post-Fall of Soviet Union. Why Cuba? Because "with the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba fell off a cliff of its own and became the first place in the world to face peak oil." Peak oil is the threat, and McKibben finds those places in the world that have existed without the threat or after the threat of peak oil.
It's a good read. Some of the most interesting parts of Deep Economy are simply the collection of numbers and research that exists that I haven't seen elsewhere, especially in regards to China ("By some estimates, (China) needs to add an urban infrastructure equivalent to Houston's every four weeks just to keep pace"!).
It gets redundant towards the end, but it's worth a week for sure.

It's not paper or plastic...it's "plastic"!

Because reusable sacs made of cloth are not sweeping the nation (I can't say why, they are so much better, and not just in a hipster way), it appears manufacturers are going for a biodegradable plastic bag to offer alongside paper and plastic bags in the market.
"With up to 1 trillion plastic bags manufactured annually and 2.7 million tons of plastic used just to bottle water each year, concern is rising worldwide. Enter bioplastics, designed to degrade into an ecofriendly mix of water, carbon dioxide, and biomass."
I suppose it's better than plastic. But I still say stop in at WholeFoods and buy some of these.

Martian Glacier

Scientists believe they have found an active glacier on the surface of Mars. The scientific community is quickly considering the best way to quickly increase the carbon levels in the atmosphere of Mars in order to endanger this fantastic new discovery and level the playing field between Earth and Mars once more.

general updated environmental news

California sued the Environmental Protection Agency in 2003, stating that under the Clean Air Act, they had the right to set their own fuel economy standards if granted a waiver that would release them from federal standards. CA has had their case upheld throughout the courts, and now democrats in congress are set to hear from the EPA to see what the verdict is, but they have little doubt.
"In a gathering with reporters Tuesday, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said she has "very little hope" that the EPA will grant the waiver, which would open the door to California and more than a dozen other states imposing emission standards more stringent than federal requirements...Asked whether she thought the decision would be made by the EPA or at the White House, Boxer said: If you look at everything done on the environment, a lot of this leads back to the vice president's office."
Cheney making the rules on the environment. We know how well that goes.

Guilty American Green

Travel Blogging. RemembertheMidwest is out of the home and into the world. For the next few days we'll be blogging from here. Send out your prayers.

Meanwhile. According to this survey, 3/4 of Americans plan on being more environmentally responsible in the coming year. A full half plan on making "green" resolutions for the new year. And that doesn't touch what good can come from White American Guilt.

"The survey found one-third of respondents felt guilty in recent years about not living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. "Guilt is not going to save the environment, but at least it's a step in the right direction."

The U.S. has had a pretty terrible environmental record for the past few, well, ever. But in the past few weeks we have come out and shown signs of life in our willingness to change things and make some environmental goodness, with the uptick in local consciousness, the sudden impulse to cooperate in Bali, the passing of an eco-aware energy bill. It's a bit of hope, not much, but there is some to find.

CARMA

CARbon Monitoring for Action has set up a website which monitors the highest CO2 emitting power plants in the world.
It has a few different standards from Red ("plant produces a lot of electricity and a lot of CO2") to Green ("plant produces a lot of electricity and almost no CO2").
View the Google Map Monitor here. Anybody else notice a problem with our current situation of Red to Green in the world?

The website is actually quite interesting. You can search by city or county or state to see what kind of electricity output and CO2 emissions are coming from your power company and your local area.

Faithful readers...

...sorry I'm away from the computer today. I'm on lunch, so I have a few minutes to sit down.

But here's a story on the quick: Congress passed the first fuel economy increase in over 30 years today. Some people, I know, do not support this measure, but I think it is a positive step forward and I'm glad to see it pass. It'll probably get vetoed by the George Bush President, but I hope not. It might hurt the auto industry, but the do-nothing change-nothing attitude of the auto-industry has certainly put itself in a shitty situation over the past few decades, and eventually, something had to change.

New Jersey and the death penalty

Here at RemembertheMidwest, we reject the use of the death penalty. We think it is cruel and demeaning to humanity and God. Therefore, we applaud New Jersey for repealing their use of the death penalty. Hizzah. The bill made unusually rapid process through the legislative system.

Here is Gov. John Corzine: "Today New Jersey is truly evolving,” he said. “I believe society first must determine if its endorsement of violence begets violence, and if violence undermines our commitment to the sanctity of life. To these questions, I answer yes.”
read the story in the NYTimes.

Huckabee on Environmentalists.

Gems from Mike Huckabee, taken out of context by Huffingtonpost, and further removed from any context by Rememberthemidwest:

"God made us, and God made the Earth. . . . He gave us the privilege to use it and enjoy the resources, but never to worship it. We're to worship Him, not the thing He made. To me, environmentalists are those who worship the things that He made rather than He who made them."

"Wacko environmentalists, who get out of their concrete towers one weekend a month and go look at a tree, believe they know more about the care of the land than farmers. They want to tell us what deodorant we can use and what kind of gas to put in our car."

You know, he's right, I do worship a tree. Does it help that I named the tree Jesus?

you're part of the problem (says the free paper)

The Red-Eye, Chicago's pop-culture minified version of the Chicago Tribune, has upon its cover today a story entitled: "Eco-Evils: Environmental offenders are killing the planet--is your lifestyle part of the problem?" The answer to today's question is: YES.
The article lays out the gravest eco-problems individuals partake in. In case your interested.

• Plastic Bottles. Everyone has been on this. What I don't get is: Why is the H20 industry taking all the heat? Coke and Pepsi are just as plastic bottled.
• Junk Mail. "There were more than 105 billion pieces of direct mail sent to U.S. households in 2006."
• Newspapers. This coming from a free newspaper.
• Plastic Bags. Obviously. Cloth sacs are better in every way.
• Eating meat.
• Flying. "Air travel accounts for 2 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions."
• Driving/Parking. Parking? "Americans have bought 6.9 million cars and 7.8 million light trucks (including SUVs) so far this year and thbey 2.6 trillion miles annually.
• Home energy. Turn down your heat and buy some thermals.

None of this really new, but I guess it makes sense to keep coming back to it again and again until things change.

Remember the Midwest says:

Go see JUNO. It's wonderful, and it is set in Minnesota, so it's Midwest relevant.
Seriously. It's so so good. I want to see it again.

Bali Climate Talks Conclude

The climate talks in Bali concluded with an agreement to keep on talking.

"Delegates from 187 countries agreed to negotiate a new accord over the next two years — pushing the crucial debates about United States participation into the administration of a new American president."

It would have been nice if something concrete could have been agreed upon, but at least many countries involved are hopeful that after the current U.S. Administration is out of office, a new zeal can be found.
Many saw the U.S.'s involvement as "obstructionist" until the very end of the conference.

"Many officials and environmental campaigners said American negotiators had remained obstructionist until the final hour of the two-week convention and had changed their stance only after public rebukes that included boos and hisses from other delegates."

Essentially, the plan as of now is for the world to continue making a comprehensive action plan to deal with climate change for the next year. After that, the U.S. will have a new lease and a new team to contribute, at which time, everyone hopes things will get a lot smoother.
Until the end, the U.S., not incorrectly, but stubbornly, lay most of the blame at the feet of China and India. According to the Times:

"Those countries showed no signs of agreeing to any mandatory restrictions any time soon, saying their priority remained growing out of poverty."

The U.S. was unable to leave having developed a plan with "sufficient flexibility and no hard targets," but still, what they had to negotiate was a willingness to negotiate more, while doing pretty much exactly what has been done for the past decade or two. It's starting to get a bit frustrating listening to the rhetoric from our current folks in D.C. The talk and the results couldn't be further from one another. That's not to say that the next president will do any better, but it's hard to imagine they couldn't. Can it get any worse?

Do you want renewable energy? It seems you do.

It appears that we Americans want to pay for renewable energy. I like to think I would, but apartment living doesn't give the best opportunity for such things. Here are two reports that imply that, even if the U.S. public doesn't know it, they will pay for it:
Ecogeek reported on an IBM survey that found "consumers would be willing to pay more for environmentally friendly energy options if more information could be made available to educate themselves." Educate!
Second, from PlanetArk, it seems that renewable companies already know the U.S. public will come around, even if we haven't quite figured it out. Like Ausra, a solar thermal company who is moving it's first production wing to Nevada. Even though the demand isn't there, they are still coming. "We're investing ahead of the demand...We see the market for solar thermal power about to explode."

bamboo pc

Bamboo PC? The Eco-Book is on its way from Taiwan.
"The Asus Eco Book, as it's dubbed, has a case made of laminated bamboo strips available in different shades. Harvesting bamboo, an abundant, flexible, durable and fast-growing grass, is unlikely to harm the environment as processing wood from trees might, Asustek said, although glues and laminates for shaping and fortifying the material sometimes contain toxins."

list of "animals" magical skills increases

Well. The score is now officially humans/science: 4324556, Nature: 6.

"South Korean scientists say they have cloned cats whose genes have been altered so that they glow in the dark." That's right, genetically modified cloned cats that GLOW IN THE FUCKING DARK! And they've already done it to mice and pigs.

I think we all know where this road will take us. The last place we want to be.

Bush, with authority, answers the question of his presidency.

We've had inclinations towards what the answer to the question was, is and will be, but it's getting close to slamming the door. What is that question?
"Seriously, is this guy a dick, or what?"

"The House approved an intelligence bill Thursday that would prohibit the CIA from using waterboarding, mock executions and other harsh interrogation methods.
The 222-199 vote sent the measure to the Senate, which still must act before it can go to President Bush. The White House has threatened a veto."

In 2007 (2007!) our country finally got around to considering banning torture, and the White House has threatened to veto it, answering the question of the Bush presidency with a resounding, YES.

Bali Talks improve.

After the European Union threatened to boycott the Bush Administration's planned climate talks with the "developed nations," things apparently took a turn for the "better" in Bali. Said the German Environmental Minister: "It’s true that during the last night and during the negotiations America was more flexible than in the first part of the conference. We very much appreciate this. Not only the Americans but also other parties."
But all the gaping disagreements remains, such as numerical standards on limits, reimbursement for developing nations getting deforested, and of couse, India and China.

Gore goes green.

You may recall, back when Al Gore's movie you might have heard , An Inconvenient Truth, won an oscar, there were certain personalities like this guy and this guy who were up in arms over Al Gore's house. You see, his house was pretty eco-friendly. But it could have been MORE eco-friendly, and who's this guy to say, hey be more eco-friendly, when his own home is not as eco-friendly as eco-friendly can be! (how many times can eco-friendly be used? you have no idea).
Anyway. Gore went back and made the house as eco-friendly as can be, and has been praised for creating one "of the nation's most environmentally friendly" buildings.

Republicans on Climate Change

Yesterday I mentioned that (thankfully) none of the GOP presdiential candidates denied the threat of global warming and the influence of human activity in said threat. Today, PlanetArk has a FACTBOX up on the views of each concerning climate change.
Highlights:

• McCain: "I know that climate change is real."
• Guiliani: "I think the best way to deal with it is through energy independence."
• Romney: "It's going to help our economy because we're going to invest in new technologies to get ourselves off of foreign oil. And as we get ourselves off of foreign oil, we also dramatically reduce our CO2 emissions."
• Huckabee (coming in last): "The reason that this issue ought to be important is because we don't own this Earth; we are simply stewards of it, caretakers...But climate change and who's causing it is of less importance...We have done no harm if we take better care of this planet and give it to our children with cleaner air, cleaner soil and cleaner water."

But let's not forget that in 2000, there was an article in the Detroit News titled: "Conservatives worry Bush it too green," and won his election over Gore, some say, because of his quick turnabout on global warming and promise to cut greenhouse gasses in Texas. This turnabout turned-about immediately following his election, as Bush walked from the Kyoto Protocol, and revoked his promise to cut greehouse gasses in Texas.

One Act

Clinton Aid 1: "Can you believe these Iowa students want to vote where they go to college instead of where they grew up?"
Clinton Aid 2: "I know! The audacity of today's youth, thinking they can vote where they live 9 months of the year instead of where they live 3 months of the year. Stupid children. We'll stop that."
Someone Else: "Yeah. It's like someone moving to a state just to run for senate, even though they have no connection to that state and are seen by the larger population as making cold-hearted political choices just to benefit their career, which in the long run will severely hurt the compassionate reputation of said candidate."
Clinton Aids 1&2: (gulp).

How are we to judge?

This is from CNN's coverage of the energy bill movement.

"The oil companies had pressed lawmakers to oppose repeal of the $13.5 billion in tax breaks provided them by Congress in 2004 and 2005. They argued the tax relief was essential as an incentive for domestic oil and gas production and refinery expansion and that rolling back the tax breaks would lead to higher energy prices.
Democrats released a report by the Joint Economic Committee on Wednesday that concluded that rescinding the tax breaks would have no impact on production decisions or "have any effect on consumer prices for oil and gas."

Unfortunately the oil companies reputations are sullied a bit because they are oil companies. Any argument made by the industry to further their tax breaks, even if they have the best reason in the world (which I doubt), will likely be a tough sell on the public.

Ready to have your mind blown: Turns out baseball players were using steroids. Seriously. It's all coming out. All your favorites from childhood will hang their heads in shame and be forgotten by history. Or else, I guess, no one will really care.

Gore stands up against U.S.

In Bali, Gore said what many other countries have been saying recently about the Climate Change talks. The U.S. is not helping the process. Despite the best efforts of many Americans, the current administration doesn't seem that keen to make things better. Said Gore: "My own country, the United States, is principally responsible for obstructing progress here in Bali."

As has already been reported on rememberthemidwest (12/11), the situation in Bali has all but stalled until the Bush Administration is replaced by another, hopefully more helpful bunch. Who will that be? Well, according to cryptic Gore, "I must tell you candidly that I cannot promise that the person who is elected will have the position I expect they will have, but I can tell you I believe it is quite likely." i.e. I can't promise he/she will be a Democrat, but you know, he/she will probably be a Democrat.

I'm not quite sure what the resolution is to the China/India issue that the Bush Administration continues to hold up as a reason not to change anything here (why should we if they won't?), but I know that the answer is not obstructing the process for ourselves and others to get moving.

CA and the greenhouse gasses

"A federal judge in Sacramento on Wednesday upheld a California law regulating greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks, another in a string of legal defeats for the auto industry this year."

It's seems to me that the auto industry is going to have to adapt at this point. They continue to fight against lawsuits and legislation that put forth a higher fuel economy standard, but this fight, it seems, is lost. They fight them, and each time they come out losing.

The lawsuit in question was a 2002 suit that would force autos in CA to raise fuel standars %30 by 2016. The current energy bill (so far passed by the house, but not the senate), includes a fuel econmy rise by about %40 by 2020.

Another interesting point in this lawsuit was the judges decision that under the Clean Air Act, California is entitled to their own standards, not the standards of the federal government, pending the Bush Administrations granting of CA's waiver under the EPA.

"'This is the fourth defeat for the Bush administration and the auto companies,' Mr. Brown said, 'and I hope it sends a powerful message to the White House and to Congress that California’s role as an innovator should be appreciated and not negated.'”

"President Bush vetoed an expansion of the federally funded, state-run health insurance program for poor children for a second time Wednesday, telling Congress the bill 'moves our country's health care system in the wrong direction.'"
He continued: Now, guys, eh eh eh, don't you know that the right direction is actually having children with no insurance? he he he.

19 years later, GOP admits Global Warming is real.

After reading a long and tedious recap on HuffingtonPost of today's Republican Primary Presidential Debate, I was ready to shut down the computer and take a nap. But the last lines of the article discussed the most ridiculous modern debate question of all. It was: raise your hand if you believe "global warming is a serious threat caused by human behaviour." I hate these 'raise your hand' questions for a number of reasons, including the fact that they contain no culpability. But at least they all raised their hands. "Ultimately, no one disputed global warming was a problem and humans at least contribute to it." We'll have to wait and see if they'll raise that hand again if they win the office.

Saudi Arabia: seriously, you need oil.

Ready to have your mind blown? "Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday the world does not need to shift away from fossil fuels to combat global warming, suggesting pilot technology and greater efficiency as better options. "
That's right. The country with the largest oil reserves in the world wants to remind you that our need to fight climate change has no connection to our need for oil.

Energy spent wasting energy

The Times has another article on the current situation with the energy bill in Washington. Earlier this week I posted a quick overview of the energy bill , but the reason I want to come back to this is that the White House is now talking about vetoing the bill (assuming the Democrats can get it through the senate in the first place); one argument going on is who should oversee the new fuel economy standards:

"Primary regulation of mileage standards has historically fallen to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an arm of the Transportation Department. But vehicle tailpipe emissions are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, and a Supreme Court ruling this year affirmed the E.P.A.’s authority to regulate emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from passenger vehicles, which basically would mean regulating their fuel use.
The White House, echoing a position taken by auto manufacturers and a coalition of industry groups, is asking that the energy legislation be changed to specify the highway safety administration as the primary enforcer of fuel efficiency standards, with the E.P.A. in only an advisory role. Democratic leaders in Congress have rejected that position as a “nonstarter” and indicated their intent to move the bill with the current language intact."

What is frustrating to watch during all this jurisdictional infighting, is that in the end, the goal of this part of the energy bill, raising the fuel economy standards to 35mpg, gets lost in the traffic. Of course the EPA and the auto industry are going to want different ends from this, that's why there is someone in charge who says: okay, EPA, you are going to handle this one (in this case the supreme court). The Dems are going to insist that the EPA be in control of emissions, and by doing so the Administration will ensure a veto.
So while Bush and his administration and the Dems in congress continue to bicker over this, probably ending in nothing changing, we will go on making cars that have lower fuel economy than the average 30 year old car, forgetting why we need to raise the fuel economy in the first place: to protect the environment and reduce greenhouse gasses. Clearly, that is not the key concern in Washington:

"A senior White House policy adviser, speaking on the condition of anonymity because confidential discussions with Congress are continuing, said the administration’s concern was that Congress would specify a 35 m.p.g. standard that would later be overtaken by aggressive new rule-making by the E.P.A. as it seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

The goal then is not to raise the standard until that standard reaches a point whereupon it will not need to raised further. Which is ridiculous, in its way, because as technological advances continue, the standard will, and should, be increased.

Obama has risen in the polls in New Hampshire, too.
"Clinton's 5-percentage point drop appears to have been largely due to the loss of support among women." Snap, yo. "Clinton is still viewed by Democratic primary voters as having the most experience and the best chance of beating the Republican presidential nominee. But Obama is seen as more likable, more believable and more likely to unite the country."
That's interesting. Would someone rather vote for a winner or someone they actually like? I guess we'll see.

Sometimes, there are no words for what comes from the midwest.
"Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) has introduced a resolution (H.Res. 847) saying, and I am not making this up, that Christmas and Christians are important. The House is scheduled to vote on this groundbreaking resolution on Tuesday."
read the story at politico.

Obama should have taken a page out of the Bush candidacy policy: if you are running for president, and you've used cocaine, deny it and ignore it. We all know Bush did it. But since he won't admit it, he didn't have to suffer for it. But now, since Obama is on the "honesty" kick, and believes in "truth telling," he might end up paying for it. The only question, for Thomas B Edsal, is if it will be in the primary or in the general election.

I nominate "non-binding" to be the official slogan of the Bush Administration.
The climate change talks in Bali have gone so well that they have been likened to "a family standing around the bedside of an expiring administration." That's right. Just wait two more years. Amazing.

Exxon and EPL.

Last night I watched this movie called Out Of Balance, about Exxon Mobile's role in climate change over thet last 20 or so years. It did a wonderful job of making me not want to buy Exxon Mobile gas, or support anything they do. I learned much about the company and it's anti-climate change campaign (much of which is no longer any big secret, such as this unbelievable memo which states the company's view of victory as "Average citizens [and the media] 'understand' (recognize) uncertainties in climate science; recognition of uncertainties becomes part of the 'conventional wisdom' ... ")

Anyway. After the movie I was doing some research, seeing what is tied to Exxon Mobile, and I was thinking, no problem. I won't buy gas from their stations. I'll find out what else they are ruining, and try to avoid it. If other major companies are directly tied to and succeeding from Exxon Mobile's cavalier attitude and destruction, I'll try to avoid them too.

But then I found out who the major shareholder in the company is: Barclay's Global Investors. Yes. Barclay's Global, which is also Barclay's Bank which owns Barclay's PLC which is the chief sponsor of the English Premier League.

Stupid conscience. I guess I'll have to give my underhanded support to Exxon Mobile, or else stop watching the EPL. What's a soccer fan/eco-geek to do?

I was at NYTimes this morning, and I came across this headline: "Poll Finds G.O.P. Field Isn’t Touching Voters." I thought, is that good, or bad? Will touching the voters produce positive voter turnout?

The New York Times is muddying the eco-friendly waters a bit. As is common when anyone tries to do something a little better, another has to come and tell them they are actually causing more damage than before. The problem here I think is that so much happens so fast, and long term questions, particularly regarding environmental impact and carbon footprints and such, take a long time to study.
Anyway. The issue is eating locally. Is it better? Is it more environmentally sound? Maybe not, says the NYT (although I'm still inclined to think it's better, though of course not in every single possible way, which is how the naysayers try to trap you in). It is obviously not the end-all of options, and there will still be consequences, but fewer, I would say.
"Here are a couple of other puzzlers: Are canned tomatoes a better environmental choice in the winter than fresh tomatoes from abroad? If a product that contains heavy packaging reduces the amount of food waste, is that a better choice than one that is lightly packed and spoils quicker?"

Gore accepts Nobel Prize, says: "It is time to make peace with the planet...We must quickly mobilize our civilization with the urgency and resolve that has previously been seen only when nations mobilized for war...We, the human species, are confronting a planetary emergency -- a threat to the survival of our civilization that is gathering ominous and destructive potential even as we gather here...While India is also growing fast in importance, it should be absolutely clear that it is the two largest CO2 emitters -- and most of all, my own country -- that will need to make the boldest moves, or stand accountable before history for their failure to act. Both countries should stop using the other's behavior as an excuse for stalemate and instead develop an agenda for mutual survival in a shared global environment."

That would be you, U.S. and China.

Ireland has seen the light: "DUBLIN - Ireland will ban traditional light bulbs in favour of energy-saving alternatives from 2009 and penalise high-emission vehicles from July 2008, Environment Minister John Gormley said on Thursday."

Also. Here is a break down of the new U.S. "energy bill that included a $21.5 billion package of tax incentives for renewable energy sources like wind and solar over 10 years." Baby steps I guess.

p.s. don't tell my new employer I'm blogging from work. eep.

Goodbye blogging world.
My instructing days are over for another month, and yet the bills need to be paid (or at least, I need to contribute something to my wife paying the bills). Thus, I will, for the first time in my life, be working a 9-5 in the downtown in the big Chicago city. Yes. My first ever 9-5 will be a temp job, that I will fulfill until Dec. 21.
So, the past few weeks of doing little else than blog and read books and read environmental websites and hang out at bars, is over. Tomorrow, I'll have to wake up early like a real person and commute downtown like an adult and do crap.

I'm not sure when my blog became pictures of Chicago winter, but I'm having fun taking pictures in the snow. Maybe I'll keep it up for more than a day or two, maybe not. But blogs are essentially the whim of their owner's. So.
Here's the snow that's falling right now.

ChicagoTribune has a distressing article (part 1 of 2) on the police shootings and the trend of not holding officers responsible for clear misuse of power. In the past decade, "nearly" every shooting was found to be "justified" by the review board. This includes the 12 incidents when police fatally shot civilians in the back.
The article tells the story of Cornelius Ware, a paraplegic who was pulled over while driving his mother. When he didn't get out of the car when prompted, he was shot by the officer 5 times. The officer reloaded his clip, and shot Ware again. The officer was cleared, naturally.

Midwest Becomes Winter Wonder Land

Glenwood and Argyle in Chicago

The news on all the papers today is the snow. The beautiful beautiful snow. If you don't have to drive, seeing all that snow come down can be a heartwarming and lovely time. If you do have to drive (which we never do) then it can just cause anxiety. Just look at Minneapolis. Or Chicago. Or Madison.
But outside our cozy apartment. It's wonderful.

Unfortunate, successfully prosecuted snowman

Anagrams.
I was at the anagram internet server, I, Rearrangment Servant, and having fun finding anagrams for my name. Here are some fun ones.
First Name Maiden Name:
Pitchforks In Here.
Perfect Irish Honk.
Cheer Shrift Pinko.
and.
First Name Married Name:
Hemispheric for Zit Skunk.
Tom Unzips Kerchief Shirk.
and the winner:
Motherfuckers Hi Skin Zip.

Christmas time is here.

Somehow, Bush is using the news that Iran has stopped developing nuclear weapons to try to galvanize international pressure on Iran to stop developing nuclear weapons. Not quite sure what the strategy is on that one. StarTribune.

DesMoinesRegister has a discussion forum for moms where the topic is Spanking Laws. Says one concerned momma: "If an adult hits another adult, criminal charges can be pressed. If an adult hits his or her child, it's okay because ..." Don't tell my old man that. He'll spank you.

And. From PlanetArk today: Divorce hurts the environment. Why? Well. Think about per capita resource use. Your family of four lives in one house and uses one house worth of energy. Divorce means another home, fewer people in those homes, and more resources to provide for those homes. "Globally, the number of households is increasing much faster than the number of people...Divorce tosses out any economies of scale."
So, for the planet's sake, love the one you're with.

I'm off to the coffee drinking shop to do some writing. I can no longer get work done where the internets are. Which is frustrating as anything. For fun today, watch this video. Hank and John Green (novelist and environmentalists brothers) decided to only communicate via vlogs. They're pretty good.

I decided to get personal on Remember the Midwest. We had what would be considered our first winter "storm" recently, and it got me thinking that I really love winter. I can't deny it anymore: I like the cold, the storms (as long as we don't have to drive), the seasonal goodness. During the heaviest of the snow on Saturday, I decided to walk to the grocery store. Today, it's 22degrees, windy and cloudy, and I decided to take a walk.

Here are some photos of Lake Michigan at Foster Beach, December 03, 2007.

If one were to look straight out at the lake (quite angry today) and stop one's ears, it might be possible to think you're not in the middle of Chicago.

But then, if you turn around, you're back in the city.

Not sure what this hole is, other than a broken ankle death trap in all the ice.

Your author, revealed.

I spend a lot of time these days on the internet, since my classes have ended until January and this temping thing isn't going quite right. As far as I know.
Anyway. I found this website that I like quite a bit called Ecogeek. And on that site I found this story.
"A new report from the American Consumer Institute has calculated the current and future effects that broadband Internet will have on our carbon emissions. The resulting numbers are staggering. In the next 10 years, ACI reports that the world will save roughly 1 BILLION tons of carbon in the next ten years by operating on the Internet."
So that's good. The site also has an interesting article on the environmental impacts of such ingenuity as Radiohead's In Rainbows.
Now I can feel better about sitting on my ass with my broadband.

The political world in the U.S. is abuzz with anticipation over the prospect of GOP candidate Mitt Romney's upcoming "Mormonism Speech." Why is the U.S. atwitter with excitement? Well, they probably aren't. But Mormons now have the possibility of moving up in the country's rank of "other religions."
I would say that Romney's speech is a success if the general Middle American's conception of Romney and the Mormonism was able to transform from:
"Romney, wait Mormon, what's that now?"
to
"Hold on, that's Mormonism?"
So good luck Mitt. Bask in the only time in your life that you will likely ever be compared to John Kennedy, and make your speech count.
Here's an actual thoughtful piece on the speech from Politico.

Despite Huckabee's goofiness, he has sprung 17 points in the DesMoinesRegister's latest poll since October, to take the lead in the GOP side of the Iowa race. Now, Huckabbe and Obama are the front runners in the first caucus state, showing, if nothing else, that there really isn't anyone on either side who has anything like a lock on their nomination.

Mike Huckabee has continued his attempt to be the funny and non-unbelievably right-wing crazy candidate. In his latest attempt, he took a phone call from God while at the podium. It wasn't funny when it was supposed to be funny, and it wasn't touching or moving when it was supposed to be touching or moving. Instead, I thought it was weird and self-righteous. If you want, here's the video.