http://climateprogress.org/2011/04/21/obama-calls-out-climate-change-deniers-in-congress-sort-of/
“There are climate change deniers in Congress and when the economy gets tough, sometimes environmental issues drop from people’s radar screens,” Obama told about 200 guests at the Pacific Heights residence of internet billionaire Marc Benioff, according to an official transcript. “But I don’t think there’s any doubt that unless we are able to move forward in a serious way on clean energy that we’re putting our children and our grandchildren at risk. So that’s not yet done.”
“Internationally, we’re seeing the sorts of changes that we haven’t seen in a generation. We’ve got certain challenges like energy and climate change that no one nation can solve but we’re going to have to solve together,” Obama said. “And we don’t yet have all the institutions that are in place in order to do that.”
opit says:
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April 22, 2011 at 12:08 am
If there was no such thing as a politically-driven agenda to package ’science’ in religious parameters and make false comparisons like those on evolution…then a person who thinks all the facts cannot be in when foretelling the future might not believe he was talking to brainwashed idiots too.
Some day we might even have a talk about dealing with real pollution….not dealt with by the administration either. There are reasonable questions and people discussing them.
opitslinkfest.blogspot.com > Topical Index > Climate in Contention
It even includes articles ‘debunking deniers’…if only to show how conversation and belief is running around in futile circles.
Power Shift is an annual conference at which thousands of deluded young climate bigots engineer their chaotic plans to overtake the world. And of course, it's not the young people themselves who are the ultimate master minds. The true leaders are much older - and McKibben is one of them.
His speech is similar to some of the most emotional speeches by Adolf Hitler. The most important activity, people, and place is what those folks are doing over there, now. After having licked their buttocks, he repeats his own pseudoscientific ideas about the need to reduce CO2 to 350 ppm.
The priest decides that science is the easiest part of the story so he doesn't dedicate a single word to it in his talk. (It's interesting: if the science is so easy, why is the combined mass of these thousands of brains incapable to understand even 1% of the basics of climate science?)
Why did environmentalists pursue cap-and-trade and was it a doomed strategy?
http://climateprogress.org/2011/04/21/cap-and-trade-doomed/
We’re starting to see pieces of counterfactual history on the climate bill in The New Republic and elsewhere based in part on discredited scholarship. Since cap-and-trade has been so vilified by the entire right wing and even some on the left, I thought I would try to set the record straight on some key points.
I’m not here to say cap-and-trade was the “correct” strategy. And it may be that any strategy was extrinsically “doomed to fail” — that the Senate’s anti-democratic, super-majority 60-vote “requirement” meant that a dedicated minority could have killed any approach — once the Republican Party decided to become the only major political party in the world dedicated to denying science and blocking any action.
I mainly want to show that cap-and-trade was not intrinsically doomed to fail, that it was not obviously or inherently a flawed idea in, say, 2008 — or even 2009. Quite the reverse. Only someone who doesn’t know history – or who chooses to ignore it — could believe that.
( There's a new entry in 'Energy' dealing with Australia's situation re: 'carbon trading'. )
Deaths in US drone attack in Pakistan
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2011/04/201142223525528224.html
Mexico's drug war
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/04/mexicos_drug_war_1.html
Mass graves. Dismembered corpses. Entire towns besieged. Macabre visions grow in depravity as the drug war in Mexico drags on. Since President Felipe Calderon began using the army to contain the violence four years ago, rival gangs have escalated their turf battles over smuggling routes, and 35,000 lives have been lost, half of those in just the three northern states of Chihuahua, Tamaulipas and Sinaloa. The drug criminals have expanded their shadow by intimidating police forces, using kidnapping and extortion, trafficking migrants, and even pirating oil from Mexico's national oil company, Pemex.
Japan's crisis: one month later
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/04/japans_crisis_one_month_later.html
There’s a biological reason why abused kids become depressed adults
http://io9.com/#!5794603/theres-a-biological-reason-why-abused-kids-become-depressed-adults
New York 2011: Litestar Pulse is a taste of the 1980s we can get behind
http://green.autoblog.com/2011/04/21/new-york-2011-litestar-pulse-is-a-taste-of-the-1980s-we-can-get
Self-Sustaining Aquaponic Greenhouse Coming to Vermont Park
http://inhabitat.com/self-sustaining-aquaponic-greenhouse-coming-to-vermont-park house a sustainable fish pond and aquaponic vegetables. The Root Center’s mission is to provide food, water, shelter, energy and community, and the food the greenhouse produces will supply local food banks and schools.
New Graphene Super Paper is 10x Stronger Than Steel
http://inhabitat.com/new-graphene-super-paper-is-10x-stronger-than-steel
Mars Mission Simulation Planned for ISS
http://news.discovery.com/space/mars-mission-simulation-space-station-110421.html#mkcpgn=rssnws1
Atmosphere's worth of dry ice found at Mars south pole
http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2011/04/mars-south-pole-holds-nearly-an-atmospheres-worth-of-co2.ars
Hundreds of Islands New to Science
http://news.discovery.com/earth/hundreds-of-islands-new-to-science-110421.html#mkcpgn=rssnws1
Senator questions Apple over iPhone tracking
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/04/senator-questions-apple-in-wake-of-ios-tracking-scandal.ars
Security researchers today revealed the existence of a file on iPhones and on their computer backups that logs detailed cell phone triangulation data—and has ever since iOS 4 was released last summer. The information is stored unencrypted by default, and is simple to access. That announcement led Franken to fire off a two-page letter (PDF) today, asking nine pointed questions of Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
Plastic, Heal Thyself: Scientists Invent Smart Polymers
A new kind of plastic repairs itself when exposed to ordinary light.
http://news.discovery.com/tech/self-healing-plastic-110421.html#mkcpgn=rssnws1Fair Trade: Understanding What's Behind the Label
http://www.good.is/post/fair-trade-understanding-what-s-behind-the-label/
Fair trade labeling indicates when a product was produced under a set of principles that include fair labor practices and environmental regulations.
Brace Yourself for 138 Million Electric Motorcycles
Top Twelve American Banks, Coal and Oil Companies Paid Less Taxes Than You
A Look at Absurd US Healthcosts (vs. Rest of the World)
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/04/us-healthcare-vs-rest-of-the-world/
The first obesity epidemic
http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2011/04/the-first-obesity-epidemic.html
scary scary debt
http://obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2011/04/scary-scary-debt.html
Stop drinking that fake water!
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/04/stop_drinking_that_fake_water.php
Civil War Macaroni and Cheese
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/civil_war_macaroni_and_cheese/
Wells Underground House
http://design-milk.com/wells-underground-house/
Wisdom from Francis Ford Coppola
http://metacool.typepad.com/metacool/2011/04/wisdom-from-francis-ford-coppola.html
iPad Has Already Overtaken Linux in Browser Usage
http://mashable.com/2011/04/21/ipad-linux/
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American Leftist ★ 9
On Vacation Until 4/21
Meanwhile, the Second Reagan Revolution proceeds unimpeded.
Eurocentrism
UPDATE 1: Oh, by the way, if you are a woman, and show silent support for a woman wearing a niqab, you'll get arrested, too: Halima, a 53-year-old mother from Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, who wears a normal headscarf, was detained by police for standing silently with the niqab-wearers at Notre Dame. She said: This is the first time I've ever protested over anything. I'm not in favour of the niqab, I
Egypt Erupts
UPDATE 1: The Arabist has another account of the attack. Interestingly, the person who provided it also says that a sit-in at the Israeli embassy was attacked brutally. David Dietz has also provided a description of the attack that confirms that it appears to have been prompted by the participation of Egyptian military officers in the protest: The desperation turned to delight when 15 army office
Surveillance of Student Protest at the University of California, Davis
I graduated from the University of California, Davis undergraduate program in 1983, and the campus law school in 1986. The intensity of student protests against substantial registration fee increases while the salaries of high level administrators skyrocket has prompted this response from Chancellor of UC Davis, Linda Katehi: Students are questioning their rights to free speech after a Public Reco
Vote or Die
It has been awhile since I have posted on the subject as to whether the US political system provides any meaningful opportunity for participation for the vast majority of the populace. I have periodically elaborated on this theme in posts entitled Vote or Die, an sarcastic reference to someone here who commented that the choice in the 2008 election was either death or voting for Obama. If you ar
Free Fire Zone Afghanistan
You may have seen this elsewhere already, but I think it is important to acknowledge these atrocities. From Mark Boal's article in Rolling Stone, The Kill Team: The morning of May 2nd, the platoon was on a routine patrol in a village called Qualaday, a few miles from base. Following standard procedure, the unit's leaders entered a house to talk with a man who had previously been arrested for havi
Amygdala ★ 7
April What?
video APRIL WHAT?It's still April 1st on the Left Coast for another two hours and five minutes (when I started this post; an hour and ten minutes when I finished), no matter what date you read above this post. Some foolish links are in order!So, out of order!Japan is on everyone's mind, but we need to remember than it's not all doom and gloom, and yet in the spirit of helping:The Tactical Philant
Blogging Is Like A Simile
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Pottery Barn Libya, Part 1
video POTTERY BARN LIBYA, PART 1 What is to be done?Colin Powell famously said of Iraq, quoting Tom Friedman (who got it wrong)'You are going to be the proud owner of 25 million people,' he told the president. 'You will own all their hopes, aspirations, and problems. You'll own it all.' Privately, Powell and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage called this the Pottery Barn rule: You break it,
Pottery Barn Libya, Pt 2: Anthony Cordesman, One Man Army, Or Give Peace A Chance?
video POTTERY BARN LIBYA, PT 2: ANTHONY CORDESMAN, ONE MAN ARMY, OR GIVE PEACE A CHANCE?Part 1 on Amygdala!In Pottery Barn Libya, Part 1 (or do you prefer ObWi?), I began explaining the situation in Libya. Now, more, and what America and NATO should do.The tactical day to day sway of battle does not matter, save to those brutally slaughtered in it, and suffering from it. Suffering greatly.What matters
Hello, Goodbye: You Say Goodbye, I Say Go To Hell, Glenn Beck
video HELLO, GOODBYE: YOU SAY GOODBYE, I SAY GO TO HELL, GLENN BECKGlenn Beck is leaving Fox News, but not, I'm afraid, leaving us alone.FOX NEWS AND MERCURY RADIO ARTS ANNOUNCE NEW AGREEMENT (New York, NY) Fox News and Mercury Radio Arts, Glenn Beck’s production company, are proud to announce that they will work together to develop and produce a variety of television projects for air on the Fox Ne
Green & White ★ 4
NaanMap goes mobile
Naanmap the halal food finding service has launched apps for mobile phones. Launched for iTunes and Windows 7 Mobile. With this now you can not be out of reach of halal restaurants and store when you are on the road. Details here http://www.naanmap.com/mobile.html NaanMap is the fastest way to experience the near by halal restaurants and stores. Works with only one tap. Instant searches without us
Convofy getting spotlight on the web.
Convofy after its initial launch and video is getting some rave reviews, here is the feedback. Robert Scoble has done a detailed demo run with Faizan, embedded below with come comments from around the world wide web. And twitter is exploding with Convofy too Just when we thought we figured out the new “social enterprise” market along comes Convofy. I tried to be skeptical, but the collaborative
Google Summer of Code Program 2011. Opportunity for Pakistani Students
BrightSpyre’s blog had this useful information about a Google Program. Some snippets for quick information from the post are (do follow the link for details on BrightSpyre original post) According to Google Summer of Code Program “Google Summer of Code (GSoC) is a global program that offers student developers stipends to write code for various open source software projects.” In this program along
Abid Beli sells Beliscity.com
Beliscity.com is one of the top online shopping site of Pakistan, founded as early as 2001. Abid Beli was the founder of this thriving online business. More recently they have diversified their offering from typical online products by adding a dedicated book section (in partner ship with Liberty books) and an online Grocery store. However recently Abid Beli has sold his venture to an online distri
Obsolete ★ 26
Playing the victim in the privacy wars.
Whenever the tabloids start to play the victim, it ought to be apparent that there's something far more vital at stake than the freedom of the press: that other enduring freedom, to make money out of the misery of other people. If you've been cynical enough to think there might be something else afoot that's encouraged the so-called popular press to spend much of this week complaining bitterly ab
Guns and consequences in Libya.
From the essential C.J. Chivers. Also, my post from yesterday was mirrored over at Lib Con.
Mission creep and self-inflicted wounds.
The announcement that we're sending 10 or 12 "experienced military officers" (the Graun's quotation marks, not mine) to Benghazi, it should be clear, changes precisely nothing on the ground in Libya. Ever since the passing of the UNSC 1973 or even possibly before there will have been special forces/spooks in the country, doing the same or similar jobs to that which this new team will supposedly b
Betrayal seems to beckon.
One of the things you can't help but notice is that those who shouted loudest for intervention in Libya have gone strangely silent over the last couple of weeks. Even when UNSC Resolution 1973 was passed over a month ago it seemed likely that the introduction of a no-fly zone would merely instigate a stalemate; indeed, to read it by the letter that was exactly what it was supposed to do, calling
A front page for the ages.
Yes, that's a young woman described as both a tart and a moll due to her relationships with two different men, an actress brave enough to admit she's struggled to cope with mental illness referred to as "loopy", while lastly the always handy idle dole scrounger provides today's two-minutes hate. Makes you almost yearn for the Daily Sport, doesn't it? (No.)
Texas Liberal ★ 47
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Hatewatch | Southern Poverty Law Center ★ 22
Wife of ‘Sovereign’ Who Killed Arkansas Police Officers Sues Police
Since her common-law husband and his son died 11 months ago in a gunfight with police after killing two officers, Donna Lee Wray has issued angry threats, hurled epithets at reporters and accused police of a cover-up. She has even tried to charge Hatewatch millions of dollars for the use of her “copyrighted name” – a claim based on the bizarre ideology of the anti-government “sovereign citizen” mo
Far-Right Student Group Building Ties to Right-Wing European Extremists
Taylor Rose, with the Liberty University chapter of the far-right campus student organization Youth for Western Civilization, is slated to appear at an international anti-Islamic demonstration called the “March for Freedom” in Cologne, Germany, on May 7, where he has pledged to give a speech. The Cologne march is a yearly event sponsored by Cities Against Islamization, a coalition of various far-r
Koran-Burning Pastor to Protest Outside Michigan Mosque
Fresh on the heels of burning the Koran after staging a “trial” of Islam, an act that led to deadly protests in Afghanistan, Florida pastor Terry Jones is planning a rally outside a mosque in Dearborn, Mich., this week, despite pleas from city officials to abandon his efforts. Jones told the Detroit Free Press that he plans to visit the Islamic Center of America, the largest mosque in North Americ
Federal Judge Throws Out Neo-Nazi Bill White’s Conviction
A federal judge ruled today that a jury was wrong when it convicted neo-Nazi Bill White for using his website to promote violence. CBS Chicago is reporting that U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman has ruled White was within his rights when he published information about a juror on his website in 2008. In January, White was convicted of one count of solicitation for publishing the personal information
White Nationalist Report Guesses That Immigrants Commit Tax Fraud
Just in time for tax day, the white nationalist Social Contract Press has released a special report claiming that immigrants — legal and undocumented alike — are manipulating the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to cheat taxpayers out of billions. The report, “Defrauding the American Taxpayer — The Earned Income Tax Credit,” is packed with questionable assumptions and leaps of logic, undisguised ra
Oklahoma City Bombing Anniversary: Disturbing Parallels to Today’s Climate
Today marks the 16th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, the terrorist attack that showed Americans how domestic extremism can lead to violence on a massive scale. On this sad anniversary, there are disturbing parallels to the years leading up to the bombing, when the antigovernment militia movement first arose. That, too, was a time of economic peril, particularly in the West, where the mov
The Galloping Beaver ★ 49
Orange Revolution?
Now wouldn't that be something? Via Dawg.
No choice . . .
SLATE HAS A DISTURBING REPORT by Dahlia Lithwick, "The Death of Roe v. Wade", that sums up the state of access to abortion in the US, and it's not good. Check out the power-plays in Dahlia's scribe. Why should you care? It's a look at how the fundamentalist weasels operate. If Stevie gets a majority . . . it'll happen here.Supporters and opponents of abortion seem to agree: It's no longer the law
Harper Majority
Harper is presently running around the country begging for a majority. Maybe he's got a running chance, maybe he doesn't. If he gets it, we will be faced with an interesting situation in this social and political economy of this country. We will have a government openly hostile to lived and professed interests, values, beliefs, and norms a great many, if not most, Canadians. And definitely the lat
Omar's crib . . .
IT REALLY PISSES ME OFF that nobody has asked our candidates about getting Omar out of Gitmo. Last week, Wikileaks released the operating manual for Omar's world, and according to Ryan Singel at WIRED, it's not pretty, organized by the same gang who set up Abu Ghraib:The manual also includes instructions on how to use military dogs to intimidate prisoners."MWD (Military Working Dogs) will walk 'Ma
What a way to go . . .
The Euthanasia Coaster.“Euthanasia Coaster” is a hypothetical euthanasia machine in the form of a roller coaster engineered to humanely – with elegance and euphoria – take the life of a human being. Riding the coaster’s track, the rider is subjected to a series of intensive motion elements that induce various unique experiences: from euphoria to thrill, and from tunnel vision to loss of consciousn
Way cool . . .
$5,800.00, unfortunately.
Phronesisaical ★ 31
Bits and Pieces - April 21, 2011
I'm still struggling with BEIR VII, to try to get some numbers out on what the various radiation exposures associated with Fukushima mean in terms of people's health. In that regard, the far too many units used to describe those exposures are the subject of four posts at the American Nuclear Society's Nuclear Cafe by Stewart Brand, Steve Aplin, Mimi Limbach, and me.I'm kind of sad to see Russia pu
Another I-Told-You-So
TEPCO has retracted the chlorine-38 measurements they published a couple of weeks ago.There was much chortling over those measurements, because about the only way you could get chlorine-38 would be if there were "re-criticalities," if the fuel in the reactor cores or possibly the fuel pools were becoming critical again. I pointed out the improbability of such things happening. I hope that now thos
Your Chart For Today
Can't be said enough: Let the Bush tax cuts die!From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities via Ezra Klein. And read Ezra's piece.
Bits and Pieces - April 18, 2011
Happy Tax Day from John Cole!Paul Revere's ride was 236 years ago today.Tepco provides their plan for the next six to nine months to get all the reactors to cold shutdown. What's here and in its links needs an enormous amount of detail worked out. But they wouldn't necessarily make all that public.A few weeks ago, the president of the American College of Surgeons wrote an editorial urging the valu
Boak Tabung Kak, Sumatra
Photos by CurupKami Flickr
Bits and Pieces - April 16, 2011
Dan Yurman has been anticipating some of the posts I'd like to write on Fukushima and frequently doing a better job than I might have because he has more connections in the business community than I do. Here's a good one on how some of the big nuclear companies are salivating over the prospect of the eventual cleanup and what the NRC might have known and when. On that last issue, I am becoming mor
Syria Comment ★ 35
The Government Draws a Line in the Sand
The Syrian government has drawn a line in the sand. Now that it has made concessions — canceled the special National Security Court, lifted the emergency law, fired governors of Banyas and Deraa governates, named a new parliament and promised a new party law — the president has stated that there is no longer reason to demonstrate. He has called the on-going uprising a rebellion. The Baath Party ha
Ammar Abdulhamid, a leading Activist, and Joshua Landis Discuss the Syrian Uprising
Ammar Abdulhamid and Joshua Landis Discuss the Syrian Uprising 20 April 2011 Bloggingheads.tv
Syrians Comment on Homs and Syria’s Future
Demonstrators in Homs Ziadsouri: I just received bad news. A friend of mine lost his son last night in 7oms. He was a very good young man and a recent graduate of Mechanical Engineering. My friend told me his boy, just like the rest of population, had no hope for the future. My friend and family are in disbelieve. His oldest son, just 24 years, is gone because he dared to speak his mind. Th
A Damascus Cameo
A Damascus Cameo By a Friend in Damascus April 17, 2011 The Syrian turmoil is a surprising and challenging experience for Bashar and his governmental disciples. Over the last few weeks, Damascus has witnessed immense and eager protests in support of the current regime, while reports of uprisings calling for freedom, release of political prisoners and ends to corruption also spring in different qu
The Opposition Grows in Confidence and Numbers
Lots of deaths in Homs today. Still trying to sort out who is responsible for the killing. From a Reader: Dear Joshua, I am an avid reader of your blog, especially during these times, with the questionable news reports and media coverage. I have few comments about the recent updates in the situation in Syria. While I agree with you that the speech sounded very positive, and I think that President
Assad Speech II –
The president’s speech yesterday was about a good as Bashar al-Assad could have done. If Assad’s first speech did him no favors, this one served him well. I was apprehensive at first when I saw him speaking without a written script, as he does not seem to have a professional speech writing staff that he trusts. But ultimately he was well served to show his personality, which is appealing. He was s
Centauri Dreams ★ 12
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infowarsnews at Yahoo! Groups ★ 17
Lukashenko: Globalists Are Preparing To Strangle Belarus
Lukashenko: Globalists Are Preparing To Strangle Belarus "They want to force us to be just like everybody else....we will resist" Paul Joseph Watson Prison
Nanny State Gone Wild
Nanny State Gone Wild The government is overseeing a calculated coup d'état against individuality, and if you complain about it you could be a terrorist Paul
Damning New Study: Eco Bulbs Cause Cancer
Damning New Study: Eco Bulbs Cause Cancer Americans will be forced to use CFLs that contain poisonous carcinogens after government ban on traditional light
Cops Use Mobile Scanner To Steal Cellphone Data From Innocent Americ
Cops Use Mobile Scanner To Steal Cellphone Data From Innocent Americans Michigan state police slap ACLU with half a million dollar demand for information
G. Edward Griffin: The Collectivist Conspiracy
G. Edward Griffin: The Collectivist Conspiracy Legendary researcher G. Edward Griffin on the elite's obsession for world government, the chemtrail cover-up and
UK Sends In Troops As Ground Invasion Of Libya Accelerates
UK Sends In Troops As Ground Invasion Of Libya Accelerates Pretext for deeper intervention required as globalist Al-Qaeda-backed rebels being soundly trounced
ArmsControlWonk ★ 34
Israel and North Korea
I’ve been doing a lot of work lately on state-to-state nuclear cooperation — especially the connection between Pakistan and North Korea. I recently reread Bamboo and Blood, by James Church (a pseudonym for one of the most distinguished North Korea watchers in the US). Although Bamboo and Blood is a work of fiction, and Church permits himself some artistic license, it is also a pretty decent intr
Rethinking Multinational Consortia
At one point in a wide-ranging op-ed back in March, Frank von Hippel made the case for a global switchover to multinational consortia for uranium enrichment: [It] would make it more difficult for any one country to divert the material to military ends. In fact, Urenco, the West’s most successful uranium enrichment enterprise, is already under the joint ownership of Germany, the Netherlands and Bri
FEPC Info Sheets 4/15-4/20
Here are the information sheets from our friends at FEPC from 4/15, 4/18, 4/19 and 4/20. On a related note, TEPCO has walked back the estimate of Cl-38 on which Ferenc Dalnoki based his paper, What Was The Cause Of The High Cl-38 Radioactivity In The Fukushima Daiichi Reactor #1. I have a couple of real posts in the hopper. Lots of writing toward no particular end lately. Update to Information S
The Advisors
One of Herb York’s many talents was his ability to write clearly with a strong narrative line, despite his training in physics and immersion in technical detail. See, for example, Herb’s book, The Advisors: Oppenheimer, Teller, and the Superbomb (1976). This slim volume tells a cautionary tale about nuclear technology. In the preface, Herb writes, The United States has pursued policies which cau
FEPC Info Sheet 4/14
Your daily information sheet sheet from our friends at FEPC. Update to Information Sheet Regarding the Tohoku Earthquake The Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan (FEPC) Washington DC Office As of 12:00PM (EST), April 14, 2011 Radiation Levels On April 13, TEPCO announced the result of the analysis of water samples from the spent fuel pool at Unit 4 of Fukushima Daiichi
FEPC Info Sheet 4/13
We have some interesting comments on yesterday’s thread about the wonders of the INES. I wonder Fukushima results in a fundamental reform of the scale, with the IAEA taking on a role in vetting how states rank their nuclear disasters. Olli Heinonen thinks so, or at least that is how Pete Spots paraphrases him in the Christian Science Monitor. Anyway, your daily fix from our friends at FEPC after
Obsidian Wings ★ 34
Guest Post: A Couple of Thoughts on Greg Mortenson
by Benjamin Orbach I watched the 60 Minutes piece on Greg Mortenson with disappointment. If you haven’t heard of Greg Mortenson, he is a humanitarian that has built more than 100 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as the best-selling author of Three Cups of Tea (co-written with Oliver David Relin). Three Cups of Tea is the inspirational story of Mortenson’s personal journey from a lost K2
The first obesity epidemic
by Doctor Science A few months ago, I read Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, by Richard Wrangham. Wrangham marshals many lines of very good evidence to argue that humans are physically adapted to cooked food. One unexplored prediction of his theory is that, when proto-humans starting eating cooked food, they must have experienced a true "obesity epidemic". I'm cutting this beca
scary scary debt
by russell As we all know, the debt load carried by the federal government is a topic of great concern. It's currently in the historically nosebleed territory of 100% of GDP. I thought I was kinda concerned about that until I ran across this, and in particular this graph: Federal debt is that green series. Yes, it's growing, and is starting to approach levels we haven't seen since W
not a good sign
by russell From today's Globe, more doctors gravitate toward boutique practice. The nitty gritty at a glance: six doctors in MA will be converting to a concierge practice this year "concierge practice" means unlimited access to the doctor for an $1,800 rider above your insurance coverage two of the doctors profile will be reducing their patient load from 3,000 to 600, each at 600 p
a current-events poem
by fiddler Sonnet of a disgruntled citizenry (with minor apologies to Homer, Chapman, et al.) Sing, news, of Obama's promises, made To voters who elected him to power. Which has he kept? Wars' ends? Taxes paid By the rich? An economy in flower? New jobs for all who seek them? Emptying Guantanamo's cells, its prisoners tried By civilian courts? Oh, reporters, sing Of DADT's end, so none need
Your beer and geography open thread
by liberal japonicus Whoops. I've got no classes on Friday for this new school year, which means that I try to get everything I haven't done all week done, which means I forgot the Friday open thread. So here is is. The fact that I had a night out with some others at a place in town that serves Bass Pale Ale draft may have also contributed. The place has a bunch of imported beers, but bei
IPS Inter Press Service Earth Alert: Confronting Climate Change ★ 23
JAPAN: Civil Society Gaining Ground Following Quake
Civil society organisations in Japan have traditionally been on the sidelines in influencing mainstream policy, but the massive Tohoku earthquake and tsunami of Mar. 11 is becoming a catalyst for important change.
ENVIRONMENT: Kiss of Life for DR Congo Pygmies
"Most of the houses in our villages are still made with small branches that we have collected, while our timber and our medicinal plants are taken by people who are enriching themselves elsewhere," said Ampiobo Amuri, a traditional pygmy chief.
A Fair Wind for Clean Energy in Central America
Soaring international prices for oil and gas are driving the expansion of renewable energies in Central America, a region that has plenty of untapped potential for producing hydroelectricity, wind power and geothermal energy.
JAPAN: Quake's Aftermath Weighs Heavily on Women
Since the horrific Mar. 11 earthquake and tsunami that devastated her coastal town of Minato, in Ishinomaki city, Masami Endo's three-year-old daughter has been crying and clinging to her every night.
China's Green Blueprint Raises Stakes at U.N. Climate Talks
China's rise as a leader in the environmentally friendly, low-carbon economy is giving the Asian giant new diplomatic muscle for this year's round of climate change negotiations leading up to the COP17 U.N. summit in Durban, South Africa in November.
JAPAN: Difficult Shift From Aid Donor to Recipient
April has traditionally been the time for ‘hanami', or cherry blossom festivals, when millions of Japanese hold parties under the pink flowering trees in parks and streets lit up gaily by lanterns.
Pickled Politics ★ 32
The BNP and AV
There has been a lot of debate about whether introducing the Alternative Vote (AV) would make it more likely that a BNP or similar candidate would be elected. Given that AV is not a proportional representation system, I think that this is unlikely, but, more importantly, it shouldn’t matter. The problem with the BNP and other extremist groups is not that they might send a representative or two to
EDL’s Guramit Singh responds to ultimatum with hypocrisy
Further to the recent Pickled Politics article highlighting the EDL’s “Sikh” spokesman Guramit Singh’s admission of hatred towards other South Asians, some further information about Guramit himself is continuing to come to light. Doublespeak in action A new Youtube video focusing specifically on Guramit is an excellent compilation and definitely worth watching in full. The repeated juxtaposition o
Anjem Choudhary banned!
Have just heard Muslims Against Crusades aren’t going to be allowed near the Royal Wedding. Just as I predicted. The refusal of permission to demonstrate outside the abbey does not prevent them from protesting elsewhere, but Owens warned that any action to burn the union flag would be seen as an offence under the Public Order Act. Go on Anjem – are you really going to listen to what the police say
Sri Lankan govt deliberately killed innocent civilians, damning report finds
Via Sepia Mutiny this big story is in the New York Times today: A United Nations panel investigating allegations of war crimes by Sri Lankan troops at the end of the bloody battle against Tamil rebels in May 2009 found that there was credible evidence that government soldiers had targeted civilians, shelled hospitals and attacked humanitarian workers, according to a leaked copy of the panel’s repo
EDL’s Guramit Singh admits hating other Asians, ridicules God of Sikhism & Islam
video Further to the joint statement by numerous major British Sikh & Hindu temples and organisations condemning the EDL and any Sikhs who join them, followed by the recent ultimatum issued to the EDL’s “Sikh” spokesman Guramit Singh, some more facts about Guramit himself are coming to light. “I f****** hate the Pakis” As can be heard in the Youtube clip below, a BBC Three documentary about the EDL
Tabloids promote Anjem Choudhary’s Royal Wedding stunt; Muslim groups criticise it
You won’t be surprised to hear that publicity hungry fanatic Anjem Choudhary, formerly of Al-Muhajiroun, Islam4UK and countless other nutjob groups, is trying to get some publicity over the Royal Wedding. Him and his latest reincarnation, Muslims Against the Crusades, plan to demonstrate against the wedding. Not only that, he predicts a terrorist attack: Firebrand cleric Anjem Choudary has warned
ALL THINGS PAKISTAN ★ 21
Mukhtar Mai Case: Supreme Court Rejects Appeal Against LHC Verdict. What Now?
Adil Najam This is a sad and difficult post to write. Today, the Supreme Court of Pakistan gave its verdict on Mukhtar (Mukhtaran) Mai’s appeal against an earlier verdict by the Lahore High Court (LHC). The three-judge bench decided to uphold the LHC verdict. This means that the earlier decision will hold; of the six accused of Mukhtaran Mai’s gang rape, five are acquitted and a sixth will complet
Greg Mortenson’s Half-Empty Cups of Tea: Lessons for Philanthropy and Policy
Mosharraf Zaidi Under the burden of a 60 Minutes exposé on CBS and a blistering, 75-page takedown by adventure writer Jon Krakauer, Greg Mortenson’s phenomenally successful weaving together of fact and fiction has already faced more scrutiny than most pop philanthropy ever receives in its entire shelf life. While opinions about Greg Mortenson have always varied within the international developmen
Karzai-Gillani: What Are They Saying To Each Other?
Adil Najam These two photographs – both taken during the recent visit of the Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani to Afghanistan to meet with Afghan Prime Minister Hamid Karzai – are rather interesting. Although this is most likely just the magic of the camera at the moment it was clicked and signifies nothing of import, one wonders what could be done with these with some creative spe
Smart Donkeys: Photo-Shopped or Real? Either Way, Its Funny
Tamashbeen Smart Donkeys. Stop at the red light. And look both ways before you proceed. Now, if only the rest of us on Pakistani roadways could also get that message. Is this photo-shopped or is this real? It matters little. Because its funny. And in a profound sort of way!
Who Speaks for the Other Pakistan?
Adil Najam Every time I read one of Shirazi’s wonderful posts I am reminded of the fact that even though Pakistan is still a predominantly rural entity, the voices that speak about it are nearly entirely urban. Not surprisingly, we tend to speak about Pakistan in a mostly urban idiom, with a dominant urban bias, and using a strikingly urban imagery. There is , of course, nothing wrong with the ur
Abdul Sattar Edhi: A Giant Amongst Men
Adil Najam Like so many others, I consider Abdul Sattar Edhi to be amongst the greatest Pakistanis. Indeed, a great human being. A giant amongst men. At ATP we have written about him often – and just writing about him and recalling his contributions is inspiring. In particular, we did a series of posts on Edhi sahib back in 2007, beginning with two Quiz posts (here and here) with some excerpts fr
Universe Today ★ 23
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altmuslim ★ 13
Appearance: Judging a (holy) book by its cover
There are a number of Latin phrases that have survived millennia, because they contain immortal pearls of wisdom. In a world that is increasingly using Twitter and short SMS text messages to communicate, these Latin phrases may experience a renaissance, because they are often concise and profound. One of my favorite Latin phrases is "barba non facit philosophum", which roughly translates to "a bea
Rebuilding Egypt: Beyond the Egypt referendum
The ”yes” camp in the recent Egyptian referendum for constitutional reform, which was supposed to bring forward early parliamentary elections, got 77 per cent of the vote. The ”no” vote got the rest. And now people are trying to figure out what this means. There are several things both the ”yes” voters and the ”no” voters should now consider, as Egypt heads towards September parliamentary election
Quran burning: Burning the myths about Islam
The recent violent protests in Afghanistan - a reaction to the burning of the Quran by a small church in the United States last month - recalled an inescapable reality. Extremists on all sides - whether in free, democratic America, or in corrupt, occupied Afghanistan - create havoc and chaos, demonstrating the danger brought about by a deadly cocktail of ignorance and idiocy. Ultimately, they caus
The Arab revolution: The Jersey Shores of Tripoli
If you've ever been through New York's Museum of Natural History, and you're a person of color, conscience, or a student of critical race theory, I'm sure you walked out feeling deeply offended. The museum organizes human populations as if they’re animals along a Darwinian ladder of civilizational evolution. All sorts of “exotic” — the right word here, with all the right implications, might be “e
After Tahrir: Protecting US Muslims from bigotry
Of all the images to come out of the North African uprisings, this is the one that consistently makes me tear up. These are Coptic Christians in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, holding hands around Muslims during Friday prayer, to protect them from surprise attack. We could do this. We could do this here, in the United States, to keep our Muslim citizens safe. All of us, Christians and Jews and atheists,
Indonesia: Overcoming fears of radicalism in MENA
Many scholars are pessimistic that Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution and the political transition in Egypt will successfully bring about democracy in these countries, and worry that there is a significant risk of Islamic political groups, some with radical interpretations of shari’a (Islamic principles of jurisprudence), taking on an inordinately influential role during the political transition. Is the
WWF - Latest News ★ 23
Deferral of Mekong dam to ministerial level signals recognition of potential negative impacts
Vientiane, Laos: The intergovernmental panel of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) has deferred the final decision on the construction of the Xayaburi dam in Laos to the ministerial level, following concerns raised by Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. The decision comes amidst the submission of a growing body of evidence to the Commission highlighting risks to biodiversity, fisheries and livelihoo
Possible to have same power with less damage with alternative Mekong dams
Phnom Penh, Cambodia: A new study by WWF on aquatic ecosystem connectivity reveals that the Mekong region could have equivalent power but dramatically less damage to river functioning by opting for tributary rather than main channel dams. Poorly evaluated and uncontrolled dam development could also take the Mekong to a tipping point past which vital natural processes, such as sediment- and nutri
New hope for survival for elusive saola
Quang Nam, Vietnam: Indochina’s elusive saola, a recently discovered and critically endangered relative of antelopes and cattle, now has new hope for survival with the establishment of a dedicated nature reserve in the province today. Quang Nam’s People Committee today agreed to the Forestry Protection Department establishing a Saola Natural Reserve in the Annamite mountains along the border of
Substandard dam assessment opens way to fisheries destruction on Mekong
Bangkok, Thailand: Disruptions to fish migration and food supplies for millions in the Mekong basin are likely if the first mainstream dam on the lower Mekong is allowed to go ahead, WWF predicted as it released expert analysis showing the dam feasibility study and environmental impact assessment failed to address key environmental risks. The WWF commissioned review – coordinated by the WorldFis
Tigers could reappear in Kazakhstan under new plan
Tigers could roam again in Central Asia under a new plan by the Kazakhstan government to reintroduce them in part of the country where they went extinct decades ago. WWF-Russia, together with the government and experts of the Republic of Kazakhstan announced today a new programme to return tigers to the region. The plan seeks to relocate Amur tigers from the Russian Far East to suitable habita
WWF partners with business school on unique MBA programme
The new One Planet MBA programme will launch in September 2011, representing a unique partnership between WWF and the University of Exeter Business School. It will be the world’s first MBA systematically devoted to embedding the need for a sustainable approach to strategic business management. The One Planet MBA will be global in outlook, developing leaders and managers capable of running organis
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