English: This is a pie chart depicting the sys...

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Support the Open Access Movement: Stop the Research Works Act!

A recently introduced bill, H.R. 3699, the Research Works Act, would seriously threaten public access to federally funded research.

The bill would not only restrict internet access to articles published in scholarly journals and books; it would also severely hamper Creative Commons content.

Why is Open Access so important? Internet access to federally funded research allows people with medical conditions to stay informed about new studies and innovations.

Access also helps professionals, including doctors, to continue their educations by keeping up to date on the research literature in their fields.

In developing nations, Open Access is especially important, as institutions often don't have the funding to provide health care professionals with scholarly literature through other means.

( Corporations are so desperate to rip off the public for the things they have paid for that 2 years ago there was a move to restrict access to weather reports ! Not to mention this is a way to deprive nations of materials for self education. )

Climate News Recap: China Might Not Have Carbon Tax After All, Profound Changes in Rocky Mountains' Ecosystems, More

Beyond the headline teaser above, we're reading about worrying about Arctic methane emissions, Ryanair complying with the EU airline emission trading program for literally pennies per customer, and the efforts of Florida, on the front lines of global warming impacts, to build climate resilient communities.

Contradicting earlier reports, in state-run media no less, China's chief negotiator on climate change has said that China is as yet undecided about implementing a carbon tax. Speaking at the World Resources Institute, Su Wei said that a carbon tax is being considered but that it was one of many policy options being considered to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For those not up on their energy and carbon emission stats: China is both the world's largest user of energy and on a national basis the largest carbon emitter.

The 10 States Whose Budgets Are Short The Most Money: 24/7 Wall St.

The Great Recession resulted in some of the worst state revenues and budget shortages of all time. According to a report on state budgets by the Center for Budget Policy Priorities, dozens of states faced shortfalls of hundreds of millions -- or even billions -- of dollars.

24/7 Wall St. examined the 10 states that had budget shortfalls of 27 percent or more of their general funds for fiscal year 2011 -- the states that were short the most money before they balanced their budgets. For the most part, the states with the worst budget gaps also had among the most anemic economies. Because of their budget shortfalls, all of them have been forced to make dramatic cuts to government services.
Read: Ten States That Cannot Pay Their Bills
Every state but Vermont is required by its own law to balance the budget. In order to do so, state governments have to take extreme measures, instituting deep cuts that often hurt a diversity of residents. In the 2011 fiscal year, 29 states made cuts to services benefiting the disabled and elderly, 34 reduced funds for K-12 and early education, and all but six states reduced positions, benefits or wages of government employees.
The housing crisis was one of the primary causes for many of the largest budget deficits.

Tauscher: We will get a missile defense agreement with Russia

( Neat trick. That would mean not deploying 'anti-Iran' missiles in Poland, etc. in eastern Europe - which Russia assesses as a greater threat to them than any reassurance can possibly overcome ... something agreed to long ago as a condition when the USSR removed their armies. )