Thursday, February 8, 2007

Economy Wall Street Journal Online: "Take a breath. The U.S. economy is not Iraq, and today's headlines are upbeat: The economy's vigor is producing tax revenue that is keeping today's deficits in check, and the unabated willingness of foreigners to lend to the U.S. is keeping interest rates down. But look ahead, and there is an unwelcome parallel between Iraq and the budget. Current policy is unsustainable, but there is no easy way out. Extend the president's tax cuts beyond their scheduled expiration in 2009 and 2010, and the fiscal hole is enormous. Let them expire, and the tax increases could derail the economy." "2008 pres" 5:16:24 PM

? for president? Reuters: "His influence may be diminished but his zeal is undaunted. Evangelist Jerry Falwell is on a mission to keep a like-minded Republican in the White House and get at least one more conservative judge on the Supreme Court. Despite his years in the trenches of America's culture wars, Falwell -- who founded the Moral Majority political movement in 1979 and helped propel the rise of the religious right -- said a major victory in his broader crusade to restore the country's moral righteousness has so far eluded him. With abortion still legal, prayer banned in public schools and pornography rife, he sees a long struggle ahead. For now, he is focusing on voter registration drives and rallying the faithful with his eyes on the twin prizes of the 2008 presidential election and control of the Supreme Court." Thanks to the Daily Kos for the link. Political Wire: "The latest Public Policy Polling survey in North Carolina shows John Edwards leading his Democratic opponents in a presidential primary with 34%, followed by Sen. Hillary Clinton at 31% and Sen. Barack Obama at 18%...On the Republican side, 'little has changed in the past month' as GOP primary voters continued to favor Rudy Giuliani with 31%, followed by Newt Gingrich at 25% and Sen. John McCain at 20%." Political Wire: "A new set of American Research Group polls in Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont and Connecticut finds Sen. Hillary Clinton with big leads among likely 2008 Democratic primary voters in each state. Sen. Barack Obama and John Edwards come in second and third, respectively. On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani leads in Maine and Connecticut, with John McCain edging him in Vermont and Mitt Romney leading in his home state of Massachusetts." "2008 pres" 5:11:03 PM

Trout Unlimited: Rivers Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp The Cherry Creek News: "Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU), a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring Colorado's coldwater fisheries, is now accepting applications from students aged 14 to 18 for its Rivers Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp. Applications are available online at www.cotrout.org and must be received by March 15, 2007. The camp, which is scheduled for June 10 through 16 at the Peace Ranch near Basalt, Colo., is designed to educate students on the importance of coldwater conservation and provide hands-on fly-fishing instruction." One would hope that the students will get a chance to practice the rod, reel, cornmeal and frying pan method for control of non-native species. "colorado water" 5:09:02 PM

Gay rights Andrew Sullivan: "One thing that the virulently anti-gay position of the Republican party must deal with is the next generation. I've been to several campuses the past few years to give talks and meet students, and one of the most striking things is not just how over it most campuses are on the gay issue, but how the younger generation reacts to the word 'conservative.' When I was in college, it had something to do with fighting communism, increasing individual liberty, lowering taxes, getting government off our backs, etc. Now, it is almost completely identified with religious intolerance. A key reason for that, I think, is the gay issue - and the gulf between attitudes among the young and their parents." "2008 pres" 4:57:43 PM

Web 2.0 Here's a great video explanation of Web 2.0 linked by Lawrence Lessig, who writes, "This is extraordinary. Watch it. Share it." 8:47:06 AM

Paul for president? From a Coyote Gulch reader, "I was hoping you could add a note about Rep. Ron Paul's candidacy for President -- www.ronpaulexplore.com. He is a candidate who could appeal to people across the political spectrum, so I hope that you will take the time to post a note about him." So, say hello to Ron Paul Explore.com. We posted a story on February 1st. Welcome to the race Mr. Paul, we'll be watching. "2008 pres" 8:39:18 AM

First Dem Presidential debate February 21st February 21st is the date for the first 2008 Democratic Presidential Debate in Carson City. John Edwards will be there, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. From the article, "Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards has confirmed he will attend the Feb. 21 Democratic presidential debate in Carson City, joining six others who have declared themselves contenders, a state party official said. The event, sponsored by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, is scheduled at noon. Ticket information is not available. Also committed are U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York, Joe Biden of Delaware and Chris Dodd of Connecticut, former Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel, officials said." Thanks to Political Wire for the link. "2008 pres" 8:28:00 AM

Healthcare The Durango Herald is reporting that U.S. Congressman John Salazar and U.S. Senator Ken Salazar both have problems with President Bush's healthcare cuts in the proposed budget, while U.S. Senator Wayne Allard is more optimistic. From the article, "Southwest Colorado residents face a crisis as early as March 31 when a major health-care agency closes its clinic in Durango, said U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa. This is not the time to play games, he said. Sen. Wayne Allard was more optimistic, saying that threatened funding cuts in the past have been restored. Sen. Ken Salazar said Medicare and Medicaid cuts are part of Bush's 'just plain wrong-headed budget.' In his budget for fiscal 2008 that was released Monday, the president wants to cut more than $75 billion from Medicare and more than $26 billion from Medicaid in the year starting Oct. 1. In fiscal 2006, the last year for which complete figures are available, spending on Medicare was $382 billion, and on Medicaid $180 billion. The Medicare/Medicaid reductions for fiscal 2008 would be made by lowering reimbursements to health-care providers, which providers say are bare-boned already. Also, Medicare beneficiaries would pay more -- based on income -- for their share of prescription drugs and doctor services." Thanks to Colorado Confidential for the link. "2008 pres" 8:17:27 AM

McInnis or Schaffer for U.S. Senate? Scott McInnis hopes to avoid a nasty primary run against Bob Schaffer according to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. This is a good idea. Bob Beauprez was never able to lose the "Both Ways Bob" tag hung on him by Marc Holzman in last year's gubernatorial race. From the article, "A spokeswoman for presumed 2008 U.S. Senate candidate Scott McInnis said Tuesday the former congressman hopes to avoid a messy, divisive primary in the vein of 2006[base ']s primary battle between Republican gubernatorial hopefuls Bob Beauprez and Marc Holtzman. Susan Smith, a spokeswoman for the former Grand Junction congressman, said McInnis was hoping the party will unite behind his candidacy. 'The concern is that it would cause further damage to the party,' Smith said of a primary. 'We want to learn from the past couple election cycles.' McInnis, who has all but formally announced his candidacy, could find himself pitted against former Front Range Congressman Bob Schaffer, who told the Fort Collins Coloradoan last month that he has not ruled out a run for retiring Sen. Wayne Allard's seat. Schaffer, who ran for retiring Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell's seat in 2004, lost to beer magnate Pete Coors in the Republican primary." Of course McInnis is hoping to wrap up the nomination without a primary. Thanks to Colorado Pols for the link. "denver 2008" 8:10:18 AM

? for president? The Right's Field: "Howie Klein has a fascinating piece on the John McCain that the media doesn't tell us about, but all his colleagues in Congress know about. He's not garnering support from his congressional co-workers because he's, quite simply, unpopular. Worse still, McCain is hemorrhaging state-level endorsements that he'd previously locked down." Political Wire: "In a Pennsylvania presidential primary, a new Quinnipiac poll finds Sen. Hillary Clinton leads the Democratic pack with 37%, followed by 11% each for Sen. Barack Obama, John Edwards and Al Gore. On the Republican side, Rudy Giuliani leads the Republican field with 30%, with 20% for Sen. John McCain and 14% for Newt Gingrich." "2008 pres" 7:49:47 AM

Snowpack This is the time of year that most farmers get religion and start praying for a good snowpack. Here's an update about Mesa Verde country from the Cortez Journal. From the article, "A weather reporting station in Cortez measured 10.8 inches of snow for January. The moisture content of the snow is still below average. For the month of January, the snow's water equivalent was 0.64 inches, 63 percent of the average. But while the snowpack is below average so far, [Tom Hooten, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension agent] said it is the best snowpack the mountains have had in six or seven years." "colorado water" 7:40:07 AM

CWCB: We're not here to compete, we're here to help Here's an article about the Interbasin Compact Committee from the Cortez Journal. They write, "On his second day on the job, Harris Sherman stepped into a water war. At stake is the role of a new group the Legislature created in 2005 to find a truce between western and eastern Colorado. Sherman, the state's new director of natural resources, on Friday led his first Interbasin Compact Committee meeting and tried to calm fears that he and Gov. Bill Ritter are not committed to the system... "The roundtables and IBCC are supposed to build trust among the river basins. But some IBCC members think they were ignored when the Colorado Water Conservation Board introduced its yearly water projects bill. The bill includes controversial projects, such as $150,000 for a study of how recreational in-channel diversions are working. The CWCB had opposed many filings for recreational water rights. IBCC member Melinda Kassen said environmentalists, the recreation community and some people on the Western Slope don't trust the CWCB... "CWCB Director Rod Kuharich defended his group. 'We're not here to compete,' Kuharich said. 'We're here to help in any way we can to see the state move forward,' Kuharich said. 'Having said that, the Water Conservation Board has been here since 1937.' IBCC members, however, said their group is building trust for the first time between western and eastern Colorado, something the CWCB hasn't been able to do. They asked Sherman for time to continue their conversations. 'We have the mayor of Holly talking to a Lake County commissioner,' said Jeris Danielson, an IBCC member from the Gunnison River Basin. 'That's a difference of about 11,000 feet. This has never happened before.'" "colorado water" 7:35:32 AM

Energy policy: Biofuel from algae? Biofuel from algae is the subject of this article from WorldChanging.com They write, "As we inch closer towards a post-carbon economy, the future mix of energy sources is slowly bubbling to the top. One potential addition to this mix is the large-scale production of oil-containing algae. Jamais brought GreenFuel to our attention last year, but, as with most things in the sustainability realm, the momentum behind algae has grown tremendously since then. New companies, new methods, and a changing landscape indicate that biofuel from algae is poised to play a larger role. Unlike other plants that are currently being using for oil production such as soy, palm, corn and jatropha, some strains of algae contain as much as 50% oil. Once algae is grown, harvested and pressed to extract the oil, the remaining residue can be processed into ethanol, or burned directly in a power plant. The oil can then be processed into biodiesel using the ethanol (or methanol from another source). The National Renewable Energy Lab also believes jet fuel from certain strains of algae is possible." There's some good detail in the article, read the whole thing. "2008 pres" 7:09:34 AM

Water availability for oil and gas development Is there enough water to develop energy resources on the western slope without making Colorado a national energy sacrifice zone? The White River Roundtable and Colorado River Roundtable are asking the state for some dough to try to answer that question, according to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. They write, "Two northwest Colorado water basin roundtables are expected to ask the state for money to study how much water may be available for energy development in the region. That critical question was overlooked in 2003 when the state took on the Statewide Water Supply Initiative, or SWSI, a water needs assessment and availability study that examined the state's water supplies basin by basin. The water supply report, issued in 2004, acknowledged it didn't account for the water needs of potential natural gas and oil shale development throughout the state, said Chris Treese, external affairs officer for the Colorado River Water Conservation District. When the study was being developed, commercial oil shale development wasn't foreseen, he said. Now, faced with questions about how much water the natural gas and oil shale industry and related power plants will need, Treese said, the Yampa and White River Basins Roundtable and the Colorado River Basin Roundtable are expected to ask the Colorado Water Conservation Board in March for $300,000 to get some answers. The state, he said, needs to figure out if it needs to reserve water for the energy industry... "The problem all along, he said, is that oil shale extraction technology is still being developed, so it's difficult to guess how much water the industry will need. Historically, he said, the oil shale industry needed between one and five barrels of water for every barrel of oil it produced. Some in the industry say they may have a zero net water demand, he said, and others say oil shale extraction may produce water. Quantifying the energy industry's water needs and figuring out how much water is available to the industry is 'absolutely critical,' said Cathy Kay of the Western Colorado Congress. 'That's something you should have done first before you went into the oil shale business.' She said that even if the industry uses one barrel of water per barrel of oil it produces, that's still millions of barrels of water the industry will need. 'We don't know what they're going to do to the water, how they're going to clean it up,' she said. 'There will definitely be drawdowns.' But most importantly, she said, she is concerned the potential for the industry to use up all the water that's left in the Colorado River Basin could prevent other industries from locating in Colorado... "Water availability in the Piceance Basin shouldn't be a problem for oil shale companies, the report stated. Based on 1981 hydrological data, the report estimated that enough water exists in the basin for oil shale companies to produce 3 million barrels of oil daily. Shell already is purchasing senior water rights for its oil shale projects, recently spending $14 million for the YZ water right on the White River in Rio Blanco County, [Jill Davis, spokeswoman for Royal Dutch Shell] said. She called it a 'very senior industrial water right. It's our intention to only have industrial rights because we want to work in combination with the (agriculture community),' Davis said, adding the company doesn't want the state to build reservoirs to supply water for oil shale development." "colorado water" 6:50:42 AM

Climate change: We need to invest in adaptation Climate change is being accelerated so policies are needed to help populations adapt. Here's an article about the subject from the Denver Post. From the article, "In the face of global warming triggered by people burning fossil fuels, it's not enough to turn to the wind and sun for electricity, a new report says. Countries and communities also need to become better at handling normal climate variation - dry years and wet ones, good years for bugs and bad years for crops, said University of Colorado science policy professor Roger Pielke Jr. Energy policy changes could make it less hot a century from now, but people are already dying from floods, tropical diseases and crop failures related to capricious weather, Pielke said in a paper appearing today in the journal Nature. Helping vulnerable people - including residents of New Orleans and other hurricane-prone areas - become more resistant to today's weather problems will also help them deal with a warmer future, Pielke and three co-authors wrote. 'Climate change is unavoidable,' Pielke said. 'We need to invest in adaptation.'" "2008 pres" 6:45:21 AM

Pollution from de-icers? Here's a nice look at the de-icing chemicals and their effects on Cherry Creek and the South Platte from CBS4Denver.com. From the article, "Every 24 hours during this year's snowstorms, Denver put down an average of 1,500 tons of a mixture of an ice-melting product made up primarily of magnesium chloride. The Colorado Department of Transportation had put down 16,461 tons of it in the metro area by mid-January. They also put down 1.6 million gallons of a liquid magnesium-chloride mixture. So what's all that doing to our environment? Not much said Professor of Biology William Lewis, the associate director at C.U.'s Cooperative Institute of Research and Environmental Sciences. Lewis was asked by CDOT to study the effects several years ago. When it comes to water he says, 'We can see the effects of magnesium chloride on chloride concentrations in the stream, but the concentrations don't get to any level that would be a threat to aquatic life or water supply.' The reason, 'Magnesium and chloride are fairly inert. They're found in food and surface water,' Lewis said. As long as the concentrations aren't too high... "So we sampled some of the water from Cherry Creek along Speer Boulevard. An independent testing lab told us it found increased levels of many of the chemicals found in the de-icers. A sample of water near a drainage pipe pouring into the creek along Speer Boulevard showed a significant increase in sodium chloride, or rock salt. But there are no standards for contamination of drainage water. There are for water in the stream itself where the runoff is diluted. There was not an inappropriate amount of sodium chloride in the water we found there... "There's still the damage to vegetation to deal with. Lewis said that occurs primarily in splash zones. If a passing car splashes the material or liquid on the vegetation, there's a good chance it will pay the price. CDOT's own review found damage to plant material from road salts hundreds of feet from roads." "colorado water" 6:40:06 AM

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