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Tuesday, June 27, 2006
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Peter Daou: "Since launching the Daou Report in December 2004, I have written extensively about a 'triangle' comprised of the traditional media, the political establishment, and the blogosphere. I have argued that 'closing the triangle' (i.e. enhancing the connection between the three entities) is imperative for the Democratic Party and the progressive netroots. My thinking on this issue is informed by my experience directing blog outreach and online rapid response for the Kerry-Edwards campaign. Working out of the Washington, D.C. headquarters, I viewed the political landscape from two distinct perspectives: as a blogger and as a political consultant. Living in both worlds exposed me to the tensions on either side. In the year and a half since the campaign ended, I've learned more about the media side of the triangle, working with Media Matters and others to highlight conservative misinformation and false narratives in the press. My aim has been to seek ways to build bridges between the Democratic establishment, the media, and the blog community.
"Which brings me to the point of this blog post: I have been offered - and accepted - what I believe is a unique opportunity to help close the triangle: joining Senator Clinton's team as a blog advisor to facilitate and expand her relationship with the netroots. There are endless possibilities for Clinton-netroots collaborations, from Net Neutrality to the Privacy Bill of Rights to voting reform to so many other critical issues. Digby, one of the progressive blog world's sharpest writers, said this: 'Last week Hillary introduced what I think should be a primary plank of the Democratic Party: A Privacy Bill Of Rights... Hillary said in her speech the other day: 'privacy is synonymous with liberty.' This is correct. We give it up far too thoughtlessly in our culture and its going to come back to bite us if we don't wake to the fact that big powerful forces are poking into our lives in unprecedented ways and will use the information they get to force us into little boxes they design.'"
Thanks to The Moderate Voice for the link.
"2008 pres"
7:14:35 PM 
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ABC News: "A perfect storm of drenching rain, irony, political rancor, public fear and -- at the last minute like a fierce stroke of lightning -- word from the highest court in the land, descended on the nation's capital today. This storm -- pulling in many parts of the global warming emergency -- also broke through the White House perimeters and helped bring down a century-old elm tree, laying it across the driveway. Even President Bush was drawn into the storm this morning, talking about climate change in a way he may find difficult to explain. The brewing battles of and about global warming are now being joined. The massive downpours this morning shorting out government buildings with flooded basements, seizing up legislative communications, snarling traffic access to white columned buildings, fit exactly the pattern predicted decades ago as a consequence of global warming. It's a simple fourth grade science lesson: the warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold. Winds suck up more water vapor from oceans and farmlands -- leaving more agricultural drought behind -- and when they finally do dump that moisture out as rain, the downpours are much heavier. Not just in the United States. Worldwide, such downpours have been increasing markedly over recent decades -- exactly as predicted by scientists."
Thanks to NewMexiKen for the link.
"2008 pres"
6:52:02 PM
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Ed Quillen (via the Denver Post): "The Democratic Party has two major divisions, which I call Labor Democrats and Green Democrats. In theory anyway, Labor Democrats should oppose immigration of the legal or illegal variety. The more immigrants, the greater the supply of labor. The law of supply and demand means that wages decline and benefits drop when there are more workers.
"Also in theory, Green Democrats should oppose all immigration. Americans consume more resources than other people. The more Americans, the more demand on resources and the greater the harm to the environment. Immigration makes more Americans, and so it should be opposed.
"This, incidentally, was the view of Edward Abbey, hero to many environmentalists. He proposed that Mexican immigrants be stopped at the border, issued rifles and ammunition (and instruction if necessary), then sent back home with these tools to fix the problems in their own country so that they wouldn't need to come to ours."
"2008 pres"
6:48:44 PM
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Denver Post: "Tancredo said he was making [Gavan Alkadi] the 'poster child' of his newest campaign. He said he hopes the spotlight on this case will result in the deportation of Alkadi and will lead to the refusal of the U.S. to take no for an answer from other countries. In this case, Tancredo said the U.S. should have some influence on Iraq."
"2008 pres"
6:40:51 PM
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Here's an article about global warming and it's effects on Colorado's water supply from the Colorado Daily News. They write, "Coloradoans can expect summer droughts to increase in severity and duration if global warming trends continue, according to a new analysis of government data. Environment Colorado, a pro-environment organization, reports that data released by the U.S. Department of Energy shows global warming pollution in Colorado increased from 27.3 million metric tons of CO2 - carbon dioxide - in 1960 to 87.8 million metric tons in 2001, an increase of 221 percent. Carbon dioxide is considered a pollutant. Environment Colorado's analysis shows that if global warming continues at current rates, Colorado will suffer serious water shortages in the future as well as more frequent and extreme droughts due to increased evaporation of water in the soil...
"Precipitation has decreased by 10 percent in Eastern Colorado while temperatures have risen by an average of 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900, according to the U.S. National Assessment conducted in 2000 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, a multi-agency project of the U.S. government. According to the assessment, temperatures in the Rocky Mountains have risen by 2 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit, while precipitation has decreased since 1900. The assessment projected 8 degree to 11 degree Fahrenheit increases in temperature in the mountains and 5 degree to 12 degree increases on the plains over the 21st century. It projected a 21st century decrease in precipitation across Colorado. Increased coal and oil combustion emissions were responsible for 50 percent and 35 percent of this increase in CO2 emissions, respectively, according to Environment Colorado's report. The report ranks Colorado at No. 23 for 2001 emissions with 87.8 million metric tons of CO2. Texas ranks No. 1 with 668.5 million metric tons of CO2, and Vermont ranks No. 50 with 6.5 million metric tons of CO2...
"Francis said Environment Colorado supports the Safe Climate Act, which would require the United States to freeze greenhouse gas emissions levels in 2010. It would then require the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent from 2005 levels by 2020 and by 80 percent from 2005 levels by 2050. The bill would accomplish this through improved energy efficiency, increased use of renewable energy sources and a 'cap-and-trade' program. Francis said the 'cap-and-trade' program would limit the amount of greenhouse gases any state or group of industries could emit. She said it would then allow companies to trade or purchase the rights to release greenhouse gases, stopping greenhouse gas emissions from surpassing the limit. Ken Wonstolen, senior vice president of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, said freezing CO2 emissions by 2010 is 'an unreachable goal.' Wonstolen said Kyoto Treaty signatories - aside from Russia and the United Kingdom - have not met their emissions targets with 10 years to prepare, so the United States will not be able to freeze its emissions in four years."
"colorado water"
5:50:23 AM
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Here's an opinion piece from Joseph Bast via the Philadelphia Daily News contradicting global warming. He writes, "In the style of a previous generation of propaganda films, Gore substitutes vivid images of the alleged effects of global warming for an accurate account of the scientific debate. We see glaciers calving into the sea, giant storms sweeping through resort areas, burning deserts, even a cartoon polar bear swimming aimlessly, searching for a place to rest.
"But all of the events in this movie have been occurring since before human activities could possibly have caused them. Glaciers have broken off into seas for millions of years; storms obviously predate modern civilization and its emissions, and real-life polar bears know better than to head into open water during the Arctic summer. At any given time in earth's history, some glaciers have been expanding while others were shrinking.
"Early in the movie, Gore shows us images of Mount Kilimanjaro's disappearing snow cap and blames the loss on global warming. But scientists say the disappearing snow is due to changes in land use at the bottom of the mountain, causing drier air to rise up the mountainside.
"Later, we see ice melting in the Arctic, Greenland and the Antarctic. More evidence of global warming? Not necessarily. Scientists say temperatures in the Arctic were higher during the 1930s and the current melting is probably part of a natural cycle caused by ocean currents, not greenhouse gases. And only small parts of Greenland and the Antarctic are melting: Snow and ice are accumulating as rapidly in other parts, for a net loss of around zero."
"2008 pres"
5:40:17 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/15/09; 11:40:43 AM.
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