Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Women In Science Pledge To Fight Trump's 'Anti-Knowledge' | Crooks and Liars

Women In Science Pledge To Fight Trump's 'Anti-Knowledge' | Crooks and Liars
"Thousands of female scientists have signed an open letter pledging to fight the “anti-knowledge sentiment” that has emerged since the U.S. presidential election."

Trump's Existential Threat

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Fracking Special Interests Spent Big in 2016 Elections

http://prwatch.org/news/2016/11/13173/fracking-special-interests-spent-big-2016-elections
"Corporations that profit from fracking funneled millions to PACs for "independent expenditures" in the 2016 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission filings. For example, the fracking giant Devon Energy gave $500,000 to the "Congressional Leadership Fund," a Super PAC "exclusively dedicated to protecting and strengthening the Republican Majority in the House of Representatives." Devon is notorious for helping to bankroll the fight against citizens in Denton, Texas, who won a bid to ban fracking in 2014 . The Denton ban passed with 59% of the vote, but Texas state legislators and members of the American Legislative Exchange Council nullified that local initiative and pre-empted. Devon spent $195,000 in disclosed spending in the local battle and has spent an untold sum to influence the results local and in the state capitol. Another corporation with a big interest in fracking gave an additional $500,000 to the Congressional Leadership Fund. That half million dollar donation came from Hushang Ansary, the Chairman of Stewart & Stevenson, a manufacturer and distributor of well-stimulation equipment like fracking blenders, fracking pumps, and chemical additive units. Fracking special interests also gave at least $3.35 million to the "Senate Leadership Fund," a Super PAC with "one goal: to protect and expand the Republican Senate Majority." That sum includes $250,000 from Continental Resources, a self-described "leader" in fracking and a $250,000 check from Hushang Ansary, the Chairman of Stewart & Stevenson. The outside spending equivalents that support Democrats--the House Majority PAC and Senate Majority PAC--received no comparable reported donations from the fracking industry. Fracking companies also gave overwhelmingly to the GOP through corporate PACs that include donations from executives and other employees."

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

'Shockingly Stupid' Attack on Science: Trump to Eliminate NASA Climate Research

'Shockingly Stupid' Attack on Science: Trump to Eliminate NASA Climate Research
"The proposal to totally eliminate climate research falls in line with previous GOP efforts to gut NASA's Earth sciences program, and takes those attempts even further."

Donald Trump has promised to deregulate poison and pollution — with a new Supreme Court justice, he probably will

Donald Trump has promised to deregulate poison and pollution — with a new Supreme Court justice, he probably will
"With an executive branch disinclined to enforce the rules, a judiciary that won’t allow anyone to sue and a Congress dominated by corporate interests and climate deniers, the future for our environment is not bright."

Trump Will Approve, And Greatly Profit From, The Dakota Access Pipeline

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

2016’s marijuana legalization votes, explained

http://www.vox.com/2016/9/14/12064226/marijuana-legalization-election-vote-california-2016
"Legalization won in California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada, although it lost in Arizona, where it was largely considered a long shot. The initiatives that won will soon join Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska among the states, along with Washington, DC, that have already legalized pot for recreational purposes.  Medical marijuana measures also won in Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota. An initiative to expand the medical marijuana program in Montana also passed.  Together, the ballot measures' eight-to-one victories mean 2016 was the biggest year for marijuana reform yet."

Marijuana legalization won big on Election Day. It will keep winning.

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/11/9/13523384/marijuana-legalization-2016-election
"The key state here: California. There, voters overwhelmingly approved legalization — meaning the country’s most populous state and biggest economy will now move to let people buy marijuana for recreational use and, most importantly, let for-profit companies come into supply all of that pot."

Marijuana Wins Big! @alternet

Marijuana Wins Big! @alternet: In the closest thing ever to a national referendum on pot, the people have spoken.

Jeremy Scahill: TigerSwan Security, Linked to Blackwater, Now Coordinates Intel for Dakota Access

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Trump's Top Environmental Adviser Says Pesticides Aren't Bad for You

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/11/trump-epa-pesticides
"President-elect Trump has been roundly mocked for running as a crusading reformer, and then tapping a bunch of industry lobbyists and apologists like Ebell to lead his transition. Rather than "draining the swamp" in Washington, Trump seems to want to inject it with agrichemicals."

Friday, November 11, 2016

Trump fills the swamp with more lobbyists

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-fills-the-swamp-with-more-lobbyists-32329e155700#.7fuqxqujd
"Those lobbyists include Cindy Hayden of tobacco company Altria; Michael Torrey, owner of a lobbying firm representing the American Beverage Association; Steve Hart, chairman of the Williams & Jensen firm; and Michael McKenna, who lobbies on behalf of Dow Chemical. Trump’s reliance on insiders goes beyond lobbyists. His financial advisory team is full of veteran Wall Streeters such as former Goldman Sachs banker Steven Mnuchin, the Wall Street Journal reports. Both Mnuchin and former JPMorgan chief Jamie Dimon are reportedly in the mix to be Trump’s Treasury Secretary."

Richard Dawkins and Other Prominent Scientists React to Trump’s Win

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/richard-dawkins-and-other-prominent-scientists-react-to-trump-rsquo-s-win/
"As Scientific American has reported in the run-up to the election, Trump's views on science, health and medicine appear unformed at best, ignorant and destructive at worst."

As president, Trump will shape the future of science. And scientists are worried.

http://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2016/11/10/13573094/president-trump-science-policy
"But it’s not the policy shifts that most worry some scientists — it’s Trump’s generally unscientific pattern of thinking."

Bill McKibben: Trump's Presidency Comes When the Warming World Can Least Afford It

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Will Trump go down in history as the man who pulled the plug on a livable climate?

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-victory-climate-a0c595572299#.w30q65rlm
"The fate of humanity is in the hands of a denier who pledged to kill domestic and global climate action and all clean energy research."

There’s no way around it: Donald Trump is going to be a disaster for the planet

http://www.vox.com/2016/11/9/13571318/donald-trump-disaster-climate
"Trump has also hinted he wants to get rid of the EPA entirely. “What they do is a disgrace,” he has said. Again, if Congress agrees, he’d have the power to scrap other regulations on mercury pollution, on smog, on coal ash, and more."

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

This Colorado amendment would take power away from voters

https://thinkprogress.org/amendment-71-colorado-raise-the-bar-too-high-e684113ede32#.vki9frf4w
"The amendment is being backed primarily by business interests, including a massive cash infusion from the oil and gas industry."

Here Are the Races to Watch if You Care About Global Warming

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/11/climate-election-results-guide
"there are a number of state races that will play a key role in determining US climate policy, along with a handful of ballot initiatives covering everything thing from rooftop solar to a proposed carbon tax. The situation in each state is unique."

Monday, November 7, 2016

Sanders Says Donald Trump Simply Too Dangerous 'To Sit This One Out'

Sanders Says Donald Trump Simply Too Dangerous 'To Sit This One Out'

"Trump's position on global warming and how starkly it contrasts with Clinton's, says Sanders, should be of special significance to young people and future generations. "Donald Trump's view is that climate change is a hoax created in China. Now if you think that is not important and you think you can sit this one out—that's fine. But I've got seven grandchildren. I've got four kids. I worry about the future of this planet. I'm not sitting it out. And I hope that my fellow American will not sit it out"."

Hillary Clinton Vows To Do What Obama Hasn’t — Reschedule Marijuana

https://thinkprogress.org/hillary-clinton-vows-to-do-what-obama-hasnt-reschedule-marijuana-fa58a833717b#.sj0q3nelf
"the good news for supporters of marijuana reform is the strong support Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton continues to express for rescheduling marijuana."

Obama: After Tuesday, Federal Marijuana Prohibition Is Likely On the Way Out @alternet

Obama: After Tuesday, Federal Marijuana Prohibition Is Likely On the Way Out @alternet:

"According to the President, the enforcement of federal marijuana prohibitions will likely no longer be possible after the general election on Tuesday.  On Friday, President Barack Obama sat down with Bill Maher and discussed a litany of topics, including the growing legalization of marijuana across the country."

Colorado's Marijuana Industry Is Becoming an Economic Steamroller @alternet

Colorado's Marijuana Industry Is Becoming an Economic Steamroller @alternet:

"Each dollar spent on retail cannabis generates $2.40 in state output, while cannabis manufacturing follows with $2.34 and cannabis cultivation comes in at a close $2.13. Combining the three, cannabis is generating far more than any other entity, including federal government spending. Much of this has to do with the fact that the Colorado cannabis industry operates almost entirely within the state, due to continuing prohibition in other states. There is equally impressive news in the jobs sector, where legal cannabis created more than 18,000 jobs in a year."

9 States to Vote on Marijuana Initiatives: Will They Stop Jailing Young People of Color over Weed?

Kochs Invest in Corpus Christi City Council as New Refinery Is Built

http://prwatch.org/news/2016/11/13165/koch-cash-corpus-christi-city-council
"An October 20, 2016, Federal Elections Committee (FEC) filing from the Koch Industries, Inc., Political Action Committee (KochPAC) shows that the Kochs are backing seven candidates at different levels of government in the city: a candidate for Mayor, five candidates for City Council, and one for the Nueces County Commissioner Court. In 2000, a federal grand jury issued a 97-count indictment of Koch Industries, subsidiaries, and employees for an array of environmental crimes. After the Kochs backed George W. Bush in the presidential election that year, Bush's U.S. Department of Justice allowed a Koch subsidiary to plead guilty to a single count of concealing violations of wastewater testing laws at the Kochs' Corpus Christi refinery. Koch paid $20 million in fines despite evidence the corporation had released more than 90 metric tons of the cancer-causing toxic benzene into the city's water and air. Now, the Kochs have a refinery expansion, called Project Eagle Ford, underway to process more oil. The project will cost around $600 million, according to the Kochs' Flint Hills operation. The Kochs' backing of so many local candidates in a single city is noteworthy because the right-wing billionaire brothers are better known for massive spending in state and federal races via KochPAC, David Koch's Americans for Prosperity, and large donations to other political committees, such as the Republican Governor's Association. This year, the Kochs' made news with their decision to stay out of the presidential race, sending Koch cash down ballot. There is no other city in the U.S. where the Kochs, through KochPAC, are spending to try to win as many seats as Corpus Christi."

Oil and Gas Interests Spend Big to Make it Harder to Amend Colorado Constitution

http://prwatch.org/news/2016/11/13167/oil-gas-industry-spends-big-harder-amend-colorado-constitution
"In Colorado, oil and gas companies are spending tens of millions of dollars to pass ballot Amendment 71 to make it harder for average citizens to use the ballot to amend the constitution."