Wednesday, December 21, 2016

From Climate Change to Coal Mining, Donald Trump's Reality Is Pure Science Fiction @alternet

From Climate Change to Coal Mining, Donald Trump's Reality Is Pure Science Fiction @alternet: Since Trump announced his presidential bid, about 70 percent of his assertions have been lies.

Trump's Kids Will Hunt With You, For A Million Dollars...

Why the Fur Industry Is Very Pleased With Trump in the White House @alternet

Why the Fur Industry Is Very Pleased With Trump in the White House @alternet: The Trump sons are trying to rebrand fur as 'animal agriculture,' but consumers aren't falling for it.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Trump's Energy Policy Will Darken the Future With Disastrous Pollution and Dirty Air @alternet

Trump's Energy Policy Will Darken the Future With Disastrous Pollution and Dirty Air @alternet:
"He seems firmly convinced that the accelerated extraction of oil and other carbon-based fuels will “make America great again.” This is delusional, but as president he will undoubtedly be able to make enough of his energy program happen to achieve both short term and long term energy mayhem. He won’t actually be able to reverse the global shift to renewable energy now under way or leverage increased American fossil fuel production to achieve significant foreign policy advantages. What his efforts are, however, likely to ensure is the surrender of American technological leadership in green energy to countries like China and Germany, already racing ahead in the development of renewable systems. And in the process, he will also guarantee that all of us are going to experience yet more extreme climate events. He will never recreate the dreamy America of his memory or return us to the steamy economic cauldron of the post-World War II period, but he may succeed in restoring the smoggy skies and poisoned rivers that so characterized that era and, as an added bonus, bring planetary climate disaster in his wake. His slogan should be: Make America Smoggy Again."

The Republican Party Has Abandoned Science for Temporary Profit

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a51419/trump-epa/
"The Republican Party—the party of Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot, of national parks and the EPA—has abandoned science for temporary profit. It has gone completely mad and we will pay that price for it."

When It Comes to Job Creation, Renewable Energy Outshines Fossil Fuels

Friday, December 16, 2016

Weather Channel Scientist to Breitbart News: 'Please Stop Using My Face to Mislead Americans' @alternet

Weather Channel Scientist to Breitbart News: 'Please Stop Using My Face to Mislead Americans' @alternet: 'Note: Fact: The Earth is warming.'

The Weather Channel to Breitbart: 'Earth Is Not Cooling, Climate Change Is Real' (Video) @alternet

The Weather Channel to Breitbart: 'Earth Is Not Cooling, Climate Change Is Real' (Video) @alternet: A bluntly titled blog post takes Breitbart to task for using a Weather.com video to deny global warming.

Rick Perry's Pro-Industry, Anti-Public Health Record

Trump's Secretary of State Pick Is Exxon CEO With Close Ties to Putin @alternet

Trump's Secretary of State Pick Is Exxon CEO With Close Ties to Putin @alternet:
"ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson has close personal and company ties to Russia and President Vladimir Putin."

Sun Solution Rises as Solar Fast Becoming World's Cheapest Electricity Source

Sun Solution Rises as Solar Fast Becoming World's Cheapest Electricity Source
"For the first time, solar power is becoming the cheapest form of electricity production in the world, according to new statistics from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) released Thursday."

Trump’s Anti-Regulatory Agenda Will Cost Economy Billions

Rex Tillerson and Exxon Spent Big on Climate Change Denial while Misleading Public, Evidence Shows

http://prwatch.org/news/2016/12/13188/rex-tillerson-and-exxon-spent-big-climate-change-denial-while-misleading-public
"With Tillerson at the helm of Exxon, the company has paid ALEC to have a leadership role in its operations, both on the its corporate board and on its task forces, where corporations vote as equals with legislators on "model" bills that are then pushed into law in state legislatures and Congress."

NOAA Issues 'Jaw-Dropping' Assessment on 'Unprecedented' Arctic Warming

NOAA Issues 'Jaw-Dropping' Assessment on 'Unprecedented' Arctic Warming
"The annual assessment, released Wednesday, finds that "persistent warming" is driving "extensive changes" to the region. In fact, the average air temperatures were "unprecendented"—the highest on observational record—and "Arctic temperatures continue to increase at double the rate of the global temperature increase," NOAA states."

Trump's Secretary Of State Is A Fracking HYPOCRITE

Scientists Racing to Archive Climate Data Before Denier-in-Chief Trump Takes Office

Scientists Racing to Archive Climate Data Before Denier-in-Chief Trump Takes Office
"Anticipating the worst under the incoming administration, a group of scientists are frantically trying to archive government climate data before President-elect Donald Trump's "band of climate conspiracy theorists...storm the castle," as one put it."

Trump, aided by fake news, wages a war on science and your children’s future

https://thinkprogress.org/the-war-on-science-by-trump-86418d7d0d35#.z92x7d65w
"The stakes in the renewed war on science are existential and irreversible. So it’s time the media picked the side of facts — and not lies."

Scientists Frantically Copy Their Research, Fearing Trump Will Delete Everything

Leaked Audio: Dakota Access Pipeline Executive Says "Election Night Changed Everything" and DAPL "Is Going Through"

Leaked Audio: Dakota Access Pipeline Executive Says "Election Night Changed Everything" and DAPL "Is Going Through"
"Energy Transfer Partners' Chief Operating Officer saying that “election night changed everything” for the company as it relates to its embattled Dakota Access Pipeline."

Trump's Energy Policy Will Darken the Future with Disastrous Pollution and Dirty Air @alternet

Trump's Energy Policy Will Darken the Future with Disastrous Pollution and Dirty Air @alternet:
"He seems firmly convinced that the accelerated extraction of oil and other carbon-based fuels will “make America great again.” This is delusional, but as president he will undoubtedly be able to make enough of his energy program happen to achieve both short term and long term energy mayhem. He won’t actually be able to reverse the global shift to renewable energy now under way or leverage increased American fossil fuel production to achieve significant foreign policy advantages. What his efforts are, however, likely to ensure is the surrender of American technological leadership in green energy to countries like China and Germany, already racing ahead in the development of renewable systems. And in the process, he will also guarantee that all of us are going to experience yet more extreme climate events. He will never recreate the dreamy America of his memory or return us to the steamy economic cauldron of the post-World War II period, but he may succeed in restoring the smoggy skies and poisoned rivers that so characterized that era and, as an added bonus, bring planetary climate disaster in his wake. His slogan should be: Make America Smoggy Again."

Anti-Climate Science Conspiracy Theorist to Lead Trump’s Department of Energy

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Rex Tillerson: 'A Christmas gift to the Russian people'

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/12/14/1610998/-Rex-Tillerson-A-Christmas-gift-to-the-Russian-people
"Rex Tillerson is facing a massive conflict of interest that he can't avoid. That conflict has to do with with the Scrooge McDuck-ish pile of Exxon stock options that he has accumulated in his 41 years at the fossil fuel giant. While Tillerson could sell off about half his $345 million haul, the other half isn’t quite so easy. 1.9 million shares held by Tillerson, worth over $177 million, were not vested at the end of 2015. And they’re not scheduled to vest for years. As a result, Tillerson will have his future tied irrevocably to that of ExxonMobil while serving as secretary of state. Which might be considered a cause for concern, and is certainly a unprecedented conflict of interest. But in some quarters, it’s also a cause for celebration. The incoming secretary of state will have his own wealth connected directly to the future of ExxonMobil. A future that, in turn, is strongly connected to whether or not the US continues sanctions on Russia."

Rick Perry To Head Agency He Forgot Existed

Here’s What’s At Stake For The Russia Sanctions Under President Donald Trump

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/russia-sanctions-donald-trump_us_58503829e4b04c8e2bb221b7?pczraz3gtn9afw29
"Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of state, has expressed skepticism over the United States’ sanctions against Russia, as his company stands to reap enormous profits if they are lifted."

It’s the Russian arctic shelf, stupid.

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/12/11/1609989/-It-s-the-Russian-arctic-shelf-stupid
"And surprise of all surprises (not really) trump owns stock in Exxon Mobil, and evidently a lot of it. According to Politico: “To do business in Russia—both for Exxon Mobil and for Tillerson’s own massive retirement fund, whose fortunes would rise significantly if a Trump White House lifted sanctions—you have to dance to Putin’s tune, and take whatever favors and humiliations he sends your way.” Lifting OFAC sanctions against Russia would obviously result in a net gain for trump’s fortunes, Tillerson’s fortunes and Exxon Mobil’s fortunes at the risk of national security and our American democracy. If trump sells any of his stocks in Exxon Mobil and affiliates; Kinder Morgan and the Canadian oil sands project, we won’t know about it until his next Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing in May 2017 or unless he announces it to the public in general, which is unlikely given that he shuns the American people unless it’s to endanger private individual citizens via twitter."

Trump, Putin, and ExxonMobil team up to destroy the planet

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-putin-and-exxonmobil-team-up-to-destroy-the-planet-fb88650acfa1#.ml94oobzh
"Pick of Exxon CEO for Secretary of State clarifies why Putin wanted Trump elected: a $500 billion oil deal killed by sanctions"

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

‘Dancing with the Stars’ contestant nominated to oversee the U.S. nuclear program

https://thinkprogress.org/rick-perry-dances-into-the-trump-cabinet-f583f118f0a0#.eusouwre8
"The major role of the Energy Department is to oversee the country’s nuclear arsenals. For next year, the department has requested $12.9 billion for the National Nuclear Security Administration. Another $6.8 billion was requested for “departmental management and performance programs, including environmental cleanup programs to meet the nation’s Manhattan Project and Cold War legacy responsibilities.” That means that well over half of the agency’s $32.5 billion budget will go to nuclear safety, management, and clean up. As governor and later as a candidate, Perry has been closely tied to a Texas-based radioactive waste disposal company. He was criticized for allowing the company to go forward with plans without a full environmental review. The current head of the department, Ernest Moniz, is a theoretical physicist. (In contrast, President-elect Donald Trump has said Perry “wears glasses to seem smart.”)"

Trump shuns scientists, taps 'Dancing with the Stars' contestant to oversee nuclear weapons

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/12/13/1610587/-Trump-shuns-scientists-taps-Dancing-with-the-Stars-contestant-to-oversee-nuclear-weapons
"The current head of the Department of Energy is Dr. Ernest Moniz, a former Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In fact, four out of the last five heads of the Department of Energy were world-renowned and/or Nobel Prize-winning scientists with a deep understanding of physics and nuclear weapons. Rick Perry’s last job was as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars."

Trump’s pick for Interior Secretary wants to sell off public lands

https://thinkprogress.org/cathy-mcmorris-interior-111c30319780#.b31qmzbmd
"McMorris Rodgers is the author of a bill that would have directed the Department of the Interior to sell off federal lands in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. The selection is not surprising, in what is shaping up to be the most anti-environmental administration — Republican or Democrat — in modern times."

Trump To Pick Exxon Mobil CEO Tillerson To Lead State Dept: NBC

Trump EPA Pick: States Have a Right to Spew Pollution but Not to Legalize Pot

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2016/12/08/trump_epa_pick_states_can_spew_pollution_but_not_legalize_marijuana.html
"Thus, for all of Pruitt’s bluster about states’ rights, his real goals remain glaringly political: to minimize EPA regulation (as his coal and gas donors desire) while quashing the pro-marijuana movement (as his alcohol industry donors desire). Like much of Trump’s Cabinet, Pruitt is not so much outwardly corrupt as openly unprincipled—a politician who stands only for the things that lobbyists pay him to stand for."

Scott Pruitt, Trump’s Industry Pick for the E.P.A.

http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/scott-pruitt-trumps-industry-pick-for-the-e-p-a
"Trump promised to take on corrupt special interests in Washington, and, as he put it, “drain the swamp.” With the choice of Pruitt, though, Trump appears to have once again chosen the plutocrats over the populists."

Trump's War on Science: Exxon CEO Expected to Head State, While "Enemies List" Worries Energy Dept.

Trump To Put 'Big Oil' In Charge

Obama’s science adviser explains why a ‘science-savvy’ president matters

Obama’s science adviser explains why a ‘science-savvy’ president matters
"President Obama's chief science adviser, Dr. John Holdren, explains in an interview why it helps to have a "science-savvy" president."

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Trump’s EPA Pick Scott Pruitt Literally Built The Swamp | Crooks and Liars

Trump’s EPA Pick Scott Pruitt Literally Built The Swamp | Crooks and Liars
"Pruitt is a pioneer in turning government over to corporate special interests. Two years ago, the New York Times uncovered that Pruitt regularly had the lobbyist for Devon Energy, a major Oklahoma oil and gas company, write his official letters to the Obama administration"

Trump Picks 'Fossil Fuel Industry Puppet' Scott Pruitt to Head EPA

Trump Picks 'Fossil Fuel Industry Puppet' Scott Pruitt to Head EPA
"Over the past five years, Pruitt has used his position as Oklahoma's top prosecutor to sue the E.P.A. in a series of attempts to deny Americans the benefits of reducing mercury, arsenic, and other toxins from the air we breathe; cutting smog that can cause asthma attacks; and protecting our wetlands and streams."

The Koch brothers, Big Oil, and Texas utilities are already shaping Trump’s environmental agenda

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-transition-fueling-climate-change-514fd9f2c5c7#.txpj2cgmd
"A leaked 2010 list of donors to the the Texas Public Policy Foundation, reported by the Texas Observer, includes the tobacco industry, private prison corporations, and wealthy families who made their fortunes in fossil fuels. The most notable of these are, of course, Charles and David Koch, whose various organizations gave more than $220,000 to TPPF in 2010. The group also received funding that year directly from oil and gas companies, such as ExxonMobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips, as well as local utility companies. More recently, the Conservative Transparency Project estimated that the Donors Capital Fund and Donors Trust, two well-known dark money donors, provide more than half of the group’s funding. In 2014 alone, Donors Trust gave more than half a million dollars to the 50-person organization. Donors Capital Fund gave another $226,000, according to analysis of data from TPPF’s nonprofit filings. Various Koch family foundations, Exxon Mobil, and other conservative donors have also been big supporters of the organization. TPPF is also tied to the likes of other familiar names in the Koch policy network, including the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the State Policy Network (which funneled another $89,400 to the group in 2014). TPPF was a top “Chair’s Level” sponsor at ALEC’s 2016 annual meeting (along with Exxon Mobil and other right-wing groups). TPPF is also a member of the State Policy Network, the Koch-funded network of more than 50 right-wing think tanks in states across the country."

The House Science Committee’s tweets are an embarrassment to science

https://thinkprogress.org/the-house-science-committee-is-spreading-fake-news-bad-science-and-basically-crap-515c6c899fa0#.wytljc8rq
"In the era of fake news, it is downright cringe-worthy when an ostensibly reliable source — a House of Representatives committee, for example — tweets out misleading information."

Noam Chomsky: Trump's Climate Change Denialism Will Accelerate Global Race to Destruction

From Climate Change to Nuclear War, Noam Chomsky Warns of Literal Threats to Our Survival

Scientific Knowledge Sorely Lacking at Breitbart-Tweeting House Science Committee

Scientific Knowledge Sorely Lacking at Breitbart-Tweeting House Science Committee
"Displaying a troubling disregard for science, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on Thursday tweeted a misleading article from right-wing, white nationalist website Breitbart News"

Trump's Shocking Plan To STEAL From Native Americans

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Don't Let Politics Trump Science, 2000 Scientists Warn President-Elect

Don't Let Politics Trump Science, 2000 Scientists Warn President-Elect
"Signaling great pessimism about the future "role of science in policymaking," more than 2,000 scientists published an open letter to President-elect Donald Trump and the GOP-dominated 115th Congress on Wednesday warning against the dangers of allowing "political or corporate influence" to override scientific fact."