https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/5/22/1766173/-Shooting-bear-cubs-in-their-dens-would-be-a-okay-under-Trump-administration-Alaska-plan
The National Park Service currently has rules against a few particularly gross hunting tactics on federal land, and Team Trump is ready to do away with those: The proposed rule would allow hunters to lure brown and black bears with bait, hunt black bears and their cubs using artificial lights, shoot bear cubs and wolf and coyote pups in their dens, and use dogs to hunt black bears. It would also allow hunters to shoot swimming caribou from motorboats. Seriously, who feels like a big tough hunter coming home like “This is a bear cub I shot in its den!” Probably the same person who feels like a bad-ass for taking advantage of a law congressional Republicans already passed and Donald Trump signed allowing hunters to shoot bears and wolves from airplanes on national wildlife refuges. These are the same people who feel big and tough driving cars that cause passers-by to roll their eyes and mutter “compensating much?"
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Citing 'Common Good,' Nearly 1,500 Scientists Demand Congress Shield Endangered Species Act From GOP Attacks
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/05/18/citing-common-good-nearly-1500-scientists-demand-congress-shield-endangered-species
"In honor of Endangered Species Day on Friday, 1,452 American scientists sent a letter to Congress demanding that they "protect the scientific foundation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and reject any attempts to weaken or compromise the role of science in protecting species." The letter (pdf) comes amid the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers' war on science, and particularly in response to their attempts—including through the "disastrous" GOP Farm Bill that was defeated on Friday—to undercut or strip away key elements of the ESA, landmark legislation enacted in 1973 that aims "to conserve to the extent practicable the various species of fish or wildlife and plants facing extinction"."
"In honor of Endangered Species Day on Friday, 1,452 American scientists sent a letter to Congress demanding that they "protect the scientific foundation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and reject any attempts to weaken or compromise the role of science in protecting species." The letter (pdf) comes amid the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers' war on science, and particularly in response to their attempts—including through the "disastrous" GOP Farm Bill that was defeated on Friday—to undercut or strip away key elements of the ESA, landmark legislation enacted in 1973 that aims "to conserve to the extent practicable the various species of fish or wildlife and plants facing extinction"."
Trump's EPA Doesn't Want You to Know Chemicals in Teflon Are Poisoning Waterways and Firefighters
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/44524-trump-s-epa-doesn-t-want-you-to-know-chemicals-in-teflon-are-poisoning-waterways-and-firefighters
"The Environmental Protection Agency is facing a major new scandal after it worked with the White House to bury an alarming federal study detailing widespread chemical contamination of the nation's water supply. One Trump administration official warned release of the study would create a "public relations nightmare"."
"The Environmental Protection Agency is facing a major new scandal after it worked with the White House to bury an alarming federal study detailing widespread chemical contamination of the nation's water supply. One Trump administration official warned release of the study would create a "public relations nightmare"."
Friday, May 18, 2018
Inside the Barbaric U.S. Industry of Dog Experimentation
https://theintercept.com/2018/05/17/inside-the-barbaric-u-s-industry-of-dog-experimentation/
"Often, the experimentation has nothing to do with medical research, but rather trivial commercial interests, and in almost all cases, dogs provide little to no unique scientific value."
"Often, the experimentation has nothing to do with medical research, but rather trivial commercial interests, and in almost all cases, dogs provide little to no unique scientific value."
Sunday, May 13, 2018
The last time atmospheric carbon dioxide was this high humans didn't exist
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/5/4/1762050/-The-last-time-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide-was-this-high-humans-didn-t-exist
"The average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 410.31 parts per million (ppm) for the month of April, according to the Keeling Curve measurement series made at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. This marks the first time in the history of the Mauna Loa record that a monthly average has exceeded 410 parts per million. This also represents a 30-percent increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the global atmosphere since the Keeling Curve began in 1958. In March, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego observed the 60th anniversary of the data series, the first measurements of which were 315 ppm. The headline comes from Eric Holthaus, who puts it in context: The last time atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were this high, millions of years ago, the planet was very different. For one, humans didn’t exist."
"The average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 410.31 parts per million (ppm) for the month of April, according to the Keeling Curve measurement series made at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. This marks the first time in the history of the Mauna Loa record that a monthly average has exceeded 410 parts per million. This also represents a 30-percent increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the global atmosphere since the Keeling Curve began in 1958. In March, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego observed the 60th anniversary of the data series, the first measurements of which were 315 ppm. The headline comes from Eric Holthaus, who puts it in context: The last time atmospheric carbon dioxide levels were this high, millions of years ago, the planet was very different. For one, humans didn’t exist."
Trump administration ends critical NASA greenhouse gas monitoring program
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-nasa-greenhouse-gases-f782c723936d/
"The Trump administration has sought repeatedly to undermine climate efforts, rolling back a number of Obama-era environmental initiatives and announcing a U.S. withdrawal from the Paris agreement last June. NASA has served as a source of ire before for the White House, which has sought to cut funding for the agency’s Earth Science division twice. That division is associated with measuring climate trends. The decision to end the CMS marks a major swipe at NASA’s climate efforts and indication of what the agency may look like under Jim Bridenstine, who took over last month. Bridenstine’s confirmation process took seven and a half months, the longest time NASA has ever gone without a permanent leader. A Republican Oklahoma congressman, Bridenstine is the first elected official to serve in this position, something Democratic lawmakers worry will make him too political. He is also a climate science denier without any scientific credentials."
"The Trump administration has sought repeatedly to undermine climate efforts, rolling back a number of Obama-era environmental initiatives and announcing a U.S. withdrawal from the Paris agreement last June. NASA has served as a source of ire before for the White House, which has sought to cut funding for the agency’s Earth Science division twice. That division is associated with measuring climate trends. The decision to end the CMS marks a major swipe at NASA’s climate efforts and indication of what the agency may look like under Jim Bridenstine, who took over last month. Bridenstine’s confirmation process took seven and a half months, the longest time NASA has ever gone without a permanent leader. A Republican Oklahoma congressman, Bridenstine is the first elected official to serve in this position, something Democratic lawmakers worry will make him too political. He is also a climate science denier without any scientific credentials."
Letters reveal how Pruitt hired an unqualified lobbyist to head one of EPA's most important offices
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/5/11/1763587/-Letters-reveal-how-Pruitt-hired-an-unqualified-lobbyist-to-head-one-of-EPA-s-most-important-offices
"Bill Wehrum is the Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. The OAR is responsible for developing programs that promote energy efficiency, as well as dealing with regulations on both air quality and industrial pollution. Its regulatory reach extends for rules on radon on basements to ozone depleting chemicals and acid rain from power plants. It’s also the office that’s responsible for collecting information connected to climate change. It’s one of the EPA’s most critical offices. Which is why the previous administrator of the office had both a degree in biology from Yale and a degree in public policy from Harvard. So what exactly are Wehrum’s qualifications? It’s hard to determine, because although previous versions of the page showing the leadership team of the OAR included biographies of the principal officials, the new version of that same page has ditched all information about the backgrounds of the people in charge. As it turns out, Wehrum had two excellent qualifications. First, he was a lobbyist for the fossil fuel industry who had continued to act as a lobbyist even when he failed to register as a lobbyist. Second, he had been turned down for exactly the same position in the past over conflicts of interest and simply lack of qualifications. Writing for one of his clients, Wehrum requested a meeting with Pruitt. After that meeting was held, Pruitt did more than just hear out the lobbyist’s concerns—he put Wehrum in charge of the entire area, even though Wehrum lacked any qualifications, and even though hiring him meant directly violating rules against hiring lobbyists to work in areas where they had clients. Wehrum is far from the only lobbyist hired by Pruitt. In fact, he’s staffed both the EPA’s leadership and what had been the scientific review boards with industry lobbyists cheering on the destruction of environmental protections."
"Bill Wehrum is the Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. The OAR is responsible for developing programs that promote energy efficiency, as well as dealing with regulations on both air quality and industrial pollution. Its regulatory reach extends for rules on radon on basements to ozone depleting chemicals and acid rain from power plants. It’s also the office that’s responsible for collecting information connected to climate change. It’s one of the EPA’s most critical offices. Which is why the previous administrator of the office had both a degree in biology from Yale and a degree in public policy from Harvard. So what exactly are Wehrum’s qualifications? It’s hard to determine, because although previous versions of the page showing the leadership team of the OAR included biographies of the principal officials, the new version of that same page has ditched all information about the backgrounds of the people in charge. As it turns out, Wehrum had two excellent qualifications. First, he was a lobbyist for the fossil fuel industry who had continued to act as a lobbyist even when he failed to register as a lobbyist. Second, he had been turned down for exactly the same position in the past over conflicts of interest and simply lack of qualifications. Writing for one of his clients, Wehrum requested a meeting with Pruitt. After that meeting was held, Pruitt did more than just hear out the lobbyist’s concerns—he put Wehrum in charge of the entire area, even though Wehrum lacked any qualifications, and even though hiring him meant directly violating rules against hiring lobbyists to work in areas where they had clients. Wehrum is far from the only lobbyist hired by Pruitt. In fact, he’s staffed both the EPA’s leadership and what had been the scientific review boards with industry lobbyists cheering on the destruction of environmental protections."
As CO2 Levels Soar Past 'Troubling' 410 ppm Threshold, Trump Kills NASA Carbon Monitoring Program
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/05/11/co2-levels-soar-past-troubling-410-ppm-threshold-trump-kills-nasa-carbon-monitoring
"As the Trump administration charges forward with its war on science by canceling a "crucial" carbon monitoring system at NASA, scientists and climate experts are sounding alarms over atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) that just surpassed a "troubling" threshold for the first time in human history."
"As the Trump administration charges forward with its war on science by canceling a "crucial" carbon monitoring system at NASA, scientists and climate experts are sounding alarms over atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) that just surpassed a "troubling" threshold for the first time in human history."
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Scott Pruitt Takes All the Credit and None of the Blame for His Scandal-Filled Time at the EPA
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/04/scott-pruitt-takes-all-the-credit-and-none-of-the-blame-for-his-scandal-filled-time-at-the-epa/
"Pruitt spent much of the remainder of the three-hour hearing shifting the blame to EPA career employees, his environmental critics, and the media. He distanced himself from all of the controversies on his watch. “I am not aware,” became his favorite refrain."
"Pruitt spent much of the remainder of the three-hour hearing shifting the blame to EPA career employees, his environmental critics, and the media. He distanced himself from all of the controversies on his watch. “I am not aware,” became his favorite refrain."
Scott Pruitt lied—and leaked—in an effort to justify his first class flights and security costs
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/26/1760184/-Scott-Pruitt-lied-and-leaked-in-an-effort-to-justify-his-first-class-flights-and-security-costs
"In a pair of hearings, EPA chief Scott Pruitt has gotten the kid glove treatment from Republicans and some solid kicks from Democrats. Throughout the course of the day, Pruitt has contradicted his earlier statements. This includes admitting that he did know about requests for raises for his two Oklahoma friends (though he now claims he didn’t know the amount of those raises) and saying that what he previously characterized as a $43,000 SCIF (Secure Compartmentalized Information Facility) for receiving classified calls was not actually a SCIF, and blaming its purchase on “career individuals” at the EPA. But as Pruitt skated around questions on his lobbyist-provided townhouse in DC and his lobbyist-provided real estate flip back in Oklahoma, one topic that he kept pushing back on was his inordinate spending on security. Again and again through the first hearing, Pruitt defended his first class travel and $2 million a year personal security detail as required by an “extraordinary level” of threats. Threats far higher than those faced by previous cabinet officials. Though FOIA requests had failed to turn up this massive stack of threats, Pruitt claimed that this personal risk had been verified by a report from the Inspector General. In two separate hearings Thursday, Pruitt presented to lawmakers a “threat assessment” that he said came from Inspector General Arthur Elkins detailing various death threats against him. But at the start of the second hearing, Democratic Representative Betty McCollum asked Pruitt again about his first class flights, and when she got the same response as those who asked earlier, she was ready. McCollum: We reached out to the Inspector General’s office. We asked Inspector General Elgins if he made such comments. And he disputed your claim. Please explain yourself, administrator. Do you need to correct the record? In response, Pruitt held up a report he said “came from the Inspector General.” McCollum pressed and asked to see the paper, insisting that it be entered into the record."
"In a pair of hearings, EPA chief Scott Pruitt has gotten the kid glove treatment from Republicans and some solid kicks from Democrats. Throughout the course of the day, Pruitt has contradicted his earlier statements. This includes admitting that he did know about requests for raises for his two Oklahoma friends (though he now claims he didn’t know the amount of those raises) and saying that what he previously characterized as a $43,000 SCIF (Secure Compartmentalized Information Facility) for receiving classified calls was not actually a SCIF, and blaming its purchase on “career individuals” at the EPA. But as Pruitt skated around questions on his lobbyist-provided townhouse in DC and his lobbyist-provided real estate flip back in Oklahoma, one topic that he kept pushing back on was his inordinate spending on security. Again and again through the first hearing, Pruitt defended his first class travel and $2 million a year personal security detail as required by an “extraordinary level” of threats. Threats far higher than those faced by previous cabinet officials. Though FOIA requests had failed to turn up this massive stack of threats, Pruitt claimed that this personal risk had been verified by a report from the Inspector General. In two separate hearings Thursday, Pruitt presented to lawmakers a “threat assessment” that he said came from Inspector General Arthur Elkins detailing various death threats against him. But at the start of the second hearing, Democratic Representative Betty McCollum asked Pruitt again about his first class flights, and when she got the same response as those who asked earlier, she was ready. McCollum: We reached out to the Inspector General’s office. We asked Inspector General Elgins if he made such comments. And he disputed your claim. Please explain yourself, administrator. Do you need to correct the record? In response, Pruitt held up a report he said “came from the Inspector General.” McCollum pressed and asked to see the paper, insisting that it be entered into the record."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)