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."

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."

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."

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Atmospheric Scientist: Donald Trump & Mike Pence are a Climate Change Denial Dream Team

Humane Society Warns: Trump Presidency is a 'Threat to Animals Everywhere'

Humane Society Warns: Trump Presidency is a 'Threat to Animals Everywhere'

"Among them are oil tycoon Forrest Lucas, rumored front-runner for Interior Secretary, whose organization Protect the Harvest specifically opposes measures meant to protect animals involved with farming, ranching, or exhibitions, like rodeos and circuses. The new campaign also features Iowa factory farmer Bruce Rastetter, reportedly the top contender for Trump's Agriculture Secretary. According to the Post's Kathleen Parker, Rastetter's brother "is the chief executive of a company that builds large-scale hog facilities as well as gestation crates for breeding sows"."

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Trump might appoint an oil executive and anti-animal rights activist to head Interior Department

Trump might appoint an oil executive and anti-animal rights activist to head Interior Department

"Lucas would, however, be a natural complement to Trump’s rumored top choice for energy secretary: oil and gas tycoon Harold Hamm."

Heinz Ketchup proves that Donald Trump is out of his mind

https://thinkprogress.org/heinz-ketchup-proves-that-donald-trump-is-out-of-his-mind-95c8a838a0d0#.gw4kvqw0k
"America has already tested the idea that we can have safe foods without adequate regulation, in other words. As it turns out, the invisible hand of the market delivered moldy, rancid ketchup that used vinegar and spice to cover up the flavor of decay. It took regulation, the very kind of regulation that Trump now seems to be out to get, to enable Americans to trust their food."

Maker of Deadly Fentanyl Kicks in Half a Million to Defeat Pot Legalization in Arizona @alternet

Maker of Deadly Fentanyl Kicks in Half a Million to Defeat Pot Legalization in Arizona @alternet:

"Big Pharma has long been accused of trying to block marijuana legalization."

Donald Trump Vs. Science

Trump's "Dumpster Fire" of an Energy Policy a Roadmap to Climate Calamity

Trump's "Dumpster Fire" of an Energy Policy a Roadmap to Climate Calamity

"His plan includes: slashing corporate tax rates; scrapping regulations, such as the Waters of the U.S. Rule (pdf) and the Clean Power Plan"

Marijuana May Help Veterans Suffering From PTSD @alternet

Marijuana May Help Veterans Suffering From PTSD @alternet:

"A new study from the state of Colorado has been tasked with researching whether weed is an acceptable treatment for PTSD, Stars and Stripes reported Monday."

What the ‘sixth extinction’ will look like in the oceans: The largest species die off first

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/09/14/what-the-sixth-extinction-will-look-like-in-the-oceans-the-largest-species-die-off-first/?utm_term=.83f803416880&wpisrc=nl_green&wpmm=1
"We mostly can’t see it around us, and too few of us seem to care — but nonetheless, scientists are increasingly convinced that the world is barreling towards what has been called a “sixth mass extinction” event. Simply put, species are going extinct at a rate that far exceeds what you would expect to see naturally, as a result of a major perturbation to the system."

375 Top Scientists Warn Us Not To Vote Trump

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

As Trump Visits Flint, Media Should Remember His Anti-Clean Water Agenda

http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/09/14/trump-visits-flint-media-should-remember-his-anti-clean-water-agenda/213075
"given his plans to dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and rescind the EPA’s Clean Water Rule, as well as his energy adviser’s reported statement that the Clean Water Act would likely be “rolled back" by a Trump administration."

Friday, September 16, 2016

Donald Trump’s new economic policy plan would be devastating to the climate

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-economic-plan-climate-dangers-4b685b8bb576#.dpxbu3bie
"It includes things like completely eliminating the Clean Power Plan, the United States’ most robust attempt at curbing dangerous greenhouse gas emissions from power sources. It would also eliminate the Waters of the United States rule, a rule that would protect millions of Americans from water pollution. Trump would also slash the EPA’s new standards for ground-level ozone, meant to combat public health issues like asthma"

Donald Trump filled out a survey about science and it is amazing

https://thinkprogress.org/trump-science-survey-fe56662669ea#.3r7svn16b
"Science is hard. At least, it seems to be for Donald Trump, who this week gave contradictory, off-topic, and sometimes garbled answers to a science questionnaire distributed by Science Debate, a non-profit that urges scientific literacy and accountability from political candidates."

Republican State AGs Met With Coal, Electricity Companies Before Filing Against The EPA’s Carbon Rule

https://thinkprogress.org/republican-ags-coal-companies-epas-carbon-rule-de76ac047edf#.v6o44siik
"Coal and electricity companies paid to meet with Republican state attorneys general just weeks before those top law enforcement officials joined in suing the federal government over the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, new documents show."

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Donald Trump’s Lack of Respect for Science Is Alarming

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/donald-trump-s-lack-of-respect-for-science-is-alarming/
"one of the two major party candidates for the highest office in the land has repeatedly and resoundingly demonstrated a disregard, if not outright contempt, for science. Donald Trump also has shown an authoritarian tendency to base policy arguments on questionable assertions of fact and a cult of personality."

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Scientific American sounds alarm on Trump: He ‘takes antiscience to previously unexplored terrain’

Scientific American sounds alarm on Trump: He ‘takes antiscience to previously unexplored terrain’

"Scientific American broke with tradition and spoke out against the Republican Party’s presidential nominee over concerns that he is violating “the nation’s founding principles of truth and evidence"."

Friday, August 19, 2016

Chief NC scientist resigns, accuses GOP administration of misleading the public about water quality

Chief NC scientist resigns, accuses GOP administration of misleading the public about water quality

"Megan Davies, North Carolina’s chief epidemiologist, resigned this week in the latest bit of drama over drinking water safety — drama that involves the state’s biggest utility and the administration of Republican Gov. Pat McCrory. Davies, who accused state officials of deliberately misleading residents, gives up her post of seven years and an $188,000 annual salary. The story begins in 2014, when a Duke Energy power plant spilled 40,000 tons of toxic coal ash and 27 million gallons of wastewater into the Dan River. The ash is a byproduct of burning coal, and it’s harmful to people and ecosystems, containing silica, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. In the aftermath of the spill, public concern grew over Duke’s 32 coal ash storage sites around the state. Many of them were revealed to be unprotected, sitting in unlined basins — just heaps of coal ash in giant pits, leaching toxic elements and a carcinogen called hexavalent chromium into the water table. Soon after, hundreds of households near the storage sites were told by state officials not to drink from their wells due to concerns over water quality. In April 2015, Duke Energy began providing bottled water to those homes. The do-not-drink order, however, didn’t last. A year after warning residents that their well water wasn’t safe, representatives from the state’s Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Health and Human Services changed their minds, writing to the impacted households that their water was actually fine. Testing, however, showed that well water near the coal ash sites still had levels of hexavalent chromium higher than in the municipal water supply. And Duke Energy, it turned out, had lobbied the state to reverse the do-not-drink order, even though nothing about most of the storage sites had changed. There were still unlined coal ash sites dotting the state, and there were still toxins in the water."

Trump shows that he has absolutely no understanding of energy

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/8/11/1558498/-Trump-shows-that-he-has-absolutely-no-understanding-of-energy
"Asked about the nation’s energy situation, Donald Trump got it wrong on almost every point."

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Trump’s New Agriculture Adviser Has Some Very Backwards Ideas

https://thinkprogress.org/trumps-new-agriculture-adviser-has-some-very-backwards-ideas-1892085378af#.hmliv1ray
"Miller has engaged in some eyebrowing-raising conduct during his tenures as commissioner and as a former state representative. He defended suggesting that the United States nuke the Muslim world and compared refugees to snakes. Asked at a conservative policy forum about what keeps him up at night, Miller responded that he was concerned that the country would turn into a “Muslim country.” He has been accused of using state funds to take a trip to Oklahoma to get a “Jesus shot,” a medical cure-all for his chronic pain (he later reimbursed the funds to the state). And Miller also allegedly used state funds to compete in a rodeo. Other odd behaviors included granting “amnesty” to cupcakes and lifting a ban on deep fryers and soda machines in Texas public schools."

Saturday, August 6, 2016

The Kochs, Big Oil Are Taking Their War With The EPA To The Ballot Box

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/08/04/3803911/who-is-behind-pro-fossil-fuel-ags/
"So where did RAGA get its money? More than $2.4 million — about 13 percent — came from Koch Industries, Murray Energy, the American Petroleum Institute, Exxon Mobil, the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, and other fossil fuel interests. Another nearly $1.4 million came from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which receives a significant amount of its funds from fossil fuel companies and Koch-backed nonprofits. Attorney general elections don’t garner big headlines. Most Americans likely can’t even name their state attorney general. But these people play a major role in enforcing — or fighting — environmental laws."

The Koch Brothers Are Behind a Plot to Open Up the Grand Canyon Watershed to Toxic Uranium Mining @alternet

The Koch Brothers Are Behind a Plot to Open Up the Grand Canyon Watershed to Toxic Uranium Mining @alternet:

"Unsurprisingly, the issue at hand involves revenue, big power brokers, ramifications of Citizens United, and a familiar actor in the anti-environmental space—the Koch brothers."

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Mike Pence Is a Loyal Friend to Polluters @alternet

Mike Pence Is a Loyal Friend to Polluters @alternet:

"In Mike Pence, Donald Trump has picked a running mate who could be relied on to take a chainsaw to President Obama’s signature environmental policy."

Our Sustainability Challenge: What Does It Take for Us to Thrive Within Earth's Finite Resources? @alternet

Our Sustainability Challenge: What Does It Take for Us to Thrive Within Earth's Finite Resources? @alternet:

"Practicing sustainability involves expanding our focus to consider the long term and the whole system. But our current culture pushes us to do just the opposite."

Taxpayer Groups, Environmentalists, Students Call on Congress to End $4 Billion Annual Oil Industry Subsidies @alternet

Taxpayer Groups, Environmentalists, Students Call on Congress to End $4 Billion Annual Oil Industry Subsidies @alternet:

"The coalition of 40 groups lambasted Congress for subsidizing activities that will make climate change worse."

First Half of 2016 Blows Away Temperature Records @alternet

First Half of 2016 Blows Away Temperature Records @alternet:

"The first half of 2016 has blown away temperature records, capped off by a record hot June, once again bumping up the odds that 2016 will be the hottest year on record globally, according to data released Tuesday."

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Friday, July 15, 2016

How Republicans celebrate the National Park Service's 100th anniversary

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/7/10/1545059/-How-Republicans-celebrate-the-National-Park-Service-s-100th-anniversary
"Paul Cook is one of 20 Republican representatives and senators, known as the Anti-Parks Caucus, who actively work to sell off public lands to private parties for exploitation. The American Legislative Council (ALEC) has led the charge in western states, and broken ground for action on a federal level. Most of the members of the anti-parks caucus are members of the tea party, have been challenged by a tea party candidate, or are in uncompetitive districts where they have little to fear from their failure to represent their constituents. As a result: A Center for American Progress analysis found that between January 2013 and March 2016 members of Congress filed at least 44 bills or amendments that attempted to remove or undercut protections for parks and public lands—making the 114th Congress the most anti-conservation Congress in recent history. The American people love the National Park Service. According to the Center for American Progress, 83 percent of them want their representatives to support the national parks. A Pew Research survey done last fall showed that the Park Service had favorability ratings second only to the U.S Postal Service among all federal agencies. Its unfavorability rating was the lowest among all agencies, at only 11 percent. Congress meanwhile, was rated 69 percent unfavorable and 27 percent favorable."

Republicans Draft Platform Plank To Take Public Lands Away From The People

http://addictinginfo.org/2016/07/14/republicans-draft-platform-plank-to-take-public-lands-away-from-the-people/
"Allowing these wilderness areas to fall into private ownership would mean Americans would lose access to these lands. Any private corporation that buys up this land will just put up signs that say “No Trespassing” and would proceed to cut down all the trees and strip mine the mountains and lands. Companies like Nestle could easily suck up all the water it wants. It would take generations for the forests to grow back and the area would never be the same. It would be devastated by private industry. That is why it is so important to vote in November. Republicans literally want to take our heritage away from us. They are bowing down to the demands of domestic terrorists. We can’t let that happen if we want future generations to enjoy the natural wonders that past generations fought so hard to protect."

Mark Jacobson: A 100 Percent Renewable Economy

If Donald Trump Becomes President, The U.S. Will Stand Alone In One Depressing Way

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/07/12/3797335/the-donald-stands-alone-on-climate/
"A report released Tuesday shows that, if elected, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump would be the only national leader to deny the science of climate change. The Sierra Club tallied statements from every single country leader from all 195 countries officially recognized by the U.S. State Department."

Climate Denier Rubio Clueless on FL Toxic Algae

Sunday, June 19, 2016

'We’re Officially Living in a New World': Antarctica Hits Highest CO2 Level in 4 Million Years @alternet

'We’re Officially Living in a New World': Antarctica Hits Highest CO2 Level in 4 Million Years @alternet:

"Earth's most remote continent has officially caught up to the rest of the planet. That spells disaster for us all."

Watch: New Documentary Reveals Elephants Are Much More Intelligent Than We Ever Thought @alternet

Watch: New Documentary Reveals Elephants Are Much More Intelligent Than We Ever Thought @alternet:

"Across Africa, elephants are in crisis. Each day, 96 elephants fall victim to poachers, human-elephant conflict and habitat loss."

4 Things You Can Do to Help Out Threatened Honey Bees @alternet

4 Things You Can Do to Help Out Threatened Honey Bees @alternet:

"Without pollinators, most plants could not produce fruits and seeds, and agricultural biodiversity would suffer--according to FAO, bees, bats, birds, and other pollinators, increase global food production by 87 percent. Unfortunately, the world is seeing a decline in pollinator populations. From land-use change and pesticide use to monoculture agriculture and climate change, there are numerous threats to pollinator populations."

Obama In Yosemite -Full Speech

Monday, May 30, 2016

It Is Time to Phase Out 9 Unnecessary Oil and Gas Tax Breaks

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2016/05/26/138049/it-is-time-to-phase-out-9-unnecessary-oil-and-gas-tax-breaks/
"The investment tax credit, or ITC, and production tax credit, or PTC, for clean energy have played an essential role in expediting the deployment of wind, solar, and other forms of clean energy in the United States. In December 2015, the U.S. Congress voted to extend the PTC and ITC. As part of the agreement, however, Congress decided to phase out these tax credits over time. This raises an important question, one asked by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) in February: If policymakers phase out tax credits for clean energy, shouldn’t they do the same for the billions of dollars in tax breaks for the oil and gas industry? This fact sheet highlights nine tax breaks that should be phased out. They subsidize the oil and gas industry’s operations from beginning to end—from acquisition of the resource to extraction."

Threatened By Climate Change, National Parks And World Heritage Sites Draw Millions

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/30/3782869/national-parks-world-heritage-climate-change/
"With spring now in full gear throughout most of the United States, it’s a good bet that Memorial Day Weekend will again be the busiest of the whole year at many national parks, including the Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and Utah’s Mount Zion. Last year, 305 million people visited National Park Service-administered sites, signifying the parks’ appeal to millions of Americans and world tourists. They’d better hurry. A report released Thursday from the United Nations and the Union of Concerned Scientists found that the threats posed by climate change particularly endanger the unique and fragile places on the planet: World Heritage Sites."

The Battle Over Public Drinking Water Has Just Begun

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/27/3782302/who-needs-public-water-when-we-have-nestle/
"the company announced it would build a bottled water facility in Phoenix, of all places, which prompted local outcry and a change.org petition to get Nestle out of the desert city, which pipes nearly all its water from the Colorado River. Ironically, Lake Mead, one of the Colorado’s largest reservoirs serving Phoenix, recently hit its lowest point ever, another marker in the Western United States’ multi-year drought."

Bill McKibben on Exxon, the Power of Divestment, and Being Targeted by Shadowy Right-Wing Group

Donald Trump Only Believes in Global Warming When It Affects His Bottom Line—and His Golf Course @alternet

Donald Trump Only Believes in Global Warming When It Affects His Bottom Line—and His Golf Course @alternet:

"there is one instance when Trump is willing to acknowledge the acute impact of rising sea levels as a result of global climate change: when it threatens his golf course."

Memorial Day: Trump’s War On Climate Action Would Ensure A World Of Wars

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/30/3782673/memorial-day-trump-climate/
"On Thursday, Donald Trump declared that if elected President, he would wage an all-out war against national and global climate action. On Friday, he went so far as to to deny the reality of California’s devastating drought. Because Trump gave his big energy and climate speech right before Memorial Day, it is altogether fitting and proper that we look at what Trump’s plans to destroy a livable climate would mean for the future of war."

Has Exxon Doomed Our Planet?

On Climate, Trump Promises To Let The World Burn

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/26/3782434/trump-let-the-world-burn/
"In a speech laying out his energy agenda for the United States, Trump promised to undo essentially every major policy developed in the last decade intended to slow human-caused global warming."

Donald Trump Tells Drought-Stricken Californians There Is No Drought

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/28/3783022/donald-trump-drought/
"Trump, who has a long history of making flat-out untrue assertions about environmental issues, said he would quickly fix California’s water issues if he becomes president."

Fact-Checking Donald Trump’s Low-Octane Energy Policy

Fact-Checking Donald Trump’s Low-Octane Energy Policy

"Trump’s display of fealty to the oil, gas and coal lobbies was an exercise in crass opportunism."

Has the Fossil Fuel Industry Taken Us Off the Cliff?

The Trump energy plan—burn it down, burn it all down

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/5/27/1531596/-The-Trump-energy-plan-burn-it-down-burn-it-all-down
"If there is a person in America for whom the Supreme Court nominations are not enough leverage to send them to the polls, surely this action list from Trump should be a motivator."

Trump’s Energy Plan Is Insane

Friday, May 20, 2016

Over A Third Of North America’s Bird Species Need ‘Urgent Conservation Action’

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/19/3779611/state-of-north-america-birds-report/
"Thanks to a multitude of threats, over a third of the bird species in North America are “of major conservation concern,” according to a comprehensive study released Wednesday. The report, released by the governments of Canada, the United States, and Mexico, is the first to look at the threats facing all 1,154 migratory bird species native to North America."

Attorneys General Funded by Big Oil Try to Block ExxonMobil Climate Fraud Probe @alternet

Attorneys General Funded by Big Oil Try to Block ExxonMobil Climate Fraud Probe @alternet:

"Exxon scientists conducted cutting-edge climate research decades ago and warned top management of the potentially catastrophic risks posed by global warming. Regardless, the company publicly emphasized uncertainty about climate science for years and, to a certain extent, still does. Furthermore, it has been financing a network of advocacy groups and think tanks to spread disinformation about climate science and the viability of renewable energy for the last two decades."

A Song Of Fire And No Ice: We Just Had Our Fourth Record-Breaking Hottest Month In A Row This Year

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/15/3778465/fire-no-ice-2016-hottest-year/
"NASA reported Friday, we’ve just been through the hottest April and the hottest January-April on record — by far."

The 4th Largest Economy In The World Just Generated 90 Percent Of The Power It Needs From Renewables

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/09/3776629/germany-renewable-generation/
"On Sunday, for a brief, shining moment, renewable power output in Germany reached 90 percent of the country’s total electricity demand."

5 South Pacific Islands Have Been Swallowed Up by Rising Sea Levels @alternet

5 South Pacific Islands Have Been Swallowed Up by Rising Sea Levels @alternet:

"Rising sea levels and erosion have caused five islands in the South Pacific to completely disappear, researchers have said.  A further six islands have been partially destroyed by erosion and the phenomenon is already causing human displacement, pushing people out of their coastal communities and further inland."

Trump’s Newest Enemy: Environmentalists

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/19/3779862/trump-paris-climate-deal-environmentalist-reaction/
"Donald Trump has officially taken aim at the environment. And environmentalists are starting to aim back. The billionaire and presumptive Republican presidential nominee fired first shots on Friday, when he announced his key energy policy adviser: U.S. Congressman Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican who loves drilling for oil and denies human-caused climate change. Cramer is staunchly opposed to president Obama’s landmark climate change regulations, and is widely expected to advise Trump to repeal them. Trump fired once more on Tuesday, telling Reuters that he would, at minimum, “renegotiate” the U.N. global climate accord, an agreement between nearly 200 nations to keep global warming in check. “At a maximum, I may do something else,” Trump said, implying he would dismantle the agreement completely. Environmentalists have known Trump’s position on the environment and climate for years. The conspiracy theorist billionaire, for example, once said he thinks climate change is a hoax perpetuated by the Chinese (Trump later said the sentiment was “obviously a joke“) . He also apparently believes cold weather during winter disproves the theory of global climate change. But until this week, Trump had never really indicated how far he’d go to act on his beliefs about global warming. And now, environmentalists are starting to take notice."

Polluters In South Carolina Are About To Get A Huge Boost From The State House

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/06/3775596/sc-environmental-bill-rights-removed/
"For the past 65 years, if someone — or some company — was illegally polluting in South Carolina, you could sue. The law was put on the books so that if South Carolina’s enforcement agencies didn’t have the time, money, or political backing to go after a polluter, the average citizen could step in. Now, with only a month left in its 2015-2016 session, the South Carolina legislature has picked up a bill that would do away with this ability. “No one in the public of South Carolina is calling for the repeal of their rights to protect their communities and clean water,” Frank Holleman, a senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), told ThinkProgress in an email. “Instead, this is an example of the lobbyists for corporate polluters controlling politicians who will take away the rights of citizens in order to curry favor with major campaign contributors.” Holleman understands what is at stake here perhaps more than most. In early 2012, SELC filed a suit on behalf of a local water protection group, the Catawba Riverkeeper, against South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) over coal ash pollution in the Wateree River, near Columbia. Coal ash is a byproduct of coal-fired power plants. For decades, plant operators have dumped the toxic waste — which can contain heavy metals and carcinogenic chemicals — in unlined pits near waterways. That, in and of itself, is not illegal. But the pits have been tied to groundwater contamination and, in some cases, the companies have been found to dump the waste directly into the waterway, which is illegal. Coal ash is an ongoing environmental issue across much of the southeast."

Chomsky on Trump’s Climate Denialism: He Wants Us to March Toward the Destruction of the Species

Arctic Death Spiral Update: What Happens In The Arctic Affects Weather Everywhere Else

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/05/03/3774789/april-record-arctic-ice-loss/
"This was the hottest four-month start (January to April) of any year on record, according to newly-released satellite data. The Arctic continues its multi-month trend of off-the-charts warmth. So it’s no surprise that Arctic sea ice continues to melt at a record pace. New research, however, finds that warming-driven Arctic sea ice loss causes high-pressure systems to get stuck in places like Greenland, leading to accelerated melt of the land-locked ice that drives sea level rise worldwide. Let’s start with the University of Alabama at Huntsville (UAH) satellite data, which show that the lowest part of the atmosphere (the lower troposphere) was an impressive 1.3°F (0.71°C) above the historical (1981-2010) average — a baseline that is itself 0.8°F (0.45°C) hotter than pre-industrial levels."

Jimmy Carter First To Use Solar Panels On The White House In 1979 – Guess Who Took Them Down?

http://samuel-warde.com/2016/05/jimmy-carter-first-use-solar-panels-white-house-1979/
"President Obama reinstalled solar panels into the White House in 2013."

Why is Congress Trying to Give Military Half a Wildlife Refuge it Doesn't Want?

Why is Congress Trying to Give Military Half a Wildlife Refuge it Doesn't Want?

"The overreaching rider is part of a trend: this is only the latest attempt by the House Armed Services committee, long dominated by Republicans, to demolish endangered species protections through the NDAA, the annual "must-pass" legislation that authorizes annual military spending."

50 Years Ago Big Oil Bragged About Being Able To Melt Glaciers, While They Knew About Climate Change

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/14/3769380/exxon-ad-melt-glaciers/
"Newly-released oil industry documents push back the start date of the world’s most successful disinformation campaign to the 1960s, if not earlier. The must-read documents, published by The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), strengthen the hand of the numerous attorneys general investigating whether ExxonMobil engaged in a cover-up to mislead the public and investors about the dangers of human-caused climate change."

Dr. Michael Mann on Dying Oceans & Intense Fires

NASA Publicly Humiliates Right-Wing Climate Change Deniers On Facebook With Real Science

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2016/04/13/nasa-publicly-humiliates-right-wing-climate-change-deniers-on-facebook-with-real-science/
"They also responded to two other right-wing idiots who accused the space agency of “fudging” the numbers and “deleting data"."

This New Report Will Tell You If You Live Near One Of America’s Most Threatened Rivers

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/12/3768168/four-threatened-rivers/
"The report, released Tuesday by American Rivers, lists ten of the most threatened rivers in the country. These rivers all have two things in common: they’re threatened by mismanagement or various sources of pollution, and they’re all facing major policy decisions in the coming year that could either exacerbate those threats or rein them in. Millions of people depend on these rivers for drinking water, and the waterways are crucial habitats for a wide array of aquatic life."

Science-bashing riders are one more reason to focus intently on the federal budgeting process

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/4/25/1519873/-Science-bashing-riders-are-one-more-reason-to-focus-intently-on-the-federal-budgeting-process
"The reason they don’t want you to know about these poison pill policies is because often, these riders are special interests’ backdoor attempt to weaken science-based public protections for their own gain. And like clockwork, they continue to appear, and lawmakers continue to hope that no one will notice."

Watch: Jimmy Kimmel Perfectly Rips Sarah Palin Apart on Her Anti-Climate Change Nonsense @alternet

Watch: Jimmy Kimmel Perfectly Rips Sarah Palin Apart on Her Anti-Climate Change Nonsense @alternet:

"Sarah Palin’s appearance in a new climate change denial film called Climate Hustle got the host fired up enough to take up the dumb-dumbness that is both Palin and the entire climate change denial brigade, aka, the GOP."

Fossil Fuel Billionaires Kill Children

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

They dumbed down conservatism: How extreme right-wing market fundamentalism captured the GOP — and endangered the environment

They dumbed down conservatism: How extreme right-wing market fundamentalism captured the GOP — and endangered the environment

"These three major planks of what many call “market fundamentalism” share the same essential flaw: they take old conservative ideas and dumb them down by stripping them of all subtlety and nuance, in the process perverting their meaning to something completely at odds with the traditions of principled conservatism."

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Tesla’s Model 3 Is Already Shattering Expectations

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/06/3766982/next-apple-tesla-model-3-presales/
"The Model 3 could end up as the best-“selling” vehicle this year — or at least the most ordered."

One Fact About Climate Change That’s Worth Repeating

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/06/3766659/fact-97-percent-climate-scientists-climate-change/
"the ongoing disinformation campaign funded by the fossil fuel industry (together with false balance by the media) has left the public with the impression that there is considerable scientific debate on a subject where there isn’t."

House Republicans Say Oil Spill Prevention Rule Should Be Easier On Oil Companies

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/04/3766124/offshore-drilling-republican-revision/
"Almost five years after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill sent millions of barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, the Obama administration announced a set of new offshore drilling rules that it hoped would prevent another massive oil spill. Now, as those rules appear to be racing towards finalization, House Republicans are asking the administration to revise the rules to lessen the burden on the oil industry."

Science and Engineering for the Public Good

Report: Health Impacts from Climate Change a 'New Kind of Threat' (with No Easy Cure)

Report: Health Impacts from Climate Change a 'New Kind of Threat' (with No Easy Cure)

"The report was produced by eight government agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It comes just ahead of the April 22 meeting between world leaders in New York, where they are expected to formally sign the landmark climate agreement finalized in Paris in December."

Melting ice sheets changing the way the Earth wobbles on its axis, says Nasa

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/09/melting-ice-sheets-changing-the-way-the-earth-wobbles-on-its-axis-says-nasa?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GU+Today+USA+-+Version+CB+header&utm_term=166240&subid=14675834&CMP=ema_565
"Since 2003, Greenland has lost on average more than 272 trillion kilograms of ice a year, and that affects the way the Earth wobbles in a manner similar to a figure skater lifting one leg while spinning, said Nasa scientist Eirk Ivins, the study’s co-author. On top of that, West Antarctica loses 124 trillion kgs of ice and East Antarctica gains about 74 trillion kgs of ice yearly, helping tilt the wobble further, Ivins said."

New Report Details Big Oil's $500 Million Annual Climate Obstructionism

New Report Details Big Oil's $500 Million Annual Climate Obstructionism

"The dark channels through which corporations influence legislation are notoriously hard to trace, but a new detailed report estimates that the world's largest fossil fuel companies are spending upwards of $500 million per year to obstruct climate laws"

Toxic Teflon Chemical, C8, Found In Tap Water in Several States @alternet

Toxic Teflon Chemical, C8, Found In Tap Water in Several States @alternet:

"New information emerged last month about toxic contamination from chemicals used to manufacture Teflon pots and pans and many other consumer, military, and industrial products. Water tests in several states have revealed a growing number of sites where the groundwater is polluted by the most well studied of these chemicals — C8 or PFOA — prompting calls from a group of state governors for federal action.  Meanwhile there are new indications that another perfluorinated chemical (PFC), heavily promoted by chemical manufacturers as a safer substitute for C8, is also toxic and just as persistent in the environment as C8"

Mass Extinction Is Closer Than You Know

Last Month Was The Hottest March In The Global Satellite Record, And The Arctic Is Still Sizzling

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/04/3765965/hottest-march-satellite-record/
"as Arctic warming speeds up, it boosts global greenhouse gas levels, which leads to even more warming of the Arctic and so on."

Florida Will Vote This Year On Measure That Would Block Solar Leasing In The State

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/04/01/3765695/florida-voters-are-going-to-be-confused/
"Sponsored by utility companies and other groups tied to the Koch brothers, the measure will prevent people from selling their electricity to third parties."

GOP Policies Always Lead to Death and Destruction

British Columbia’s Carbon Tax Has Been So Successful That Businesses Want To Increase It

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/03/31/3765312/canadian-business-support-carbon-tax-increase/
"A carbon tax may be a controversial topic in the United States, but in one Canadian province, this eight-year-old policy has been such a success that on Wednesday more than 100 businesses said they support a tax increase."

Climate Disruption in Overdrive: Submerged Cities and Melting That "Feeds on Itself"

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/35398-climate-disruption-in-overdrive-submerged-cities-and-melting-that-feeds-on-itself
"A major study published in Nature Climate Change shows that the planet is warming a stunning 50 times faster than when it comes out of an ice age. The implications of the rapidity of this warming, for those who care to digest it emotionally, are horrifying. The study shows that even if carbon reduction targets are achieved and the planet's temperature is kept below the 2 degree Celsius warming threshold, sea-level rise will still inundate major coastal cities around the world, forcing one-fifth of the total world population of humans to migrate away from the coasts. New York, London, Rio de Janeiro, Jakarta, Cairo, Kolkata and Shanghai will all be underwater. As though to reinforce this point, NASA recently released data confirming that February was the warmest month ever measured globally, at 1.57 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial baseline temperature average. The new record easily smashed the old global temperature record, which was set just one month before, in January. This means that while it took from the advent of the industrial age until October 2015 to warm the planet 1 degree Celsius, humans have managed to warm the planet another .57 degrees Celsius in just the next four months since then. Let that sink in for a moment before reading further. As if that isn't enough, a study recently published in the journal Nature Geoscience revealed that carbon emissions are now the highest they have been since the age of dinosaurs, 66 million years ago. According to the study, the current pace of emissions is even beyond the highest-known natural surge of carbon that exists in fossil records, an event that occurred 56 million years ago that was believed by many to be caused by the release of frozen stores of greenhouse gases from the seabed."

Saturday, March 26, 2016

GOPers Chaffetz And Walberg Lied During House Hearing On Flint

GOPers Chaffetz And Walberg Lied During House Hearing On Flint

"Everybody knows these Chaffetz hearings are same as they were with Planned Parenthood and Benghazi. They are not fact-finding. They are not interested in solutions. They exist merely to fling political poo and enhance the wingnut cred of the tea party Congressman from Utah."

Saturday, March 19, 2016

The Lewis Powell Memo - Corporate Blueprint to Dominate Democracy

The Lewis Powell Memo - Corporate Blueprint to Dominate Democracy

Older article on the Powell Memo "Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr., an attorney from Richmond, Virginia, drafted a confidential memorandum for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that describes a strategy for the corporate takeover of the dominant public institutions of American society. Powell and his friend Eugene Sydnor, then-chairman of the Chamber’s education committee, believed the Chamber had to transform itself from a passive business group into a powerful political force capable of taking on what Powell described as a major ongoing “attack on the American free enterprise system.” An astute observer of the business community and broader social trends, Powell was a former president of the American Bar Association and a board member of tobacco giant Philip Morris and other companies. In his memo, he detailed a series of possible “avenues of action” that the Chamber and the broader business community should take in response to fierce criticism in the media, campus-based protests, and new consumer and environmental laws."

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Roberts Disappoints Conservatives Again, Upholds Obama's EPA Rule On Mercury

Roberts Disappoints Conservatives Again, Upholds Obama's EPA Rule On Mercury

"You would think a state like Michigan would have more pressing concerns than making sure coal fired power plants could continue to spew mercury into the air, but the state is actually paying attorneys to take the EPA to court to delay and deter rulings on this horrible poison. The Mercury and Air Toxics rule or Mercury MACT rule, sets national emission standards for mercury and other hazardous air pollution from coal-fired power plants. Michigan and 20 other states sued to block the regulation's enforcement."

Monday, March 7, 2016

Fossil Fuel Tycoons Spending Millions to Elect GOP President

Fossil Fuel Tycoons Spending Millions to Elect GOP President

"The analysis of Federal Election Commission data found that 124 "megadonors," all of whom have financial or professional ties to the industry, donated about $107 million to right-leaning Super PACs in 2015—before a single vote was even cast in the GOP primary season. Super PACs are allowed to take in unlimited campaign donations."

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Five Years After Fukushima, 'No End in Sight' to Ecological Fallout

Five Years After Fukushima, 'No End in Sight' to Ecological Fallout

"The report warns that these impacts—which include mutations in trees, DNA-damaged worms, and radiation-contaminated mountain watersheds—will last "decades to centuries." The conclusion is culled from a large body of independent scientific research on impacted areas in the Fukushima region, as well as investigations by Greenpeace radiation specialists over the past five years."

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Rubio And Cruz Took Anti-Environmental Stances On 100 Percent Of Key Votes In 2015

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/02/25/3753742/national-environmental-scorecard/
"Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) both got scores of zero, as they issued what the report calls the “anti-environment vote” every time throughout 2015."

Florida Officials Drain Lake Full Of ‘Toilet’ Water To Coast

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/02/25/3753365/okeechobee-beach-water-pollution/
"With tourist season just around the corner, Florida’s beach communities would normally be preparing for a happy, healthy summer. Instead, they’re reeling from polluted water that is likely to inflict severe damage to the local economy and environment. Lake Okeechobee, a large inland lake in southern Florida, is experiencing its highest water levels in nearly a century due to heavy rains that fell during the month of January. This should not be suprising, because heavy rainfall events are increasing as the planet warms. But after water levels reached a foot above normal, public officials began to worry that the excess water was putting too much stress on the lake’s aging dike. Officials then made the decision to drain the lake out toward Florida’s coasts. There was one problem: Lake Okeechobee’s waters are toxic. Local industry has long been using Okeechobee’s waters as a dumping ground for an assortment of chemicals, fertilizers, and cattle manure. David Guest, managing attorney of the Florida branch of the environmental law group Earthjustice, called the lake a “toilet.” While the pollution was once confined to the lake, it now flows toward Florida’s coastal communities via local rivers. The water, which is flowing out of the lake at 70,000 gallons per second, will soon pollute the ocean waters in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. This pollution has immediate consequences for southern Florida’s environment and economy. The untreated water contains toxic chemicals and fertilizers that are harmful to local flora and fauna, and the fertilizers and chemicals found in the water are known to cause algal blooms, which are known to poison shellfish and make life difficult for the marine food chain. Dawn Shirreffs, a senior policy adviser at the Everglades Foundation, told ThinkProgress that there have been reports of dead fish being found along the coastline. This is especially concerning since many species will migrate to Florida to seek comfortable water temperatures this time of year."

Governor's Office KNEW Flint's Water Was Toxic Over A Year Ago

Michigan Officials Decided Not To Test Flint’s Water For Deadly Bacteria

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2016/02/25/3753425/flint-legionnaires-untested/
"Lead-contaminated water isn’t the only toxin sickening residents of Flint, Michigan. Since the city switched its water source from Detroit’s water system to the local Flint River in April 2014 — a water source left dangerously untreated for corrosive elements — the city has seen a sizable uptick in cases of Legionnaires disease. The waterborne bacterial infection, which usually afflicts around 13 people a year in Flint’s Genessee County, has infected at least 87 residents — and left ten dead — since June 2014. However, no state or federal agency has decided to test the water for the deadly bacteria. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) announced this spike in Legionnaires cases last month, but refused to directly connect the outbreak to the water crisis. “There’s investigations still going on to try and make that determination,” Snyder said at the January 13 press conference. “But from a scientific or medical point of view, I don’t believe that determination can be made today.” According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, these cases cannot be conclusively linked to Flint’s water because the agency lacks bacteria samples from the patients. This claim was quickly negated by Detroit News reporters, who discovered that the agency in fact has 12 samples from Flint patients."

Snyder's Advisers Knew Flint Water Was Toxic

Snyder's Advisers Knew Flint Water Was Toxic

"Reigniting calls for Rick Snyder's resignation, emails released Friday reveal that advisers to the Michigan governor knew that Flint's water was toxic as far back as October 2014."

New e-mails paint Snyder into corner on Flint crisis

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Emails Indicate Flint Lead Tests Withheld from Public at Snyder's Command

Emails Indicate Flint Lead Tests Withheld from Public at Snyder's Command

"redacted emails released last month by the governor indicate that his administration was informed of problems with Flint's water many months before, as early as Feb. 2015"

The Koch Brothers' Dirty War on Solar Power

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-koch-brothers-dirty-war-on-solar-power-20160211
"investor-owned utilities, together with Koch-brothers-funded front groups like American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), are mounting a fierce, rear-guard resistance at the state level – pushing rate hikes and punishing fees for homeowners who turn to solar power. Their efforts have darkened green-energy prospects in could-be solar superpowers like Arizona and Nevada. But nowhere has the solar industry been more eclipsed than in Florida, where the utilities' powers of obstruction are unrivaled.

Maine Joins the Growing List of States to Vote on Marijuana Legalization This Year @alternet

Maine Joins the Growing List of States to Vote on Marijuana Legalization This Year @alternet:

"It looks like Mainers will be voting on legalization in November."

5 New Discoveries That Will Shake Up Our Understanding of Marijuana @alternet

5 New Discoveries That Will Shake Up Our Understanding of Marijuana @alternet:

"New research shows marijuana may have more uses (and benefits) than we thought."

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Flint Water Crisis Is What Happens With A Republican Government

The ExxonMobil Climate Scandal Reveals the Deadly Evil of Corporatism

http://www.politicususa.com/2016/02/05/exxon-climate-scandal-reveals-deadly-evil-corporatism.html
"The Republican Party and its voter drones are always advocating for corporations, as though corporatism is the answer to federalism, as though corporations run by people we don’t get to vote for is a healthier choice for Americans than a government we do. To understand how very wrong this is, you need only to look at the ExxonMobil climate scandal. Like the tobacco companies of a generation ago, ExxonMobil knew all about the dangers of fossil fuels – and sold them anyway. Now the oil giant is being investigated by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has followed suit. Others may join them. And the fossil fuel industry is outraged. Corporate America is outraged. How dare anyone call their practices into question!"

The GOP's Flint disaster: Will they help fix the mess made by a 'fiscally responsible' GOP governor?

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/2/3/1479353/-The-GOP-s-Flint-disaster-Will-they-help-fix-the-mess-made-by-a-fiscally-responsible-GOP-governor#read-more
"Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder committed one of the worst sins imaginable for a public servant: He poisoned his own people. Why? To pinch a penny. Now he's got to turn to his GOP-led state government and the Republican Congress to help foot the $767 million bill to fix Flint's water infrastructure. It seems government's always the problem until you've got a problem—even if you engineered that problem yourself."

FBI probing criminality of Flint water crisis

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Radioactive Water From Fukushima Is Leaking Into the Pacific

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/34565-radioactive-water-from-fukushima-is-leaking-into-the-pacific
"TEPCO detected levels of radioactive cesium (a material which has a half-life of 30 years) in water samples that were 4,000 times higher than data taken the same month one year earlier. The samples also contained levels of a beta-ray-emitting radioactive substance that were 4,100 times higher than they were from the same period a year earlier."

The 5 Worst Fracking Moments of 2015 @alternet

The 5 Worst Fracking Moments of 2015 @alternet:

"Once again, in 2015 the oil and gas industry showed us the ludicrous lengths they will go to in order to frack more communities."

Can't Hide From Reality: Florida Mayors Request Climate Change Meeting With Senator Marco Rubio @alternet

Can't Hide From Reality: Florida Mayors Request Climate Change Meeting With Senator Marco Rubio @alternet:

"Fifteen South Florida mayors released a letter Tuesday that was sent to Senator Marco Rubio requesting a meeting with the presidential candidate to talk about the climate change risk facing the state’s communities."

Study: Most Large Herbivores Now Face Extinction @alternet

Study: Most Large Herbivores Now Face Extinction @alternet:

"These include well-known species such as elephants, hippos and all species of rhino."

Incredible Infographic Shows How We Have Ruined Our Oceans — and Ourselves as a Result @alternet

Incredible Infographic Shows How We Have Ruined Our Oceans — and Ourselves as a Result @alternet:

"From plastic trash and discarded fishing gear to oil spills and pesticide runoff, human beings have treated the oceans as a vast dumping ground."

New tests show lead in Flint water may exceed filter capacity

Tests Reveal A New Problem With Treating Flint’s Lead-Tainted Water

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2016/01/30/3744566/flint-water-lead-exceeds-filters/
"Results of recently-tested water samples, released Friday out of Flint, Michigan, show levels of lead so high in some locations that government-issued filtration systems are unable to effectively treat the water. Water problems began in Flint as early as April 2014, when state-appointed emergency managers made the decision to switch the city’s water supply from Detroit’s system to the Flint River."