Thursday, February 28, 2008
Corporate Tax Avoidance Proposals
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The cold truth about climate change
By Joseph Romm
Feb. 27, 2008 The more I write about global warming, the more I realize I share some things in common with the doubters and deniers who populate the blogosphere and the conservative movement. Like them, I am dubious about the process used by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to write its reports. Like them, I am skeptical of the so-called consensus on climate science as reflected in the IPCC reports. Like them, I disagree with people who say "the science is settled." But that's where the agreement ends.
The science isn't settled -- it's unsettling, and getting more so every year as the scientific community learns more about the catastrophic consequences of uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions.
The bottom line is that recent observations and research make clear the planet almost certainly faces a greater and more imminent threat than is laid out in the IPCC reports. That's why climate scientists are so desperate. That's why they keep begging for immediate action. And that's why the "consensus on global warming" is a phrase that should be forever retired from the climate debate.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Crude Rallies.....
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Crude for April delivery gained $2.34, or 2.4%, to a new high of $101.15 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange in mid-afternoon trading. The intraday high surpasses crude's last record of $100.65 hit last week.
Other energy futures also surged. Heating-oil futures for March delivery surged to $2.8174 a gallon, the highest a front-month contract has ever seen, and natural-gas futures for March delivery gained 21.1 cents to $10.212 per million British thermal units, the highest since January 2006.
A weaker greenback makes dollar-denominated commodities, such as oil, less expensive for buyers holding other currencies. Those buyers are likely to bid up prices.
As the conference committee irons out differences between the Massachusetts Senate (S. 2468) and House of Representatives (H.4373) (pdf) versions of the energy bill, the Union of Concerned Scientists is urging them to resolve several critical issues.....LINK
The House of Representatives will vote soon on a bill to extend federal tax incentives for energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies that have expired or will expire by the end of this year. Urge your representative to vote Yes on these important clean energy incentives right away.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Offending Comments Removed, No Apology
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Saturday, February 23, 2008
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The Racism Issue with Regard to the Casino: Fact or Fiction--Or Just Too Confusing To Tell
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The following comment was offered in its place:
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Monday, February 25, 2008
In the Spirit Of Heightening and Furthering Discussion
I have removed the two blogs that apparently offended a number of individuals--no it wasn't because of you Jesse, and it wasn't the station. It simply is a matter of me not fanning that particular issue, and thinking the better of it from Mark's reaction. But notice...Gladys and some others...it is possible to remove what others may find offensive from your site...and the sky does not fall! Try it sometime. It feels good. Mark...as I said before, it is more important for the conversation to continue at a better pitch, and I am sure that different imagery could still have made my point. P.S.: I still detest the "nation within a nation" argument, and wholly disagree with the sovereignty argument. But we will leave that for another day.
Posted by AMB at 5:17 PM
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Nowhere is there a suggestion that the analogy was inappropriate or anything resembling a recognition of an inappropriate choice of phraseology.
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Readers are encouraged to save Mr. Bond's comments, along with numerous other public quotes for future use.
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His comments will remain posted on this site.
NEW BLOG --- Coffee Not
Coffee Not
This blog was created in response to Adam Bond's Coffee Talk blog.www.coffeeshoptalk-wxbr.blogspot.com Adam won't publish our comments - so we publish them here!
WXBR 1460 AM
He's just sayin', that's all
Adam Bond, the Middleborough selectman who led the effort to bring casino gambling to town, wants you to know that he would never, ever be so gross as to compare casino opponents to Nazis. Just like the pro-casino folks at Casino-friend.com would never, ever stoop so low as to compare us to the Ku Klux Klan.
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And consider what Bellicose Bumpkin had to say in Heil Bumpkin .
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Random Thoughts From A Shikseh
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A cold water immersion experiment at Dachau concentration camp presided over by Professor Holzlohner (left) and Dr. Rascher (right).
Romani children in Auschwitz, victims of medical experiments.
Further information: Nazi human experimentation
Another distinctive feature was the extensive use of human subjects in medical experiments. German physicians carried out such experiments at Auschwitz, Dachau, Buchenwald, Ravensbrück, Sachsenhausen and Natzweiler concentration camps.[19]
The most notorious of these physicians was Dr. Josef Mengele, who worked in Auschwitz. His experiments included placing subjects in pressure chambers, testing drugs on them, freezing them, attempting to change eye color by injecting chemicals into children's eyes, and various amputations and other brutal surgeries.[20] The full extent of his work will never be known because the truckload of records he sent to Dr. Otmar von Verschuer at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute were destroyed by von Verschuer.[21] Subjects who survived Mengele's experiments were almost always killed and dissected after the experiments.
Killed
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2–3 million
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Politicals
1–1.5 million
600,000
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200,000+
Roma
220,000–500,000
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Freemasons
80,000–200,000
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Disabled
200,000–250,000
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Spanish POWs
7,000–16,000
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Jehovah'sWitnesses
2,500–5,000
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South of Poland, between 500,000 and 1.2 million
54,000
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The Netherlands
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105,000
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Hungary
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450,000
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Byelorussian SSR
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245,000
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Ukrainian SSR
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900,000
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Belgium
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40,000
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Yugoslavia
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26,000
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Romania
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300,000
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Norway
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900
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Total
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5,933,900
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What concerns me, and makes me comment in the way I do, is that the theory that is being presented--unwittingly by most--is the nation within a nation theory. This is a theory that was used by Hitler to irradicate [sic] millions of jews in Europe, including many of my ancestors. So when you start talking about how dangerous it is to have a sovereign nation in the midst of the Town, because they will be self serving and mistreat anyone who is not a part of their group, you begin to highlight for me a theory which has little merit--since they have already received sovereign status and that is not the fight in front of us.
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In response to the issue of Sovereign Immunity, Mr. Bond chose to suggest RACISM, yet again.
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Failing that, Mr. Bond instead raised the Holocaust as a sympathy issue.
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History is replete with despicable acts. In context, they are man being savage, but fail to mandate reparations.
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Europeans settlers may have committed offenses against long gone native peoples, but I fail to find medical experiments, labor camps, planned extermination or gas chambers that rise to the level of the Holocaust.
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Mr. Bond:
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This is about wealthy casino investors and not about the Holocaust.
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You have lowered the tone of the discussion to the gutter and you need
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to do better.
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The following are previous posts about racism: Middleboro Recall
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Vic Sylvia's Passing Will Leave A Void
Sylvia is credited with helping make Middleboro a better place to live.
By Alice C. Elwell
Enterprise correspondent
Posted Feb 23, 2008 @ 10:55 PM
MIDDLEBORO —
M. Victor Sylvia, known for local activism, speeches at town meeting, and simple homespun words to selectmen during their weekly meetings, died in his sleep Saturday morning. He was 78. Enterprise
Farm to Fridge
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CSMonitor
Huge meat recall prods further reforms
From fast-food chains to Congress, moves are afoot to reduce animal suffering and ensure food safety
Other bipartisan legislation in the House and Senate would ban US Department of Agriculture inspectors from approving any meat from sick and injured cattle, sheep, pigs, and other animals, closing a regulation loophole critics say now exists. It also requires immediate humane euthanasia for farm animals unable to stand.
So-called "downer" cattle are at the heart of mad cow disease. Known scientifically as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), it is believed to be carried by animal feed made from cattle brains or spinal cord. Because the inability to walk or get up is a sign of an advanced stage of mad cow disease, the USDA generally prohibits downer cattle from being used as food – either for human consumption or indirectly as feed for other animals that might become part of the human food chain.
By ANDREW MARTIN
A California meat company on Sunday issued the largest beef recall in history, 143 million pounds, some of which was used in school lunch programs, Department of Agriculture officials announced.
The recall by the Westland/Hallmark Meat Company, based in Chino, Calif., comes after a widening animal-abuse scandal that started after the Humane Society of the United States distributed an undercover video on Jan. 30 that showed workers kicking sick cows and using forklifts to force them to walk.
More Wind Mills or Hot Air?
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By Bill Henderson
21 February, 2008
A new report based upon state of the art science argues convincingly that climate change is a much more serious and immediate problem than previously perceived by even informed publics - climate change is an emergency that requires urgent mitigation measures not presently possible in our political and economic systems.
No major media outlet acknowledges let alone critiques or comments upon or otherwise covers the report. None. Not AP nor Reuters; not either ABC nor BBC. Ditto the NY Times, Wash Post, Guardian, Le Monde, Asahi Shimbun or the South China Morning Post. Not one major news agency, paper, TV or radio outlet so much as acknowledges the existence of a report on a subject that is life and death for humanity and most of the species with which we presently share creation on this small blue planet.
Overfishing, pollution and climate change are combining to create a deadly environment for commercial fish stocks, according to a new report from the United Nations. The report (In Dead Water), released today from the U.N. Environment Program, found a grim confluence of events. The researchers found that climate change is compounding other problems, like pollution and overfishing, as rising temperatures lead to coral bleaching and shifts in ocean currents that harm the ocean habitat on which fish depend.
All UK homes could be wind powered by 2020: govt
Britain plans big move towards wind power: paper
Largest Ever Wind Turbine Deal Signed
Ireland gives support package for wind farm growth
By Pete Harrison
LONDON (Reuters) - British Gas parent company Centrica said on Thursday it was evaluating a potential multi-billion pound increase in investment in renewable energy, largely targeted at offshore turbines.
The move would help Britain achieve ambitious goals of producing 33 gigawatts of electricity from offshore wind by 2020, enough to power every UK home, at an overall cost of around 70 billion pounds ($136 billion).
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Rep. Quinn had this to say (emphasis mine):
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Quinn: Sneaky maneuvers could harm ocean sanctuaries
The MetroWest Daily News
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The Massachusetts Ocean Sanctuaries Act was designed to prevent development in Massachusetts state waters in order to avert destruction of environmental habitat and to protect natural resources. It also helps make Massachusetts one of the most attractive destinations for tourists from all over the country. From Newburyport to Cape Cod, Duxbury to Buzzards Bay, people are attracted to the beautiful coastline to boat, swim and spend quality time with their families.
Last week, however, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a version of the Ocean Management Act which I believe was a Trojan horse to slip through a massive change in the Ocean Sanctuaries Act without public input and without a public hearing. This change was opposed by the Conservation Law Foundation, the Audubon Society and the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, due to the devastation it may bring to the coastline. The change would allow large scale renewable energy facilities to be constructed in ocean sanctuaries in Massachusetts state waters.
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Strong energy legislation can help reduce global warming pollution, save consumers money, increase our energy independence, and keep our air and water clean. The Massachusetts Senate and House of Representatives have each passed comprehensive energy bills. Each bill contains provisions supported by the Union of Concerned Scientists and our allies—including good efficiency and renewable energy provisions. But neither bill contains all the best provisions. As a conference committee begins to reconcile the two versions of the bill, we are working to ensure that the final version is the strongest possible, and we need your help.
Please call and urge your senator and representative to contact the conferees about including the strongest provisions of the house and senate bills.
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Rep. Thomas J. Calter
Marc.Pacheco@state.ma.us
Peter Kenney had this to say about the Cape Cod Commission.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Coal is Dirty!
So far, 2008 has been a rough year for the coal industry. Just 24 hours after Bush touted clean coal in his January State of the Union address, the Department of Energy pulled the plug on the ambitious FutureGen project, which aimed to build the first zero-emissions coal plant. Days later, major banks such as Citigroup and Morgan Stanley, stated their concern over coal's enormous carbon footprint with emissions caps on the horizon, a consideration that "make[s] it less likely the banks will finance other coal-fired plants." The next week, Bank of America agreed that coal plants were a bad investment. Soon after, the New York Times reported, "With opposition to coal plants rising across the country -- including a statement by three investment banks...saying they are wary of financing new ones," utilities "are turning to natural gas to meet expected growth in demand."
"The president called for continued US leadership in developing energy-efficiency technologies and in using energy efficiency to help reduce greenhouse gases, Yet [Bush's] budget request confounds the president's own rhetoric by reducing funding for key energy-efficiency and research and development programs...."
Larry Gibson's family roots on West Virginia's Kayford Mountain go back to the 1700s. In 1906, after being swindled by a land company representing coal mine owners (as happened to countless other mountaineers), his family found itself with only 50 acres of its original 500. Now, Gibson hangs onto his mountain and observes family traditions, despite the disappearance of landscape all around him - the result of total environmental destruction caused by mountaintop removal mining. Keeping to family and Appalachian traditions of annually visiting the family graveyard, Gibson this year took other locals, environmental activists and journalists along with him.
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Pennies of Promise is a newly formed citizen action group in West Virginia. On Tuesday, May 30, the group launched a national campaign at the foot of the State Capitol to raise awareness for the Marsh Fork Elementary School in Sundial, West Virginia. The school children are dealing with a host of medical issues they believe are connected to the recently constructed coal silo, which sits 150 feet away from the school, and the toxic slurry pond, which is approximately 300 feet away from the school. Retired school teacher Mary Porter brought $400 dollars in pennies collected from school children in Harlem as a donation to the state of West Virginia to aid in the construction of a school in another location.
Windmills to Web Sites
The definition is flexible, but allow me to toss out some ideas.
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A portion of the discussion, of course, directly relates to your tax dollars.
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Why isn't the town considering purchasing LNG vehicles?
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Those vehicles are not tracked.
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The maintenance records are not on the town's computer.
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The vehicle mileage, cost, MPG are not readily available for evaluation.
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What if the town owns a vehicle that's a real gas guzzler?
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What if the maintenance costs have exceeded what's reasonable?
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What if a department vehicle suddenly went from 20 MPG to 8 MPG? Who would know?
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Would it make sense to install GPS on town vehicles to track MPG?
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It would seem to improve fuel economy and address environmental concerns.
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The GPS technology has declined in cost and might be nominal compared to savings.
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What would storm windows on the Town Hall cost? What is the energy usage?
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If Taunton's School Department saved $500K, what could Middleboro save?
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If the G&E was involved as a partner, what could be accomplished?
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It might begin with 5 members and 2 alternates appointed by the Town Moderator.
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Other towns have moved forward and created greener towns. Why can't Middleboro?_________________
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The following offer some information:
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MASSACHUSETTS TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATIVE
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Cambridge Energy Alliance seeks to reduce electricity usage
Monday, January 28, 2008
MMA Innovation Award winner - award presented on Jan. 12, 2008
MMA MunEnergy
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Why not Middleboro?
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'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.' Margaret Mead
Thursday, February 21, 2008
MIDDLEBORO TOWN ELECTION REMINDER!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Prop 2 1/2 Override #1
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School Superintendent Robert Sullivan offered commentary about the growth of General Government versus that of the School Department. Did anyone notice?
Why are we suddenly praising the BOS for their TRANSPARENCY when we don't have the detailed budgets to review? Do you, as a voter and taxpayer know what the line items are? Some are praising a selectman for pointing out the nominal cost savings of law books from the Town Clerk's budget. What if there are other items that just pop out at you?
It's like a hidden cost on your tax bill based on the fiscal mismanagement of the Town.
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Maybe you don't have the time to review the Auditors' Report, but the bond market does.
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Saturday, February 16, 2008
Invisible Middleboro Finance Committee and Web Site
Friday, February 15, 2008
Politics, Energy and Why It Matters
That the US consumes 25% of the world's resources makes any consideration of energy crucial to begin at home with us as individuals and our municipality.
Even as the Middleboro Board of Selectmen are supporting a massive energy and resource glutton in the proposed casino, they have yet to address municipal energy consumption in a cash strapped budget. Other towns have done it. Why not Middleboro? Taunton saved $570,000.
The plight of endangered species represents ecosystems in distress. Those ecosystems no longer suitable for species that have evolved to survive over millions of years represent environmental destruction that is becoming less habitable for the human species. So while some dismiss the tree-huggers, they overlook that as a species, we are successfully destroying the environment that sustains our very survival.
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Continuing to invade other nations, employ the US military as mercenaries for oil companies and drilling ourselves to destruction won't solve the problem.
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The solutions begin with indiviuals understanding the issues and reducing household consumption in simple ways, beginning with CFLs (compact fluorescent lights), and minor additional changes, like reducing Junk Mail. Although a personal annoyance, if 1,000 Middleboro households reduced their Junk Mail, that's 41,000 POUNDS that doesn't require disposal or recycling or transport.
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Your individual commitment to empty your mailbox of unwanted solicitations might seem trivial until the magnitude of the potential is presented. That's more than 20 TONS when combined with others.
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Information has previously been posted about stopping Junk Mail
Previous LINK
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Household lighting accounts for ~ 15% of electric consumption. Local Middleboro stores offer an assortment of CFLs for ~ $1.00. Don't have the money to replace every bulb in the house at once? First replace those bulbs that are left on the most - for night lights, for safety like stairway illumination. But DO IT!
The following are some of the articles posted:
Energy Savings? Not in Middleboro
Politics, Energy, Vested Interests, Consumers Come Last
NESEA
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The greatest acknowledgement by scientists today is that the problems of global warming were UNDERESTIMATED.
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Below are an array of articles addressing the issue.
The American Denial of Global Warming
(#13459; 58 minutes; 12/12/2007)Polls show that between one-third and one-half of Americans still believe that there is "no solid" evidence of global warming, or that if warming is happening it can be attributed to natural variability. Others believe that scientists are still debating the point. Join scientist and renowned historian Naomi Oreskes as she describes her investigation into the reasons for such widespread mistrust and misunderstanding of scientific consensus and probes the history of organized campaigns designed to create public doubt and confusion about science. YouTube
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Cape Wind Energy Project Project Description and Status
The MMS will accept written comments from the public until March 20. In addition, MMS will receive comments at public hearings in Hyannis/Yarmouth, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, and Boston, Massachusetts. MMS
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John Kerry
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MassAudubon
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GreenPeace
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Rural casinos leave a huge carbon footprint
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Court overturns mercury emissions plan February 09, 2008 6:00 AM WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court struck down a Bush administration policy exempting power plants from certain environmental regulations. The court said the policy was unlawful. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit negated a rule known as cap-and-trade. That policy allows power plants that fail to meet emission targets to buy credits from plants that did, rather than having to install their own mercury emissions controls. The rule was to go into effect in 2010. ST
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No climate for old men
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Global Climate Change Response Can Spur $7 Trillion in Clean Energy Investment by 2030: CERA Analysis
February 5, 2008 In “Launch Pad” scenario, Renewable Power & Biofuels Could Supply 16% of Global Electric & Transportation Fuel Needs by 2030. Press Release CAMBRIDGE, Mass.
Increasing public concerns about climate change -- and its potential economic and political security consequences -- are driving public policy and private investment to bring clean energy technologies from the fringes of the global energy industry to the center of activities as quickly as possible, a new analysis by Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) has concluded. CERA
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Democrats Push "Green" Energy Tax Breaks
By Noam N. Levey
The Los Angeles Times Tuesday 05 February 2008 Their proposal is part of an effort to expand the multibillion-dollar economic stimulus package. Washington - As Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus talked up his proposal Monday to expand a multibillion-dollar economic stimulus package, he spoke of the need to help seniors, disabled veterans and the unemployed. There was just one industry the Montana Democrat singled out for special assistance: renewable energy. As Senate Democrats push ahead with legislation to blunt a possible recession, they are trying to get support for tax breaks for wind-farm developers, builders of more efficient appliances and businesses that install fuel cells. TO
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Scientists identify 'tipping points' of climate change
By Steve Connor, Science Editor
Tuesday, 5 February 2008 Nine ways in which the Earth could be tipped into a potentially dangerous state that could last for many centuries have been identified by scientists investigating how quickly global warming could run out of control. A major international investigation by dozens of leading climate scientists has found that the "tipping points" for all nine scenarios – such as the melting of the Arctic sea ice or the disappearance of the Amazon rainforest – could occur within the next 100 years. Independent
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Is There a Plan for Life After Peak Oil?
The Last Straw Posted February 12, 2008 A new generation of biofuels turns out to be another environmental disaster
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Bracken Hendricks, author of Apollo's Fire: Igniting America's Clean Energy Economy
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The Center for Public Integrity
Here’s the report that top officials of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention thought was too hot for the public to handle—and the story behind it.
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Here’s the report that top officials of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention thought was too hot for the public to handle—and the story behind it.
by Greg Palast
Or Kyrgyzstan. Or Turkmenistan. But as your kids will be fighting there among the oil pipes, you should kiss Ted Rall’s crazy ass for going there first - and getting it all down in a book of dead-on cartoons and reportage, Silk Road to Ruin.
Nobel Laureate Urges Oil Cos To Help Cut Emissions
US: February 14, 2008
HOUSTON - Rajendra Pachauri said he thought he was "walking into the lion's den" Tuesday when he told oil executives they need to take a lead in cutting greenhouse gas emissions in order to save the earth. PlanetArk
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Improving Our Green Job Prospects
By Kelpie Wilson
t r u t h o u t Environment Editor
Friday 15 February 2008
On the one hand we have a deepening economic recession, a mortgage and debt crisis, and rising unemployment. On the other hand is the growing energy and climate crisis, shadowed by the specters of peak oil and planetary meltdown. Rising prices for energy, food and health care are hitting the poor and middle class hard. We have ourselves in quite a mess.
The Bush-Cheney record speaks for itself, as does the John McCain record. McCain played a linchpin role in the two most recent Republican filibusters of renewable energy programs. He failed to show up and vote for the strong version of the energy bill in December when the Democrats had 59 votes for the bill and McCain's vote for renewable energy would have ended the filibuster. On February 6, McCain did it again - went AWOL when the Democrats had 59 votes to add green jobs to the stimulus package. Not only that, but according to the Sierra Club, his office is lying about the vote, claiming that he voted for clean energy when he did not. TO
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Let There Be (Fluorescent) Light UCSUSA
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