Barclays and Bank of America see looming oil crunch
For oil markets, it as if the Great Recession never happened. Surging demand in China, India and the Middle East is making up for decline in the debt-crippled West, ensuring another global crunch within three or four years.
Bank of America and Barclays Capital, two leading oil traders, have told clients to brace for crude above $100 (£64) a barrel by next year, before it pushes relentlessly higher over the decade. This is a stark contrast from recessions in the 1980s and 1990s, when it took years to work off excess drilling capacity built in the boom.
"Oil has the potential to flirt with $100 this year. We forecast an average price of $137 by 2015," said Amrita Sen, an oil expert at BarCap. The price has doubled to $78 in the last year.
Why would climate change chief defect to business? "The groundwork for the next sustained step up in oil prices is now almost complete. Global spare capacity is likely to be reduced to low levels within a relatively short time. The global economic crisis has postponed, but not cancelled, a crunch which would otherwise be starting to bite now," said Barclays.
Francisco Blanch, from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, said crude may touch $105 next year, with $150 in sight by 2014. "Approximately 1.7bn consumers in emerging markets with a per capita income of $5,000 to $20,000 are eagerly waiting to buy cars, air-conditioning units, or white goods," he said.
China has overtaken the US as the world's top car market. Mr Blanch expects oil demand to rise by a further 2.8m barrels per day (bpd) in China and 2.5m bpd in India by 2015, when two giants will be absorbing the lion's share of Gulf output. Consumption in the West has already peaked and will fall each year as populations shrink and we waste less, but the West no longer sets the price. Global use will increase by 8.8m bpd to 95m bpd.
Supply is scarce. Sir Richard Branson warned this month that the world faces 'peak oil' within five years. "Don't let the oil crunch catch us out in the way that the credit crunch did," he said.
Mr Blanch said output from non-OPEC states is falling by 4.9pc each year, despite Russia's reserves. Saudi Arabia and the Emirates can plug a quarter of the gap, but global spare capacity must soon drop to wafer-thin levels – leaving us vulnerable to the sort of "super-spike" seen in 2008. The wildcard is whether Iraq can quadruple output to Saudi levels this decade, a target dismissed by most analysts as pie-in-the-sky.
Painfully high prices are needed to unlock fresh supplies as reserves are depleted in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Deep-water rigs off Brazil are costly and require drilling far below the seabed. Canadian oil sands and US biofuels have break-even costs near $70. While the US, UK, and the Far East are turning to nuclear power, it takes a decade to build reactors. "peak uranium" lurks in any case.
The oil spike brought the global economy to a shuddering halt in 2008. This time the crunch may hit before the West has fully recovered. Whatever happens, the US, Europe and Japan will soon transfer a chunk of their wealth to the petro-powers. It is a new world order.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Global Warming Deniers
Much like the predatory gambling debate consists of well funded lobbyists who obscure the truth about the degradation caused, the Cape Wind opposition and Global Warming Deniers represent more of the same.
The article below provides some interesting insight, but leaves one with lingering questions of how much money is enough? With the perils posed by global warming, have the extraordinarily wealthy convinced themselves they are immune?
Polluters Charles and David Koch don’t deny it: they fund front groups to deny climate science
On Friday, I had the pleasure of receiving a surprising e-mail from the head of communications for Koch Industries, a massive oil and chemical corporation and the second-largest privately held company in America.
The e-mail was from the chief spokesperson for Koch Industries, a woman named Melissa. To my shock, Melissa didn’t deny that the corporation does in fact pay an industry front group millions of dollars to perpetuate the dirty energy economy and obfuscate the truth about climate science.
What’s an industry front group, you may ask? Well, big corporations like Koch Industries know that the public doesn’t trust them. So they funnel millions of dollars to front groups with vague names evocative of white picket fences like “Americans for Prosperity” to do their dirty work.
What a refreshing blast of honesty from a corporation that specializes in shadows and misinformation! Surprised? Me too! Let me explain how this e-mail came to be:
As Greenpeace’s field organizer in Boston, I wrote an opinion piece for the Cape Cod Today newspaper last week illuminating the fact that oil, coal and gas billionaire William I. Koch is the main funder of the front group that has been fighting Cape Wind for the better part of the last decade.
William Koch no longer has a hand in Koch Industries, which his brothers David and Charles run, but he didn’t stray too far from the family business. Instead, Bill is the founder and president of the Oxbow Group, another energy company that mines and sells coal, gas, petroleum and petroleum coke products. Way to keep the family legacy of ravaging the planet alive, Bill! Bill is also on the board of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, the front group that has fought Cape Wind, America’s first offshore wind farm project off the coast of Cape Cod. He has spent at least $ 1.5 million of his personal fortune to finance the Alliance’s efforts to obfuscate the truth about Cape Wind.
As I wrote in the Cape Cod Today piece, paying front groups to mislead Americans about global warming is a family tradition for the Kochs:
[Bill’s] estranged brothers, Charles and David Koch, who now control Koch Industries, provide millions of dollars for industry front groups such as FreedomWorks and Americans for Prosperity designed to perpetuate the dirty energy economy and obfuscate the science of global warming.
A few hours later, I got an e-mail from Melissa, who identified herself as the director of communication for Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC. Melissa had seen my op-ed and wanted to clarify a point. She quoted the paragraph I wrote about Charles and David Koch (see above), and wrote:
Koch Industries, the Koch foundations, Charles Koch and David Koch have no tes [sic] to and have never given money to FreedomWorks. Can you correct this in the online version of your Op-Ed? Thanks.”
Well, I’m so glad that’s cleared up! So, for those of you keeping score at home, the Kochs, by their own spokesperson’s admission, do not fund the front group FreedomWorks, but do pay the front group Americans for Prosperity to spread misinformation about established climate science.
For the record, it’s semantics whether the Kochs funded FreedomWorks or not. In 1984, Charles and David Koch conceived of and funded Citizens for a Sound Economy, one of the original front groups to deny global warming. Citizens for a Sound Economy split in 2003 into Americans for Prosperity (the Kochs’ front group du jour) and another group that ultimately became FreedomWorks, another right-wing climate-science denying group. So technically, Melissa may be right that the Kochs don’t fund FreedomWorks, but they did fund its predecessor.
The larger point is that while Melissa took great pains to dissociate her bosses from Freedomworks, she took no issue with my description of the Kochs’ “providing millions of dollars designed to perpetuate the dirty energy economy and obfuscate the science of global warming.”
Well, I’m glad that’s settled! The first step is always admitting you have a problem, so it’s good that Koch Industries has officially acknowledged that they fund front groups to deny climate science. In their newfound spirit of honesty, the Kochs should next admit the gravity of the climate threat, give up their fossil fuel holdings, and put their billions of dirty oil dollars to good use by investing in renewable energy! Melissa, shoot me another e-mail as soon as you guys check that one off.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Acidification
The article below explains in clear and understandable terms why global warming matters to each of us.
Ocean Acidification: A Hidden Risk of Global Warming
I love swimming in the ocean, but I also know plenty of people who wouldn’t dream of it. There are too many unseen perils: the ominous tug of a current, razor-sharp oyster shells, sting rays buried in the sand and shadowy, slimy things brushing past. Even my fishermen friends, who depend on the ocean for their livelihoods, keep a respectful distance from the waves.
The ocean is awe-inspiring. We were born of it, and it gives us life by producing much of the oxygen we breathe and the water we drink. It is mysterious and vast. No wonder we speak of emptying oceans with teaspoons to describe impossible tasks.
Yet, unfathomably, we have accomplished the impossible. We have changed the basic chemistry of the oceans — drop by drop — in such a profound way that we may be destroying a web of life that we depend upon for our very existence. Those ocean creatures should be wary of us — not the other way around.
"Scientists are concerned that we are changing the ocean's chemistry so rapidly that we are outstripping the evolutionary pace of many organisms to adapt."
The change we've introduced is called ocean acidification.
The basic science is pretty straightforward: Since the industrial revolution, humans have been pumping ever increasing amounts of carbon dioxide into the air. Some of that CO2 is absorbed by the ocean, where it dissolves to form carbonic acid.
The ocean today absorbs nearly a third of the carbon dioxide we produce, probably mitigating the impact of climate change. But the ocean has absorbed so much CO2 that overall acidity levels are rising, and at a much faster rate than previously thought.
More acidic water makes it harder — and ultimately impossible — for creatures like mussels, clams, lobsters and crabs to form shells, which are made largely from the calcium carbonate, plain old chalk, that occurs naturally in seawater. Acidic water simply eats away the calcium carbonate. That’s why acidification is sometimes referred to as "osteoporosis of the sea."
These tiny, lentil-sized pteropods are essential to the survival of creatures like the humpback whale.
This process affects creatures up and down the food chain — from the tiny organisms that build the planet's coral reefs and the plankton drifting with the ocean currents, all the way to the whales that feed on the plankton.
Also affected are the lentil bean-sized pteropods, delicate, balletic creatures that nourish many of the fish we then consume. In other words, the ability of all ocean life to sustain itself is being compromised.
Scientists have been surprised at how sensitive plants and animals are to even small changes in CO2 levels. Some creatures have shown an ability to adapt to more acidic waters; lobsters, for instance, harden their shells in an initial response to acidity. But for many creatures, acid is deadly: Their shells disintegrate. And many scientists are concerned that we are changing the ocean's chemistry so rapidly that we are outstripping the capacity of many organisms to adapt.
Because the science is fairly new, we still do not fully understand the long-term effect of increasingly acidic oceans. The ocean is a complex, integrated, self-regulating system; how it will change is hard to predict.
As we conduct this uncontrolled experiment on two-thirds of the planet, scientists are racing to find ways to make the ocean more resilient. Doug Rader, EDF's chief ocean scientist, says: "Along with our partners from around the world — from Cuba to the EU, and beyond — EDF scientists are scrambling to understand why some reefs are more robust than others, why some fish populations bounce back, when others languish, and exactly what mix of strategies will suffice to maximize the resilience of the world's oceans.
Healing the Ocean
Here are a few suggestions if you wish to learn more about the oceans in general, and acidification in particular.
Start by watching NOAA's Jane Lubchenco give Senators a demo of ocean acidification.
Read more…
"One thing is already clear," he adds. "Rebuilding ecosystem complexity, including restoring populations of large predators such as sharks, is central to the long-term survival of the seas."
The Obama administration signaled its commitment to acidification research when it appointed Jane Lubchenco to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Lubchenco, a widely respected marine ecologist and former EDF Board member, has made clear, in Congressional testimony and elsewhere, the seriousness of this threat to the seas.
There is no controversy surrounding the science underlying the acidification of the ocean. There is no question about where the CO2 is coming from. There is no question about how the chemistry works. And there is only one known way to stop acidification: to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. The more we reduce now, the less severe, and costly, the future consequences.
What can you do? Become an advocate for the oceans. Take care to minimize your carbon footprint—but keep in mind one of my favorite phrases: living sustainably is necessary, but not sufficient. It's equally important to demand comprehensive legislation that cuts carbon emissions.
And go ahead, take a swim. Bathe in those natal waters, and give thanks for the life they support. The ocean has the capacity to heal itself much faster than one teaspoon at a time. We need to give it that chance. We would be doing ourselves a big favor — giving our grandchildren a chance to inhabit a livable planet.
Ocean Acidification: A Hidden Risk of Global Warming
I love swimming in the ocean, but I also know plenty of people who wouldn’t dream of it. There are too many unseen perils: the ominous tug of a current, razor-sharp oyster shells, sting rays buried in the sand and shadowy, slimy things brushing past. Even my fishermen friends, who depend on the ocean for their livelihoods, keep a respectful distance from the waves.
The ocean is awe-inspiring. We were born of it, and it gives us life by producing much of the oxygen we breathe and the water we drink. It is mysterious and vast. No wonder we speak of emptying oceans with teaspoons to describe impossible tasks.
Yet, unfathomably, we have accomplished the impossible. We have changed the basic chemistry of the oceans — drop by drop — in such a profound way that we may be destroying a web of life that we depend upon for our very existence. Those ocean creatures should be wary of us — not the other way around.
"Scientists are concerned that we are changing the ocean's chemistry so rapidly that we are outstripping the evolutionary pace of many organisms to adapt."
The change we've introduced is called ocean acidification.
The basic science is pretty straightforward: Since the industrial revolution, humans have been pumping ever increasing amounts of carbon dioxide into the air. Some of that CO2 is absorbed by the ocean, where it dissolves to form carbonic acid.
The ocean today absorbs nearly a third of the carbon dioxide we produce, probably mitigating the impact of climate change. But the ocean has absorbed so much CO2 that overall acidity levels are rising, and at a much faster rate than previously thought.
More acidic water makes it harder — and ultimately impossible — for creatures like mussels, clams, lobsters and crabs to form shells, which are made largely from the calcium carbonate, plain old chalk, that occurs naturally in seawater. Acidic water simply eats away the calcium carbonate. That’s why acidification is sometimes referred to as "osteoporosis of the sea."
These tiny, lentil-sized pteropods are essential to the survival of creatures like the humpback whale.
This process affects creatures up and down the food chain — from the tiny organisms that build the planet's coral reefs and the plankton drifting with the ocean currents, all the way to the whales that feed on the plankton.
Also affected are the lentil bean-sized pteropods, delicate, balletic creatures that nourish many of the fish we then consume. In other words, the ability of all ocean life to sustain itself is being compromised.
Scientists have been surprised at how sensitive plants and animals are to even small changes in CO2 levels. Some creatures have shown an ability to adapt to more acidic waters; lobsters, for instance, harden their shells in an initial response to acidity. But for many creatures, acid is deadly: Their shells disintegrate. And many scientists are concerned that we are changing the ocean's chemistry so rapidly that we are outstripping the capacity of many organisms to adapt.
Because the science is fairly new, we still do not fully understand the long-term effect of increasingly acidic oceans. The ocean is a complex, integrated, self-regulating system; how it will change is hard to predict.
As we conduct this uncontrolled experiment on two-thirds of the planet, scientists are racing to find ways to make the ocean more resilient. Doug Rader, EDF's chief ocean scientist, says: "Along with our partners from around the world — from Cuba to the EU, and beyond — EDF scientists are scrambling to understand why some reefs are more robust than others, why some fish populations bounce back, when others languish, and exactly what mix of strategies will suffice to maximize the resilience of the world's oceans.
Healing the Ocean
Here are a few suggestions if you wish to learn more about the oceans in general, and acidification in particular.
Start by watching NOAA's Jane Lubchenco give Senators a demo of ocean acidification.
Read more…
"One thing is already clear," he adds. "Rebuilding ecosystem complexity, including restoring populations of large predators such as sharks, is central to the long-term survival of the seas."
The Obama administration signaled its commitment to acidification research when it appointed Jane Lubchenco to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Lubchenco, a widely respected marine ecologist and former EDF Board member, has made clear, in Congressional testimony and elsewhere, the seriousness of this threat to the seas.
There is no controversy surrounding the science underlying the acidification of the ocean. There is no question about where the CO2 is coming from. There is no question about how the chemistry works. And there is only one known way to stop acidification: to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. The more we reduce now, the less severe, and costly, the future consequences.
What can you do? Become an advocate for the oceans. Take care to minimize your carbon footprint—but keep in mind one of my favorite phrases: living sustainably is necessary, but not sufficient. It's equally important to demand comprehensive legislation that cuts carbon emissions.
And go ahead, take a swim. Bathe in those natal waters, and give thanks for the life they support. The ocean has the capacity to heal itself much faster than one teaspoon at a time. We need to give it that chance. We would be doing ourselves a big favor — giving our grandchildren a chance to inhabit a livable planet.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
New law requires upgrade for homeowners who use oil for heating
The Brockton Enterprise offers this reminder --
New law requires upgrade for homeowners who use oil for heating
By Alice C. Elwell
Homeowners with oil heating systems that were installed before 1990 will have to pay up to $300 to comply with a new state law that will take effect in July.
The “Oil Heating System Upgrade and Insurance Law” requires either a sleeve around the pipe that feeds the burner or a safety valve to prevent leaks.
Once the upgrade is completed, a homeowner can apply for leak coverage on his insurance policy.
“This new law will definitely benefit all homeowners who use oil to heat their home,” said Wayne C. Perkins, an insurance agent and retired director of the state insurance Rating Bureau.
He said this type of insurance coverage was not available in Massachusetts in the past because policies carried a pollution exclusion.
The new law allows all homeowners to buy insurance coverage for the cleanup of a leak if their system is in compliance.
Diane Chaplin, branch manager of the Farrell Backlund Insurance Agency in Taunton, said the rates have not been set.
“First the industry has to write the coverage form, then the state has to approve the form and the rate filing,” she said.
Before 1990, most pipes from the tank to the burner were buried in concrete. The new law calls for homeowners to either dig up the concrete and line the pipe with a non-metallic sleeve, or simply install the safety valve on the oil tank.
While the safety value is a less expensive route, Tony Coletti, owner of Coletti Brothers Oil Co. in Middleboro, calls it a “Band-Aid” solution and recommends the more expensive option.
Coletti said the average cost to install the safety valve is about $160, compared to a complete oil line upgrade in the $150 to $300 range, depending on the length of the pipe.
“The oil safety valve is a Band-Aid, one I do not recommend. If the oil line is old, it should be replaced and brought up to code.”
Coletti said those who opt for the safety valve still have to contend with the old lines. He said concrete shortens the life expectancy of copper pipe, but surrounded by a nonmetallic sleeve, “There’s nothing to corrode it; it could last forever.”
Coletti said lines buried in concrete can leak without the homeowner noticing.
A simple leak can cost as much as $15,000 to clean up, while more extensive cleanup costs can top $250,000.
“I’m letting my customers know if they will need to do it,” Colletti said.
He has already upgraded “quite a few” oil systems, the majority with a sleeve on the line.
Fire Capt. Debra Burke, Middleboro’s code enforcement officer, said the state did not provide funding to enforce the upgrade law. With reduced manpower from budget cuts, Burke said, “We cannot go door-to-door to check out the lines.”
She said the Fire Department will issue a certificate of compliance if homeowners ask for an inspection. The law also allows licensed oil burner technicians to certify that the upgrade has been done.
Homeowners are exempt from the leak prevention law if the oil burner is located above the oil storage tank and the entire line is above the top of the tank.
For the complete text of the law and a diagram of the upgrade go to: http://www.mass.gov/dep/cleanup/laws/hhsl.htm
New law requires upgrade for homeowners who use oil for heating
By Alice C. Elwell
Homeowners with oil heating systems that were installed before 1990 will have to pay up to $300 to comply with a new state law that will take effect in July.
The “Oil Heating System Upgrade and Insurance Law” requires either a sleeve around the pipe that feeds the burner or a safety valve to prevent leaks.
Once the upgrade is completed, a homeowner can apply for leak coverage on his insurance policy.
“This new law will definitely benefit all homeowners who use oil to heat their home,” said Wayne C. Perkins, an insurance agent and retired director of the state insurance Rating Bureau.
He said this type of insurance coverage was not available in Massachusetts in the past because policies carried a pollution exclusion.
The new law allows all homeowners to buy insurance coverage for the cleanup of a leak if their system is in compliance.
Diane Chaplin, branch manager of the Farrell Backlund Insurance Agency in Taunton, said the rates have not been set.
“First the industry has to write the coverage form, then the state has to approve the form and the rate filing,” she said.
Before 1990, most pipes from the tank to the burner were buried in concrete. The new law calls for homeowners to either dig up the concrete and line the pipe with a non-metallic sleeve, or simply install the safety valve on the oil tank.
While the safety value is a less expensive route, Tony Coletti, owner of Coletti Brothers Oil Co. in Middleboro, calls it a “Band-Aid” solution and recommends the more expensive option.
Coletti said the average cost to install the safety valve is about $160, compared to a complete oil line upgrade in the $150 to $300 range, depending on the length of the pipe.
“The oil safety valve is a Band-Aid, one I do not recommend. If the oil line is old, it should be replaced and brought up to code.”
Coletti said those who opt for the safety valve still have to contend with the old lines. He said concrete shortens the life expectancy of copper pipe, but surrounded by a nonmetallic sleeve, “There’s nothing to corrode it; it could last forever.”
Coletti said lines buried in concrete can leak without the homeowner noticing.
A simple leak can cost as much as $15,000 to clean up, while more extensive cleanup costs can top $250,000.
“I’m letting my customers know if they will need to do it,” Colletti said.
He has already upgraded “quite a few” oil systems, the majority with a sleeve on the line.
Fire Capt. Debra Burke, Middleboro’s code enforcement officer, said the state did not provide funding to enforce the upgrade law. With reduced manpower from budget cuts, Burke said, “We cannot go door-to-door to check out the lines.”
She said the Fire Department will issue a certificate of compliance if homeowners ask for an inspection. The law also allows licensed oil burner technicians to certify that the upgrade has been done.
Homeowners are exempt from the leak prevention law if the oil burner is located above the oil storage tank and the entire line is above the top of the tank.
For the complete text of the law and a diagram of the upgrade go to: http://www.mass.gov/dep/cleanup/laws/hhsl.htm
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Betty Brown
Longtime Middleboro reference librarian dies of cancer
Betty Brown died Monday of cancer at age 65
By Alice C. Elwell
ENTERPRISE CORRESPONDENT
MIDDLEBORO — Betty Brown, known to most in town as the reference librarian at the public library, died Monday at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston after a sudden bout with cancer. She was 65.
A woman of many qualities, she held a Ph.D. in American literature and was a cranberry grower.
Her pet project at the library was cataloguing the weekly Middleboro Gazette, and making it available online, said Danielle Bowker, director of the library.
Calls came from far and wide, from people researching genealogy to others trying to find information on the arcane. Bowker said most of the time Brown could just rattle off the facts.
“The best part of her day was getting one of those requests,” Bowker said, adding that Brown’s project will live on. “We won’t stop. She would never forgive us.”
In her early years, Brown left town to pursue her education and ended up at Michigan State, working on her doctorate when she met her future husband, Hal Brown. The couple returned to Middleboro to help her parents grow cranberries, and soon she took over the family business, Korpinen Cranberry Co.
“She came back here to grow cranberries. Her love for being a farmer was something I came to respect,” said Jeffrey D. LaFleur, executive director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Association.
He said she brought her deep love for the environment to board of directors when she was a member.
“She was someone who not only knew cranberry growing, but was respected by the growers,” LaFleur said.
She was known for her ready smile, jewelry, blue-painted nails and passion for dancing Zumba at the YMCA.
Just four months ago when she got the diagnosis, her husband, Hal, thought they had more time. He suggested they buy a convertible for their summer treks to Little Harbor beach in Wareham. As time passed and Brown realized her days were coming to an end, she made Hal promise to buy that convertible after she died.
Last year, the couple bought a pair of West Highland white Terriers, Mac and Duff. The dogs were a great comfort to Brown during her illness, snuggling up with her when she was in pain.
Aside from cranberry growing and the library, her husband said she had a passion for the ocean and the couple spent many a summer day at the beach. He said she had a penchant for long walks along the shore.
“She’d be gone for an hour, an hour and a half ... I’d be getting hungry and then I’d see her wandering back real slow,” he said.
Funeral services will be held in the Ashley Funeral Home, 35 Oak St., on Saturday 10 am. Visiting hours will be held Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.
BOSTON — Betty Elaine (Korpinen) Brown, aged 65 years, lifelong resident of Middleboro, died on Mon., January 11, 2010, at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was the beloved wife of Hal Brown of Middleboro; they had been married for 37 years.
Born in Middleboro, she was the daughter of Vaino A. and Margaret E. (Oakland) Korpinen of Middleboro. She was a 1962 graduate of Middleboro High School, then went on to graduate from UMass of Amherst in 1966 where she earned her Bachelor's Degree, and then went on to Michigan State and earned her Master's and Doctorate in American Literature. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
She had been co-owner and CEO for Korpinen Cranberries Inc., for 14 years and has been a reference librarian, as well as leader of adult services, at the Middleboro Public Library for over 20 years. She had participated in speeches, pertaining to the Historical Society, and was treasurer of the Cemetery at the Green Association, Middleboro.
Betty had a great passion for the cranberry business, which reflected the many cranberry organizations she had been involved with which included the Plymouth County Conservation District Board, the Ocean Spray Advisory Board, and was vice-chairwomen of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association.
In her early years, Betty attended the First Congregational Church, Middleboro, as well as Sunday school. She will be warmheartedly remembered as a devoted daughter, and cousin, and will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Betty's hobbies included kayaking, animals (especially dogs and cats), walking beaches, reading and books.
She is survived by her parents; her husband, Hal; one aunt, Mary Korpinen of South Carver; cousins, Neil Korpinen of Santa Barbara, CA, Cheryl Korpinen of NY, Brenda Chase of Plympton; her special godmother, Elsie Heleen of Rochester; and her dogs, Mac and Duff.
Funeral services will be held in the Ashley Funeral Home, 35 Oak St., Middleboro, on Sat., Jan. 16th at 10 am. Visiting hours, to which relatives and friends are invited to attend, will be held on Fri., from 2-4 & 6-8 pm. Burial will take place in the Cemetery at the Green, Middleboro.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory can be made to: The Middleboro Public Library, 102 North Main St., Middleboro, MA 02346, or to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, 44 Binney St., Boston, MA 02115, would be appreciated.
For more information, please visit www.eggerandashleyfh.com
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Tuesday, December 8th
Word spread near and far about a snowman who's voting for Alan Khazei on Tuesday!
.Few can say it better than our friend, Gladys or Truth to Power or the Snowman!
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This is an important vote that will effect us for years to come. Alan Khazei has reached out to voters, offered informed positions based on his core values and the best interests of the people being served, without consulting polls or well-funded lobbyists.
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Early in the race, I leaned toward Martha Coakley, who has been campaigning for as long as I can remember.
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Ms. Coakley has been carefully scripted, tackled issues based on her continuing campaign and mostly avoided controversy.
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In her role as Attorney General, she is head consumer advocate for the Commonwealth.
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Legislation intended to protect and prosecute should you believe Coakley's inevitability Cha Ching fantasy (promoted by supporter, MA Senate President Therese Murray) about predatory gambling was discussed, formulated, finalized behind closed doors.
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Coakley's two predecessors opposed expanded gambling based on facts, research and information. Instead, Martha "cautions caution."
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In time, I believe Ms. Coakley may be a noteworthy Attorney General ... in time.
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The image of watching a neighboring community destroyed by OTB (Off Track Betting) suggests to me the only caution is voting for Martha who lacks the courage of her convictions or maybe lacks convictions.
The image of watching a neighboring community destroyed by OTB (Off Track Betting) suggests to me the only caution is voting for Martha who lacks the courage of her convictions or maybe lacks convictions.
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Don't forget to vote!
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From a supporter --
With the special election for Ted Kennedy's Senate seat approaching, I want to take a moment to share with you why I -- along with the Boston Globe, Gen. Wes Clark, BlueMassGroup.com, the Worcester Telegram and Gazette, the Cape Cod Times, Max Kennedy, Vicki Strauss Kennedy, Sen. Sam Nunn, Sen. Harris Wofford and over 500 citizen leaders -- support Alan Khazei. (Here's the Globe endorsement: http://www.alanforsenate.com/globeendorsement)
Why Alan? Among the candidates, only Alan has the potential to be a game-changing U.S. Senator, a senator who can build and lead coalitions and marshall citizen power to drive progress on the urgent issues of our day. Only Alan has experience affecting change by engaging people and changing politics, best exemplified by his co-founding of City Year. As a citizen activist he has worked with Senator Kennedy and four U.S. Presidents to pass three major pieces of service-related legislation and to successfully rally a citizen movement to fight back against former republican leader Tom DeLay, who tried to dismantle AmeriCorps.
How Is Alan Different From the Other Candidates? While all the Democrats share some policy positions, Alan sets himself apart from the other candidates on a number of crucial issues. According to Newsweek, Alan is "the only candidate in Massachusetts who stands fully with the President on education," in looking to offer great options to all of our children, through higher pay for teachers, differentiated pay, and expansion of successful charter schools in high-need communities. On health care, Alan is a strong supporter of a reform plan with a robust public option, and, unlike Martha Coakley and Mike Capuano, he has said he would vote for the current house or senate health care reform plans, while imperfect, because they expand coverage to 36 million Americans. And on the economy, Alan has laid out detailed plans to stimulate the economy through a comprehensive green jobs initiative, a small business hiring tax credit, a main street stimulus initiative and fully funding the Kennedy-Hatch ServeAmerica bill to create more than 250,000 service jobs.
Can Alan Win? The answer is a resounding yes. Only one sixth of the 3.7 million eligible voters are expected to vote in this election; that means as few as 200,000 voters could win the election. Recent polls have charted Alan's exponential rise, which is a testament to our unmatched grassroots field operation. Our citizen field teams have knocked on tens of thousands of doors, with many more on the way. With the majority of voters still undecided, we absolutely can win this race.
What Can I Do To Help? I hope you'll join me over the next few days by canvassing, emailing your friends, posting on Facebook and Twitter, or building support for him in any other way you can: http://www.alanforsenate.com/gotv. If you can, please make a donation at http://www.alanforsenate.com/donate. Together, we can make a difference!
I hope you will support Alan on Dec. 8 -- let's take this chance to elect a real reformer to represent us in the Senate. Thanks so much for your time.
www.AlanForSenate.com
From the candidate --
When we began this race with less than 11 weeks to go, few people thought my candidacy stood a chance. So, I did what I've always done -- I chose to rely on you. The result has been an enormous grassroots campaign powered by Big Citizenship, new ideas, and reform.
Now, with just 60 hours left until the polls close, we are in a position that nobody -- except you and our many friends -- could have imagined. Because of your support, friendship, and dedication, I am confident we can win this election.
The Boston Globe, The Worcester Telegram and Gazette, Blue Mass Group, The West Roxbury Transcript and just yesterday, The Cape Cod Times have all written strong endorsements stating that I would be the best next Senator for Massachusetts. Each of these important media institutions has followed your lead.
And thanks to so many who are canvassing and making phone calls over the next few days, we are bringing our message of Big Citizenship, Reform, Action, and Getting Results directly to tens of thousands of voters across Massachusetts.
I am writing to ask you to dig deep just one more time.
Our campaign is being massively outspent four and five to one by our opponents.
Historically the candidate that gets the Boston Globe endorsement wins the election, as long as they have the resources to get that message out on television and directly to the voters.
We need your support to help raise the resources we need in these final hours to keep our Globe ad on TV and fund our Get Out The Vote effort.
If each of you getting this email would give again -- and try to find one friend, or spouse or family member to give as well -- I am confident that together we will prevail.
Would you please make one final donation by clicking here: www.alanforsenate.com/HomeStretch
Everything that Vanessa and I have done in our lives, people at first say it cannot be done. But we have always succeeded because we know it isn't about us. It is about bringing together a coalition of concerned Big Citizens and working together to make change.
We cannot thank you enough for all that you have done to bring us to this point in this campaign. It has been an extraordinary privilege and we are so deeply grateful.
We are truly confident that if you are willing to support us one more time, I will be the next Senator from Massachusetts and we will be able to continue working together to bring the voice of We the People into Washington and secure the change we all want and need.
Thank you so much for anything more you can do in these final hours.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Alan
P.S. Click here to see our terrific new ad about the Globe Endorsement. And please forward this e-mail to as many friends as possible.
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