True loves the environment and also loves the Lynx, along with every other sentient creature on the planet.
But I can't help but notice that the feds don't really give a s**t about the polar bears, nearing extinction on account of global warming, the wolf who can now be shot from the air in some places with impunity, and a host of other species endanged by such atrocious practices as cutting off mountaintops to get more coal.
Ah. But, they stand firm on the lynx. In Cook County, where 90 percent of the land is publicly owned and lynx habitat protected, they are determined to regulate the rest of us and restrict our back yards. Lynx, to my delight, run through my small private forest and presumably feed upon the abundant snowshoe hare that also live here. I hope they always will feel comfortable visiting. BUT. Restrictions on whether I can build something new on my land? It makes me want to spit on those who lop the tops off moutains that have stood for thousands of years.
Or maybe they just have it in for us in Cook County. We aren't allow even limited commercial fishing on Lake Superior although conservative projections show that won't adversely affect local fish populations. The white settlers here survived by commercial fishing and our 150-year history here would never have happened without it.
Where is there any perspective? Fishing does not cause global warming, and doesn't harm anything or anybody except the unlucky fish who are caught. But protecting the lynx on private property could have devastating effects on our local economy.
Showing posts with label global warming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label global warming. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Ugly America
Dear True,
I’m thinking about the Ugly Americans, about what evil they have done to the world so far in the first decade of the 21st century. Let me count the ways:
First there was what we might call 9/11 revenge: to avenge the deaths of 4,000 Americans on that tragic day we have killed hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens in other nations, mostly Iraq and Afghanistan. We have left millions homeless, we have destroyed their infrastructure and centuries of culture, we have committed rape and murder by our hired mercenaries like Blackwater, we have caused 4,000 soldiers to die and untold others ruined lives, suicides, post traumatic stress unlike any war in living memory and we have failed to provide jobs or health care or training to these fractured souls when they come home. Have we taken enough revenge yet? Can we finally say, yes, we now understand why “they” hate us so much?
Second, the markets of the whole world are reeling from the bad mortgage loans given out by greedy profiteers, yes, here in the US of A. The dollar has tanked for similar reasons and the trillions of dollars of federal debt are owed by and large to other countries like Japan and China.
Next, look at our record on torture of prisoners, warrantless spying on everybody, destruction of a free press by the big media giants, dirty tricks politicking to win at any cost, the Bush-Cheney-Rove cabal’s devastation of our own constitution which so wisely provided separation of powers, the dismantling of all the good and great social nets that brought widespread security and prosperity after the Depression…. This list is endless. Look at the millions of people here and billions elsewhere who can’t meet their basic survival needs for food, clothing and shelter thanks to our ruinous economic policies and the rampant greed of big oil. Look at how everything costs so much because it has to be delivered via oil-based energy, at how diverting grain production to ethanol has caused starvation.
Worst of all, don’t look too hard at how fast the Arctic permafrost is melting and releasing poisonous methane into the air we breathe, or at the dizzying speed of carbon emissions already spiraled beyond sustainable levels (i.e. that 350 ppm). Don’t look because you will recoil in terror, because there is probably no turning back from global disaster even if we stopped all coal-fired plants NOW and we won’t. No it’s bidness as usual in the good old US of A, the greed and hubris capitol of the world. It’s ME, NOW, SPEND, PILLAGE and PLUNDER. It’s cut down the mountaintops and create dead zones where no life survives just to mine a little more treasure trove out of Mother Earth, an astonishing and horrific metaphor for all we have done, all we have become.
Anonymous
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting in Ely
One of our field correspondents sent this story by e-mail.
True
Subject: Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting in Ely
To see the video of the Governor with Bob Tammen, go to:
http://ksax.com/article/stories/S303681.shtml
http://tpt.blogs.com/almanac_producers/2008/01/almanac-highlig.html
Protestors covered on Almanac by Mary Lahammer
Global Warming in Ely
Governor Pawlenty and explorer Will Steger teamed up in Ely on Friday to talk about global warming. Our Mary Lahammer was there.
Fridays at 7 PM (live)
Sundays at 11:30 AM
WDSE-8, Duluth, MN
According to the Duluth cable guide this will air 10:30 AM Sunday and 11:00 PM Sunday night. Mary Lahammer covered the protestors in Ely and spoke with some on their opposition to sulfide mining in the state.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/01/05/copper/
MPR Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting
Gov. Tim Pawlenty was greeted by protesters at an Ely, Minn., summit on global climate change
.
Governor Tim Pawlenty
Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting
January 5, 2008
Ely, Minn. — Gov. Tim Pawlenty was greeted by protesters at an Ely, Minn., summit on global climate change. Demonstrators worry that copper and precious metals mining planned on the Iron Range will create dangerous waste that could pollute area water supplies for decades or longer.
Gov. Pawlenty said there needs to be a balance, and that the mining could be done safely.
"One of the themes of the discussion today was making sure we balance the need to make sure that people have jobs and economic growth and economic activity, with being good stewards with the environment and the need reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and address climate change. I think both can be done," says Gov. Pawlenty. The Ely summit is the first of several meetings that Gov. Pawlenty and Will Steger are holding around the state.
Larger view
Will Steger
Minn. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar joined the Ely summit, along with a dozen Iron Range business and academic leaders.
Outside Vermilion Community College in Ely Friday afternoon January 4th-
The Governor shook everyone's hand and talked with everyone about sulfide mining. Elanne hand delivered a personal letter to the Governor. I gave Governor Pawlenty some literature on sulfide mining, he told me that it would give him something to read on the plane. Bob was the last person he talked with and he told Bob "It hasn't been permitted yet". Bob had a dialogue with him about fast tracking the sulfide mining projects, etc.
To see the video of the Governor with Bob Tammen and more, go to:
http://ksax.com/article/stories/S303681.shtml
Pawlenty responds to protesters
Governor Pawlenty, joined by Amy Klobuchar and explorer Will Steger, was in Ely Friday to discuss climate changes and how the state may have to deal with them...
Full Article
Pawlenty responds to protesters
Governor Pawlenty, joined by Amy Klobuchar and explorer Will Steger, was in Ely Friday to discuss climate changes and how the state may have to deal with them.
One of the issues on the table – how to reduce emissions, protect the environment, but not stifle economic development.
The governor’s handlers wanted Pawlenty to avoid a small group of protestors outside the climate forum, but instead, the governor addressed them.
The protesters said they question how the governor can be so concerned about climate change issues, while at the same time, his administration supports plans for increased mining on the Iron Range.
"At the same time they are talking about global warming they are trying to fast track a copper mine right on the other side of Birch Lake," said Bob Iammen, a protester.
A Republican governor, a Democrat senator, and even the steel industry shared the same stage, agreeing to call on Minnesota to use energy more efficiently and to come up with a plan to not only address climate change, but also to create economic opportunity for the state in the process.
"If we go boldly and correctly, it may create economic balance," Pawlenty said. "Having a cleaner, better environment doesn't have to mean the loss to the economy -- it could be a net gain."
Last session the legislature passed a law requiring Minnesota companies to reduce emissions. The stop in Ely was one of several made by the governor's task force, which will present a report to lawmakers in February.
http://tpt.blogs.com/almanac_producers/2008/01/almanac-highlig.html
Protestors covered on Almanac by Mary Lahammer
Fridays at 7 PM (live)
Sundays at 11:30 AM
WDSE-8, Duluth, MN
According to the Duluth cable guide this will air 10:30 AM Sunday and 11:00 PM Sunday night. I hear that Fern and Mark were shown being interviewed in Ely about copper/sulfide mining.
January 04, 2008
Almanac Highlights January 4, 2008
A New Year's Monologue
Susie Jones counts her blessings.
Winter Carnival's Ice Problems
The St. Paul Winter Carnival needs more cash for ice carving blocks. And the carnival is just two weeks away.
Global Warming in Ely
Governor Pawlenty and explorer Will Steger teamed up in Ely on Friday to talk about global warming. Our Mary Lahammer was there.
Getting Your Fill of Ethanol?
Next week MinnPost.com will feature a four-part series on the politics and science of ethanol. MinnPost reporters Ron Way and Mark Neuzil give us a series preview.
Library Merger
The Hennepin County Library system absorbed Minneapolis libraries this week. What will it mean to you? Find out as we chat with new system head Amy Ryan.
Liberian Refugees
The Minneapolis-based American Refugee Committee has an active gender-violence program in the West African nation of Liberia. Minnesotan Eve Lotter is just back from seven months there and fills us in.
Remembering Carol Bly
The acclaimed Minnesota writer died of cancer in late December. Back in 1991 Bly was featured on Channel 2's interview program "Portrait." We play a few minutes from that wide-ranging interview.
Political Science Party
There's no better time to be a political scientist. The Iowa caucuses have just ended and New Hampshire is right around the corner. We check in with Steve Schier of Carleton College, Larry Jacobs from the U of M, Hamline's David Schultz and Stacey Hunter Hecht from Bethel University.
Wrapup
Two nifty Minnesota History questions and some great show-ending music from a 2007 studio performance by Willie Murphy.
Posted at 03:41 PM | Permalink
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=57538§ion=homepage
Pawlenty says he may participate in Canadian Arctic trip in May
Lee Bloomquist Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, January 05, 2008
Gov. Tim Pawlenty hasn’t decided yet whether to accompany polar explorer Will Steger to the Canadian Arctic in May.
But the two joined forces Friday in the far reaches of northern Minnesota to again call attention to climate change.
“Will and I are going to do some more forums in Minnesota,” Pawlenty said in a conference call after a climate forum at Vermilion Community College in Ely. “I’m still interested in going on the trip, but it’s subject to scheduling and the [legislative] session in the spring.”
Pawlenty: Says his participation depends on scheduling this spring's legislative session. [2007 FILE/NEWS TRIBUNE]
Pawlenty: Says his participation depends on scheduling this spring's legislative session. [2007 FILE/NEWS TRIBUNE]
RELATED CONTENT
Duluth News Tribune Web Icon Steger
Lee Bloomquist Archive
It’s not the first time that Pawlenty and Steger have talked about the environment and its impact on the globe.
In October, the two teamed up in Duluth to talk about global warming.
Steger, a native of Ely, has explored both poles, the Arctic Ocean and the Andes. He says he’s seen firsthand the effects of global warming.
Pawlenty, meanwhile, has become a national leader in calling attention to climate change and pushing for tougher laws aimed at improving the environment.
Pawlenty in 2007 signed a renewable energy mandate calling for utilities to produce 25 percent of their power by renewable means by 2025. Pawlenty also has been an advocate for reducing the state’s carbon emissions.
Under Pawlenty, Minnesota has been a national leader in the production and promotion of E-85 fuel, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.
continued...
Some protesters turned out in Ely to express concern about copper
Some protesters turned out in Ely to express concern about copper, nickel and precious metals mining projects proposed in Northeastern Minnesota.
Pawlenty said he believes that development of copper, nickel and precious metals mines could be balanced along with protection of the environment.
“I think both can be done,” Pawlenty said. “It’s going to take some technological breakthroughs, but you can do both.”
In the future, Pawlenty says he sees more opportunities for the state to lead in environmental issues.
In early February, a climate change advisory task force will issue a report to Pawlenty and the Legislature proposing additional energy saving and environmental protection strategies.
Coining a north woods version of the “silver bullet” phrase, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said there’s no “silver buckshot” that will solve climate change.
Klobuchar, who attended the Ely forum, said she expects the federal government to provide incentives for renewable energy development in the short term.
Under federal law, the production of E-85 is set to reach 36 billion gallons in the next 10 to 15 years compared with 5 billion to 8 billon gallons today, she said.
“We should be investing in the farmers of the Midwest rather than the oil companies of the Mideast,” Klobuchar said.
Klobuchar said she’d also like to see the rest of the country adopt Minnesota’s standard of producing 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025.
Steger’s team in May will use dogsleds to reach Ellesmere Island, about 700 miles south of the North Pole.
The team consists of two Americans, two Norwegians, a Canadian and a Briton.
The team plans to place time-lapse cameras on the island to record glacier retreat and other signs of global warming.
LEE BLOOMQUIST can be reached weekdays at (800) 368-2506, (218) 744-2354 or by e-mail at lbloomquist@duluthnews.com.
Steger: Plans another trip to Canadian Arctic in May to record signs of global warming. [FILE]
Steger: Plans another trip to Canadian Arctic in May to record signs of global warming. [FILE]
No mention of protestors in the Mesabi Daily or Star Trib-
Warm talk way up north
Pawlenty, Klobuchar, Steger lead panel on climate change in Ely
Angie Riebe
Last updated: Friday, January 04th, 2008 10:47:06 PM
ELY — A governor, a U.S. senator and a global explorer — all from Minnesota — met Friday in one of the most northern parts of the state to talk about the reality of a warming climate and what real steps need to be taken to combat it.
“Global warming is real,” said Will Steger, of Ely, who has witnessed the impacts of climate change during more than 45 years of dogsled expeditions to the polar regions. “Global warming is a silent enemy at our doorstep.”
But there is opportunity to “unite as people” and “act collectively,” he said during a community forum at the Vermilion Community College theater in Ely.
Minnesotans are concerned about climate change as evidenced, he said, by Friday’s audience. The auditorium was packed with well more than 200 people of all ages — many standing or sitting in the aisles — including 60 area high school students.
The purpose of the forum — one of many being held throughout the state — was to discuss the effects of climate change in northern Minnesota and to discuss solutions for the future.
Steger and Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty were joined by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and a panel that included representatives of the mining, paper and snowmobile industries, a tribal leader, Ely business owner, and union representative.
“Suppose the whole thing is a hoax,” Pawlenty said of climate change. “The best thing we can do is clean up the planet and leave a better planet for our children and grandchildren...”
In northern Minnesota, climate change impacts everything from the forests and wildlife populations and habitat to recreational activities and tourism, he said.
Studies have shown, Klobuchar said, that since the Ice Age, the planet has warmed by one degree, and it will continue to do so. But “it’s not just science anymore,” she said.
The Ham Lake fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness last summer was a result of global warming, she said. Lake Superior barge traffic is threatened by changing water levels. Anglers are waiting “longer and longer to put their ice houses out.” And, although there’s been more snow this winter than years past in the state, ski resorts have also suffered in recent times.
Dr. Lee Frelich, research associate and director of the University of Minnesota Center for Hardwood, said climate change will lead to the loss of forests for a number of reasons, including droughts, which make trees “susceptible to disease and insects.” Reforestation and limiting carbon dioxide emission can help the problem, he said.
“We have some work to do,” Pawlenty said.
However, work has already been accomplished, he said.
Last year, the governor signed the Next Generation Act of 2007, which aims to provide more renewable energy, energy conservation and less carbon emissions statewide. The bill includes goals of greenhouse gas reduction in the state of 15 percent by 2015, 30 percent by 2025, and 80 percent by 2050.
Last April, the governor also established the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group, which consists of about 50 Minnesotans working to develop a plan for reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, Pawlenty was among a number of Midwestern governors last year to sign the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord, which will serve as a regional strategy to achieve energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
Also, Klobuchar said, the climate change bill, which intends to put a cap on greenhouse gas emissions, has been approved by a Senate committee and is now headed to debate in the full Senate.
o
Members of the panel also spoke about solutions taking place in northern Minnesota.
“We’re close to eliminating fossil fuels” from operations at the Sappi paper mill in Cloquet, said plant director Tom Collins. At one time, he said, paper products were measured by how smooth, shiny and white they were. Today, however, consumers have driven the industry with environmental concerns about such things as how much recycled fiber was incorporated into the products and what sort of energy was used to produce them.
Kevin Leecy, chairman of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, also spoke about the cultural implications of climate change. “We depend on the area for food and medication central to our traditions,” he said. But “we’re not opposed to modern development.”
Not only does Fortune Bay Resort Casino have a recycling program, but the band has also received $300,000 in state funds for a feasibility study of a biofuel facility on the reservation.
“We need to look seven generations ahead when it comes to renewable energy in Minnesota,” Leecy said.
Vermilion Community College uses geothermal energy on its campus and encourages recycling, said Provost Mary Koski. It was fitting that the forum was held at VCC, which has a number of environmental programs, she said.
Panel members spoke, too, of the economic opportunities that accompany renewable energy sources.
The production of wind turbines, for example, “put workers to work,” said David Foster of the United Steelworkers of America union. They are “real jobs with real benefits to the economy.” But “benefits can’t come to us unless we have the right global warming solutions.”
Foster noted that companies in China use three times more carbon per ton in production of steel than those in Minnesota.
If companies close down in Minnesota, those overseas will take over, said Craig Pagel of the Iron Mining Association, adding that “Minntac has used sawdust for years to reduce greenhouse emissions. ... We need a global solution.”
Steger noted that one of the largest wind turbine companies is seeking a place to set up shop and that Minnesota would fare well to “attract this industry.”
o
Steve Piragis, owner of Piragis Northwoods Co. in Ely, said even a small Northern Minnesota community such as Ely can do things to combat climate change, such as recycling and installing energy-efficient light bulbs.
Ely residents “recycle per capita more than anyone else in northern Minnesota,” he said. Piragis presented a challenge to the Ely community, saying that it would not be difficult for all residents to switch the light bulbs in their homes to florescent — and Ely could be the first town to use only energy-efficient lighting.
Small things, such as putting computers on sleep mode when not in use, are also helpful, Pawlenty said.
In response to a question from a student in the audience, he and Klobuchar remarked about ways they have reduced their own carbon footprint.
Klobuchar said she changed all the light bulbs in her home, bought a washing machine that uses less water and energy, and will eventually replace her car with a hybrid. Pawlenty said the governor’s residence used LED Christmas lighting this year, and he also changed out light bulbs in his home and carpools when possible.
“There’s not one silver bullet,” he said. Rather, “a collection of things” must be done to be environmentally responsible and fight climate change.
Minnesota can be a leader in climate change solutions, Klobuchar said. From the state came the invention of Post-it Notes and the pacemaker, and “energy revolution is our next challenge.”
A year ago during a visit to Ely, she said she stopped at Vertins Cafe and met a man who had worked with her grandfather at Ely’s Zenith Mine. The man told Klobuchar that her grandfather, a foreman, “went down with the guys (into the mine) and he went down first,” she said. “This is our opportunity to go first.”
“The work we’re doing here today,” Pawlenty said, is “setting up shade trees literally and figuratively for the next generation to come.”
o
Angie Riebe can be reached at angie.riebe@mx3.com. To read this story and comment on it online go to www.virginiamn.com.
http://www.startribune.com/local/13062862.html
Pawlenty and Steger kick off climate talks in Ely
The forum was the first of several for the adventurer and the governor, who are focusing on possible local effects of climate change.
By LARRY OAKES, Star Tribune
Last update: January 4, 2008 - 11:12 PM
ELY, MINN. - The boreal forest surrounding this town, defining its rugged character and sustaining its wilderness economy, is one of the precious assets Minnesota stands to lose if humans fail to reduce emissions contributing to global warming, a scientist warned Friday at a forum hosted by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and explorer Will Steger.
"With a doubling of [carbon dioxide], our forests will shift 200 to 400 miles northward," University of Minnesota forest ecologist Lee Frelich told about 250 people who crowded into the auditorium at Vermilion Community College. "There would be a tsunami of grass from the west. Minnesota would end up without much forest at all."
The gathering was the first of several Pawlenty and Steger have agreed to host statewide, focusing mostly on the potential local effects of climate change. The Republican governor and the dog-sledding adventurer joined forces last fall on the issue, with Pawlenty declaring it "one of the most important issues of our time."
Minnesota should seize the chance to benefit economically from solutions, Pawlenty said, creating "green collar" jobs.
These could involve clean-energy technologies such as wind, solar, and bio-mass.
"Finally we're waking up to the fact that global warming is real, as evidenced by the audience here today," Steger told the gathering in his hometown of 3,500 people, where "eco-tourism" is a pillar of the economy.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, whose grandparents lived in Ely, agreed that Minnesota should seize the opportunity to become a leader in combating climate change.
"We've brought the world everything from the Post-it note to the pacemaker," Klobuchar said. "I see this as our next major challenge."
Ely wilderness outfitter Steve Piragis, citing the wind storm that mowed downed millions of trees in the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness a few years ago and has contributed to major forest fires, said the potential problems from climate change outweigh any potential advantages, such as longer summers.
"Can we afford to say the blowdown wasn't related to climate change?" Piragis said. "I don't think so."
Can states work together?
Noting that citizens don't need to wait for their government to lead, Piragis posed another question: "Wouldn't it be great if Ely could become the first town in America to have every lightbulb in town be fluorescent?"
Pawlenty said that in the absence of strong national leadership, action by individual states, combined with multistate compacts, have the potential to become "de facto national policy."
J. Drake Hamilton, science and policy director for a nonprofit group called Fresh Energy and the conference moderator, challenged citizens to take action that they'll be able to defend 20 years from now.
"Our children will ask, 'What did you do?' " she said, adding that the best answer would be: "We did everything we could -- and it worked."
Pawlenty said he still hopes, schedule permitting, to rendezvous with Steger during the explorer's planned trip to the Canadian Arctic this spring to see the shrinking ice floes that demonstrate the effects of climate change in that region.
He said that a lack of 100 percent certainty about climate change and its causes should no longer be an excuse to do nothing.
"Suppose the whole thing is a hoax," Pawlenty said. "The worst thing we'll do in the process is clean up the world and leave a better planet for our children and grandchildren."
Larry Oakes • 218-727-7344
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True
Subject: Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting in Ely
To see the video of the Governor with Bob Tammen, go to:
http://ksax.com/article/stories/S303681.shtml
http://tpt.blogs.com/almanac_producers/2008/01/almanac-highlig.html
Protestors covered on Almanac by Mary Lahammer
Global Warming in Ely
Governor Pawlenty and explorer Will Steger teamed up in Ely on Friday to talk about global warming. Our Mary Lahammer was there.
Fridays at 7 PM (live)
Sundays at 11:30 AM
WDSE-8, Duluth, MN
According to the Duluth cable guide this will air 10:30 AM Sunday and 11:00 PM Sunday night. Mary Lahammer covered the protestors in Ely and spoke with some on their opposition to sulfide mining in the state.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/01/05/copper/
MPR Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting
Gov. Tim Pawlenty was greeted by protesters at an Ely, Minn., summit on global climate change
.
Governor Tim Pawlenty
Protesters greet Gov. Pawlenty at environmental meeting
January 5, 2008
Ely, Minn. — Gov. Tim Pawlenty was greeted by protesters at an Ely, Minn., summit on global climate change. Demonstrators worry that copper and precious metals mining planned on the Iron Range will create dangerous waste that could pollute area water supplies for decades or longer.
Gov. Pawlenty said there needs to be a balance, and that the mining could be done safely.
"One of the themes of the discussion today was making sure we balance the need to make sure that people have jobs and economic growth and economic activity, with being good stewards with the environment and the need reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and address climate change. I think both can be done," says Gov. Pawlenty. The Ely summit is the first of several meetings that Gov. Pawlenty and Will Steger are holding around the state.
Larger view
Will Steger
Minn. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar joined the Ely summit, along with a dozen Iron Range business and academic leaders.
Outside Vermilion Community College in Ely Friday afternoon January 4th-
The Governor shook everyone's hand and talked with everyone about sulfide mining. Elanne hand delivered a personal letter to the Governor. I gave Governor Pawlenty some literature on sulfide mining, he told me that it would give him something to read on the plane. Bob was the last person he talked with and he told Bob "It hasn't been permitted yet". Bob had a dialogue with him about fast tracking the sulfide mining projects, etc.
To see the video of the Governor with Bob Tammen and more, go to:
http://ksax.com/article/stories/S303681.shtml
Pawlenty responds to protesters
Governor Pawlenty, joined by Amy Klobuchar and explorer Will Steger, was in Ely Friday to discuss climate changes and how the state may have to deal with them...
Full Article
Pawlenty responds to protesters
Governor Pawlenty, joined by Amy Klobuchar and explorer Will Steger, was in Ely Friday to discuss climate changes and how the state may have to deal with them.
One of the issues on the table – how to reduce emissions, protect the environment, but not stifle economic development.
The governor’s handlers wanted Pawlenty to avoid a small group of protestors outside the climate forum, but instead, the governor addressed them.
The protesters said they question how the governor can be so concerned about climate change issues, while at the same time, his administration supports plans for increased mining on the Iron Range.
"At the same time they are talking about global warming they are trying to fast track a copper mine right on the other side of Birch Lake," said Bob Iammen, a protester.
A Republican governor, a Democrat senator, and even the steel industry shared the same stage, agreeing to call on Minnesota to use energy more efficiently and to come up with a plan to not only address climate change, but also to create economic opportunity for the state in the process.
"If we go boldly and correctly, it may create economic balance," Pawlenty said. "Having a cleaner, better environment doesn't have to mean the loss to the economy -- it could be a net gain."
Last session the legislature passed a law requiring Minnesota companies to reduce emissions. The stop in Ely was one of several made by the governor's task force, which will present a report to lawmakers in February.
http://tpt.blogs.com/almanac_producers/2008/01/almanac-highlig.html
Protestors covered on Almanac by Mary Lahammer
Fridays at 7 PM (live)
Sundays at 11:30 AM
WDSE-8, Duluth, MN
According to the Duluth cable guide this will air 10:30 AM Sunday and 11:00 PM Sunday night. I hear that Fern and Mark were shown being interviewed in Ely about copper/sulfide mining.
January 04, 2008
Almanac Highlights January 4, 2008
A New Year's Monologue
Susie Jones counts her blessings.
Winter Carnival's Ice Problems
The St. Paul Winter Carnival needs more cash for ice carving blocks. And the carnival is just two weeks away.
Global Warming in Ely
Governor Pawlenty and explorer Will Steger teamed up in Ely on Friday to talk about global warming. Our Mary Lahammer was there.
Getting Your Fill of Ethanol?
Next week MinnPost.com will feature a four-part series on the politics and science of ethanol. MinnPost reporters Ron Way and Mark Neuzil give us a series preview.
Library Merger
The Hennepin County Library system absorbed Minneapolis libraries this week. What will it mean to you? Find out as we chat with new system head Amy Ryan.
Liberian Refugees
The Minneapolis-based American Refugee Committee has an active gender-violence program in the West African nation of Liberia. Minnesotan Eve Lotter is just back from seven months there and fills us in.
Remembering Carol Bly
The acclaimed Minnesota writer died of cancer in late December. Back in 1991 Bly was featured on Channel 2's interview program "Portrait." We play a few minutes from that wide-ranging interview.
Political Science Party
There's no better time to be a political scientist. The Iowa caucuses have just ended and New Hampshire is right around the corner. We check in with Steve Schier of Carleton College, Larry Jacobs from the U of M, Hamline's David Schultz and Stacey Hunter Hecht from Bethel University.
Wrapup
Two nifty Minnesota History questions and some great show-ending music from a 2007 studio performance by Willie Murphy.
Posted at 03:41 PM | Permalink
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/articles/index.cfm?id=57538§ion=homepage
Pawlenty says he may participate in Canadian Arctic trip in May
Lee Bloomquist Duluth News Tribune
Published Saturday, January 05, 2008
Gov. Tim Pawlenty hasn’t decided yet whether to accompany polar explorer Will Steger to the Canadian Arctic in May.
But the two joined forces Friday in the far reaches of northern Minnesota to again call attention to climate change.
“Will and I are going to do some more forums in Minnesota,” Pawlenty said in a conference call after a climate forum at Vermilion Community College in Ely. “I’m still interested in going on the trip, but it’s subject to scheduling and the [legislative] session in the spring.”
Pawlenty: Says his participation depends on scheduling this spring's legislative session. [2007 FILE/NEWS TRIBUNE]
Pawlenty: Says his participation depends on scheduling this spring's legislative session. [2007 FILE/NEWS TRIBUNE]
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Duluth News Tribune Web Icon Steger
Lee Bloomquist Archive
It’s not the first time that Pawlenty and Steger have talked about the environment and its impact on the globe.
In October, the two teamed up in Duluth to talk about global warming.
Steger, a native of Ely, has explored both poles, the Arctic Ocean and the Andes. He says he’s seen firsthand the effects of global warming.
Pawlenty, meanwhile, has become a national leader in calling attention to climate change and pushing for tougher laws aimed at improving the environment.
Pawlenty in 2007 signed a renewable energy mandate calling for utilities to produce 25 percent of their power by renewable means by 2025. Pawlenty also has been an advocate for reducing the state’s carbon emissions.
Under Pawlenty, Minnesota has been a national leader in the production and promotion of E-85 fuel, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.
continued...
Some protesters turned out in Ely to express concern about copper
Some protesters turned out in Ely to express concern about copper, nickel and precious metals mining projects proposed in Northeastern Minnesota.
Pawlenty said he believes that development of copper, nickel and precious metals mines could be balanced along with protection of the environment.
“I think both can be done,” Pawlenty said. “It’s going to take some technological breakthroughs, but you can do both.”
In the future, Pawlenty says he sees more opportunities for the state to lead in environmental issues.
In early February, a climate change advisory task force will issue a report to Pawlenty and the Legislature proposing additional energy saving and environmental protection strategies.
Coining a north woods version of the “silver bullet” phrase, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said there’s no “silver buckshot” that will solve climate change.
Klobuchar, who attended the Ely forum, said she expects the federal government to provide incentives for renewable energy development in the short term.
Under federal law, the production of E-85 is set to reach 36 billion gallons in the next 10 to 15 years compared with 5 billion to 8 billon gallons today, she said.
“We should be investing in the farmers of the Midwest rather than the oil companies of the Mideast,” Klobuchar said.
Klobuchar said she’d also like to see the rest of the country adopt Minnesota’s standard of producing 25 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2025.
Steger’s team in May will use dogsleds to reach Ellesmere Island, about 700 miles south of the North Pole.
The team consists of two Americans, two Norwegians, a Canadian and a Briton.
The team plans to place time-lapse cameras on the island to record glacier retreat and other signs of global warming.
LEE BLOOMQUIST can be reached weekdays at (800) 368-2506, (218) 744-2354 or by e-mail at lbloomquist@duluthnews.com.
Steger: Plans another trip to Canadian Arctic in May to record signs of global warming. [FILE]
Steger: Plans another trip to Canadian Arctic in May to record signs of global warming. [FILE]
No mention of protestors in the Mesabi Daily or Star Trib-
Warm talk way up north
Pawlenty, Klobuchar, Steger lead panel on climate change in Ely
Angie Riebe
Last updated: Friday, January 04th, 2008 10:47:06 PM
ELY — A governor, a U.S. senator and a global explorer — all from Minnesota — met Friday in one of the most northern parts of the state to talk about the reality of a warming climate and what real steps need to be taken to combat it.
“Global warming is real,” said Will Steger, of Ely, who has witnessed the impacts of climate change during more than 45 years of dogsled expeditions to the polar regions. “Global warming is a silent enemy at our doorstep.”
But there is opportunity to “unite as people” and “act collectively,” he said during a community forum at the Vermilion Community College theater in Ely.
Minnesotans are concerned about climate change as evidenced, he said, by Friday’s audience. The auditorium was packed with well more than 200 people of all ages — many standing or sitting in the aisles — including 60 area high school students.
The purpose of the forum — one of many being held throughout the state — was to discuss the effects of climate change in northern Minnesota and to discuss solutions for the future.
Steger and Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty were joined by U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and a panel that included representatives of the mining, paper and snowmobile industries, a tribal leader, Ely business owner, and union representative.
“Suppose the whole thing is a hoax,” Pawlenty said of climate change. “The best thing we can do is clean up the planet and leave a better planet for our children and grandchildren...”
In northern Minnesota, climate change impacts everything from the forests and wildlife populations and habitat to recreational activities and tourism, he said.
Studies have shown, Klobuchar said, that since the Ice Age, the planet has warmed by one degree, and it will continue to do so. But “it’s not just science anymore,” she said.
The Ham Lake fire in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness last summer was a result of global warming, she said. Lake Superior barge traffic is threatened by changing water levels. Anglers are waiting “longer and longer to put their ice houses out.” And, although there’s been more snow this winter than years past in the state, ski resorts have also suffered in recent times.
Dr. Lee Frelich, research associate and director of the University of Minnesota Center for Hardwood, said climate change will lead to the loss of forests for a number of reasons, including droughts, which make trees “susceptible to disease and insects.” Reforestation and limiting carbon dioxide emission can help the problem, he said.
“We have some work to do,” Pawlenty said.
However, work has already been accomplished, he said.
Last year, the governor signed the Next Generation Act of 2007, which aims to provide more renewable energy, energy conservation and less carbon emissions statewide. The bill includes goals of greenhouse gas reduction in the state of 15 percent by 2015, 30 percent by 2025, and 80 percent by 2050.
Last April, the governor also established the Minnesota Climate Change Advisory Group, which consists of about 50 Minnesotans working to develop a plan for reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, Pawlenty was among a number of Midwestern governors last year to sign the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord, which will serve as a regional strategy to achieve energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
Also, Klobuchar said, the climate change bill, which intends to put a cap on greenhouse gas emissions, has been approved by a Senate committee and is now headed to debate in the full Senate.
o
Members of the panel also spoke about solutions taking place in northern Minnesota.
“We’re close to eliminating fossil fuels” from operations at the Sappi paper mill in Cloquet, said plant director Tom Collins. At one time, he said, paper products were measured by how smooth, shiny and white they were. Today, however, consumers have driven the industry with environmental concerns about such things as how much recycled fiber was incorporated into the products and what sort of energy was used to produce them.
Kevin Leecy, chairman of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, also spoke about the cultural implications of climate change. “We depend on the area for food and medication central to our traditions,” he said. But “we’re not opposed to modern development.”
Not only does Fortune Bay Resort Casino have a recycling program, but the band has also received $300,000 in state funds for a feasibility study of a biofuel facility on the reservation.
“We need to look seven generations ahead when it comes to renewable energy in Minnesota,” Leecy said.
Vermilion Community College uses geothermal energy on its campus and encourages recycling, said Provost Mary Koski. It was fitting that the forum was held at VCC, which has a number of environmental programs, she said.
Panel members spoke, too, of the economic opportunities that accompany renewable energy sources.
The production of wind turbines, for example, “put workers to work,” said David Foster of the United Steelworkers of America union. They are “real jobs with real benefits to the economy.” But “benefits can’t come to us unless we have the right global warming solutions.”
Foster noted that companies in China use three times more carbon per ton in production of steel than those in Minnesota.
If companies close down in Minnesota, those overseas will take over, said Craig Pagel of the Iron Mining Association, adding that “Minntac has used sawdust for years to reduce greenhouse emissions. ... We need a global solution.”
Steger noted that one of the largest wind turbine companies is seeking a place to set up shop and that Minnesota would fare well to “attract this industry.”
o
Steve Piragis, owner of Piragis Northwoods Co. in Ely, said even a small Northern Minnesota community such as Ely can do things to combat climate change, such as recycling and installing energy-efficient light bulbs.
Ely residents “recycle per capita more than anyone else in northern Minnesota,” he said. Piragis presented a challenge to the Ely community, saying that it would not be difficult for all residents to switch the light bulbs in their homes to florescent — and Ely could be the first town to use only energy-efficient lighting.
Small things, such as putting computers on sleep mode when not in use, are also helpful, Pawlenty said.
In response to a question from a student in the audience, he and Klobuchar remarked about ways they have reduced their own carbon footprint.
Klobuchar said she changed all the light bulbs in her home, bought a washing machine that uses less water and energy, and will eventually replace her car with a hybrid. Pawlenty said the governor’s residence used LED Christmas lighting this year, and he also changed out light bulbs in his home and carpools when possible.
“There’s not one silver bullet,” he said. Rather, “a collection of things” must be done to be environmentally responsible and fight climate change.
Minnesota can be a leader in climate change solutions, Klobuchar said. From the state came the invention of Post-it Notes and the pacemaker, and “energy revolution is our next challenge.”
A year ago during a visit to Ely, she said she stopped at Vertins Cafe and met a man who had worked with her grandfather at Ely’s Zenith Mine. The man told Klobuchar that her grandfather, a foreman, “went down with the guys (into the mine) and he went down first,” she said. “This is our opportunity to go first.”
“The work we’re doing here today,” Pawlenty said, is “setting up shade trees literally and figuratively for the next generation to come.”
o
Angie Riebe can be reached at angie.riebe@mx3.com. To read this story and comment on it online go to www.virginiamn.com.
http://www.startribune.com/local/13062862.html
Pawlenty and Steger kick off climate talks in Ely
The forum was the first of several for the adventurer and the governor, who are focusing on possible local effects of climate change.
By LARRY OAKES, Star Tribune
Last update: January 4, 2008 - 11:12 PM
ELY, MINN. - The boreal forest surrounding this town, defining its rugged character and sustaining its wilderness economy, is one of the precious assets Minnesota stands to lose if humans fail to reduce emissions contributing to global warming, a scientist warned Friday at a forum hosted by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and explorer Will Steger.
"With a doubling of [carbon dioxide], our forests will shift 200 to 400 miles northward," University of Minnesota forest ecologist Lee Frelich told about 250 people who crowded into the auditorium at Vermilion Community College. "There would be a tsunami of grass from the west. Minnesota would end up without much forest at all."
The gathering was the first of several Pawlenty and Steger have agreed to host statewide, focusing mostly on the potential local effects of climate change. The Republican governor and the dog-sledding adventurer joined forces last fall on the issue, with Pawlenty declaring it "one of the most important issues of our time."
Minnesota should seize the chance to benefit economically from solutions, Pawlenty said, creating "green collar" jobs.
These could involve clean-energy technologies such as wind, solar, and bio-mass.
"Finally we're waking up to the fact that global warming is real, as evidenced by the audience here today," Steger told the gathering in his hometown of 3,500 people, where "eco-tourism" is a pillar of the economy.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, whose grandparents lived in Ely, agreed that Minnesota should seize the opportunity to become a leader in combating climate change.
"We've brought the world everything from the Post-it note to the pacemaker," Klobuchar said. "I see this as our next major challenge."
Ely wilderness outfitter Steve Piragis, citing the wind storm that mowed downed millions of trees in the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness a few years ago and has contributed to major forest fires, said the potential problems from climate change outweigh any potential advantages, such as longer summers.
"Can we afford to say the blowdown wasn't related to climate change?" Piragis said. "I don't think so."
Can states work together?
Noting that citizens don't need to wait for their government to lead, Piragis posed another question: "Wouldn't it be great if Ely could become the first town in America to have every lightbulb in town be fluorescent?"
Pawlenty said that in the absence of strong national leadership, action by individual states, combined with multistate compacts, have the potential to become "de facto national policy."
J. Drake Hamilton, science and policy director for a nonprofit group called Fresh Energy and the conference moderator, challenged citizens to take action that they'll be able to defend 20 years from now.
"Our children will ask, 'What did you do?' " she said, adding that the best answer would be: "We did everything we could -- and it worked."
Pawlenty said he still hopes, schedule permitting, to rendezvous with Steger during the explorer's planned trip to the Canadian Arctic this spring to see the shrinking ice floes that demonstrate the effects of climate change in that region.
He said that a lack of 100 percent certainty about climate change and its causes should no longer be an excuse to do nothing.
"Suppose the whole thing is a hoax," Pawlenty said. "The worst thing we'll do in the process is clean up the world and leave a better planet for our children and grandchildren."
Larry Oakes • 218-727-7344
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Monday, August 06, 2007
Scrubbing the air
True hates ugly, smelly, polluting and global-warming coal plants. Minnesota Power's Tac Harbor project was reviewed in this Strib story. Two points of interest:
One, "air shed." This means the area covered by polluting toxic emissions from Tac Harbor and it covers all of Cook County including our national and state forests. The glowing PowerPoint presentations by MP don't really say much about this damage. They are basically trying to keep their filthy coal plant going far into the future by posing as cutting edge clean.
Two, "scrubbing" to reduce mercury and other toxic emissions has ZERO effect on global warming. Read the story below.
True
Scrubbing the air
One, "air shed." This means the area covered by polluting toxic emissions from Tac Harbor and it covers all of Cook County including our national and state forests. The glowing PowerPoint presentations by MP don't really say much about this damage. They are basically trying to keep their filthy coal plant going far into the future by posing as cutting edge clean.
Two, "scrubbing" to reduce mercury and other toxic emissions has ZERO effect on global warming. Read the story below.
True
Scrubbing the air
Saturday, August 04, 2007
Minnesota Mad: Disgust and rage
Dear True,
No, not love and happiness, not today. I have nothing but disgust and rage for the politicians of this country, ALL of them (well, almost).
As for Mr. No New Taxes Pawlenty, he bears a great share of the responsibility for the lives lost and maimed in the Minneapolis bridge collapse, not to mention the fear and terror of the rest of us who must entrust our lives to structurally unsound bridges, having vetoed a major transportation bill in 2005 that would have addressed the state's aging road infrastructure.
As for the evil cowboy Mr. Photo Op Bush, he bears an even greater burden of this guilt, having squandered the resources paid by taxpayers in the assumption that they will be spent to keep bridges and levees and roads and waterways and sewers and .... well, everything we depend on for life and health, safe. No, better to spend a couple trillion dollars killing off people in Iraq and destroying THEIR infrastructure completely, so his Texas cronies continue to reap megaprofits from oil and get no-bid private contracts to run the war. Who gives a flying fuck that the people of Baghdad don't have any water? That Iraqis working with Americans have separate (presumably not equal) bathrooms and meals? That millions are homeless thanks to the devastation wrought by the US, that people are starving, that there is no electricity for most of the day in devastating heat? Who cares? They are only Iraqis, as one US soldier said.
As for the Congress, shame. They bear the responsibility to reign in a rogue administration, protect the Constitution, and make laws that promote the general welfare. But what do they do? They sling impeachment off the table when the constitutional crimes of this administration challenge our three-tiered government to the very core, and then they proceed to knuckle under to every illegal and outrageous demand made by Bushco. The latest: a secret FISA panel decided Bush's wiretapping was illegal and so what does Congress do? They pass a law to make it legal. I for one am sick of knowing I have no private communications unless I meet someone somewhere where there are no phones, computers, or mail and even then who knows what those satellites are picking up?
It's a sad, sad world but the worst is that it doesn't have to be that way. The American people want good government, good schools, good health care, good communities, good infrastructure, a clean and safe environment, retirement security ... and they are paying enough to get it. Even without new taxes, which in Minnesota is totally stupid because we will pay one way or another.
Us poor people pay so much in fees and sales taxes that we trump even the biggest billionaire who actually does pay tax (if any) in terms of percentage of income. However, almost any of us would gladly pay more to save the lives of loved ones and protect the world for future generations. As for Bushco, he lavishly rewards the richest of the rich, not only with absurd tax cuts but also with his shadow government which pays them billions in contracts that are scrutinized by none. Many of these contracts usurp the lawful function of government, such as intelligence gathering and military forces, and unlawful ones as well, such as murder, torture, rape and spying.These bad politicians, and that includes nearly all of them, know that people don't like what they do. They receive thousands and millions of emails, phone calls and petitions daily from people who feel they must speak out. Bush apologist Sen. Coleman responds with a knee-jerk blip but never a word on any issue. All elected officials in this mega-media, mega-business and mega-shadow government age depend on the millions these people pay them. Who will stand up to the coal industry, the nuclear industry, big oil, when they are major campaign contributors? All the major candidates are beholden to the big multinational corporations and media, without whom they could never be elected. (Except maybe John Edwards who is getting a rilli-rilli-bad media rap....)
Finally, the American people have allowed these travesties to happen. Democracy means that the grass roots don't get mowed down, even if all their heroes are assassinated: John and Bobby Kennedy, MLK, John Lennon, and YES, our beloved Paul Wellstone.... I don't have a nanosecond of doubt that they were removed by the Rich Repug Reich.
Hate and rage.
Nancye Belding
Grand Marais
No, not love and happiness, not today. I have nothing but disgust and rage for the politicians of this country, ALL of them (well, almost).
As for Mr. No New Taxes Pawlenty, he bears a great share of the responsibility for the lives lost and maimed in the Minneapolis bridge collapse, not to mention the fear and terror of the rest of us who must entrust our lives to structurally unsound bridges, having vetoed a major transportation bill in 2005 that would have addressed the state's aging road infrastructure.
As for the evil cowboy Mr. Photo Op Bush, he bears an even greater burden of this guilt, having squandered the resources paid by taxpayers in the assumption that they will be spent to keep bridges and levees and roads and waterways and sewers and .... well, everything we depend on for life and health, safe. No, better to spend a couple trillion dollars killing off people in Iraq and destroying THEIR infrastructure completely, so his Texas cronies continue to reap megaprofits from oil and get no-bid private contracts to run the war. Who gives a flying fuck that the people of Baghdad don't have any water? That Iraqis working with Americans have separate (presumably not equal) bathrooms and meals? That millions are homeless thanks to the devastation wrought by the US, that people are starving, that there is no electricity for most of the day in devastating heat? Who cares? They are only Iraqis, as one US soldier said.
As for the Congress, shame. They bear the responsibility to reign in a rogue administration, protect the Constitution, and make laws that promote the general welfare. But what do they do? They sling impeachment off the table when the constitutional crimes of this administration challenge our three-tiered government to the very core, and then they proceed to knuckle under to every illegal and outrageous demand made by Bushco. The latest: a secret FISA panel decided Bush's wiretapping was illegal and so what does Congress do? They pass a law to make it legal. I for one am sick of knowing I have no private communications unless I meet someone somewhere where there are no phones, computers, or mail and even then who knows what those satellites are picking up?
It's a sad, sad world but the worst is that it doesn't have to be that way. The American people want good government, good schools, good health care, good communities, good infrastructure, a clean and safe environment, retirement security ... and they are paying enough to get it. Even without new taxes, which in Minnesota is totally stupid because we will pay one way or another.
Us poor people pay so much in fees and sales taxes that we trump even the biggest billionaire who actually does pay tax (if any) in terms of percentage of income. However, almost any of us would gladly pay more to save the lives of loved ones and protect the world for future generations. As for Bushco, he lavishly rewards the richest of the rich, not only with absurd tax cuts but also with his shadow government which pays them billions in contracts that are scrutinized by none. Many of these contracts usurp the lawful function of government, such as intelligence gathering and military forces, and unlawful ones as well, such as murder, torture, rape and spying.These bad politicians, and that includes nearly all of them, know that people don't like what they do. They receive thousands and millions of emails, phone calls and petitions daily from people who feel they must speak out. Bush apologist Sen. Coleman responds with a knee-jerk blip but never a word on any issue. All elected officials in this mega-media, mega-business and mega-shadow government age depend on the millions these people pay them. Who will stand up to the coal industry, the nuclear industry, big oil, when they are major campaign contributors? All the major candidates are beholden to the big multinational corporations and media, without whom they could never be elected. (Except maybe John Edwards who is getting a rilli-rilli-bad media rap....)
Finally, the American people have allowed these travesties to happen. Democracy means that the grass roots don't get mowed down, even if all their heroes are assassinated: John and Bobby Kennedy, MLK, John Lennon, and YES, our beloved Paul Wellstone.... I don't have a nanosecond of doubt that they were removed by the Rich Repug Reich.
Hate and rage.
Nancye Belding
Grand Marais
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Earthquake That Screamed “NO NUKES!!!” - CommonDreams.org
If there are any folks in Boreal Land who still think nuclear energy is clean and safe, check out this post from Common Dreams today:
The Earthquake That Screamed “NO NUKES!!!” - CommonDreams.org
The Earthquake That Screamed “NO NUKES!!!” - CommonDreams.org
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Mandela and ‘The Elders’ Aim to Save the World - CommonDreams.org
Enter the Elders, those wise and strong and truthful enough to perhaps save the planet:
Mandela and ‘The Elders’ Aim to Save the World - CommonDreams.org
Mandela and ‘The Elders’ Aim to Save the World - CommonDreams.org
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Reasons Not to GlowOn Not Jumping Out of The Frying Pan Into The Eternal Fires - CommonDreams.org
True is nearly as old as Woody Guthrie. Surely old enough to remember Chernobyl and angry NIMBY debates about nuclear waste disposal.
Shock and awe, to learn that some Sixties apostates ala Newt G and Gang are now trumpeting nuclear power as the "clean" energy solution. Not, not, not. Nuclear power is even more dirty than coal mining, even more invasive than carbon emissions, even more evil than the Iraq war for oil.
There is NO safe nuclear power, whether to nuke Iran with or to create radioactive peacetime waste that won't self-destruct for a zillion years. I would have thought that we might have learned by now the dreadful lessons of Hiroshima, But. Maybe not, since the Japs were the enemy. Does it make a difference that in the 1950's American civilians were the innocent subjects of military experiments in nuclear and chemical weapons in schools and neighborhoods? That some of these citizens, including one dear friend of True, have died or nearly died from the toxic results of these cruel games akin to pulling the wings off of butterflies?
Reasons Not to GlowOn Not Jumping Out of The Frying Pan Into The Eternal Fires - CommonDreams.org
Shock and awe, to learn that some Sixties apostates ala Newt G and Gang are now trumpeting nuclear power as the "clean" energy solution. Not, not, not. Nuclear power is even more dirty than coal mining, even more invasive than carbon emissions, even more evil than the Iraq war for oil.
There is NO safe nuclear power, whether to nuke Iran with or to create radioactive peacetime waste that won't self-destruct for a zillion years. I would have thought that we might have learned by now the dreadful lessons of Hiroshima, But. Maybe not, since the Japs were the enemy. Does it make a difference that in the 1950's American civilians were the innocent subjects of military experiments in nuclear and chemical weapons in schools and neighborhoods? That some of these citizens, including one dear friend of True, have died or nearly died from the toxic results of these cruel games akin to pulling the wings off of butterflies?
Reasons Not to GlowOn Not Jumping Out of The Frying Pan Into The Eternal Fires - CommonDreams.org
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
America the Beautiful
"When you look at firecrackers up in the sky
Remember that first Fourth of July."
This maudlin couplet is the only part of a poem written by me, age 12, that I can remember. It's the first time I was published, in an upstate New York weekly, the Monroe County Gazette (not counting the "Brentwood News," hand-written and delivered to my neighbors in the Cincinnati suburb of Brentwood Village when I was all of nine or ten).
I mention the verse because as a child I loved the 4th of July, the pageantry of the firemen and Masons on parade in Highland Mills, New York, the rousing patriotic speech by my grandfather the mayor, and the fabulous midway games never seen in Cincinnati 'burbs. Simple times, good times, happy times.
BUT. Skipping ahead 51 years, moving halfway across America to Cook County, Minnesota, and much changed from that polyanna child, I am not a patriot anymore--whatever that much-abused word means now after being mangled and disgraced by the criminals who have plunged the USA into a war of aggression for oil, made us hated all over the world, tortured citizens as well as the so-called "enemy combatants" not recognized by any court, listened to our phone calls, read our emails, caged us out of voting, desroyed our environment and the fundamental protections for just-plain-folks in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.... the list goes on. And on and on and on. These guys have to be called to account. They don't have the right to trash our nation on behalf of the ultra-rich. They don't get to do that.
No, I'm not a patriot, nor even a Christian now. I don't pledge allegiance to any flag, or any other thing in this world, and especially not to "one nation, under God." I am a citizen only of Mother Earth, a follower only of the Dalai Lama, who teaches: "My religion is kindness."
I spend hours every day doing the small things I can to bring more peace and harmony to the planet. I work steadily but civilly against war, torture, spying, caging, media conglomeration, abuses of workers and women and children, global warming, cruelty to animals, rainforest destruction and most every other little thing including corporate profiteering that "my" country stands for under BushCo in the opinion of the rest of the world. Everybody hates us. Happy 4th of July, citizens of the land of the free!
Yet again, BUT... There IS something here that I love: America the Beautiful, the land (spacious skies and fruited plains) and the dream: gleaming alabaster cities populated by kindly and noble folks, a shining brotherhood of goodness stretching from sea to sea. A "Patriot's Dream," if you will, dreamed in better times but not forgotten, at least not by me. Yes, THIS America I love and cherish.
True
Remember that first Fourth of July."
This maudlin couplet is the only part of a poem written by me, age 12, that I can remember. It's the first time I was published, in an upstate New York weekly, the Monroe County Gazette (not counting the "Brentwood News," hand-written and delivered to my neighbors in the Cincinnati suburb of Brentwood Village when I was all of nine or ten).
I mention the verse because as a child I loved the 4th of July, the pageantry of the firemen and Masons on parade in Highland Mills, New York, the rousing patriotic speech by my grandfather the mayor, and the fabulous midway games never seen in Cincinnati 'burbs. Simple times, good times, happy times.
BUT. Skipping ahead 51 years, moving halfway across America to Cook County, Minnesota, and much changed from that polyanna child, I am not a patriot anymore--whatever that much-abused word means now after being mangled and disgraced by the criminals who have plunged the USA into a war of aggression for oil, made us hated all over the world, tortured citizens as well as the so-called "enemy combatants" not recognized by any court, listened to our phone calls, read our emails, caged us out of voting, desroyed our environment and the fundamental protections for just-plain-folks in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.... the list goes on. And on and on and on. These guys have to be called to account. They don't have the right to trash our nation on behalf of the ultra-rich. They don't get to do that.
No, I'm not a patriot, nor even a Christian now. I don't pledge allegiance to any flag, or any other thing in this world, and especially not to "one nation, under God." I am a citizen only of Mother Earth, a follower only of the Dalai Lama, who teaches: "My religion is kindness."
I spend hours every day doing the small things I can to bring more peace and harmony to the planet. I work steadily but civilly against war, torture, spying, caging, media conglomeration, abuses of workers and women and children, global warming, cruelty to animals, rainforest destruction and most every other little thing including corporate profiteering that "my" country stands for under BushCo in the opinion of the rest of the world. Everybody hates us. Happy 4th of July, citizens of the land of the free!
Yet again, BUT... There IS something here that I love: America the Beautiful, the land (spacious skies and fruited plains) and the dream: gleaming alabaster cities populated by kindly and noble folks, a shining brotherhood of goodness stretching from sea to sea. A "Patriot's Dream," if you will, dreamed in better times but not forgotten, at least not by me. Yes, THIS America I love and cherish.
True
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Better living through electricity in the 21st century
Dear True,
When I was a kid in the 1950's "Better Living Through Electricity" was a watch word. In class we saw movies made by General Electric about the wonders of dishwashers, refrigerators, washing machines, and even vacuum cleaners that transformed the life of the family.
There's been a lot of water over the dam in the last half-century or so. We've learned about global warming, carbon dioxide emissions, dirty plants that rely on filthy coal, and the terrible risks of nuclear energy. We've been told to decrease our carbon footprint on the earth, and to start by buying new light bulbs. We've done our best but blaming the victims doesn't really solve the problem.
We've been fed a fat lot of fluff about .... for example, the Minnesota Power cutting edge technology to reduce the damage from its Tac Harbor coal plant emissions which does not address the crucial issue of using coal in the first place.
Anyway, to the point. Yesterday the Grand Marais Public Utilities Commission announced a day-long shutdown of power in the west end of its service district.
I am a recipient of power in this district. I am given to understand that power will be shut off during at least 10 hours of the day tomorrow.
Insult to injury? Also yesterday the PUC invaded my land and cut down trees, more trees than we had agreed upon, in order to allow their Bobcat access to my power line. I was still grieving for the loss of my trees, and for the destruction of my footpath to the power line.
When I realized that a path at least double the four feet I agreed to had been cleared, leaving no vegetation or trees between my cabin and the power line, it was too late. My personally owned woods were utterly destroyed.
So. To proceed to tomorrow, when the PUC has announced its intention to cut off my power for at least 10 hours beginning at 9 a.m.
What can possibly justify such a long shutdown?
I am the unfortunate victim of the Better Living lobby; I can't do a single damn thing without electric power. I can't brew a cup of coffee, or give well water to my pets to drink, or cook on my stove, or turn on a fan, or work at my computer, or make a phone call, or check my email, or ensure the safety of the food in my refrigerator, or even tell the time. My friends and clients won't be able to reach me...
Some years back the PUC trashed the residents of Rec Park and demanded fantastic fee increases. They got away with it despite letters to the papers from dozens of long-term summer friends. This in fact was a gambit in a larger play to get rid of Rec Park and replace it with a super-sized marina, which thanks to our new and wise City Council has failed. Cheers to the new City Council!
Still. Today I am only writing to protest the 10-plus hours in which I can neither work nor eat nor drink water nor cook nor wash nor use the accoutrements of my home office business.
Nancye Belding
Grand Marais
When I was a kid in the 1950's "Better Living Through Electricity" was a watch word. In class we saw movies made by General Electric about the wonders of dishwashers, refrigerators, washing machines, and even vacuum cleaners that transformed the life of the family.
There's been a lot of water over the dam in the last half-century or so. We've learned about global warming, carbon dioxide emissions, dirty plants that rely on filthy coal, and the terrible risks of nuclear energy. We've been told to decrease our carbon footprint on the earth, and to start by buying new light bulbs. We've done our best but blaming the victims doesn't really solve the problem.
We've been fed a fat lot of fluff about .... for example, the Minnesota Power cutting edge technology to reduce the damage from its Tac Harbor coal plant emissions which does not address the crucial issue of using coal in the first place.
Anyway, to the point. Yesterday the Grand Marais Public Utilities Commission announced a day-long shutdown of power in the west end of its service district.
I am a recipient of power in this district. I am given to understand that power will be shut off during at least 10 hours of the day tomorrow.
Insult to injury? Also yesterday the PUC invaded my land and cut down trees, more trees than we had agreed upon, in order to allow their Bobcat access to my power line. I was still grieving for the loss of my trees, and for the destruction of my footpath to the power line.
When I realized that a path at least double the four feet I agreed to had been cleared, leaving no vegetation or trees between my cabin and the power line, it was too late. My personally owned woods were utterly destroyed.
So. To proceed to tomorrow, when the PUC has announced its intention to cut off my power for at least 10 hours beginning at 9 a.m.
What can possibly justify such a long shutdown?
I am the unfortunate victim of the Better Living lobby; I can't do a single damn thing without electric power. I can't brew a cup of coffee, or give well water to my pets to drink, or cook on my stove, or turn on a fan, or work at my computer, or make a phone call, or check my email, or ensure the safety of the food in my refrigerator, or even tell the time. My friends and clients won't be able to reach me...
Some years back the PUC trashed the residents of Rec Park and demanded fantastic fee increases. They got away with it despite letters to the papers from dozens of long-term summer friends. This in fact was a gambit in a larger play to get rid of Rec Park and replace it with a super-sized marina, which thanks to our new and wise City Council has failed. Cheers to the new City Council!
Still. Today I am only writing to protest the 10-plus hours in which I can neither work nor eat nor drink water nor cook nor wash nor use the accoutrements of my home office business.
Nancye Belding
Grand Marais
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Congressman James L Oberstar -- Global Warming Bill Passes Committee
Trust our congressman Jim to be in the forefront of global warming issues:
Congressman James L Oberstar -- Global Warming Bill Passes Committee
Congressman James L Oberstar -- Global Warming Bill Passes Committee
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