Bravo News Feed: July 2010

Friday, July 30, 2010

Scientists: Last Decade Warmest on Record

WASHINGTON — Not only was the past decade the warmest on record, but climate indicators being tracked globally are worsening, scientists reported Wednesday in their annual "State of the Climate."

"A comprehensive review of key climate indicators confirms the world is warming and the past decade was the warmest" since recordkeeping began in 1870, declares the report, which was released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Compiled by more than 300 scientists from 48 countries, the report said its analysis of 10 indicators that are "clearly and directly related to surface temperatures, all tell the same story: Global warming is undeniable."

Read full story from MSNBC.

Bravo comment: I'd like to point out that this is the 100th post for the Bravo News Feed. Fitting that it's about the most important issue facing humanity!

MoveOn.org: 5 Myths About Social Security

Myth #1: Social Security is going broke.

Reality: There is no Social Security crisis. By 2023, Social Security will have a $4.6 trillion surplus (yes, trillion with a 'T'). It can pay out all scheduled benefits for the next quarter-century with no changes whatsoever.1 After 2037, it'll still be able to pay out 75% of scheduled benefits—and again, that's without any changes. The program started preparing for the Baby Boomers' retirement decades ago.2 Anyone who insists Social Security is broke probably wants to break it themselves.

Myth #2: We have to raise the retirement age because people are living longer.

Reality: This is a red-herring to trick you into agreeing to benefit cuts. Retirees are living about the same amount of time as they were in the 1930s. The reason average life expectancy is higher is mostly because many fewer people die as children than they did 70 years ago.3 What's more, what gains there have been are distributed very unevenly—since 1972, life expectancy increased by 6.5 years for workers in the top half of the income brackets, but by less than 2 years for those in the bottom half.4 But those intent on cutting Social Security love this argument because raising the retirement age is the same as an across-the-board benefit cut.

Myth #3: Benefit cuts are the only way to fix Social Security.

Reality: Social Security doesn't need to be fixed. But if we want to strengthen it, here's a better way: Make the rich pay their fair share. If the very rich paid taxes on all of their income, Social Security would be sustainable for decades to come.5 Right now, high earners only pay Social Security taxes on the first $106,000 of their income.6 But conservatives insist benefit cuts are the only way because they want to protect the super-rich from paying their fair share.

Myth #4: The Social Security Trust Fund has been raided and is full of IOUs

Reality: Not even close to true. The Social Security Trust Fund isn't full of IOUs, it's full of U.S. Treasury Bonds. And those bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.7 The reason Social Security holds only treasury bonds is the same reason many Americans do: The federal government has never missed a single interest payment on its debts. President Bush wanted to put Social Security funds in the stock market—which would have been disastrous—but luckily, he failed. So the trillions of dollars in the Social Security Trust Fund, which are separate from the regular budget, are as safe as can be.

Myth #5: Social Security adds to the deficit

Reality: It's not just wrong—it's impossible! By law, Social Security's funds are separate from the budget, and it must pay its own way. That means that Social Security can't add one penny to the deficit.8

Sources:
1."To Deficit Hawks: We the People Know Best on Social Security," New Deal 2.0, June 14, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89703&id=22136-3014064-Gh4U.Ox&t=4

2. "The Straight Facts on Social Security," Economic Opportunity Institute, September 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89704&id=22136-3014064-Gh4U.Ox&t=5

3. "Social Security and the Age of Retirement," Center for Economic and Policy Research, June 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89705&id=22136-3014064-Gh4U.Ox&t=6

4. "More on raising the retirement age," Washington Post, July 8, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89706&id=22136-3014064-Gh4U.Ox&t=7

5. "Social Security is sustainable," Economic and Policy Institute, May 27, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89707&id=22136-3014064-Gh4U.Ox&t=8

6. "Maximum wage contribution and the amount for a credit in 2010," Social Security Administration, April 23, 2010
http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/240

7. "Trust Fund FAQs," Social Security Administration, February 18, 2010
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/ProgData/fundFAQ.html

8."To Deficit Hawks: We the People Know Best on Social Security," New Deal 2.0, June 14, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89703&id=22136-3014064-Gh4U.Ox&t=9

Toxic Gulf Oil Dispersant Enters Foodchain

Scientists have found signs of an oil-and-dispersant mix under the shells of tiny blue crab larvae in the Gulf of Mexico, the first clear indication that the unprecedented use of dispersants in the BP oil spill has broken up the oil into toxic droplets so tiny that they can easily enter the foodchain.

Marine biologists started finding orange blobs under the translucent shells of crab larvae in May, and have continued to find them "in almost all" of the larvae they collect, all the way from Grand Isle, Louisiana, to Pensacola, Fla. -- more than 300 miles of coastline -- said Harriet Perry, a biologist with the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.

And now, a team of researchers from Tulane University using infrared spectrometry to determine the chemical makeup of the blobs has detected the signature for Corexit, the dispersant BP used so widely in the Deepwater Horizon

Read full story from the Huffington Post.

Obama opens breach for expanding arms exports

The United States is currently the world biggest weapons supplier — holding 30 per cent of the market — but the Obama administration has begun modifying export control regulations in hopes of enlarging the U.S. market share, according to U.S. officials.

President Barack Obama already has taken the first steps by tucking new language into the Iran sanctions bill signed in early July. His aides are now compiling the "munitions list," which regulates the sale of military items.

The administration's stated reason for the changes is to simplify the sale of weapons to U.S. allies, but potential spinoffs include generating business for the U.S. defense industry, creating jobs and contributing to Obama's drive to double U.S. exports by 2015.

Critics say the reforms are being rushed and warn that the expedited procedures could allow weapons technology to fall into the wrong hands.

Read full story from McClatchy.

Government Has Known Pot Kills Cancer for Decades

A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.

The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.

“But, that is not all,” explains Dr. Russo: “The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant.”

Usually, any story that even suggests the possibility of a new treatment for cancer is greeted with headlines about a “cancer cure” – however remote in the future and improbable in fact it might be. But if marijuana is involved, don’t expect any coverage from mainstream media, especially since mainstream editors have been quietly killing this story for the past thirty years…

That’s right, news about the abilility of pot to shrink tumors first surfaced, way back in 1974. Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, who had been funded by the National Institutes of Health to find evidence that marijuana damages the immune system, found instead that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice — lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia.

Read full story from Garden State Alternative.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Russia Elects First Black Politician

NOVOZAVIDOVO, Russia — People in this Russian town used to stare at Jean Gregoire Sagbo because they had never seen a black man. Now they say they see in him something equally rare – an honest politician.

Sagbo last month became the first black to be elected to office in Russia.

In a country where racism is entrenched and often violent, Sagbo's election as one of Novozavidovo's 10 municipal councilors is a milestone. But among the town's 10,000 people, the 48-year-old from the West African country of Benin is viewed simply a Russian who cares about his hometown.

He promises to revive the impoverished, garbage-strewn town where he has lived for 21 years and raised a family. His plans include reducing rampant drug addiction, cleaning up a polluted lake and delivering heating to homes.

"Novozavidovo is dying," Sagbo said in an interview in the ramshackle municipal building. "This is my home, my town. We can't live like this."

"His skin is black but he is Russian inside," said Vyacheslav Arakelov, the mayor. "The way he cares about this place, only a Russian can care."

Read full story from the Huffington Post

Top 10 Countries for Solar Energy Production

We hear a lot about how Germany and Spain have increased solar energy greatly in recent years with supportive government policies. We also hear a lot about China’s big clean energy push. And, despite trouble getting the US federal government to do much for solar energy, we know that the US is still continuously moving forward on this front. But have you ever wondered which countries in the world have the most installed solar energy?

Below are the top ten countries in the world according to installed photovoltaic (PV) solar energy capacity. Think you know the order? You might be surprised…see if you can name all ten countries in the right order before continuing on.

Read full story from 1 Block Off the Grid.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Greenpeace Activists Shut Down All BP Stations in London

BP petrol stations were shut down by activists today in a bid to urge the oil company to adopt greener energy policies.

Greenpeace claimed it shut off fuel supplies at around 50 service stations in central London this morning.

A spokesman said activists stopped the flow of fuel by flipping safety switches located on the forecourts and then removing them to prevent the petrol stations reopening.

They also hoisted signs saying: "Closed. Moving beyond petroleum".

Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said: "The moment has come for BP to move beyond oil. Under Tony Hayward the company went backwards, squeezing the last drops of oil from places like the Gulf of Mexico, the tar sands of Canada and even the fragile Arctic wilderness.

"We've shut down all of BP's stations in London to give the new boss a chance to come up with a better plan. They're desperate for us to believe they're going 'beyond petroleum'. Well now's the time to prove it."

Read full story from The Independent UK

Bravo comment: These activists are heroes! The only injury in this activism was to BP's bottom line.

New Gulf Leak Spewing Oil 20 ft in Air

The US Coast Guard dispatched emergency teams Tuesday after a boat crashed into an oil well off the coast of New Orleans, reportedly sending crude spewing some 20 feet into the air.

The wellhead, located about 65 miles (104 kilometers) south of New Orleans, was ruptured when it was struck by a dredge barge being pulled by a tug.

The Coast Guard said it could not immediately confirm reports that a giant fountain of oil was now spewing from the damaged wellhead, which was situated only six feet (1.8 meters) below the surface of the sea.

Read full story from Raw Story.

NATO bombing kills 52 Afghan civilians

A Nato rocket attack on a village in Afghanistan last week killed 52 civilians, including women and children, the office of Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, has said in a statement.

Based on reports from the Afghan National Directorate of Security, a house in Regey village in Sangin district of the southern Helmand province was hit with a rocket launched by Nato troops on Friday.

Reports surfaced on Saturday that a helicopter gunship fired on villagers who had been told by fighters to leave their homes as a firefight with troops from Nato's International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) was imminent.

According to witness accounts, men, women and children fled to Regey village and were fired on from helicopter gunships as they took cover.

Abdul Ghafar, 45, told AFP, a French press agency, that he lost "two daughters and one son and two sisters" in the attack.

Read full story from Aljazeera.

Bravo comment: This is the sort of thing people in other countries read all the time. And you wonder why they have a problem with us? How would Americans react if some other country killed 52 civilians in an airstrike?

Mosque-Burning Rabbi Arrested for Inciting Murder of Non-Jews

The head rabbi of a prominent yeshiva in the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar was arrested Monday for writing a book that allegedly encourages the killing of non-Jews.

Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira is the alleged author of the book "The King's Torah," which deems as legal, according to "Jewish law," the killing of non-Jews.

Shapira is head of a yeshiva (a type of center for Jewish study) which supports replacing the government with a religious monarchy.

Shapira was arrested this past January for his alleged involvement in the torching of a Palestinian mosque in the village of Yasuf, but was later released.

Read full story from Haaretz

Bravo comment: Apparently Israel is trying to have a Right Wing Crazy-Off with America.

Weed Killer in Tap Water Dangerous? EPA Lets Industry Answer

Companies with a financial interest in a weed-killer sometimes found in drinking water paid for thousands of studies federal regulators are using to assess the herbicide’s health risks, records of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency show. Many of these industry-funded studies, which largely support atrazine’s safety, have never been published or subjected to an independent scientific peer review.

Meanwhile, some independent studies documenting potentially harmful effects on animals and humans are not included in the body of research the EPA deems relevant to its safety review, the Huffington Post Investigative Fund has found. These studies include many that have been published in respected scientific journals.

EPA records obtained by The Huffington Post Investigative Fund show that at least half of the 6,611 studies the agency is reviewing to help make its decision were conducted by scientists and organizations with a financial stake in atrazine, including Syngenta or its affiliated companies and research contractors.

More than 80 percent of studies on which the EPA are relying have never been published. This means that they have not undergone rigorous “peer review” by independent scientists, a customary method to ensure studies are credible and scientifically sound before they can be published in major journals.

Read full story from Alternet

US Military loses $8.7 Billion in Iraqi oil money

The Defense Department is unable to properly account for $8.7 billion out of $9.1 billion in Iraqi oil revenue entrusted to it between 2004 and 2007, according to a newly released audit that underscores a pattern of poor record-keeping during the war.

Of that amount, the military failed to provide any records at all for $2.6 billion in purported reconstruction expenditure, says the report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, which is responsible for monitoring U.S. spending in Iraq. The rest of the money was not properly deposited in special accounts as required under Treasury Department rules, making it difficult to trace how it was spent.

Though there is no apparent evidence of fraud, the improper accounting practices add to the pattern of mismanagement, reckless spending and, in some instances, corruption uncovered by the agency since 2004, when it was created to oversee the total of $53 billion in U.S. taxpayer money appropriated by Congress for the reconstruction effort.

Read full story from LA Times

Bravo comment: No apparent evidence of fraud? The fact it's missing is circumstantial evidence of fraud! I challenge anyone reading this to explain to me why I should NOT assume some already-filthy-rich military complex industrialists didn't already pocket this money.

What sort of false flag excuse to start another war could one perpetrate with $8.7 billion? I bet 9/11 didn't cost that much.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Amnesty International: 35 women and children killed by US cluster bombs in Yemen

Cluster bombs are in the news again, thanks to a recent report from Amnesty International.

The human rights agency has confirmed that 35 women and children were killed following the latest US attacks on an alleged al-Qaeda hideout in Yemen. Initially, there were attempts to bury the story, and Yemen officially denied that civilians were killed as a result of the December 17 attack on al-Majala in southern Yemen. However, it has been simply impossible to conceal what is now considered the largest loss of life in one single US attack in the country.

If the civilian casualties were indeed a miscalculation on the part of the US military, there should no longer be any doubt about the fact that cluster munitions are far too dangerous a weapon to be utilized in war. And they certainly have no place whatsoever in civilian areas. The human casualties are too large to justify.

Read full story from Truthout

Bravo comment: Bet you didn't know about the War in Yemen!

First half of 2010 hottest on record

The first half of 2010 was the hottest six-month period recorded globally with temperatures around the globe 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit above averages.

Temperatures hit record highs globally. El Nino or global warming? The first half of 2010 was the hottest six-month period recorded globally with temperatures around the globe 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit above averages.

You might have missed it if you live in many spots in the lower 48 states, but the first six months of 2010 were the warmest on record globally, according to preliminary data from the National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C.

During the January-to-June period, combined land and ocean surface temperatures around the globe ran 1.22 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average.

Temperatures also ran above normal along the US East Coast. But in the the upper Midwest, the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountain states, and the Southeast, temperatures ran from 2 to 3 degrees F below the long-term average.

"We haven't seen the warming in the 48 states, which is kind of nice," says David Pierce, a climate scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. "But the rest of the world has really seen warm conditions."

Read full story from Truthout

How Helsinki is using IT to heat homes

A mini revolution in eco-friendly computing is taking place in the depths of the 19th-century Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral in downtown Helsinki.

The Finnish IT company Academica has installed a new 2MW database server centre in an empty second world war bomb shelter meant to protect city officials in the event of a Russian attack. Water warmed while cooling the servers will go on to provide heat for 500 homes or 1,000 flats in a city that often suffers winters of -20C. After the heat is extracted, the water will be recycled back to cool the servers again.

"There have been smaller implementations of similar systems," says Pietari Päivänen, head of sales at Academica. "Data centres being used to heat parking lots. No one has conducted the heat towards a central heating system however."

Read full story from the Guardian UK

US attack on Fallujah - Aftermath "Worse than Hiroshima"

Dramatic increases in infant mortality, cancer and leukaemia in the Iraqi city of Fallujah, which was bombarded by US Marines in 2004, exceed those reported by survivors of the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, according to a new study.

Their claims have been supported by a survey showing a four-fold increase in all cancers and a 12-fold increase in childhood cancer in under-14s. Infant mortality in the city is more than four times higher than in neighbouring Jordan and eight times higher than in Kuwait.

Read full story from the Independent UK

Bravo comment: It's important to note here that the US forces used chemical weapons containing white phosphorus against "insurgents" in the city of Fallujah. You know, the kind of stuff we accused Saddam Hussein of doing. We killed him for doing it. Will anyone in the US have to stand trial and possible similar punishment.

US bringing pain ray home

A ‘pain ray’ that blasts the enemy with unbearable heat waves hasbeen pulled out of Afghanistan by the US military.

The Active Denial System (ADS), which cost about £42 million to develop, was on the brink of being deployed to disperse members of the Taliban as they attacked US forces.

The weapon, which causes immense pain to subjects but no lasting physical damage, was pulled from the war zone last week but US army chiefs in Afghanistan have stayed silent about the reason for the U-turn.

A spokesperson from the American Department of Defence said: ‘The decision to recall the weapons back to the US was made by commanders on the ground in Afghanistan.’
Read full story from the Daily Mail

Bravo comment: I'd like you to note the wording from the DoD spokesperson: "...recall the weapons back to the US..."

Is it possible they intend to use them here? If so, when and why? And why not use them in Afghanistan to keep the Taliban from killing several Americans a day?

It doesn't add up to this American.

Israel dumps their trash in Palestinian territory

Israeli waste that is disposed of in the landfill at Abu Dis (the West Bank), which is under Palestinian territorial authority, is in contradiction to international law which prohibits the transport and disposal of wastes across borders without mutual consent. Moreover, the landfill is near capacity, and additional landfill sites are still undesignated. This fact further emphasizes the urgent need for a comprehensive solid waste policy for the area (Solid Waste Management Policy in the Jerusalem District – September 2008)

An Israeli company - The Ma'ale Adumim Planning and Development Company Ltd has been managing the Abu Dis landfill, near the neighborhood of Abu Dis, since 1998. The site receives waste from Jerusalem and the surrounding localities. The 430-dunam site receives huge amounts of waste every day, from Jerusalem, Ma'ale Adumim and the surrounding localities. This same company is also vigorously selling off industrial land development which also sits over the top of the water aquifers that are so vital to the region. The combination of the landfill site and industrial development over such a precious resource will have devastating effects on the population. When both landfill waste and industrial run off are added together the toxic plumes that radiate out from such locations will not only contaminate the public water supply but will also eventually be picked up by submersible pumps that water vast tracts of agricultural land.

Read full story from the Palestine Telegraph

Friday, July 23, 2010

London's mayor gears up city for biking revolution

This time next week, as many as 6,000 blue-and-grey rides will swarm over the city's streets. Conurbations across the country will be watching closely as more than 300 automated docking stations start dispensing bikes with the swipe of a credit card (at first for users who register from today).

Theft and vandalism have blighted similar systems in Paris and beyond, but London is confident its grab-and-go scheme will be a hit. But how do these chunky rides with their balloon tyres and giant mudguards perform?

Read full story from The Independent UK

U.S. State Dept. upgrades PLO diplomatic status

The United States State Department has upgraded the Palestinian Liberation Organization's mission in Washington, the PLO's U.S. representative said on Thursday.

The upgrade, which will give the PLO Mission to the U.S. the status of 'Delegation General', became effective beginning July 20, 2010.

Although not fully fledged diplomatic recognition, the upgrade raises the status of Palestinian representation in the U.S. to the same level as PLO representation in many European countries, as well as Canada.

Read full story on Haaretz.

US and UK used depleted uranium in Iraq

UK defense secretary says American and British forces used depleted uranium (DU) ammunitions during the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

"UK forces used about 1.9 metric tons of depleted uranium ammunition in the Iraq war in 2003," UK Defense Secretary Liam Fox said in a written reply to the House of Commons on Thursday, the Kuwait News Agency reported.

The announcement came after a joint study by the environment, health and science ministries in Iraq said there were communities near the cities of Najaf, Basra and Fallujah with increased rates of cancer and birth defects over the past five years.

More than 40 sites across Iraq are contaminated with high levels of radiation and dioxins.

Read full story from PressTV

Bravo comment: Seriously? When the Bush Administration used a lie about Saddam having uranium as a justification for invading Iraq, they used uranium in that very invasion? That is just plain evil. Lies and killing. That is what the Bush Administration sold you.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Lobbyists Pushing Asbestos Globally

A global network of lobby groups has spent nearly $100 million since the mid-1980s to preserve the international market for asbestos, a known carcinogen that's taken millions of lives and is banned or restricted in 52 countries, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has found in a nine-month investigation.

Backed by public and private money and aided by scientists and friendly governments, the groups helped facilitate the sale of 2.2 million tons of asbestos last year, mostly in developing nations. Anchored by the Montreal-based Chrysotile Institute, the network stretches from New Delhi to Mexico City to the city of Asbest in Russia's Ural Mountains. Its message is that asbestos can be used safely under "controlled" conditions.

As a result, asbestos use is growing rapidly in countries such as China and India, prompting health experts to warn of future epidemics of lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma, an aggressive malignancy that usually attacks the lining of the lungs.

Read full story

Bravo comment: You gotta wonder who these soulless lobbyists are. Do the manufacturers recruit them from the tobacco lobby? Like tobacco, I've personally known someone who died from exposure to asbestos through Mesothelioma. It wasn't pretty.

This story falls under the category of "Just In Case You Needed More Evidence There's A Problem With Unrestricted Capitalism".

Oakland steamrolls small pot farmers, approves large farms

Oakland's City Council is high on marijuana as a budding business.

The California city's politicians adopted measures that give the go-ahead for large-scale pot farms as a way to generate revenue and regulate the industry late Tuesday night.

In other words, Oakland wants cannabis to go capitalist.

The city will give permits for four, industrial-sized operations, which can be as large as 100,000 square feet, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.

The move could really pay off for the city if state voters approve Prop. 19, a November ballot initiative that would legalize recreational use of pot.

But not everyone is pleased with the city's new regulations, especially small marijuana farmers, who say the four pot factories will push them out of business and dilute the product.

"Government should not choose the winners and losers but create a level playing field," said Steve DeAngelo, who runs the largest medical marijuana dispensary in the country and opposes the City Council decision. "Some people might prefer mass production, assembly-line cannabis that costs less. Others might prefer cannabis grown by a master gardener in a smaller plot."

Read full story

City Council Looks to Criminalize Eye Rolling

Next time you're in line at the grocery store and you roll your eyes at the person with two carts full of items refusing to leave the 10-items-or-fewer line, you might be in trouble with the law -- at least if you live in Elmhurst, Illinois. Officials of the Chicago suburb are looking into finding a way of putting an end to the practice by legal means.

The idiocy stems from a recent city council meeting where an Elmhurst resident was ejected from the room after rolling her eyes in reaction to something that was said by a council member.

Members of the Elmhurst city council have asked the City Attorney to look into the creation of a "disturbance and disorderly conduct" violation and to see if eye-rolling could somehow be shoehorned into its definition.

Read full story

Monday, July 19, 2010

Women in Kenya embracing solar power

Let there be light. And thanks to the efforts of rural women in one of the most remote corners of the Kenyan republic, lights turn on as night falls at the end of a sunny day.

Tucked away in the remote villages of Olando and Got Kaliech in rural Kenya, residents in this poor outpost in south-western Kenya today have light after darkness falls. The light is thanks to Phoebe Jondiko, Joyce Matunga and Phoebe Akinyi, the three solar “women engineers” who have literally switched on the lights in the two villages with a view to lighting up more villages in the remote Gwassi Division in Suba District.

Blessed with year-round sunshine, Kenya is quickly waking up to the realization that it can successfully tap into one of the vast natural resources on the planet – the sun. Solar energy has for a long time remained largely untapped in Kenya due to a combination of factors with the single biggest obstacle being the hugely expensive solar kits.

But with the Kenyan government desperately looking for new avenues through which it can turn Kenya’s energy greener, this year it lowered the importation taxes levied on solar energy kits so as to encourage corporations and individuals to use solar to power domestic and industrial operations.

Read full story from RenewableEnergyWorld.com

U.S. giving $2.775 Billion in American tax dollars to Israel

U.S.. Assistant Secretary of State, Andrew Shapiro, stated Friday that the US government intends to grant Israel the amount of 2.775 Billion U.S. Dollars in what was described as the largest single military-security aid grant to Israel.

He said that the money is considered a special military-security aid grant to Israel in order for Israel to ensure “its security needs are met under the current circumstances”.

The Obama administration already asked the Congress to grant this amount to Israel.

His statements came as he addressed the US-Israeli relationships on Friday during a speech at the Brookings Saban Center for Middle East Policy.

Read full story from International Middle East Media Center

Media Not Reporting Contractor Deaths in Afghanistan

A recent report by the US Congress has found that private security contractors in Afghanistan are dying at 4.5 times the rate that US soldiers are in the nation. The report also found that the contractors’ deaths go virtually unreported internationally.

While most of the contractors are said to have been killed guarding convoys, though the exact details are largely unknown, and the deaths are scarcely investigated.

Read full story from Antiwar.com.

Friday, July 16, 2010

GOP Congressman: Hide Republican Agenda

In laying out his case for why the GOP should have a minimal platform for the November elections, a New York Republican has given ammunition to critics who say the party knows its policies wouldn't be popular if they were put under the microscope.

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) told a radio show Thursday that the GOP should focus on its strategy of being against President Barack Obama's policies, but shouldn't give too many specifics on its own policies -- or those policies could be used against them.

Read full story

June 2010 hottest on record

Last month was the hottest June ever recorded on Earth, the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday, amid global climate warming worries.

The combined global land and ocean surface temperature data also found the January-June and April-June periods were the warmest on record, according to NOAA's National Climatic Data Center, which based its findings on measurements that go back as far as 1880.

In June, the combined average for global land and ocean temperatures was 61.1 degrees Fahrenheit (16.2 Celsius) -- 1.22 degrees Fahrenheit (0.68 Celsius) more than the 20th century average of 59.9 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 Celsius).

Read full story

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Politico: The science behind climate science

How we as a society use what we have learned from climate science could define our generation.

Right now, our nation — and the world — are at a crossroads. Yet we seem stalled — despite an increasingly clear picture of what human-induced global warming is doing to our planet.

The scientific community — often working closely with governments — has produced numerous, carefully reviewed, international and national assessments of the scientific understanding behind climate change. The latest, “America’s Climate Choices,” recently released by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, states that “scientific evidence that the Earth is warming is now overwhelming.”

So it is imperative that the public and policymakers question and debate the range of options for addressing climate change — including the level of certainty about that evidence. But a fair debate requires understanding of the scientific process.

Please, Read full story

Slate: 3 ideas to make city transportation more efficient

1) The Narrow Car

The basic concept is that rather than trying to expand road infrastructure to meet traffic demand—a fiscal impossibility in many places—we should instead look for smaller vehicles that can more efficiently use the existing space. Hence the Tango, a twin-forklift-motor-powered micro-car that boasts fuel efficiency of 100 mpg, a roll-cage for safety, fans like George Clooney, and a host of potential benefits advertised in the submission: everything from increasing road and parking capacity to increasing suburban property values as commute times go down.

2. Smart Buses

As mchmiel argues, "If elevators can be smart when there isn't any human driving them, why can't buses be smart?" In fact, buses are getting smarter all the time, with computerized bus dispatch systems, which give passengers real-time bus location and arrival information, now in play in many cities. But mchmiel has something more far-reaching in mind: "Here's the solution: A city is broken up into a series of sectors and sub-sectors. Each sector has its own mini-fleet of public taxis, vans, and minibuses. Those buses move about in a flexible current that can respond in real time to user demand. Bus stops in each sector will be equipped with call boxes that can determine urgency and need. The route a driver takes to make it to the targeted bus stop is up to the driver—if traffic is preventing one way, then he can take an alternate route to get there as fast as possible. An organized dispatch prevents 'leap-frogging' buses from over-responding to stops."

3. Build a Better Bike Network

(B)icycles are one of the best solutions to the "problem of the first and last mile—the distance from homes to public transit that keeps people driving and (expensively) parking their cars rather than taking the bus or train."

Thankfully, there's a solution, one that is already being deployed in U.S. cities (and which has been written about in this column): the bike transit center. "These centers," Izzy notes, "also include amenities like lockers, showers, restrooms, bike repair and rental, and accessory retail, making it convenient and feasible to ride a bike for transportation. Bike transit centers placed near public transportation stations become a network, allowing people to ride a bike from home to the train station, park it securely, hop on the train, and rent or share a bike or electric vehicle at the other end of the line to get to work."

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Video proves cop assaulted protester, not other way around

A former police officer faces jail after an internet video exposed his bid to prosecute a cycling protester for running into him as a lie.

Patrick Pogan claimed activist Christopher Long steered into him and knocked him down during a demonstration in New York.

But a YouTube video seen by two million people so far has exposed him as a liar.

Read full story

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

They unpaved paradise and put up a park

Bravo comment: Aside from having the coolest headline I've seen in a long time, I recommend you head over to WorldChanging.com and read the full article for a bright green spot in your day!

In San Francisco, a handful of parking spaces and public right-of-ways are being remade into mini parks and plazas. Some are lined with trees sprouting from old dumpsters, others are buffered from traffic with large, discarded pipes; inside the improvised borders, tables, small patches of grass and concrete slabs are arranged for seating.

These 'parklets' and plazas are part of San Francisco's new Pavement to Parks initiative, an attempt to transfer some of San Francisco's public space back to pedestrians.

Read full story

Cool idea: Save energy - and money - by using less AC

As I see it, if you want to get some really creative ideas for keeping cool at the height of summer, go to someone who has figured out how to live without air-conditioning on the fringes of Phoenix -- the world's number-one urban heat island -- or in the sun-broiled steambath that is southwest Florida.

So I asked John, Sheila, Dani, Chris and Priti to help me come up with a summertime guide to remaining comfortable -- or at least of sound mind and body -- without air-conditioning.

If you follow any of this advice, it may be out of a desire to reduce your carbon footprint or your utility bill. But we're betting that as you begin to realize some of the benefits of the non-refrigerated life, you'll find yourself looking for more opportunities, even excuses, to turn off the air-conditioning.

Read full story

Who Greened J.R.?

J.R. Ewing returns to the small screen on Tuesday, and the boys down at the Cattleman’s Club just might need a double bourbon when they hear what he has to say.

Larry Hagman, the actor who played the scheming Texas oilman on the long-running television show “Dallas,” is reprising his role as J.R. in an advertising campaign to promote solar energy and SolarWorld, a German photovoltaic module maker.

“In the past it was always about the oil,” Mr. Hagman says in a TV commercial that is being introduced on Tuesday at the Intersolar conference in San Francisco.

“The oil was flowing and so was the money. Too dirty, I quit it years ago,” he growls as he saunters past a portrait of a grinning J.R. in younger days and a wide-screen television showing images of an offshore oil rig and blackened waters.

Read full story

Israel bulldozes Palestinian homes

By DIAA HADID

Associated Press Writer

JERUSALEM —

Israeli bulldozers destroyed six buildings, including at least three homes, in contested east Jerusalem on Tuesday, resuming the demolition of Palestinian property after a halt aimed at encouraging peace talks.

Jerusalem house demolitions are a volatile issue because of conflicting Israeli and Palestinian claims to the city's eastern sector. Israel sees it as part of its capital city, while Palestinians want it for their own future capital.

The municipality said none of the structures razed were homes, and that all had been illegally built and were not populated. The demolitions were carried out by a court order, the municipality said in a statement.

But Palestinians disputed those claims, saying three of the demolished structures were homes and one was a warehouse. Two daybeds and bags crammed with children's clothing and kitchen utensils were strewn outside one of the buildings.

Read full story

Bravo comment: Israel lied and said none were homes. Israel lied and said none were occupied. Listening to what Israel says is like listening to U.S. military accounts about drone strikes.
Filled. With. Lies.

Israel shells Gaza, kills woman

Israeli army shelling killed a Palestinian woman and wounded two of her relatives in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday, hospital officials said.

Asked about the incident in the village of Johar a-Deek, which is near Gaza's border with Israel, the IDF Spokesperson's Office confirmed that soldiers had opened fire on two suspicious figures who were seen approaching the border fence.

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First Amendment win: FCC indecency rules struck down

A US appeals court Tuesday struck down a policy aimed at preventing "indecency" in US broadcasting as a violation of free speech protections, slamming the regulations for their "chilling effect."

The court said the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policy was an "unconstitutionally vague" guide that violated the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

Read full story

Tea Party candidate loses Alabama runoff election

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A mainstream Republican rolled past a tea party activist Tuesday in the GOP runoff for a southeast Alabama congressional seat that Republicans hope to reclaim.

Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby was drawing 60 percent in the unofficial count in the 2nd Congressional District GOP runoff Tuesday against Rick Barber, a former Marine who operates a Montgomery pool hall that hosts tea party meetings.

Read full story

Bravo comment: If Tea Party wingnuts are losing to more moderate Republicans in the deep poor south, there might just be hope for America.

Rove wants Hannity to be his next W.

Fox News host Sean Hannity brought Bush White House advisor Karl Rove on his show last night to discuss the upcoming elections and speculate about who might challenge President Obama in 2012. After Hannity suggested that Rove was considering a bid, Rove countered that Hannity should be the one running, because America needs to be “Hannitized.”

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8 U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan

At least eight American soldiers have been killed Tuesday and Wednesday in Afghanistan, the NATO-led command said.

Also, explosions in Afghanistan killed 11 civilians Tuesday, Afghanistan's Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

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GOP candidate says Obama taking away freedom to find salvation

A Republican candidate in Missouri warned Monday that his opponent and the president are blocking the path to salvation.

In an interview on the Gina Loudon radio program, Ed Martin said that President Barack Obama and Rep. Russ Carnahan were keeping people from finding the Lord.

"We're great because we created a place and space where people can be free," said Martin. "And they can choose Christ, they can choose to be faithful. They can worship, and they find their way to the Lord."

"And that's one of the things that's most destructive about the growth of government. It's this taking away that freedom. The freedom -- the ultimate freedom, to find your salvation, to get your salvation," he continued.

"And I think that's one of the things that we have to be very, very aware of that the Obama Administration and Congressman Carnahan are doing to us," he said.

Read full story

Bravo comment: Seriously? The GOP wants you to believe they have a direct line to God; they're God's political party. That's nothing new, although the ridiculousness of the insinuation never fails to annoy me. But making you afraid for your soul's salvation because Barack Obama is the head of American government? Claiming that somehow Barack Obama is removing your freedom to find salvation? It's absurd. And it's impossible, even if you DO believe you need salvation.

Right now, the only thing I need to be saved from is the Republican party!

Sharon Angle claims campaign part of God's plan

Over the weekend, Republican Senate candidate Sharon Angle told the founder of the Christian Coalition that her campaign was part of God's plan.

Angle is trying to build a wide coalition in Nevada between libertarian-leaning Tea Party supporters and social conservatives in an attempt to defeat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

Read full story

Bravo comment: It's impossible for Sharon Angle to know what God has planned, so she's either being disingenuous or she's just plain wrong. And if voters can't trust her about this, they shouldn't trust her period.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

2 GOP senators cross aisle for filibuster-proof Wall Street reform

WASHINGTON (CNNMoney.com) -- Two key Republican senators announced their support for the Wall Street reform bill Monday, placing Senate Democrats days away from winning the final vote to passing the most sweeping set of changes to the financial system in decades.

Top Senate Democrats say they have the 60 votes needed to pass the Wall Street reform bill this week. The Senate could hold a procedural test vote as early as Tuesday, which would set the stage for a final vote later this week.

Read full story

Bravo comment: It seems we've crossed over into bizarroworld. The Party of NO is either losing solidarity or gaining a conscience! Hey - a guy can hope!

Republican Senator Vitter Encourages Birther Lawsuits

Republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana says he supports conservative organizations challenging President Barack Obama's citizenship in court.

Vitter, who is running for re-election, made the comments at a town hall-style event in Metairie, La., on Sunday when a constituent asked what he would do about what the questioner said was Obama's "refusal to produce a valid birth certificate."

Such claims about Obama's birth certificate have been discredited. But with the crowd applauding the question, Vitter responded that although he doesn't personally have legal standing to bring litigation, he supports "conservative legal organizations and others who would bring that to court," according to a video of the event.

Read full story

Bravo comment: And when each of these lawsuits fails, I recommend the judges rule all lawyer and court fees be sent directly to David Vitter!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Fox analyst says Bush and Cheney should have been indicted

Fox News' senior judicial analyst made some surprising remarks Saturday that may go against the grain at his conservative network.

In a interview with Ralph Nader on C-SPAN's Book TV to promote his book Lies the Government Told You, Judge Andrew Napolitano said that President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney should have been indicted for "torturing, for spying, for arresting without warrant."

Read full story

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Ed Norton named U.S. ambassador to U.N. in biodiversity

American actor Edward Norton, who has starred in films including "The Incredible Hulk," "Fight Club," and "Kingdom of Heaven," has a new role -- United Nations

goodwill ambassador for biodiversity.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made the announcement, noting that Norton and his family

had long been involved in issues related to sustainable development and conservation.

Norton said he hoped he can use his celebrity to boost awareness of the UN's ideals and activities in environmental conservation.

Read full story

Buffet believes economy is on the up

When Warren Buffett looks at America's economy, he sees recovery.

In an exclusive interview with Yahoo! News and the Huffington Post, Buffett disagreed with New York Times columnist and Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, who wrote recently that he fears the U.S. is in “the early stages of a third depression.”

Read full story

Legal pot in CA could drop prices by 80%

A study released Thursday by the Rand Corporation claims that marijuana prices in a post-legalization California could drop by up to 80 percent, placing some of the most delicately cultivated buds in the world at less than $40 an ounce.

An initiative that would legalize California's most valuable cash crop will be on the state's Nov. 2010 ballot. Should it pass, individual counties and municipalities would be able to opt in or out of the legalized system; those which opt in would be given additional tax and enforcement options, and residents would be allowed to transport up to one ounce and grow plants in a five-foot-by-five-foot area.

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New research promises hope for cheap hydrogen energy

Cheap, clean, hydrogen energy is not just a dream anymore, according to ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES CZ a.s.; based on its breakthrough research, clean hydrogen fuel can be generated from water cheaper than anything we must use today, 790% cheaper than the cost of gasoline or diesel in the US, and 1400% cheaper than in the Czech Republic, and anything between in other countries ... "Our global energy thirst may now be quenched by water"

Read full story

Obama Administration issues new emissions rules for coal plants

WASHINGTON — Acting under federal court order, the Obama administration proposed new air-quality rules on Tuesday for coal-burning power plants that officials said would bring major reductions in soot and smog from Texas to the Eastern Seaboard.

Environmental advocates welcomed the new rules, saying they were better than those proposed by the Bush administration and more likely to survive legal challenge. But they also said that the E.P.A. still had a lot of work to do.

“The E.P.A. proposal is a big step in the right direction,” said Frank O’Donnell of Clean Air Watch, an advocacy group. “It’s a step toward taming the environmental beast known as the coal-fired power plant. But it is only a first step. E.P.A. still needs to move ahead with plans next year to limit power plant emissions of toxic mercury and other hazardous air pollutants.”

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Israeli soldier shot Palestinian women waving white flag

The sniper is the only person to face prosecution over the killing of civilians during the three-week Israeli incursion launched at the end of 2008.

Investigators said they had uncovered evidence that the soldier identified as "First Sergeant S" opened fire as the victims walked with a group of people waving a white flag.

Witnesses described how he fired at Majda Abu Hajjaj, 35, and her mother Salma Abu Hajjaj, 64.

In a hearing last month, the soldier claimed to have fired at the women's legs but said he had not intended to kill them. He maintained that he thought his fellow soldiers' lives were at risk as the group of about 30 people approached a military post.

But his statements were contradicted by those of Palestinian witnesses who said the women were part of a group of civilians waving white flags.

Read full story

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Republican Hawaii Governor Vetoes Civil Union

Hawaii's governor on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have permitted same-sex civil unions, ending months of speculation on how she would weigh in on the contentious, emotional debate.

Republican Gov. Linda Lingle's action came on the final day she had to either sign or veto the bill, which the Hawaii Legislature approved in late April.

Read full story

Bravo comment: The bill made it through the legislature, but the state's Republican governor says NO to the will of The People. Just one more reason to vote against every candidate from this party!

British Climategate scientists cleared of dishonesty

Scientists at a top British research unit embroiled in a row over climate research were cleared of dishonesty on Wednesday but their lack of openness was criticised.

The Independent Climate Change Email Review found nothing in the emails to undermine reports from the United Nations' climate change panel.

Read full story

Olbermann to Oprah about Limbaugh: Crush this schmuck!

Rush Limbaugh may have met his match if MSNBC Keith Olbermann has his way. Olbermann wants Oprah Winfrey to take to the air and "crush" Limbaugh.

Limbaugh suggested Tuesday that Winfrey and other African-Americans owe their success to their skin color.

Limbaugh then went on to attack Winfrey. "It was Oprah. No, it can't be. Yes, it is. There's a lot of guilt out there. To show we`re not racist, we`ll make this person wealthy and big and famous and so forth," said Limbaugh.

Read full story

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Pentagon gives $82 million a month to BP for fuel

Defense Department says it has $980 million in contracts with BP for current fiscal year; Oil giant was largest provider of fuel to Pentagon in the world in 2009.

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97% of climate scientists agree climate change cause by man

A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals huge disparities in the 'relative scientific credibility' of the opposing sides of the climate change debate.

A broad analysis of the climate scientist community itself, the distribution of credibility of dissenting researchers relative to agreeing researchers, and the level of agreement among top climate experts, has not been conducted and would inform future ACC [anthropogenic climate change] discussions. Here, we use an extensive dataset of 1,372 climate researchers and their publication and citation data to show that 1) 97-98% of the climate researchers most actively publishing in the field support the tenets of ACC outlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and 2) the relative climate expertise and scientific prominence of the researchers unconvinced of ACC are substantially below that of the convinced researchers.

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What does the TSA not want its staff to see or know?

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is blocking certain websites from the federal agency's computers, including halting access by staffers to any Internet pages that contain a "controversial opinion," according to an internal email obtained by CBS News.

The email was sent to all TSA employees from the Office of Information Technology on Friday afternoon.

It states that as of July 1, TSA employees will no longer be allowed to access five categories of websites that have been deemed "inappropriate for government access."

Read full story

American Tax Dollars Help Build Israeli Settlments in Palestinian Territory

“These people are filled with ideas that this is the Promised Land and their duty is to help the Jews,” said Izdat Said Qadoos of the neighboring Palestinian village. “It is not the Promised Land. It is our land.”

HaYovel is one of many groups in the United States using tax-exempt donations to help Jews establish permanence in the Israeli-occupied territories — effectively obstructing the creation of a Palestinian state, widely seen as a necessary condition for Middle East peace.

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Coast Guard helping BP spray dispersant banned by EPA

A marine biologist working with a group of environmentalists to save sea turtles claims the U.S. Coast Guard is involved in spraying a toxic chemical dispersant over the Gulf of Mexico; and he says it has already traveled inland.

"Do I think there's dispersants coming in and mixing with our everyday lives?" Dr. Chris Pincetich asked, speaking with a group of activists.

"Absolutely," he pronounced.

Read full story

First Amendment Protections? Not Inside U.S. Senate Building!

A 60 year-old environmental activist who hung two banners in a government building will be sentenced Tuesday -- and faces up to three years in prison.

Bloomfield, NJ resident Ted Glick will be sentenced Tuesday for unfurling two banners saying “Green Jobs Now” and “Get to Work” from the Hart Senate Office Building’s 7th floor into the atrium on Sept. 8, 2009, the day the Senate returned from its summer recess. Glick and approximately 30 demonstrators were attempting to pressure the Senate to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which passed the House in June 2009.

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Friday, July 2, 2010

Couple collects and recycles 400,000 cans to pay for wedding

After Pete Geyer and Andrea Parrish became engaged, they decided to say "I can" before saying "I do," and in more ways than one. The couple worked to make their wedding not just a celebration of the love they have for each other, but to show a bit of love to the planet as well--by funding the ceremony solely through the recycling of aluminum cans. With a modest wedding budget set at around $4000 to pay for dresses, DJs, food, and flowers, the recycling couple pulled out all the stops to collect the 400,000 cans it would take to reach their goal.

Read full story on Treehugger.com

Steele: Afghanistan Is War of Obama's Choosing

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has developed a reputation for political gaffes, but his words at a Republican fundraiser Thursday are being described as "the biggest gaffe of all."

Speaking to a crowd of Connecticut Republicans about the Afghanistan war, Steele said, "Keep in mind again, federal candidates, this was a war of Obama's choosing. This is not something the United States had actively prosecuted or wanted to engage in."

Read full story

Bravo comment: This is probably the first time I've ever agreed with Michael Steele. It's also probably the last. For instance, later in the article Steele asks, "...has he not understood that you know that's the one thing you don't do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan?"

Seriously? Which president engaged in this land war? Pretty sure it was a Republican named Bush! Did the Republicans to whom he was speaking smile and nod their heads in agreement? This is evidence Michael Steele is a part of what's wrong with politics in this country: For it when their party does it, against it when "the other side" does it. Not helpful to American discourse, sir. Not helpful at all.

Palestinians embrave nonviolent resistance

JERUSALEM—Hamas and Hezbollah, groups that have long battled Israel with violent tactics, have begun to embrace civil disobedience, protest marches, lawsuits and boycotts—tactics they once dismissed.

For decades, Palestinian statehood aspirations seemed to lurch between negotiations and armed resistance against Israel. But a small cadre of Palestinian activists has long argued that nonviolence, in the tradition of the American civil rights movement, would be far more effective.

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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Kucinich: We Are Losing Our Nation to Lies About the Necessity of War

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today made the following statement on the floor of the House concerning an expected vote on a $33 billion supplemental war funding bill:

“In a little more than a year the United States flew

$12 billion in cash to Iraq, much of it in $100 bills, shrink wrapped and loaded onto pallets. Vanity Fair reported in 2004 that `at least $9 billion’ of the cash had `gone missing, unaccounted for.’ $9 billion.

“Today, we learned that suitcases of $3 billion in cash have openly moved through the Kabul airport. One U.S. official quoted by the Wall Street Journal said, `A lot of this looks like our tax dollars being stolen.’ $3 billion. Consider this as the American people sweat out an extension of unemployment benefits.

“Last week, the BBC reported that “the US military has been giving tens of millions of dollars to Afghan security firms who are funneling the money to warlords.” Add to that a corrupt Afghan government underwritten by the lives of our troops.

“And now reports indicate that Congress is preparing to attach $10 billion in state education funding to a $33 billion spending bill to keep the war going.

“Back home millions of Americans are out of work, losing their homes, losing their savings, their pensions, and their retirement security. We are losing our nation to lies about the necessity of war."
Read full story

Bravo comment: Sing it, brother Dennis! I wonder if fiscal conservatives and the tea party can get behind a move to stop these endless wars? Also, when and how can we end the dirty political trick of tying unrelated spending to war bills to "buy" passage?

Whisle Blower: BP Sinking Oil To Avoid Fines

Testimony before a Senate investigative panel this week is expected to reveal what many have suspected about BP all along; they don’t care about the environment, the animals that are dying, and the lives that are being destroyed by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

In a shocking interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper on June 29th, Allegiance Capitol Corporation V.P. Fred McCallister said that BP is deliberately sinking oil with the toxic chemical disbursant Corexit, to hide the size of the oil spill. By sinking the oil before it can be collected, BP won’t have to pay fines on it.

Read full story from Examiner.com

Bravo comment: Of course they "don't care about the environment, the animals that are dying..."! They're a corporation. The only thing corporations exist for is maximization of profit. This is why we NEED government regulation!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Monday, July 26, 2010

Friday, July 23, 2010

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Monday, July 19, 2010

Friday, July 16, 2010

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Monday, July 12, 2010

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Friday, July 2, 2010

Thursday, July 1, 2010

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