An anonymous reader quotes a report from Electrek: The DMC DeLorean has been out of production for almost 40 years, but now we've learned that the iconic vehicle might be coming back as an electric car. In 1995, Stephen Wynne bought the company's old inventory and trademark to relaunch the brand based in Texas. At first, the plan was to bring back the same vehicle with more modern technology in low volume. For the past 5 years, the company pushed for the adoption of new rules for low volume vehicle production with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These new rules were finally recently adopted, but the delay was so long that it complicated DeLorean's plans. The engine that they plan to use is not going to be compliant with emission standards starting in 2022 and the landscape has changed significantly.
In a new blog post, the company is now hinting that going electric with the DeLorean: "That said, with EV's becoming more mainstream, we've been considering switching to an all-electric as the future. It certainly makes for an easier path through emissions maze which still looms large over any internal combustion engine. While an electric Cobra or Morgan may be a little extreme for their potential market, we've already seen that an EV DeLorean -- as we displayed at the 2012 New York International Auto Show -- is not such an 'out there' idea." The company hints at being in the process of looking to secure financing to bring an electric DeLorean and says "stay tuned."
[Presser starts at approximately the 29-minute mark.]
What a difference a book excerpt can make? Washington Post on Youtube:
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) hold separate news conferences as President Trump's legal team continues to present their case in the Senate impeachment trial amid fallout from a new report that former national security adviser John Bolton’s book manuscript says Trump directly tied the holdup of nearly $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine to investigations of Joe Biden and his son.
Chuck Schumer was joined by Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland.
Lindsey Graham CANCELLED HIS PRESSER. His opponent in the 2020 Senate race noticed.
Lindsey Graham skipped a press conference just to shamelessly stand by a President he didn’t even vote for.
It's time to stop the political games. As Senator, I will fight for South Carolina values of fairness, honesty, and justice. https://t.co/kVJCzSJp0u
Video footage of then-private citizen Donald Trump warning in 2011 that "our president will start a war with Iran because he has absolutely no ability to negotiate" resurfaced Thursday night after the U.S. assassinated Iran's top military leader and six others in a drone strike in Baghdad, sparking fears of a catastrophic regional and possibly global conflict.
Trump, of course, was referring to former President Barack Obama, who he called "weak and ineffective" and accused of attempting to start a war with Iran to boost his reelection chances.
"So the only way he figures that he's going to get reelected—and as sure as you're sitting there—is to start a war with Iran," Trump said at the time.
Obama went on to win reelection in 2012 without launching a war with Iran. In 2015, the U.S., Iran, and other major nations adopted the Iran nuclear agreement, which Trump effectively shredded last year.
Watch the clip, which Washington Post video editor J.M. Rieger tweeted Thursday night:
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives is considering two articles of impeachment against Donald J. Trump. Republicans began the day with a series of petty attempts to delay the process—including such silliness as calling a vote to adjourn and send everyone home. With those out of the way, the process moved on considering the rules for the debate. The debate on rules was ably handled by House Rules Committee Chair Jim McGovern. Just before noon Eastern Time, the House voted to approve the rules of debate on the articles along mostly party lines. This was followed by a reading of the articles of impeachment.
The rules of the impeachment itself are designed to limit calls for motions, amendments, and other attempts at pointless delay. The rules now allow for six hours of debate on the articles of impeachment, divided evenly between the parties.
Colorado Rep. Diane DeGette is acting as speaker pro tempore. House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff and House Judiciary ranking member Doug Collins are responsible for managing the remaining time as we come down to the end of debate and head for a vote.
Actually, Kevin McCarthy, when she saw the whistleblower report and the evidence collected by a trio of committees, she moved to open an impeachment inquiry.
But she’s about to move to impeach. When you shut up.
It's amazing how "I play a lawyer on TV" Jonathan Turley has been promoted to America's greatest constitutional expert ... because he agrees with Republicans.
McCarthy brings out the “socialist” word. Because hell, why not? This slurring, meandering mess of a close is simply ugly. Bring back the guy who screamed about “swamp critters.” He was more statesmanlike.
Schiff finishes with a speech bringing up how aware Ukraine was that Trump’s efforts were directly encouraging them not to resist corruption, but to engage in corruption.
Bruce Fein, a former senior official in the Department of Justice and a constitutional scholar, has identified 12 impeachable offenses committed by Donald Trump. But, as he notes, many of these constitutional violations are not unique to the Trump administration. They have been normalized by Democratic and Republican administrations. These long-standing violations are, for this reason, ignored by Democratic Party leaders seeking to impeach the president. They have chosen to focus exclusively on Trump’s attempt to get the Ukrainian president to open an investigation of Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in exchange for $400 million in U.S. military aid and a visit by the Ukrainian leader to the White House. Ignoring these institutionalized violations during the impeachment inquiry, Fein fears, would legitimate them and lead to the death of democracy.
In a letter on Friday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also signed by Ralph Nader and Louis Fisher, Fein warns that Trump is “shattering our entire constitutional order.” He lists as the president’s most serious constitutional violations the “defiance of congressional subpoenas and oversight; spending billions of dollars on a southern border wall not appropriated for that purpose; continuing or expanding presidential wars not declared by Congress; exercising line-item veto power; flouting the Emoluments Clause; and, playing prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner to kill any person on the planet based on secret, unsubstantiated information.” But he also notes that many of these violations are not unique to Trump and were also carried out by Barack Obama and George W. Bush.
“Many of the Democrats in the past have been complicit in these violations,” Fein said when I reached him by phone in Washington, D.C. “They have unclean hands. They have acquiesced in illegal surveillance, as revealed by Edward Snowden. The most serious constitutional violations are the ones that are institutional usurpations. These usurpations [by both parties] have permanently weakened, if not eviscerated, the power of the legislature versus the executive.”
“We have a Congress whose members, by and large, do not want the responsibilities the Constitution entrusts them with,” Fein continued. “They like to give away everything to the president and then clamor if something goes bad. The most worrisome constitutional violations are, unfortunately, ones many members of Congress rejoice in. It enables them to escape making hard choices that might compromise their ability to win reelection. But you can’t rely on a past dereliction to justify its perpetuation indefinitely.”
“If we take a narrow approach to impeachment, that will mean that all the more egregious violations will be viewed as having been endorsed and not rebuked and successive presidents will feel they have a green light to emulate Trump on everything except a Ukrainian shakedown,” Fein said. “This is dangerous for the country. This could boomerang, even if we get rid of Trump, by endorsing these usurpations forever. This would be a return to a one-branch government like the monarchy we overthrew in 1776. The unwitting result is to further the [power of the] executive rather than diminish it, which is what should be happening.”
Bush and Obama bequeathed to us nine illegal wars, if we include Yemen. None were declared by Congress, as is demanded by the Constitution. Bush placed the entire U.S. public under government surveillance in direct violation of the Fourth Amendment and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which makes it a crime for the government to surveil any American citizen without authorization by statute. Under the Executive Order 10333 the president spies on Americans as if they were foreigners, although this surveillance has not been authorized by statute. Bush embarked on a global program of kidnapping and torture, including of foreign nationals, which Obama continued. Bush and Obama carried out targeted assassinations, usually by militarized drones, across the globe. And Obama, reinterpreting the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force Act, gave the executive branch the authority to assassinate U.S. citizens. The killings began with drone strikes on the radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and, two weeks later, his 16-year-old son. Such a violation denies U.S. citizens due process. By signing into law Section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act, Obama—whose record on civil liberties is even more appalling than Bush’s gutted the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the use of the military as a domestic police force.
These two presidents, like Trump, violated treaty clauses that required Senate ratification. Obama did this when he signed the Iran nuclear deal and Trump did this when he walked away from the deal. Bush and Obama, like Trump, violated the appointments clause of the Constitution by appointing people who were never confirmed by the Senate as required. The three presidents, to override Congress, all routinely abused their right to use executive orders.
At the same time the courts, a wholly owned subsidiary of corporate power, have transformed the electoral system into legalized bribery through the Citizens United ruling, handed down by the Supreme Court in 2010. Corporations pouring unlimited money into elections was interpreted by the court as the right to petition the government and a form of free speech, essentially overturning the people’s rights by judicial fiat. Also, the courts have steadfastly refused to restore basic constitutional rights including our right to privacy and due process. “The constitutional rot is in all three branches,” Fein said.
The 12 impeachable offenses committed by Trump and singled out by Fein are:
1. Contempt of Congress
Trump made clear his contempt of Congress when he boasted, “… I have Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president.”
“President Trump has repeatedly and unconstitutionally systematically undermined the congressional oversight power, including the ongoing congressional impeachment inquiry of the President himself, by instructing numerous current and former White House staff and members of the executive branch to defy congressional subpoenas on an unprecedented scale far beyond any previous President,” Fein wrote to Pelosi. “Without congressional authority, he has secretly deployed special forces abroad and employed secret guidelines for targeted killings, including American citizens, based on secret unsubstantiated information. He has unconstitutionally endeavored to block private persons or entities from responding to congressional requests or subpoenas for information, e.g., Deutsche Bank. He has refused to provide Congress information about nepotistic or other security clearances he granted in opposition to his own FBI security experts. He has refused to disclose his tax returns to the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee contrary to a 1924 law, 26 U.S.C. 6103 (f).”
2. Abuse of the Powers of the President and Abuse of Public Trust
“Unlike prior presidents, he has made presidential lies as routine as the rising and setting of the sun, confounding civil discourse, truth and public trust,” the memo to Pelosi reads. “He has disrespected, belittled, and serially preyed upon women, mocked the disabled, incited violence against the mainstream media and critics, and encouraged and displayed bigotry towards minorities and minority Members of Congress, including intercession with Israel in serious violation of the Speech or Debate Clause, Article I, section 6, clause 1, to deny two Members visitor visas.”
3. Appropriations Clause, Revenue Clause
“Congress has consistently voted much less money than President Trump requested to build an extensive, multi-billion-dollar wall with Mexico,” the memo reads. “In violation of the Clause and the criminal prohibition of the Anti-Deficiency Act, President Trump has committed to spending billions of dollars far in excess of what Congress has appropriated for the wall. The congressional power of the purse is a cornerstone of the Constitution’s separation of powers.”
Article I, Section 7, Clause 1 of the Constitution requires all revenue measures to originate in the House of Representatives.
“In violation of the Clause, President Trump has raised tens of billions of dollars by unilaterally imposing tariffs with limitless discretion under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962,” the memo reads. “He has become a Foreign Trade Czar in imposing tariffs or quotas or granting exemptions from his trade restrictions in his unbridled discretion to assist political friends and punish political enemies. Literally trillions of dollars in international trade have been affected. Riches are made, and livelihoods destroyed overnight with the capricious stroke of President Trump’s pen.”
4. Emoluments Clause
“Article I, section 9, clause 8 prohibits the President (and other federal officers), without the consent of Congress, from accepting any ‘present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatsoever, from any King, Prince, or foreign state.’
“President Trump has notoriously refused to place his assets in a blind trust,” the memo reads. “Instead, he continues to profit from opulent hotels heavily patronized by foreign governments. He has permitted his family to commercialize the White House. He has compromised the national interest to enrich family wealth on a scale unprecedented in the history of the presidency.”
5. Treaty Clause
Article II, Section 2, Clause 2 requires Senate ratification of treaties by two-thirds majorities. The text is silent as to whether treaty termination requires Senate ratification, and the Supreme Court held the issue was a non-justiciable political question in Goldwater v. Carter, 444 U.S. 996 (1979).
“President Trump flouted the Treaty Clause in terminating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia unilaterally,” the memo reads. “The treaty assigned the termination decision to the ‘United States.’ The President alone is not the United States under the Treaty Clause.”
6. Declare War Clause
Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 empowers Congress alone to take the nation from a state of peace to a state of war. That power cannot be delegated.
“In violation of the Declare War Clause, President Trump has continued to wage or has initiated presidential wars in Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, and has used special forces offensively in several African nations,” the memo reads. “President Trump has claimed authority to initiate war against any nation or non-state actor in the world—not in self-defense—on his say-so alone, including war against North Korea, Iran, or Venezuela.”
7. Take Care Clause; Presentment Clause
Article II, Section 3 obligates the president to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”
“In violation of that trust, President Donald J. Trump deliberately attempted to frustrate special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of collaboration between the Trump 2016 campaign and Russia to influence the presidential election,” Fein points out. “Among other things, the President refused to answer specific questions relating to his presidential conduct; endeavored to fire the special counsel; dangled pardons for non-cooperating witnesses; and, urged Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reverse his recusal decision to better protect his presidency. In all these respects, the President was attempting to obstruct justice.”
“President Trump has also systematically declined to enforce statutory mandates of Congress by arbitrarily and capriciously revoking scores of agency rules ranging from immigration to the Consumer Financial Protection Board to the Environmental Protection Agency in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act or otherwise,” the memo reads. “He has routinely legislated by executive order in lieu of following constitutionally prescribed processes for legislation.”
“In violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, Mr. Trump has dismantled and disabled scores of preventive measures to save lives, avoid injuries or disease, help families, consumers, and workers, and detect, deter, and punish tens of billions of dollars of corporate fraud,” the memo continues. “He has disputed climate disruption as a ‘Chinese hoax,’ compounded the climate crisis by overt actions that expand greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and excluded or marginalized the influence of civil service scientists.”
8. Due Process Clause
The Fifth Amendment provides that no person shall “be deprived of life … without due process of law.”
“In violation of due process, President Trump claims power, like his immediate two predecessors, to act as prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner to kill American citizens or non-citizens alike, on or off a battlefield, whether or not engaged in hostilities, whether or not accused of crime, and whether or not posing an imminent threat of harm that would trigger a right of preemptive self-defense,” the memo reads.
9. Appointments Clause
“President Trump has repeatedly appointed principal officers of the United States, including the National Security Advisor and Cabinet officials, who have not been confirmed by the Senate in violation of the Appointments Clause, Article II, section 2, clause 2,” the memo reads. “On a scale never practiced by prior presidents, Mr. Trump has filled as many as half of Cabinet posts with ‘Acting Secretaries’ who have never been confirmed by the Senate.”
10. Soliciting a Foreign Contribution for the 2020 Presidential Campaign and Bribery
“President Trump has endeavored to corrupt the 2020 presidential campaign by soliciting the President of Ukraine to contribute something of value to diminish the popularity of potential rival Joe Biden, i.e., a Ukrainian investigation of Mr. Biden and his son Hunter relating to potential corrupt practices of Burisma, which compensated Hunter handsomely ($50,000 per month). In so doing, Mr. Trump violated the criminal campaign finance prohibition set forth in 52 U.S.C. 30121,” Fein’s memo reads.
“President Trump solicited a bribe for himself in violation of 18 U.S.C. 201 in seeking something of personal value, i.e., discrediting Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign with the help of the President of Ukraine to influence Mr. Trump’s official decision to release approximately $400 million in military and related assistance,” it adds.
11. Violating Citizen Privacy
“Government spying on Americans ordinarily requires a warrant issued by a neutral magistrate based on probable cause to believe crime is afoot,” the memo reads. “President Trump, however, routinely violates the Fourth Amendment with suspicionless surveillance of Americans for non-criminal, foreign intelligence purposes under Executive Order 12333 and aggressive interpretations of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.”
12. Suppression of Free Speech
“President Trump is violating the First Amendment in stretching the Espionage Act to prosecute publication of leaked classified information that are instrumental to exposing government lies and deterring government wrongdoing or misadventures, including the outstanding indictment against Julian Assange for publishing information which was republished by the New York Times and The Washington Post with impunity,” the memo reads.
“The Republic is at an inflection point,” the letter to Speaker Pelosi reads. “Either the Constitution is saved by impeaching and removing its arsonist in the White House, or it is reduced to ashes by continued congressional endorsement, whether by omission or commission, of limitless executive power and the undoing of checks and balances.”
A&W Canada has a new promotion available now, Get Egger Breakfast Sandwich for $2.50! Right now, do breakfast right at A&W for only $2.50, by grabbing an A&W Bacon & Egger made with a freshly cracked egg, served on a toasted English muffin or seeded hamburger bun.
This offer is also valid for the Sausage & Egger and the Cheese & Egger, for a limited time only until December 1, 2019. This offer is not valid in Quebec.
This is the 616th edition of the Spotlight on Green News & Views (previously known as the Green Diary Rescue). Hereis the October 26 edition. Inclusion of a story in the Spotlight does not necessarily indicate my agreement with or endorsement of it.
OUTSTANDING GREEN STORIES
Pakalolo writes—The tipping point for Antarctica is closer than we thought: “[A] new study found that the massive ice shelves have been thinning for three hundred years — the study published in the journal Scientific Reports. Grist provides a short summary: Antarctic ice sheets have been melting rapidly for hundreds of years, much longer than scientists previously thought, according to a study out Thursday. The findings suggest that estimates for global sea-level rise need to be reworked and that we’re even closer to the day that fish start chasing each other through New York City’s subway tunnels. The scientists behind the new study in Scientific Reports were able to reconstruct a 6,250-year record of how fast Antarctic glaciers slipped into the sea. They did this by drilling the bottom of the Southern Ocean between Antarctica and Tierra del Fuego and analyzing the layers of mud they pulled up. The story this mud tells between 4300 B.C. and 300 A.D. is uneventful. But around 1400, the skeletons of diatoms — ubiquitous, jewel-like sea creatures often used for dating ocean sediments — suggest that the weather became warmer. More oxygen isotopes that come from fresh (as opposed to saltwater) started showing up, meaning the glaciers were melting. Then around 1706, the ice began to melt even faster than before.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—DOE Delaying Study That Shows $80 Billion In Net Benefits Of Coast-to-Coast “Super-Grid”: “On May 10th, 1869, the Jupiter and Union Pacific No. 119 made history when the two locomotive engines met nose to nose at Promontory, Utah. With a golden spike, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads were joined to create the first transcontinental railroad. By providing a direct way to ship goods from coast to coast, it was a pivotal moment for trade and the US economy. Now there is another opportunity on the horizon to connect the country in a truly transformative way: a ‘super-grid’ of electricity transmission lines to connect the now distinct power grid regions. A new analysis by the Department of Energy shows that such a grid would cost $80 billion, but would return more than twice that amount in economic gains. It would allow for renewable energy generated during sunny California afternoons to power the evening electricity load on the East Coast, and evening winds that whip across the plains to smooth out the West Coast’s nighttime peak. It would be a boon, in other words, for the renewable energy industry. Which is probably why the DOE still hasn’t released the two-year study, which, as E&E reports, has apparently ‘been finished for a while,’ according to Vibrant Clean Energy LLC CEO Christopher Clack.”
Paul C writes—GM, Toyota and Fiat Chrysler Sell Out Humanity for a Quick Buck - BOYCOTT the Rats: “The NYTimes is reporting today that GM, Toyota and Fiat Chrysler are siding with Trump in his dirty war against the environment by agreeing to follow his watered down fuel economy standards. This is direct conflict with the strong, courageous stand taken this past July by Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW when the latter companies sided with California’s backing of the much stronger standards put in place by the Obama administration. What makes this doubly troubling is the fact that California has gone to court to fight for its right to embrace the stronger standards, and the backing by Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW was a powerful affirmation of California’s position. GM, Toyota and Fiat Chrysler, however, didn’t simply agree to disagree by remaining on the sidelines. Through their industry lobbying organization, Association of Global Automakers, they came down squarely on the side of Trump’s argument before the courts that only the federal government has the right to set fuel economy standards, adding a powerful voice to Trump’s irresponsible policy (note — Honda was quick to distance itself from the stance taken by the AGA).”
CRITTERS AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS
Northern harrier.
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - grey ghost in the rain: “October 21, 2019. Whidbey Island, PacificNorthwest. It poured rain for our journey out to the open coast a week ago. The rain didn’t deter a Northern harrier from hunting in the salt marsh across from the Keystone ferry terminal where we were awaiting our crossing Strait of Juan de Fuca last Monday. [… This wetland is Crockett Lake, described by Audubon Society here: Crockett Lake is an open, shallow, estuarine lake on the south shore of Whidbey Island. The lake is a mixture of fresh and salt water separated by a narrow gravel bar and a tidegate from Admiralty Inlet, and is usually brackish. The open water of the lake is surrounded by marsh and grassland. Fed by runoff from the surrounding area and by inflow through the tidegate, the water levels can fluctuate greatly. When water levels are low, extensive mud flats are exposed. This mixture of marsh, open water, grasslands, and mudflats is rich with the kinds of small invertebrates that are eagerly fed upon by a variety of birdlife.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - big driftwood: “October 2019. Olympic peninsula, Washington state. Driftwood washes up on shorelines all along the West Coast, including my local beaches of the Salish Sea, but the BIG driftwood can only be carried and tossed far up onto the beaches of the open ocean. That’s where the big waves of huge storms have the necessary energy. I rarely see that in action, those monster storms only occurring on a few days in winter, but I can see the results. In the giant driftwood resting quietly high up on the ocean beaches of the Olympic peninsula, we can only imagine what it took to get them there. [...] I’m particularly fond of rootwads, a part of trees one never sees until they are out of the ground. Some are from gigantic trees like the one above. Others are younger, with small root branches. Beautiful shapes and patterns.”
OceanDiver writes—The Daily Bucket - railroad bridge over the Dungeness River: “October 2019. Olympic peninsula, Pacific Northwest. A railroad bridge was built a century ago to help bring timber from the primeval forests of the Olympic peninsula to the mills of Puget Sound. Today it’s a park and one section of the Olympic Discovery Trail that goes all the way from Port Townsend to Port Angeles. The bridge crosses the Dungeness River at Sequim, Washington. We stopped there last week to enjoy the river, the fall colors and the historic bridge.”
CaptBLI writes—The Daily Bucket : Easily overlooked in Mississippi: “The county supervisors aren’t going to waste money on painting stripes for the Dead End road that runs beside my house. It is a quarter of a mile long and a quiet path with secret niches at every step. Here are a few of my discoveries on a Sunday walk. Flowers lined the road sparingly. The tallest was shin high and all hugged the ground to retain the Earth’s warmth during chilly nights.”
Every plant doesn’t have to be identified to being enjoyed. Maple tree in all its autumn glory.
Xaxnar writes—How is your fall this year? “The days are getting shorter. Summer is gone; Indian summer is just a tease as the days and nights grow colder. Today a large storm system is passing through the U.S. northeast and it will drop a lot of rain. But yesterday this happened. The last few weeks have been stressful. Not to go into too much detail but one family member has just been deployed. Another is having a melt down of their life with all kinds of issues including a rather nasty tangle with the law. This would not be fun at the best of times — and these are anything but the best of times. But then Nature does something like this with this magnificent maple tree, and with a lot of other trees in the area. We seem to be at or near peak color in this area. The trees are shutting down for the winter; soon the leaves will be falling. But the break down of chlorophyll that colors the leaves green reveals the other pigments that it was masking.”
giddy thing writes—Dawn Chorus: Birds and the Supernatural: “ Birds hold deep symbolic meaning to human cultures around the world, and have for millennia. Countless myths, legends, and folklore exist across global cultures both revering and vilifying birds – many imbuing birds with supernatural powers. The seemingly strange behaviors of birds – their nocturnal habits, unearthly cries, and cryptic movements – were phenomena quite beyond human comprehension, explained only by assigning birds supernatural abilities. Birds and bird-like creatures feature prominently as gods in many cultures. In ancient Egypt, falcon-headed Horus was god of the sky, protecting pharaohs and exacting righteousness and justice. The Thunderbird, symbolizing strength, power, and nobility, is one of the cross-cultural icons in Native American legends, found in the lore of Pacific Northwest, Plains, and Northeastern tribes of North America. In Roman mythology, Aetos Dios was a giant golden eagle that served as Zeus’s personal messenger and companion. [...] Which bird would you choose to be for Halloween?”
Last flower of summer?
PHScott writes—The Daily Bucket: The Ravine from Hell BUT We have Pretty Wildflowers: “That’s Fearless Annie sitting on the base of a downed tree reviewing my sloppy notes; I clambered up a ways to measure a smaller tree that had been crushed by this big one. We are about one third of the way down the 150 foot ravine, a slightly level spot before it drops off steeply below us. For background on Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve please go here TNC — ABRP. Annie gets contracted for a lot of field work at ABRP. This one is a research project started a couple decades ago where this small ravine was laid out with 10 meter squares, rebar stakes at the corners, and every tree measured at DBH, tagged and noted with species and x y z references. [...] The researcher had last checked this ravine in 2007 so any flagging on rebar or trees is long gone. With a tornado in 2014 and Hurricane Michael in 2018, most of the trees are damaged and half are down. When the researcher realized he had good long-term comparison data for a study of the impact of these 2 storms, the project was reborn.”
CaptBLI writes—The Daily Bucket - Lichens and Moss: “As the leaves fall and the trees become bare, new colors are seen on the trunks and limbs. Most of us don’t notice these small changes and even fewer make a career to study the lichens, moss, fungus (and diseases) of our woody neighbors. I admit, I haven’t studied these parasitic or symbiotic organisms either but have noticed them all my life. In just a few minutes time, I walked around my small acre and a half and took these photos. The diversity surprised me.”
Jelly Fungus on a dead limb Rust fungus on Hypoxlon canker (the black area)
Angmar writes—Daily Bucket Halloween: The lesser horseshoe bat: “The lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros), is a type of Europeaninsectivorousbat, related to its bigger cousin, the greater horseshoe bat. The species gets its name from its distinctive horseshoe-shaped nose.The lesser horseshoe bat lives in warmer regions in foothills and highland, particular wooded areas or areas of limestone. In summer its habitats have been recorded up to 1160m above sea level, and up to 2000m in the winter, with the highest known nursery roost at 950m. The species are sedentary, with the average movement between summer and winter roosts between 5 and 10 kilometers, although the longest recorded distance is 153 kilometers.The frequencies used by this bat species for echolocation lie between 93–111 kHz, have most energy at 110 kHz and have an average duration of 31.7 ms.[4][5] Due to the frequency of their echolocation calls there are overlaps with those of the Mediterranean horseshoe bat and Mehely's horseshoe bat”
CLIMATE CHAOS
Depiction of sea rise impact to the state of Florida.
Dartagnan writes—By 2050, rising seas will be much, much worse than anyone imagined, according to a new study: “Because it conjures up a tangible, visible image in the human mind, the prospect of uncontrolled, global sea rise has provided one of the most benumbing features of man-made climate change. In Al Gore’s now-iconic film and slide presentation, An Inconvenient Truth, the consequences of such rising seas caused by the melting of the polar ice caps and the Greenland ice sheet was vividly depicted by satellite imagery projecting the encroachment of ocean waters throughout the low-lying state of Florida. These images, seared into our memories, far exceed the impact of any abstract studies and demonstrate the dire nature of what is now almost certain to befall the world our children will be living through. As it turns out, though, those assessments were wildly optimistic. Or rather, that’s what such models suggested before this week. On Tuesday, a new study revealed that those alarming statistics — which had gotten so many of us all worked up about our favorite cities’ impending doom — were wildly inaccurate. The actual impacts of sea-level rise are going to be much, much worse. Prior studies estimating the degree of oceanic sea rise, by, say, 2050, based on the current rates of man-made greenhouse gas emissions all suffered from a rather simple methodological error, according to a new study just published in Nature Communications.The error was in estimating the degree of sea rise based primarily on 3-D satellite imagery, which, according to this article in New York Magazine, ‘measured the planet’s upper surfaces — such as treetops and tall buildings — rather than its ground level’.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Big Oil’s Pivot To Supposed Climate Hero Is Key Part of Mass V ExxonMobil Case: “Yesterday we talked about the context section of the Mass v ExxonMobil complaint, which describes how the oil industry misled Americans on climate change and kept the public from embracing climate action by preventing us from making fully informed decisions. [...] A key plank of the complaint deals with ExxonMobil’s ‘false and misleading misrepresentations’ regarding their products, specifically in claiming that “use of ExxonMobil’s Synergy™ fuels and ‘green’ Mobil 1™ motor oil products will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” Compared to how complicated the issue involving investors being misled by the company’s two sets of proxy carbon costs, the advertising section is pretty straightforward. The suit alleges that ExxonMobil’s ads are misleading because ‘the development, refining, and consumer use of ExxonMobil fossil fuel products emit large volumes of greenhouse gases.’ Trying to make people think otherwise is greenwashing, which the complaint defines as “advertising and promotional materials designed to convey a false impression that a company is more environmentally responsible than it really is, and so to induce consumers to purchase its products’.”
Meteor Blades writes—Open thread for night owls: Lying 'climate criminal' Tillerson blasted for Exxon trial testimony: “Environmentalists on Wednesday accused former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson—who served as CEO of ExxonMobil from 2006 to 2016—of continuing to lie about the fossil fuel giant's approach to climate change during his testimony in the historic New York v. Exxon trial. The landmark securities fraud case, brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleges that Exxon knowingly deceived shareholders about the financial costs of the climate crisis. Tillerson denied that charge during his testimony, insisting that Exxon knew the climate crisis ‘was a real issue’ and took it seriously. ‘We would be misinforming ourselves,’ Tillerson said when asked if Exxon had an incentive to downplay the costs of climate change. Lindsay Meiman, senior regional communications specialist at 350.org, strongly rejected Tillerson's account.”
Extreme Weather & Natural Phenomena
Laura Clawson writes—California wildfires force mass evacuations, burn dozens of homes, and threaten far worse: “It’s fall, and California is once again on fire. Wildfires in both southern and northern California are threatening population areas and causing massive damage. In Sonoma County, the Kincade Fire has burned more than 66,000 acres, forcing 180,000 people to evacuate. In the southern part of the state, the Getty Fire is much smaller, at 500 acres, but burning rapidly in a heavily populated area—students at Mount St. Mary's University were forced to flee in the middle of the night—and it is uncomfortably close to the famed Getty Museum. [...] It’s fall, and California is once again on fire. Wildfires in both southern and northern California are threatening population areas and causing massive damage. In Sonoma County, the Kincade Fire has burned more than 66,000 acres, forcing 180,000 people to evacuate. In the southern part of the state, the Getty Fire is much smaller, at 500 acres, but burning rapidly in a heavily populated area—students at Mount St. Mary's University were forced to flee in the middle of the night—and it is uncomfortably close to the famed Getty Museum.”
Marissa Higgins writes—3 fires roar in California: Here's what you need to know about Kincade, Tick, and Vallejo: “Three million people across 38 counties in California are expected to lose power as wildfires rage in the state. As of Sunday morning, this includes close to two million people in the Bay Area. Nearly two hundred thousand people are under evacuation orders. To be clear, there are actually two wildfires raging simultaneously in the south and north of the state. Sunday morning, a third fire erupted in the Bay Area. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a statewide emergency as of Sunday afternoon. First, in the Sonoma County region (which, for those unfamiliar with the state, is wine country), there’s the Kincade Fire. While Kincade began on Wednesday, close to 90,000 people were told to evacuate from the area on Saturday, leading to congested travel paths. NBC Bay Area reports that it’s the largest evacuation in Sonoma County’s history. In Southern California, Los Angeles is threatened by smoke (and flames) from the Tick Fire, originating north of the city in Santa Clarita.”
Dan Bacher writes—Newsom Announces Wildfire Safety Advisory Board and California Catastrophe Response Council Members: “Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the appointment of members of the California Wildfire Safety Advisory Board, as outlined in AB 1054, and the California Catastrophe Response Council, established by AB 111, both signed into law in July. The legislation created the California Wildfire Safety Advisory Board, a board of independent expert advisors, to advise a new Wildfire Safety Division within the California Public Utilities Commission on wildfire safety measures, including plans written by utilities, so the CPUC can more effectively regulate the safety of investor-owned utilities. AB 1054 also mandated that utilities tie executive compensation to safety performance, invest $5 billion in safety improvements without profit, and go through a new yearly wildfire safety review and certification process. It also requires new inspections of utility electrical equipment. Under the law, utilities must create a wildfire safety committee in their corporate board, and provide direct board-level safety reporting to the CPUC.”
Marissa Higgins writes—As California fires rage, Lebron James, José Andrés, and local chefs gift meals to first responders: “The Getty Fire in Los Angeles, California, continues to rage. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the fire is about 15% contained. As of Wednesday morning, it’s burned through over 650 acres of land. If that sounds bad, that’s because it is. So bad that the National Weather Service has now given the area an “extreme red flag” warning, which is an unprecedented label. One glimmer of goodness that has people on social media smiling? NBA star Lebron James, who himself was displaced from his LA home, sent a taco truck to feed firefighters and first responders. [...] While what James did is absolutely inspiring and caring, it’s worth noting that if an evacuation is stressful for someone who has wealth and status at their disposal, it’s likely to be that much harder for someone who doesn’t. Brentwood is one of the wealthiest parts of Los Angeles, but as people (attempt) to evacuate around the state, it’s important to remember that the cost of gas (assuming someone has a car), hotel rooms, and pet relocation can all be barriers. For people who live with disabilities, evacuations can also be a special kind of nightmare.”
ECO-ACTION & ECO JUSTICE
Meteor Blades writes—Civiqs poll shows majority of Americans favor young people's climate strikes: “A mid-October Civiqs poll of 1,333 adults has found that 53% of respondents said yes when asked if they agreed with the wave of global strikes and other protests that school students participated in last month to demand stronger action in dealing with the climate crisis [...] Even more encouraging would be if that figure were 83%. This was not, however, a tally of Democratic opinion but of the whole nation, which makes that majority view impressive. Especially since effective climate action will require persuading a big hunk of that majority not merely to support young climate activists but also to become participants in the growing efforts to confront those governments and corporations that are dragging their feet on confronting the crisis. Vox reported 4 million youth participated in the actions.The Guardian said 6 million. The climate action group 350.org put the turnout at 7.6 million. A spokesperson for FridaysForFuture told Guardian reporters that ‘This week was a demonstration of the power of our movement. People power is more powerful than the people in power. It was the biggest ever climate mobilisation, and it’s only the beginning. The momentum is on our side and we are not going anywhere’.”
Dan Bacher writes—Indigenous Forest Guardian Murdered by Illegal Loggers in Brazilian Amazon: “Maranhão state, Brazil—Earlier today, members of the Guajajara people's Forest Guardians, a volunteer land and environmental monitoring force, were ambushed by a group of illegal loggers in the Araribóia indigenous territory, leaving one Guardian dead and another gravely wounded, according to a press release from Amazon Watch. Forest defender Paulo Paulino Guajajara was killed by a shot to the face, while the attack gravely wounded the Guardian leader Laércio Guajajara. One logger is also missing, according to the Maranhão State Secretariat of Human Rights. Accompanied by police, Brazil's indigenous agency FUNAI has sent a group of officials to the region. More information will be available in the coming hours. Sônia Guajajara, of the Guajajara People and leader of the Association of Brazil's Indigenous Peoples (APIB) said: ‘The Araribóia territory loses another Forest Guardian for defending our territory. Paulinho Guajajajra was killed today in an ambush by loggers. It's time to stop this institutionalized genocide! Stop authorizing the bloodshed of our people!’”
senorjoel writes—Fonda's Firedrill Fridays: “People really should know about this. Yes, it’s Jane Fonda doing what she’s always done really well: raising people’s consciousness about Real Stuff by getting arrested and making a scene. Only she does it with so much dignity and energy!! Plus, you see, she’s my generation, and I’m so tired of hearing about how we’ve sold out. Well, yeah, some of us did, and that’s despicable. But Jane — she speaks for me (along with Barbara Lee — remember her?) So this link has really good, concise information about the emergency. Not CA fires (though that is also a real emergency, stoked by profiteering incompetence on the part of PG&E). [...] She’s getting arrested every Friday. And she’s bringing another Name person along with her to share the experience. Move over, Greta. We are right there with you all.”
CANDIDATES, STATE AND DC ECO-RELATED POLITICS
Xaxnar writes—Elizabeth Warren is giving Bret Stephens a panic attack. Good. Bret Stephens is very afraid of Elizabeth Warren. Elizabeth Warren Wants to Lose Your Vote: has a sub-head that summarizes why: Those with plans for everything prove only that they can’t be trusted to plan for anything. Let’s look at the straw men Stephens marshaled the other day to make his case: A decade ago, it was conventional wisdom that the world would soon start running low on oil and that the United States would henceforth be at the mercy of the inexorable trend. Then the fracking revolution came about, and the U.S. resumed its long-lost place as the world’s No. 1 oil and natural gas producer… Stephens cites all the jobs it has created, lower prices, cleaner than coal. etc. Then: ...Elizabeth Warren wants to kill all this... Climate change? What climate change? But wait - there’s more.
ENERGY
Coal, Natural Gas, Oil
Walter Einenkel writes—California announces investigation into PG&E's use of blackouts while still charging customers: “On Monday, the California Public Utilities Commission announced it would begin an investigation into how privately owned power companies such as Pacific Gas and Electric have used Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPSs) this year. The question under investigation is whether companies such as PG&E are adhering to the laws in place when using widespread blackouts as a measure to prevent wildfires. CNN reported, ‘The state cannot continue to experience PSPS events on the scope and scale Californians have experienced this month, nor should Californians be subject to the poor execution that PG&E in particular has exhibited,’ said commission President Marybel Batjer. ‘The CPUC will demand that utilities prepare for and execute PSPS events in a way that greatly reduces impacts on Californians.’ PG&E has said that the massive blackouts are needed to stop events like the current Kincade Fire raging north of San Francisco. The reason PG&E is relying on massive blackouts is because they spent decades not updating or properly maintaining their power grid, leading to historic wildfires over the past couple of years. Instead, PG&E—who refuses to sell their power grid while wallowing through bankruptcy—cut bigger bonuses and paid off shareholders.”
Mark Sumner writes—The biggest private coal company in U.S. goes bankrupt, as industry continues to circle the drain: “Squirrel whisperer Robert Murray is not just the owner of the largest private coal company in the United States; he’s also the number one supplier of something even more important: prop coal miners used in Donald Trump rallies and ads. Murray has repeatedly forced his employees to appear in ‘Trump Digs Coal’ spots and provided hard-hat-wearing miners to stand by as Trump makes claims that he ‘ended the war on coal.’ Murray is also the man whose unauthorized mining practices directly led to the deaths of six miners in a 2007 accident. But now there’s a reason for Trump and Murray to feel even closer—they’ve both managed to drive their firms into bankruptcy. Despite Trump’s vaunted ‘deregulation’ of the coal industry—which included allowing coal companies to dump more waste into streams and rivers used for water supplies; relaxing the rules on toxic coal slurry containment; eliminating regulations on greenhouse gases; and chopping in half the contributions coal companies make to supporting miners afflicted with black lung, despite a record increase in the worst form of the disease—and despite Trump making changes specifically targeted to help Murray, it still wasn’t enough. Because, as Bloomberg reports, Murray Energy has gone down.”
Meteor Blades writes—Trump regime reportedly will announce rollback of Obama era rule governing dangerous coal ash: “Here we go again. While Republicans continued their whining and whimpering about how unfair Democrats are being to confessed outlaw Donald Trump in their impeachment inquiry, one of the reasons they’re defending the man was noted by Lisa Friedman at The New York Times Thursday. Namely, the Environmental Protection Agency plans to announce yet another rollback of an Obama era regulation. That regulation, five years in the making, was designed to force owners of coal-fired power plants to protect people’s health by investing in equipment to reduce the toxins that their operations discharge into local waterways. This would, President Obama’s regulators said, cut 1.4 billion tons of toxic metals and other dangerous chemicals from tainting creeks and rivers. Coal ash, the residue from burning coal, is stored at more than 1,100 locations around the nation, with about 130 million tons being added each year. Unlike emissions of carbon dioxide, which many climate science deniers consider a good thing, nobody doubts the dangers of the chemicals in coal ash—including arsenic, lead, mercury, and selenium, among others. All are associated with birth defects and stunted brain growth in children. But the list of damages they can cause is far longer and includes cancer, heart damage, lung disease, respiratory distress, kidney disease, reproductive problems, gastrointestinal illness, and behavioral problems. Hundreds of ash storage pits don’t even have a simple liner to help prevent toxins from leaching into waterways.”
Dan Bacher writes—PG&E Spends $876,464 on Lobbying Spending from January 1 to June 30: “The Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), again in the spotlight of the national and international news media because of its shutoffs of electricity to millions of Californians as fires now rage in the state, spent almost $10 million on lobbying in 2018, surpassing even the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) in lobbying spending. This year to date, PG&E spent $495,641.71 on general lobbying in the April 1 to June 30 after spending $214,736.74 on general lobbying in the first quarter That's a total of $710,398.45 on general lobbying in the first two quarters. PG&E also spent $77,761,99 on PUC lobbying in the second quarter and $88,304.62 in the first quarter, a total of #166,066.61. The grand total of PG&E lobbying in the first two quarters of 2019-20 comes to $876,464.96, impressive, although smaller than the $4,126,713.38 that the Western States Petroleum Association spent.”
Dan Bacher writes—Trump plans to open 1.2 million acres of public land to fracking as California expands oil drilling: “On Halloween, the Trump administration’s Bureau of Land Management announced a frightening new plan to open more than a million acres of public lands to oil and gas drilling on California’s Central Coast after ending of a five-year moratorium on leasing federal lands to fossil fuel companies in California.The BLM’s Bakersfield Field Office Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) released on October 31 analyzes the ‘potential effects’ of hydraulic fracturing — fracking — associated with oil and gas development on new leases on public lands and Federal minerals. The move takes place as two California Governors, Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom, have expanded oil and gas drilling in California. Governor Brown’s oil and gas regulators approved 21,000 new oil and gas wells, while Newsom’s regulators approved approved 2,365 new oil and gas well permits and 191 fracking permits from January 1 to June 3, 2019.”
Nuclear
mettle fatigue writes—Saudis Talking Nuclear Power Reactors with Companies from 5 nations, e.g., Westinghouse: “Al-Monitor Weekly Middle-East Lobby Update: Westinghouse is among five firms in talks to build Saudi Arabia’s first nuclear power plant, with two reactors. The others are France's EDF, Russia's Rosatom, South Korea's KEPCO and China National Nuclear Corp, according to an energy ministry presentation in Riyadh on Wednesday. France’s Assystem was awarded an earlier-phase contract in mid-2018, and Australia’s WorleyParsons is on contract currently. Saudi Arabia wants to develop a civil nuclear industry and renewable energy to free up oil burned to produce power for export. Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman has previously said the kingdom would like to enrich its own uranium resources to produce nuclear energy. However, outgoing US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry cast doubt last week on the kingdom's ability to process that uranium because of its quality and quantity. ...Kepco won the $20 billion contract to construct the UAE reactors, whose start-up has been delayed.”
Francois LAmericain writes—To develop nuclear energy, we need a New Manhattan Project: “Fusion energy is only very minimally polluting, but so far, no one has successfully proven it to be workable. The only fuel needed to run a fusion energy plant is hydrogen, which is the most abundant element in the universe. (Our bodies are composed of 61% hydrogen.) The main problem, as we understand it, is that we need new metals that can withstand the forces created in fusion production. The principle of nuclear fusion If the human race is to survive, we must: • Wean ourselves from fossil fuels • Develop environmentally friendly energy sources • Do them both NOW. ‘Now" is the operative word. We spend a lot of time debating the relative merits of known energy sources — wind, solar, nuclear fission and tidal — and not enough time discussing potential energy sources. Worldwide, 85% of our power comes from fossil fuels. Of the 15% remaining, the greatest portion is hydroelectric, which has already been developed to near capacity. It's time to develop nuclear fusion, and it's time to make the development of nuclear fusion a national priority. It's time for the U.S. government to create a New Manhattan Project to speed its development.”
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Murray Coal Files For Bankruptcy, Latest Sign of Trump’s Failure To Save Coal Industry: “Yesterday morning, Murray Energy, the largest privately owned coal company in the country, became the eighth coal company this year to file for bankruptcy. Bob Murray, its namesake CEO, had been pushing the Trump administration to bail it out. Those efforts appear to have been in vain. Apparently, there’s no amount of corruption that can overcome how cheap renewables (and gas) are compared to coal, particularly combined with regulations that force the coal industry to internalize some of the externalized costs of its pollution. But don’t take our word for it--just check out the bankruptcy filing! It describes how ‘difficult market conditions have been driven by changes in legislative priorities, commercialization of shale gas, wind, solar and nuclear electric generation subsidies, and low-cost natural gas exports’.”
Renewables, Efficiency, Energy Storage & Conservation
charliehall2 writes—Contracts signed for largest offshore wind projects! “In a story from two days ago that pretty much escaped notice, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced that contracts have been signed for two large offshore wind energy projects, projects that would provide capacity for 1.7 GW of generating capacity. Empire Wind, will be located in a 323 sq km (80,000 acre) zone about 22-56km (14-35 miles) south of Long Island where Equinor won commercial development rights two years ago, while the Sunrise Wind project site is off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, about 77km from Montauk Point on Long Island, New York. The NIMBYs are all over social media in opposition but it looks like Cuomo is able to ignore them here. Offshore wind should have the advantage of much more reliable winds, particularly for the two locations chosen for this project. New York has a goal of 9 GW of offshore wind capacity, which will be a challenge to achieve, but this is a first step.”
Mokurai writes—Renewable Friday: COP25 Uproar: “Chile announced yesterday that it will not be able to host the COP25 climate conference in December. Chilean politics in general, and the city of Santiago in particular, have been turned upside down with violent mass demonstrations. So everybody's plans have been upended: the UN, Chile, participating countries, organizations, companies planning to attend, hotels, conference service contractors, and of course activists. Spain has stepped up with an offer to host the conference, which the UN is preparing to take up officially next week. Several other cities have been proposed.”
x
On Spain hosting Cop25, a senior diplomatic source tells @ChloeFarand “nothing has yet been decidedâ€Â.“The bureau will have a discussion and there are clearly many practical issues that will have to be addressed"https://t.co/oTbrnORn7F
ClimateDenierRoundup writes—Keystone Pipeline Leaks As Company Assures Public Keystone XL Pipeline Will Be Safe: “On Tuesday, the US Department of State held its one and only hearing to solicit public feedback on the Keystone XL environmental impact statement.Outside in the 19 degree weather, there were protests in the ‘free speech area,’ with members of the Fort Peck Reservation carrying a representation of the Lakota prophecy foretelling of a large black snake that would slither across the land, poisoning the water, and destroying the Earth when it goes underground. Inside it was a slightly more mixed crowd, with a hay farmer named Todd Tibbetts quoted in multiple pieces welcoming the financial benefits from TC Energy (neé TransCanda) and accepting the ‘very minuscule chance’ of a spill. Others expressed concern about the pollution and what they consider to be inevitable spills. And those that are worried are right, because later that evening, the existing Keystone pipeline sprung a leak in North Dakota, spilling nearly 400,000 gallons of oil. The Department of Environmental Quality estimated on Wednesday afternoon that the spill was 15 feet wide and 1,500 feet long, a stretch of black oil not unlike, when viewed from above, a large black snake. And at the very moment hay farmer Todd Tibbetts was telling people the paycheck is worth the ‘minuscule chance’ of a spill, the existing Keystone pipeline was spilling oil on to, per the Grand Forks Herald, ‘an area where a local farmer cuts hay’.”
durrati writes—Keystone Pipeline Leaks 383,000 Gallons of Oil. Completely Predictable Says Greenpeace USA: “The Keystone pipeline's spill of 383,000 gallons of oil into North Dakota was predictable, environmental group Greenpeace said in a statement depicting the transport of fossil fuels as a risky venture. The spill, which led the pipeline to shut down on Tuesday, occurred in the state's northeastern Walsh County. The pipeline, which is slated for a contentious expansion across the U.S., has a history of spills and in 2017 leaked 407,000 gallons into South Dakota. ‘I wish I could say I was shocked, but a major spill from the Keystone pipeline is exactly what multiple experts predicted would happen. In fact, this is the fourth significant spill from the Keystone pipeline in less than 10 years of operation,’ Greenpeace USA Senior Research Specialist Tim Donaghy said in a statement about the spill.”
Walter Einenkel writes—Hours after Keystone expansion hearing, existing pipeline leaks 383,000 gallons of crude oil: “North Dakota state regulators say that the Keystone Pipeline spilled upwards of 383,000 gallons of crude oil into about half an acre of rural North Dakota wetlands this past week, before being shut off. The New York Times reports that beginning on Tuesday, the crude oil leaked into an unpopulated wetland area, and no drinking water was affected. However, as seemingly all oil spills are initially underreported, it remains to be seen what the actual environmental impact will be. The spill took place just hours after the U.S. Department of State held its only meeting at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center in Billings, Montana, to “solicit” comments and questions for the “Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Keystone XL Project” it released this past month. Protestors and activists descended on the place, even though the State Department clearly tried their darndest to keep the people, specifically Native communities who are almost always the most directly impacted by resource grabs, from attending. ‘We weren’t even considered or given a hearing about this dangerous project,’ said state legislative senator Frank Smith, D-Poplar, who represents Fort Peck Reservation. ‘I had to drive almost five hours and 300 miles to be here today. I didn’t see why the department organized this meeting so far away and not in our community’.”
wvmcl writes—Disgrace: GM, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler side with Trump on rolling back mileage standards: “With impeachment and betrayal of our allies sucking up most of the news coverage, it’s easy to forget what happens when you hand power to pieces of filth and give them licence to crap all over you on a daily basis. The Trump/Republican maladministration is moving full speed with their destruction of the environment, seemingly determined to make a world in which only the wealthiest and most powerful will be able to thrive inside their gated fortresses. And now three major automakers, GM, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler, have thrown in with the monsters on fuel efficiency standards. They have refused to join the four other automakers (Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, and BMW) in the agreement with California to maintain California-level mileage targets despite the Trump/Republican vandalism. The California agreement called for a 3.7 percent yearly increase in fuel efficiency, below the Obama administration standard of 4.7 percent, but way ahead of the current Trump proposal of 1.5 percent. Oh, and that 1.5 percent is being seen as a ‘concession’ on the part of the Republicans. Rolling back mileage standards is one of the most inexplicably stupid and destructive things the Trump/Republican maladministration has done.”
PalmFrond writes—Buying an EV in a red state: “After several months of gently suggesting that we should get an EV, and countering my spouse’s concerns (Range anxiety, what if you want to go somewhere and it isn’t charged up?), we were driving home in our Kia Soul and went past a gas station. Out of the blue she asked, ‘if we had one of these always-charged up EVs, would we ever have to go to a gas station again?’ Seeing my opening I instantly replied, ‘Never – not even for an oil change. Well, maybe to go to the restroom.’ Her answer, ‘I think we should get one.’ W00t! I refreshed all my research. I had already narrowed down the possibilities to a single car: the Chevrolet Bolt. Here in very red Northeast Florida, a non-ZEV state (there is no state mandate that a certain percentage of new cars be zero-emission), none of the many Asian-manufactured EVs are easily available, which also means that none of the dealers have trained mechanics for them. The only convenient offerings are the Teslas and the Chevy Bolt.”
Mokurai writes—EV Tuesday: The Future Electric Car Market: “The mainstream media are starting to take note, although they also continue to take those gaslighting ads from fossil fuel companies that I have been complaining about in Renewable Fridays. CNN: The electric car revolution is coming. This is what has to … Jul 18, 2019 - These days, when a major automaker unveils an electric car it gets a lot of press. That's because electric cars are cool, special and futuristic. And now, predictions galore. There isn't room here for everything, as usual. And you have to understand that these stories are marketing vehicles for market research companies. They give you a few tidbits, but you have to put up serious money for the whole story. When I got into the business, lo these [mumble mumble] years ago, my reports sold for $1,000-$1,500. Some of these go for ten times that, and companies can subscribe to far more expensive continuous information services.”
DButch writes—We've hit "PEAK CAR" (and now dropping) in Seattle: “I just saw an interesting article in the Seattle Times this morning. Full title in the print paper is ‘We’ve Hit ‘Peak Car: Seattle Sees Biggest Drop in Ownership Among Large Cities.’ The article by Gene Balk is here. The latest estimates (from 2018) show 81% of Seattle households owned at least one vehicle, which is the lowest rate since the 1980s. It has dropped 3% since 2010: ...which is a tremendous change in less than 10 years. In fact, among the 50 most-populous U.S. cities, Seattle’s drop in its car-ownership rate is the biggest, and by a large margin. Only 10 other cities among the 50 largest showed any decline at all. (New York is still the grand champion of carlessness though — at 55% of households not owning cars.) Seattle has put a lot of money into improved transit over the past couple of decades — and it looks like that may be paying off. Now that light rail is expanding North, South, and East — I hope the trend will expand.”
AGRICULTURE, FOOD & GARDENING
ninkasi23 writes—Saturday Morning Garden Blogging. Vol 15:44: The Garden Sleeps, Perchance to Dream? “Mornings are becoming chillier here in the lower southwest of Oregon. We’ve had our first freezes and some beautifully clear and windy days so the leaves are coming down like crazy. My little patio is mostly tidied up and “put to bed” for the rest of the year with a few hardy pots in places where they can be sheltered easily. Now it’s time to review. If you are like me (and you’re here reading this so it is somewhat likely you are) you have lots of pictures to guide you through the season’s stages. In a sense, this is the garden’s dream. Jump on over the fold and we’ll start at the beginning. Our patio was redone last summer (2018) by the landlord. Then this spring our neighbors moved out and gave me a bunch of random pots, the wooden pallet shelves, and the metal tiered stand.”
Walter Einenkel writes—American farm bankruptcies are up 24% in 2019, highest since 2011: “American farm bankruptcies have surged by 24% during the past nine months, according to a new American Farm Bureau Federation report. "Data from the U.S. Courts reveals that for the 12-month period ending September 2019, Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies totaled 580 filings, up 24% from the prior year and the highest level since 676 filings in 2011.” A considerable amount of this can be traced to Trump’s trade war with China, coupled with rising issues of climate change. The report explains that farm debt is projected to be at a record high $416 billion this year and farmers have continued to extend their loan repayments. ‘Put simply, farmers are taking longer to service their debt—a trend made easier due to historically low interest rates.’ Not since 2011 has the United States seen this level of farm bankruptcy activity. The report explains that while net farm income is projected to be very high this year, almost one-half of that comes from government subsidies like trade aid, disaster assistance, federal subsidies, and insurance payments.”
Ojibwa writes—Oregon Garden: Conifer Garden (photo diary): “The Oregon Garden in Silverton is an 80-acre botanical garden which features more than 20 specialty gardens. The Conifer Garden has a large collection of dwarf and miniature conifers. This unique, specialty garden was built in partnership with the Western Region of the American Conifer Society.”
The Conifer Garden in Silverton, Oregon.
MISCELLANY
Austin Bailey writes—5 Things: Eagles Texting, Green Roofs, Location x3, Who Owns H2O, It's All Pendley's: “Greening The Big Apple. Building a green meadow on your building’s roof isn’t cheap. This Greenpoint site cost $1.2 million for a 22,000 square foot rooftop meadow ($500,000 for structural upgrades to the building and $700,000 for the green space itself). New York’s law mandating green spaces on new buildings should reduce the cost per square foot for installation but will still increase overall building cost Green roofs like the one in Greenpoint, for instance, are expected to multiply under a city law that is set to take effect next month and will require new buildings to be topped with green spaces or solar panels. Either measure can help reduce carbon emissions and rising temperatures; green roofs also reduce storm-water runoff. Currently, the 730 green roofs in New York cover just 60 of the city’s 40,000 rooftop acres, according to the Green Roof Researchers Alliance. Much of New York City’s potential in this regard remains untapped, experts say. But the law taking effect next month could change that. With it, New York will join cities like Chicago, Denver and San Francisco, which use requirements or tax incentives to promote the development of green roofs. New York State also recently increased the value of the tax abatements it offers for such roofs in some city neighborhoods.”
xaxnar writes—With summer coming in Antarctica, the 109th is on the job; Update: the job may be getting bigger: “From Air Force Magazine: It’s that time again. As the Northern Hemisphere experiences shorter days and colder weather, the Southern Hemisphere is moving towards summer. This is when research activity really begins to pick up around Antarctica. The 109th’s ability to operate off snow makes them invaluable for moving supplies and people around the continent. [...] They operate the largest aircraft in the world routinely using skis. From Brian Everstine’s report: There are not that many LC-130s, but the mission they serve is important. If you are looking for climate research coming out of Antarctica and Greenland, odds are the 109th’s support makes it possible. They are kept busy. While deployed to Antarctica, crews maintain 24-hour operations with day and night crews. Getting there takes about a week, ferrying from New York, to the West Coast, to Hawaii, on to Christchurch, N.Z., and then on to McMurdo Station. The deployment is unique because of the personnel the unit flies: scientists in the back of the C-130 instead of soldiers. Sometimes they also carry VIPs. For James, her very first flight to the South Pole, on her first deployment, had a special VIP: her dad, who once was a pilot and now works with the NSF, she said.”
General August Willich writes—The externalities of slavery mirror those of climate change precisely: “In the 21st century, America still bears the burden of the externalities of slavery. Economically, slavery was nothing more than unpaid involuntary labor, the private costs of which were never paid, but instead entirely borne by the public. These externalities extended from the individual slave unpaid for his/her labor (and the associated cost borne by him/her), all the way to today’s societal costs. The cost of this labor has never been paid, ever, (see the reparations debate), thus, the externalities remain. The immensity of slavery’s externalities lie not only in its duration — the entire history of the United States, with no end in sight. [...] Climate change externalities are equally as immense — stretching as far as the eye can see, with no end. Paralyzing the state against the market in favor of climate change also relies on precisely the same division of the populace required to perpetuate slavery. The only functional economic difference between slavery and climate change is where the societal burden of the unpaid cost lands — not just on society, but the planet itself. Slavery’s externalities burned America nearly to a burnt ember from 1861-1865. Climate change’s externalities are, this moment, burning the planet to an ember.”
wpmiller writes—Secondary Reinforcement … or How to Destroy Society and Planet Without Really Trying: “When particular philosophies of life, industry, and social organization have served for centuries, there is a general momentum to proceed as though tomorrow will unfold like yesterday, and that ‘staying the course’ is the best strategy. Any disruption to the status quo that is less severe than an asteroid impact can generally be rationalized away through confirmation bias. Yet, like the frog-in-the-pan-of-water analogy, will we fail to see that phenomena like war, greed, haves and have-nots, ecological destruction, climate disruption, mass extinctions are not merely bumps on the road to an inevitable shining future but rather are collective indicators that a fundamental shift in Eras is underway? Can we recognize that the time has come for a basic reconsideration of our social institutions and philosophies? [...] Can we make this paradigm-shift in time to avoid world war or ecological collapse? I don’t know, but one critical step lies in awakening from the illusory value of arbitrary secondary reinforcers and once again put primary living systems at the center of our concern.”
On Tuesday, Ambassador William Taylor, who has headed up the U.S. diplomatic mission in Ukraine since Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was forced out with a collection of lies and conspiracy theories, appeared before the House impeachment inquiry to provide his testimony. Representatives who left the session at breaks throughout the day have described that testimony as powerful, and those who were present for his opening statement have said gasps came from the assembled committees as Taylor made his opening remarks.
Taylor’s opening remarks have now been made public, and they are at least as powerful, if not more so, than any charges leveled in the original whistleblower complaint. As usual, Taylor begins by outlining his own years in service. While many of those testifying can offer accounts of years of national service, few have a background that matches Taylor’s. His personal history includes being a West Point cadet, service in Vietnam, and six years as an infantry officer. His extensive service with the State Department includes working in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as in Ukraine. But Taylor made it clear that Ukraine service was the one he considered the most vital, for a particular reason.
“Ukraine is, right at this moment while we sit in this room, and for the last five years, under armed attacked by Russia,” wrote Taylor. “The security assistance that we provide is crucial to Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression.” Taylor spoke directly to the role of Ukraine as both a strategic and a symbolic partner, one whose success in fending off Russia is being closely observed by every other nation threatened by the Russian military.
Taylor spoke to how he was offered the role of chief of mission in May by Mike Pompeo. It was a post he had held under the Bush administration, and one he considered vitally important, but he took it reluctantly after seeing how Yovanovitch had been treated. Taylor says he took on the role only after securing from Pompeo a promise of “strong support” for Ukraine and after expressing concern about the interference being generated by Rudy Giuliani.
However, once he was in Kyiv, Taylor found himself facing what he described as a “weird combination” of circumstances in which, even as he attempted to initiate formal contacts with the new government of President Volodymyr Zelensky, his efforts were being undercut by “an irregular, informal channel of U.S. policy making” that included special envoy Kurt Volker, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, and Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland. Even before Taylor arrived in Ukraine, that irregular channel had been at work, and it was clear that its goals were not strong support for Ukraine and regular diplomatic relations.
What the group wanted was Ukraine to announce investigations into Joe Biden and into conspiracy theories around the 2016 election. That was made clear to Taylor, as well as to Zelensky, and the group made it clear that the status of the U.S.-Ukraine relationship hung on giving Trump that announcement.
Sondland in particular communicated repeatedly to Taylor that if Ukraine wanted to play ball, it had to give Trump the investigations he wanted.
On June 27, Sondland called Taylor to tell him that Zelensky had to make it clear he wasn’t “standing in the way” of investigations.
On June 28, Taylor joined a call with Sondland, Perry, Volker, and President Zelensky. Before Zelensky joined, Sondland informed the Americans on the line that he wanted to make sure no one was taking notes on the call. On the call, Volker made it clear that he meant to have a one-on-one meeting with Zelensky in which he would “be explicit” in asking for investigations in exchange for a meeting with Trump. This call concerned Taylor strongly enough that he wrote a note to Deputy Secretary of State George Kent, warning him of the contents of the conversation.
The “three amigos” of Perry, Sondland, and Volker were not being subtle in their statements to either Zelensky or Taylor.
By mid-July it was becoming clear to me that the meeting President Zelensky wanted was conditioned on investigations of Burisma and alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections.
On July 10, Taylor met with disappointed Ukrainian officials who told him that they had learned the call between Zelensky and Trump was unlikely to happen—they had been told this by Rudy Giuliani.
On July 18, Taylor learned that Trump had placed a hold on any further aid to Ukraine and saw clearly for the first time that the two different diplomatic tracks weren’t just “weird,” but were operating in opposite directions.
I and others sat in astonishment—the Ukrainians were fighting the Russians and counted on not only the training and weapons, but also the assurance of U.S. support. … In an instant I realized that one of the key pillars of our strong support for Ukraine was threatened. The irregular policy channel was running contrary to the goals of longstanding U.S. policy.
The next day, Taylor learned of multiple efforts of the “irregular” team, including a meeting that featured Giuliani and Volker. By July 20, Sondland wasn’t just insisting on investigations—he was actually writing lines for Zelensky to deliver in announcing those investigations.
And following Trump’s eventual July 25 call to Zelensky—Taylor wasn’t allowed to listen in and was not given a transcript—Sondland responded to his texts with very clear information.
Ambassador Sondland also told me that he now recognized that he had made a mistake by earlier telling the Ukrainian officials to whom he spoke that a White House meeting with President Zelensky was dependent on a public announcement of investigations — in fact, Ambassador Sondland said, “everything” was dependent on such an announcement, including security assistance,
What Taylor notes is that the Trump team was not just extorting Ukraine by withholding aid—it was also well aware that it was wrong. If that wasn’t clear enough, Sondland put it in even clearer terms right before the text that Taylor produced calling the whole policy “crazy.”
During our call on September 8, Ambassador Sondland tried to explain to me that President Trump is a businessman. When a businessman is about to sign a check to someone who owes him something, he said, the businessperson asks that person to pay up before signing the check.
It’s not quid pro quo. It’s just making someone pay up before getting a check.
KFC Canada has published in the Mailer a new set of coupons. These coupons are valid until December 15, 2019, depending on your province. Smartcanucks will inform you when the digital coupons are available.
The coupons will vary by the province, for Ontario:
12-piece Variety Bucket with six pieces of chicken, six tenders, a medium side, medium fries and medium gravy for $19.99
8 pieces of chicken with medium fries for $14.99
2 pieces of Chicken, Popcorn, Fries, and Cookie for $5.00
Big Crunch or Zinger Combo for $6.69
4 pieces of chicken with individual fries for $7.69
4 pieces Box Meal for $8.69
2 Can Dine Sharing Bucket for $10.00
2 Can Dine with two Big Crunch or Zinger combos for $13.69
2 Can Dine with two three-piece chicken combos for $13.69
2 Can Dine Bucket for 2, for $15.00
2 Can Dine with any two Box Meals for $15.00
Favourites Bucket with eight pieces of chicken, medium popcorn chicken and medium fries for $19.99
12 pc variety Bucket for $19.99
12 pieces of chicken with medium fries and gravy for $21.99
Family Special with 14 pieces of chicken, large fries and two medium sides for $26.99
18 pieces of chicken with extra large fries for $29.99
Exactly how life sprung out of non-living matter is one of biology's biggest mysteries. But with continued research into our own origin story, it's starting to seem like life on early Earth was just itching to be born. In new research from Georgia Tech and the Scripps Research Institute, scientists cooked up a "primordial soup" and found that some of the crucial building blocks of life spontaneously stacked themselves in a surprisingly efficient way.
As predicted, CNN quickly pushed forward in pitting Sen. Kamala Harris against former Vice President Joe Biden, and Harris and the first half hour of the debate has been dedicated to healthcare plans and the differences amongst the candidates. The details are truncated by the insanely short amount of time candidates are allowed to speak on the issues at hand. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, asked by CNN moderators to fight with Sen. Harris over the differences between the two senators’ “Medicare For All” plans decided to step above the fray for a few minutes to remind Americans why everyone is talking about healthcare coverage in the first place.
She began by pointing out that there are big problems being obfuscated by the moderators’ demands for needling attacks. Talking about her own experience as a mother, bringing her child to the emergency room after an allergic reaction to eggs, Sen. Gillibrand explained that she didn’t worry about the costs of that visit. “The truth about healthcare in America today is that people can’t afford it.”
Gillibrand went on to also remind everyone that private insurance companies are beholden to profits, ending with the most important reminder, “the truth is that the Republicans and Trump, their whole goal is to take away your healthcare, to make it harder for you to afford it, even if you have pre-existing conditions.”
x
Let's not forget what this issue is really about: Too many families in America can't afford the health care they need, and Republicans are trying to take health care away. We need to make it a right for all, not a privilege. #DemDebatepic.twitter.com/00rWtT62yu
— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) August 1, 2019
The Republican Senate Majority Leader joined Donald Trump's favorite propaganda TV show on Monday.
Mitch McConnell continued to lie about why he refused to put the nomination of Merrick Garland forward with almost a full year left in President Obama's term.
Co-host and Trump sycophant Dan "'The Bong" Bongino brought up the topic of judges this morning since the start of the 2020 presidential election has begun.
After praising McConnell's work on Trump's judges, Bongino asked, "If another seat opens on the Supreme Court, are you going to push that through?
McConnell replied, "Absolutely. You know, the precedent that people ignored back in 2016 when I made the decision not to fill the vacancy during the middle of a presidential election was who controlled the Senate."
Previously McConnell made up of phony Biden rule, based on remarks Sen. Joe Biden made back in 1992. But those were just comments, not any form of legislation.
The reason McConnell gave to the American people and the press to refuse the Garland nomination was because the country was in the middle of the presidential election, and not who controlled the Senate.
Hey listen up, the Nando’s Canada Chicken Dash is coming your way! From 11am to 1pm on June 23 2019, you’ll be able to grab a FREE flame grilled ¼ Chicken and PERi-PERi fries at any Nando’s location across Canada. Just bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the local food bank and Nando’s will treat you to lunch! Available at all participating Nando’s locations in Canada with the exception of Nando’s Metrotown, Nando’s Heartland and Nando’s Danforth.
The Republicans, those champions of free speech, have fired off a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler demanding that there be no talk of lying, or obstruction of justice, or any other mean things that people might otherwise say about Dear Leader.
POLITICO Congress reporter Kyle Cheney tweeted a copy of the rule book Rep. Doug Collins is demanding Nadler use. Here's a larger image:
I love the part where everyone isn't supposed to suggest any mendacity, from obstructing justice, to lying, to being intellectually dishonest.
Apparently Collins is afraid of the truth. Or he wants to push the committee into a full-blown impeachment inquiry, which is the only way those terms can be used.
I expect Monday's hearing to be constantly interrupted by whining Republicans shouting, "Point of order!" every other minute just to be as obnoxious as possible. We will, of course, have the live stream here on the site so we can all watch together as Doug Collins grows more and more apoplectic at Dear Liar's lying ways.
Hot on the heels of Transformers Bumblebee, and the news of its box office takings and critical acclaim, Live Action series Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura has revealed that an animated Transformers movie, one that is set to explore Cybertron's history, is now in development. This news comes courtesy of fellow Seibertron user, Carytheone.
This was revealed during an interview that the producer gave to Metro
Lorenzo di Bonaventura wrote:“We actually have an animated movie in the ... View the full news story on Seibertron.com by clicking here.
angry tapir writes "In order to build a case against the notorious Silk Road underground marketplace, a team of U.S. law enforcement agencies spent well over a year casing the site: buying drugs, exchanging Bitcoins, visiting forums and even posing as a vendor, although they did stop short of selling any illicit goods. From March 2012 until September 2013, Federal agents closely tracked the site, making over 50 drug purchases, according to Jared DerYeghiayan, an agent with the Department of Homeland Security who was part of a special investigation unit looking into the site.
Hot on the heels of Transformers Bumblebee, and the news of its box office takings and critical acclaim, Live Action series Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura has revealed that an animated Transformers movie, one that is set to explore Cybertron's history, is now in development. This news comes courtesy of fellow Seibertron user, Carytheone.
This was revealed during an interview that the producer gave to Metro
Lorenzo di Bonaventura wrote:“We actually have an animated movie in the ... View the full news story on Seibertron.com by clicking here.
A snowboarding pioneer retires and ditches the big McMansion, building his own little dream cabin up in the mountains.
