Bush’s War on the Environment

“Wow, can anyone touch that last statement? Talk about yer invective.....”

“"invective....."

Isn't the invective one of those Japanese hybrid cars?”

“Yay, Buddha Bear!

Buck, unhand that pigeon!

Nigal, I haven't murdered any of my children.”

“Well laqtis, I touched it.

Nigal loves to engage in invective.....Buck also, but with more humor.”

“Have you seen any of those studies recently that suggest the wisdom of large groups is almost always more accurate than that of a given individual?

I get the same feeling when I look at politics.

The Republicans are a conglomeration of interest groups. Businesses, evangelicals, tax hawks, military... Each group gets its most important issues. The extreme points get evened out.

The Democrats run the same way. The unions, civil rights people, businesses each get a little something. None get everything.

It usually results in moderate, sensible, middle of the road policies. This is especially true when government is divided. Then, everybody on both sides get a little something.

The abortion issue is the perfect example.

Pro-choicers have ensured that abortion is legal. Pro-lifers have ensured that it is difficult to pay for, difficult to access, looked-down-upon and less-used than in other industrialized societies.

Pro-choicers have made condoms/pills widespread. Pro-lifers have ensured that abstinance programs have strengthened, resulting in lower teen-sex levels than in the past and guaranteeing sustained future U.S. population levels.

The result is a perfect blend that works. We have an effective, settled abortion policy that neither Republicans nor Democrats will seriously touch. The wisdom of the majority has created a position that no single individual would support.

The problem I see right now is that the government is out of balance. Republicans control a disproportionate amount of government. Their policies do not, as a result, reflect the wisdom of the entire society.

Add to this the extra-constitutional methods of the current administration and you begin to see a chilling effect on the system's ability to reflect the totality of opinion.

Vote Kerry.

Finally, I think that Naderites make a big mistake by not getting involved in Democratic politics. Go to meetings. Yell and scream. Without that input, the two party system will lack that aspect of the collected wisdom.”

“With Republicans, it's kinda like fishing....

"Nah, he's too small. Throw him back -- we'll kill him when he's bigger."”

“"Nigal loves to engage in invective....."

Now how the hell am I gonna do that? I still have two years left on my lease on my Jeep.”

“10 out of the last 12 supreme court justices in the past 35 years have been appointed by republicans, yet, somehow, we still have legal abortion. The issue is a smokescreen to lure stupid people into voting for republicans."
Buddha Bear
05:59:05 AM
08/05/04”

“Talk the Lord while walking like a corporate lap-dog.”

“Headline in my small-town newspaper this morning: "Mercury levels raise alarm".
Hmmmm, should we relax the standards????”

“July 14, 2004 According to an announcement by the Bush Administration on Monday, state governors have been handed the power of deciding whether their national forest lands will remain largely roadless or will open to new logging and other commercial interests that have long petitioned for additional roads.

The Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a plan installed by former President Bill Clinton in January 2001, put a stop to any new roadways in about 58.6 million acres of wilderness in 39 states, to the frustration of timber companies and the elation of outdoor enthusiasts and environmentalists. The "roadless rule" had been challenged in several federal courts and the U.S. Agriculture Department sought to quell the dispute.”

“That turkey's gotta go!

How long 'til Thanksgiving?”

“Too long!”

“I think my dream job would be a lawyer who sues the gov't on environmental issues!”

“Congratulations, BB! You'll notice that the Bush administration hasn't attempted to log any national forests in Kansas. That proves that the environmentalists in this state are stronger than in any other state. (jk)”

“Anyone read the article on about page 8 of yesterday's NYTimes about one of the lead officials in the Fish and Wildlife Service being forced out because his research wasn't convenient to Bush's policies?

He was a lead person on the Endangered Species Act. They moved him into a liaison position with the USGS.

This kind of thing is pretty sad. Apparently, scientific results now have to agree with George Bush to be considered valid.”

“Speaking of Environmental Law, has anyone heard anything about Robert Kennedy Jr.'s new book? I saw him on C-SPAN and he was ripping Bush nine ways from Sunday.

He said that by giving polluters a free ride, they were just more corporate subsidies.... the cost of which will only be paid later (with interest) by taxpayers. The cost of their pollution needs to be applied to their bottom line --- To Be Fair.”

“http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/08/20/roadlesslogging.ap/index.html
Mark Woodall is an unlikely environmentalist. After all, he makes his living growing trees so he can cut them down.

But Woodall and other small tree farmers are aligning themselves with the Sierra Club and other "green" groups as the White House proceeds with its plan to open roadless forests to commercial logging.



The Bush administration is reversing the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, a 2001 executive order by President Clinton, that prohibits road construction on almost 60 million acres of federal forestland. No roads has meant no logging, mining or oil and gas development.

The new policy, announced last month, calls for governors to decide in early 2006 whether to petition Washington to permit new roads in their forests or keep them untouched.

Although the decision affects more than 30 percent of national forests, the more than 700,000 acres in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia are a relatively small portion compared to the huge tracts in the West.”

“I've decided to quit smoking, and take up the filthy habit of eating fish from lakes and rivers. My chances of dying from it are about the same!”

“EPA ISSUES PRE-ELECTION GAG ORDER TO STAFF

Washington, DC — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has directed to its staff to “refrain from answering” inquiries from the news media in order to “prevent EPA management from being surprised by news coverage,” according to an agency memo released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Earlier this month, Bharat Mathur, the top EPA official for the six-state Mid-western region (covering the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin), issued a memo to the entire staff within the region entitled “Working with the Press.” The memo, however, orders EPA not to communicate with, let alone work with, the press. Instead, all inquiries from reporters are to be routed to the EPA Office of Public Affairs.

Mathur’s memo forbids employees from initiating any contact with a reporter or from responding to inquiries made by the members of the press. Even EPA employees who are designated public spokespersons on particular matters must “report their conversations” with reporters to the Office of Public Affairs.

“The ultimate sin in the Bush Administration is going off message, especially when that discordant note is authoritatively accurate,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, whose organization is challenging Bush Administration non-disclosure policies for federal workers. “This policy shows the EPA political leadership’s profound fear of the expertise of its own professional staff.”

This new EPA non-disclosure policy –

· Overrules previous practice of allowing agency scientists or other specialists to answer questions that fall within their recognized expertise;

· Appears to violate Congressionally-enacted bans on agencies imposing any “nondisclosure policy, form, or agreement” on its employees without explicitly informing employees about their rights to reveal matters covered by statutes such as the Whistleblower Protection Act; and

· Seems designed to hide information by directing reporters away from experts and toward relatively uninformed public affairs staff.

“This non-disclosure policy is so broad that EPA employees cannot reveal where the bathrooms are located or what the time of day is to a reporter,” added Ruch. “Significantly, under this policy, EPA staff can still talk to environmental groups or members of the public – just not reporters.”

Similarly, in EPA’s Rocky Mountain region (covering Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming), Inside EPA reports that employees have been directed not to answer any “potentially political inquiry” from the media.”

“Is this part of Bush's "No Tree Ledt Behind Act", or something new?”

“Does that directive apply to releasing the names of undercover CIA operatives?”

“Snip from an article on the Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize....

"Internet bookmaker Centrebet, the first to organize betting on the contest [Nobel Peace Prize], had listed ElBaradei and the IAEA as favorites at 4-1, with Nunn-Lugar at 6-1 while Achmat, Russian human rights activist Sergei Kovalyov and Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu were all on 7-1.

Centrebet spokesman Mark Worwood told CNN that they had lost money on the contest -- as she was such an outsider, you couldn't bet on Maathai by name, only as "any other" an option which was backed down from 5-1 to 6-4 on the final day.

He added that a significant amount of money had been bet on George W. Bush, forcing the firm to cut their price on the U.S. President from 1000-1 to 25-1."(emphasis added)

source”

“

New BLM Initiative to Enhance Environmental Protection During Oil and Gas Activity on Public Lands

Rebecca Watson, assistant secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management today announced a new policy initiative designed to enhance the Bureau of Land Management's ability to protect the environment and reduce long-term impacts on the land from oil and gas activity.”

“Maybe this will happen when Kerry is elected. With Bush, it will have to pass the mustard with the energy companies.”

“I've done a little bit of an about face on this issue.

I think that environmental protection is very important.

However, I think that if we are sitting on a large reservoir anywhere in this country, we need to access it for strategic reasons.

American lives depend on lessening dependence on Middle East oil. This means drilling in ANWR, opening more nuke plants, opening Yucca Mountain for nuke waste, giving tax credits for diesel/fuel cells/electric cars, increasing CAFE standards, increasing gas taxes. We need to do anything and everything to use less Mideast oil. It is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING that our country can do right now.

God help the caribou.”

“And anyone who disputes a gas tax increase should remember the ration stamps that our older generations encountered during WWII. We are AT WAR, people. There is no free lunch. Let's get the job done.”

“Why not use the mid east oil until it's gone? Then we'll still have our oil in reserve.”

“Hey, Nav!

I like the idea, but...

I think that the answer has to be a little bit of everything. I think that if we could add even 5% or 10% to world oil capacity, it would be a very good thing. This means making nice with Libya and Venezuela and parts of Africa, but I also think that it means drilling in America.

It would have been nice if we had made a concerted effort ten years ago to wean ourselves off the Middle East, but that didn't happen.”

“Why so little imagination and so much lack of vision? Kennedy challenged us to go to the moon before the decade was over. Big government program made it happen with the best scientific minds in America. Energy independence should be handled the same way. In fact, most of the solution is already here. It just isn't satisfactory to the big centralized energy industry. If every house has a solar collector on it, along with other energy saving and creating devices in your home, you are on your way to independence. Now, whose interests wouldn't be served by individual households becoming energy independent???? That's right class, big oil, big coal, big nuke, etc.
Do we have the guts it takes to really become energy independent?”

“"Why not use the mid east oil until it's gone? Then we'll still have our oil in reserve....."


The fact is that is what we are doing presently. The wells are already dug, all we would have to do is uncap them.

We only have two more days, right? It can't come quick enough!”

“I would like to see more incentives for solar power on new houses. I wish they'd speed up the research on hydrogen cars. And I would like them to repeal the lower incentive for buying hybrid cars now.

Can you imagine if just 50% of the new houses built were powered by solar. Especially with the new thin film technology that can imbed them onto the shingles themselves, no panels involved! (I wish I could afford it)”

“There is a vast un-tapped source for diesel fuel right here in the U.S..........farms.
And not just corporate farms.

Rudolph Diesel designed his engine to run on vegetable oil.

Hydrogen is dangerous to handle and there is no engine currently available.

The millions of diesel engines in use right now can run on Bio-Diesel.

Seed oil crop-growers can form co-opertives the way dairy farmers do.
This could create income from currently un-used or under-used family farms.
That could put money in the pockets of ordinary Americans instead of corporations and Arab Shieks who sponsor terrorism.

Bio-Diesel can be produced and used regionally with no trans shipment worries like oil tankers on the ocean or gasoline pipelines criss-crossing the U.S.”

“He's at it again.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/12/01/salmon.plans.ap/index.html”

“


http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/01/25/nm.grasslandd.ap/index.html

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico(AP) -- Despite protests by the governor and environmentalists, the federal government decided to open nearly all of New Mexico's vast Otero Mesa for exploratory drilling but vowed that the oil and gas industry won't have a "free-for-all."

The decision Monday by the Bureau of Land Management permanently protects about 124,000 acres (50,182 hectares) of the roughly 2 million-acre mesa, one of North America's largest remaining pieces of Chihuahuan desert grassland.

Gov. Bill Richardson and environmentalists, including the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and Denver-based Earthjustice, promised a court battle.

"The state is going to fight this with everything we've got," Richardson said.

The opponents argue the plan fails to consider the effect on groundwater and grassland at the mesa, extending about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of the Texas-New Mexico line.

Richardson -- who once called the mesa "sacred" and wanted to set aside 640,000 acres (259,00 hectares) as a national conservation area -- accused the federal government of ignoring its policy of working with states on major land management decisions.
last edited: 1/29/05 8:16:23 AM”

“Flaws are showing in Kyoto treaty

Shocking! Thirteen of the 15 EU nations that signed the Kyoto Protocol will fall short of the "mandatory" first-phase emissions reductions to which they agreed.

The worst offenders - Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Italy - expect to miss their targets by around 20 percent. Ironically, these same nations are chief critics of the U.S. demurral on Kyoto.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0103tuelets024.html”

“What are the flaws genious?”

“Talk to the reporter, or better yet, do some reading yourself for once. Heck, just go on in your moranic haze, you'll be alot happier along with your fellow dolts.

Nyuck nyuck! :)”

“Dear Nigal dumbarse,

The article you referance, is not an actual NEWS article. It's something called an opinion piece, and since you gleefully agree with the author's opinion, I ask you what are the flaws with the actual treaty?

If your opinion is that of the author's, that some nations couldn't meet the mandates this year, then how is the treaty flawed? Further, the op-ed writer backs his opinion up with no evidence of what he is sayting is true.

The next time you try to pass opinion as news, do your homework. It really shows that your opinion need not be respected by those worthy of respect.”

“So 13 of the 15 will actually have reductions then?

"And yet it appears that even western Europe is not reducing emissions. The Kyoto rules say that western Europe must get their emissions to a level 8% below those prevailing in 1990. But virtually all those countries--the only significant exception is Germany--are going in the wrong direction. The latest available data, covering emissions through 2003, tell us that in the years since the treaty was negotiated, carbon dioxide levels increased by 7% in France, 11% in Italy and 29% in Spain. The increase for western Europe as a whole was 5.4%."

http://www.forbes.com/global/2006/0109/032A.html

It's going up, not down. Up bad. Down good.

But not only did we stay out of a failed treaty we are working on one that is better than Kyoto...

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=%5CForeignBureaus%5Carchive%5C200512%5CFOR20051230a.html”

“Leaving nuts in your garden is the first step to a revolution

SINCE YOU’RE reading this supplement, I strongly suspect you of being a political radical. Because it is highly possible that you put peanuts out for the blue tits. There can be no more glaring sign of daring political unorthodoxy.

...

George Bush, in one of the great betrayals of history, refused to take it on in Kyoto, and has pursued ever since his policy of long-term environmental damage in exchange for short-term good cheer among the electorate.

...

We may end up being the cursed generation — the last generation that had a chance to do something, and failed. But that will not happen if the radicals get their way. So hang our your peanuts and remember that it is a revolutionary act.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,27389-2035143,00.html”

“HMMM...Kyoto came up in the ....Clinton administration and wasn't even considered then...so lets see you have a Socialist administration that won't pass an ULTRA SHARE THE PAIN bill...but we blame a 'moderately less socialist government becuase they are in office and out of favor with the leftist major media....And it is obvious this reporter has a BIT TOO MUCH Lithium this morning”

“Bush has had a few environmental good points.

He endorsed further public acquisition of certain wetland areas, like in eastern NC after hurricane Floyd wrecked some big corporate farms.

Has Sarge changed his tune in more than one thread on more than one topic?”

“lonesurveyor - I haven't changed my tune on anything since I've been on trailtalk. I'm open to it though. Are you thinking of something specific? - I'm often misunderstood b/c I don't elaborate my ideas (not to trick people, but b/c I figure if they have questions, they can ask).”

“UH oh...another theory....

http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/russian_blames_global_warming_on_1908_tunguska_event_10205.html

I like this one..GET RID OF THE WATER”

“But, can we still wear our hair long and drive Pintos?”

“Who would have thought -

http://www.northcarolinaconservative.com/index.php?

Scroll down in this link to find the Falwell statement.

So which version is actually the 'junk science'? Lets see, I think Falwell believes water was 30' deep over the top of Mount Everest a mere 4,400 years ago?
last edited: 3/17/06 6:49:50 AM”

“LOL....here is a trite one...it is actually part of a joke about the media...

"The consequences of global warming," the statement reads, "will hit the poor the hardest, in part because those areas likely to be significantly affected first are the poorest regions of the world."


The old one about the NY Times getting the news that the worlds is going to end...the headline reads, "WORLD TO END, WOMEN AND POOR HIT HARDEST."

LOL...When you plan on hitting it out of the park...Lone do yourself a favor, GET A BAT (LOL)”