Daily Archives: February 28, 2012
Asteroid 2011AG5 could strike Earth in 2040
Republicans Have Driven Out One Of The Few That Are Still Human: Snowe To Retire
Olympia Snow, of Maine, one of the few Republicans that is not an embarrassment to the rest of humanity, will retire. She’s had enough of the political climate her compatriots have created:
…she said she was swayed by the increasing polarization in Washington.
“Unfortunately, I do not realistically expect the partisanship of recent years in the Senate to change over the short term,” Snowe said in a statement. “So at this stage of my tenure in public service, I have concluded that I am not prepared to commit myself to an additional six years in the Senate, which is what a fourth term would entail.”
There is a pretty good chance that she will be replaced with a Democrat.
Good Financial News, and Romney on Burning Hair
For the first time since George Bush ruined the economy, the Down Jones Industrial Average has closed above 13,000 points. Republicans have declared this a bad thing and blamed it on Obama. Details at 11.
In related news, unemployment is down, and consumer confidence is up, and many regional housing markets are starting to show a pulse. Republicans insist that these things must stop; they are planning impeachment proceedings against Obama.
Meanwhile, Romney breaks with Republicans on the question of being mean to Obama. Then he says some really bad things about Obama:
The Virginia Senate has Approved Revenge Rape Bill
Women who exercise their legal and constitutional right to make their own reproductive and medical decisions in Virginia will henceforth be subjected to what amounts to being raped by a robotic device that looks inside their uterus in the hopes that something in there looks like a person, which can be photographed and show to the woman to make her feel very bad about having an abortion.
I find it hard to believe that the women of Virginia are going to stand for this.
From the New York Times:
The 21-19 vote in the Republican-controlled Senate — mostly along party lines — came after Gov. Robert F. McDonnell asked legislators to soften the bill following protests on Capitol Square and mocking on national television, including “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “Saturday Night Live.”
The bill was changed. If the woman can prove that she was already raped recently, she does not have to get raped again by the Virgina Senate, Governor, and Republican Party. And Charles Colgan and Phil Puckett, the turn-coat Democrats that voted with the others.
Mockery here.
Climate Science Denial at Carleton University: A Detailed Take-Down
A report detailing an audit of a course called “Climate Change: An Earth Sciences Perspective” (ERTH 2402), taught at Carleton University, has been compiled by a team of concerned individuals and was released a few minutes ago. From the report:
Continue reading Climate Science Denial at Carleton University: A Detailed Take-Down
Court To Hear CO2 Arguments
The EPA made what is called an “endangerment finding” a while back which asserts that it is appropriate to regulate the release of greenhouse gasses. This was challenged in court by science deinialists and energy interests via “the state of Virginia, the industry front-group Coalition for Responsible Regulation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the Tea Party-industry front Southeastern Legal Foundation.”
Brad Johnson has a post outlining the situation here.
The endangerment finding is based on a large and internally consist ant corpus of scientific findings. The argument against the finding is in conflict with what we know from a scientific perspective, and is rather self serving for the interests involved.
Santorum on Education
I am at a loss for words:
Your help is needed: Climate Science Legal Defense Fund
The Climate Science Legal Defense Fund continues to receive donations and offers of help from various stakeholders. We are actively working with several organizations in order to make CSLDF a one-stop resource for scientists looking for legal resources and we are currently pursuing several educational and legal initiatives which will be made public in the future.
In the short-term, CSLDF would greatly appreciate your financial support to help Dr. Michael Mann. Funds are needed to:
- Fend-off ATI’s demand to take Dr. Mann’s deposition, which is a blatant attempt to harass and intimidate him for exercising his constitutional rights by petitioning to intervene in the case.
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Defeat ATI’s attempt to obtain Dr. Mann’s email correspondence through the civil discovery process, which essentially is an “end-run” around the scholarly research exemption under the Virginia FOIA law.
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Prepare for summary judgment on the issue of the exempt status of his email correspondence under the Virginia FOIA law.
Donations can be sent to CSLDF online or by sending a check made out to PEER, with Climate Science LDF on the memo line to:
Climate Science Legal Defense Fund
c/o PEER
2000 P Street, NW #240
Washington, D.C. 20036
Through PEER, a private non-profit organization organized under Section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue code, your contribution will be tax deductible.
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Climate Science Legal Defense Fund