http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Earth_Community-and-Politics_Climate-change-denial_18_193_807.html Press Review of the Earth from the most relevant websites. Keep in touch with the Earth and your future ! fr-FR http://www.earth-stream.com/logo-stream-Earth.png http://www.earth-stream.com Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:30:30 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Man-Says-Rights-Denied-in-Claim-He-Was-Cited-at-Pewaukee-Church_18_193_807_134189.html By MIKE JOHNSON City of Pewaukee -- A West Allis man is seeking $50,000 in damages from the city and the Police Department, alleging in a claim that his constitutional rights were violated when he received a municipal citation for trespassing while staging a demonstration at a church. Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:30:20 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Justices-Won-t-Revisit-Child-Rape-Decision_18_193_807_134154.html The U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday denied a rehearing on its ruling that struck down the death penalty for the crime of child rape. Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:50:43 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/US-aid-agency-denies-contraceptives-for-Africa_18_193_807_134048.html People and Planet: The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has instructed its staff to force governments in several African countries to discontinue the provision of US-funded contraceptive supplies from a leading non-government agency - a decision which, the NGO warns, is likely lead to more abortions and deaths in several East African countries. The USAID instruction, issued by Assistant Administrator for Global Health Kent Hill, said the action was necessary because UK-based Marie Stopes ... Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:23:57 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/DRM-is-Bad-for-You-AND-for-the-Planet_18_193_807_132805.html I am primarily an ecogeek, but I can't deny that I'm also just a geek. And so I, of course, love the open source, free software and creative commons movements. Without those powerful forces EcoGeek would absolutely have never existed. So, yeah, I hate digital rights management. I believe that it's contrary to the spirit of creation and should not exist. But I don't get to talk about it here, because its all geek and no eco. Or so I thought! When recently reading about Wal-Mart's epic DRM fail at Read Write Web, I realized that DRM is indeed very bad for the environment. So bad, that it could possibly destroy one of the great environmental benefits of technology... digitization. First, I should point out a less substantial environmental problem with DRM. IT EATS POWER! Devices using DRM have been shown to use up to 25% more power than when they're playing non-managed media...and that's not even counting all the resources consumed by the manger's server farms that keep track of it all. But, comparatively, that's a tiny problem. The real problem here is that the easiest way to get an MP3 that isn't crippled by some kind of DRM is still to buy the physical CD. What's worse, when DRM systems go offline (as they are at Wal-Mart) people are going to be extremely hesitant to go digital again. Basically, Wal-Mart's servers going offline is like saying "Oh, that song you bought, well, you didn't actually own it because it wasn't really real...sorry." Wal-Mart's suggestion? Burn it to a CD, that way you'll have it even if after we take your official ownership away. BURN IT TO A CD! I thought the whole point was that we weren't using those clunky petro-disks anymore! What I'm afraid of is that DRM will effectively remove ownership from non-physical media. Either we will rent the right to access everything for a certain monthly price (already working well for Microsoft) or rent out our eyeballs for the right to watch it (working just fine at Hulu.com.) But i ... Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:19:22 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/S-L-County-Rejects-Tribune-Appeal-for-Records_18_193_807_132619.html By Arthur Raymond Deseret News The Salt Lake County Council on Tuesday voted down an appeal by the Salt Lake Tribune after the paper was denied access to records from a June shooting investigation. Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:13:24 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Grouse-moor-owner-John-Dodd-denies-illegally-targetting-birds-of-prey_18_193_807_131477.html A grouse moor owner hit by the largest ever financial penalty for farming has denied involvement in wildlife crime Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:46:38 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Wannabe-Space-Tourist-Wants-$21-Million-Back-Over-Scuttled-Mission_18_193_807_131278.html The Japanese internet tycoon who paid $21 million to become the first space tourist to walk outside the International Space Station wants his money back. In a lawsuit, Daisuke Enomoto, 37, claims that Space Adventures, the private firm with connections to the Russian Federal Space Agency, "deceptively and fraudulently" induced him to pay $21 million for a 10-day orbital sojourn that never materialized. The Virginia company scuttled Enomoto's space journey to the Russian section of the station after he refused to cough up more money, according to the suit, which says Space Adventures cited his health as a "pretense" to deny him of his childhood dream of space travel. The complaint (.pdf), filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, tells a tale seeped in eye-popping sums of money, and allegations of the rich eating the rich in a bid to reach space, the final frontier. Enomoto claims that Space Adventures repeatedly pestered the former Livedoor executive to invest, and that the company took his money without ever having permission by the Russians or the 15 other members of the International Space Station to participate in a space walk -- what the lawsuit calls "extra-vehicular activities" or EVA. The lawsuit charges that Space Adventures informed him that the Russian Federal Space Agency "approved Mr. Enomoto's EVA participation." But the space walk will cost an "extra" $10 million. In response to the complaint, Space Adventures said in a court filing Wednesday that, "Even if Enomoto could prove his unlikely claim that he was somehow misled, he suffered absolutely no damage from any misstatement because, as the complaint admits, the cause of his failure to fly was medical disqualification, not lack of authority." Enomoto, of Tokyo, grew up coding his own computer games and dreaming of space. "I just wanted to go up there and chill," he said in a recent interview with Wired magazine. As part of his space flight, he planne ... Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:00:43 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Bush-Gets-Schooled-by-the-Senate-On-Environmental-Policy_18_193_807_131244.html The Senate met today to review Bush’s environmental record. It was sparked by the EPA’s denial of a California waiver to regulate automotive greenhouse gases. The committee entitled, “Bush Administration Environmental Record at Department of Interior and Environmental Protection Agency,” met today. Senator Barbara Boxer called the hearing to explore how the administration has held up with respect to environmental integrity. A driving force behind the committee was the denial of California’s petition to curb greenhouse emissions by allowing the state to regulate vehicular fuel efficiency. The hearing was also looking into a proposal to loosen rules protecting endangered species. You can watch a full video of the hearing here. Boxer, who is chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, wasn’t too happy when two high-level officials at the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Interior failed to show up for the hearing. “They’re cowardly and they have been a danger to the people of this country,” Boxer said. Below is just a taste of what Bush and Co have been up to since taking office. A History of Bush’s Environmental Record Proposed drilling of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - October 2000, this was a campaign trail proposition! Blocks safeguards on arsenic in drinking water, sulfur in diesel, and releases of raw sewage - January 2001, Inauguration Day Bush repudiates the Kyoto Protocol - March, 2001 178 Countries agree to Kyoto, Bush does not - June 2001 Bush kills more of Clinton’s safeguards on drinking water - July 2001 Bush cuts funds for renewables - February 2002 Introduces “Clear Skies” initiative which allows for more air pollution - February 2002 Bush denies EPA findings on Global Warming - June 2002 Proposes removing wetland protections - January 2003 EPA silences effects of global warming in environmental report - June 2003 Creates “Healthy Forrest” initiative which allows more logging ... Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:08:27 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Report-EPA-to-Deny-Perchlorate-Standards_18_193_807_129842.html The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will deny calls to set drinking water safety standards for the chemical perchlorate, documents show. Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:35:26 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/The-Sarah-Palin-Chronicles-The-Environment-Part-Two_18_193_807_129614.html In an effort to curb Global Warming, born-again environmentalist Sarah Palin has introduced a bill enacting the legal aerial hunting of humans, polar bears, or anything she deems “pesky and liberal.” Okay, that’s not true. However, it summarizes how environmentally out-of-touch I feel the Alaskan Governor is. For example, just one day before being picked as the GOP vice president, she wrote a letter to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urging him to shoot down pollution-reduction efforts aimed at cargo containers. Palin’s concerns were aimed at the Alaskan economy, and well…not the environment. Oh, and it gets better! Check out some of the other things Palin has had to say on the topic. From Think Progress Palin Denies Man-Made Global Warming. When asked for her “take on global warming,” Palin replied, “A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I’m not one though who would attribute it to being man-made.” [Newsmax, 08/29/08] Palin Says She’s Not A ‘Doom-And-Gloom Environmentalist’ Who Blames Global Warming On ‘Human Activity.’ “I’m not an Al Gore, doom-and-gloom environmentalist blaming the changes in our climate on human activity, but I’m not going to put my head in the sand and pretend there aren’t changes.” [Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, 12/4/07] Challenging ‘Uncertain Climate Models,’ Palin Is Suing To Lift Protected Status For Polar Bears. After a multi-year court battle, the Bush administration recognized in 2008 that polar bears are threatened with extinction by global warming. Announcing Alaska’s suit to block the listing, Palin said, “We believe that the listing was unwarranted and that it’s unprecedented to list a currently healthy population based on uncertain climate models.” [Reuters, 5/22/08] Palin Established Illegal Fly-By Wolf Hunting Bounty. In 2007, Palin illegally established “a $150 bounty to the state sanctioned airborne wolf hunters as ... Sun, 21 Sep 2008 22:08:10 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Trinidad-Government-Enacts-Tough-Law-to-Combat-Crime_18_193_807_129587.html Text of report by Caribbean Media Corporation news agency website PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - President George Maxwell Richards on Friday signed into law a tough new Bail Act which will deny bail to persons who are charged with very serious offences. Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:01:49 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Thai-Based-Website-Believes-Burma-Behind-Denial-of-Service-Attacks_18_193_807_129544.html Text of report in English by Thailand-based Burmese publication Irrawaddy website on 19 September ["Announcement" by "The Irrawaddy Magazine"; The Irrawaddy is now posting content at its temporary website at http:// theirrawaddy.blogspot.com due to a cyber attack on its website at http://www.irrawaddy.org on 17 September.] Dear Friends and Subscribers, Our Web site has been crippled and disabled by DDoS [Distributed Denial of Service] attacks since Wednesday. Sun, 21 Sep 2008 03:34:50 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Attorney-General-Pulls-the-Immunity-Trigger-But-Denies-Dragnet-Surveillance_18_193_807_129437.html U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey on Saturday denies the nation's telecommunications companies assisted the Bush administration in "dragnet" spying on Americans' electronic communications following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:24:01 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/St-Charles-Darwin-Unveiled-Catholics-Anglicans-Finally-Agreed-on-Evolution_18_193_807_128920.html Isn’t it uncanny that on the eve of the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin, and the 150th anniversary of the appearance of ‘On the Origin of Species’ - the Bible of much vilified evolution theorists - Christendom might just be unveiling the latest saint? This week, the doubtful naysayers may have been proven wrong: the Vatican has lifted a centuries-old veil of official hostility towards and denial of the Theory of Evolution to admit it was actually compatible with the Bible. The Church of England, as the Anglican Church is officially known in the UK, wasn’t going to be left behind and issued their own confirmation that Darwin’s theory never conflicted with the literal biblical account of creation. Read more of this story » Thu, 18 Sep 2008 20:19:57 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/GM-Vice-chair-touts-Volt-but-still-denies-climate-science_18_193_807_128556.html Click on this hilarious video and you will hear comedian Stephen Colbert asking if global warming is being caused by "sunspots" and GM vice-chair Bob Lutz answering:"... in the opinion of about 32,000 of the world's leading scientists, yes."The reference in what is otherwise a lighthearted comedy segment demonstrates the toxicity of the climate change denial movement. The 32,000 deniers in question are not the "world's leading scientists." They are a self-selected group of people whose science credentials are modest or non-existent and who are led by the man who was big tobacco's leading apologist.On the whole, the Colbert video is wonderfully funny , and Lutz deserves some credit for having the nerve to go on air and make fun of his own electric (concept) car, the Chevy Volt. But it's chilling to hear him toss in this big lie (the Oregon petition to which he refers doesn't even mention sunspots). It's this kind of casual dishonesty that keeps the public confused about this issue.Lutz says at the beginning of the segment that he wishes he were controlling the world economy - that he thinks he could be doing a better job. Right. I mean look at what a wonderful job he and his buddies are doing with the GM economy. Colbert Report Bob Lutz 32 000 deniers Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:12:10 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/High-Fructose-Corn-Syrup-is-Good-for-You-Aphrodisiac_18_193_807_128347.html High-fructose corn syrup: is it hemlock, or the nectar of the gods? The Corn Refiner’s Association (CRA) believes the latter—that the dreaded syrup is really Aphrodite’s bathwater.  Sure, they claim that high fructose corn syrup has the same amount of calories as sugar and has no artificial ingredients. You have probably seen the commercials combating the urban myth; Eve offers Adam a cherry-colored popsicle and he initially denies it out of unbridled piety to the American Heart Association and its pyramid of truth. She reassures him that it’s ok—American, even—and he takes it from her with an impish grin.  But the CRA hasn’t told you everything. Not only is high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) good for you, it also boosts romance. Dr. Ben Dofa of the National Institutes of Health reports:  “HFCS binds to the endorphin receptors in your brain, making you undeniably randy. That’s why everyone drinks soda at parties. The lone wolf hanging out by the punch bowl isn’t a loser—he knows what he is doing.”  HFCS also doubles as sensual massage oil.  If you want to get in the mood, just head to your pantry and break out this disaccharide treat and flip on some Barry White. You will soon be reliving the summer of ’69, rolling through the Kansas cornfields without a care.  So next time, show up at your date’s door with a bottle of Karo and a bouquet of free-labor roses. She will be thankful you did.    Tue, 16 Sep 2008 20:42:53 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Surfers-Stoked-About-Global-Warming-s-Giant-Waves_18_193_807_127595.html Due to its southern location, Australia has experienced the effects of climate change more rapidly than other parts of the world—harsh storms and severe droughts have become more and more frequent over recent years. But one side-effect has some heading towards the beach: bigger and better waves. Research shows that waves measuring 9.8 feet or more have steadily increased over the past 45 years, but the change is most noticeable along the continent’s Southern coast. The same research linked the big waves with the change in the continent’s climate drivers, like the increasing length and severity of the north-side’s monsoon season. “It’s been an above average winter, which came after good conditions last Christmas and New Year,” said Ben Horvath, who runs the Australian surfing website CoastalWatch.com. “We had eight low-pressure systems in five weeks it was incredible, a lot of people are comparing it to May ‘74, which was the biggest recorded swell on the east coast.” Surfers aren’t the only ones excited about the big waves. Climate Change Minister Penny Wong said the heavier surf could help in Australia’s plans for wave-generated power, but said the swells do not come without problems-in fact, surfers should appreciate the current Australian coast while it’s still around. “Large waves can also be destructive,” said Penny, adding that they can lead to “coastal inundation, erosion and the disturbance of marine habitats.” Photo Credit: Mike Baird on Flickr under Creative Commons license. Other Posts Relating to Climate Change: Palin Changes Position on Global Warming - Then Denies It Global Warming Bad for Ohio’s Buckeyes? Civilized Communication About Global Warming… Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:22:52 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Palin-Changes-Position-on-Global-Warming-Then-Denies-It_18_193_807_127513.html Now says she believes human actions are partly to blame - and that she never changed her position Alaska Governor and Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin performed what some might call a ‘flip-flop,’ in regards to her position on the causes of global warming. Miraculously, Palin is claiming that this has been part of her position all along. In an interview with ABC News’ Charlie Gibson that aired last Thursday and Friday, Palin said that she believes “man’s activities certainly can be contributing to the issue of global warming/climate change….” When Gibson challenged Palin on what is clearly a sharp change in her position, Palin recoiled and said, “…show me where I have ever said that there’s absolute proof that nothing that man has ever conducted or engaged in has had any affect, or no affect, on climate change.” This story contains additional media. Click here to view the media. But in her most definitive recent statement about the causes of global warming, Palin said, “I’m not one though who would attribute it to being man-made.” This is not a nuanced-shift in the technical specifics of some obscure policy. This is a drastic change in a major policy question that is apparent to even the most casual political observer. And while I applaud Gov. Palin for apparently coming around viz. climate change (even if it is purely pandering), it is politically dangerous for her to be denying that she ever changed her position. I can’t imagine Palin’s switch will be something the opposition and the media will accept without further inquiry and investigation. Related Posts Palin Disparages Environmentalist Fear Mongering then Warns of a “World of Hurt” if We Don’t Drill World Views of Sarah Palin and the Environment Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:06:28 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Feds-to-Drug-Test-Miners-but-Deny-Black-Lung-Aide_18_193_807_127313.html The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration said weeks ago that they were too busy to address new concerns regarding coal dust inhalation; the following week, they proposed new regulations to begin random drug testing of American miners. Hundreds of retired miners die every year from black lung, a disease which has haunted coal workers since the early days of the profession. Miners are outraged that the government entity which is supposed to protect their safety seemingly holds little concern for the impact that the job has on their health, yet has decided to make their marijuana habits an issue worth tackling. Read more of this story » Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:03:58 GMT http://www.earth-stream.com/Earth/Community-and-Politics/Climate-change-denial/Can-PRT-or-Podcars-Replace-the-Automobile-_18_193_807_126903.html All images from Advanced Transport Systems- the ULTra Personal Rapid Transit, or Podcars, are controversial; Catherine G. Burke of USC's School of Policy, Planning and Development makes a spirited defence of them in the Los Angeles Times. She notes that oil and emissions are not the only problems with cars: "In the near future, 70 million of us will enter retirement, and inevitably some of us will lose the ability to drive a car, whether from physical disability, poverty or denial of insurance. We will need something better than the auto -- and better is here, now."...