From the Union of Concerned Scientists * All Rights Reserved
This year’s Science Idol contest is over, but political interference in science continues. Achieving substantive solutions to the problem will require the persistent and energetic engagement of both scientists and citizens.
The Latest News
Political interference in science has been all over the news recently. We thought you’d like to be aware of the following developments:
It is nearly 10 years since the scientists of the UK Climate Impacts Programme first gave their detailed forecast of what global warming had in store for Britain in the 21st century - and high up on the list was rainfall, increasing both in frequency and intensity.Global warming is here, its happening.
The administration is poised to approve a plan for 60 new gas wells -- and a maze of roads and pipelines -- in the spectacular White River wilderness in northeastern Utah.
This week the House is scheduled to vote on the $31.6 billion spending bill for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Bureau of Reclamation and the Department of Energy (DOE). The House bill is an increase over the Administration’s request of $30.5 billion and last year’s budget of $30.3 billion. Under the legislation DOE would receive $25.24 billion, an increase of $1.15 billion over last year and $480 million above the President’s request. This includes increases in funding for climate change research and clean energy. The Corps would receive $5.58 billion under the House bill, $246 million above last year and $713.4 million above the Administration’s request. The Corps budget includes funding for construction of water projects and operation and maintenance of existing structures. Finally, the Bureau of Reclamation and Central Utah Project of the Department of Interior would receive $1.073 billion for dams, canals, water treatment and conservation, and rural water projects under the House bill. Also included in the package is $1.1 billion worth of Member earmark projects.
The Anglo-Dutch energy giant expects to start a controversial three-year programme next month with a small armada of ships drilling a dozen wells in the Beaufort Sea 30 miles off the Alaskan coast.
. . . major panel discussion at Smith Barney. . . featured a presentation by upscale jewelry merchant John Hardy. He's now planting bamboo on an entire island off the coast of Bali to offset the greenhouse gases generated by his print advertising in some of America's most chi-chi fashion magazines.Download podcast - must have iTunes
A recently released study concludes that there is a strong association between preschoolers' blood lead levels and crime rates 19 years later, when the preschoolers grow up. Declines in lead levels in several industrialized countries corresponded with later drops in crime rates, the study says.
Droughts as far back as the medieval period have devastated populations across the United States. During the medieval period, a series of megadroughts of multi-decadal length struck the West and one of these, at the end of the 13th century, has been linked to the demise of the Anasazi culture.
You may watch Live Earth : Concerts for a Climate in Crisis on MSN. Select bands are being featured on the Sundance Channel. Look around your TV dial, some other independent stations may be carrying it as well.Once again the American media, so quick to hype absurdly improbable risks and disasters like West Nile Virus or Ebola outbreaks, has ignored a real one: in this case the likelihood that global warming disaster is much more imminent than the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report has led us to believe
Read the report of James Hansen, the top climate expert at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies who published a new scientific study published in the May issue of the British journal, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society (May 2007).
This report that has totally been ignored by mainstream media. Why? Whatever the reason, the news, which got big play in the British newspaper The Guardian, has yet to even make it into the American media.
I guess there are more important things on our minds, like Paris Hilton, Isaiah Washington, Scooter Libby . . .
Arctic Tale
The participation rules are simple:
1. When you get tagged, write a post with links to up to 5 blogs that you think are trying to change the world in a positive way.
2. In your post, make sure you link back to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.
3. Leave a comment or message for the bloggers you’re tagging, so they know they’re now part of the meme.
4. Optional: Proudly display the “Bloggers For Positive Global Change” award badge with a link to the post that you write up.
