Today, documents released by the House Oversight and Reform Committee confirmed that the Trump administration’s attempt to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census was a strategy to skew population data to benefit Republicans. Trump had refused to turn over the documents, but the Biden administration agreed to allow the House committee to see them.
I don’t understand why President Biden’s approval ratings are low. I guess I blame main stream media. He has done amazing things considering the mess he inherited. I think he’s been one of the best presidents in my lifetime.
"So, too, has the insistence of Republican senators, as well as Democratic senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, that short-term economic interests outweigh the imperatives of climate change. Days ago, Manchin said he would not support new investment in clean energy out of concern over inflation. Without him, the Democrats' plans for addressing climate change through legislation can't move forward, since no Republicans are on board. "--Thank you for this phrasing. I, too, am furious at Manchin, but when all the anger is directed just at him, it lets the entire Republican party off the hook for their unwillingness to do anything at all to address climate change. It is the GOP plus Manchin, not just Manchin!
Thank God that Joe Biden is ready to use the power of the presidency to act on climate change. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it demonstrates resolve and changes the narrative from attempting to rely on a congressional majority that is too fragile to act with decisiveness. Manchin chooses to see federal expenditure only in the context of budget and deficit. Some expenditures do not yield a return on investment to the government itself; but infrastructure expenditures, investment in new technology, development of existing but as yet not widely distributed technology and dollars put into the hands of individuals who will in turn inject them immediately into the economy are not wasted. Growth includes growth in the tax base. One time expenditures can yield multiple years of tax related returns. I think the near-term value of more activism in the use of presidential declarations, tailoring use of already allotted funds is the projection of an image of power, decisiveness and courage, shining a spotlight on the ineptitude and entrenchment of congress on both sides of the isle. Biden's instincts borne of 40 years in the Senate have caused him to wait patiently far longer than someone without his background. Certainly, a congress dedicated to addressing these urgent issues would be a better means of doing so, writing law instead of finding work-arounds. However, one uses the tools at ones disposal and I, for one, am pleased to see the president choosing to use every tool at his disposal to create action. This is the kind of action that can change predicted outcomes in the mid-terms as well. Strong president, improving poll numbers, trickle down effect to congressional and senate races will be welcome changes from the recent narrative in the press.
In the welter of so many pieces of dismaying news, Professor HCR’s inclusion of the Dept of Commerce v New York decision stands out as an example of the methodical, long-term planning that is going into making the US a dystopia of Republican-wet-dream minority rule through overt, unapologetic interference in the Constitutionally prescribed Census. Roberts cobbled the majority opinion, but that foul carbuncle Thomas’ dissent (predictably joined by Kavanaugh and Gorsuch) sends up a lot of five alarm trial balloons of legal avenues to explore to tamper with 2030’s census, and Alito’s separate dissent breaks ground on other legal antidemocratic angles to try to establish as precedent before the next decade’s count. The decisions show an astounding attempt to instruct and shape future plots to warp our very simple national manner of ensuring fairer representation for all people in the US; their potential impact must be recognized, then thwarted vigorously. Anti-authoritarians in and out of government need to start playing as hard and smart as these long-term strategists have been doing since the late 1970s.
Americans have had the opportunity, science, technology, engineering and financial strength, ever increasing since the end of WWII to make ourselves energy independent with sustainable, regenerative, clean green energy.
FDR supported a tidal hydro power plant near Eastport, ME that would have contributed significant power to northern Maine. Congress refused to fund it.
In the 1970s with the Saudi oil embargo, Federal & state energy councils, HUD, conservation departments, architects and engineers published energy conservation, passive and active solar energy design solutions. Some of these ideas dated back to WWII when petroleum was not always guaranteed in unlimited quantities for domestic or military needs.
The fossil fuel industry managed to promote plenty of cheap fossil fuels to discourage these conservation and green energy solutions. Automotive companies had quickly designed and produced 50+ mpg cars that were popular c for a few years and then were gone. Unavailable for consumers.
Every rural farmer, homeowner and small business could be generating their own energy, effectively off the grid or with some grid support. We have the total systems technology from electric heat pumps, LED lighting, electric cars and appliances, and many battery operated tools. Many islanders in Maine are fully electrified. We have had solar on our islands for ten years, only turning on a gasoline generator to run larger construction tools. The quiet is only interrupted by 1,000 hp diesel powered lobster boats that have potential to be replaced by hybrid electric & hydrogen powered engines. Toyota is testing hydrogen tractor trailer trucks. We are way behind though in implementing what we are capable of.
1. So here's the latest re USPS' efforts to electrify. 40% of e-vehicles will now be purchased, up from 10%. According to Common Dreams, this is a direct result of all of us putting pressure on the No Joy postmaster. For the past couple of years, I had been hand-writing "Save the USPS!" on all my mail. When I heard that the USPS was "saved," I edited my message to say "Electrify the USPS!" I think this is helping!
3. Senator Mark Warner of VA is Chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence. He's a cyber security guy, and IMO he's really good at it. I will post the article for you to read for yourselves, but here are some take-aways that I think warrant our nation's attention.
"On the 'security conditions around the website TikTok,' Sen. Warner said this is somewhat of an 'I told you so' situation, that TikTok is 'a company that is controlled by a Chinese parent,' and that 'these Chinese tech companies…by Chinese law are required to share their…data with the Communist Party.' Sen. Warner called this a 'huge national security threat.' Sen. Warner added that he personally would not any of his devices, given that the data could end up with the Chinese Communist Party.
On possibly cutting back on import tariffs against China, Sen. Warner said he’s open to that, but that he also thinks 'our biggest long-term economic, strategic and technology challenge in the 21st century is China' under the Communist Party. He added that 'we should not long term be reliant on particularly Chinese products, oftentimes for example rare-earth minerals, we all want to move to electric vehicles, where China controls most of the materials…that go into an electric battery, that is a long-term bad solution for America…We need to secure a domestic , or at least a domestic combined with our allies, supply chain.' Sen. Warner also stressed the importance of passing the CHIPS Act."
This article from Blue Virginia News (a left-leaning website) covers the above with an accompanying 47-minute video of Senator Warner's remarks and Q&A:
A very good letter Heather. As a Census team leader for the 2010 Census, I was gob-smacked when I heard about Trump's attempt to insert a citizenship question into the 2020 Census. In the Census training, it was explained to us we were to count persons: which could include au pairs living in homes, students in off-campus housing, migrant farm workers, and simple visitors who were at a domicile on "Census Day". The information gathered concerns the persons present at a given address on Census Day. In the 2020 Census, Census Day was April 1st. Keeping that in mind, Census workers must work very fast to get the count done. Computers are doing more of the canvasing today, and that trend will certainly continue in the years ahead. If a citizenship question had to be asked, citizenship documents would have to be checked for every person in a household to verify the information, and most ordinary citizens would be hard pressed to show documents proving citizenship status. It would not be permitted to just selectively ask the citizenship question to non-white people. A birth certificate might prove where and when a person was born in the United States, but it would not prove the status of citizen had been continuous. In fact, our 'transactional President' just wanted to scare people away who might have irrational fears about participating in the count. In the field, we had to talk fast often to get people to participate; we had to explain that only the Census Bureau had the right to connect household data with anyone's name. The police were not allowed access to that information either. The canvasser cannot say anything to the police except if she was witness to the commission of a crime in progress. If the canvasser stumbled on an illegal pot growing operation, he was not allowed to report it to law enforcement. We would go so far as to tell reluctant persons that we did not have the right to deny anyone the right to be counted in the Census. Census workers, for their own safety, had to win the confidence of people to get valid information; we had to bend over backward to explain that the applicable law governing the Census since forever did not allow us to spy on people. In the rural community where I worked, there was often open hostility to us because we "worked for the government"; we were given a document with the exact text of the US Constitution that required a decennial census. Trump and his shill Stephen Miller did not care how much damage they were doing to the enormous effort taken every ten years to get reliable data on the US population for planning and districting purposes. Instead of doing the governing work, the "King of Corruption" Tweeted, played golf, had his hair done up, campaigned, and commuted most weekends to Mara Lago with the full contingent of Secret Service in tow, all on the taxpayer's dime. We got what we paid for, a Jerk with a facial suntan and an attitude.
Biden stopped short of formally declaring a climate emergency, which would grant him further powers.
'Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. were joined by seven Democratic legislators in an effort to urge Biden on Wednesday to immediately decare a climate emergency to unlock the powers of the National Emergency Act (NEA) and pursue regulatory and administrative actions to curb emissions.'
“Declaring the climate crisis a national emergency under the NEA would unlock powers to rebuild a better economy with significant, concrete actions,” the senators wrote in the letter. “Under the NEA, you could redirect spending to build out renewable energy systems on military bases, implement large-scale clean transportation solutions and finance distributed energy projects to boost climate resiliency.”
'Biden has vowed to slash U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% by the end of the decade and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. But without major climate legislation, the country is on track to miss the president’s target, according to an analysis by the independent research firm Rhodium Group.'
“A historic climate-emergency declaration is exactly what we need from Biden to match the scale and urgency of this crisis,” said Jean Su, Energy Justice program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “By unlocking crucial climate powers, Biden can put Manchin’s gaslighting behind us and get busy getting us off fossil fuels and building the renewable-energy powerhouse we desperately need.” (cnbc) See link below
I am keeping my eye on the story involving Tony Oronato and Pence on January 6. I have a really bad feeling about him, as a political appointee of the treasonous 45. I hope Biden is doing a big house cleaning of the Secret Services.
Hate to be a contrarian here, but how does making GAS more affordable by releasing reserves and other such silly actions work with the reduction of fossil-fuels and a 'greener' future agenda? I appreciate the short-term political gain, but it seems like double-speak. I understand the regressiveness of lack of cheap gas for those that have to drive to get to work, I do, but if we are serious about this stuff, consider the petroleum we watch go out tail-pipes in NASCAR and other 'motor' sports and the jetting-about that every professional team or individual is responsible for carting their cars or asses all over to 'compete' in sports. Nevermind the gas used to bring a trinket from China to your door via amazon-prime 'free'. And then there is ethanol (i understand the benefit calcs so don't @ me) which made sense only when and if gas is cheap... and then there are the subsidies to the energy producers... Can SOMEONE explain to me why taxpayers continue to subsidize this industry?! Hey, Joe, that is an easy bird to pick off the wire (and if not the POTUS then where is the leadership in the Congress to eliminate it?) but if you focus on the country converting to alternatives you will be met with anger, apathy and/or a lot of laughter. Oh, and: no chance in 2024. Im not suggesting any easy way out or in for Democrats, but the message as is currently being sent is confusing and doesn't do shit to the contra of "burn baby burn." When you are losing the public to the likes of BoBo you really need to re-evaluate your message and get better advisors. On the current tack, the mid-terms are in the hands of the GOP. Get a clue get a message and get it fast.
Fascist Trump, fascist Wilbur Ross, corrupt Goldman Sachs arbitrage, coward Pence, fascist state, fascist population rising, Robert Swan Muller ignored, Wilbur Ross, the USPS, the Secret Service, txt message caper, capitol cops committing suicide, January Six and DOJ.. AG Garland .. Trump will be charged, convicted and jailed. ... and Secret Service top down... will be charged by Chair Benny Thompson ... they said Never Again... examples everywhere, let’s roll America. It’s now or never Adam Schiff... Senators Manchin and Sanders are opposing symptoms... it’s all in plain view. Civil War II threatens... Jews will not replace us .. the signs are everywhere.. a Republic If You Can Keep Itg. Can We? Can We?
"Monday, the secretary-general of the United Nations, António Guterres, warned world leaders gathered at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, where they are gathered to advance multilateral climate negotiations: “Half of humanity is in the danger zone from floods, droughts, extreme storms and wildfires. No nation is immune. Yet we continue to feed our fossil fuel addiction…. What troubles me most is that, in facing this global crisis, we are failing to work together as a multilateral community. Nations continue to play the blame game instead of taking responsibility for our collective future. We cannot continue this way,” he said. “We have a choice. Collective action or collective suicide. It is in our hands.”
I am so grateful the Joe Biden has been our president after the destruction of the previous four years. But. On his tweet today which is a video of his speech regarding climate change, many of the replies were variations of ¨then do something¨. The fist bump with the murderer was such a huge mistake. No matter that he may be thinking of the future and need for the U.S. and other countries to depend upon oil. I've watched Instagram posts and Twitter posts of Pete Buttigieg's conversations with the spreaders of misinformation. He is a voice one listens to. He has composure. He does not let them interrupt. President Biden's posts are beginning to be puffs of air against a firestorm because too many - Republicans and Democrats - are seeing him as being ineffectual. He is all over the country and the world trying to develop plans and put out fires, but is hamstrung by the minority party. The energy for a better future rests in the hands of the Committee. Also for those brave Republicans who believed in our democracy when counting votes. We need to all begin to take action at local level governments and state level governments which the Repubs have been doing for these past years. It may be too late in many states. Joe Biden won by more than 8 million votes. This means that there are more ethical, caring Americans than those on the far right. Some here keep talking about Progressive, and many Progressives didn't vote out of spite. Now is not the time to go to extremes. Now is the time to bring as many as possible to the middle - left and right - to create a swell of voices which will save our country.
It appears that fighting climate change, fossil fuel addictions, the GOP Senators, Manchin and authoritarian bullies like Trump & friends all go hand in hand. We found a way to ban fracking here in MD against a powerful Gas & Oil Industry who was aided by a corrupt democrat in a position to stall legislation...she no longer is a senator...Jamie Raskin was part of making the ban happen. I'm glad he is where he is right now. We need Senate seats, Manchin be damned...and to retain the House. Mid Terms are EVERYTHING.
I don't understand why red state senators and representatives who are representing prime solar industry locations like those from Arizona and Texas aren't all over the growth and expansion and jobs that are implicit in getting behind alternative energy solutions. Why not jump on board?
[1] Does anyone else remember the behavior of the Secret Service in the first couple years of the Obama administration? That the racist white boyz working the presidential detail were sending racist text messages to each other and some even clearly were being dilatory about protecting the president? That it was clear that the Secret Service had a real problem with the idea of protecting a Black man from being assassinated? If folks think that the tendencies of the Secret Service toward white supremacy, misogyny, homophobia, and autocracy are of recent vintage, I think you should reconsider that notion.
[2] I listened to all the rhetoric around Biden's speech in Massachusetts that came out of the White House both before and after his visit and it was clear that any "executive" orders short of declaring a climate emergency are utterly toothless. Moreover, the administration rep, Gina McCarthy, interviewed yesterday morning on NPR did not help him because she clearly decided to stick to a script that had nothing to do with the questions--good questions, I might add--being asked by Rachel Martin.
Do I blame the Rethuglicans every damn day for their despicable policies and fascistic tendencies? Yes, of course I do. But what has changed in 40 years among the Ghastly Oligarchs? Almost nothing. And yet Dems persist in thinking they can use the same old tired anemic strategies and get a different result. So the juggernaut can plow right over them. I think Biden is doing a good job with what he's got to work with, and with his own limitations in the sense of his persistence in fantasizing about some kind of bipartisanship that never existed in the first place (especially when the Ghastly Ones controlled Congress). But I am really tired of the Dems wringing their collective hands and saying woe is me every time the press highlights that the Fascists have a much more united front.
I don’t understand why President Biden’s approval ratings are low. I guess I blame main stream media. He has done amazing things considering the mess he inherited. I think he’s been one of the best presidents in my lifetime.
"So, too, has the insistence of Republican senators, as well as Democratic senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, that short-term economic interests outweigh the imperatives of climate change. Days ago, Manchin said he would not support new investment in clean energy out of concern over inflation. Without him, the Democrats' plans for addressing climate change through legislation can't move forward, since no Republicans are on board. "--Thank you for this phrasing. I, too, am furious at Manchin, but when all the anger is directed just at him, it lets the entire Republican party off the hook for their unwillingness to do anything at all to address climate change. It is the GOP plus Manchin, not just Manchin!
Thank God that Joe Biden is ready to use the power of the presidency to act on climate change. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it demonstrates resolve and changes the narrative from attempting to rely on a congressional majority that is too fragile to act with decisiveness. Manchin chooses to see federal expenditure only in the context of budget and deficit. Some expenditures do not yield a return on investment to the government itself; but infrastructure expenditures, investment in new technology, development of existing but as yet not widely distributed technology and dollars put into the hands of individuals who will in turn inject them immediately into the economy are not wasted. Growth includes growth in the tax base. One time expenditures can yield multiple years of tax related returns. I think the near-term value of more activism in the use of presidential declarations, tailoring use of already allotted funds is the projection of an image of power, decisiveness and courage, shining a spotlight on the ineptitude and entrenchment of congress on both sides of the isle. Biden's instincts borne of 40 years in the Senate have caused him to wait patiently far longer than someone without his background. Certainly, a congress dedicated to addressing these urgent issues would be a better means of doing so, writing law instead of finding work-arounds. However, one uses the tools at ones disposal and I, for one, am pleased to see the president choosing to use every tool at his disposal to create action. This is the kind of action that can change predicted outcomes in the mid-terms as well. Strong president, improving poll numbers, trickle down effect to congressional and senate races will be welcome changes from the recent narrative in the press.
In the welter of so many pieces of dismaying news, Professor HCR’s inclusion of the Dept of Commerce v New York decision stands out as an example of the methodical, long-term planning that is going into making the US a dystopia of Republican-wet-dream minority rule through overt, unapologetic interference in the Constitutionally prescribed Census. Roberts cobbled the majority opinion, but that foul carbuncle Thomas’ dissent (predictably joined by Kavanaugh and Gorsuch) sends up a lot of five alarm trial balloons of legal avenues to explore to tamper with 2030’s census, and Alito’s separate dissent breaks ground on other legal antidemocratic angles to try to establish as precedent before the next decade’s count. The decisions show an astounding attempt to instruct and shape future plots to warp our very simple national manner of ensuring fairer representation for all people in the US; their potential impact must be recognized, then thwarted vigorously. Anti-authoritarians in and out of government need to start playing as hard and smart as these long-term strategists have been doing since the late 1970s.
Americans have had the opportunity, science, technology, engineering and financial strength, ever increasing since the end of WWII to make ourselves energy independent with sustainable, regenerative, clean green energy.
FDR supported a tidal hydro power plant near Eastport, ME that would have contributed significant power to northern Maine. Congress refused to fund it.
In the 1970s with the Saudi oil embargo, Federal & state energy councils, HUD, conservation departments, architects and engineers published energy conservation, passive and active solar energy design solutions. Some of these ideas dated back to WWII when petroleum was not always guaranteed in unlimited quantities for domestic or military needs.
The fossil fuel industry managed to promote plenty of cheap fossil fuels to discourage these conservation and green energy solutions. Automotive companies had quickly designed and produced 50+ mpg cars that were popular c for a few years and then were gone. Unavailable for consumers.
Every rural farmer, homeowner and small business could be generating their own energy, effectively off the grid or with some grid support. We have the total systems technology from electric heat pumps, LED lighting, electric cars and appliances, and many battery operated tools. Many islanders in Maine are fully electrified. We have had solar on our islands for ten years, only turning on a gasoline generator to run larger construction tools. The quiet is only interrupted by 1,000 hp diesel powered lobster boats that have potential to be replaced by hybrid electric & hydrogen powered engines. Toyota is testing hydrogen tractor trailer trucks. We are way behind though in implementing what we are capable of.
Morning, all!! Morning, Dr. R!!
1. So here's the latest re USPS' efforts to electrify. 40% of e-vehicles will now be purchased, up from 10%. According to Common Dreams, this is a direct result of all of us putting pressure on the No Joy postmaster. For the past couple of years, I had been hand-writing "Save the USPS!" on all my mail. When I heard that the USPS was "saved," I edited my message to say "Electrify the USPS!" I think this is helping!
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/07/20/public-pressure-works-postal-service-boost-electric-vehicle-purchases-after-backlash?utm_source=daily_newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter
2. Merrick Garland Speaks! (3 minutes) https://twitter.com/MeidasTouch/status/1549858277458006016?s=20&t=aDcYbqibNaE-kJY0cDOsVg
3. Senator Mark Warner of VA is Chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence. He's a cyber security guy, and IMO he's really good at it. I will post the article for you to read for yourselves, but here are some take-aways that I think warrant our nation's attention.
"On the 'security conditions around the website TikTok,' Sen. Warner said this is somewhat of an 'I told you so' situation, that TikTok is 'a company that is controlled by a Chinese parent,' and that 'these Chinese tech companies…by Chinese law are required to share their…data with the Communist Party.' Sen. Warner called this a 'huge national security threat.' Sen. Warner added that he personally would not any of his devices, given that the data could end up with the Chinese Communist Party.
On possibly cutting back on import tariffs against China, Sen. Warner said he’s open to that, but that he also thinks 'our biggest long-term economic, strategic and technology challenge in the 21st century is China' under the Communist Party. He added that 'we should not long term be reliant on particularly Chinese products, oftentimes for example rare-earth minerals, we all want to move to electric vehicles, where China controls most of the materials…that go into an electric battery, that is a long-term bad solution for America…We need to secure a domestic , or at least a domestic combined with our allies, supply chain.' Sen. Warner also stressed the importance of passing the CHIPS Act."
https://www.csis.org/blogs/perspectives-innovation/chips-america-act-why-it-necessary-and-what-it-does
This article from Blue Virginia News (a left-leaning website) covers the above with an accompanying 47-minute video of Senator Warner's remarks and Q&A:
https://bluevirginia.us/2022/07/video-sen-mark-warner-comments-on-tragedy-thats-taken-place-down-in-buchanan-county-i-told-you-so-regarding-tiktok-freedom-to-travel-act-inflation-etc?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
A very good letter Heather. As a Census team leader for the 2010 Census, I was gob-smacked when I heard about Trump's attempt to insert a citizenship question into the 2020 Census. In the Census training, it was explained to us we were to count persons: which could include au pairs living in homes, students in off-campus housing, migrant farm workers, and simple visitors who were at a domicile on "Census Day". The information gathered concerns the persons present at a given address on Census Day. In the 2020 Census, Census Day was April 1st. Keeping that in mind, Census workers must work very fast to get the count done. Computers are doing more of the canvasing today, and that trend will certainly continue in the years ahead. If a citizenship question had to be asked, citizenship documents would have to be checked for every person in a household to verify the information, and most ordinary citizens would be hard pressed to show documents proving citizenship status. It would not be permitted to just selectively ask the citizenship question to non-white people. A birth certificate might prove where and when a person was born in the United States, but it would not prove the status of citizen had been continuous. In fact, our 'transactional President' just wanted to scare people away who might have irrational fears about participating in the count. In the field, we had to talk fast often to get people to participate; we had to explain that only the Census Bureau had the right to connect household data with anyone's name. The police were not allowed access to that information either. The canvasser cannot say anything to the police except if she was witness to the commission of a crime in progress. If the canvasser stumbled on an illegal pot growing operation, he was not allowed to report it to law enforcement. We would go so far as to tell reluctant persons that we did not have the right to deny anyone the right to be counted in the Census. Census workers, for their own safety, had to win the confidence of people to get valid information; we had to bend over backward to explain that the applicable law governing the Census since forever did not allow us to spy on people. In the rural community where I worked, there was often open hostility to us because we "worked for the government"; we were given a document with the exact text of the US Constitution that required a decennial census. Trump and his shill Stephen Miller did not care how much damage they were doing to the enormous effort taken every ten years to get reliable data on the US population for planning and districting purposes. Instead of doing the governing work, the "King of Corruption" Tweeted, played golf, had his hair done up, campaigned, and commuted most weekends to Mara Lago with the full contingent of Secret Service in tow, all on the taxpayer's dime. We got what we paid for, a Jerk with a facial suntan and an attitude.
Biden stopped short of formally declaring a climate emergency, which would grant him further powers.
'Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. were joined by seven Democratic legislators in an effort to urge Biden on Wednesday to immediately decare a climate emergency to unlock the powers of the National Emergency Act (NEA) and pursue regulatory and administrative actions to curb emissions.'
“Declaring the climate crisis a national emergency under the NEA would unlock powers to rebuild a better economy with significant, concrete actions,” the senators wrote in the letter. “Under the NEA, you could redirect spending to build out renewable energy systems on military bases, implement large-scale clean transportation solutions and finance distributed energy projects to boost climate resiliency.”
'Biden has vowed to slash U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50% to 52% by the end of the decade and reach net-zero emissions by 2050. But without major climate legislation, the country is on track to miss the president’s target, according to an analysis by the independent research firm Rhodium Group.'
“A historic climate-emergency declaration is exactly what we need from Biden to match the scale and urgency of this crisis,” said Jean Su, Energy Justice program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “By unlocking crucial climate powers, Biden can put Manchin’s gaslighting behind us and get busy getting us off fossil fuels and building the renewable-energy powerhouse we desperately need.” (cnbc) See link below
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/07/20/biden-announces-new-climate-change-programs-no-emergency-declaration.html
I am keeping my eye on the story involving Tony Oronato and Pence on January 6. I have a really bad feeling about him, as a political appointee of the treasonous 45. I hope Biden is doing a big house cleaning of the Secret Services.
Hate to be a contrarian here, but how does making GAS more affordable by releasing reserves and other such silly actions work with the reduction of fossil-fuels and a 'greener' future agenda? I appreciate the short-term political gain, but it seems like double-speak. I understand the regressiveness of lack of cheap gas for those that have to drive to get to work, I do, but if we are serious about this stuff, consider the petroleum we watch go out tail-pipes in NASCAR and other 'motor' sports and the jetting-about that every professional team or individual is responsible for carting their cars or asses all over to 'compete' in sports. Nevermind the gas used to bring a trinket from China to your door via amazon-prime 'free'. And then there is ethanol (i understand the benefit calcs so don't @ me) which made sense only when and if gas is cheap... and then there are the subsidies to the energy producers... Can SOMEONE explain to me why taxpayers continue to subsidize this industry?! Hey, Joe, that is an easy bird to pick off the wire (and if not the POTUS then where is the leadership in the Congress to eliminate it?) but if you focus on the country converting to alternatives you will be met with anger, apathy and/or a lot of laughter. Oh, and: no chance in 2024. Im not suggesting any easy way out or in for Democrats, but the message as is currently being sent is confusing and doesn't do shit to the contra of "burn baby burn." When you are losing the public to the likes of BoBo you really need to re-evaluate your message and get better advisors. On the current tack, the mid-terms are in the hands of the GOP. Get a clue get a message and get it fast.
Fascist Trump, fascist Wilbur Ross, corrupt Goldman Sachs arbitrage, coward Pence, fascist state, fascist population rising, Robert Swan Muller ignored, Wilbur Ross, the USPS, the Secret Service, txt message caper, capitol cops committing suicide, January Six and DOJ.. AG Garland .. Trump will be charged, convicted and jailed. ... and Secret Service top down... will be charged by Chair Benny Thompson ... they said Never Again... examples everywhere, let’s roll America. It’s now or never Adam Schiff... Senators Manchin and Sanders are opposing symptoms... it’s all in plain view. Civil War II threatens... Jews will not replace us .. the signs are everywhere.. a Republic If You Can Keep Itg. Can We? Can We?
"Monday, the secretary-general of the United Nations, António Guterres, warned world leaders gathered at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, where they are gathered to advance multilateral climate negotiations: “Half of humanity is in the danger zone from floods, droughts, extreme storms and wildfires. No nation is immune. Yet we continue to feed our fossil fuel addiction…. What troubles me most is that, in facing this global crisis, we are failing to work together as a multilateral community. Nations continue to play the blame game instead of taking responsibility for our collective future. We cannot continue this way,” he said. “We have a choice. Collective action or collective suicide. It is in our hands.”
FINALLY, some leadership. Thank you professor.
I am so grateful the Joe Biden has been our president after the destruction of the previous four years. But. On his tweet today which is a video of his speech regarding climate change, many of the replies were variations of ¨then do something¨. The fist bump with the murderer was such a huge mistake. No matter that he may be thinking of the future and need for the U.S. and other countries to depend upon oil. I've watched Instagram posts and Twitter posts of Pete Buttigieg's conversations with the spreaders of misinformation. He is a voice one listens to. He has composure. He does not let them interrupt. President Biden's posts are beginning to be puffs of air against a firestorm because too many - Republicans and Democrats - are seeing him as being ineffectual. He is all over the country and the world trying to develop plans and put out fires, but is hamstrung by the minority party. The energy for a better future rests in the hands of the Committee. Also for those brave Republicans who believed in our democracy when counting votes. We need to all begin to take action at local level governments and state level governments which the Repubs have been doing for these past years. It may be too late in many states. Joe Biden won by more than 8 million votes. This means that there are more ethical, caring Americans than those on the far right. Some here keep talking about Progressive, and many Progressives didn't vote out of spite. Now is not the time to go to extremes. Now is the time to bring as many as possible to the middle - left and right - to create a swell of voices which will save our country.
It appears that fighting climate change, fossil fuel addictions, the GOP Senators, Manchin and authoritarian bullies like Trump & friends all go hand in hand. We found a way to ban fracking here in MD against a powerful Gas & Oil Industry who was aided by a corrupt democrat in a position to stall legislation...she no longer is a senator...Jamie Raskin was part of making the ban happen. I'm glad he is where he is right now. We need Senate seats, Manchin be damned...and to retain the House. Mid Terms are EVERYTHING.
I don't understand why red state senators and representatives who are representing prime solar industry locations like those from Arizona and Texas aren't all over the growth and expansion and jobs that are implicit in getting behind alternative energy solutions. Why not jump on board?
Two thoughts:
[1] Does anyone else remember the behavior of the Secret Service in the first couple years of the Obama administration? That the racist white boyz working the presidential detail were sending racist text messages to each other and some even clearly were being dilatory about protecting the president? That it was clear that the Secret Service had a real problem with the idea of protecting a Black man from being assassinated? If folks think that the tendencies of the Secret Service toward white supremacy, misogyny, homophobia, and autocracy are of recent vintage, I think you should reconsider that notion.
[2] I listened to all the rhetoric around Biden's speech in Massachusetts that came out of the White House both before and after his visit and it was clear that any "executive" orders short of declaring a climate emergency are utterly toothless. Moreover, the administration rep, Gina McCarthy, interviewed yesterday morning on NPR did not help him because she clearly decided to stick to a script that had nothing to do with the questions--good questions, I might add--being asked by Rachel Martin.
Do I blame the Rethuglicans every damn day for their despicable policies and fascistic tendencies? Yes, of course I do. But what has changed in 40 years among the Ghastly Oligarchs? Almost nothing. And yet Dems persist in thinking they can use the same old tired anemic strategies and get a different result. So the juggernaut can plow right over them. I think Biden is doing a good job with what he's got to work with, and with his own limitations in the sense of his persistence in fantasizing about some kind of bipartisanship that never existed in the first place (especially when the Ghastly Ones controlled Congress). But I am really tired of the Dems wringing their collective hands and saying woe is me every time the press highlights that the Fascists have a much more united front.