Okay, I'll do one more piece for now on the political angle...then I'll get back to science.
According to Kate Shepard on Gristmill, Global warming is responsible for, among other things, "rampant kitty sex."
That's right.
"Climate change is expanding the kitty mating season and creating -- you guessed it -- more baby kitties.According to the group Pets Across America, there was a 30 percent increase [PDF] in the number of cats and kittens coming into some of their shelters from 2005 to 2006, while the organization saw a 7 percent increase overall. Other shelters across the country have noted a similar increase. "
The G8 Summit- Blog Reactions
Greenpeace "In the end, the divisions got papered over with rhetoric."
In other news, something we should all take to heart:
"the smart stuff is being drowned out by a fierce, bullying, often witless tone of intolerance that has overtaken the left-wing sector of the blogosphere. Anyone who doesn't move in lockstep with the most extreme voices is savaged and ridiculed—especially people like me who often agree with the liberal position but sometimes disagree and are therefore considered traitorously unreliable. Some of this is understandable: the left-liberals in the blogosphere are merely aping the odious, disdainful—and politically successful—tone that right-wing radio talk-show hosts like Rush Limbaugh pioneered"
I love Stephen Colbert.
Here's a fun link:
The candidates' Positions on Global Warming,
hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations
But first, let's get this out of the way. Cosponsors for the Sanders-Boxer Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act (S. 309): Cosponsors
And the lineup of snake-oil salesmen, charlatans and possibly an honest person or two....
Democratic Contenders
- Joe Biden - wants to reduce GHG to 1990 levels by 2020. Cosponsor of the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act.
- Hillary Clinton -cut carbon emissions by 30 percent from 2000 to 2050 with a system of tradable allowances. Co-sponsoring the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act.
- Chris Dodd - wants to reduce GHG to 1990 levels by 2020. cosponsored the Clean Power Act of 2005, which would implement a cap-and-trade system. Cosponsor of the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act. New coal plants must capture and store carbon emissions.
- John Edwards - Cap to reduce emissions by 80% by 2050. The League of Conservation Voters has called Edwards' plan...."the most comprehensive global warming plan of any presidential candidate to date." (source: http://www.cfr.org/publication/13392/)
- Mike Gravel: Has called for a carbon tax. He is in favor of "A national public works program to rewire the country towards new energy technologies would create tens of thousands of new American jobs"
- Dennis J. Kucinich: A leading voice in calling for a halt to global warming. "In 2004, Kucinich was the ONLY member of Congress to attend the Conference of Parties (COP 10) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Argentina."¹ Kucinich cosponsored the Clean Smokestacks Act in 2005, which would reduce pollutant emissions, including carbon dioxide, from power plants. The act hasn't passed yet.
- Barack Obama: Trying to get it done in an economically feasible way, calling for a "Climate Change Credit Corporation" to encourage the Greening of industry. Co-sponsoring the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act along with the above list.. Also co-sponsoring SB. 280: "A bill to provide for a program to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions," sponsored by CT Senator Joe Lieberman. You can see the text of that bill HERE
- Bill Richardson: Has entered into a 5 state agreement called the Western Regional Climate Action Initiative² that follows the Kyoto Treaty. Former secretary of Energy.
Republican Contenders
- Sam Brownback - Not in favor of cap and trade because he feels it would harm the economy. Tried to get carbon sequestration programs started, and proposed an act which would reward farmers for conserving production of soil carbon. Unsuccessful on both counts. He's been dormant on the issue since 2001, apparently.
- John H. Cox. Does not believe in anthropogenic causes of Global Warming. Says on his campaign website: "We are too dependent on expensive fossil fuels. I support alternative fuels and domestic drilling. Free market incentives and sensible regulation can address the problem of pollution. I oppose the Kyoto Treaty, which would devastate the U.S. economy" He does not use the phrase"Global Warming" anywhere on his site.
- Rudy Giuliani: says "The overwhelming number of scientists now believe that there is significant human cause,'' adding, "we should be dealing with pollution anyway.'' Source HERE. Rudy Supports liquid coal
- Mike Huckabee: First of all, this dude wants to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. This is NOT a step away from oil consumption. So he contradicts himself (that means he's a LIAR) when he says "We ought to be moving rapidly towards energy sources that don’t have a greenhouse gas effect. Aggressively set the goal that within a ten year period, we should move a way from a fossil fuel culture to one that has alternative energy resources." Very bad sign: "When you talk about boosting domestic production of oil, are you talking about opening up ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge)? I think we should, yes. I’ve been to ANWR, and seen it first hand. First of all, when you look at the vastness of the region, and the limited space where drilling would occur, it’s hard to understand why it’s become a hot issue with so many people." (Source: The Denver Post online Friday, March 9, 2007)
- John McCain: Read about McCain's Lonely War on Global Warming McCain...held hearings in the Commerce Committee on global warming. Real hearings, with real scientists. And then, last fall, he managed to force the first real Senate vote on actually doing something about the largest environmental peril our species has yet faced. The bill he drafted with Senator Joe Lieberman was modest to a fault, and it lost 55-43, but at least, 15 years after the issue first surfaced in the public consciousness, there'd been a vote."
- Ron Paul - we don't know. checking.
- Mitt Romney - Introduced Climate Protection Act 2004 (but what has he been doing the past 3 years?). Refused to enter into the Regional Greehouse Gas Initiative pact with other Northeastern States. The present Governor of Massachusetts has kept his campaign pledge and signed on. Romney says it didn't provide for price controls. Won't say if he thinks humans caused Global Warming. Mitt Supports liquid coal
- Tommy Thompson - Says it is critical to act but hasn't been specific as to how. Vague, on his campaign page: His campaign website says "Thompson wants more meaningful investments in ethanol and other alternative energy sources, providing greater incentives for industry ....America also must aggressively take on global warming – a goal that can be accomplished in a manner that doesn’t provide false choices between environmental stewardship and economic progress."
Now, if you want to see the whole thing set out in front of you in a sort of spreadsheet/column-type layout, you can click HERE. You can download a .pdf page by clicking HERE
¹http://www.cfr.org/publication/13392
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