Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been A Climate Change Scientist?

Ken AshfordEnergy and Conservation, Environment & Global Warming & Energy, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Now we’re into the naming names phase.  The Washington Post reports: Global warming — “it’s a hoax.” Donald Trump has said that more than once. So it’s understandable that the request by the president-elect’s transition team for the names of individual Energy Department employees and contractors who worked on the issue makes them worry that the trick could be on … Read More

Trump’s EPA Pick Is A “Fuck You” To Environmentalists (And The Planet)

Ken AshfordEnvironment & Global Warming & Energy, Trump & AdministrationLeave a Comment

Today Trump announced his pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Would it surprise you to learn that he’s a far right climate change denier in the pocket of the fossil fuel industries? Scott Pruitt, a Republican, has been a key architect of the legal battle against Mr. Obama’s climate change policies, actions that fit with the president-elect’s comments during … Read More

A Win Against The Pipeline

Ken AshfordEnvironment & Global Warming & Energy, Immigration and Xenophobia, RaceLeave a Comment

In a rare win for progressives, the Secretary of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reportedly told Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Archambault that the current route for the Dakota Access pipeline will be denied. According to MSNBC, the Corps of Engineers will conduct an environmental study to see how the pipeline can be rerouted to lessen any potential environmental impact. … Read More

Action/Reaction

Ken AshfordEnvironment & Global Warming & EnergyLeave a Comment

If we are to get through the next four years, we need to see more of this: (1) An article in Breitbart: .@BreitbartNews: Global Temperatures Plunge. Icy Silence from Climate Alarmists https://t.co/uLUPW4o93V — Sci,Space,&Tech Cmte (@HouseScience) December 1, 2016 A response from the source: Haha https://t.co/EPS7BDFtSc pic.twitter.com/gshDN61yBi — Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) December 6, 2016

Activist Supreme Court Rules On Climate Change

Ken AshfordConstitution, Environment & Global Warming & Energy, Obama Opposition, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

Crazy: In a major setback for President Obama’s climate change agenda, the Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily blocked the administration’s effort to combat global warming by regulating emissions from coal-fired power plants. The brief order was not the last word on the case, which is most likely to return to the Supreme Court after an appeals court considers an expedited … Read More

How Flint Happened

Ken AshfordInfrastructureLeave a Comment

It’s long and wonky, but Nate Silver’s 538 site looks at the Flint lead problem from a statistical standpoint.  Good stuff.  Some snippets: Officials at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the agency in charge of making sure water is safe in the state, made a series of decisions that had disastrous consequences: Against federal guidelines, they chose not to … Read More

Flint Water – What’s Up With That?

Ken AshfordInfrastructureLeave a Comment

The Flint water story has been around for a few weeks, but it really hit national attention (finally) when Hillary Clinton raised in the Democratic debate last weekend. Here’s a backgrounder. The first thing to keep in mind is that Flint, Michigan is no longer the thriving city it once was.  As Michael Moore documented in “Roger and Me”, Flint … Read More

But But But It’s 20 Degrees And Snow Is In The Forecast So How…

Ken AshfordEnvironment & Global Warming & EnergyLeave a Comment

Welp, last year was the hottest year on record since they started keeping records: Scientists reported Wednesday that 2015 was the hottest year in recorded history by far, breaking a record set only the year before — a burst of heat that has continued into the new year and is roiling weather patterns all over the world. In the continental … Read More

But Global Warming Is A Myth

Ken AshfordEnvironment & Global Warming & EnergyLeave a Comment

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), last month (July) was the hottest month in the recorded history of Earth.  And we’re on track to be the hottest year in the recorded history of Earth, beating out the previous champion: last year. Below a heat map for last July, compared to the average of 1951-1980 years.  A lot … Read More

Lion Poaching Epidemic

Ken AshfordEnergy and Conservation, Environment & Global Warming & EnergyLeave a Comment

The madness continues: Cecil the lion’s brother Jericho has been shot dead by poachers in Zimbabwe, park officials have claimed. The beloved animal was protecting Cecil’s lion cubs after he was killed by Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer earlier this month, sparking outrage around the world. Where is that dentist guy? UPDATE: Conflicting information is emerging regarding the reported death of … Read More

SCOTUS Round-up: Three More Five-To-Four Decisions Today

Ken AshfordConstitution, Courts/Law, Crime, Energy and Conservation, Supreme Court, Voter Suppression & Voter Security, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

Today is the last day of the SCOTUS term, and so they issued the last of their opinions.  The two biggest cases — on Obamacare and sames-sex marriage — came out at the end of last week, so a lot fewer people were paying attention this morning.  Here’s what happened: (1)  DEATH PENALTY – The 5-4 decision in Glossip v. … Read More

The Pope Goes Severe Against Climate Deniers

Ken AshfordEnvironment & Global Warming & Energy, GodstuffLeave a Comment

Pope Francis this week is going to come out for changes in lifestyles and energy consumption to avert the “unprecedented destruction of the ecosystem” before the end of this century, He will warn that failure to act would have “grave consequences for all of us.” Pretty severe verbiage.  It all comes from a draft document leaked to the Italian press and … Read More