Friday, May 22, 2009

Waxman-Mackey Climate Bill Passes Committee!

This is the first piece of legislation I've followed closely and thanks so some diligent folks on Twitter (#climatebill) I was able to see each amendment get voted on. Wow! This is going to continue to be a hugely contested bill and but is definitely a step in the right direction.

Steven Pearlstein at the Washington Post summed it up the best:

The Waxman-Markey bill may be the best bill that the political system can produce, and surely it is far preferable to doing nothing. But now that we know what a climate-change bill looks like when it is jury-rigged to accommodate all the special interests, maybe Americans will be willing to reconsider one of the cleaner, simpler approaches -- a carbon tax with all the revenue rebated to households, for example, or a cap-and-trade system that generates enough revenue to erase the national debt, or even a tough new regulatory regime requiring businesses to produce more fuel-efficient cars, buildings and appliances.

It's not too late to change our minds.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Trash Free Anacostia!


The vote for B18-150, the Anacostia River Cleanup and Protection Act of 2009 is coming up quickly! Clean Water Action has made it very easy to contact the DC City Council and urge them to pass this legislation! Just follow the link and add any additional comments you'd like to send!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Monsanto: Corrupting 4-H'ers?

I had many good years in the 4-H organization, so I'm going to hate being the bearer of unhappy tiding. This just came up on the Facebook story links and I wish I knew this was coming so close; I'd love to be there to ask the "tough" questions.
Maryland 4-H Members Inspired by Monsanto Mobile Technology Unit

On April 7, 26 Montgomery County, MD; 4-H members and volunteers were invited to tour Monsanto's Mobile Technology Unit (MTU) on a one-day stop in Washington, D.C. Monsanto and the USDA partnered to provide this educational tour of the Monsanto MTU, a unique showcase of agricultural science and innovation for invited VIP's and legislators and local 4-H and FFA members.

Representing Maryland were members of three Montgomery County 4-H groups: the Lucky Clovers 4-H Club, the Back in Time 4-H Ag Science group, and the Horticulture Project group of the Damascus Community 4-H Club.
The Mobile Technology Unit is a 53-foot long, 1,000 square-foot interactive display featuring Monsanto's latest advances in seed breeding, biotechnology, and new product development designed to help farmers be successful. For the 4-H members, it opened their eyes to career possibilities in bio-research. This one-of-a-kind, hands-on exhibit highlights how:
  • Monsanto seed breeders are using "exotic" seed germplasm from around the world to develop new, high-performing crops for U.S. farmers.
  • Advanced new biotech genes are being developed that not only provide improved weed and insect control, but also improved stress tolerance, healthier food oils and stronger yields.
  • Enhanced molecular breeding tools can greatly increase the chances of finding an ideal combination of "high-yield" genes - one in five, compared to two in one trillion using conventional breeding.
This just scared me when I read this. I just I'll have to be one to tell them the other side of the story.

Hubble Slide show



Ok, so I'm a bit of a space geek. I even in Ohio's Space Scientists of Tomorrow program back in the 90's. So it's no wonder that I just love that NASA decided to upgrade the Hubble telescope one last time.

Check out CNN for greatest hits slide show of some of the amazing pictures Hubble has taken!

Great Blog on Everything Water

I just love finding new blogs and websites committed to saving the planet! Here's a great one I found today:








Blue Living Ideas is the ultimate Web resource for information, tips, news, and events related to Earth’s most precious resource — Water. Planet Earth and human beings alike are comprised of over 70% water, and issues such as the availability of adequate supplies of drinking water for Earth’s inhabitants, water pollution, droughts, and marine life protection are among today’s most critical environmental and humanitarian concerns.

About the Author:
Sean Daily is the co-founder and Editor-In-Chief of Green Living Ideas and its sister site Blue Living Ideas, as well as being the host of our popular GreenTalk Radio podcast. He is a San Francisco Bay Area entrepreneur and internationally-recognized expert on technology publishing and enterprise information technologies.

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