http://thenewstalkers.com/que Mon, 09 Nov 2026 15:15:04 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/1482/has-global-warming-made-hurricane-damage-worse http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/1482
 
Hurricanes are the most violent and destructive storms in nature. There’s a smaller, yet potentially destructive, storm raging between climate scientists and climate skeptics about the nature of hurricanes. The scientific evidence points to the fact that global warming  causes hurricanes to be more intense. Skeptics would like to convince everyone that global warming has not made any change in hurricanes, so there is no need to address global warming. Skeptics do have a point or two, but not many. Skeptics want absolute proof from the scientists, but science doesn’t work that way. The changes caused by a warming world have changed the  probability of the occurrence  of extreme weather events, and skeptics apparently don’t want to consider probabilities.
 
Skeptics say that the number of hurricanes in the Southern Atlantic is not increasing, and they’re probably right on that. Hurricanes begin as tropical storms, which occur at random depending on the weather conditions. Skeptics also say that the increasing economic damages done by hurricane is because of the increased construction along the coasts. That is partly right, but it is also right that the damage done by storm surges has increased because of increased sea level rise, which is a measurable consequence of global warming. Those who listen to the skeptics, and unwisely build in floodplains, are sure to experience more damage from storm surges.
 
Global warming has made the oceans much warmer, even later into the year. The water temperature must be above 82°F for a tropical storm to grow into a hurricane, and the warmer the ocean the more likely it is that the a hurricane, once formed,  will intensify. Hurricanes are much like a heat engine, they are driven by the warm air rising from the oceans much like a chimney effect. The greater the temperature difference between the ocean and the upper atmosphere, the faster the flow upward and the greater the wind speeds.
 
If you could slice into a hurricane, it would look something like the diagram below. It has a low pressure eye at the center, and the air drawn into it rises and circulates counterclockwise around the low pressure area, faster and faster as it nears the eye. The small red arrows show warm, moist air rising from the ocean, and forming bands of clouds around the eye. As the warm moist air produces rain, more heat is released, warming the air further and causing it to rise faster until it reaches the top of the storm. Reaching there, it has become cooler and dryer. The blue arrows show how the cool, dry air then sinks in the eye and between the bands of clouds. Remember that the bands of clouds are rotating very quickly, and the large red arrow show the rotation of the rising bands of clouds.

.                                                                                                                                                      Credit:  Kelvinsong
A hurricane is much like a heat engine. It is driven by the energy from the warm oceans and the cold temperature of the atmosphere above the storm. Because of global warming, that temperature difference is greater. The upper atmosphere receives its energy from the earth below. The increasing carbon dioxide between acts as a blanket, which causes the oceans to be warmer and the upper atmosphere to be colder. As in all heat engines, the greater the temperature difference, the more power the engine has. As a hurricane passes, it leaves the oceans cooler behind it as it sucks energy from the ocean. Because of global warming, the warmth goes deeper there is a greater area of warm water,  both factors which provide more heat to the hurricane and cause it to increase in size and intensify. The vapor pressure of water increases exponentially with temperature. In our warmer world, there is now 10 to 15% more water vapor in the rain bands moving around the hurricane.
 
When hurricane Harvey made landfall over Houston, it could be expected that Houston would receive increased rainfall. But by chance, Harvey stalled  over Houston and continued to pull warm moist air in from the Gulf, dumping over 50 inches of rain. Sea level rise has been measured to be several inches along the Gulf Coast. The extreme rainfall coupled with the sea level rise increased the storm surge and flooded much of the lower areas of Houston. The storm’s stalling was a chance event, and the skeptics are right when they say it should not have happened, but it did. Considering the storm’s intensity, the wind damage, the sea level rise, and the extreme rainfall, climate scientists attribute about 30% of the damage in Houston to global warming.
 
Below is a satellite image of hurricane Irma on the right, compared in size to the smaller hurricane Andrew which struck Florida in 1992, killing 65 people, destroying 65,000 home, and doing $26 billion in damages. Andrew was the  the most destructive hurricane to hit Florida ever before, and Irma could have been much worse.    


 
Florida was extremely lucky that hurricane Irma, wider than the whole Peninsula, went up the western side of the Peninsula. The western side of the  Peninsula experienced very little storm surge. The winds on the leading edge of the Irma, circulating counterclockwise, blew the ocean water away from shore, leaving the ocean dry for several hundred yards out as it passed. The storm was so weakened that by the time the back of the storm made landfall, directing the water toward shore, that the storm surge was only a few feet. Had Irma gone up the east side of Florida, the storm surge at the leading edge of the hurricane could have been as much as 15 feet, completely inundating much of Miami.
 
There you have it. Global warming has increased the temperatures of the oceans and has increased the temperature difference between the oceans and the upper atmosphere, both factors which tend to make the hurricanes more intense. The warmer oceans put more moisture into the air, making the rainfall from the hurricanes greater, and sea level rise has increased the height of the destructive storm surges. This fall, there were five intense hurricanes which formed in the Southern Atlantic, all of them making landfall and doing extensive damage. That could just be a chance occurrence, as the skeptics claim, but it has never happened before.
 
(c) 2017 –  J.C. Moore

]]> Mon, 01 Jan 2018 20:17:06 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/1037/winners-of-the-2016-hall-of-fame-and-hall-of-shame-awards http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/1037
 





environment
china
global-warming
president-obama
governor-scott-walker
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the-standing-rock-sioux
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     Thanks  to those of you who submitted nominations and who voted.  The four top candidates in each category were selected from the nominees and the poll was  conducted on three internet sites and Facebook. This year’s winners won by landslides.
Here are the winners:
Hall of Fame 
1.  Dr. Katharine Hayhoe ( 91% of the vote) –   an atmospheric scientist at Texas Tech University, she is director of the Climate Science Center. She is an evangelical Christian who believes that science and religion do not have to conflict with one another. She has been a persuasive spokesperson for action on global warming and supports a   Carbon Fee and Dividend proposal  to address the issue.
Award: An appreciation of climate science by conservatives.
2.  The Standing Rock Sioux (5%)  – for opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline to protect their water quality after it was routed through their reservation due to concerns of other communities for the same reason. Facing militarized police forces and North Dakota’s most severe blizzards and sub zero winds they prevailed in efforts on the reservation and in the media capturing the support of much of the nation.
Suggested Award: A proper, nonpolitical environmental review before any more construction.
3 . President Barack Obama (2%) –  for coordinating and implementing a global climate pact signed by 195 countries, including the US, even in the face of a Congress that would stop at nothing to prevent it.  President Obama managed to tie the US Paris agreement to a previous treaty to avoid a possible defeat in Congress.
Prize : Clean air and water for our grandchildren as his legacy.
4 .  China (2%) – for announcing an investment of $361 billion in renewable energy by 2020 (and probably taking the  global lead  in green tech – a sad, missed opportunity for the US, but a great achievement for our shared future). China has also just cancelled the construction of 100 coal fired power plants to be replaced with wind and solar energy.
Award : Being able to go outdoors in the cities without a mask.
 
Hall of Shame 
 
  1.  The  Palm Oil industry (91% of the vote.)  –  Palm Oil is found in roughly half the packaged products sold in US grocery stores, creating a skyrocketing demand for the oil.  This demand  has led to the burning of millions of acres of tropical rain forests and jungles, caused the loss of wildlife and eco-system, contributed to climate change, and spread corruption to local and national governments. It is also responsible for human rights violations as corporations often forcefully remove Indigenous Peoples from their lands and its production has led to child labor violations and modern day slavery.
Suggested Award : A boycott of all conflict palm oil products.
2.  Trump voters (5%) –  for electing a President more than willing to undo even the modest progress the Paris Agreement would/could have accomplished – and most certainly will work to enable completion of the Keystone Pipeline, and push the Dakota Access pipeline in which he seems to have a financial interest. He has promised to remove/rollback decades of regulations designed to improve the quality of our air, water, and soil.
Suggested Award: May you drink water approved by Scott Pruitt’s EPA.
3.  Governor Scott Walker  of Wisconsin   (2%)  – for appointing a real estate lady to head the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR),  scattering the DNR programs  among five agencies making conservation more costly and less effective, halting enforcement of environmental regulations, and scrubbing anything  involving Climate Change from DNR computers.
Wished for Award: A resounding defeat in the next election.
4.  Utah Congressman Rob Bishop (2%)   –  chairman of the powerful  House Committee on Natural Resources , with sway over issues ranging from energy production to mining, fisheries, and wildlife across one-fifth of the nation’s landmass. He wants to overturn Obama’s Bear’s Ears monument, taking the land away from a coalition of native American tribes so it can be broken up and sold to mining and lumber interests. He introduced a Constitutional amendment that would take away the right of the President to designate national monuments, and has fought to weaken environmental laws and neuter federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the Forest Service.
Award: Perhaps having the federal agencies return the favor.
 
It looks like 2017 will have some epic battles between conservationists and corporate polluters. Please keep in mind those who affect the environment the most for good or ill for your 2017 nominations.
(c) 2017 – Que




]]> Wed, 01 Mar 2017 21:37:54 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/991/poll-vote-for-the-2016-hall-of-fame-and-hall-of-shame-candidates http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/991

Thanks  to those of you who submitted nominations. The four top candidates in each category have been selected from the nominees. Please vote for the ones who you think have most affected the environment for good or ill.  If you will, please post a reason for your vote and a suggestion for suitable gifts for your favorite candidate. The most interesting and humorous gift suggestions will be acknowledged.
Voting will close and the winners announced on  March 1, 2017 . Please  put your choice in each category as a comment below or you may vote in a poll at this site.
Hall of Fame Nominees
1.  China – for announcing an investment of $361 billion in renewable energy by 2020 (and probably taking the  global lead  in green tech – a sad, missed opportunity for the US, but a great achievement for our shared future). China has also just cancelled the construction of 100 coal fired power plants to be replaced with wind and solar energy.
Award : Please suggest a suitable award.
2.  The Standing Rock Sioux  – for opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline to protect their water quality after it was routed through their reservation due to concerns of other communities for the same reason. Facing militarized police forces and North Dakota’s most severe blizzards and sub zero winds they prevailed in efforts on the reservation and in the media capturing the support of much of the nation.
Suggested Award:
3 . President Barack Obama –  for coordinating and implementing a global climate pact signed by 195 countries, including the US, even in the face of a Congress that would stop at nothing to prevent it.  President Obama managed to tie the US Paris agreement to a previous treaty to avoid a possible defeat in Congress.
Prize :
4 . Dr. Katharine Hayhoe –   an atmospheric scientist at Texas Tech University, she is director of the Climate Science Center. She is an evangelical Christian who believes that science and religion do not have to conflict with one another. She has been a persuasive spokesperson for action on global warming and supports a   Carbon Fee and Dividend proposal  to address the issue.
Award:
 
Hall of Shame Nominees: 
Trump voters –  for electing a President more than willing to undo even the modest progress the Paris Agreement would/could have accomplished – and most certainly will work to enable completion of the Keystone Pipeline, and push the Dakota Access pipeline in which he seems to have a financial interest. He has promised to remove/rollback decades of regulations designed to improve the quality of our air, water, and soil.
Suggested Award:
2.  Governor Scott Walker  of Wisconsin  – for appointing a real estate lady to head the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR),  scattered the DNR programs  among five agencies making conservation more costly and less effective, halting enforcement of environmental regulations, and scrubbing anything  involving Climate Change from DNR computers.
Possible Award:
3.  Utah Congressman Rob Bishop  –  chairman of the powerful  House Committee on Natural Resources , with sway over issues ranging from energy production to mining, fisheries, and wildlife across one-fifth of the nation’s landmass. He wants to overturn Obama’s Bear’s Ears monument, taking the land away from a coalition of native American tribes so it can be broken up and sold to mining and lumber interests. He introduced a Constitutional amendment that would take the right of the President to designate national monuments, and has fought to weaken environmental laws and neuter federal agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the Forest Service.
Award:
4.   The  Palm Oil industry  –  Palm Oil is found in roughly half the packaged products sold in US grocery stores, creating a skyrocketing demand for the oil.  This demand  has led to the burning of millions of acres of tropical rain forests and jungles, caused the loss of wildlife and eco-system, contributed to climate change, and spread corruption to local and national governments. It is also responsible for human rights violations as corporations often forcefully remove Indigenous Peoples from their lands and it production has led to child labor violations and modern day slavery.
Suggested Prize :
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
This poll will be conducted on three internet sites and Facebook.  Voting will close and the winners announced on  March 1, 2017 .   Please  put your choice in each category as a comment below or you may  vote in a poll at this site.
(C) 2017 Que
]]> Tue, 31 Jan 2017 14:24:07 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/981/please-nominate-your-candidates-for-the-2016-environmental-hall-of-fame-shame-awards http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/981

It is important that we recognize those who have most affected the environment by their words and actions.  Each year, this site takes a poll to find those most deserving to be in the Environmental Hall of Fame and the Environmental Hall of Shame. Please send  your nominations  for  each category by e-mail through the “Contact the Author”   link or put it in the comment section . If you would, please include a short reason that your nominee should be chosen and suggest a suitable gift if they win.
Nominations  will be taken until January 31st, 2017. The nominees will then be  listed  and this site will conduct a poll to determine the winner in each category.   You may suggest a suitable prize for your nominee. Please be imaginative, as particularly thoughtful or humorous  nominations will  be recognized and published on this site
Past years winners and their suggested awards were:
Hall of Fame Winners – Award
2015        Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson – for their efforts at educating the public. – A TV show together.
2014       Pope Francis  – for his Protect Creation efforts.  – A strong agreement from the Paris climate conference.
2013       Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org – Many new members so subscribe to his   weekly newsletter  .
2012         President Barack Obama – A little coöperation from Congress, so please write your Representatives.
2011        James Hansen – A massive presence at the  2012 Citizen’s Climate Lobby 
2010        RealClimate.org   –  A recommendation from this site. ( Priceless)
2009       Benno Hansen,  ThinkAboutIt Blogger – A Subscription to Science News.
Hall of Shame 
2015        Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan  –  for  allowing the poisoning of Flint Michigan children  – drinking water                    from the Flint River
2014     Freedom Industries  (  Gary Southern  ) –  A prison cell with drinking water from the Elk River he                                         polluted.
2013        The Koch Bothers –  For funding climate denial. – A boycott of their products: less money, less lobbying.
2012       Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund  –  An IRS investigation of their of their tax-exempt status.
2011        Halliburton (Cheney)  –     A big glass of water from a well next to a hydrofracking operation.
2010        Koch Brothers – A petition to the Wizard of Oz for  the grant of a social conscience.
2009       SpaceGuy,  Newsvine Blogger – The movie Wall-E,  representing his view of the future of Earth.
 
  Climate Change ,  global Warming ,  Hall of Fame ,  Hall of Shame ,  Pope Francis ,  President Obama ,  the Koch Brothers
(C) 2017 Que
]]> Tue, 10 Jan 2017 15:05:46 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/958/charles-krauthammer-and-pyromania http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/958
 



https://i2.wp.com/jcmooreonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/777.jpg?w=539 539w" alt="777" width="300" height="227">
In a recent article, Charles Krauthammer lauded Donald Trump’s cabinet picks as they may destroy the agencies which they have been nominated to head. His article, “ The Trump Cabinet: Bonfire of the agencies  “, reflects his view that Government regulatory agencies should be torched. Like a pyromaniac, Mr. Krauthammer looks on gleefully as a fire he helped create with incendiary articles, lays waste to the agencies set up to protect our health and the environment.
He seems particularly enamored with Scott Pruitt, who will likely head the EPA.  As the Attorney General of Oklahoma, Mr. Pruitt favored corporations and sued the EPA stop enforcement of regulations designed to protect people and the environment . For example, Scott Pruitt’s predecessor in Oklahoma, Drew Edmondson, filed a lawsuit against the chicken industry in Arkansas to keep them from  polluting the scenic Illinois River  running into Oklahoma. The closing arguments had been made and all Scott Pruitt had to do when he took office was to file the paperwork asking for the decision, but he decided to wait and monitor the situation. Six years later, he is still monitoring it and the quality of the river water is getting much worse. If he can help destroy a scenic river in Oklahoma, think what he can do to the whole country. Under him, the EPA would monitor every situation, but take no action to protect the environment or the public.
It might be no surprise to you to find out that the chicken and the fossil fuel industry donated heavily to Scott Pruitt’s political campaign. Does Mr. Krauthammer really think he will protect the environment? Does Mr. Krauthammer really care if we have clean air to breathe, pure water to drink, and a livable world for our children and grandchildren? How can he claim to be a conservative?
Tags:  Charles Krauthammer ,  Donald Trump's cabinet ,  EPA ,  Pyromania ,  Scenic Illinois River ,  Scott Pruitt
(c) 2016 Que


]]> Tue, 20 Dec 2016 16:36:22 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/957/green-energy-is-not-a-frivolous-add-on http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/957
 



 

 This is a reprint of a  letter to the Wichita Eagle  from Dr. Patrick Pirotte, which explains why renewable energy is important for our future.
Dr. Patrick Pirotte, O.D., is a board certified Fellow in the  College of Optometrists in Vision Development  and treats children with vision and learning-related vision problems. He lectures nationwide on the diagnosis and treatment of vision problems in children and on the impact of vision problems on learning and classroom performance. He is a member of the  Citizens Climate Lobby  and is an advocate for their carbon fee and dividend system to ensure a healthy future for our children.
The letter below is reprinted with his permission:


“I read with interest recent statements by Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., about renewable energy in Kansas ( Oct. 1 Eagle ). To imply that the only thing that green energy is doing in Kansas or elsewhere is a frivolous “add on” is incorrect.
Currently installed wind and solar are eliminating hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide while providing reliable energy at competitive prices. The idea that fossil fuel plants must be constantly kept running to back up intermittent sources such as solar or wind is not true.
When President Obama’s Clean Power Plan is allowed to go into effect, there will be a dramatic reduction in respiratory and cardiovascular diseases nationally and internationally. Proponents of burning fossil fuels should recognize these benefits and champion clean energy, saving lives and lowering health care costs.
Furthermore, the price of fossil fuels is not the just cost of fossil fuels, but also the external costs to the environment and people’s health. Because of that, there is a constant error in the way carbon pricing is discussed.
Senator Moran and his colleagues should consider a practical and well-studied proposal to charge a fee on carbon and give a dividend to each household, protecting those who would be harmed by the increased cost of their energy beyond their ability to pay. It is not a tax. Most importantly, it uses the market to send price signals to consumers to move their purchases away from fossil fuels, which will reduce climate change harm from burning them.”
PAT PIROTTE, WICHITA


 
Note:  Dr. Pirotte is not only an advocate for renewable energy, but serves as an example of what can be https://i1.wp.com/jcmooreonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Pirotte-2.jpg?w=635 635w" alt="pirotte-2" width="300" height="215">  done. He has installed 40 kW of solar panels on his 9000 square foot clinic as pictured at the right. They have a battery storage system and supply 90% of the energy needed to run the clinic. It is connected by a net metering system to the grid and on sunny days, particularly if the clinic is closed, his installation sends a considerable amount of electricity back onto the grid. He estimates the solar panels save him $6200 per year on his electricity costs and have a payback time of 14 years at current rates. His clinic serves as an example of how businesses can save money and energy by installing solar panels.
Tags:  carbon fee and dividend ,  Citizens climate lobby ,  Clean power plan ,  Climate Change ,  Dr. Patrick Pirotte ,  fossil-fuels ,  Sen. Jerry Moran ,  solar panels
(C) 2016 J.C. Moore


]]> Sat, 17 Dec 2016 17:00:58 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/925/malheur-refuge-and-standing-rock-a-tale-of-two-standoffs http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/925
In 2016, two protests were held over the use of public land. It would seem reasonable that the law enforcement authorities would respond the same to each situation, but that was not the case.
The Malheur Refuge Standoff : In January, armed militants seized the headquarters of the Malheur national wildlife refuge in Oregon to protest the conviction of Dwight and Steven Hammond for arson on federal BLM land. The charges were brought because the fires had endangered the lives of firefighters.  Ammon Bundy, the son of the anti-government protester Cliven D. Bundy,  led the protest. The militants declared the federal government had no authority to manage the federal lands and demanded that the federal government cede ownership of BLM federal lands and the refuge to the state.
The group was heavily armed and expressed a willingness to engage in armed conflict to keep from being removed from the refuge The authorities did not try to  forcibly remove the protesters from the refuge. The standoff ended when cold weather and a lack of provisions caused the leaders of the militia to abandon the headquarters. They were stopped on US Route 395 by federal authorities and arrested.  Bundy was slightly wounded during the arrest  and  Robert “LaVoy” Finicum,  who had declared he would not be taken alive, was shot and killed by law enforcement officers while drawing his gun. Eventually 26 protesters were arrested and charged with felony conspiracy, but they were not convicted by a jury of their peers.
The Dakota Access Pipeline Standoff : The production of oil from the Bakken shale in North Dakota has increased dramatically in the last few years. To move the oil to market, the Dakota Access pipeline was proposed to carry 500,000 barrels of tarsands-like crude oil per day through North Dakota to a terminal in Illinois. The pipeline was originally scheduled to cross the Missouri River just north of Bismarck, but Bismarck residents were concerned that pipeline leaks would contaminate the city’s water supply. The Dakota Access Partners claimed that the pipeline would not leak, but that was not a credible claim. There have been  several dozen leaks  in pipelines in 2016 alone, with two recent ones  in northern North Dakota   and  near  Bismarck .






To placate the Bismarck residents, the pipeline was rerouted South where it would pass under Lake Oahe, just one half mile above the Standing Rock Sioux tribal land. (See map.)The Sioux were concerned that leaks  would contaminate their water supply, that the construction would disturb their cultural sites, and and that the Bismarck resident’s concerns were given greater weight than theirs.  The approval of the second route had been fast tracked by the US Corps of Engineers without a proper environmental or archaeological study, and without consultation with the Sioux nation. By law, any federal agency overseeing a construction project has to consult with native nations or tribes if there are places with “religious and cultural significance” nearby.
The Sioux also had a claim to the land under the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851, and they sued in federal court to block the construction of the pipeline. They asked for an injunction to halt the construction until the case was settled, but the injunction was denied and construction of the pipeline continued. In October, the Standing Rock Sioux organized a protest just north of the reservation to block the bulldozers from clearing a path for the pipeline. When the protesters were set upon by dogs used by the private security for the pipeline, the the protest made national news. Protesters from across the country began arriving to support the Sioux until as many as 3000 protesters were camped in the area. The authorities called in help from other agencies and about 100 officers and private security officers arrived to police the protesters.
On November 20, in subfreezing temperatures, some of the protesters tried to clear the road of debris so medical assistance and supplies could reach their encampment. An  altercation ensued  with the security forces, who unleashed water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and concussion grenades in a military-style assault on the unarmed protesters. According to sources at the scene, a dozen protesters were critically wounded or sustained head injuries and were rushed to the hospital, while 168 were treated for hypothermia and pepper spray exposure on-site. One woman may lose her arm after it was injured by a concussion grenade. The UN has denounced the governor of North Dakota, the Morton County sheriff, and the Dakota Access mercenaries for rights violations and inhumane treatment over the incident.
The Corps issued notice that on December 5th they would close public access to the Standing Rock encampment, and threatened “prosecution under federal, state, or local laws” of those who remained, declaring that the decision “is necessary to protect the general public from the violent confrontations between protesters and law enforcement officials.” There were no public citizens in the area except the protesters, and the threat of violence came mostly from a heavily militarized law enforcement response, which had called in help from over 76 different law enforcement agencies. In response, over 2000 veterans pledged to protect the Sioux from law enforcement actions and they began arriving at Standing Rock.
  On December 4, the Corps decided they would not issue the final permit for construction of the pipeline. Perhaps they were concerned about the legality of the permitting process, but more likely they were persuaded by the public outcry and the possibility of provoking an altercation involving an attack on veterans. The construction is halted for the time being, but the corporations involved have declared that the pipeline will be built. Further altercations are likely.
Questions : There is a sharp contrast in the way the two protests were handled. The main questions center around the timing: “Do armed protesters have a right to seize and hold public property until they decide to relinquish it? “, and,  “Does the state have a right to use physical violence on unarmed people protecting their land and water, to expedite a billion-dollar corporate project?”
 




environment
pipeline-leaks
us-corps-of-engineers
dakota-access-pipeline
malheur-refuge-standoff
sioux-nation
standing-rock-protests









DISCUSS:  1   1



 

(c) 2016 Que
]]> Wed, 07 Dec 2016 16:24:27 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/839/carbon-fee-and-dividend-legislative-action-needed http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/839
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., was certainly right when he told a group of energy executives that cheap energy was necessary for our economy to be competitive and that legislation is needed to keep energy costs low (Wichita Eagle,  Oct. 1 Business ).
Fossil fuels provide cheap energy because they do not pay their  external costs , which include cost to people’s health, the environment, and to the economy. Renewable energy is becoming less expensive and does not have the external costs that fossil fuels do. 






The best solution is legislation that would favor a shift to renewable energy. 
The effect of rising energy costs on the economy could be offset by a  carbon fee and dividend system , in which a fee would be added to fossil fuels at the source to cover their external costs. All the money collected would be distributed equally to every household as an energy dividend. Those who switch to renewable energy or who save energy would have more to spend, which would stimulate the economy.
We should all hope that the legislation that Senator Moran is considering would be a carbon fee and dividend system, as it uses market principles to reduce air and water pollution while protecting the economy from rising energy costs.
carbon fee and dividend ,  CCL ,  Citizens climate lobby ,  external costs , renewable energy ,  Sen. Jerry Moran
 
(c) 2016  – Que
]]> Mon, 10 Oct 2016 13:28:51 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/439/please-nominate-your-candidates-for-the-2015-environmental-hall-of-fame-shame-awards http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/439
  







It is important that we keep in mind those who have most affected the environment by words or action.  Each year, this site takes a poll to find those most deserving to be in the Environmental Hall of Fame and the Environmental Hall of Shame. Please place your nominations  for  each category  in the comment section . If you would, please include a short reason that your nominee should be chosen and suggest a suitable gift if they win.
Nominations  will be taken until January 31st, 2016. The nominees will then be  listed  and this site will conduct a poll to determine the winner in each category.   You may suggest a suitable prize for your nominee. Please be imaginative, as particularly thoughtful or humorous  nominations will  be recognized and published on this site
Past years winners and their awards were:
Hall of Fame Winners – Award
2014       Pope Francis  – for his Protect Creation efforts.  – A strong agreement from the Paris climate conference.
2013       Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org – Many new members so subscribe to his   weekly newsletter  .
2012         President Barack Obama – A little coöperation from Congress, so please write your Representatives.
2011        James Hansen – A massive presence at the  2012 Citizen’s Climate Lobby 
2010        RealClimate.org   –  A recommendation from this site. ( Priceless)
2009       Benno Hansen,  ThinkAboutIt Blogger – A Subscription to Science News.
Hall of Shame 
2014     Freedom Industries  (  Gary Southern  )  –  A prison cell with drinking water from the Elk River he polluted.
2013        The Koch Bothers -A boycott of their products: less money, less lobbying.
2012       Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund  –  An IRS investigation of their of their tax-exempt status.
2011        Halliburton (Cheney)  -     A big glass of water from a well next to a hydrofracking operation.
2010        Koch Brothers – A petition to the Wizard of Oz for  the grant of a social conscience.
2009       SpaceGuy,  Newsvine Blogger – The movie Wall-E,  representing his view of the future of Earth.
 
(C) 2016 Que 
global-warming
hall-of-fame
environment
climate-change
hall-of-shame
president-obama
the-koch-brothers
pope-francis
donors-trust-and-donors-capital-fund
tags-bill-mckibbens





]]> Mon, 04 Jan 2016 07:50:57 -0500 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/314/thermodynamics-says-there-is-no-hiatus-in-global-warming http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/314 Fri, 17 Jul 2015 08:56:53 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/300/the-nuclear-treaty-with-iran-please-write-your-legislators http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/300 Fri, 03 Apr 2015 22:46:37 -0400 http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/152/should-the-us-subsidize-fossil-fuel-companies http://thenewstalkers.com/que/blog/152 Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:53:05 -0400