67 times around - and once there was a world's fair

Danon,

I beg to differ with you. It appears that Ramona is still young and vibrant.

Reminder of HWB's past, and present, is fascinating stuff.

Oil lease royalties-----one wonders what Congressional staffers are doing. Why could not someone working closely on energy issues know all of this in advance? Why should it come, apparently, as a surprise to our representatives now?

Making l998-l999 leases exempt, and not going after royalties from those remaining 9 companies which are not exempt....what branch of the government would be responsible for this action/inaction? Other than Bush himself and his cronies, who certainly do set the policies and are ultimately responsible.

And, yeah, duh re budgeted increase for Alaskan oil drilling. They appear to be very confident.

Will go click.

It will take decades to undo the damage caused by this administration.

Danon,
Given your background in the military, you will appreciate this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/15/AR2006021502717.html?referrer=emailarticlepg

Sometimes government tools can be put to good use, at least theoretically.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_Satellite_Technology_Helps_Fight_Invasive_Plant_Species.html


"NASA Satellite Technology Helps Fight Invasive Plant Species


by Staff Writers
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Feb 15, 2006

Products based on NASA Earth observations and a new Internet-based decision tool are providing information to help land and water managers combat tamarisk (saltcedar), an invasive plant species damaging precious water supplies in the western United States.

This decision tool, called the Invasive Species Forecasting System (ISFS), is being used at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Institute of Invasive Species Science in Fort Collins, Colo. It is the result of combining USGS science and NASA Earth observations, software engineering and high-performance computing expertise.

"The ISFS combines NASA satellite data with tens of thousands of field sampling measurements, which are then used to analyze past and present distributions of non-native plants and predict their future growth patterns," said Tom Stohlgren, director of the USGS National Institute of Invasive Science Species. Land managers and others can use it to generate color-coded maps to help predict and manage the spread of troublesome invasive species.

The ISFS uses observations and science data products from NASA's Terra, Aqua and Earth Observing-1 satellites and the USGS-operated Landsat satellites, together with field data from government and non-government contributors. The satellites observe and measure sunlight reflected by plants and their environments. The satellites lock in on unique aspects of the reflected light to determine saltcedar's locations and habitats vulnerable to invasion."

They are saying that they know for sure that the strain of the virus is the same one that developed in Asia.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/16/international/europe/16flu.html?th&emc=th

"The virus was confirmed in mute swans in Greece, Bulgaria and Italy on Saturday, and in Germany on Wednesday. Likely cases were detected in the same species in Slovenia and Croatia on Sunday, Austria on Monday and Denmark on Tuesday.

Health officials had expected wild birds to carry the disease into Europe from Africa in the spring migration. But the swans were probably migrating south to wintering grounds on the Black Sea, officials said, and were driven west by unusually cold weather in Russia and Ukraine."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/16/science/16nasa.html?th&emc=th

February 16, 2006
Call for Openness at NASA Adds to Reports of Pressure
By ANDREW C. REVKIN

"Top political appointees in the NASA press office exerted strong pressure during the 2004 presidential campaign to cut the flow of news releases on glaciers, climate, pollution and other earth sciences, public affairs officers at the agency say.

The disclosure comes nearly two weeks after the NASA administrator, Michael D. Griffin, called for "scientific openness" at the agency. In response to that, researchers and public affairs workers at the agency have described in fresh detail how political appointees altered or limited news releases on scientific findings that could have conflicted with administration policies.

Some examples have been reported to senior scientists and administrators who are assembling complaints as part of a review of communications policies demanded by Dr. Griffin, who became administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in April. Others have been described or provided to The New York Times."

Yes, sumac, I've addressed this point briefly before. The fact that at the very moment the Allied forces had Bin Laden trapped we backed off is understandable considering the business background and history that the Bush family and the Bin Laden family have. Gen Franks orders were directly from Donald Rumsfeld who received his orders directly from George Bush who more than likely received his from his father. They had to avoid capturing Osama in order to keep the money flowing into the family and their friends coffers. It's still going in their bank accounts.

I was stunned and amazed at the time and even now on how suddenly Bush quit Afganistan and went to war in Irag. It never made sense to me. But, it sure has given billions to certain families.

I'm wondering where all those 85 billions went that were given to Louisiana - now Bush is asking Congress for another almost 5 billion. ??? Almost one million homes could have been built from scratch with that money.

all clicked........

We are saddled with a rogue government, wildclickers.

The oil companies haven't paid for the Valdez oil leak - have been given a zillion dollars in tax breaks, report the largest profits ever, and NOW - to give Alaskas family government monopoly more money, they outright lie about profits from drilling ANWR. <even Norton said it would take more than 11 years to see any sort of oil yield from ANWR> but hey, whats a few bridges to nowhere gonna matter, right?

We also paid dearly for bushco attacking Afghanistan, with royalties and outsourcing to India for the sham attempt at getting ben laden, and bringing "demorcracy" to Afghanistan. The Talilban have resumed control. Remember the 'religious police'? fatheads

Instead of enforcing the law, putzes such as Pompo declares the oil companies should pay, but the same guy is attempting to gut the endangered species act, and his buddy bushco, says 'sell off lands from Nationl Forests", and the money will go directly to the U.S. Treasury - and for what?

And today - In Defense of Animals sent me a notification stating the USDA granted slaughterhouses their petition to PAY the USDA for inspections so they can continue slaughtering horses for oversees consumers. Again, by the time Congress passes the Slaughterhouse ban - and we close the loophole that allowed the USDA to sell out our horses, again - thousands of animals will die.

In Alaska, three out of four wolves will be slaughtered by illegal trophy "hunters".

Every day - nine men and woman return from Iraq in body bags.

Bushco in response to the question "How many servicemen and woman have died...." - "oh, about 3000, give or take..." said Americas courageous leader.

I have no doubt America will recover from the antics of the bush league, sumac. The wheels of Justice are gaining momentum - driving straight toward the White House.

At the moment, and for some time in the near past, we have been a rogue nation, in addition to having a rogue government.

You have a great deal of faith in the will and ability of any Congress to act correctly, Stradee.

I also wonder to what extent the desire for Bush to be a wartime president, for some time in the future, factored into the decision to let bin Laden slip through. Cynical, I know, but politics is politics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/16/science/16cnd-ice.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print&oref=slogin

February 16, 2006
More Greenland Ice Flowing Into Sea, in Sign of Warming
By ANDREW C. REVKIN

"The amount of ice flowing into the sea from large glaciers in southern Greenland has almost doubled in the last 10 years, possibly requiring scientists to increase estimates of how much seas could rise under the influence of global warming, according to a study to be published Friday in the journal Science.

The authors said there is evidence that the rise in flows will soon spread to glaciers farther north on the vast island of Greenland, which is covered with an ancient ice sheet nearly two miles high in places that holds enough water to raise global sea levels 20 feet or more should it all flow into the ocean."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0207_060207_new_species.html

Good article, with pictures, of the discovery of new species in Indonesia.

sumac,
great links and articles..... I especially liked the tree kangaroo.
That much water will give you a problem.

This March is election time - what we desperately need is to stop the GOP in its tracks. That will temper the Bush onslaught until he is out of office. I can see where he is currently trying to spend as much of our tax dollars as he possibly can before he is out of absolute power. Hopefully, after the March elections he will not be able to do that.

Anyone going to call dibs on the 68th rainforest thread?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~


aktbird57 -

You and your 289 friends have supported 2,239,585.7 square feet!

Marine Wetlands habitat supported: 99,005.9 square feet.
You have supported: (0.0)
Your 289 friends have supported: (99,005.9)

American Prairie habitat supported: 47,916.8 square feet.
You have supported: (11,564.5)
Your 289 friends have supported: (36,352.2)

Rainforest habitat supported: 2,092,663.0 square feet.
You have supported: (168,707.2)
Your 289 friends have supported: (1,923,955.8)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 Aktbird57 .. 1374 51.410 acres

sumac, i have faith in the will of the people - and their ability to oust a government pent on destruction.

I do not have faith in a Congress that follows their goat like a bunch of sheep to slaughter.

I do know for a fact that there are people who have the ability and utilize their talents in postitive ways for the betterment of society, all life, and the enviornment. Thats what i have faith in.

and the law of universal justice that no person or nation is exempt from

"Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit"

"A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government"
-Edward Abbey

Editorial by Donald Kennedy

Science 17 February 2006:
Vol. 311. no. 5763, p. 917

The New Gag Rules

...These two incidents are part of a troublesome pattern to which the Bush administration has become addicted: Ignore evidence if it doesn't favor the preferred policy outcome. Above all, don't let the public get an idea that scientists inside government disagree with the party line. The new gag rules support the new Bush mantra, an interesting inversion of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfield's view on war: "You don't make policy with the science you have. You make policy with the science you WANT." But the late-breaking good news is that NASA Administrator Griffin has said that there will be no more of this nonsense, and Deutsch, the 24-year-old Bush appointee sent to muzzle Hansen, has left the agency abruptly after his résumé turned out to be falsified. A change of heart? Stay tuned.....

ehBeth, I will try to find something for #68

# 68

Are you ready for a ball?


http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=1868177#1868177

ul,
A very interesting article, thanks. I hadn't heard the Rumsfeld view on war - it is interesting to read and explains a lot about the administrations policy making.

History will surely make hash of the Bush family.

All clicked for MA 'n Me.