Polluted Politicians: Dirty energy money flowing to U.S. Senate incumbents | TckTckTck

Polluted Politicians: Dirty energy money flowing to U.S. Senate incumbents | TckTckTck: "Washington is steeped in dirty energy money, with polluting industries contributing vast sums to political campaigns in order to keep American leadership beholden to the status quo fossil fuel addiction."

Humanity goes overbudget for 2010 this week

Global Footprint Network calculates nature's supply in the form of biocapacity, the amount of resources the planet regenerates each year, and compares that to human demand: the amount it takes to produce all the living resources we consume and absorb our carbon dioxide emissions. Its data reveal that, as of August 21, humanity will have demanded all the ecological services – from filtering CO2 to producing the raw materials for food – that nature can provide this year. footprintnetwork

What is the true purpose of right wing extremism? [hint: it is oil]

GOP Politician Confirms What Was Long Suspected: Republicans Intentionally Feed the Racism, Anger, and Paranoia of the Far Right | Tea Party and the Right | AlterNet:

"As an example of both the GOP pandering to right-wing voters and conservative talk show hosts undercutting sensible policymaking, Inglis points to climate change. Fossil fuels, he notes, get a free ride because they're 'negative externalities' -- that is, pollution and the effects of climate change -- 'are not recognized' in the market. Sitting in front of a wall-sized poster touting clean technology centers in South Carolina, Inglis says that conservatives 'should be the ones screaming. This is a conservative concept: accountability. This is biblical law: you cannot do on your property what harms your neighbor's property.' Which is why he supports placing a price on carbon -- and forcing polluters to cover it."

"Asked why conservatives and Republicans have demonized the issue of climate change and clean energy, Inglis replies, 'I wish I knew; then maybe I wouldn't have lost my election.' He points out that some conservatives believe that any issue affecting the Earth is 'the province of God and will not be affected by human activity. If you talk about the challenge of sustainability of the Earth's systems, it's an affront to that theological view.'"

Fares exist mainly to discourage transit use, not raise revenue.

Dr. Gridlock - Second fare hike stresses Metro: "The problem, as the transit staff saw it back in the spring, is that the mechanics of a fare increase -- with all the fare gate, fare box and vending adjustments, the changes in the signs on station kiosks and buses, and the revisions to the online and printed guides -- are always really complicated.

Problem papered over: Metro posted yellow explanation signs and fare update decals on station kiosks. (WMATA photo)

This time, it was more so, because the board and staff were envisioning several relatively exotic adjustments to the rail fares. These would require a new level of sophistication in the programming at the fare gates. The transit staff was moving into uncharted territory."