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As President Obama prepares for his meeting tomorrow with Senators at the White House to discuss clean energy and climate change legislation, he might want to check with the White House staff on an important matter first. No, not the details of the legislation, although that’s important of course. Instead, what President Obama might want to make absolutely sure about is the non-trivial matter of whether the White House air conditioning is in tip-top shape. I say "non-trivial," but these days it’s more like "life or death." How hot is it in the Washington, DC area? As NBC Washington puts it, "We're Talking Spontaneous Combustion." (UPDATE: it's more likely this is apocryphal than literally true, but it sure feels like plants could catch on fire these days in Washington, DC!)
How hot is it? It's so hot that dead plants are spontaneously combusting in Frederick, Md.
Don't believe it? Just ask Frederick County Fire Marshal Marc McNeal, who told the Frederick News-Post that excessive heat caused a dead plant to catch fire Sunday afternoon in a hanging planter on the rear deck of a townhouse.
The hanging basket fell to the deck and burned some vinyl siding, causing about $3,000 in damages.
It has definitely been hot in the Washington region. Monday will be the 10th day in a row that we've reached 90 degrees or higher, and this will be the 17th day of the month that the thermometer has reached 90.
NBC4 meteorologist Tom Kierein said that when it's all said and done, June 2010 likely will be the hottest June on record in the District.
Dead plants catching on fire in the hottest June on record in the Washington, DC area? Sadly, this may not be an aberration, but a frightening sign of things to come in a global warming world. True, we shouldn’t draw broad conclusions about the earth’s climate from one heat wave in one specific geographic area, as certain climate change deniers dishonestly did during last winter’s "snowpocalypse" blizzards. However, when we see month after month, decade after decade of record-setting heat globally, it starts to get a bit hard to ignore.
In fact, climate scientists are not ignoring these heat waves and other phenomena. Earlier today, for instance, The Project on Climate Science reported that the "record-breaking heat wave" we are currently experiencing in the eastern United States "is consistent with climate change." According to Tom Peterson, Chief Scientist for NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center, "We’re getting a dramatic taste of the kind of weather we are on course to bequeath to our grandchildren." Of course, as The Project on Climate Science points out, "individual heat waves can be driven by a number of factors." However, they conclude, "more frequent heat waves are one of the more visible impacts of climate change already underway in the United States" and "will occur more frequently in the future."
In sum, if you enjoy record-setting warmth – not to mention the stronger storms, mass extinctions and "record sea ice shrinkage" in the Arctic that go along with that warmth – you have a lot to look forward to! If not, then you should contact your Senator and let him or her know you want climate action now.
Come to think of it, perhaps we should all hope for the White House air conditioning to be broken tomorrow – or turned off on purpose - so that the Senators meeting there get a taste of what the planet will feel like everywhere if they don’t do something about it now. When you think about it, a bit of Senatorial sweat and a few stained shirts is not too high a price to pay if it results in long-overdue, comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation on the President’s desk sometime this sweltering summer. Is it?
Presidential Proclamation -- Honoring the Victims of the West Virginia Mine Disaster
A PROCLAMATION
As a mark of respect for the memory of those who perished in the mine explosion in Montcoal, West Virginia, I hereby order, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at all public buildings and grounds and at all military facilities and naval stations of the Federal Government in the State of West Virginia until sunset on April 18, 2010.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
President Obama Announces Recess Appointments to Key Administration Positions
Fifteen Appointees Have Waited an Average of 214 Days for Senate Confirmation
[snip]
The majority of these nominees are not particularly headed for controversial areas, even by today's warped standards:
Jeffrey Goldstein: Nominee for Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, Department of the Treasury
Michael F. Mundaca: Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, Department of the Treasury
Eric L. Hirschhorn: Nominee for Under Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration and head of the Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Commerce
Michael Punke: Nominee for Deputy Trade Representative - Geneva, Office of the United States Trade Representative
Francisco "Frank" J. Sánchez: Nominee for Under Secretary for International Trade, Department of Commerce
Islam A. Siddiqui: Nominee for Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Alan D. Bersin: Nominee for Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security
Jill Long Thompson: Nominee for Member, Farm Credit Administration Board
Rafael Borras: Nominee for Under Secretary for Management , Department of Homeland Security
It's about time Obama put keeping important functions of government running over trying to somehow make Republicans Senators happy.
The Republican party has abdicated all responsibility to be a partner in governing. The GOP doesn't care if government works, they want to see things get worse in the country because they think that's the only way they'll pick up votes in November.
The Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation (ALEF), a non-profit organization funded by foundations and companies, supports and enables young men and women from Appalachia to pursue higher education though scholarship and leadership curriculum. The program includes an emphasis toward the preparation required to be the leaders of the next decade. The concept of operations for ALEF is to partner with established academic institutions across Appalachia to provide the technical skills necessary as the basis for credible leadership.
Obama picked 10 charities in all to make donations to, with ALEF being one of six charities that helps prepare students for higher education. Those six are each receiving $125,000. The other five are: American Indian College Fund, College Summit, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the Posse Foundation and the United Negro College Fund.
Several folks have posted about the exchange between Republican Rep. Shelley Moore Capito and Pres. Obama and the GOP retreat last week (h/t JB). If you haven't watched the video, here it is.
Here's how I look at this exchange. The basic assumption in Capito's question is in this part:
I represent the state of West Virginia. We're resource rich. We have a lot of coal and a lot of natural gas.
Towards the end of his response President Obama reminds her that's not the full picture.
So what I want to do is with West Virginia to figure out how we can seize that future. But to do that, that means there's going to have to be some transition. ... what does that industry look like in the next hundred years?
How would you answer the question for West Virginia--what does coal mining look like in the next 100 years?
The first thing I think about is, 100 years from now--probably just 50 years from now--there's not going to any coal mining to speak of going on in West Virginia--all the coal will be gone. Just looking out 30 years from now, there's a whole lot less coal mining than today. So, what about 20... or 10 years from today?
This is the twilight of coal wealth for West Virginia... its heyday is in the past... we're in the final lap. The President is responding to Capito--West Virginia doesn't have 100 years worth of coal--and reminds us all we need to do even more to prepare for what comes next.
Stripped to its essence, it's the most pressing question I take away from the Q&A between Capito and Obama.
To prepare for the next 100 years: what economic development do we as a state want to promote that is not coal-related?
Good afternoon, West Virginia Blue readers. This is your afternoon open thread to discuss all things Hill-related. Use this thread to praise or bash Congresscritters, share a juicy tip, ask questions, offer critiques and suggestions, or post manifestos.
I am but the poor substitute for the wisdom of our senior Senator but bring you news because Congress Matters.
Remember, it is getting near to Ground Hog Day. Some the Hill news that's fit to blog is over the fold . . .
Via Open Left: "C-SPAN has now issued a formal request to televise the secret House-Senate health care negotiations."
"President Obama, Senate and House leaders, many of your rank-and-file members, and the nation's editorial pages have all talked about the value of transparent discussions on reforming the nation's health care system," C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb wrote. "Now that the process moves to the critical stage of reconciliation between the Chambers, we respectfully request that you allow the public full access, through television, to legislation that will affect the lives of every single American."
Via Open Left, here's yet another reminder that candidate Obama's promises for health care reform sounded quite a bit different than what President Obama is now signaling we ought to settle for.
There is still 3 to 6 weeks left for the final version of health care reform to get hammered out. After this morning's expected passage in the Senate, President Obama is preparing to roll up his sleeves:
In an interview today with PBS, President Obama said he plans to begin working on merging the Senate and House health care bills before Congress returns from Christmas recess.
"We hope to have a whole bunch of folks over here in the West Wing, and I'll be rolling up my sleeves and spending some time before the full Congress even gets into session," Obama said, "because the American people need it now."
Obama is expected to work with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to merge the bills.
There's still time for Pres. Obama to remember what candidate Obama had to say. Many of us remember the promise of Barack Obama's campaign, will he?
From the beginning, the cost of military action against al Queda in Afghanistan and the Iraq invasion was funded by supplementals. It was convenient to maintain the illusion that there were some things that were unknowable.
In recent years, Republicans have been characterized by two principal positions: They like starting wars and don't like paying for them. George W. Bush initiated two major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but adamantly refused to pay for either of them by cutting non-military spending or raising taxes. Indeed, at his behest, Congress actually cut taxes and established a massive new entitlement program, Medicare Part D.
Those Bush tax cuts spent the "projected budget surplus", or magic ponies. The economic downturn started in September of 2007, and the policies of the Republican Congress from 1995 to 2007 laid the foundation. And the solution to any economic policy question for the Gee Oh Pee is "more tax cuts, less regulation". And it still is.
Still thinking about taking your marbles and going home next year?
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty frustrated by the pace of change in West Virginia. I get angry when state politicians say they'll speak with 'one voice' for coal interests while ignoring the rest of us. I'm ready to send a signal that even here in Appalachia we are committed to addressing the deteriorating atmosphere.
So many of the debates going on today are remote and distant, sometimes it feels hard to impact what's going on in Charleston, Washington, or Copenhagen. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what we can do today, something that can have an positive immediate impact and I've finally found something.
Contribute today to Sustainable Economic and Energy Diversification in Coal River valley.
We've talked many times about the importance and difficulties of developing sustainable diverse economic opportunities in West Virginia. Thankfully, there are committed grass-roots activists working hard at these efforts.
Blasts have reverberated off the top of Coal River Mountain since mid-October. Each boom is a reminder of how much is at stake in the Coal River Valley. For two years, residents of the Coal River Valley campaigned for the mountain's preservation for development as an industrial-scale wind farm. A wind farm in the Coal River Valley would chart a new course for the region and pose a true threat to those who seek to demolish West Virginia's natural resources and heritage for short term profit. Though blasting has begun, the battle for Coal River Mountain is far from over, and in the valley below, residents are increasingly taking sustainable development into their own hands as part of Coal River Mountain Watch's Sustainable Economic and Energy Diversification (SEED) project.
SEED is a community organizing project designed to connect residents of the Coal River Valley to one another and the outside resources they need to make their small business and renewable energy ventures a reality. We began by meeting with twelve families in the valley over the summer and fall, and identified three inspiring projects to pursue. Two families are in the beginning stages of a community owned wind development project. One group of woodworkers are building a wood kiln to dry and increase the value of sustainably forested lumber. The SEED Community Team formed as a group of locals generating new ideas for community revival and economic diversification in monthly meetings. In their latest meeting, they resolved to build a community owned greenhouse and plan to break ground on the project in the winter. The entrepreneurial spirit is spreading!
SEED volunteers help with construction of a community center building in Rock Creek, WV
SEED is structured to ensure accountability to community members. It begins with listening to community members, and the Community Team ensures that project organizers do not veer off course in the collaborative process of small business development.
Judy Gunnoe lives at the head of Lick Creek Hollow, nestled between two toes of Coal River Mountain. "I think there are other options beyond coal because coal's not gonna be here forever - our grandchildren and great-grandchildren, what are they gonna do when coal's not here? There needs to be some kind of other jobs besides coal. I think there's a lot of smaller businesses that would like to be in this area, but they're scared off because of the mining. If you can get a few things started, you can get a few people to work - you can even employ these high school graduates. There's not a lot of young people; what ones are here, they leave or they go in the mines because that's the only thing to do, and by the time they're 30, they're half-dead." The Gunnoes are SEED community leaders and are building a community center and hope to put wind turbines on the ridge above their home.
Organizers are working on two wind development projects in the the valley. They need to start raising funds today to be able to purchase and install a 100 kilowatt wind turbines as soon as possible and stake the community's claim on the toe of Coal River Mountain. This single-turbine installation lays the groundwork for larger wind development in the future.
Like any volunteer effort, the SEED project cannot be sustained by sweat equity alone. It needs your help. There is an immediate need for anemometers to measure wind feasibility, then there are additional costs associated with the purchase and installation of wind turbines in the Coal River Valley.
Community members visit a wind farm in April, 2009
Contribute $17, $34, or even $170 today to safe, clean, homegrown Sustainable Energy and Environmental Development for West Virginia Coal River valley. Send a clear signal that you want to that target to be at least 17%.
When we all work together, we can change our climate for good.
I understand the worry caused by two gate crashers attending President Obama's first state dinner. It's a terrible embarrassment and a lapse that shouldn't have happened.
The Secret Service faces an unprecedented situation and the risks are up 400 percent.
And people should not crash parties, particularly state dinners.
But he's OUR president. I don't want security to ever be to the point that our president is not accessible to us.
Yes, I want alert protection for our president.
But I don't want him sealed off in a bubble available only to hand selected audiences at all times.
The gate crashers, and I'm not giving them the attention they want by naming them, were still screened.
At other events when the president goes to Five Guys or gas stations, the people are not going to be screened.
Do we want a president walled off from us?
I've seen several presidents in person, from Reagan to Obama. A few years ago I saw then President Clinton immediately after Thanksgiving after he went to a public golf course not far from Camp David. It was dusk by the time he finished. Some how word spread and people showed up, a not large crowd, but about 50 people. None were screened. They just stood behind yellow crime scene tape. It was fairly dark as Clinton approached them.
I'd been in enough situations in life involving yellow crime scene tape to recognize when police officers are concerned, alert, and at extremely heightened alert. The agents squeezed in tight around him and two had their hands on his jacket ready to pull him down.
With the darkness and the closeness of the people, it would have been impossible to have stopped a determined assassin.
The Big Dog did not even seem to notice. Nonchalantly, with a Big Dawg grin he walked up to the people, greeted each warmly, listened to them, shook hands with them. This was at the height of the Republican Hate Machine cranked to 11 and he made sure he was the president of everyone there.
I'm not naive. This is a dangerous world and we elected an African American man in a society that is too armed and too racist to give any of us comfort.
But we're a democratic society. We had a president before who lived in a bubble. I want my president to be secure as possible, I want smarter and better protection for him.
I also want to be able to shake hands with him some day too. Out in the street or at a public golf course. In our America.
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