Judge requires feds to submit climate research plan, impact assessment
The Bushies are big stinkin' lawbreakers, a federal judge ruled this week. A 1990 federal law requires the U.S. government to provide a scientific report every four years on climate change and its effects on the environment, the economy, and public health, but the Bush administration chose to ignore its 2004 deadline for such a report. Green groups sued, and U.S. District Judge Saundra Armstrong ruled in favor of timeliness, demanding the required impact assessment by May 31, 2008. The laggardly administration also owes a plan to guide federal climate research, which is due every three years and hasn't been submitted since 2003; Armstrong asked that it be submitted by March 1, 2008. To the Bushies' argument that they determined "only recently that the initiation of a process to revise the research plan has become necessary and advisable," Armstrong responded, "News flash: you're not above the law." In legalese, of course.
source: San Francisco Chronicle, Bob Egelko, 22 Aug 2007
source: USA Today, Associated Press, 22 Aug 2007
source: Bloomberg News, Karen Gullo, 21 Aug 2007
source: ABC News, Clayton Sandell, 21 Aug 2007
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Katarina Posted 12:57 am
28 Aug 2007
Commenting on the above, I think most of us understand we are in a web where, indeed, everything is connected. However, connecting climate change to over-population (both crucial environmental issues) probably doesn't begin to get us moving on funds for internal and international health and family planning funding. Connecting mountain top removal for coal to global climate change may not get us to write Congress to stop that practice.
In spite of that, I believe everyone working on environmental issues should be aware of the whole picture, even while focusing on his/her own particular cause.
Global climate change has gotten the attention of the country and the world as no other environmental issue has. I doubt the insurance companies have been so aware in their entire history! So, let's continue on all fronts and keep the dots connected.
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cullenhowe Posted 12:38 am
29 Aug 2007
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