katwink’s Recent Comments

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Weather vs. climate

  Basic meteorology:
  Climate refers to long-term trends, usually averaged over 10 or more years, over a specific geographic region, or globally.
  Weather is temperature, precipitation, wind, barometric pressure at a given point in time.
  Therefore, it is pointless and ignorant to implicitly deny CLIMATE change based on a week's worth of WEATHER.On U.N. talks set programme to a landmark climate pact in '09 posted 11 months, 1 week ago 5 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  It's a Start

  First off, thank you for including the link to the EPA report. It will make SUCH titilatting reading during spring break.

  Second, 50% is too little as many of us know, but what prohibits future legislators from increasing reductions? There are lots of elections between now and 2050 - who knows what policies future representatives will craft?

  True, it may all be futile; we may all succumb to the ravages of climate catastrophe. But I will not go down without doing my utmost to make things right with Nature. L-W and the aqssorted state, national and international arrangements are at least attempting to address the climate challenge.On Bush administration quietly acknowledges climate plan is doable posted 1 year, 8 months ago 17 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  State support

  comes from:

  "The 15 states joining California in today's suit: Massachusetts, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington."
  This information was at the end of the LA Times article linked to this story.

  Not sure about non-profits but I could make some good guesses.
  On California, 15 other states, and five nonprofits sue EPA over waiver decision posted 1 year, 10 months ago 4 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  More Info

  The Washington Toxics Coalition has a wealth of information about this issue. The scariest detail is that the chemicals put into toiletries and cosmetics in the US are largely unregulated and many of them are banned in the EU.

  For non-toxic skin and hair care products made in the Northwest, check out Alaffia and Chadwick's lines.On A no-makeup diet is healthier for you and the planet posted 2 years, 1 month ago 2 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Taking action

  In the "Global Warming: East-West Connections" article, James Hansen and Makiko Sato discuss the need for the US and China to reduce dependence on coal as an energy source. In the conclusion, they state, " . . the present threat to the planet and civilization, with the United States and China the principal players (although Europe has a large responsibility) requires only inaction in the face of a clear scientific evidence of danger."
  These authors also point out the dangers of special interests concerned only about short-term profits (read Big Coal, Big Oil, etc.) and how these interests hold undue priorities with national governments, not just in the US. In the final paragraph of the report, they advocate that the public pay attention to the global warming issue in the electoral process and vote accordingly.
  Doesn't seem too difficult to vote FOR effective global warming action or to write/call current elected officials to urge such action. Hansen's Declaration of Stewardship (see Grist's post http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/8/9/103511/8338) provides talking points for communicating with representatives.On The coal industry's extortion is on increasingly obvious display posted 2 years, 1 month ago 3 Responses