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AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #150 on: March 10, 2017, 05:49:48 PM »
The linked article is entitled: "Climate-Friendly Energy Star Program Could be Cut".  It is sad how self-serving Team Trump and their fossil fuel buddies are proving to be.

http://www.climatecentral.org/news/trump-takes-aim-at-energy-star-21234

Extract: "Energy Star, the program that certifies toasters, air conditioners, computers and buildings for energy efficiency, could be killed by the Trump administration as part of its effort to shrink federal spending.

The administration wants the program to be “zeroed out” in the 2018 Environmental Protection Agency budget, according to news reports and a memo that the EPA provided to the National Association of Clean Air Agencies last week."
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #151 on: March 10, 2017, 07:57:41 PM »
Need a (somewhat) humorous break?

Video:  The Daily Show from Comedy Central visits the Philadelphia data refuge group, helping to save climate data.   (TDS takes climate change seriously, but tries to make related stories funny.)

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/9n7n5i/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-canada-holds-on-to-u-s--climate-data-for-a-bit
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #152 on: March 14, 2017, 07:50:13 PM »
The EPA Used to Tweet About the Environment. Now It Just Tweets About Scott Pruitt.
http://m.motherjones.com/environment/2017/03/scott-pruitts-epa-his-own-pr-firm


Democrats to send climate change educational materials to EPA chief Scott Pruitt
http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/14/dems-to-send-climate-educational-materials-to-epa-chief-scott-pruitt.html
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #153 on: March 15, 2017, 05:53:36 PM »
The linked article is entitled: "Republicans’ War on Science Just Got Frighteningly Real".  It looks like the GOP controlled US Congress and the Trump Administration will soon be playing tag-team to wrestle science to the mat.

https://newrepublic.com/article/141227/republicans-war-science-just-got-frighteningly-real

Extract: "Two terrible bills that Obama would have vetoed are back in play, and they stand a very good chance of becoming law under Trump.

President Donald Trump has not commented on these bills, but he’s expressed an extreme distrust of science in general, and the EPA specifically. He doesn’t believe in climate change, for instance, and has appointed several climate deniers to cabinet positions. Some of the very people behind these two bills are now serving on Trump’s EPA transition team."
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #154 on: March 16, 2017, 08:23:35 PM »
U.S. Representatives from districts in parts of the country on the front lines of climate change announce a bipartisan statement against the risks of climate change and supporting action against it.

Republicans Break Ranks With Pledge to Fight Climate Change
Quote
Seventeen conservative Republican members of Congress—10 of them in their first or second terms—are bucking long-time party positions and the new occupant of the White House. They announced on Wednesday that they’re supporting a clear statement about the risks associated with climate change, as well as principles for how best to fight it.

Called the “Republican Climate Resolution” by supporters, the statement by House members takes about 450 words to mention conservative thought on environmentalism, support for climate science, feared impacts, and a call for economically viable policy. They pledge in general terms to support study and mitigation measures, “using our tradition of American ingenuity, innovation, and exceptionalism.”
...
These bills are interesting in the way that solar energy is, even though solar makes up 1 percent of U.S. power generation. Like solar power, Republican climate bills are noteworthy not because one is likely to pass anytime soon, but because massive external forces—markets, other governments, and climate change itself—may eventually force it into the foreground....
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/republicans-break-ranks-pledge-fight-142146159.html
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DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #155 on: March 17, 2017, 01:15:46 AM »
Quote
Medical, science research faces huge cuts under Trump budget

Right when the superbugs ate rising...sweet...depopulation.. [/sarc]




Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #156 on: March 17, 2017, 02:40:48 AM »
Robert Reich writes:

Quote
It’s important to see Trump's massive budget cut in federally funded research -- eliminating the Energy Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency; slashing the National Institutes of Health; eliminating or drastically cutting research by the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration – for what it really is.

It’s part of Trump’s war on truth.

Throughout modern history, demagogues and tyrants have attacked scientists, researchers, investigators, analysts, professors, and all other sources of truth, including journalists. Some have even burned books.

That’s because tyrants don’t want independent sources of truth. Truth threatens their power. They want a monopoly on information, in order to keep the public in the dark. The most revolutionary act in a democracy is speaking truth to power, and spreading the truth so that others may speak it as well.

Trump tells big lies, attacks the independent press, and slashes funding for research. Connect the dots.
https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/posts/1507081802637744
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #157 on: March 17, 2017, 04:13:56 AM »
Robert Reich writes:

Quote
It’s important to see Trump's massive budget cut in federally funded research -- eliminating the Energy Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency; slashing the National Institutes of Health; eliminating or drastically cutting research by the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration – for what it really is.

It’s part of Trump’s war on truth.

Throughout modern history, demagogues and tyrants have attacked scientists, researchers, investigators, analysts, professors, and all other sources of truth, including journalists. Some have even burned books.

That’s because tyrants don’t want independent sources of truth. Truth threatens their power. They want a monopoly on information, in order to keep the public in the dark. The most revolutionary act in a democracy is speaking truth to power, and spreading the truth so that others may speak it as well.

Trump tells big lies, attacks the independent press, and slashes funding for research. Connect the dots.
https://www.facebook.com/RBReich/posts/1507081802637744

Obviously, I concur with Robert Reich.  Hopefully, Trump will get caught in his web of deceits; but I am not holding my breath (given that we have a GOP controlled Congress).
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change.”
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Jim Hunt

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #158 on: March 18, 2017, 05:42:50 PM »
My good friend Alice F. has just tweeted @POTUS:

https://twitter.com/AF_Wetware/status/843137734692749313

Any chance of a "retweet" or three?
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

Jim Pettit

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #159 on: March 18, 2017, 09:45:01 PM »
My good friend Alice F. has just tweeted @POTUS:

https://twitter.com/AF_Wetware/status/843137734692749313

Any chance of a "retweet" or three?

Just RT'ed...

Ranman99

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #160 on: March 19, 2017, 12:52:23 AM »
Now there is an idea. How about organised twitter storms at POTUS on strategically agreed upon data. Being the type of guy he is and with everyone watching his responses I think it would be valuable.

Maybe we could have a thread here - What to tweet POTUS - and all concerned folks can share those items in their other forums and also of course tweet POTUS.

Cheers,
😎

DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #161 on: March 19, 2017, 01:48:06 AM »
Now there is an idea. How about organised twitter storms at POTUS on strategically agreed upon data. Being the type of guy he is and with everyone watching his responses I think it would be valuable.

Maybe we could have a thread here - What to tweet POTUS - and all concerned folks can share those items in their other forums and also of course tweet POTUS.

Cheers,

+1

Jim Hunt

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #162 on: March 19, 2017, 09:15:21 AM »
Thanks Jim.

Now there is an idea. How about organised twitter storms at POTUS on strategically agreed upon data

Well I'm certainly not going to argue with that proposition! See also:

https://www.skepticalscience.com/tweet-or-not-at-donald-trump.html

In related news:

https://twitter.com/jim_hunt/status/843239042238025728
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #163 on: March 23, 2017, 09:35:09 AM »
The linked article is entitled: "Climate denier in White House prompts a 'March for Science' on Earth Day", and it indicates that the organizers are in need of funding as it has become more difficult to get the necessary permits for such a nationwide event since January 20, 2017.

http://www.seattlepi.com/local/politics/article/With-climate-denier-in-White-House-a-March-for-11018058.php
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AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #164 on: March 23, 2017, 05:32:12 PM »
And so it begins; the linked article is entitled: "Bill Would Bar Discrimination Toward Climate Change Doubters"; which could make evidence-based scientists guilty of hate crime if say they were to deny a climate change denying scientist (with research funded by the fossil fuel industry) a tenured position.

http://staging.hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLIMATE_CHANGE_DISCRIMINATION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-03-22-19-01-38
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #165 on: March 25, 2017, 10:16:44 PM »
These will come as no surprise:

1)  Vice President Mike Pence, speaking in West Virginia coal country today: "The war on coal is over...a new era of American energy has begun."  (By which he means coal is good.  But he promises them nothing except they "will not be forgotten.")
https://twitter.com/cnnnewsroom/status/845703020151279617

2) Curry, Pielke, Christy -- all three superstars of climate denial will appear before the US House Science Committee next week!
https://www.facebook.com/SkepticalScience/posts/10154655804538335
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Pmt111500

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #166 on: March 26, 2017, 06:46:36 AM »
And so it begins; the linked article is entitled: "Bill Would Bar Discrimination Toward Climate Change Doubters"; which could make evidence-based scientists guilty of hate crime if say they were to deny a climate change denying scientist (with research funded by the fossil fuel industry) a tenured position.

http://staging.hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_CLIMATE_CHANGE_DISCRIMINATION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2017-03-22-19-01-38
Well this sort of a bill would be a reason for this thred to be in 'science section. Of course no sensible university would obey this. They really want to dumb down north american citicens. Coal-communism, or fossilic fascism.

AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #167 on: March 26, 2017, 09:42:32 AM »
The linked Science article is entitled: "Lamar Smith, unbound, lays out political strategy at climate doubters’ conference", and it indicates that Smith has been emboldened by the election of Trump, to more aggressively attack many evidenced based science issues including climate research:

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/03/lamar-smith-unbound-lays-out-political-strategy-climate-doubters-conference

Extract: "Representative Lamar Smith (R–TX) rarely expresses his true feelings in public. But speaking yesterday to a like-minded crowd of climate change doubters and skeptics, the chairman of the science committee in the U.S. House of Representatives acknowledged that the committee is now a tool to advance his political agenda rather than a forum to examine important issues facing the U.S. research community.

Emboldened by the election of President Donald Trump, Smith appears increasingly comfortable dismissing those who disagree with his stance on any number of issues under the purview of his science committee, from climate research to the use of peer review in assessing research results and grant proposals. And one key element in his strategy appears to be relabeling common terms in hopes of shaping public dialogue.

In fact, as Smith told one audience member who worried that Trump might renege on some to his campaign promises, the sky’s the limit when it comes to dismantling the past 8 years of environmental regulations.

“I think the president has ushered in a permanent change in the political climate,” Smith asserted. “And by that I mean I think he’ll keep his promises and that he’ll do exactly what he said. You’re seeing that in his appointments, like Scott Pruitt at EPA, for example. So … I don’t think you’ll have any disappointment on any of those issues.”"
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Jim Hunt

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #168 on: March 27, 2017, 12:22:41 PM »
Curry, Pielke, Christy -- all three superstars of climate denial will appear before the US House Science Committee next week!

My own take on that story:

http://GreatWhiteCon.info/2017/03/a-report-on-the-state-of-the-arctic-in-2017/

Quote
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Lamar Smith comes to bury Michael Mann, not to praise him.
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #169 on: March 28, 2017, 08:09:20 PM »
Trump’s Climate Destruction Plan: A Deal He Can’t Close
Quote
President Trump’s sprawling executive order directing the EPA and other agencies to start dismantling President Obama’s climate legacy flies in the face of law, science, and strong public support for climate action.

Trump’s executive order is a Climate Destruction Plan.  It attacks the centerpiece of his predecessor’s climate legacy, the Clean Power Plan to limit the carbon pollution from the nation’s existing fleet of power plants.

Trump’s order does not stop there. It tells the EPA to start rolling back carbon limits for new power plants.  It directs the EPA and the Bureau of Land Management to begin scrapping curbs on methane leakage from the oil and gas industry.

Today’s order follows earlier steps to start weakening clean car and fuel economy standards. And the order strikes at economic tools for quantifying the benefits of climate protections (the social cost of carbon) and repeals other executive orders and guidelines. ...

As destructive as it aspires to be, however, Trump’s executive order cannot erase Clean Air Act standards and other climate protection rules by itself.  Scott Pruitt and the president’s other minions must follow the rule of law.  They can tear down these regulations only using the same legal process it took to build them. Their final decisions must pass muster in the courts.
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/david-doniger/trumps-climate-destruction-plan-deal-he-cant-close
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Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #170 on: March 28, 2017, 08:46:22 PM »
#ClimateMayors Letter to President Trump on Roll Back of US Climate Actions
Quote
As members of the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda (MNCAA), we represent more than 41 million Americans in 75 cities across our nation — in red and blue states alike. We write to strongly object to your actions to roll back critically important U.S. climate policies including the Clean Power Plan and vehicle fuel efficiency standards, as well as proposed budget cuts to the EPA and critical federal programs like Energy Star....
https://medium.com/@ClimateMayors/climatemayors-letter-to-president-trump-on-roll-back-of-us-climate-actions-639389c80f1c

Updated signatories as of 9am PT on March 28, 2017.
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Jim Hunt

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #171 on: March 29, 2017, 11:52:10 AM »
Retired Rear Admiral David Titley expresses his views on the House Science Committee hearing later today:

Should Climate Scientists Boycott Congressional Hearings?

Quote
We should no longer be duped into playing along with this strategy.

Despite sending many skilled science communicators to testify at the hearings over the years and even when scoring tactical victories, the strategic effect of participating at these hearings has been to sustain the perception of false equivalence, a perception only exaggerated by the majority’s ability to select a grossly disproportionate number of witnesses far removed from mainstream science (it’s not coincidence that Judith Curry, professor emeritus, Georgia Institute of Technology, and John Christy, professor of atmospheric sciences, University of Alabama at Huntsville, are called upon so often by the Republicans).

A better response would be to simply boycott future hearings of this kind and to call out these hearings for what they are: a tactic to distract the public from a serious policy debate over how to manage both the short- and long-term risks of climate change.
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #172 on: March 29, 2017, 01:47:33 PM »
The linked article is entitled: "Trump has launched a blitzkrieg in the wars on science and Earth’s climate".  Indeed, this is not governance, but is a declaration of war on science.

https://www.skepticalscience.com/trump-blitzkrieg-wars-on-science-climate.html

Extract: "Today, Trump signed executive orders taking aim at America’s climate policies. On the heels of a report finding that the world needs to halve its carbon pollution every decade to avoid dangerous climate change, Trump’s order would instead increase America’s carbon pollution, to the exclusive benefit of the fossil fuel industry."

See also the linked article entitled: "Planned Rollback of Climate Rules Unlikely to Achieve All Trump’s Goals".

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/27/climate/planned-rollback-of-climate-rules-unlikely-to-achieve-all-trumps-goals.html?_r=0

Extract: "Legal experts say it could take years for the Trump administration to unwind the Clean Power Plan, which itself has not yet been carried out because it has been temporarily frozen by a Supreme Court order. Those regulations sought to cut planet-warming carbon dioxide pollution from coal-fired power plants. If enacted, they would have shut down hundreds of those plants, frozen construction of future plants and replaced them with wind and solar farms."
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Rick Aster

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #173 on: March 29, 2017, 07:08:40 PM »
One researcher confirms a steady pace of deleted climate documents and data. Victoria Herrmann writing in The Guardian: "I am an Arctic researcher. Donald Trump is deleting my citations."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/mar/28/arctic-researcher-donald-trump-deleting-my-citations

Quote
Since January, the surge has transformed into a slow, incessant march of deleting datasets, webpages and policies about the Arctic. I now come to expect a weekly email request to replace invalid citations, hoping that someone had the foresight to download statistics about Arctic permafrost thaw or renewable energy in advance of the purge.

Jim Hunt

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #174 on: March 29, 2017, 11:08:56 PM »
My initial report on today's House Committee on Science, Space and Technology hearing on "Climate Science: Assumptions, Policy Implications, and the Scientific Method“:

http://GreatWhiteCon.info/2017/03/the-house-science-climate-model-show-trial/

My YouTube feed cut out at the point Dana Rohrabacher got rather angry with Mike Mann! Correlation or causation?
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DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #175 on: March 30, 2017, 01:28:44 AM »
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_58dbae95e4b0cb23e65d06f5?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

Quote
House Science Committee Chair Says Science Magazine Is Not ‘Objective’

Doh!!!


Pmt111500

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #177 on: March 30, 2017, 05:00:12 AM »
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_58dbae95e4b0cb23e65d06f5?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

Quote
House Science Committee Chair Says Science Magazine Is Not ‘Objective’

Doh!!!
Translation:
"House Science Committee Chair won't accept any medicines invented after 1930s"

AbruptSLR

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #178 on: March 30, 2017, 10:02:11 AM »
The linked article is entitled: "US climate science hearing descends into bullying 'food-fight'.  It appears that Lamar Smith is so embolden by Trump that he is now attacking scientists directly in open Congressional hearings.

https://phys.org/news/2017-03-climate-science-descends-bullying-food-fight.html

Extract: "Lawmakers and scientists called names, lamented Soviet-era tactics and accused each other of wrongdoing at a nearly three-hour hearing on climate science in the US capital on Wednesday.

Some colleagues had urged Mann to boycott the hearing, titled "Climate Science: Assumptions, Policy Implications, and the Scientific Method."

"In the past, the science community has participated in these hearings, even though questioning the basics of climate change is akin to holding a hearing to examine whether the Earth orbits the sun," wrote David Titley, a professor in the department of meteorology at Pennsylvania State University, in the Washington Post on Tuesday, the eve of the hearing."
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Rick Aster

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #179 on: March 30, 2017, 05:21:03 PM »
The climate office will probably be closed, but in the meantime, the term "climate change" is banned in all internal communication, according to a Politico source.

Energy Department climate office bans use of phrase ‘climate change’; The Office of International Climate and Clean Energy is the only office at DOE with the words ‘climate’ in its name, and it may be endangered as Trump looks to reorganize government agencies. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/energy-department-climate-change-phrases-banned-236655

Pmt111500

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #180 on: March 30, 2017, 07:14:53 PM »
The climate office will probably be closed, but in the meantime, the term "climate change" is banned in all internal communication, according to a Politico source.

Energy Department climate office bans use of phrase ‘climate change’; The Office of International Climate and Clean Energy is the only office at DOE with the words ‘climate’ in its name, and it may be endangered as Trump looks to reorganize government agencies. http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/energy-department-climate-change-phrases-banned-236655


Sad to see science disappear from the local politics. Is there any reason to buy anything technical from US anymore?

gerontocrat

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #181 on: April 01, 2017, 03:15:16 PM »
From the barentsobserver.com/en:-
Putin signals climate change might not be human made.

A new age of Russo/US cooperation dawns ?
"Para a Causa do Povo a Luta Continua!"
"And that's all I'm going to say about that". Forrest Gump
"Damn, I wanted to see what happened next" (Epitaph)

Jim Hunt

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #182 on: April 01, 2017, 03:21:49 PM »
Much more on the aftermath of Wednesday's House Science Committee "climate science show trial":

http://GreatWhiteCon.info/2017/03/the-house-science-climate-model-show-trial/#Apr-1

Judith Curry is doubling down on Mike Mann's allegations of "climate science denial" on her part:

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Today is All Fools’ Day, but this is no joke.

What on Earth are Rep. Higgins and ex Prof. Curry on about with all this “RICO” business?

"Would you be able to at some future date provide to this committee evidence of your lack of association with the organisation Union of Concerned Scientists and lack of your association with the organisation called Climate Accountability Institute? Can you provide that documentation to this committee Sir?"
"The most revolutionary thing one can do always is to proclaim loudly what is happening" - Rosa Luxemburg

wili

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #183 on: April 01, 2017, 03:39:50 PM »
RobertScribbler forceufully weighs in on the general subject here:

https://robertscribbler.com/2017/03/31/the-fires-of-history-yet-rage-climate-change-and-the-authoritarian-assault-on-liberal-democracy/

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You may today be cajoled — through the internet — by none other than oil billionaire, petrostate dictator, former KGB agent, democracy saboteur, and Trump-supporter Vladimir Putin who’d try to use his supposedly legendary charm (or the merciless intimidation of his online agents and surrogates) to convince you of the false notion that the climate is changing but humans aren’t the cause (see — Putin Defends Climate Deniers and Looks Forward to Arctic Melting). If you’re one of those strong-willed enough to wrench your mind from the grasp of a man and his army of 15,000 information warfare trolls spreading misinformation aimed at the advancement of his destructive wealth and power, you could use the same powerful tool to actually directly contact real scientists — who’d tell you that about 100 percent or more of present warming is now being caused by human beings. So you could then give Putin a very justified big, fat middle finger salute.
"A force de chercher de bonnes raisons, on en trouve; on les dit; et après on y tient, non pas tant parce qu'elles sont bonnes que pour ne pas se démentir." Choderlos de Laclos "You struggle to come up with some valid reasons, then cling to them, not because they're good, but just to not back down."

TerryM

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #184 on: April 01, 2017, 09:53:13 PM »
Putin calls on the US to join in efforts to save the polar bear and preserve arctic biodiversity.


https://www.rt.com/business/382837-putin-russia-united-states-arctic/


Why do people insist on calling one of the most popular politicians in modern times a dictator? Have words lost all meaning?


Terry

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #185 on: April 01, 2017, 10:57:10 PM »
Terry,

Sourced from this news outlet: https://on.rt.com/87kt  (or this version: https://www.rt.com/news/383069-peskov-cold-war-russia/ ),

 I came across the following quote:
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“New Cold War? Well, maybe even worse,” the Russian President’s spokesman told ABC News.“

I came to think, what is even worse than a new Cold War? Could it be a new business alliance between Trump and Putin aimed at melting the remaining sea ice this summer in the Arctic. The purpose seems to be to get US oil technology and Russian oil money into the game of ruining the rest of the Arctic ice masses, swiftly followed by a disturbance of the climate zones through twisted Jet Streams, leading to widespread disruption, regional conflicts and war. The latter would be called a collateral damage by some, but also a great opportunity for others to keep selling Russian Arctic oil and weaponry from both sides for decades to come.

Who ever thought up this plot, should be charged with crimes against humanity. The meaning of “Cold War” suddenly changes quite dramatically, if this potential alliance between the US and Russia bears fruit. Maybe “War against the Cold” would be a better phrase to use in this context.

DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #186 on: April 01, 2017, 11:45:24 PM »
Putin calls on the US to join in efforts to save the polar bear and preserve arctic biodiversity.


https://www.rt.com/business/382837-putin-russia-united-states-arctic/


Why do people insist on calling one of the most popular politicians in modern times a dictator? Have words lost all meaning?


Terry

Because he jails the opposition and protesters ??? Maybe he is popular in Russian. What is the view in the ex Soviet counties?  And I will trust they care about the environment when I see how the clean up the most polluted spots in the world in their own territory... 

https://sputniknews.com/russia/201704011052197679-russian-arctic-development-third-stage/

Pretty happy with an iceless Arctic...
« Last Edit: April 02, 2017, 12:00:08 AM by DrTskoul »

TerryM

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #187 on: April 02, 2017, 05:50:00 AM »

Because he jails the opposition and protesters ??? 

Would they be the same protesters that insisted on marching in an unauthorized protest that disrupted a transportation hub rather than agreeing to protest a few blocks away?



[/size]
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Maybe he is popular in Russian. What is the view in the ex Soviet counties?
Those ex Soviet countries in which he never ran?


Perhaps polling Bush or Trump's popularity in Canada or Mexico would offer similar results, but it still wouldn't make either a dictator.


[/size]
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[/size]
And I will trust they care about the environment when I see how the clean up the most polluted spots in the world in their own territory... 

https://sputniknews.com/russia/201704011052197679-russian-arctic-development-third-stage/

Pretty happy with an iceless Arctic...


Better to refuse any offer of cooperation I suppose, since they've done so well on their own.


Terry
Sorry about the [/size][size] stuff, can't seem to do away with them.

[/size]

Bruce Steele

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #188 on: April 02, 2017, 07:04:04 AM »
A few years ago I served a short stint on a water quality board that was collecting fees from farmers to test water quality in local watersheds from Monterey to Carpenteria Calif.  About one third of all streams were toxic to a water flea ( Ceriodaphnia Dubia )used to test water toxicity . That is water samples taken from local streams would kill the insects overnight in about one third of all samples . Samplers would count out fifty water fleas and place them in a stream water sample , they would also do another sample with a control with clean water.  I didn't do the sampling I just got access to the results.
 Chemical analysis revealed two insecticides were also present in the toxic samples in our area and other areas of Calif. that were kiliing the water fleas, and other insects. The EPA gave notice that the two insecticides responsible would be phased out . I thought giving farmers several years to find something to replace the chemicals responsible was generous to the extreme and I have been waiting ever since for the ban to go into effect. Diazinon and Chlorpyrifos were the two problem chemicals.
Today the EPA recended their our science advice and canceled the ban on Chlorpyrifos , the more toxic of the two problem pesticides.
 Scott Pruit and the EPA are probably putting human health at risk but they are also rendering whole watersheds toxic to the insect life that sustains fish populations.
 I wonder how long the clown show in Washington will go on ?  They are doing their damage while we argue about foreign meddling in an election campaign .  There isn't a single article about how this latest corporate handout will kill one more part of our native wildlife. I hope everyone enjoys their picture perfect produce.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/epa-scott-pruitt-overrides-agency-research-under-obama-pesticide-chlorpyrifos-farmers/


 

 

sidd

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #189 on: April 02, 2017, 07:18:33 AM »
Thanks for the heads up. How much do the tests for Diazinon and Chlorpyrifos cost ? I got at least three streams to test.

Bruce Steele

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #190 on: April 02, 2017, 07:43:32 AM »
Sidd, Here is a PDF with more explicit info about testing in the Salinas Valley. It was in the area of study for the board I served on. The test to  identify the pesticides in the water was an ELISA test. I was sitting as a farmer representative and I don't have a dollar estimate for the cost but I think getting some water fleas and doing some water tests would be fairly cheap. The brand names for Chlorpyrifos are Lorsban, Dursban and several others. Thank Dow Chemical.
 I think adding almonds to the international list of US crops in need of boycotts is in order.

http://www.ccamp.org/ccamp/documents/HuntSalinasStudy.pdf

pileus

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #191 on: April 02, 2017, 09:08:00 AM »
Putin calls on the US to join in efforts to save the polar bear and preserve arctic biodiversity.


https://www.rt.com/business/382837-putin-russia-united-states-arctic/


Why do people insist on calling one of the most popular politicians in modern times a dictator? Have words lost all meaning?


Terry

Pretty good April Fool's snark, actually elicited a hearty LOL.  Thank you.

sidd

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #192 on: April 02, 2017, 09:45:33 PM »
Thanks for the link, Mr. Steele.

Bruce Steele

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #193 on: April 05, 2017, 07:03:13 AM »
Sidd, Check out the photo op on today's  signing of executive order 13777. 
Like I said "thank Dow chemical"  when all the fish and amphibians disappear.

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2017/02/dows_liveris_stands_beside_tru.html

sidd

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #194 on: April 05, 2017, 08:47:17 AM »
I take it you mean

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/02/24/presidential-executive-order-enforcing-regulatory-reform-agenda

He's putting the bureaucracy in charge of making itself smaller ? I go and watch "Yes, Prime Minister" for a while. Or mebbe he should.

sidd

SteveMDFP

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #195 on: April 05, 2017, 03:49:18 PM »
I take it you mean

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/02/24/presidential-executive-order-enforcing-regulatory-reform-agenda

He's putting the bureaucracy in charge of making itself smaller ? I go and watch "Yes, Prime Minister" for a while. Or mebbe he should.

sidd

I think it's largely just for show.  He promised the corporate world a dramatic reduction in "regulatory burden." This order is something he can wave about to show he means business (pun intended).

The reality is that regulations are put forward mostly to implement statutory law.  If the underlying legislation is still in place, the regulations can't legally be just rescinded.  They *could* be revised, by the well-established lengthy process of publicizing proposed re-interpretations of the legislation, and public comment periods.  But any radical re-interpretations of law will be met with legal challenges that will slow this effort to a crawl.

Essentially, hs promise to reduce "regulatory burdens" can't effectively be delivered without changing a lot of laws in Congress.  Even with Rs in a majority in both Houses, this is a slow process.  And it will grind to a halt as the Gopenfuhrer loses friends on the Hill.

Archimid

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #196 on: April 05, 2017, 03:56:34 PM »
He is reducing regulatory burdens like mediocre administrators reduce cost. Just cut the budget and let lower employees figure out how to make it work.

When he was elected I though, hey maybe the guy actually has innovative ways to make policies that make the government more efficient. But no. Only mediocre middle management tactics to reduce cost. No innovative policies. No long term changes that make america great again.   
I am an energy reservoir seemingly intent on lowering entropy for self preservation.

Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #197 on: April 15, 2017, 01:00:52 PM »
I am unable to find words adequate to describe the destruction this administration is wreaking in order to provide a few years of profit for highly-polluting industries.

Trump-era damage to the EPA appears increasingly brutal
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-era-damage-the-epa-appears-increasingly-brutal
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.

DrTskoul

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #198 on: April 15, 2017, 03:25:16 PM »
He is reducing regulatory burdens like mediocre administrators reduce cost. Just cut the budget and let lower employees figure out how to make it work.

When he was elected I though, hey maybe the guy actually has innovative ways to make policies that make the government more efficient. But no. Only mediocre middle management tactics to reduce cost. No innovative policies. No long term changes that make america great again.

How would he know of any innovative policies?? Has he applied them in his businesses? Has any repub governor introduced such efficiencies? Has any repub lawmaker ever introduced a bill proposing such innovations? All they know is a guttural CUT CUT.

People ascribe way too much to the word Businessman. I am really baffled by the expectations....

Sigmetnow

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Re: Trump Administration Assaults on Science and the Environment
« Reply #199 on: April 19, 2017, 01:07:28 AM »
Climate Activists Plot How to Turn Anti-Trump Rage Into Anti-Trump Votes
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Activists planning the People's Climate March in Washington, D.C. on April 29 are mapping out a far more ambitious trek than that day's walk from the Capitol to the White House. They are trying to turn rage over the Trump administration's rollback of climate change policy and budget cuts targeting science into actual political clout.
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Climate activists had selected April 29 as a day of mobilization long before they knew that they'd be locked in battle with the Trump administration. Planning began last summer, with People's Climate March organizers hoping to reprise a 2014 protest in New York, when more than 400,000 people took to the streets ahead of a United Nations summit. It was the largest climate march in history. Organizers believe that the outpouring had helped prod President Obama and set the stage for the Paris accord the following year....
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18042017/climate-change-peoples-climate-march-environmentalists-donald-trump
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.