Post-Election Thoughts

A few things to keep in mind about the obstructionists in Congress.

• They are paid to work for the betterment of all people--not just the billionaires
• They are paid to work with the Executive branch to promote the general welfare not to sabotage said branch at the expense of the peoples' well-being
• Their oath is to the Constitution of the US, not a Norquist pledge
• They should not promote succession and government overthrow simply because their party lost the election 

Keep in mind that since election night the GOP has been talking about re-defining their party and expanding their base.  I think we're about to hear that they love everyone equally--women, Hispanics, LGBT, students, seniors--in other words lying.

Please, GOP, don't try to sell me the same tired policies wrapped in a shiny new package--find some new policies that offer real solutions for all 3.14 + million living in this country.

OK...I'm a big Pokemon fan and this latest meme just made me laugh out loud.  Team Rocket, that's right.  Read it left to right; in other words one sentence from Romney then one from Ryan and end with Meowth's line.  BTW, I know "fore" is wrong, but I'm not the one who did this...go complain to the original site:  http://weknowmemes.com/2012/09/romney-and-ryan-are-team-rocket/

So, I saw my first "FRACK ON" sign this summer.  It's less than a mile away from my home...(I wanted to put up my own "FRACK OFF" sign, but someone beat me to it.)  It grates on my nerves to have to see it every day.

Last week my son asked me how I felt about that sign--he likes to aggravate as much as any teen likes to...  but I laughed and said jokingly "If God doesn't think fracking is good for us, He'll take care of that sign."

To my surprise that night we had some windy weather...the sign blew down...in a few days the sign was back up only to have it completely disappear within two days...still not back up :)

Does this mean that God agrees with a Liberal tree hugger?  Someone should notify the Republicans.

"A water and methane geyser, bubbling water, and mud volcanoes have Pennsylvania shale-field residents scared and demanding answers.  A number of dramatic methane emissions were reported to have begun in Leroy Township, Bradford County on May 19, 2012. Initial reports from residents suggested that there may have been a substantial loss of control of natural gas from one or more of the shale gas wells in the area..."


Read more here: Independent study finds significant fault line methane leaks

CATHOLICS FOR OBAMA - BIDEN: Romney Profiting from Abortion

CATHOLICS FOR OBAMA - BIDEN: Romney Profiting from Abortion

Big Bang for the Fourth

Now that the God Particle has been found (well technically one that resembles the Higgs boson), science can move onto discovering things like sparticles, the sixth, seventh, eighth, eleventh, even twelfth dimensions or that mysterious stuff that dark matter is made of.  Congrats to all you smarter-than-me geeky science people.

CONNECT THE DOTS

There are significant health and environmental impacts when examining the full life-cycle of shale gas.

• Air pollution comes from the exhaust of generators and compressors (that run 24/7) at shale well sites, from heavy-duty truck traffic and from the venting of wastewater storage tanks.
• Shale development results in more emissions of greenhouse gases, smog-inducing compounds and other hazardous air pollutants than conventional oil and gas development.
• Increased use of shale gas instead of coal may actually accelerate climate change in the coming decades, not reduce climate change impacts.
• Air pollutants found near fracking sites include methanol, formaldehyde, carbon disulfide, and VOCs (including nitrogen oxides, benzene and toluene) are also discharged during fracking
• Emissions from well sites form ground-level ozone combine with particulate matter to form smog
• In Dish, Texas air samples contained high levels of neurotoxins and carcinogens
• In Wyoming, drilling and fracking have caused ground-level ozone pollution to exceed amounts recorded in Los Angeles.

Shale gas is not an alternative fuel that can serve as a bridge to a future powered by clean, renewable energy resources, but a path to more environmental degradation.

References:


Food and Water Watch. (2012, March). Fracking:  The new global water crisis.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2011, June). The future of natural gas: An
interdisciplinary MIT study.

Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Manchester. ( 2011, January). Shale gas: a provisional assessment of climate change and environmental impacts.

Brown, Stephen P.A. et al. (2009, December). Natural gas: a bridge to a low-carbon future? 



United States House of Representatives:  Committee on Energy and
Commerce. [Minority Staff Report]. (2011, April). Chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.
April 2011