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Global Warming Needs “New Look” at Mechanisms Involved As Europe struggles with another week of sub-zero temperatures- (Russia and the Ukraine have reported –40 degree temperatures and considerable loss of life)- recent discoveries have been causing “the Greenhouse Gas Gang” some additional loss of composure. Last year, according to the January 14,2006 of “New Scientist” magazine, environmental engineer Frank Keppler, and his colleagues at the Max Planck Institute discovered that living plants emit a significant portion – 10% to 30 % ,depending on the season – of the methane –a more serious greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide- that makes its...

US move paves way for new climate change talks By Fiona Harvey in Montreal Talks will begin next year on the future of international co-operation on climate change, after the US withdrew its objections to such discussions at the end of a marathon negotiating session on Saturday in Montreal. The agreement was hailed as a “triumph” by the UK, which chairs both the Group of Seven leading economies and the European Union. Critics of the United Nations-brokered Kyoto protocol on climate change have called for its demise since it was signed in 1997. But at the weekend the Kyoto process...

BRUSSELS -- The speaker of Belgium's parliament has canceled a lunch with his Iranian counterpart because the visiting Tehran delegation insisted that no alcohol be served, officials said on Thursday. Confirming a report in the daily De Standaard, a parliamentary spokesman said that the lunch scheduled for Friday was called off because "we didn't want to bow to outside rules", although talks are still scheduled. Assembly chief Herman De Croo told the Flemish-language daily that he had not received a written request about the booze ban, "but I was told indirectly that they were asking for alcohol not to be...

NEW YORK - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton criticized the Bush administration's record on unemployment, women's rights and the environment, saying it is "intent upon consolidating and abusing power." "We are living in a time when the other side doesn't want us to see the facts. Facts are inconvenient — facts about global warming, facts about mercury in the air, facts about people staying unemployed longer," said Clinton, considered a Democratic contender for the presidency in 2008. The former first lady spoke Monday at a New York Women for Hillary breakfast, which raised $250,000 for her 2006 Senate re-election campaign. She...

Ukraine intends to join to the Group of State against the Corruption. The President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko said about it, coming out on the plenary session of the 3rd Summit of EC-Council heads of states and governments. According to his words, the new Ukrainian power declared the war against the corruption and wishes to win by all means including the legal mechanisms created by the Council of Europe, reported "UNIAN." As used here, mentioned Yushchenko, Ukraine ratified the Civil Convention against the Corruption and is going to join the Group of the States against the Corruption. He also pointed...

We’ve all been had. The bottom has long since fallen out of the key group that master-minded the Kyoto Protocol credit scheme, but nobody seemed to have joined the dots. It all began with the flight of Canadian Maurice Strong’s Earth Council from Costa Rica as noted by the National Post’s Peter Foster in May, 2004. With no fanfare, the Earth Council landed in CH2M Hill’s Consumer Road Toronto office towers. The Costa Rican government has been pursuing the Earth Council for payment of U.S.$1.65 million, for the wrongful sale of a tract of land it imprudently donated to the...

The phrase, “Level Playing Field,” was coined in the 1980s, according to The Phrase Finder, to mean fair competition with no advantage to either side. Today, I hear this phrase used more often in politics—from both the Left and the Right. Somehow, I think this phrase has become contaminated, depending on one’s viewpoint or naiveté. Coming from the Right, this probably means “idealism.” Coming, though, from the Left, I suspect that it means that they want welfare from the USA, or they prefer to blame the USA for its capitalism and imperialism and look to either Socialism or Communism as...

(AP) - Euthanizing terminally ill newborns, while still very rare, is more common in the Netherlands than was believed when the startling practice was reported a few months ago - and experts say it also occurs, quietly, in other countries. Dutch doctors estimate that at least five newborn mercy killings occur for every one reported in that country, which has allowed euthanasia for competent adults since 1985. In 2002, doctors at University Medical Center Groningen helped create the so-called Groningen protocol, a list of standards for performing and reporting euthanasia of newborns with serious, incurable deformities. The aim was to...

Here, the World Bank saw opportunity. One leaked document exposed World Bank plans to profit handsomely by charging a 5% commission on carbon transactions in a self-appointed role as a broker between Northern and Southern governments and industries. (The commission - which the Bank now claims is merely to cover costs - will be closer to 8-10%.) With a potential market in carbon dioxide that could reach $2 billion by 2005, the World Bank noted in the leaked memo, it could quickly earn $100 million in one year - and that was just for starters. Why is there so much...

Price of Carbon on the Rise MONTEVIDEO, Feb 22 (IPS) - The Industrial Revolution in the Western world, responsible for much of the pollution now threatening the planet's very existence, was fuelled by the drive for profit. How ironic, then, that profit motives form part of the Kyoto Protocol, which entered into force last week as a means of obliging the wealthy industrialised countries to curb emissions of the gases that cause global warming and climate change. Carbon dioxide, one of the ”greenhouse gases” that trap heat in the earth's atmosphere, is now a tradable commodity. It is currently selling...

I'm working on writing letters to a number of former Congressmen. What is proper form in the address block? Is it The Honorable Joe Schmoe Former U.S. Congressman Address, City, State, Zip Dear Congressman Schmoe: Or is it The Honorable Joe Schmoe Owner, Joe Schmoe's Post-Congress Company Address, City, State, Zip Dear Former Congressman Schmoe

Shortly after our first son was born, our attention shifted with friend's, to the arrival of their new baby boy. The day brought both joy and tragedy. Their son was alive, but had been born with a severe birth defect that threatened both his immediate survival and hope for a normal life beyond. I cannot imagine the strength that it took for them to endure the first few seconds of birth, through the perserverence of the weeks, months, and even years of care, pain and surgery. An easier decision might have been made elsewhere in the world for them, despite...

The diabolical plan of the Kyoto Treaty is to banned cars, destroy Industry and lower your lifestyle. They are using the environmental movement to try and complete this diabolical plan. This is really just a plan to bring back Communism under a new name. So the people who want Communism are using the Kyoto Treaty to take Americas wealth and redistribute under the name of "Environmentalism". Have you heard of "global warming"? This is the first issue environmentalist are trying to use to rob America. There is no scientific evidence to back claims of man-made global warming. Period...End of story...Or...

Blair Seeks To Secure Bush Backing For New Climate Treaty: TimesBritish Prime Minister Tony Blair is seeking to secure US President George W. Bushs backing for a new international treaty that would end US isolation in the fight against global warming, a newspaper said Thursday. The prime minister's office confirmed that Blair had held "lengthy discussions" with Bush about a fresh initiative that would bypass Washingtons opposition to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, The Times said. One source described the deal as "Kyoto-lite," it said. [My comment: the current Kyoto Protocol is really "Kyoto-lite". This would be Kyoto-ultralite.] The deal would...

After a brief respite from external reality attending to personal matters, nothing jolts one back to blogosphere like the knowledge that Western Civilization is crumbling around us. Some physical traits are genetically recessive. So to, it seems that both stupidity and insanity are recessive among generations of humanity. Little more than 70 years ago, one of the most progressive nations on the planet pursued a ‘just’ system of genetic filtration in league with an alliance for world domination. What evolved was the greatest nightmare the world has yet known, as millions of men, woman, and children were terminated in line...

EU presses US to follow suit, after Russia ratifies Kyoto BRUSSELS : The European Union executive welcomed the Russian parliament's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on global climate change -- and immediately called on the United States to follow suit. Brandishing a bottle of champagne, EU environment chief Margot Wallstroem trumpeted Europe's leading role in backing Kyoto, while outgoing European Commission chief Romano Prodi said the news was good for generations to come. "No news could be more welcome in my last few days in Brussels," said Prodi, who is due to leave office next week at the end of...

Portugal facing EU action for lax disposal of ozone-depleting pollutantThe European Commission has launched legal action against Portugal for failing to enforce laws regulating the disposal of old refrigerators and air conditioning units containing ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), enviromentalists said Friday. Quercus, a leading Portuguese environmental group, said it received a letter from the EU Environment Commission last month informing the group that Brussels was opening a probe into complaints that Lisbon has not provided sufficient CFC recycling facilities. The group complained to Brussels last year that only 0.5 percent of roughly 500,000 old CFC-containing equipments were disposed of properly in...

2. The two memos refer to a flight physical and a flight review board, both IAW ("in accordance with") AFM 35-13. But that would stand for "Air Force Manual" 35-13, and manuals are guidelines only. They have no regulatory authority. No one takes a physical exam, flight or not, IAW a manual. Manuals relate to operational procedures, not enforcement of standards. Especially would a "flight review board" not be convened IAW a manual. Enforceable regulatory authority in the military derives only from two sources: the Uniform Code of Military Justice and orders. Regulations are a type of written order issued...