Nature: Congress Has Not “Grasped the Scale” of the Energy Problem

[...]judging from the version of the bill passed by the House of Representatives last month, none of these [pressing] concerns are being properly addressed by the Congress. For a start, the bill obstinately declines to take seriously the need to cut carbon emissions. It does nothing to contain the demand for oil through the most obvious mechanism, the imposition of modest fuel-efficiency standards for cars and light trucks. And it fails to authorize any substantial revival in energy research spending, which has been steadily run down from its peak in the aftermath of the 1974 energy crisis.

[...]even the Senate seems to lack the will to seriously confront the consequences of the US addiction to oil imports. The bill will provide generous subsidies for clean coal and nuclear-power generation, and less generous ones for renewable energy sources. But in a country where about two-thirds of energy use is for transportation, it seems unlikely to bite the bullet and take steps to reduce oil consumption. The Senate could start to address this by, for example, promoting new cellulose-based biofuels (not to be confused with the existing ethanol programme, which is designed primarily as a subsidy machine for corn farmers.) It could also yet decide to insist on new fuel-efficiency standards.

But many leaders in the Congress seem to prefer to squabble over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, rather than address the issue of oil consumption. The impression continues to grow that the president and congressional leaders want to win on the Alaska refuge primarily to rile environmentalists, rather than to obtain oil. Oil companies are barely registering an interest, the political and economic costs being so high.

As is usual for legislation of this type, the House bill is laden with goodies for special interests, including some $2 billion for deep gas drilling, subsidies for those keen to build nuclear power stations, and various tax breaks. But even the corporate giveaways—which are valued by some critics at $8 billion over ten years—are paltry by Washington’s standards of profligacy. This is further proof, if any were needed, that political leaders just haven’t grasped the scale of the problem.

Editorial - maybe evangelicals do not worry about the future because they think there will be a return of the mesiah so what does it matter how they live now in relation to the natural environment and future generations? It is quite ironic for them to be so pro-life but favor policies that could make life much harder for the "unborn" they are trying so hard to save.

Monsanto Study Shows Possible Adverse Health Effects of GM Corn

t r u t h o u t - Health Fears over Secret GM Food Study

New Scientist Features - 11 steps to a better brain

New Scientist Features - 11 steps to a better brain

Manual Dexterity helps Cloners

Scientists use low-tech tool

"This work can be done much better in Oriental hands," cloning master Hwang Woo-suk recently told the journal Nature Medicine. "We can pick up very slippery corn or rice with the steel chopsticks."

Home made water filter (but not a purifier)

Water filters -- "All you need is terracotta clay, a compliant cow and a match."

Like Oxy-Clean but with Water instead of oxygenated baking soda

Wired News: Super Water Kills Bugs Dead

Finding Brown Trout in Spring

Hit The River Mouth For Brown Trout

The most productive colors I've found are all silver, silver-blue, silver-green, silver-orange, pearl or hammered silver. It pays to have a few brass or copper spoons as well, and brightly colored lures should be used on sunny days and brass or copper on dark days. I've caught some fish on black or purple spoons, too, in case anyone is interested.

Note to Self - Where Sanorum goes look 180

The Believer - New York Times

Fundamentalism, whatever the form, is the true enemy of the United States.

Thank You Fox!

Do we send "THANK YOU" to peter?

All Purpose Burger Medley

Warm weather has returned to Northern Michigan and with it; outdoor cooking.

Here's a burger mix recipe I developed last year (I like it best with ground turkey).
For each pound of ground turkey or beef mix in:

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 minced garlic clove
1/4 tsp paprika powder
1-2 TBsp Worcestire sauce

Mix it all up and then grill to perfection. Each pound of meat will make
three big burgers or four smaller ones.