Pollution Must Not Be Trying Hard Enough

Republicans say environmental regulations kill jobs; therefore, pollution must create jobs.

Except that is not what I found. My guess is pollution isn't trying hard enough to find jobs. No good lazy pollution.

The facts are the top 25 cleanest cities for year round particulate pollution have an average unemployment rate of 7.4%

The top 25 dirtiest cities for year round particulate pollution have an average unemployment rate of 9.7%

The national average is 8.8%.

If you look at the Top 10 Cities in each category then you find that the cleanest cities have a median unemployment rate of 6.3% and the dirties Top 10 have a median unemployment rate of 12.5%.

So I can literally claim that pollution doubles unemployment.

This myth is busted.

Stephen Colbert explains it further:

The Colbert Report
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Sources:
-American Lung Association State of the Air 2011 City Rankings: http://www.stateoftheair.org/2011/city-rankings/
(I chose year long particulate pollution as the best proxy for overall environmental health factors)

-Bureau of Labor Statistics Unemployment Rates for Metropolitan Areas: http://bls.gov/web/metro/laummtrk.htm

The data from my spreadsheet:

‪Dirtiest (yr round particulate) ‬ ‪Unemployment rate‬
‪#1: Bakersfield-Delano, CA ‬ ‪13.7‬
‪#2: Visalia-Porterville, CA‬ ‪ ‬ ‪15‬
‪#2: Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ ‬ ‪8.1‬
‪#2: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA 11.3‬
‪#5: Hanford-Corcoran, CA ‬ ‪14‬
‪#6: Fresno-Madera, CA ‬ ‪14.9‬
‪#7: Pittsburgh-New Castle, PA ‬ ‪6.8‬
‪#8: Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman, AL ‬ ‪8.9‬
‪#9: Cincinnati-Middletown-Wilmington, OH-KY-IN 8.7‬
‪#10: Modesto, CA ‬ ‪15.1‬
‪#10: Louisville-Jefferson County-Elizabethtown-Scottsburg, KY-IN ‬
‪9.6‬
‪#12: Charleston, WV ‬ ‪7.5‬
‪#12: Steubenville-Weirton, OH-WV ‬ ‪10.4‬
‪#12: Cleveland-Akron-Elyria, OH ‬ ‪7.6‬
‪#15: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH ‬ ‪8.5‬
‪#15: Indianapolis-Anderson-Columbus, IN ‬ ‪8.1‬
‪#17: St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL 8.7‬
‪#17: Detroit-Warren-Flint, MI ‬ ‪11.7‬
‪#17: Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX ‬ ‪8.6‬
‪#20: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV ‬ ‪8.9‬
‪#21: New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA 8.3‬
‪#22: Lancaster, PA ‬ ‪6.4‬
‪#22: Dayton-Springfield-Greenville, OH ‬ ‪9.2‬
‪#24: Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN 7.9‬
‪#24: Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD 8.4‬
‪#24: York-Hanover-Gettysburg, PA ‬ ‪7.4‬
‪#24: Parkersburg-Marietta, WV-OH ‬ ‪8.2‬
‪ ‬
‪Cleanest (yr round particulate) Unemployment rate‬
‪#1: Cheyenne, WY ‬ ‪6‬
‪#2: Santa Fe-Espanola, NM ‬ ‪5.4‬
‪#3: Tucson, AZ ‬ ‪8‬
‪#4: Great Falls, MT ‬ ‪6.4‬
‪#4: Honolulu, HI ‬ ‪5.7‬
‪#6: Anchorage, AK ‬ ‪6.2‬
‪#7: Albuquerque, NM ‬ ‪6.9‬
‪#7: Amarillo, TX ‬ ‪6‬
‪#9: Redding, CA ‬ ‪13.5‬
‪#10: Salinas, CA ‬ ‪10.1‬
‪#11: Bismarck, ND ‬ ‪2.5‬
‪#12: Boise City-Nampa, ID ‬ ‪8.5‬
‪#13: Billings, MT ‬ ‪5.4‬
‪#14: Flagstaff, AZ ‬ ‪7.3‬
‪#14: Sarasota-Bradenton-Punta Gorda, FL ‬ ‪11‬
‪#14: Fort Collins-Loveland, CO ‬ ‪6‬
‪#14: Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL ‬ ‪11.2‬
‪#14: Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL ‬ ‪11.6‬
‪#19: Claremont-Lebanon, NH-VT ‬ N/A
‪#20: Rapid City, SD ‬ ‪4.2‬
‪#20: Port St. Lucie-Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 13.7‬
‪#22: Duluth, MN-WI ‬ ‪6.5‬
‪#23: Fargo-Wahpeton, ND-MN ‬ ‪3.3‬
‪#24: Burlington-South Burlington, VT ‬ ‪4.2‬
‪#24: Bangor, ME ‬ ‪6.4‬
‪#24: Orlando-Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL ‬ ‪10.2‬
#12: Cleveland-Akron-Elyria, OH 7.6
#15: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 8.5
#15: Indianapolis-Anderson-Columbus, IN 8.1
#17: St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL 8.7
#17: Detroit-Warren-Flint, MI 11.7
#17: Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX 8.6
#20: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV 8.9
#21: New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA 8.3
#22: Lancaster, PA 6.4
#22: Dayton-Springfield-Greenville, OH 9.2
#24: Knoxville-Sevierville-La Follette, TN 7.9
#24: Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD 8.4
#24: York-Hanover-Gettysburg, PA 7.4
#24: Parkersburg-Marietta, WV-OH 8.2

Things That Seem Related

Feels like there is a short line between these two items.

St. Pete Times: Billionaire's role in hiring decisions at Florida State University raises questions

...George Mason University, a public university in Virginia which has received more than $30 million from Koch over the past 20 years.

Wired: Climatology-Defying Paper Yanked for Plagiarism

The report in question was prepared by Edward Wegman of George Mason University. In it, he criticized the methods used to generate a version of the hockey stick graph generated by Michael Mann, a Penn State climatologist.

Craziness In Wisconsin

As Ezra says: Wisconsin is about power, not money

But not the power he is talking about.

Rather, it appears that Billionaire Brothers’ Money Plays Role in Wisconsin Dispute (NYT) by Privatizing Wisconsin (Felix)

...a particularly audacious section of the Wisconsin budget-repair bill yesterday: the governor can sell off any state-owned heating, cooling, and power plants he likes, at any price, to anybody he wants, without any kind of auction or bid-solicitation process, and such a sale would be defined as being in the best interest of the state and to comply with criteria for certifying such a transaction.

A pet phrase of mine is "we accuse in others what we fear most about ourselves". Unless you have a nefarious intent, in that case a best defense is to go on the offense, what you do is you accuse in others first what you plan to do later.

Like this whole rigmarole about Obama being a flavor-of-the-month-ist and he's going to take guns, property, and your religion. Meanwhile Republicans do want to give things from individuals to corporations. Well played.

Did Corporations Conspire On The Latest Election?

I don't think too much should be taken from the election results other than old people voted and young people didn't. Unlike in 2008.

But there are three things that are bugging me.

1. Corporations have reported record profits. See: Profits have surged 62 percent from the start of 2009 to mid-2010 under Barack Obama

2. There was an alliance between businesses and Republicans to buy political advertisements. See: Spending blitz by outside groups helped secure big GOP wins

3. Some of these ads were based on Jedi mind tricks to get people to vote against their interests. See: How Neuromarketers Tapped the Vote Button in Your Brain to Help the GOP Win the House

So, the question is, normally businesses invest in new "things" with their profits, people, machinery, etc; but why did businesses refuse to hire new employees with their record profits and instead donate these to a political party? Why keep unemployment artificially high? What do corporations want in return?

Sovereignty

I wonder what the Red Staters think about this?

Via DuluthNewsTrib: Red Lake Tribal Council declares lands ‘wolf sanctuary’

the Red Lake Tribal Council voted to adopt a management plan that designates more than 843,000 acres of tribal lands in eight Minnesota counties as a “wolf sanctuary.” The band Wednesday issued a news release saying tribal laws will supersede state laws.

Which reminds me of a tribe in South Dakota offering access to safe abortions in the event the state banned them.

The sovereignty of the tribal areas really isn't disputed from what I can tell; unlike the sovereignty of the States. Tea Partiers are of the opinion that the sovereignty of the States is being infringed and so the "real America" has the right to secede. Yet, when the states exercise their sovereignty in ways the Tea Partiers disagree with then they are for federal control. Two examples are Republicans being unhappy with state-level medical marijuana and domestic partnership laws.

By The Time I Get To Arizona

I was recently shown a nasty Facebook thread that began with the status update of "hey Arizona - notice how every WWII movie begins with 'Show Me Your Papers'" and it quickly devolved from there with one side arguing that it is great to arrest people who are breaking the law and the other side arguing against profiling.

Neither side came together which is unfortunate.


Points Republicans should concede:
1. their argument against gun laws is that the existing laws need to be enforced first. If illegal immigration is by definition illegal, then like gun laws, don't we just need to better enforce the existing laws?

2. this is a role for the federal government

3. Arizona has a history of poor race relations and so the law is viewed skeptically by outsiders

4. economic studies clearly indicate immigrants (illegal or legal) improve the economy

5. This law has the potential to escalate violence at the border and at routine traffic stops, etc

Points Democrats should concede:
1. Arizona passed this law due to frustration with the federal government's efforts to halt illegal immigration

2. Arizonans in favor of this law don't care about the Constitutionality aspect and probably passed it to bait the federal government into acting.

And we can all agree that the current situation is not tenable but Arizona SB 1070 is not a tolerable solution.

It seems that John McCain's original plan was fairly balanced as it worked to secure the border and offer temporary work programs to undocumented workers. But he was forced to change his position to appeal to the pre-Tea Baggers. Too bad.

Presented By The Law Of Uninteded Consequences

Via INFRASTRUCTURIST: Is the Low Gas Tax Costing You More Money on Car Repairs?

Here's the math from the link:
Car repair costs due to roads in poor condition = $300 - 400
Raising the gasoline tax to pay for road repair, cost to the average driver = $150

Hey Conservatives - Don't Let Facts Get In The Way Of Your Opinions

From the FourthBranch.com: Government Spending

This is a map showing which states paid more in taxes than they received back from the Federal government (red states were getters, blue states givers):


and this is from the last election:

There is a very strong correlation, then, between a state voting for Republicans and receiving more in federal spending than its residents pay to the federal government in taxes (the rust belt and Texas being notable exceptions). In essence, those in blue states are subsidizing those in red states. Both red and blue states appear to be acting politically in opposition to their economic interests. Blue states are voting for candidates who are likely to continue the policies of red state subsidization while red states are voting for candidates who profess a desire to reduce federal spending (and presumably red state subsidization).

All of this makes current Republican rhetoric frustrating, to say the least. Republicans tolerated spending under Republican presidents for 30 years, accounting for 59% of our total national debt, all the while benefiting from federal spending at the expense of their counterparts in blue states, only to then go bananas when a Democratic president and Congress spend money to rescue a floundering economy.

[Via Ezra]

Brilliant Politics

President Obama made a lot of noise by opening up some parts of the continental shelf to drilling, then a couple of days later the E.P.A. released new fuel economy standards for cars and trucks AND issued rules for how much CO2 cars can release.

Funny that the drilling got all the attention but the E.P.A. are what will really matter.

We are in the midst of a political magician.

See:
U.S. Issues Limits on Greenhouse Gas Emissions From Cars

Offshore Drilling's Payoff May Not Be Energy

Crash Course On Palestine

The Israel-Palestine conflict is not something I follow closely, but I think I understand it much better after reading Juan Cole's The Map: The Story of Palestinian Nationhood Thwarted After the League of Nations Recognized It

Bicyclist Have A Posse

It is the Federal Department of Transportation.

See FC: Transportation Secretary Announces "Sea-Change" for American Transport: Bikes!

LaHood's announcement... is backed by a set of eight guidelines, which will be sent to state DOT's and communities:

* Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.
* Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.
* Go beyond minimum design standards.
* Collect data on walking and biking trips.
* Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.
* Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)
* Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.

Which frankly all sounds rather dull, but here's the important thing: LaHood, as Transportation Secretary, is essentially saying, "If you want federal DOT dollars, you better think more seriously about adding bike paths to the projects you propose."

Can't Say These Stories Redeem WalMart

I still prefer quality over always low prices. But still, these make my head spin a little:

FC: Will Walmart's "Sustainability Index" Actually Work?

and 11 Ways That Walmart Is Changing Retail -- for Good

TheAtlantic: The Great Grocery Smackdown

Update - how could I forget the story of Snapper lawn mowers and WalMart. From 2006, see The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart Stories like this are why the superstore cannot be redeemed anytime soon.

More People Sounding Like Noreena Hertz

Refreshing to hear leaders talk about a "third way" or what others have called compassionate capitalism; what Noreena calls Co-Op Capitalism.

Slate: The French president declares that capitalism can be made kinder and more humane. Good luck with that!

The Guardian: Business as usual will sink capitalism

Follow Up To Open Source Climate Science

In news that I see as related to 'Climategate' - the Office of Science and Technology Policy is asking for input regarding tax payer supported research.

See Techdirt: White House Wants Input On Public Access Rules For Federally Funded Research

Comments are welcome on the OSTP blog.

Thoughts On Climategate

Lots of summary at TheAtlantic: ClimateGate III: The Mystery of the Missing Data and BoingBoing: More Insight on Those Leaked Climate Change Emails

My thinking is this:
- this is one data set of many
- climate based observations (e.g., sea ice extent, sea level rise, mtn glaciers, species movement, etc) all point to climate change
- based on source code comments the predictive climate computer model has serious problems
- this "scandal" demonstrates why open data and open source software are so important
- it is odd that the climate change deniers who are hyping Climategate are generally the same people who have been silent on the much more troubling problems with electronic voting machine software

I Hate Hate Crimes

Bloomberg: Expansion of Hate-Crime Law Gets Final Congressional Approval

This is a problem. There's no such thing as love crimes. Crime is crime. When it is associated with what someone thinks then that is a problem.

For example, I hate people who drive Pontiac cars; I don't hate [insert a minority here]. But if you cut me off in traffic and later I punch you in the face that is a crime. I don't get extra punishment because I hate you for choosing a ridiculous car; however, if you can convince a jury that I hated you because of your minority status then I get in extra trouble. That's not right.

You cannot legislate morality. You cannot make what people think a crime.

Public Options

There's been a lot of hyperbole about the public option for health insurance. So I made a list of services that have thriving private industries that compete with a basic option offered by the government. And in these cases it seems that by the government offering or sponsoring a similar service it is allowing private companies to focus on their core competencies rather than driving private industries out of business.

- the post office competes with UPS, FedEx, DHL, etc.
- Social Security competes with all of the other retirement savings plans
- private mercenaries take jobs from the U.S. Military
- electricity in the first half of the Twentieth Century (See: How FDR Enacted his “Public Option”)
- telephone service in rural areas (See: History of Rural Telecommunications)
- Amtrak competes with other commuting and traveling options
- roads are paid for with taxes yet there are still private roads
- School. This may be the biggest one of all. Almost everyone sends their kids to public school (a public option). Use private school and you're elitist; home school and you're a little odd yet earnest. And education is very much in your hands. Like health... how you take care of yourself influences how healthy you are. A government paid insurance plan would still allow people to get their own private insurance but you could still take care of yourself at home if you choose.

So my question for people is: if you're against the "public option" does that mean you avoid all of the public options?

And what is interesting is in reading the history of these various policies all of the arguments were made then as we're hearing now regarding health insurance. Namely, government has no role in providing education/electricity/phone service and that private companies cannot compete with a public sponsored service. It really is like they all work from the same template. Or mad lib.

Comparing The Government Option In Health Care And Parcel Delivery

The US Postal Service has emerged as the example of a "public option" that conservatives point to when they argue against government sponsored health insurance. See: Post office wrong target for conservatives

Yet, as posted at FiveThirtyEight: Picking on Cliff Clavin, FedEx and UPS thrive despite the USPS but they also hand off packages to the USPS in rural areas where the private carriers don't want to go. And it is the rural population that is more conservative. Perhaps they should think about if they'd get any parcel delivery at all if it weren't for the "public option".

The Arguments Against Inter-City Rail Make The Best Argument For It

And that is inter-city rail will encourage population density.

See Newsweek: High-Speed Boondoggle: Why Obama's bet on rails is an expensive mistake

What works in Europe and Asia won't in the United States. Even abroad, passenger trains are subsidized. But the subsidies are more justifiable because geography and energy policies differ.

Densities are much higher, and high densities favor rail with direct connections between heavily populated city centers and business districts. In Japan, density is 880 people per square mile; it's 653 in Britain, 611 in Germany and 259 in France. By contrast, plentiful land in the United States has led to suburbanized homes, offices and factories. Density is 86 people per square mile. Trains can't pick up most people where they live and work and take them to where they want to go. Cars can.

Distances also matter. America is big; trips are longer. Beyond 400 to 500 miles, fast trains can't compete with planes. Finally, Europe and Japan tax car transportation more heavily, pushing people to trains. In August 2008, notes the GAO, gasoline in Japan was $6.50 a gallon. Americans regard $4 a gallon as an outrage. Proposals for stiff gasoline taxes (advocated by many, including me) go nowhere.

Why Women And/Or Canadians Should Run The Banks

I've long felt that women make better managers, and most organizations would be better off if they were led by the more rational gender.

See CSMonitor: More women in finance, a more sustainable economy

Studies indicate that women are more comprehensive thinkers and less attracted to excessive risk than are their male peers. It seems we have reached a fairly broad consensus on the meltdown: Guys were the ones flying too close to the sun.

Canadians make good leaders/bankers too. See NewsWeek: The Canadian Solution