sundance

Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline: the facts deserve repeating

Joe Nocera’s op-ed in the New York Times yesterday deserves a response and a reiteration of the facts surrounding the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. President Obama rejected the pipeline’s permit last month when the GOP, in a political stunt, forced his hand to approve it without even the final route evident.

Naked news: Islamic cleric bans women from touching bananas, et al

• In “I Can’t Believe It’s Not a Joke” news, an Islamic cleric bans women from touching bananas and cucumbers to avoid them having sexual thoughts.
  
  
• Mint.com’s “page not available” page has a kinda funny personal ad.
  
  

Keystone XL and jobs: just more pipe dreams

Photo credit: EcoWatch

This week the GOP leadership, once again, has sided with Big Oil against the will of the American people. They are trying to circumvent President Obama’s decision to further investigate the impacts of the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. GOP leadership is instead advocating for granting the permit now, or else they will hold up important legislation meant to benefit real people’s real lives.

They want you to believe it’s about jobs, but that’s not what the facts bear out. Just take a look.

Redford Says, “Thank You, Mr. President”

“This is American democracy at its best: a President who listens to the voice of the people and shows the courage to do what’s right for the country. Thank you, Mr. President, for standing up to Big Oil. Thank you for standing up for us all.” – Robert Redford on Keystone XL Pipeline decision, Nov. 10, 2011.

Redford urges Obama to stop the Keystone XL pipeline

Robert Redford delivers a powerful message to President Obama, asking him to say no to the Keystone XL pipeline that threatens to destroy “the bread basket of America” so big oil can turn a profit.

Green tech finds, 10/6/11

A plug-in outdoor table, and how your labtop might contribute to rainforest destruction: this week’s green tech finds.

Wisconsin as a microgrid hub: There’s more than ugly political battles going on in the Badger State. A university-industry consortium announced an initiative to establish “microgrids” at UW campuses in Milwaukee and Madison over the next two years. (via @RepowerAmerica)

Redford speaks out on Obama and sparks political debate

If you haven’t been over to the Politico blog yet today, you might want to head over and check out the brewing debate started by Redford’s comments on Obama’s lackadaisical stance on environmental issues, which originally appeared on the Huffington Post. Politico’s short version of Redford’s longer piece is:

Is the Obama administration putting corporate profits above public health?

One reason I supported President Obama is because he said we must protect clean air, water and lands. But what good is it to say the right thing unless you act on it? Since early August, three administration decisions – on Arctic drilling, the Keystone XL pipeline and the ozone that causes smog – have all favored dirty industry over public health and a clean environment. Like so many others, I’m beginning to wonder just where the man stands.

Green tech finds (1/27/11)

Electric scooters, drainwater heat recovery, and 313 mph… this week’s green tech finds.

• 80% by 2035: Hard to think of any bigger news this week than President Obama’s call for massive investment in clean energy technology… with a goal of 80% of the US’ energy coming from “clean” sources by 2035. SustainableBusiness.com has some reactions to the POTUS’ declaration of a “Sputnik moment.”
  
  
• Green foundry jobs come to Michigan: The small town of Eaton Rapids will be home to a new foundry that will produce castings for wind turbines. (via MLive)
  
  

What you remembered about the State of the Union

Immediately after President Obama’s State of the Union address, NPR asked its listeners to describe his speech in just three words, which were all then compiled and put into Wordle, a fun word cloud generator. NPR received responses from over 4,000 people and the result above is a graphic representation of how in tuna people [...]

One year anniversary of Souza’s President Obama photo of the day

White House photographer Pete Souza has become a blogosphere (at least among the left side of it) favorite for his pictures of President Obama and his family, particularly his “Photo of the Day” (POD) that is featured and refreshed daily on the White House website. To mark its one year anniversary, Souza “chose the following [...]

Stephen Colbert: environmental activist

If you haven’t heard of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative before, no worries… neither had I (and I watch out for these things). But, while most of us have been watching for news of climate change legislation out of Washington (that’s still hung up), President Obama launched this effort “…to promote and support innovative community-level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces and to reconnect Americans to the outdoors” back in April. There have been listening sessions around the country all Summer long. And now, the deadline for a report from the the Secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is coming due (on November 15th).

The organic golf course: green or greenwash?

US presidents golfing on vacation is hardly news, but President Obama’s choice of a course for his ten days of family time in Martha’s Vineyard this month did make the New York Times… because the Vineyard Golf Club “is thought to be the only completely organic golf course in the United States…”

Graffiti art to be displayed in White House?

There may be street art hanging up inside the White House thanks to the British Prime Minister David Cameron’s gift to President Obama. In his first official visit to the White House, the Prime Minister presented a painting “Twenty First Century City” by Ben Eine, a familiar presence in the London street art and graffiti [...]

Community organizing meets weatherization: WeatherizeDC

Critics from both right and left have pounced on President Obama’s Oval Office address last night as lacking in substance, and even purpose. But David Roberts at Grist noted that weatherization, an important element of any energy and climate plan, was one of the specifics Obama did mention as means of lessening the country’s reliance on fossil fuels (and also lessening the potential for disasters like the Gulf oil spill).

Mark Zuckerberg is a Wiener and the BP Oil Spill Sucks

A sign warns the public away from the beach on May 23, 2010 on Grand Isle, Louisiana. With oil covering many of the beaches, officials closed them to the public indefinitely on Saturday. Officials now say that it may be impossible to clean the coastal wetlands affected by the massive oil spill that continues gushing [...]

Shepard Fairey at Deitch Projects

Shepard Fairey, the artist who made Obama and Andre the Giant graphic art poster boys is showing a new collection of work at Deitch Projects, which will be closing its doors for good. May Day, an exhibition of new work by Fairey, will be the famed gallery’s final project. Coinciding with the show Fairey will [...]

Keith Haring and Obey

Modern Art fans may want to walk this year’s AIDS Walk in NYC. Shepard Fairey, famous for his iconic Obama poster and Andre the Giant/Obey street art/clothing label is donating a free shirt to anyone who walks with the Keith Haring Foundation’s team. The shirt features an image of Haring, a victim of AIDS, taken [...]

Pres. Obama’s edits to HCR speech

The political and news blogosphere was recently ablaze over this amazing photo (view larger size here) snapped by White House official photographer Pete Souza and posted on the White House Flickr site. Back when the outlook on the passage of a health care reform bill seemed bleak, President Obama went on the offensive to persuade [...]

Signed, sealed, and delivered

From the White House official Flickr photostream is President Obama’s official signature on the historic health insurance reform bill signed yesterday, March 23, 2010. If you’re wondering why the signature looks a little strange, it’s because in ceremonial White House tradition on momentous legislation, President Obama used 20 different pens to sign this bill.

Time Runs Out But Climate Talks Continue, Draft Deal Tabled

Just before 01.00 on Saturday morning, a number of heads of state and government agreed on a draft climate agreement at the UN conference in Copenhagen. The draft includes agreement on the target of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius and on money for climate financing.

A Copenhagen Climate Accord, Not Nothing, But Not Enough

After a marathon all night session at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen, talks aimed at reaching a deal to limit greenhouse gases warming the planet ended with what UN Secretary-General Ban ki-Moon called an “essential beginning” that contains progress on all key fronts.

Obama: this joke’s on you

The Los Angeles Times has caught up with the artist responsible for those Obama/Joker posters popping up around your local healthcare town hall. And shockingly, he’s not a Republican. He’s a Kucinich supporter.

How’s President Obama doing on his energy and efficiency promises?

The House’s passage of Waxman-Markey (aka the American Clean Energy and Security Act) isn’t just a step forward in moving the United States away from addiction to fossil fuels, and towards a cleaner energy economy; it’s also evidence that President Barack Obama plans to fight for many of the campaign promises he made on energy and the environment. Candidate Obama laid out a very ambitious and comprehensive approach to energy policy, recognizing that it’s intimately tied to environmental concerns and economic growth and development.

Behind the Scenes with Shepard Fairey

A neat sneak peek into the behind the scenes of renowned and controversial street artist Shephard Fairey at his studio. If you’ve just woken up from a Rip Van Winkle nap and have no idea who he is, Fairey’s fame is bookend by his OBEY stickers early in his counter-mainstream days and most recently, his [...]