WolfeNotes.com

(Privatization) + (Deregulation) + (Lax Oversight) = Waste, Fraud, and Abuse

[Update 8/15/11 - Defending the indefensible, DEP Commissioner Martin pens an Op-Ed in defense of the DEP Brownfield program: Turning N.J. brownfields green again.

I wonder if its mere coincidence that the Martin Op-Ed ran on the same day DEP proposed major new rules that dismantle the existing toxic site cleanup program and replace it with a privatized scheme. - end update]

Expressing Claude Rains caliber shock and outrage, the Star Ledger reports today that DEP and EDA failed to track where $281 million in “brownfields” toxic site cleanup money went, what it was used for, if the sites were cleaned up, if they were redeveloped, or if polluters should have paid for the cleanup.

N.J. officials didn’t track the $281M spent from brownfields fund to clean polluted properties

 

Since 1994, New Jersey has doled out $281 million from the fund to investigate and clean up contaminated land, but in what would seem a fairly monumental oversight, state officials acknowledge they have never kept track of whether the roughly 1,600 sites were actually developed and are now on the tax rolls.

The state Department of Environmental Protection, which certified that the dirty sites qualified for the fund, also concedes it never checked to see if those who caused the pollution in the first place should have picked up the tab.

And the Economic Development Authority, which processed applications and cut the checks, failed to follow up to determine whether its investment actually turned barren wastelands into taxable townhomes, restaurants and shopping centers. …

Under state law, polluters are liable to clean up their toxic sites. Some go belly-up and can’t pay, forcing the state to step in and use public dollars to clean up the mess. But others who may be able to pay walk away, and state officials concede they don’t know which ones should have been forced to pony up.

Why am I not surprised?

Because I’ve been blasting the broken DEP cleanup program for years now, watching toxic sites across the state poison communities, while advocating a specific policy reform agenda.

Because high profile sites like EnCap and Dupont and Ford and many others have exposed systemic and management problems at DEP  for years (thanks for Bergen Record coverage).

Those criticisms have been ignored in all policymaking and media quarters (again with the exception of the Bergen Record).

For the last 17 years, the Legislature, current Governor Chrisitie, and prior Governors Corzine, McGreevey, and Whitman (and their DEP Commissioners) have done nothing but rollback DEP oversight, weaken laws and regulations, cut budgets, and slash DEP staff.

It is well known in Trenton policy circles that:

• the Brownfields program was a corrupt patronage money pit
• there never was a site inspection and enforcement program in the DEP toxic site cleanup program 
• cost recovery actions against polluters have been paltry (at best)
• DEP lacks a priority system for ranking sites by the risks they pose
• the natural resource damages program has gone steeply downhill in securing compensation or restoration of natural resources harmed by toxic pollution

All these problems have been repeatedly documented, in dozens of cases, and for many years.

So in 2005, largely in response to the “Kiddie Kollege” daycare poisoning of 60 toddlers, the media finally started reporting in detail on how and why the DEP cleanup program failed because of all this.

But instead of fixing it, the politicians and media blamed regulatory oversight itself as the cause (not lax, understaffed, no enforcement oversight) and passed legislation to privatize the cleanup program (a law developed by Gov. Cozine, DEP Chief Lisa Jacskon, and a Democratic Legislature).

HELLO! Have Assemblyman McKeon and the Star Ledger been in a cave the last decade or so? If you vote for it, you bought it.

So if the Star Ledger and Assemblyman McKeon now have their panties in a bunch over DEP’s failure to oversee $281 million, just think about the human health and environmental consequences of the same failures to oversee toxic cleanups!

If DEP can’t track the easy stuff, like dollars and whether a site is redeveloped and on the tax rolls (at 1,600 sies), how can they monitor private cleanup contractors (at 25,000 sites)?

Maybe they all shoud have thought about beefing up DEP oversight and the failed cost recovery program BEFORE they privatized the cleanup program and turned it into an economic development tool and corrupt pay-to-play patronage mill.

Just maybe.

Illegal Paint Dumping at History Farm – Immoral Budget Dumping at Trenton Barracks

[Update: 8/2/11 - Trenton Times covers the story - but they left out the fact that the initial cleanup was limited to the puddle. The initial cleanup left over a 300 feet long, 2 foot wide paint gully remaining (see photo below). I had to go back to the site and basically threaten to get a DEP HazMat team to the site before I could convince the Park supervisor to direct the contractor to cleanup all the stained soil. As written, the Times story makes it appear that the Hopewell cops, DEP and the park supervisor were diligent. That is just not true. The cops were there for just minutes, issued no violations, and left before the half assed initial "cleanup" of just the puddles was done. Neither DEP (who deferred to Hopewell cops) nor the Park supervisor actually monitored the cleanup and neither verified that it was done right. I had to do that. Given this omisssion, my quote in the story makes it appear that I am only interested in taking credit, instead of the fact that I had to do so because others in positions of authority failed to do so. See: Contractor cleans up paint spill at Howell Living History Farm - end update]

Headed out for a lunchtime walk with my new pup Buoy to Baldpate Mountain yesterday, but ran into some trouble and never got there (see this for some Baldpate pics).

It was hot, so I thought we’d begin with a refreshing visit to the Creek that runs behind Howell Living History Farm before heading out (a Delaware tributary that runs parallel to Pleasant Valley Road) (see photo’s of the lovely history farm, a great place to bring the family!).

The Creek was bone dry, so Buoy scampered across and was headed for liquid refreshment from what I could see was a puddle. I grabbed him before he got there – a good thing - because the puddle was filled with a milk white substance I initially thought must be milk. The puddles had filled and drained off to the nearby dry steam bed.

I followed the stream of white fluid back up the hill towards its source on the farm. But about 300 feet later I came across painters, not cows. 

A general contractor (from Pennsylvania with a PA crew) told me he had washed out his equipment there – paint cans, brushes, etc. He told me not to worry, it was only latex paint. He had total disregard for the place – a County park – or the environment. When I told him that it was illegal to do that, he said: ”What else was I supposed to do with it (the paint)”.  Take a look at the white paint gully he created – it that ran for 300 feet or so:

dumped paint cuts a gully as it heads down the road towards the creek

I called the DEP Hotline to report illegal dumping (1-877-WARNDEP) and then headed over to the Delaware River so Buoy could get a much needed drink of water.

I returned to the scene of the crime about an hour later, and spoke with a Hopewell police officer.

Hopewell cops are known to be the law and order type (especially if you’re driving while black, if you know what I mean.) 

The cop advised me that the dumping had not reached the stream, that it was only latex paint, and that the contractor was going to clean it up and never do it again. That sounded like the Wall Street enforcement policy to me.

I guess assaults on the environment are no big deal to Hopewell cops – but better watch that speedometer in those 25 mph speedtraps that dot that upscale town.

So, I drove Buoy home, had lunch, and did a little Googling on the composition and toxicity of latex paint. Couldn’t find much, but did come across this:

Interior latex generally has low toxicity; exterior latex may still contain mercury-containing biocides. Any latex may contain mercury-containing biocides if manufactured before 1991. Some states do consider latex paint a hazardous waste.

and this, which particularly gave me pause, as ethylene glycol is the cause of death for thousands of dogs and cats, who find its sweet taste irresistable:

Latex paint was touted as the safer alternative to oil-based paint. But there are very harmful solvents used in latex paint that are hard to detect. Ethylene Glycol is one of the most commonly used latex solvents; it’s also used in anti-freeze, known for its toxicity. Common Latex paint is not as safe as many would like you to believe.

So about an hour later, I went back with my camera to document the cleanup.

The contractor had only dug out the puddles. Over 300 feet of white paint stained soil remained.

So, I complained again to the Mercer County Parks manager (Gary?), who then asked the contractor to do a complete cleanup of all paint stained soil. The contractor reluctantly agreed. It was now almost 4 pm, so I stressed the need to do it before Friday night’s rain. Greg agreed and suggested that the contractor tarp the soil he scraped up until he could remove it on Monday.

I’m headed back today (on bicycle) to see what was done. As I warned, it did rain heavily last night, so if there is no tarped soil pile, it may have all washed away into the creek and then the Delaware River. Just another non-point source pollutant. No big deal, right? WRONG. 

In other news, coincidentally, in metaphorical dumping on history, today’s Trenton Times reports that Governor Christie’s line item budget vetos include defunding the historic Trenton Barracks. The place survived the Revolutionary War, but not Christie’s attacks.

It survived the Revolution, but Christie budget reductions may cause Trenton barracks to close

TRENTON — The fate of the Old Barracks Museum, stripped earlier this summer of $375,000 in state funding, remains in limbo.

The museum, one of the few significant buildings remaining from the 1776 and 1777 Battles of Trenton, was one of five cultural institutions to lose direct funding after Gov. Chris Christie cut $900 million from the Democrats’ budget through line-item vetoes in late June.

This is not Governor Christie’s first assault on Trenton’s history. See: Christie Buries Trenton’s History – Kills 1730’s Petty’s Run Restoration

Just like that painter, Christie has no regard for the place or its history. The Governor has a warped view and perverse priorities. 

Christie Becomes a Victim of His Own Policies

[Update: 7/31/11 - today's Star Ledger finally covers the air pollution angle, but greatly downplays it, blaming primarily "heat and humidity" (the self serving Christie spin). The Ledger story also does not even mention global warming, which greatly exacerbates heat, humidity and pollution, and fails to connect the dots to Christie policy. Note to Star Ledger, report that the Governor is a victim of his own policies! - end update] 

Yesterday afternoon, the Star Ledger reported that Governor Christie was hospitalized for difficulty breathing. 

Today we learn it was the result of an asthma attack (see: Christie released from hospital after asthma attack).

Once again, our tabloid media reports only the most superficial and political aspects of the story, while missing the proverbial elephants in the room (no pun intended, despite the Governor’s morbid obesity).

As they say, the personal is political. 

In this case, there is a perverse direct connection between the Governor’s personal health crisis, and the “regulatory relief” policies he is implementing. (see also: Christie DEP Slashing Air Pollution Enforcement

Despite the golden opportunity to educate the public provided by the Governor’s misfortune, the media fails to report that NJ has the highest rate of asthma in the country.

Asthma is triggered by air pollution, specifically ground level ozone.

Global warming is increasing the number of bad air days when NJ fails to meet the ozone standard.

The entire state of NJ is not in compliance with public heath based federal ozone standards. Here is DEP analysis of the ozone risks:

“The Department estimates that attaining the Federal 1997 8-hour NAAQS for ozone in New Jersey would eliminate about 40,000 asthma attacks each year and substantially reduce hospital admissions and emergency room visits among children and adults with asthma and other respiratory diseases (NJDEP 2006 ozone report). As such, implementing the proposed RACT rules would not only yield greater air quality benefit, but also would save lives and money and provide better living conditions for the people of New Jersey, especially the susceptible populations. Based on an article in the April 2007 of Harvard Center for Risk Analysis’ newsletter “Risk in Perspective,” the Department estimates that ozone exposure results in increased deaths per year in New Jersey (“Relationship between Exposure and Mortality Risk,” Risk in Perspective, Vol. 15, Issue 2, p.1 (April 2007); available at http://www.hcra.havard.edu/perspective.html).

Additionally, other air pollutants, like fine particulates, trigger and worsen asthma attacks, leading to hospitalization and risks of death.

As I wrote, praising DEP’s adoption of a clean air rule:

Despite multi-billion record profits in the oil industry, these giant corporate polluters don’t want to spend money to reduce the death rate their products cause in NJ.

The public health stakes are huge – thus the inflammatory but accurate headline. But there really are lives at stake. Here’s why DEP is requiring that sulfur be reduced: (see page 18-20 of the DEP proposal)

The health effects associated with exposure to fine particles are significant, mainly due to the fact that particles of this size can easily reach into the deepest regions of the lungs.

Significant health effects associated with fine particles exposure include:
• Premature mortality;
• Aggravation of respiratory and cardiovascular disease;
• Decreased lung function and difficulty breathing;
• Asthma attacks; and
• Serious cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and cardiac arrhythmia.

The USEPA estimated that attainment of the 1997 annual and daily fine particles standards nationally would prolong tens of thousands of lives each year and prevent hundreds of thousands of hospital admissions, doctor visits, absences from work and school, and respiratory illnesses in children. Individuals particularly sensitive to fine particles exposure include older adults, people with heart and lung disease, and children. The elderly have been shown to be particularly at risk for premature death from the effects of particulate matter. Health studies have shown that there is no clear threshold below which adverse effects are not experienced by at least certain segments of the population. Some individuals who are particularly sensitive to fine particles exposure may even be adversely affected by concentrations of fine particles below the revised 2006 annual and daily standards. (72 Fed. Reg. 20586-20587 (April 25, 2007), Clean Air Fine Particle Implementation Rule) The USEPA is currently reconsidering those standards based on recommendations of its Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC).

According to the most recent Federal and State estimates, 765,125 New Jersey residents have asthma. In 2004, asthma sufferers in New Jersey accounted for 15,679 hospitalizations, which represents approximately one out of every 50 hospitalizations. Of these asthma hospitalizations, 5,175, or about one-third, were children. There were 1,838 deaths due to asthma between 1989 and 2003 in New Jersey. The risk of death from asthma increases considerably with age, with the over-65 population having the highest rates. (see: Asthma in New Jersey Annual Update 2006. New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, August 2006 (click on this for document)

SO2 causes a wide variety of health and environmental impacts because of the way it  reacts with other substances in the air. SO2 reacts with other chemicals in the air to form fine sulfate particles. When these are breathed, they gather in the lungs and are associated with increased respiratory symptoms and disease, difficulty in breathing, and premature death. Peak levels of SO2 in the air can cause temporary breathing difficulty for people with asthma who are active outdoors. Longer-term exposures to high levels of SO2 gas and particles cause respiratory illness and aggravate existing heart disease. (Sulfur Dioxide: Health and Environmental Impacts of SO2/Six Common Pollutants/Air & Radiation/USEPA. (click on this for document).

Increased ozone concentrations severely affect the quality of life for susceptible populations – children, the elderly, and asthmatics – and present health risks for everyone. Exposure to ozone for several hours at relatively low concentrations significantly reduces lung function and induces respiratory inflammation in normal, healthy people during exercise. This decrease in lung function is generally accompanied by symptoms such as chest pain, coughing, sneezing, and pulmonary congestion. (The Green Book Nonattainment Areas for Criteria Pollutants, United States Environmental Protection Agency, as updated August 17, 2007. Click on this for document)

NOx, as a precursor for both fine particles and ozone, will contribute to the health impacts associated with both fine particles and ozone. Ozone exposure can cause several health effects, including irritation of lungs. This can make the lungs more vulnerable to diseases such as pneumonia and bronchitis, increase incidents of asthma and susceptibility to respiratory infections, reduce lung function, reduce an individual’s ability to exercise and aggravate chronic lung diseases.

Attainment of ozone, fine particulate, hazardous air pollutant, and other public health based air quality standards will require a strong DEP and aggresssive enforcement of environmental regulations.

Yet Christie is slashing both! He’s become a victim of his own policies!

For details, see: “Big Oil Mounts Shameful Attack on Clean Air and Public Health”

The Governor needs to start listening to DEP scientists and abandon his attacks on environmental and public health protections.

As he now knows from personal experience, they are not “Red Tape”.

[Update: Just read the Bergen Record story - Predictably, the Governor tries to blame humidity and allergies. Either he intentionally avoided any links to air pollution, knowing that would expose a political vulnerability, or he’s in deep denial:

Christie uses an inhaler for asthma. He said his breathing problems were likely the result of humid weather and summer allergies.

They don’t make ‘em like this anymore (listen!)

The Fault Lies in Our Cars – Not in Our Trees

[Update: 8/16/11 - Sandy Bauers at the Philly Inquirer reports similar problems along Pennsylvania Turnpike: Highway agencies' tree cutting raises practical questions]

We’ve been following developments in ”The Great Tree Massacre” along the Garden State Parkway (see this and this and this).

Frankly, I thought we hit an absurd low when we revealed that Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) global warming funds were used to expand the NJ Turnpike and increase our carbon footprint. 

As I noted, from an environmental perspective:

Ripping off clean energy money to pay for projects that make our carbon footprint even bigger is warped

But today’s Press of Atlantic City story reveals that NJ Turnpike Authority officials have broken even more absurd new ground.

They are blaming the trees - not the cars, drivers, excessive speed, alcohol, congestion, weather, texting, or failure to use seatbelts - for roadway safety risks:

Garden State Parkway tree clearing caused public outcry, but state says it could save lives

 

The Garden State Parkway was designed to exhibit the natural beauty of the area it travels through, but dozens of people have died in recent accidents after striking trees that line the roadway.

That is an absurd statement – the large majority of highway fatalities are caused by a combination of factors that have little or nothing to do with trees (trees technically are a subset of what highway engineers call “roadside obstacles“).

Obviously, the Turnpike Authority is reacting to the huge public outcry against ”The Great Tree Massacre”.

They probably are doing this gross PR initiative in an attempt to minimize tree replanting requirements and to get out in front of expected huge public opposition to ANOTHER plan to Massacre 12 more acres of roadside trees. The AC Press reported:

The SJTA continues to clear trees to make room for its own ongoing highway widening from mileposts 8 to 31, planning to cut down more than 12 acres of trees along that length. Donelson said the authority submitted a plan in June to the Department of Environmental Protection that calls for planting new trees on 7.5 acres of SJTA-owned land and replanting the remaining acreage in adjacent properties.

Meanwhile, DEP Larry Hajna said the department is still reviewing a revised plan by the Turnpike Authority that would detail exactly how many trees must be replanted or how much money the agency must provide to the DEP in their place.

Will DEP rubber stamp this tree massacre plan too?

I grew up nearby and often travelled on the Taconic and Saw Mill River Parkways in Westchester County NY. The design of those roads is lovely – and corridor trees are the most important element in keeping the “park” characteristics in the “Parkway”.

It is simply mind boggling that NJ highway officials are being allowed to Massacre trees along the Garden State parkway.

The car is perhaps the single worst cause of multiple land use, environmental, energy, and public safety catastrophe’s.

So when state officials start blaming trees for our problems, you know we’ve truly entered The Twlight Zone.

” … our moral order has been turned upside down”

[Update #4 - LA Times: Activist who faked Utah energy lease bids sentenced to 2 years

Update #3 - big thanks to Sandy Bauers, who writes the "Green Space" blog at the Philadelphia Inquirer: Activist DeChristopher Gets 2 Years

The case hasn't received much attention around here, but New Jersey environmentalist Bill Wolfe has been following the action and blogged about it, saying, "My heart weeps – I am speechless and sickened with rage at this injustice," adding, "Tim is a hero. He was acting in the spirit of a long and noble tradition of American dissidents and heroes." Wolfe titled his post, "Hope is now a federal crime."

Update #2- Tim DeChristopher's extraordinary statement to the Court (h/t Scott Olson). Please read the whole thing - some highlights:

In fact, I have openly and explicitly called for nonviolent civil disobedience against mountaintop removal coal mining in my home state of West Virginia. Mountaintop removal is itself an illegal activity, which has always been in violation of the Clean Water Act, and it is an illegal activity that kills people. ...

This is really the heart of what this case is about. The rule of law is dependent upon a government that is willing to abide by the law. Disrespect for the rule of law begins when the government believes itself and its corporate sponsors to be above the law. ...

Mr. Huber claims that the seriousness of my offense was that I "obstructed lawful government proceedings." But the auction in question was not a lawful proceeding. I know you've heard another case about some of the irregularities for which the auction was overturned. But that case did not involve the BLM's blatant violation of Secretarial Order 3226, which was a law that went into effect in 2001 and required the BLM to weigh the impacts on climate change for all its major decisions, particularly resource development. A federal judge in Montana ruled last year that the BLM was in constant violation of this law throughout the Bush administration. In all the proceedings and debates about this auction, no apologist for the government or the BLM has ever even tried to claim that the BLM followed this law. In both the December 2008 auction and the creation of the Resource Management Plan on which this auction was based, the BLM did not even attempt to follow this law.

And this law is not a trivial regulation about crossing t's or dotting i's to make some government accountant's job easier. This law was put into effect to mitigate the impacts of catastrophic climate change and defend a livable future on this planet. This law was about protecting the survival of young generations. That's kind of a big deal. It's a very big deal to me. If the government is going to refuse to step up to that responsibility to defend a livable future, I believe that creates a moral imperative for me and other citizens. My future, and the future of everyone I care about, is being traded for short term profits. I take that very personally. Until our leaders take seriously their responsibility to pass on a healthy and just world to the next generation, I will continue this fight.  ...

I am here today because I have chosen to protect the people locked out of the system over the profits of the corporations running the system. I say this not because I want your mercy, but because I want you to join me. ...

At this point of unimaginable threats on the horizon, this is what hope looks like. In these times of a morally bankrupt government that has sold out its principles, this is what patriotism looks like. With countless lives on the line, this is what love looks like, and it will only grow. The choice you are making today is what side are you on.

I'm with you, Tim. - end update #2]

Update #1: 7/27/11 – An important message from Rising Tide – “We Won’t Be Intimidated“:

Next month in St. Louis, Rising Tide plans to bring this climate fight to Peabody Energy and Arch Coal’s front door.

Along with allies from throughout the Mid-West, we’ve organized the Midwest Rising Convergence on Aug. 12-15. Our movement is not only strong, it is growing..

We invite you to join us. Register here. – end update]

Defense attorney Ron Yengich said during trial that DeChristopher sought to give people hope in the face of environmental degradation, though the judge did not allow him to argue that his actions were necessary to save the planet. Before jury deliberations that some described as emotional, Yengich told jurors they would have to decide “whether a spur-of-the-moment desire for hope is a federal crime.” DeChristopher sentenced to prison, protesters jam commute

Tim DeChristopher just got sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for disrupting an illegal federal coal lease [correction: gas and oil auction by BLM].

In case you never heard of Tim, please watch and listen to Tim’s story.

My heart weeps – I am speechless and sickened with rage at this injustice.

For details of the case and followup activism, please see the “Peaceful Uprising” site.

Tim is a hero. He was acting in the spirit of a long and noble tradition of American dissidents and heroes, like:

Mario Savio -”Speech in Sproul Plaza” (Berkeley, December 2, 1964)  (watch it)

“And that, that brings me to the second mode of civil disobedience. There is a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part; you can’t even passively take part. And you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop. And you’ve got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you’re free, the machine will be prevented from working at all.”

Henry David Thoreau (”Civil Disobedience” (1849))

All machines have their friction; and possibly this does enough good to counterbalance the evil. At any rate, it is a great evil to make a stir about it. But when the friction comes to have its machine, and oppression and robbery are organized, I say, let us not have such a machine any longer. In other words, when a sixth of the population of a nation which has undertaken to be the refuge of liberty are slaves, and a whole country is unjustly overrun and conquered by a foreign army, and subjected to military law, I think that it is not too soon for honest men to rebel and revolutionize. …

Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also a prison. The proper place to-day, the only place which Massachusetts has provided for her freer and less desponding spirits, is in her prisons, to be put out and locked out of the State by her own act, as they have already put themselves out by their principles. It is there that the fugitive slave, and the Mexican prisoner on parole, and the Indian come to plead the wrongs of his race, should find them; on that separate, but more free and honorable ground, where the State places those who are not with her, but against her — the only house in a slave State in which a free man can abide with honor. If any think that their influence would be lost there, and their voices no longer afflict the ear of the State, that they would not be as an enemy within its walls, they do not know by how much truth is stronger than error, nor how much more eloquently and effectively he can combat injustice who has experienced a little in his own person.

Martin Luther King, Jr. ( “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” (1963)

But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their home towns: and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom far beyond my own hometown. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

Frederick Douglas (”No Struggle, No Progress” (1857)

The whole history of  progress of human liberty

shows that all concessions

Yet made to her august claims

Have been born of earnest struggle

If there is no struggle

There is no progress.

As Chris Hedges recently wrote about Tim in “This Hero Didn’t Stand A Chance”:

His prosecution is evidence that our moral order has been turned upside down. The bankers and swindlers who trashed the global economy and wiped out some $40 trillion in wealth amass obscene amounts of money, much of it provided by taxpayers. They do not go to jail. Regulatory agencies, compliant to the demands of corporations, refuse to impede the destruction unleashed by the coal, oil and natural gas companies as they turn the planet into a hothouse of pollutants, poisoned water, fouled air and contaminated soil in the frenzied quest for greater and greater profits. Those who manage and make fortunes from pre-emptive wars, embrace torture, carry out extrajudicial assassinations, deny habeas corpus and run up the largest deficits in human history are feted as patriots. But when a courageous citizen such as DeChristopher peacefully derails the corporate and governmental destruction of the ecosystem, he is sent to jail.

The rules are written by those who profit from the status quo,” DeChristopher said when I reached him by phone this weekend in Minneapolis. “If we want to change that status quo we have to step outside of those rules. We have to put pressure on those within the political system to choose one side or another.”

About a month ago, Alex, the caretaker of the property I live on, asked me if I wanted a puppy. He told me of a woman who rescued dogs from North Carolina shelters and said she had some Lab pups I might be interested in (I lost my 14 year old Yellow Lab Amber last winter, so Alex knew I was looking for a new friend).

So I said sure - ask her if she has a black lab and I’ll take him!

Well, last Friday I got a call that the woman had a dog for me and would be at a local farm – so I excitedly drove on over to check it out!

The woman’s name is Jessica and she runs an outfit called “Saving Fur Kids Rescue, Inc.” (great site, but bad music alert, so turn the sound off or way down). If you have a place in your heart and your home, please rescue one of Jessica’s friends!

So, now meet Buoy (boo – ee). About 3 month old male Lab - Boxer mix – isn’t he gorgeous!

As soon as we took him out of the crate in the back of Jessica’s truck, Buoy literlly jumped into my arms and started licking my face and neck!

He looked hot, so while we filled out the paperwork, I gave him a bowl of water – and on the way home, sure enough, Buoy deposited that in my lap!

But what a great dog. Smart, loyal and – for a puppy – incredibly calm demeanor with amazing discipline. House trained in 1 day. Learned to obey the sit command and stay by my side as I walk almost immediately – a real mind reader.

We are now working on “come”, “stay” and “fetch”!

Buoy doesn’t seem to like the water (yet!) and the only things he chews on are his toys and a pair of my old sneakers.   

The beginning of a beautiful friendship! Hope to soon embark on my Travels with Buoy!

Where are the Activists, Media and Scientists?

Model projection of the number of summer days with temperature over 90 degrees, Boston.

[Update #4 - 8/31/11 - Sandy Bauers of Philly Inquirer touched on role of climate change in Irene flooding - let's hope for a more focused  followup: While creeping development brings flooding, change is slow and costly. end update]

Update #3 – 8/7/11: Ding Dong the Witch is Dead! Jim O’Neill of the Bergen Record just connected some of the dots and broke the blackout! But Wolfenotes gets no credit for pushing the story. See: July was NJ’s 2nd-hottest month ever.  Put this quote in Neon lights in Times Square:

“Those data are completely consistent with our understanding of global warming,” said Alan Robock, associate director of the Center for Environmental Prediction at Rutgers. “As the average temperature of the planet warms due to human emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, individual locations are expected to follow the trend, but with a large amount of natural variability thrown in.”

That quote is almost as good as Jim Hansen’s take:

“The standard scientist answer is “you cannot blame a specific weather/climate event on global warming.” That answer, to the public, translates as “no”.  However, if the question were posed as “would these events have occurred if atmospheric carbon dioxide had remained at its pre-industrial level of 280 [parts per million] ppm?”, an appropriate answer in that case is “almost certainly not.” That answer, to the public, translates as “yes”, i.e., humans probably bear a responsibility for the extreme event.“

“In either case, the scientist usually goes on to say something about probabilities and how those are changing because of global warming. But the extended discussion, to much of the public, is chatter. The initial answer is all important. Although either answer can be defended as “correct”, we suggest that leading with the standard caveat “you cannot blame…” is misleading and allows a misinterpretation about the danger of increasing extreme events.

Update #2 - State Climatologist  Robinson today reminded me that the Asbury Park Press discussed extreme weather in a recent interview with him, published in this July 8 opinion Q&A. I am well aware of that, having corresponded with APP reporter Todd Bates (who has written about the issue on his blog) and editor Randy Bergmann on this issue before Robinson’s interview. But a single Q&A opinion piece does not alter my overall assessment that there is an ongoing news blackout of the issue. end update]

Update #1: 7/23/11 – Star Ledger links blizzard with heat wave – with this pathetic stunt.]

I frequently complain that local weathermen and media fail to connect the dots between extreme weather events and the predicted impacts of climate change (heat, drought, floods, wildfires, etc – see this for Northeastern US impact assessment).

Extreme heat and declining air quality are likely to pose increasing problems for human health, especially in urban areas.

Heat waves, which are currently rare in the region, are projected to become much more commonplace in a warmer future, with major implications for human health (see Human Health sector).^163,68

In addition to the physiological stresses associated with hotter days and nights,³⁶⁰ for cities that now experience ozone pollution problems, the number of days that fail to meet federal air quality standards is projected to increase with rising temperatures if there are no additional controls on ozone-causing pollutants^163,361 (see Human Healt h sector). Sharp reductions in emissions will be needed to keep ozone within existing standards.

Projected changes in summer heat (see figure below) provide a clear sense of how different the climate of the Northeast is projected to be under lower versus higher emissions scenarios. Changes of this kind will require greater use of air conditioning (see Energy sector).

But now the coverage is even worse than just ignoring the gorilla in the room.

Media are now actively misleading readers by attributing the cause to “heat domes” and writing about trivial effects (horse racing), instead of real causes and the huge implications.

We have a huge teachable moment that we are not capitalizing on – the world is on fire!

After a week into a record heat wave, do you think news editors could dedicate just ONE story to the extreme weather link to global warming?

The only thing I’ve seen is Todd bates’ blog at the Asbury Park Press.

Maybe environmental groups might hold a press conference to educate the public and force the media to engage the story?

This is particually timely and important, with public hearings on the Christie Energy Master Plan rollback scheduled for next week (see: CHRISTIE ABRUPT ABOUT-FACE ON GREEN POWER — Nuclear and Natural Gas Touted; Conservation Incentives to be Zeroed Out)

Just think if a river conveniently caught on fire the week before hearings on Clean Water!

Or an oil spill occured a week before a public hearing on offshore drilling!

Maybe the State Climatologist should step outside his narrow and conservative science orientation and speak out to educate the public.

How bad does it have to get before someone speaks out and takes action?

Where is the leadership?

Hit this link - Watch, read, learn – and DO SOMETHING.

[Update: Timid EPA sure won’t go there – they safely advise the public of only air quality issues.

Climate change not even mentioned. See:   EPA and New York City Urge People to Save Energy, Money and the Environment on Hot Summer Days

Not to worry, we’re only experiencing ”hot summer days”.

You know, like, from my childhood –  the famous Nat King Cole song (listen):

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer