This and That

This . . . did you hear about this new pact that's being developed between those nation environmental bad boys, the US and Australia? A new climate plan, even better, than Kyoto. Part of the spin for those two countries in refusing to sign onto Kyoto was that developing nations, like India and China, were not included in that pact. And, of course, the incredible damage the dynamic duo would sustain monetarily.

Australia's Environment Minister Ian Campbell announced that this pact would be "even better" than Kyoto, as the new pact aims to reduce emissions by 50%, rather than the Kyoto 40%. And guess how they'd do that? By developing new technologies which the dynamic duo would sell to the lesser nations, thus killing two birds with one stone.

Why am I just a touch skeptical about this approach?

That . . . How did I miss that Tom DeLay is a member of the Christian Zionists, one of those freaky End-Time sects? Did you know these lunatics believe that the Iraq war is a "gateway to the Apocalypse"? What was I doing in 2002, that I missed all of this? What kind of nutcases are running this nuthouse, anyway?

Apparently the fundamentally Fundamentalists believe there's no reason to fret about our lil ole planet and its environment because we're all going to hell in a handbasket shortly, so why bother? Bill Moyers says it best: "One of the biggest changes in politics in my lifetime is that the delusional is no longer marginal."

This . . . (speaking of the environment) did you know CAFTA is a threat to the environment? Under CAFTA, corporations operating in the member countries (US and 7 Central American countries) can sue taxpayers if a country's environmental laws cut down on their profits. Just what the developing nations down in Central America needs, more environmental pressure on their fragile regions. The Sierra Club has some great information about this.

That . . . also from Gristmill, did you know that our friend DeLay has oh so surreptitiously inserted a $1.5 BILLION giftie to the oil industry? I think it's just swell that the American taxpayers will be subsidizing such a worthwhile corporate entity. And I think it's peachy the way Tom takes care of his own. I'm touched, really, at his thoughtfulness toward others.

Annie just saw "War of the Worlds" this evening. And she thinks she'll have trouble sleeping?

Until tomorrow,
Liz