Oceans Acidifying at an incredible Rate

“The Earth’s oceans may be acidifying faster than at any point during the last 300 million years due to industrial emissions, endangering marine life from oysters and reefs to sea-going salmon, researchers said.

The scientists found surging levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere forced down the pH of the ocean by 0.1 unit in the last century, 10 times faster than the closest historical comparison from 56 million years ago, New York’s Columbia University, which led the research, said yesterday in a statement. The seas absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, forming carbonic acid. The lower the pH level in the seas, the more acidic they are.

Past instances of ocean acidification have been linked with mass extinctions of marine creatures so the current one could also threaten important species, according to Baerbel Hoenisch, the paleoceanographer at Columbia who was lead author of the paper that appeared in the journal Science.”  Read more

Kasich to refuse Federal help for storm victims

Unbelievable, but true
What could be more of a kick in the face than to have the top elected official in your state come in after the storm has wiped you out to tell you that he will turn down offers of help for you? What a great time to pull out the ideological anti-federal crap. Of course, the storm did not touch Kasich personally, so what does he care?
Neighboring governors in Indiana (R – Daniels) and Kentucky (D – Beshear) immediately asked for the aid.

ALEC
Linked here is a great read I found on Dailykos concerning ALEC and the Republican Party’s push to end Medicare. This is quite serious stuff. Republicans have a real war plan to end any type of social programs, attacking on the state level, at the national level and through their ownership of newspapers, radio and TV. Take a few minutes to read about it here

Odd encounter at Muscatine legislative forum.
In response to a question from the leader the CLAM (Clean Air Muscatine) group, Muscatine representative Mark Lofgren told the lady to “keep her Iowa City politics in Iowa City.” I am not sure that is an exact quote as, like most I was only semi paying attention. But he said it in an almost angry manner which got every one’s attention. That remark was in no way pertinent to the question. And the lady in question actually lives in Muscatine.

When asked about his remark by a later questioner, Lofgren stated (somewhat defensively, I thought) he was born and raised in Muscatine. Most of us filled in the next sentence, although he did not state such.

We live midway between Iowa City and Muscatine. When we shop out of town we like to go where our business is appreciated. We have noticed a real change in attitude in the Muscatine business community in the past few years. They don’t seem to want our business. Beieve me, I won’t go where I am not wanted. Iowa City businesses are more than happy to have our money. Thanks to Mark Lofgren for saying out loud what we have been feeling for quite a while.

Republicans Kow-towing to Limbaugh.
Still waiting for one Republican office holder or candidate to come out and condemn what Rush Limbaugh said. But I won’t hold my breath. For some reason Limbaugh and Grover Norquist hold more power in the Republican Party than any elected official or candidate. Remember that next fall: the true power in the Republican Party are a couple of non-elected people who can tell elected officials when to jump and how high.

Eugene Robinson on Limbaugh:
“How’s this for political cowardice? Right-wing bloviator Rush Limbaugh launches a vile attack, full of sexual insults and smarmy innuendo, against a young woman whose only offense was to speak her mind. Asked to comment, the leading Republican presidential candidates — who bray constantly about “courage” and “leadership” — run from the bully and hide.

“I’ll just say this, which is, it’s not the language I would have used,” said Mitt Romney. I wonder what language Romney thinks Limbaugh should have used to call Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke a “slut” and a “prostitute.”
“He’s being absurd, but that’s, you know, an entertainer can be absurd,” said Rick Santorum. I doubt seriously that Fluke found it entertaining, in an absurdist kind of way, when Limbaugh creepily suggested she and other women post sex videos on the Internet. I hope and trust that Santorum wasn’t entertained, either.”