Step right up to this week’s Carnival of the Green (#6), being hosted by Jen’s Green Journal, a blog that explores issues of peace, justice, Green Party politics, direct action, civil disobedience, economic equality, environment, and electoral politics.
Click on the link above to get to the Big Top!
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Tagged blogging, carnival of the green, environment, fair trade, green blogs
I just found out that this morning my uncle died yesterday – I have written about it on my personal blog. He was my dad’s youngest sibling. There are five siblings, my dad being the next to oldest. Uncle Jerry died from complications due to cancer, a fairly recent diagnosis.
I am sad today and won’t be writing much as I reflect on the circle of life.
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December 12
1916
Dr. Ben Reitman was arrested in Cleveland for organizing volunteers to distribute birth control information at an Emma Goldman lecture on birth control. He was sentenced to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, plus court costs.
1958
Reverend Maurice McCrackin sentenced to 6 months for war tax resistance.
Today is my middle child, Brian’s, birthday. He is 19! Hard to believe. Brian is the only one of my children who really likes it here in Utah. He has adjusted fine to living in the west and at this point in time has no desire to move back east.
We took him out to dinner tonight, made a cake for him earlier today and gave him money so he could get more guitar gear. He is happy.
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David Rovics sent out this message last week:
I haven’t recorded it yet, but I thought I’d send on this lyric since it’s so very in season. Hope to see you on the road and in the streets!
–David
Wal-Mart
David Rovics
There’s a thousand acres becoming clear
Cut down the forest, the big one’s here
Cover the ground with a mass of tar
Make sure there’s room for every car
One floor half mile massive sprawl
One store wonder super mall
It’s spreading out far and wide
Taking over the countryside
Say goodbye to your forests, they’re going down
Wal-Mart is coming to town
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Not surprisingly, the United States has refused to join new talks
aimed at producing a new set of binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions that would take effect beginning in 2012, according to a Washington Post article reprinted in today’s Deseret News.
All other industrialized nations have agreed to participate in this new round of talks on the issue. The U.S. has agreed, however, to engage in “non-binding” dialogue without any commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions associated with climate change.
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There is a lot of controversy over the lawsuit against Utah Highway Patrol by the Utah Atheist organization. The lawsuit aims to get the crosses taken off of state highways that memorialize state highway officers. Atheists have made it clear that they want the officers to be memorialized, just not with Christian symbols.
I can understand the latter point.
I’m personally not sure, however, that a lawsuit is necessary and that, as with all activist issues, protests, letters, and other methods of being vocal about the issue might be more appropriate.
The families of slain officers have been hurt by this action and further feel that the timing of the lawsuit with the holiday season was insensitive.
I can understand that point too.
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It’s all over the Utah news today:
‘More Santa than Scrooge’: Huntsman’s budget buoyed by surpluses, growth
More Santa than Scrooge: Record budget, $60M tax cut
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. on Friday laid out a nearly $10 billion blueprint for state spending that includes record high funding for education and highways – yet manages to include a $60 million tax cut.
In short, the state is wallowing in money.
The articles state that the increases in budgets will go to increased salaries of teachers and other state employees and for roads and buildings, student growth and Medicaid – all worthy causes.
But if there is so much money as to afford a tax cut ( for rich people – they get more money as things become more scarce) why can’t that surplus instead be allocated to much needed services such as heat assistance and other necesseties for the poor and low income?
Cautious optimism is the buzz for opposition to storing nuclear waste in Utah.
Two investors in Private Fuel Storage have withdrawn their support in the venture to store nuclear waste on the Goshute Reservation in Utah.
Xcel Energy was one of those supporters, with 34% responsibility for PFS’s budget.
Environmentalists are optimistic that this could mean the demise of PFS, while acknowledging at the same time that this is not necessarily an end to the venture.
PFS officials claim that there are other investors waiting to be part of the project.
Elected officials are optimistic that PFS will not realize its vision of a waste repository in Utah’s west desert.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 