Motley Moose – Archive

When patent-lawyer and ex-Deputy Assistant Secretary at Obama’s Commerce Department, Ro Khanna, announced his intentions to run against incumbent Democrat Mike Honda, the national media was a buzz – a liberal with a high-tech sparkle running to represent Silicon Valley.  And with him, he brought some of Obama’s OFA team whose high-tech approach to GOTV was credited in Obama’s victory. The shiny new tech-savvy candidate who promised, “change”, dazzled many of the local progressives. The message and OFA-esque graphics were exactly what you would expect from Khanna’s campaign consultant, OFA hero Jeremy Bird.

Khanna got a quick fundraising boost from many high-tech corporate elites, no doubt they liked his pro high-tech talk and Commerce Dept. credentials. Of the approximately 1200 people running for congress in America, he is number 2 with big money donors.

Thursday June 6th President Obama came to Palo Alto, CA for a fundraiser. 350 Silicon Valley was determined to make sure he heard our opposition to the KXL pipeline.

Thursday was also my nephew’s high school graduation. Our family is very proud of him; school has not been easy for him because of ADHD, he had to work harder than most to achieve this goal. My sister with her famous stubborn determination kept him focused and busy. He has exceeded expectations by excelling at school, dance and sports. After receiving his diploma the crowd chanted for him to do a flip, which he did to cheers. I have complete faith he will continue to impress people with his innocent charm and determination as he heads to college and beyond.

Afterwards I drove with my wife and our 9 year-old to join 350 Silicon Valley. In the back of my mind were the 282 recent graduates, wide-eyed and hopeful, but what is their future? A crappy job market, overbearing student loan debts and severe weather are already stacked up against our new graduates. As a father, uncle and human being I feel the need to work towards improving these conditions. None are more urgent than Climate Change.

While Congress is busy chasing the next great conspiracy in Benghazi or voting to repeal Obamacare for the 37 millionth time – the arctic icecap is quickly disappearing.

In early April, Carlos Duarte warned that the Arctic summer sea ice was melting at a rate faster than predicted by conventional climate models, and could be ice free as early as 2015 – rather than toward the end of the century, as the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected in 2007. He said:

“The Arctic situation is snowballing: dangerous changes in the Arctic derived from accumulated anthropogenic green house gases lead to more activities conducive to further greenhouse gas emissions. This situation has the momentum of a runaway train.”

Nazfeez Ahmed

American media is busy reporting on issues important to us, such as Umbrella-gate or the British Royal family.

The disparity was greatest on ABC World News, which dedicated 43 segments to the royal family and only one to climate change. NBC Nightly News wasn’t much better, devoting 38 segments to the royals and only 4 to climate change. CBS Evening News covered climate change the most — in 7 segments — but still less than its 11 segments on the royal family.

This ongoing imbalance was illustrated just last week when scientists announced that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is set to surpass 400 parts per million, likely for the first time in human history. ABC World News and NBC Nightly News ignored the story, even as NBC found time to cover Prince Harry’s visit to the United States.

Media Matters

While Congress is busy chasing the next great conspiracy in Benghazi or voting to repeal Obamacare for the 37 millionth time – the arctic icecap is quickly disappearing.

In early April, Carlos Duarte warned that the Arctic summer sea ice was melting at a rate faster than predicted by conventional climate models, and could be ice free as early as 2015 – rather than toward the end of the century, as the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected in 2007. He said:

“The Arctic situation is snowballing: dangerous changes in the Arctic derived from accumulated anthropogenic green house gases lead to more activities conducive to further greenhouse gas emissions. This situation has the momentum of a runaway train.”

Nazfeez Ahmed

American media is busy reporting on issues important to us, such as Umbrella-gate or the British Royal family.

The disparity was greatest on ABC World News, which dedicated 43 segments to the royal family and only one to climate change. NBC Nightly News wasn’t much better, devoting 38 segments to the royals and only 4 to climate change. CBS Evening News covered climate change the most — in 7 segments — but still less than its 11 segments on the royal family.

This ongoing imbalance was illustrated just last week when scientists announced that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is set to surpass 400 parts per million, likely for the first time in human history. ABC World News and NBC Nightly News ignored the story, even as NBC found time to cover Prince Harry’s visit to the United States.

Media Matters

While Congress is busy chasing the next great conspiracy in Benghazi or voting to repeal Obamacare for the 37 millionth time – the arctic icecap is quickly disappearing.

In early April, Carlos Duarte warned that the Arctic summer sea ice was melting at a rate faster than predicted by conventional climate models, and could be ice free as early as 2015 – rather than toward the end of the century, as the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected in 2007. He said:

“The Arctic situation is snowballing: dangerous changes in the Arctic derived from accumulated anthropogenic green house gases lead to more activities conducive to further greenhouse gas emissions. This situation has the momentum of a runaway train.”

Nazfeez Ahmed

American media is busy reporting on issues important to us, such as Umbrella-gate or the British Royal family.

The disparity was greatest on ABC World News, which dedicated 43 segments to the royal family and only one to climate change. NBC Nightly News wasn’t much better, devoting 38 segments to the royals and only 4 to climate change. CBS Evening News covered climate change the most — in 7 segments — but still less than its 11 segments on the royal family.

This ongoing imbalance was illustrated just last week when scientists announced that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is set to surpass 400 parts per million, likely for the first time in human history. ABC World News and NBC Nightly News ignored the story, even as NBC found time to cover Prince Harry’s visit to the United States.

Media Matters

While Congress is busy chasing the next great conspiracy in Benghazi or voting to repeal Obamacare for the 37 millionth time – the arctic icecap is quickly disappearing.

In early April, Carlos Duarte warned that the Arctic summer sea ice was melting at a rate faster than predicted by conventional climate models, and could be ice free as early as 2015 – rather than toward the end of the century, as the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projected in 2007. He said:

“The Arctic situation is snowballing: dangerous changes in the Arctic derived from accumulated anthropogenic green house gases lead to more activities conducive to further greenhouse gas emissions. This situation has the momentum of a runaway train.”

Nazfeez Ahmed

American media is busy reporting on issues important to us, such as Umbrella-gate or the British Royal family.

The disparity was greatest on ABC World News, which dedicated 43 segments to the royal family and only one to climate change. NBC Nightly News wasn’t much better, devoting 38 segments to the royals and only 4 to climate change. CBS Evening News covered climate change the most — in 7 segments — but still less than its 11 segments on the royal family.

This ongoing imbalance was illustrated just last week when scientists announced that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is set to surpass 400 parts per million, likely for the first time in human history. ABC World News and NBC Nightly News ignored the story, even as NBC found time to cover Prince Harry’s visit to the United States.

Media Matters

The Obama administration has done environmentalists a favor by delaying the Keystone XL pipeline decision until June. This will allow activists across the country extra time to raise awareness. Of course it would be easier if he just nixed the whole project, but he seems to like a slower, more reasoned approach with wide public support. This is why it is so important that we take it to the streets. He wants our voice… he wants our support. The Sierra Club, 350.org along with many other organizations are coming together next Sunday for the Forward on Climate rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC. If you can’t make it to the DC event, worry not, chapters of 350.org have coordinated events in solidarity across the country.

Cross-Posted from Daily Kos…

Gun violence has not stopped, neither has the conversation on how to reduce it. Today Joe Biden continues the discussion at WhiteHouse.gov.

Recently my wife and I attended Bill McKibben’s “Do the Math” tour, we were both excited, yet a little nervous. Would we understand the math…would we understand the science? Neither of us have abilities to debate the merits of the endless research papers and reports of scientists in white smocks, this is to be argued by people dressed in fancy suits (somewhere plumbers are not found), but we do understand their decisions will affect us and the world in which our 8 year old daughter will live.  Thankfully Bill made it easy for us, we both got it, we understood the urgency, we understood the math.  < img src="your image's URL">

Recently my wife and I attended Bill McKibben’s “Do the Math” tour, we were both excited, yet a little nervous. Would we understand the math…would we understand the science? Neither of us have abilities to debate the merits of the endless research papers and reports of scientists in white smocks, this is to be argued by people dressed in fancy suits (somewhere plumbers are not found), but we do understand their decisions will affect us and the world in which our 8 year old daughter will live.

Thankfully Bill made it easy for us, we both got it, we understood the urgency, we understood the math.