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November 30, 2005
Lorax attends the COP
by Sylvia S Tognetti
Earlier today, the Lorax made an appearance in Montreal at the COP 11 climate meetings, to speak for the trees. In case you missed it, a few months ago I posted an ode to the Lorax by Jesse Ribot. I now have a video version that features the full set of illustrations that I will post as soon as I can figure out how to get it to a manageable size for downloading.
I have been to frantic to write any substantive posts and will be for at least a few more days but, for some live reporting from COP 11, and to find out who won the fossil of the day award this time, see the daily Climate Action Network newsletter . And, of course, the Earth Negotiations Bulletin. Meanwhile, at the new blog launched by EcoEquity, Paul Baer challenges factually challenged reporters. I nominate CNN, MSNBC, and any other media source that spread the incomplete version of the AP story in which "[US Negotiator Harlan] Watson said... that Bush had committed to cutting greenhouses gases some 18 percent by 2012" for a fossil of the day award. As Paul points out, the full story also quoted Alden Meyer from UCS, who corrected that assertion.
Posted by Sylvia S Tognetti at 1:27 AM | TrackBack
November 22, 2005
Science as a precarious enterprise
by Sylvia S Tognetti
Chris Mooney is back from his book tour and is in the process of reading and reviewing "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science" by Tom Bethell, from which he has extracted this quote:
All science based on dire warnings about the future should be suspect, and all such science is almost by definition politicized--if only because democracy as presently constituted responds with undue haste to any and all claims of crisis. (p. ix)Now I'm trying to remember any policy response at all to anything that is not a crisis. Maybe Chris can ask him that when he debates him tomorrow on the Fox radio show, 11 ET. I can hardly wait. A listing of local radio stations can be found here.As for the politicization of science, there has been a lot of comment in the blogosphere by those more prolific than me, that I have barely had time to keep up with. But a download on that is coming in my next post
Posted by Sylvia S Tognetti at 4:37 PM | TrackBack
November 15, 2005
Constructive reconstruction
by Sylvia S Tognetti
If you think that almost 100 years of experience might improve response time for a disaster that is well anticipated, see this post by the Questionable Authority (and comments), regarding response to the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
Once the first responders to a disaster have done their job, and media coverage begins to fade, comes the hard and perhaps the most critical part - the reconstruction, which in the case of the Gulf Coast will shape the future of the whole country. So there is another new blog worthy of a regular read is the Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch, part of a project of the Institute for Southern Studies, to keep this process accountable and constructive. They are also accepting anonymous tips and monetary contributions towards an Investigative Fund so as to be able to provide comprehensive coverage of both the good and the bad, and identify actions that are needed.
Lastly, for those of you in the DC area, Margie and her band, Disaster Relief, continue their Round the Beltway Tour to raise Katrina relief funds. Next stop, Domku, tomorrow, Wednesday the 16th, 8:30 pm - in Margie's words:
Hey y'all!!!Just wanted to let you all know me and my band Disaster Relief are continuing our Refugees Round the Beltway tour. Next stop: deej out at Domku! If you haven't been to Domku, now's your chance to munch on some great food, drink butt kicking Belgian beers, and hang with great friends on a Wednesday night! It's at 821 Upshur St NW in Petworth. Kickoff is at 830p! Join me and my unusual suspects: LT King on Drums, Don Fede on bass, the fabulous Sandy Bishop on vocals, and guest performers Bruce Blaylock on guitar, Paul Hyland of the Oxymorons and Moshe Adler on percussion, and very special guest John Penovich on guitar. (You might know him from a little ol band called the Cravin Dogs!!!) Not that the rest of my band isn't very special, but you know what I mean. Anyone else want to join the band? Let me know!!!! Doornation is $5 most of which is going to MusiCares cuz they were kind enough to hook me up after the storm [that would be Katrina, you short-memory freaks --ed] Also: Save the date of Tuesday December 13! We're planning a Christmas Extravaganza at Bangkok Blues with Disaster Relief and the Oxymorons!!!!
Thanks to all of you for your support. So far we've managed to raise over $3,700 for Share Our Strength, Habitat for Humanity and New Orleans Blues Queen Marva Wright. Your contributions are greatly appreciated. Hope to see you Wednesday!!!!
Posted by Sylvia S Tognetti at 1:54 PM | TrackBack
November 10, 2005
Regime change?
by Sylvia S Tognetti
I just stumbled over another related blog during some late night surfing - Resilience Science - which seems to have started around the same time as PNT - the more the merrier! For your reading pleasure, a good post discussing regime change that may be underway - but not the kind any one wants. It is in the arctic. Roger Pielke Sr. also elaborates. I have added both to the blogroll - along with the blog of James Annan, who has been challenging so-called climate skeptics to put their money where their mouth is, and Stoat (aka, William Connolley) who "takes science by the throat" with good discussion of the latest findings in climate science. In other additions to the sidebar, James Risbey has been added to the PNT Board of Advisors. PNT has also joined the Circle of Science Assessment, where you can find links to more science and policy blogs. Given that I have had some deadlines, this blog has gone off on a few tangents lately - but a number of actual science and policy posts are brewing.
Posted by Sylvia S Tognetti at 12:30 PM | TrackBack
Civics 101 - a bit of history
by Sylvia S Tognetti
Laura Rozen recalls, and describes, a visit to an actual torture chamber - one recently active. I too once visited a torture chamber, except that it was empty. The place was in a fort, the Rocca di Vico Pisano, just outside of Pisa, designed by Brunelleschi in 1435. Giovanni Fascetti, who took responsibility for its restoration and who also leads tours, proudly explained that the instruments of torture were destroyed in 1786, when Tuscany, through the penal reforms of Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, became the first state in the world to outlaw torture and the death penalty, which had come to be regarded as acts of barbarism - "Italy", and the characters of the 20th century, did not yet exist. So when the fort was recently restored, this room was deliberately left empty. The Fort itself, once used by Florence to conquer and rule over Pisa, now flies the flag of peace.
It also used to be by a lake that formed where the Arno once met the Serchio river, and was surrounded by wetlands - until the Arno river was straightened in 1599 to improve navigation. In another room - that was restored, underneath several layers of paint, they found a fresco that depicted the landscape as it once was - it was a rice farming area! Next maybe they can restore those wetlands...
Posted by Sylvia S Tognetti at 10:07 AM | TrackBack
November 4, 2005
Come out and welcome Marvalous Marva to the DC area
by Sylvia S Tognetti
This announcement was buried at the bottom of the last post, but for today, it is much more important than Brownie's e-mails, so I'm putting it at the top o' the blog. If you are in the DC area, please come out to Bangkok Blues in Falls Church this evening from 7-11 pm, and give a warm welcome to the Marvalous Marva Wright, Queen of the Blues, and some other displaced musicians who lost everything in New Orleans, including my friend and part-time music goddess, Margie Perez who will do the opening set with her band, Disaster Relief. The details:
A Special Fundraiser and Performance by Marva Wright, the Blues Queen of New Orleans
Marva Wright will be reunited with her close friend and bandleader, bass player and vocalist Benny Turner (brother of the late blues guitarist Freddie King). Both Marva and Benny lost everything in New Orleans and he is now based on the West Coast as she tries to rebuild her life here in the DC-Baltimore area. Joining Marva on stage will be one of the area's finest blues guitarists, Robert Lighthouse as well as Pete Locke on keyboard, L.T. King on drums and Tala Faral from Madagascar on sax. The evening will begin with a performance by the award-winning singer-songwriter Margie Perez and her band Disaster Relief featuring Fritz Myer on guitar and flute, Don Fede on bass, L.T. King on drums, and Tala Faral on sax . She too lost everything to the floods following Katrina.
Tickets: Minimum $15 (ahead) $20 (door)
Net ticket proceeds will go to Marva Wright.
Bangkok Blues is located at 926 W. Broad St. (or Rt. 7), Falls Church, VA; 703-534-0095 - they have a full menu of Thai food and appreciate advance notice of how many to expect. For more info about the performers see: Marva Wright ; Benny Turner ; and Robert Lighthouse
Posted by Sylvia S Tognetti at 12:15 PM | TrackBack
November 3, 2005
Brownie, self-proclaimed "Fashion God," asks to be rescued
by Sylvia S Tognetti
In this town, good image consultants get paid for an hour or two of work, what I make in a day. So perhaps it should come as no surprise that, as Katrina made landfall, "Brownie" was more preoccupied with when he could go home, and, with his attire. I really do have other topics I want to write about but, since Brownie is still on the federal payroll, and since he provides some transparency into how things get done, or not, in the Bush administration, and since disasters don't end when news coverage fades, a few excerpts from Brownie's e-mails(pdf):
Monday August 29th, 7:52 am (Mike Brown to Cindy Taylor, FEMA Deputy Director for Public Affairs): "Can I quit now? Can I come home?"
Monday August 29th, 8:51 am (Mike Brown to Cindy Taylor and Marty Bahamonde - the only FEMA employee in the region before landfall): "If you'll look at my lovely FEMA attire, you'll really vomit. I am a fashion god."
Other e-mails, from later that morning, at 9:39, 9:53, and 10:20, and 11:57 show that, contrary to his statements that he only learned of the breach in the levees on Tuesday, he was indeed informed on Monday morning, both of the breach in the levee, and of severe flooding. But for some reason, replied at 12:09 that he had been told that "water over not a breach."
By Friday September 2nd, he must have realized he was in way over his head - in another e-mail: "Last hurrah was suppose to have been Labor Day. I'm trapped now, please rescue me."
On Sunday September 4, he was advised by his press secretary, Sharon Worthy to: "Please roll up the sleeves of your shirt, all shirts. Even the president rolled his sleeves to just below the elbow. In this [crisis] and on TV you just need to look more hard-working.... ROLL UP THE SLEEVES"
More analysis is provided in this staff report prepared for Rep. Charles Melancon.
But that isn't all that happens in this town. If you live in the area, please come out to Bangkok Blues in Falls Church this evening from 7-11 pm, for:
A Special Fundraiser and Performance by Marva Wright, the Blues Queen of New Orleans
Marva Wright will be reunited with her close friend and bandleader, bass player and vocalist Benny Turner (brother of the late blues guitarist Freddie King). Both Marva and Benny lost everything in New Orleans and he is now based on the West Coast as she tries to rebuild her life here in the DC-Baltimore area. Joining Marva on stage will be one of the area's finest blues guitarists, Robert Lighthouse as well as Pete Locke on keyboard, L.T. King on drums and Tala Faral from Madagascar on sax. The evening will begin with a performance by the award-winning singer-songwriter Margie Perez and her band Disaster Relief featuring Fritz Myer on guitar and flute, Don Fede on bass, L.T. King on drums, and Tala Faral on sax . She too lost everything to the floods following Katrina.
Tickets: Minimum $15 (ahead) $20 (door)
Net ticket proceeds will go to Marva Wright.
Bangkok Blues is located at 926 W. Broad St. (or Rt. 7), Falls Church, VA; 703-534-0095