The Environmental Defense Fund is one of the nation's most venerable environmental organizations, and many consider it one of the most effective. But its industry-collaborative approach to the study of methane leaks in natural gas drilling has drawn scrutiny from other environmental groups, who worry EDF has strayed into a gray area where science and the fossil fuel industry collide. Those concerns stem from an ambitious project EDF embarked on in 2011, as an oil and gas boom swept the U.S. While environmentalists have increasingly called for an outright ban on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, amid concerns that it pollutes the air and water, stifles growth of renewable energy, and might accelerate rather than slow climate change, EDF decided to probe the industry's climate impacts. And it did so by collaborating with natural gas companies, which agreed to partially fund the research and give EDF access to gas sites for taking crucial measurements.
Those concerns stem from an ambitious project EDF embarked on in 2011, as an oil and gas boom swept the U.S. While environmentalists have increasingly called for an outright ban on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, amid concerns that it pollutes the air and water, stifles growth of renewable energy, and might accelerate rather than slow climate change, EDF decided to probe the industry's climate impacts. And it did so by collaborating with natural gas companies, which agreed to partially fund the research and give EDF access to gas sites for taking crucial measurements.
Watergate historian Stanley Kutler, who successfully fought for the release of President Richard Nixon's secret tapes, died Tuesday in Wisconsin. He was 80. [...] Andy Kutler said his father "just had a love and a passion for the United States Constitution" and considered the Watergate scandal that drove Nixon from office in 1974 "an affront to the Constitution." [...] In 1992, Kutler and Public Citizen, an advocacy group, sued the National Archives to force the release of thousands of hours of White House conversations recorded by Nixon's secret taping system. Kutler won the gradual release of 3,700 hours worth of tapes in 1996.
Andy Kutler said his father "just had a love and a passion for the United States Constitution" and considered the Watergate scandal that drove Nixon from office in 1974 "an affront to the Constitution." [...]
In 1992, Kutler and Public Citizen, an advocacy group, sued the National Archives to force the release of thousands of hours of White House conversations recorded by Nixon's secret taping system. Kutler won the gradual release of 3,700 hours worth of tapes in 1996.
They may have loved "I Love Lucy" but many in Lucille Ball's western New York hometown have no affection for her life-size statue in a local park. Since the bronze sculpture was unveiled in 2009 in Lucille Ball Memorial Park in the village of Celoron, the statue has been blasted by critics who say it bears little or no likeness to the popular 1950s sitcom actress and comedian. [...] A statue replacement campaign has been launched on Facebook with the name, "We Love Lucy! Get Rid of this Statue."
Since the bronze sculpture was unveiled in 2009 in Lucille Ball Memorial Park in the village of Celoron, the statue has been blasted by critics who say it bears little or no likeness to the popular 1950s sitcom actress and comedian. [...]
A statue replacement campaign has been launched on Facebook with the name, "We Love Lucy! Get Rid of this Statue."
April 14 is Equal Pay Day, a perfect opportunity to reflect upon the fact that women in our country still earn less than men. The figure below shows hourly wages in 2014 for men and women across the wage distribution. At every decile, men out-earn women. At the median, women’s hourly wages are only 83 percent of men’s hourly wages. It is interesting to note that the wage gap between genders is smaller at the 10th percentile than at the 95th. At the 10th percentile, women earn 91 percent of men’s wages while women make only 79 percent of men’s wages at the 95th percentile. The minimum wage is partially responsible for this greater equality among the lowest earners—it sets a wage floor that applies to everyone, which means that people near the bottom of the distribution are likely to make more equal wages. Also, low-wage workers are disproportionately women, which means that the minimum wage particularly bolsters women’s wages.
Oil inventories are up sharply for a 13th straight week, up a very heavy 10.9 million barrels in the April 3 week to 482.4 million barrels which is yet another 80-year high. The giant build is the result of increasing imports together with increasing domestic production. On the product side, inventories of gasoline are also bloated, up 0.8 million barrels to a 229.9 million level that is well above the upper limit of their average range.
On the product side, inventories of gasoline are also bloated, up 0.8 million barrels to a 229.9 million level that is well above the upper limit of their average range.
Just last April, he said he is “not sure anybody exactly knows why” the climate is changing. He went on to call the science “not conclusive” and complain about “alarmist stuff.” If you’re wondering what he means by “alarmist stuff,” in 2011, while arguing for a bill that would prevent the EPA from regulating carbon emissions, Paul said, “If you listen to the hysterics, … you would think that the Statue of Liberty will shortly be under water and the polar bears are all drowning, and that we’re dying from pollution. It’s absolutely and utterly untrue.” [...] Like almost every other Senate Republican, Paul has voted to strip the EPA of its legal authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, to force approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, and to prevent Congress from placing any tax or fee on carbon pollution. Paul’s lifetime voting score from the League of Conservation Voters is 9 percent.
Like almost every other Senate Republican, Paul has voted to strip the EPA of its legal authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, to force approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline, and to prevent Congress from placing any tax or fee on carbon pollution. Paul’s lifetime voting score from the League of Conservation Voters is 9 percent.