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Rebuilding: Fubar

So how's that whole rebuilding-New-Orleans thing going? The lede of this WaPo story says it all:

New Orleans can be rebuilt, or so they say.

Just ask the mayor's commission. Or the governor's commission. Or, wait a bit, and see if the congressman's commission flies. The city council's commission was even unveiled with something important missing: commission members. But it was trumpeted as a commission nonetheless.

As this once-flooded city is flooded anew by commissions and subcommittees and study groups, the operative question is becoming: Who the heck is in charge here?

Awesome.

Chances With Wolves

Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, may mean trouble for rare Alpine wolves Construction being done in the lead-up to the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in and around Turin, Italy, may be driving off the region’s rare wild wolves. Researcher Francesca Marucco has noticed a lack of lupine poop near the Alpine area hosting several Olympic […]

Mmm … sprawl …

Via kottke, a panoramic photo of suburban sprawl near San Ramon, California. Horrifying.

A seven-year-old writes a book on global warming

I love kids. I love how they think. I love how Ethan Khiem Matsuda, upon grasping the basics of global warming, immediately thought, "What's going to happen to Santa?"

Then he wrote a book about it.

In The North Pole is Sinking!, "Ice is melting in the North Pole, threatening Santa's workshop. Santa and his reindeer set out to investigate the cause. Can the children of the world save the day?"  

No, it won't freak your kid out to read a book about global warming -- the story is described as heartwarming, engaging, and hope-giving. Aww. Warm fuzzies.

Republicans go to great lengths to avoid taxing oil companies

Recently, Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), chair of the Senate Finance Committee, sent a letter to ten U.S. energy companies awash in big fat piles of cash. He asked them to voluntarily donate 10% of their recent windfall profits to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a federal program that helps poor Americans pay their heating bills. (This winter, natural gas prices are expected to jump 61% in the Midwest, and heating oil nearly 30% in the Northeast.)

The Bushies don't think that's a good idea :

The yeas and nays on an amendment that would have protected the refuge

The Senate today voted to allow oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Yes, yes, we know you've heard that before, but this vote means drilling really is closer to reality than ever before. Really.)

Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington state led the fight to protect the refuge, offering an amendment that would have stripped from a budget bill a provision that calls for drilling. Her amendment was voted down, 48 to 51. See how your senator voted. (A "Yea" vote is a vote to protect the Arctic Refuge.)

Danny’s Contentment: Following the experience of an electric car owner in London

Now this is what I'm talking about.

Take one innovative Brit, one video recorder, one blog, one electric car and ... voi la, you have one cool video blog.

Danny Fleet is chronicling his purchase of, and driving experience with, his REVA on his video blog, Danny's Contentment. Watch clips of the delivery, a HOWTO on watering (!) the REVA, Danny's first time in the driver's seat, his first ticket ... you get the picture.

Any Gristmillers have a video blog of their own that they would like to share?

(Via TH)

The dominoes are falling …

AP:

Vermont has become the first of several Northeastern states that are expected to adopt new rules that seek to cut emissions of greenhouse gasses from cars by improving their gas mileage.

...

New York, Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut and Rhode Island also have been moving to adopt the new carbon-reduction rules so that they can keep pace with California. The federal clean air act allows for two sets of rules governing emissions from cars sold in the United States: the California standard and the less-strict federal standard.

Abramoff’s tentacles

From AP:

Rep. Tom DeLay's staff tried to help lobbyist Jack Abramoff win access to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, an effort that succeeded after Abramoff's Indian tribe clients began funneling a quarter-million dollars to an environmental group founded by Norton.

Update [2005-11-3 13:38:55 by David Roberts]: For background, see TAPPED.

Can’t Hear the Forest for the ORVs

Forest Service unveils new off-road vehicle rules The U.S. Forest Service says its new off-road vehicle (ORV) policy, announced yesterday, will set limits on where the noisy, pollution-spewing machines can be used in national forests — but conservationists say that’s not good enough. The new rule sets no overarching standard for ORV use in the […]