Articles by Sarah K. Burkhalter

RenewAmerica columnist claims

I have three things to say about this "issues analysis" from RenewAmerica columnist Fred Hutchison, who claims global warming is a crock:

First of all, does this strike anyone else as a bit too coincidental?

Readers who wish to try the smell test might go to any Environmentalist or Global Warming interactive web site with an intelligent criticism and see if they can get an intelligent answer. If the Global Warming advocates flunk the smell test, should one join with Horatio and say "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark"? Not at all. If we jump to hasty conclusions, we become just as bad as the partisans of junk science.

Environmentalist or Global Warming interactive web site? "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark"? This is obviously a direct attack on Grist!

Poll on impeachment comes up with strong results

Twelve hundred voters voted in a new poll,  and the results are in: 53 percent of Americans want to impeach Prez Bush, and 42 percent don't. That'd be 76 percent of Democrats, 29 percent of Republicans, and 100 percent of environmentalists. Ha, just kidding about the environmentalists part.

Hm. Interesting. I'm skeptical, to be honest. I know Bush's approval rating has dropped, but come on -- almost 1 in 3 Republicans want to impeach him?

Also, the question on the poll was very awkwardly worded: Do you agree or disagree that if President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should consider holding him accountable through impeachment?

Um?

There's a 2.9 percent margin of error, too, which, if I remember my Sociology minor correctly, is somewhat hefty.

AND if the sample is adjusted from "Adults" (PDF) to "Likely Voters" (PDF), the numbers become 51 percent support, 45 percent don't.

What do you think, oh politically knowledgeable Grist readers? Let the picketing begin, or just more liberal propaganda?

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.

XX Winter Games coming up in Italy

So did you know the Winter Olympics are only a few months away? Because I didn't. I've read about the enviro-hell that is Beijing 2008 and the enviro-heaven that is London 2012, but it totally didn't occur to me until now that the luge (my favorite sport to say) will be broadcast to you and me in February. Torino 2006, baby!

Oh good. They appear to be looking out for the environment.

Sorry -- perhaps this doesn't belong on Gristmill, but I don't have a blog of my own, and I feel like the world (environmental and otherwise) needs to be made aware of the mascots of Torino 2006. Watch the video to be inspired amused vaguely uneasy.

"Neve": she is a gentle, kind and elegant snowball; "Gliz": he is a lively, playful ice cube ... They are the symbol of a young generation that is full of life and energy.

Until their cute little heads melt from global warming! Sigh ...