• Guest: Paul Ehrlich. Book, "The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment" by him and his wife Ann.


• Guest: Climate skeptic Marc Morano, communications director for Senator James Inhofe, minority leader of the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.


• Guest: Greg Palast. His article "Obama Doesn't Sweat. He should."

Topics, guests, upcoming events, quotes, links to articles, audio clips, books & bumper music.

Tuesday 29 July '08 show

• Guest: Paul Ehrlich. Book, "The Dominant Animal: Human Evolution and the Environment" by him and his wife Ann. DNA. Civilization. Population. Giving power to women. Sustainability. Cultures. Where to start bringing about change. Religion. Transcript.
  
• Article: The Suicide Solution, Barbara Ehrenreich.
  
• Article: More suicides under Conservative rule, 18 September, 2002.
  
• Article: Midlife Suicide Rises, Puzzling Researchers, Patricia Cohen, February 19, 2008.
  
• Bumper Music: Brother Can You Spare a Couple Billion?, Jim Terr, Blue Canyon Productions (video).
  
• Article: A Primer On The Mortgage Bailout Bill, John Carney.
  
• Clip: Chip in to help everyone catch hope this year. MoveOn ad.
  
• Viral email. Claim: Barack Obama "blew off" U.S. soldiers during a July 2008 trip to Afghanistan. Status: False..
  
• Clip:
  "So I don't care whether you are a Sailor, a Soldier, an Airmen, or Marine. A National Guard, a Reservist, active duty, we just want to say thank you.""
  Obama Mobbed By Crowd Of GIs In Baghdad (VIDEO).
  
• McCain TV Ad Draws Scrutiny for Distorting Facts.
  ANDREA MITCHELL, MSNBC Anchor: "The McCain ad says literally that he could have gone, you know, that he did other things, Obama did other things, he could have visited the troops, but not with cameras. That literally is not true. And the point is that Obama had no intention of bringing any cameras with him. I was there; I can vouch for that."
  
• Bumper Music: Who Says You Can't Go Home, Bon Jovi.
  
• Article: Lawmakers Agree to Ban Toxins in Children's Items.
  "White House spokesman Tony Fratto said that President Bush opposes the ban but that it is too early to say whether he will veto the measure, which is part of popular legislation to reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Among other things, the legislation would ban lead in children's products and would give consumers access to a new database of complaints or accident reports for goods. The measure also allows stiffer fines for violations and enhanced enforcement of consumer safety laws."
  
• Why is it that it appears that the Republican war on science is working? Global change deniers are gaining ascendency now, judging by polls of Republicans.
  
• Article: Opening Statement of Senator James Inhofe, Senate Environment and Public Works Full Committee, An Update on the Science of Global Warming and its Implications, Tuesday, July 22, 2008. Links to Roy Spencer's testimony, etc.
  
• National Academies Synthesis Report, 22 June 2006.
  "The basic conclusion of Mann et al. (1998, 1999) was that the late 20th century warmth in the Northern Hemisphere was unprecedented during at least the last 1,000 years. This conclusion has subsequently been supported by an array of evidence that includes both additional large-scale surface temperature reconstructions and pronounced changes in a variety of local proxy indicators, such as melting on ice caps and the retreat of glaciers around the world."
  
• Guest: Climate skeptic Marc Morano, communications director for Senator James Inhofe, minority leader of the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Global warming...mostly natural, not man made, according to Atmospheric Scientist Dr. Roy Spencer, formerly of NASA. Gallop poll. No change since 1989. The abuse of science is losing. Roy Spencer gave wrong data for 10 years, the discrepancy between Satellite temperature measurements. The recent data shows a cooling over the last year or two. Roy Spencer wrote in 2005, "Twenty years ago, as a PhD scientist, I intensely studied the evolution versus intelligent design controversy for about two years. And finally, despite my previous acceptance of evolutionary theory as 'fact,' I came to the realization that intelligent design, as a theory of origins, is no more religious, and no less scientific, than evolutionism. Hockey stick diagram. The National Academies Report. Sudan desertification. Money.
  
• Bumper Music: You Razzle Dazzled 'Em, Bill Jacobs.
  
• Clip:
  "Global warming is an issue that my administration is very concerned about. Deeply. Deeply in a deep kind of concerned way. I start my day and I think about the warming of the globe, and how we can get it it warmer"
  
  "Cut!"
  Will Ferrell: Bush on Global Warming.
  
• Clip:
  [Ted Stevens]: "I shall not administer an oath today."
  
  [Maria Cantwell]: "Mr. Chairman? "
  
  [Ted Stevens]: "And we look forward to questions. Senator Cantwell?"
  
  [Maria Cantwell]: "Mr. Chairman, I did send you a letter co-signed by eight of my colleagues, and asking that the witnesses be sworn in. This rare joint hearing... "
  
  [Ted Stevens]: "I did not yield to make a statement. We're ready to go. We have a statement process..."
  
  [Maria Cantwell]: "Mr. Chairman, I would like the committee to vote on whether we swear in... "
  
  [Ted Stevens]: "There will be no vote. That's not an order at all. It's not part of the rules that any vote can be taken to administer an oath. It's the decision of the chairman, and I have made that decision."
  
  [Maria Cantwell]: "Mr. Chairman, I move that we swear in the witnesses. "
  
  [Ted Stevens]: "And I rule that out of order."
  
  [Barbara Boxer]: "I second the motion."
  
  [Ted Stevens]: "Thanks very much. That's the last we're going to hear about that because it's out of order."
  
  [Barbara Boxer]: "Mr. Chairman, Mr. Chairman. Could I just ask for a little clarification here? If the Senator makes this request and there is a second, why wouldn't have a vote on that?"
  
  [Ted Stevens]: "Because you can't vote to put in the rules something that is not there."
  
  [Maria Cantwell]: "Mr. Chairman."
  
  [Ted Stevens]: "This is not a business meeting. There is no way to put this into the rules. This is a matter for the chairman to decide and I have made the decision."
  U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Hold a Joint Hearing on Energy Pricing and Profits, November 9, 2005.

• Article: Alaska Sen. Stevens charged with hiding gifts.
  
• Bumper Music: Speed of Sound, Coldplay.
  
• Article: Coca-Cola to begin using hybrid trucks in Florida.
  
• Pascal's Wager.
  
• Bumper Music: In The News, Kris Kristofferson.
  
• Clip:
  "For four years this Administration has had the support of the loyal opposition for the objective of seeking an honorable end to the struggle. Never has so much military and economic and diplomatic power been used so ineffectively. And if after all of this time, and all of this sacrifice, and all of this support, there is still no end in sight, then I say the time has come for the American people to turn to new leadership not tied to the mistakes and policies of the past. That is what we offer to America...
  
  Look at our problems abroad. Do you realize that we face the stark truth that we are worse off in every area of the world tonight than we were when..
  
  We've had enough of big promises and little action. The time has come for an honest government in the United States of America....
  
  And there is only one answer to such a record of failure, and that is the complete house cleaning of those responsible for the failures and that record."
  Richard M. Nixon, August 8, 1968 acceptance speech, Republican National Convention. (He won).
  
• Press Gaggle by Dana Perino, July 29, 2008.
  "Also at the end of this week, Congress is expected to go on their August recess, and at that same time many families across America are making tough decisions about whether or not they can go on their summer vacations, due to the high gasoline prices. That's just one of many reasons why the Democratically controlled Congress shouldn't keep putting off our future energy needs by systematically and, we would say, un-democratically blocking votes on real measures to address the root causes of the problem of high energy prices.
  
  There are proposals in Congress which include the provisions the President has called for, including opening up our energy resources in the Outer Continental Shelf, ANWR, and allowing development of oil shell resources in the west, as well as streamlining the permitting process for refineries. The Democratic leaders in Congress shouldn't delay this vote; they should listen to the cause of the American people and allow a vote before leaving on yet another month of recess and politics.
  
  We believe that the American people send their elected leaders to Washington to represent them. They are clamoring for an answer on this, and we believe that the Republicans, and many Democrats, should be allowed to at least have a vote on this before they leave on this next recess. You will hear the President talk about this today in his remarks."
  
• Q: "Is the President pleased that Americans are driving less, to the tune of maybe $10 billion -- 10 billion fewer miles a month? Does he think that's a positive development? Is it conservation? And is he worried about the Highway Trust Fund?"
  
  MS. PERINO: "I think President Bush is pleased to see that what he believes to be true is working out, which is that markets work, and that the laws of supply and demand are still reigning supreme when it comes to high prices, which means a tighter supply and higher demand. So if you reduce your demand, you have more supply. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't aggressively look for ways to bring down prices even more. Driving less might be the solution for some families, but for others it might really put a crimp in their day-to-day lives, or the work that they try to do, especially if you're a small business who has a van or -- like a delivery van or something like that, you are going to have to be out there driving.
  
  So we think that we should also address the root causes, as well as people taking steps to conserve. But I think the bottom line is that markets work."Press Gaggle by Dana Perino, July 29, 2008.
  
• Ellen Ratner of Talk Radio News. Senator Stevens indicted on seven counts. He was elected in 1968 so could be life, he's 84. 95% people lose on a federal case, hence pleas. Like Siegelman, he is up against government dollars. Bush going to Ohio. Dana Perino's barbs aimed at Democrats. August recess coming up. Bush cabinet meeting tomorrow, energy. Dana said the fact that people are driving less proves that markets works. T. Boone Pickens wanting tax credits and lines from government. Dana on the Highway Trust Fund, major question about whether states can charge tolls on interstate highways. Gas taxes are a fixed amount, people are using less gas, so revenue is down.
  
• Article: Obama Doesn't Sweat. He should, Greg Palast.
  "In swing-state Colorado, the Republican Secretary of State conducted the biggest purge of voters in history, dumping a fifth of all registrations. Guess their color.
  
  In swing-state Florida, the state is refusing to accept about 85,000 new registrations from voter drives