Morning No: No Perpetual Motion

by: Natasha Chart

Tue Oct 13, 2009 at 06:00

- For other climate-related developments, here's a six page summary of the Kerry-Boxer climate bill, courtesy of the nice folks at 1Sky. I'm already superficially happier with it than the Lieberman-Warner bill, go figure, but there are reasons for optimism. I'm (not alone in being) very cheered to see that the EPA will have more authority to regulate carbon in the Senate version.

- The commons turn out not to be inevitably tragic.

- Bad blood between a local hospital and insurers in New Jersey has led to the insurance companies scaring patients into leaving the hospital during necessary stays.

- Airline pilots in the US not only end up on food stamps, they may get warning letters for taking sick days.

- In Washington State, local Republicans are doing their best to drown government in a bathtub, and local journalists are doing their best to help them out by refusing to look at the facts. As above, so below, as they say.

- In Tarrant County Texas, Sheriff Dee Anderson just said no to Tasers because he was worried they might cause an unecessary death. More like this, please.

- Iraq's elections are in doubt and the bombings continue.

- Some of the bills signed and vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger as he presides over the disintegration of the world's 8th largest economy.

- The Washington Post is hosting a discussion about whether young gays are coasting on the struggles of the previous generation. I have no basis for an opinion on this, and point it out to note with some amusement that it sounds kind of like the conversation that was happening in the feminist community during the primary.

- What coal plants scrub from smokestacks ends up in the water, including a range of toxic heavy metals and radioactive substances poorly regulated by existing laws. Just another good reminder that carbon dioxide isn't the only problematic byproduct of coal-fired power generation.