Saturday, March 27, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Earth-Day Revolution / Patriots Needed
On this 40th anniversary of the founding of Earth Day, now more than ever, we need to stand up and make our voices heard across this country and, most importantly, in Washington DC.
Every year, Earth Day is a celebration - this year we need to make it a Revolution.
Because for far too long, our country's energy policy has rewarded polluters and kept us overly-dependent on fossil fuel energy sources we have to buy from overseas, putting our economic and national security at risk.
Will you sign our declaration of energy independence right now?
When you sign our petition, you will be joining thousands of other Americans -- from leaders of the clean energy movement to environmentalists, veterans and your co-workers and neighbors. All of us are calling on the Senate to take action TODAY.
The more people who sign, the louder the message we can send to Washington. We can't allow another year, and another Earth Day to pass without progress.
Sign this declaration now and make your voice heard in Washington.
And then please forward this email to a friend. This year, Earth Day has a chance to be the biggest one yet -- thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Peter Lehner
Executive Director
NRDC Action Fund
Click on title above to Join the Revolution and Take the Pledge;
http://ga3.org/campaign/declaration_nrdc4
Every year, Earth Day is a celebration - this year we need to make it a Revolution.
Because for far too long, our country's energy policy has rewarded polluters and kept us overly-dependent on fossil fuel energy sources we have to buy from overseas, putting our economic and national security at risk.
Will you sign our declaration of energy independence right now?
When you sign our petition, you will be joining thousands of other Americans -- from leaders of the clean energy movement to environmentalists, veterans and your co-workers and neighbors. All of us are calling on the Senate to take action TODAY.
The more people who sign, the louder the message we can send to Washington. We can't allow another year, and another Earth Day to pass without progress.
Sign this declaration now and make your voice heard in Washington.
And then please forward this email to a friend. This year, Earth Day has a chance to be the biggest one yet -- thank you for your help.
Sincerely,
Peter Lehner
Executive Director
NRDC Action Fund
Click on title above to Join the Revolution and Take the Pledge;
http://ga3.org/campaign/declaration_nrdc4
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
DeChristopher loses again in preparing defense
Courts » Judge deals setback to argument of selective prosecution.
By Patty Henetz
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 03/15/2010 06:45:57 PM MDT
Tim DeChristopher, indicted on two felonies for disrupting a 2008 federal oil and gas lease auction to protest Bush administration resource policies, has lost another round in court.
U.S. District Judge Dee Benson denied DeChristopher's attempt Monday to force federal prosecutors to release more evidence on bidders who may have cheated the government by not paying for parcels they won at other Bureau of Land Management auctions.
Benson's ruling comes after he rejected, in November, a lesser-evils, or necessity, defense, forbidding DeChristopher to argue he tried to sabotage the auction to combat global warming.
In his latest motion, DeChristopher sought evidence to prop up his claim he is being selectively prosecuted. But Benson, agreeing with the prosecutors, said the defense wouldn't fly and the U.S. Attorney for Utah's office shouldn't have to research or release any more than it already has.
And, the judge said, since DeChristopher has stated publicly he intended to monkey-wrench the auction -- something none of the other bid walkers asserted -- he cannot claim to be a victim of discrimination.
The U.S. Attorney's Office, replying to an earlier defense motion, found that 25 bidders in the past five years, including DeChristopher, either failed to pay, bounced checks or didn't intend to pay.
Defense attorney Ron Yengich said the lack of legal actions against the other 24 shows DeChristopher was singled out because
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of his civil-disobedience motive, and, if prosecutors know more about why the others walked away, they should hand it over.
DeChristopher's most recent motion sought evidence concerning policies on such prosecutions plus any communication, including e-mails, generated by the Justice Department, Interior Department and the BLM about why they wanted to take legal action against him.
All the bid walkers had their own motives, which were financial and benefited themselves, Yengich said. DeChristopher, however, was charged with a two-count felony because his motive was "impure."
"In many instances it was just to take those parcels out of the bidding process at that time," Yengich said of the others who failed to pay. "It is clear that [a bid walker] may well have done that for identical reasons as Mr. DeChristopher -- because they wanted to tie up that bid."
On Dec. 19, 2008, DeChristopher, then a 27-year-old University of Utah economics student, won parcels through bids totaling $1.8 million with no intention of paying for them. He acknowledged his action to BLM law enforcement officers who questioned him after they removed him from the auction room at the agency's Salt Lake City offices.
Since then, he has become a folk hero of sorts to those who believe in civil disobedience. On Monday, the courtroom was packed with about 50 supporters and observers, many from the First Unitarian Church in Salt Lake City, which DeChristopher attends and where he has spoken about his actions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Romney told Benson that other than a man from New Mexico (who, court papers show, falsely bid $912,000 in 2007 then didn't respond to a BLM invoice), prosecutors knew of no other intentional bid walking.
"Mr. DeChristopher stands by himself," Romney said. "It's only Mr. DeChristopher who threw an entire auction into disarray."
Benson suggested prosecutors might feel differently about the case if DeChristopher hadn't admitted his motives.
"That's correct," Romney replied.
Benson read his denial from the bench. While the judge still was talking, defense attorney Pat Shea said prosecutors should turn over a BLM memo that discusses why they should prosecute DeChristopher.
"You don't have enough here to pursue this defense," Benson replied.
After the hearing, Shea said prosecutors had engaged in "an old lawyers' trick:" Don't ask a question if you know you won't like the answer. He said the defense, still intent on arguing selective prosecution, would pursue the documents, which are public, through the Freedom of Information Act.
Shea, the national BLM director during the Clinton administration, said many bidders are speculators who profit by "assigning" -- the BLM term for transferring ownership -- their parcels to oil and gas developers.
If the speculators couldn't unload the parcels, Shea said, they would write bad checks or just not pay the balance of what they owed the BLM.
Outside the courtroom, DeChristopher said the defense also wants to know how oil companies may have been involved in the decision to indict him and why an oil lobbyist told a reporter of the indictment the day before U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman announced it.
"The political motivation behind the prosecution is clear," DeChristopher said. "They wanted to disrupt the auctions for their own profit. ... But if you disrupt an auction to protect land, to keep the oil in the ground, it has [to be] prosecuted."
BLOGGERS NOTE: DeChristoper hasent a chance w/ this judge. Benson was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on May 16, 1991, to a new seat created by statute (104 Stat. 5089) especially for him.
-----------
Click on title above for original article w/ more info;
http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_14680017
By Patty Henetz
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 03/15/2010 06:45:57 PM MDT
Tim DeChristopher, indicted on two felonies for disrupting a 2008 federal oil and gas lease auction to protest Bush administration resource policies, has lost another round in court.
U.S. District Judge Dee Benson denied DeChristopher's attempt Monday to force federal prosecutors to release more evidence on bidders who may have cheated the government by not paying for parcels they won at other Bureau of Land Management auctions.
Benson's ruling comes after he rejected, in November, a lesser-evils, or necessity, defense, forbidding DeChristopher to argue he tried to sabotage the auction to combat global warming.
In his latest motion, DeChristopher sought evidence to prop up his claim he is being selectively prosecuted. But Benson, agreeing with the prosecutors, said the defense wouldn't fly and the U.S. Attorney for Utah's office shouldn't have to research or release any more than it already has.
And, the judge said, since DeChristopher has stated publicly he intended to monkey-wrench the auction -- something none of the other bid walkers asserted -- he cannot claim to be a victim of discrimination.
The U.S. Attorney's Office, replying to an earlier defense motion, found that 25 bidders in the past five years, including DeChristopher, either failed to pay, bounced checks or didn't intend to pay.
Defense attorney Ron Yengich said the lack of legal actions against the other 24 shows DeChristopher was singled out because
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
of his civil-disobedience motive, and, if prosecutors know more about why the others walked away, they should hand it over.
DeChristopher's most recent motion sought evidence concerning policies on such prosecutions plus any communication, including e-mails, generated by the Justice Department, Interior Department and the BLM about why they wanted to take legal action against him.
All the bid walkers had their own motives, which were financial and benefited themselves, Yengich said. DeChristopher, however, was charged with a two-count felony because his motive was "impure."
"In many instances it was just to take those parcels out of the bidding process at that time," Yengich said of the others who failed to pay. "It is clear that [a bid walker] may well have done that for identical reasons as Mr. DeChristopher -- because they wanted to tie up that bid."
On Dec. 19, 2008, DeChristopher, then a 27-year-old University of Utah economics student, won parcels through bids totaling $1.8 million with no intention of paying for them. He acknowledged his action to BLM law enforcement officers who questioned him after they removed him from the auction room at the agency's Salt Lake City offices.
Since then, he has become a folk hero of sorts to those who believe in civil disobedience. On Monday, the courtroom was packed with about 50 supporters and observers, many from the First Unitarian Church in Salt Lake City, which DeChristopher attends and where he has spoken about his actions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Romney told Benson that other than a man from New Mexico (who, court papers show, falsely bid $912,000 in 2007 then didn't respond to a BLM invoice), prosecutors knew of no other intentional bid walking.
"Mr. DeChristopher stands by himself," Romney said. "It's only Mr. DeChristopher who threw an entire auction into disarray."
Benson suggested prosecutors might feel differently about the case if DeChristopher hadn't admitted his motives.
"That's correct," Romney replied.
Benson read his denial from the bench. While the judge still was talking, defense attorney Pat Shea said prosecutors should turn over a BLM memo that discusses why they should prosecute DeChristopher.
"You don't have enough here to pursue this defense," Benson replied.
After the hearing, Shea said prosecutors had engaged in "an old lawyers' trick:" Don't ask a question if you know you won't like the answer. He said the defense, still intent on arguing selective prosecution, would pursue the documents, which are public, through the Freedom of Information Act.
Shea, the national BLM director during the Clinton administration, said many bidders are speculators who profit by "assigning" -- the BLM term for transferring ownership -- their parcels to oil and gas developers.
If the speculators couldn't unload the parcels, Shea said, they would write bad checks or just not pay the balance of what they owed the BLM.
Outside the courtroom, DeChristopher said the defense also wants to know how oil companies may have been involved in the decision to indict him and why an oil lobbyist told a reporter of the indictment the day before U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman announced it.
"The political motivation behind the prosecution is clear," DeChristopher said. "They wanted to disrupt the auctions for their own profit. ... But if you disrupt an auction to protect land, to keep the oil in the ground, it has [to be] prosecuted."
BLOGGERS NOTE: DeChristoper hasent a chance w/ this judge. Benson was nominated by President George H.W. Bush on May 16, 1991, to a new seat created by statute (104 Stat. 5089) especially for him.
-----------
Click on title above for original article w/ more info;
http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_14680017
Saturday, March 13, 2010
At Last, a GOOD Idea for Renewable Energy: Cow-shit, Garbage
S. Idaho commissioners approve dairy waste change
- The Associated Press
Published: 03/13/10
JEROME, Idaho — Commissioners in Jerome County have voted to amend the zoning ordinance to allow power generation from cow manure.
Commissioners on Monday approved the change to allow the non-conventional energy production without a special use permit.
Specifically, the change means a permit isn't needed to build anaerobic digesters that use livestock waste to produce electricity.
The Times-News reports that commissioners cited a major reduction in the volume of manure for dairies that install digesters.
Information from: The Times-News, http://www.magicvalley.com
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/03/13/1116533/s-idaho-commissioners-approve.html
- The Associated Press
Published: 03/13/10
JEROME, Idaho — Commissioners in Jerome County have voted to amend the zoning ordinance to allow power generation from cow manure.
Commissioners on Monday approved the change to allow the non-conventional energy production without a special use permit.
Specifically, the change means a permit isn't needed to build anaerobic digesters that use livestock waste to produce electricity.
The Times-News reports that commissioners cited a major reduction in the volume of manure for dairies that install digesters.
Information from: The Times-News, http://www.magicvalley.com
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/03/13/1116533/s-idaho-commissioners-approve.html
Monday, March 8, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
'Dream Team' Agrees Huge Asteroid Killed Dinosaurs
Click on title above for article;
http://www.aolnews.com/science/article/scientists-reaffirm-asteroid-theory-in-dinosaur-deaths/19383600
http://www.aolnews.com/science/article/scientists-reaffirm-asteroid-theory-in-dinosaur-deaths/19383600
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