Kerry and Waxman on climate change

[Mass]

(Senator, you really need to improve your website. We want to know about things like that without having to read the WaPo).

This said, great to see that Kerry is still a leader on these issues.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/02/AR2006030201712.html

Congressional Democrats, including Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) and Rep. Henry A. Waxman (Calif.) said yesterday that the two new papers show that the United States must act quickly to impose mandatory limits on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The Bush administration opposes such curbs on the grounds that they could hurt the country's economy and has instead invested money on new technology to limit greenhouse emissions and further climate science research.

"Climate change is not just someone else's concern but a very real threat to the lives and livelihood of people across the globe," Kerry said. "A succession of droughts has put 16 million people at risk of starvation in the Horn of Africa, and now they risk losing a quarter of their water due to problems they didn't create. "

[TayTay]

1. This is excellent.

I was wondering why the Commerce Committee isn't scheduling anything on this. (Oh yeah, they are Rethugs and don't believe in Climate Change or Global Warming. Whoops, I forgot.)

And second that appeal for a better web site. Sen. Kerry has been doing a lot of good stuff. It would be nice to be able to quickly find said good stuff on the web site, perhaps by implementing a proper list of topics and then placing relevant info into said topic buckets. But I digress.

[karynnj]

2. There is a trade off between getting things done and making sure

people find out about it. I hope he does get his web site in better shape because he really should get credit for what he does.

[MH1]

3. Ah yes, but

that is where technology comes in, and hiring the right technology people.

There are free tools available nowadays that are just amazing. If one has money to spend, so much the better. (Hint, hint, to any lurking staffers.)

[TayTay]

5. Hint, hint indeed

Topology: it's not just for geeks anymore. A properly implemented ontology project that correctly identifies the biggest topics and sub-topics and sub-sub-topics and allocates stories accordingly is a good thing. (Democrats: discipline and organization that lets your friends find things they are looking for quickly is a plus. Honest-to-gawd. Really. I mean it this time.)

[Mass]

7. I doubt he does his website himself.

As MH1 said, it is all about hiring the right people to do that.

[ProSense]

4. What's sad is

when you realize how long the A-hole in Chief has been ruining the world (five years is much too long):

From the Office of Senator Kerry

Kerry: Bush Reversal Deals Serious Blow to Pollution Reduction, Global Climate Change Efforts

Wednesday, March 14, 2001

Washington, DC – Senator John F. Kerry (D-MA) today strongly condemned President Bush's reversal yesterday of his campaign promise to support legislation designed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

"The President's new position is a disappointment to all Americans concerned with the environment. There has been a growing bipartisan consensus to enact legislation to reduce pollution from power plants, and the President is trying to kill that effort before it gathers steam.

"On the campaign trail last fall, President Bush pledged to stand against those who attack the science to protect their own financial interests. Yesterday's stunning reversal by President Bush deals a blow to the international effort to prevent dangerous global warming. The President's change of heart is surprising given the stronger warnings from the scientific and the growing support for the proposal. The President's explanation for his reversal is lacking. I'm incredulous that the President and his staff had such little understanding of the Clean Air Act and yet they were still willing to offer campaign promises -- this smacks of a return to the same logic that continues to den the existence of global climate change and holds us back from finding meaningful answers to the country's most pressing environmental challenges."

"President Bush's reversal will weigh heavily on the international effort to mitigate global warming. To the international community, America is the largest polluter and the one nation most unwilling make an effort to protect the global environment. Every year we fail to act, the more difficult our environmental goals will be to achieve. President Bush has now learned that his words and actions have consequences – and yesterday, in one fell swoop, he may have destroyed prospects for any bi-partisanship compromise this year on pollution reduction, global climate change and a whole host of critical environmental issues."

[TayTay]

6. Kerry nailed these Rethugs bastards at the first inaugural in '01

I remember this quote from a BGlobe story in which Kerry was caught looking out the window at the long line of limos and such for all the guests for the inaugural. He said (paraphrase) 'With these people, it's all about the money."

And so it is. And that's all it's about. The money.