Monthly Archives: February 2012

Global warming is driving Rick Santorum crazy

Following Rick Santorum on the campaign trail for Slate, Dave Weigel declares that Santorum is "really swinging for the fences on global warming denial." Weigel thinks that's smart in Michigan, and maybe that's true in a purely political GOP primary, but still…he's sounding strange. And the strangeness seems to be escalating:  We're not here toContinue reading “Global warming is driving Rick Santorum crazy”

World’s largest seal rookery found in Ventura County

For the Ventura County Star, Zeke Barlow reports from the world's largest seal rookery, on San Miguel Island far off the Ventura County coast. The sea lions, some weighing as much as 6,000 pounds, where nearly driven to extinction a hundred years ago, but have rebounded wondrously:  "We first saw two pups here in 1986,"Continue reading “World’s largest seal rookery found in Ventura County”

Santorum: Best line of the last GOP debate

Prominent lefties and journos independently say that Rick Santorum blew it in the last debate of the Republican primary, but surely he had the line of the night: From Dan Balz:  When Romney noted that he had balanced the Massachusetts budget for four straight years, Santorum scoffed, saying that was required by the state’s constitution.Continue reading “Santorum: Best line of the last GOP debate”

Reworking unemployment (oh, and the payroll tax cut)

From a front-page New York Times story today. Here are the details that were hidden in the fight over the payroll tax cut and the unemployment (UI) extension.  Congress and the President agreed on some shockingly good ideas, including importing the concept of "work sharing" from (no!) Europe.  The bill additionally expands “work sharing” programs thatContinue reading “Reworking unemployment (oh, and the payroll tax cut)”

Climate scientist admits deception, engulfed in drama

Peter Gleick, the scientist, the advocate, and the MacArthur Fellow, who helms the influential Pacific Institute, today admitted in his column that he did something he shouldn't have in his on-going struggle with the right-wing climate change skeptics at the Heartland Institute:  I attempted to confirm the accuracy of the information in this document [that cameContinue reading “Climate scientist admits deception, engulfed in drama”

Santorum: Global Warming is a dangerous world view

Leading in the national polls in the Republican party, at least for this week, Rick Santorum denies on Face the Nation that he ever said President Obama wasn't a Christian, though he implied as much yesterday with a remark about his phony theology. Today he implies that Obama's faith has been corrupted by environmentalism:  IContinue reading “Santorum: Global Warming is a dangerous world view”

Global warming stresses bird marriages

Scientific American has been a surprisingly sexy magazine as of late, with Jesse Bering's classic ode to semen, and now a cheeky look at global warming and bird biology. The headline: Climate Change increases mate-swapping in birds A study by Carlos Botero et al in PLoS ONE reveals that, the mag says: . Birds typicallyContinue reading “Global warming stresses bird marriages”