California's Economy Leading the Nation

Here And we have some of the most robust greenhouse gas emission standards in the nation.
Someone said you can't grow the economy and cut emissions? Check out California.

Georgia executes Kelly Gissendaner, despite plea from Pope Francis

Here The headline says much about Georgia, values, and our current Supreme Court.

California Governor Jerry Brown Press Conference September 2015 on SB350, Climate, California's Clean Energy Future

Here Jerry is fired up. September 2015. Big oil got the petroleum use reduction targets knocked down and out of this bill. Jerry is fired up, think he starts around 18 minutes in. Great stuff. We all have to keep ratcheting up our game, targets, and lowering our greenhouse gas emissions, one day, one hour, one legislative moment at a time. I'm fired up too. This is our future.
http://calchannel.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=7&clip_id=3208

Russia, Syria, Obama, Putin, ISIS and Ukraine

Here    Russian President Vladimir Putin said, "...“ready to restore relations with America to the normal scale.” Adding that, “it wasn't our choice to limit them."

So Russia making a pact to share intelligence with Iran and Iraq on Syria, without prior US consultation or involvement, is a pretty big end-around.

This article is an interesting look at the headline subject from a Russian point of view.

Seeing the quote above, does that mean Obama is willing to give up and/or forgive what's up in the Ukraine, in order to play nice with Russia to try to fix (or slightly defuse, or what have you) the situation in Syria?

Big political football here.

Per the article, "The West despises Assad. Nevertheless, his government is far more palatable than ISIS or the total collapse of the Syrian state." An interesting perspective clearly without merit.

Importantly, Putin also "...suggested a broad international coalition against terrorism, "similar to the anti-Hitler coalition" of the past. Putin implored Muslim religious leaders to show "guidance" to stop the spread of terrorism associated with the faith."

Stay tuned.

Five Aspects of Happiness

Here from Care2.com We know this, and it angers us a little because we don't always (or even often) consciously remind ourselves of them. Or actively live them.
Two of the five are that (1) Happiness does not equal excitement; and (4)  Real happiness requires being challenged and contributing to the world in a purposeful way.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-harsh-truths-nobody-tells-you-about-happiness.html#ixzz3n36230Hm

Read Pope Francis' Full Homily at Madison Square Garden - ABC News

Read Pope Francis' Full Homily at Madison Square Garden - ABC News 

More great stuff, about finding spirit in big cities. Like yeast in dough.

Full Transcript of Pope Francis' Speech at the United Nations General Assembly

Read: The Full Transcript of Pope Francis' Speech at the United Nations General Assembly

Inspiring. Historic. Let's find our best selves too and get along with this thing called civilization, progress and evolution. We can and should be doing so much better.

My Thoughts on John Boehner's Resignation --

I'll weigh in, FANTASTIC. He's been the ballast to progress, the ball and chain tying us to obsolete, old white, greed favoring ways. Threatening to shut down the government, not working with Dems on important issues of our time, etc., etc., shameful. That he scurries out of the public eye just in time for avoiding the excoriation he should receive is fitting for him. To watch him behind the Pope for over an hour, and hear such beautiful notions and leadership from Francis--and seeing Boehner the man most responsible for the CHASM between where we are and where we should be--was brutal. Mr. Boehner, take your exit immediately and with shame.


Other thoughts on his party and resignation from NYT comments, some more harsh, some more nuanced:

Robert Lee (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/25/world/asia/xi-jinping-china-president-obama-summit.html?_r=1)

Toronto 15 hours ago

Bad week for the GOP. With the Pope speaking out for refugees, global warming and sharing the wealth, and China coming around on carbon emissions, what's left of their sorry platform?

frankly 32

by the sea 22 minutes ago

Maybe the pope touched his heart, and he realized that as captain of the lost boys on Republican Island, he was not engaged in the good fight but the fight against goodness -- with bleak prospects for a favorable judgment from the past, the future, or the Catholic God that Francis embodies. I hope Boehner will next avail himself of two of the church's finest institutions: confession and repentance. Chalk another plus up for the Francis Effect. 

Christine McMorrow

Waltham, MA, 02452 2 hours ago

I have mixed feelings about this. I have no doubt that the papal visit did something to him, as he was weepy all day yesterday. While I doubt it was the final trigger--I think his mind was already made up--I think perhaps the pope's exhortation to stop congressional divisions and enmity really moved him.

That said, Mr. Boehner was an abysmal speaker. He presided over the most contentious, polarizing, do-nothing Congress in likely US history. His feckless betrayal of President Obama over the grand bargain in 2011 enraged me. I think he always tended to play one side against the other in order to save his own reputation.

Well, it didn't work. He fabricated, he prevaricated, he refused to rein in the loony Tea Party (resulting in even more of them being elected the year after) and he continually insulted the president, perhaps to show his most rabid members he could be "tough."

For me it didn't work, and he is as much responsible for the nonstop political impasses as the Tea Party crowd itself. I place 50% of the blame on his shoulders. If he knew he wasn't up to the job, he should have resigned several years ago.

China to Announce Cap-and-Trade Program to Limit Emissions - The New York Times

China to Announce Cap-and-Trade Program to Limit Emissions - The New York Times 

Let's hope so. We all have to begin where we can, buy in, and proceed accordingly and ambitiously.

California has done it, is meeting its clean air standards faster than projected, and its economy is doing well.

The Pope's Visit, Address to Congress

Here I am so glad he is here. It is making me feel good. Today I'd say I consider myself spiritual by way of multiple religions, and was baptized a Catholic when I was a child.
Pope Francis is very special. His compassion seems to be inspiring most of us. I hope it continues to help melt walls and barriers to help us live better together.

Read the Speech Pope Francis Gave at the White House | TIME

Read the Speech Pope Francis Gave at the White House | TIME 

The Pope hanging out in the US is pretty cool. What a guy. Bringing some bursts of straight heartfelt insight -- love him in many ways.

"As the son of an immigrant family, I am happy to be a guest in this country, which was largely built by such families..."

"...climate change is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation."

"I would like all men and women of good will in this great nation to
support the efforts of the international community to protect the
vulnerable in our world and to stimulate integral and inclusive models
of development, so that our brothers and sisters everywhere may know the
blessings of peace and prosperity which God wills for all his children."

Hillary Clinton opposes Keystone XL pipeline VIDEO - CNNPolitics.com

Hillary Clinton opposes Keystone XL pipeline - CNNPolitics.com

Good stuff

Hillary Clinton opposes Keystone XL pipeline, Pope Francis Arrives in America - CNNPolitics.com

Hillary Clinton opposes Keystone XL pipeline - CNNPolitics.com

Pope Francis arrives in America

Two of the most influential and powerful people in the world stepping forward to combat climate change is telling and a harbinger of things to come. 

VW Cheated and Installed Emissions Under-Reporting Software?!

Here Awful, reprehensible, criminal. Their stock is getting hammered. The investigations are not over, and other countries are beginning theirs. VW is now seriously tainted goods. Some execs had mad cow disease, or just mad greed disease to try and pull something like that off instead of designing cars that complied with standards. Mr. Burns-like foolishness, and black-hearted.

Helped raise over $1 Million for Childhood Cancer today -- Malibu Triathlon 2015

Here

This was fun, and hard! Half mile swim, 18 mile hilly bike ride and 4 mile run in 80 degree weather. Colby does do some triathlon. Good for my health, and children's health-- salud, to our continued good health!

 

Eight trillion microbeads pollute aquatic habitats every day — and scientists are calling for a ban (Washington Post)

Here    What we don't know, we learn, but is also hurting us. We progress, in ways, and have to keep learning and progressing. Microbeads are news to me.

Deep ocean mercury is reaching California’s coasts - through the bodies and fur of marine mammals - The Washington Post

The troubling reason why deep ocean mercury is reaching California’s coasts - The Washington Post  



Wow, disgusting, sad, troubling, and an indictment of our ability to control our pollution.

Alaska, Obama, Cities Lost, and the Price of Climate Change - The Washington Post

The photo that says more about Alaska than all of Obama’s Instagram feed - The Washington Post 

Obama in Alaska, talking about climate change on his visit. Talks about Kivalina, typical low-lying city that is being submerged by rising seas / climate change. Will be interesting to see who flips the bill for these damages / loss of cities as below. Feds pay for it, or pay for adaptation due to inaction, while oil companies continue their free ride polluting CO2 into the atmosphere? For how long?

"...the price tag of this relocation is huge, and it’s unclear what the
federal government is willing to pay for. It pledged another $2 million
Wednesday to help remote Alaskan villages hard-hit by climate change,
but it will cost at least $100 million to move Kivalina. Even
constructing an evacuation road to higher ground will cost $15 million,
and maybe more than twice that if a causeway needs to be built as part
of the project."

Obama on Climate Change: Act Now or Condemn World to a Nightmare

Here NBC News    Here ABC News