Natty Geo: Optimism Greets New Round of UN Climate Talks Latest climate summit to begin in Lima, Peru, with big goals.

Here. BBC news on Peru conference here

Some signs of public health evolution / improvement: Less US Smoking, More Labeling of Processed Foods

Calorie count to appear with many prepared foods 

http://www.latinpost.com/articles/26678/20141128/adult-cigarette-smoking-rate-in-the-united-states-hits-all-time-low-according-to-new-cdc-study.htm

INTERPOL Asks Public to Help Nab Environmental Crime Fugitives INTERPOL's new initiatives highlight the seriousness and scope of environmental crime.

Herehttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141124-interpol-timber-trafficking-ivory-rhino-horn/

Pledging the money or stopping the problem?

Here Great for countries to pledge 10 billion dollars to Climate Fund, but why not stop the problem (cheaper) and more effective in the long run now?

"Stunning NASA Visualization Reveals Secret Swirlings of Carbon Dioxide" -- Natty Geo

Hhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141118-nasa-video-carbon-dioxide-global-warming-climate-environment/ere NASA CO2 graphic, for a full year. Very interesting, kind of pretty, and scary too. Wonder what it would look like if they color-coded gas emissions from a leak in someone's house, before they all died. Probably would look similar?

Multiple posts -- Huff Post

Robert Reich -- .01% now own 11% of nations wealth. Most in 100 years, more than before the Great Depression Here And the largest increase in where they're spending their $$$? Politics.
Citizens United + Rich = (see below)

Fossil-fueled Republicanism Here "For each modest step forward on climate stabilization, the latest election ensures that Americans are destined to march several steps backward when it comes to reliance on climate-altering fossil fuels."
"The GOP... should be called the Grand Oil Party."
= destruction of a livable planet; impoverishment and debilitation of the middle and lower class (and the relative legislative input and fairness for the 'masses') 

But we fight back, in the tradition of oppression.
Francis Beinecke on 5 reasons Keystone XL is a patently stupid and dangerous idea: Here

Al Franken on net neutrality Here

Multiple posts

Cali gets more water from Owens Valley... how exactly? Minimizing dust bowl blow-off that we caused with some other methods, so we don't have to flood the dry lake bed to keep the dust down (largest particulate problem of its kind in the country). ? Here. Saving billions of gallons. ?

Battle over a dirt Laurel Canyon road... Paving it creates more development, land and erosion unstable there. The city council rolled over, why? Here

Inequality getting WORSE in the US... Here But the GOP is ready to tackle taxation... and will make it even WORSE. Here

Great Net neutrality points from techies -- Computerworld

Here Smart folk. Needing to keep the internet fair with even speed, without excessive regulation and/or taxes.

Matt Vespa: A Mixed Bag: SCE's Proposed Replacement for SONGS

A Mixed Bag: Southern California Edison's Proposed Replacement for San Onofre Nuclear Plant - The Planet 

And good storage news here

Cradle to Grave GHG Emissions from Various Energy Sources

Here from NREL, very interesting

US and China Reach Deals After Months of Talks

Here Some climate targets, removal of tariffs for tech products, some military tolerance in disputed island waters off China, and some cybersecurity cooperation. Good stuff.
More good reportage in the Wall St. Journal Here And CNN Here

Obama Strongly Endorses Tougher Net Neutrality Laws

Here  This good news, and the right thing to do. I've blogged in some detail on this already. Here

Dozens more animals get new U.N. Protections

Here great news. Need to protect the species populations, habitat, air and water quality necessary to keep these species alive and in healthy populations. This helps allow us to provide the same for ourselves.

Hunter S. Thompson

Funny, a friend posted one of Hunter's great quotes on Facebook today. I just saw a poster-sized picture of him in Boulder bookstore last week, hadn't thought of him in awhile. Miss me some HST shooting from the hip, taking no prisoners.

My comments, for posterity:

I was in a Colorado bookstore last week, Beat Book Shop, and the owner knew and had hung with Hunter. Told Nina about him. He didn't mince words, and his political commentary is as white-hot and razor sharp as ever. We could use some more Hunter in these days of comfortable apathy... when the wolves of capitalism are still feasting on community coffers 

and the lambs of what were the 'middle class' 

scroll vaguely through the tv remote looking for escape 

hoping social security is still there.

Hunter would further call the wolves venal, irrational, black-hearted beasts

(I.e., the Koch Brothers) 

who would eat their young live before giving up some small chunk of their empire (for those who have less exposure to Hunter, there you go).

Koch brothers, dark money, black-mark elections

Readers blame Koch brothers et al., fellow voters for election results - LA Times 

(Colby's note: In addition to all the red states that had elections with some blue incumbents, mid-term apathy of the majority party, 2nd term majority President, etc.)

Some of the better quotes on here: Barbara Bergen, "The big winners last night were the Koch brothers, Karl Rove and their colleagues.

I find it fascinating that the dark money poured into this election that

advances the economic interests of the wealthiest business people
convinces so many of those in the middle class to vote against their own
self-interest. At least in California we understand that climate
change, student loan debt and income inequality are the important issues
of the day.
This isn't a personality contest; it's the futures of our children and grandchildren."

Stacy Cole, "Voting for the GOP because one is unhappy with the pace and quality of
the economic recovery is like a cancer patient undergoing treatment who,
unhappy with the pace of her recovery, decides to take up smoking."

"In Senate races in the general election, the [New York Times] analysis found, energy and
the environment are the third-most mentioned issue in political
advertisements, behind health care and jobs."

No More White Southern Democrats in Congress?

Here midterm elections relatively predictable, with seats in GOP states up for re-election.
But this is weird. 

Invest now or face 'irreversible' effects of climate change

Here  "(CNN) - The cost of fighting climate change will only climb if industrialized nations don't take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the United Nations' panel on the matter warned Sunday in its wrap-up report."

NY Times: Panel’s Latest Warming Warning Misses Global Slumber Party on Energy Research

Here New UN IPCC reports. Much of this is known already. It's time to keep carbon in the ground, tax it, and move all new energy in clean, sustainable production.