With Republicans in control of White House, the Senate, and Congress, all eyes turn to ANWR.

Courtesy of WaPo: 

The Trump administration is quietly moving to allow energy exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for the first time in more than 30 years, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post, with a draft rule that would lay the groundwork for drilling. 

Congress has sole authority to determine whether oil and gas drilling can take place within the refuge’s 19.6 million acres. But seismic studies represent a necessary first step, and Interior Department officials are modifying a 1980s regulation to permit them. 

The effort represents a twist in a political fight that has raged for decades. The remote and vast habitat, which serves as the main calving ground for one of North America’s last large caribou herds and a stop for migrating birds from six continents, has served as a rallying cry for environmentalists and some of Alaska’s native tribes. But state politicians and many Republicans in Washington have pressed to extract the billions of barrels of oil lying beneath the refuge’s coastal plain. 

Democrats have managed to block them through votes in the Senate and, in one instance in 1995, by a presidential veto.

I knew it was only a matter of time before this would raise its ugly head once again.

The Bush Administration pushed hard for the opening of ANWR but were unsuccessful, however  I think for the first time ever the Republicans have all the power they need to finally attain this goal.

This is essentially the GOP white whale and despite the fact that we are now awash in oil, and much of the world is moving quickly toward renewable energy solutions, they will simply not allow this chance to pass by.

And despite some push back from the environmental groups and native Alaskans, there is not a politician up here who can get elected without voicing support for the opening of the Wildlife Refuge so there is nothing local that can slow this process down.

The only real hope is that since the process moves at a snail's pace, there will likely be a new administration in office before this thing gains much momentum,. That plus the enormous cost of exploration, may not make this especially viable in the next dozen years or so.

Fingers crossed.

Rick Perry is working to end funding for renewable energy, also closes office working on climate change abroad. Welcome to the future ladies and gentlemen.

I wear glasses now which proves I'm smart, debonair, and..what's that third thing?

Courtesy of Salon:

Energy Secretary Rick Perry is cooking up a case to stifle further federal support of renewable wind and solar energy. He’s ordered a dubiously sourced staff study that is aimed to paint renewables as an unreliable source for the nation’s electric grid. 

The study, due June 23, seeks to determine whether federal tax and subsidy policies favoring renewable energy have burdened “baseload” coal-fired generation, putting power grid reliability at risk. It is being spearheaded by Energy Department political appointee Travis Fisher, who’s associated with a Washington policy group that opposes almost any government aid for renewable energy. 

Fisher wrote a 2015 report for the Institute for Energy Research that called clean energy policies “the single greatest emerging threat” to the nation’s electric power grid, and a greater threat to electric reliability than cyber attacks, terrorism or extreme weather. 

The Institute for Energy Research and its advocacy arm, the American Energy Alliance, has been the “influential force in shaping Donald Trump’s plans to dismantle Obama administration climate initiatives,’’ according to Bloomberg News.

Damn is that depressing to learn.

Oh and it gets even worse.

Courtesy of  the New York Times:


The Energy Department is closing an office that works with other countries to develop clean energy technology, another sign of the Trump administration’s retreat on climate-related activities after its withdrawal from the Paris agreement this month. 

The 11 staff members of the Office of International Climate and Technology were told this month that their positions were being eliminated, according to current and former agency employees. The office was formed in 2010 to help the United States provide technical advice to other nations seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

The small office also played a lead role preparing for the annual Clean Energy Ministerial, a forum in which the United States, China, India and other countries shared insights on how best to promote energy efficiency, electric vehicles and other solutions to climate change.

After all of the hard work that President Obama put into making this country energy independent and moving us away from planet killing fossil fuels, here comes this Texas shit kicker to undo the whole thing.

And while we are all distracted by the Russian investigation Trump and his progress hating cohorts are slowly dismantling all of the advances we have made in the last eight years.

And it is not just in renewable energy. They are also undermining our civil rights, our education system, and even our access to affordable health care.

We need to keep all of this fresh in our minds as we approach 2018. Because that will be our first opportunity to start to put things right again.

Or should I say "Left again?"

Audi just made diesel gas out of air and water. Welcome to the future.

Courtesy of Science Alert:  

German car manufacturer Audi has reportedly invented a carbon-neutral diesel fuel, made solely from water, carbon dioxide and renewable energy sources. And the crystal clear 'e-diesel' is already being used to power the Audi A8 owned by the country’s Federal Minister of Education and Research, Johanna Wanka. 

The creation of the fuel is a huge step forward for sustainable transport, but the fact that it’s being backed by an automotive giant is even more exciting. Audi has now set up a pilot plant in Dresden, Germany, operated by clean tech company Sunfire, which will pump out 160 litres of the synthetic diesel every day in the coming months. 

Their base product, which they’re calling 'blue crude' is created using a three-step process. The first step involves harvesting renewable energy from sources such as wind, solar and hydropower. They then use this energy to split water into oxygen and pure hydrogen, using a process known as reversible electrolysis. 

This hydrogen is then mixed with carbon monoxide (CO), which is created from carbon dioxide (CO2) that’s been harvested from the atmosphere. The two react at high temperatures and under pressure, resulting in the production of the long-chain hydrocarbon compounds that make up the blue crude. 

Once it's been refined, the resulting e-diesel can be mixed in with our current diesel fuel, or used on its own to power cars in a more sustainable way.

Okay I know, I KNOW, that this will not get anywhere near the attention as some of my previous posts.

But I have to reiterate folks that THIS is what is really important, and THIS is what should excite and inspire all of us.

Just take a minute to imagine what this kind of a breakthrough could mean for the future of this planet. 

Less pollution, less raping of the planet, less money spent on energy, fewer reasons to go to war, and that is only the beginning.

I have said it before, but it bears repeating, this is an amazing time to be alive.

Train carrying crude oil derails, and explodes, causing the evacuation of residents in a one mile radius.

Damn look at that!

Courtesy of the Charleston Daily Mail:  

Residents who were near the derailment of a crude oil train in Fayette County say it shook and rocked their community like a Biblical judgment. 

Around 1:20 p.m. Monday, a CSX train carrying crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken formation derailed in the Mount Carbon area of Fayette County, sending oil tankers off the tracks, with some reaching the Kanawha River. 

The train, consisting of two locomotives and 109 rail cars, was en route to Yorktown, Va. As of Monday evening, it was unknown how much oil spilled from the train. 

According to a statement on its website, CSX is “working with first responders to address the fire, to determine how many rail cars derailed, and to deploy environmental protective measures and monitoring on land, air and in the nearby Kanawha River. The company also is working with public officials and investigative agencies to address their needs.” 

It was also reported that residents within a one mile radius had to be evacuated and the fire burned for over nine hours. 

The Governor of West Virgina, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, declared a state of emergency.

According to NPR two local water treatment plants closed their intakes and have asked residents to conserve water as thousands of gallons of crude oil pour out of ruptured tank cars.

Oil spills, explosions, contaminated water. Gee you know what might be helpful right about now?

A new source of energy.

Have you wondered why so many Senators are still pushing to build the Keystone Pipeline? Well wonder no more.

Courtesy of International Business Times: 

The oil and gas industry gave nearly $250,000 to each of the 62 senators who voted in favor of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project late last month, according to MapLight, a nonpartisan research organization that tracks the influence of money in politics. The revelations come as the House of Representatives is set to vote on and expected to pass the Senate legislation Wednesday that would approve the pipeline and start transferring oil in western Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast. President Barack Obama has threatened to veto the project on a number of grounds, including environmental concerns. 

The oil and gas industry, which stands to benefit from the Keystone XL pipeline, gave $236,544 on average to the senators who voted yes on Keystone, or about 10 times more than the senators who voted no. The 36 senators against the pipeline received about $22,882 apiece in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry. There was no data on contributions to House members. 

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., the sponsor of the Keystone Senate bill, received about $275,000 from the industry, according to MapLight, but he wasn’t the biggest beneficiary of oil and gas industry money in the Senate. That distinction goes to Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who has received more than $1 million from the industry, which is important to Texas. The Democratic co-sponsor of the Keystone bill, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, received about $200,000 from the industry -- the biggest beneficiary of oil and gas money among Democrats. But there were 24 Republicans who got larger contributions from the industry than him.

You see it doesn't matter that building the pipeline will do NOTHING to help America with its energy independence, or that it will only create about 35 permanent jobs, the important thing is that these politicians are getting fat and happy off of energy company largesse. And as long as that continues efforts to build this monstrosity will continue with only President Obama to stand in its way.

Hmm, now I'm beginning to wonder which other folks have been paid off by big oil. Such as radio talk show hosts, Fox News contributors, and former politicians turned reality show failures?

Apparently Sarah Palin gave a speech in Texas this morning. You know, same shit different longhorn.

I love how this Forbes article set up how they were going to share bits of the speech: 

It can be challenging to parse Palin’s core message from within her slap-dash stream of consciousness rhetorical style. There was no teleprompter today, so it helped that her presentation was moderated in the form of a Q&A, which sort of kept her on topic. Is that unkind? Well she’s used to it. “You can’t be afraid to stand up to the press,” she said today. “Look at the Brian Williams stuff. They lie.” Fittingly, within the cavernous hall at the Hilton Americas where she spoke, a handful of reporters was sequestered in a corner as far away from the stage as possible. No recording devices allowed, but I type pretty fast. 

In the interest of sharing with you what Palin was trying to say, I’ve sought here to distill and edit down her disjointed message into a more coherent whole. So here goes. Try hearing her voice as you read it.

With that the reporter, Chris Helman, offers up a number of snack size sound bites for our amusement:

“Energy is my baby. The thing that I miss most about my governing responsibilities is to be able to spur investment in exploration and development.”

Well it IS reminiscent of her relationship with Trig, in that she has no idea what it is, how it works, or what it needs to be successful

My husband Todd started off with BP on the North Slope of Alaska. “We raised our kids with that North Slope lifestyle. Thank you so much for paying my bills for many years.”

Considering how her children turned out that seems like more of an indictment against BP more than anything else.  

“The president is not for American energy independence.” If he were he wouldn’t be trying to lock up the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. That’s “20 million more acres he wants to lock up from development.” 

Obama wants to balance that out by opening up some waters off the Eastern seaboard to oil exploration. But “that’s a bogus exchange.” 

“All we need to explore and develop ANWR is a 2,000 acre swath. Alaska is 400 million acres when you consider our water and land. A postage stamp in the middle of a football field. That’s all the land we need to develop.”

Okay that 2,000 acres only includes the area where the drilling will occur. There are still thousands of acres that will be impacted by moving in equipment and building pipelines. And that does not even take into consideration what will happen in the case of a spill.

And if we have learned nothing else from building the Alaska pipeline, it is that leaks and spills are unavoidable.

And simply put the LAST thing our environment needs is more oil being pulled out of the ground.

And what about the impact that the oil exploration might have on the wildlife?

Oh she has an answer for that I see.

“The administration is not understanding the inherent link between energy and security and energy and prosperity. He’s rewarding the environmentalists who are extreme in saying there would be environmental harm in developing ANWR.” They worry about the impact on the “moose and caribou.” Well we’ve had the Trans-Alaska Pipeline for decades, and that “pipeline has not been adverse at all.” 

On the contrary, “the animals like the warmth” that the pipeline gives off. “The animals mate under the pipeline. I haven’t actually seen it” but that’s what I’m told. If oil and gas development is risky to wildlife, “if it is to hurt one caribou, then that one caribou should take one for the team and allow the rest of the country to benefit.” 

"Take one for the team?" She does recognize that caribou do not exactly consider themselves to be part of our team doesn't she?

Concerning the presidential race in 2016: 

“I can’t wait for 2016. That election I can see from my house. I hope for a GOP candidate who understands energy and understands infrastructure.” 

“Hillary Clinton will be the Democrat candidate because she has the money.” After her, it’s a “shallow bench.” Is there any chance a dark horse could emerge to challenge her? “Not really, because of the money. Hillary Clinton will seize the opportunity to collect those funds. Hillary is it.”

Well we agree on that last part at least.

And of course the obligatory question that always has to be asked of this nitwit:

Is Sarah Palin considering a run?  

“I’m so sorry you asked that. It’s “just too early.” But “a lot can change.” 

She's sorry they asked her? She would literally curl up in a ball and die if people stopped asking her that question.

Palin then goes on to casually attack the President and then give her clearly prepared remarks on Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the Middle East.  (Remember she had the questions submitted before this appearance so that she would have prepared responses.)

Palin ends her remarks by blowing kisses at the military.

“Freedom isn’t free. You have to fight for it.” That’s why I support the U.S. military. “They are America’s true heroes.” 

I still have trouble understanding how slaughtering people in a foreign land makes America free.

So there were no huge Iowa sized gaffes in this speech, which I am sure is why they insisted on getting the questions with enough time to prepare reasonably intelligent answers ahead of time.

It appears, at least initially that Palin stuck to the script and clicked the safety on the verbal salad shooter.

But really, how long can that last?

Climate scientists release study saying that in order to save the planet fossil fuels need to stay right where they are. In other words, for God sakes stop drilling!

Courtesy of National Geographic:  

Canada's tar sands need to stay in the ground, the oil beneath the Arctic has to remain under the sea, and most of the world's coal must be left untouched in order to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 2°C, a study released Wednesday says. 

The research, unlike other bleak assessments of the world's climate predicament, zeroes in on which regions should halt their production of coal, oil, and gas—and by how much. It comes ahead of climate talks in Paris later this year that aim to broker a new global accord to cut greenhouse gas emissions. 

.....

In addition to abandoning more than 80 percent of current global coal reserves, the researchers say, the world should forego extracting a third of its oil and half of its gas reserves before 2050.

And that my friends is why the "Drill Baby, Drill" philosophy should be shoved out onto the same iceberg of irrelevancy that Sarah Palin currently occupies.

By the way Climate Scientists are not the only scientists pushing the panic button: 

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists announced Jan. 22 that it is moving the hand of the “Doomsday Clock” two minutes closer to midnight. Through a combination of nuclear weapons and increasing global warming, the Bulletin’s executive director Kennette Benedict said that there were some “truly terrible prospects” for the fate of humanity on the horizon, and implored “the citizens of the world to think clearly” about its future.

The threat of nuclear war was also mentioned, though the panel suggested that the global inclination to replace carbon-based power plants with nuclear power was more of an issue. The panel was concerned with the Russian incursion into Crimea, but was less concerned that someone was “going to press the button” on a nuclear weapon, and more concerned that about having to maintain nuclear material at all, which increases “the prospect for nuclear accidents,” Benedict said. 

Great so now we are less in danger of being blown up by enemies then we are of killing ourselves due to ignorance.

How comforting.

So Sarah Palin was on Fox News babbling incoherently about Russia again.

Stuart Varney, the guy with the British accent that Roger Ailes hired to class up Fox News (Yeah good luck with that!), had Palin on today to discuss Christmas, Russia, energy, and other things that she know absolutely nothing about.

Somebody sent me a link so I listened to it and for the most part found nothing but the same old incomprehensible word salad that we have come to expect from the Queen of Non Sequiturs. (Varney asks her a question about Russia but her answer is so convoluted that I simply cannot bring myself to attempt a transcript.)

But then Varney asked Palin to explain why the President does not want to open federal lands in order to drill them full of holes to get more oil.

"Our President has absolutely no clue about what that inherent link between energy and sovereignty, energy and security and prosperity is, because he has no experience, I think, in the real world, or even in the corporate world, and understanding how energy is so extremely important for our economy and for our security, So that being said, that our President is clueless about all this, you would thing though that the Democrats, especially from oil producing states would be able to influence Democrat leadership, like our President, and help explain to him that we could take away Putin's power. We could take away the threats from some of these emerging economies to, who are using..um..energy as a weapon, as a weapon against us, and like you say you take that away by being sovereign and secure in your own energy security, your own energy independence. You do that by drilling domestically and when you hear President Obama spew this BS about what he has done to increase domestic supplies of energy, remember it is BS. Because on federal lands he still locks it up, he still wants it locked up."

Holy shit, there is not enough dressing in the world to make that word salad palatable.

And God I hate it when this imbecile starts arguing that President Obama has no experience in the real world. THE MAN HAS BEEN PRESIDENT FOR SIX FUCKING YEARS NOW!

There is no way he could NOT have experience in the "real world." He is the fucking leader of it!

Besides Palin's contention that drilling domestically would "take away Putin's power" is just another giant load of moosenuggets.

In fact we get so little of our oil from Russia it would make literally no discernible difference if we stopped.

And in fact if Palin knew anything about what she is talking about she would know that America gets the majority of its oil from right here in North America.

And a whopping 60% of the oil we use comes from production right here in the good old US of A.

You know that is something that I would think a self identified "energy expert" might already know.

By the way the very last thing that any of us should want is for the ANY world leader to green light more oil exploration in this country or anywhere else in the world.  And fortunately this President understands that the future lies in renewable energy sources and has made that a priority.

Perhaps a better use of Palin's time would be to stop making stupid videos about fake pie baking, and giving insipid interviews, and instead take a load off those spindly legs of hers and sit down to watch a little television.

Sarah Palin goes on the attack against Senator Begich. Worth thousands in advertising for his campaign.

Courtesy of the Arctic Albatross's Facebook page:  

Man Up, Mark 

The independent spirit in the Last Frontier includes having the guts to take a stand for what you believe in. On Tuesday, Alaskans vote on a ballot measure that cuts right to the heart of our future. It’s arguably the most important political debate facing the 49th state since statehood, because it determines our commitment to the state’s Constitution. Can you believe Alaska’s junior U.S. Senator who wants to be re-elected doesn’t feel he needs to weigh in on this most important issue, at all? 

Mark Begich, Alaskans deserve to know whose side you’re on in the debate about ownership of our energy resources and responsible development to create good jobs. It comes down to repealing SB 21. Voting "YES" on Prop 1 means you understand we need NEW oil development for security and prosperity. Can you take a stand on this? Or are you too afraid of offending Outside influencers (with all their sweet, sweet campaign cash) to take a stand for Alaskans? Your 90% voting record with Harry Reid to empower Barack Obama speaks volumes, but your unwillingness to engage with Alaskans on our energy issue says it all. 

It’s time to man up, Mark! Instead of the typical politician, Alaskans need a fighter in D.C. with guts. Can you take a stand? We can’t hear you. 

- Sarah Palin

First Palin endorses Joe Miller, and NOW she is attacking Mark Begich.

It is like she is handing the Democrats this victory. 

Let me reiterate again how universally despised Palin is up here, and how desperate people are to get her out of our politics, and away from our state.

Begich has been using Palin in his advertisements and e-mails for months now, so this will only give him more to work with in drumming up support and attracting donations.

And Palin attacking his manhood is exactly the kind of thing that he can easily rise above by refusing to dignify it with a response, thereby demonstrating his statesmanship while also benefiting from the revulsion people feel when she uses that kind of language.

Gee if only we had listened when we had the chance.

More about Nikola Tesla, for those who are interested.

Germany guides the way in the field of renewable energy.

Courtesy of the Guardian:  

Germany has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions significantly in recent years as it has pushed forward a renewable agenda leading Europe into an age of wind and solar power. 

In the past year, the country's CO2 emissions fell by 2.4% compared with 2010, according to figures released by Germany's Federal Environment Agency (UBA). The decrease, say experts, has largely come through a push towards renewable energy that has accelerated since the country began its move away from nuclear power. 

In the first six months of 2012, the amount of electricity produced using renewable energy rose from 20% to 25%, bringing the country closer to its targets of 35% by 2020 and 80% by 2050. 

"We are on a good track in regard to the increase in the share of renewables," said Brigitte Knopf, deputy head of research at the sustainable solutions project at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (Pik). "This is a story of success, though some challenges are still ahead."

Obviously if Germany is capable of such a significant move away from fossil fuels and nuclear energies so is America. But then why are we so far behind?


Well I think since we know that many of our politicians are addicted to oil money, that answer is probably obvious.

However it is worth noting that the presidential candidate most favored by big oil was Mitt Romney, and he lost. So perhaps we are at the precipice of a major change in our country's energy philosophy.

Let's hope so.

There are rogue scientists paid to undermine scientific research in this country and it is making it hard to bring truth to the American people.

Courtesy of Physorg.com:  

These naysayers -- some of whom are paid by interest groups -- have helped undermine action on vital problems despite evidence of the need to respond, said Naomi Oreskes, a professor of history and science studies at the University of California at San Diego. 

They sap convictions by endlessly questioning data, dismissing experimental innovation, stressing uncertainties and clamouring for more research, she said. Over the last half-century, they have helped weaken legislative action or brake political momentum on tobacco, acid rain, protection of the ozone layer and climate change. 

"This strategy is so clever and effective," Oreskes said in an interview this week in Paris to promote a French translation of "Merchants of Doubt," a book she co-authored with California Institute of Technology historian Erik Conway. 

"It takes something which is an essential part of science -- healthy skepticism, curiosity -- and turns it against itself and makes it corrosive." 

Oreskes's book traces the starting point of professional science skeptics to when big tobacco companies were facing the first clear evidence that smoking caused cancer. 

An internal memo, written by a Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. executive in 1969, spelt out the goal of weakening this link with expert help. 

"Doubt is our product, since it is the best means of competing with the 'body of fact' that exists in the minds of the general public. It is also the means of establishing a controversy," according to the document, now placed in a US public archive. 

Oreskes said a blatant example today was the sowing of doubt about global warming. 

A "denial campaign" started to take root in the United States just before the Earth Summit of 1992 and amplified in the run-up to negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, she said. 

"They don't have to prove that they're right. They don't have to prove that there's no global warming," she said. 

"They simply have to raise doubts and questions, because if they can raise doubts and questions, then they can say, 'Well, since the science is not settled,' they allege, 'therefore it would be premature to act on it.' And so they delay action and avoid the kind of actions they would like to avoid."

Okay if THAT does not seriously piss you off then I can't imagine what would.

I think most of us have probably already reached a conclusion similar to this on our own, simply by watching the attacks on evolution in the classrooms and climate change in politics.

Essentially these people are willing to damage our ability to trust facts, simply in the name of greed.

We have seen this happen right before our eyes when it comes to regulating our food, educating our children, and protecting our environment. All powerful people have to do is purchase their own scientists and important information is brought into doubt.

In today's America it appears that money IS truth.  If you have enough of one, you are free to define the other.

About those high gas prices.

I thought we would take a break from the Palin e-mails to address another yet attack against our President.

Lately the GOP machine and  Republican candidates have been hammering Obama on the only perceived chink in his armor they can find anymore, high gas prices.

Except as it turns out that is not exactly a winning argument for them either.

This from the President's blog:

Along with President Obama’s initiatives to reduce our consumption of fossil fuels, this increase in domestic production is moving us towards energy independence and saving American consumers at the pump. 

• 640,000: Increase in the average number of barrels of crude oil produced per day since 2008 
• 4 X: Factor by which the number of oil rigs operating in the United States has gone up under President Obama's administration 
• 1.5 million: Decrease in the average number of barrels of crude oil imported per day since 2008 
• 16: Number of years since the United States’ dependence on foreign oil was as low as it was last year 
• 54.5 mpg: Performance equivalent that will be required for model year 2017-2025 cars and light trucks—nearly doubling the standards that were in place when President Obama took office 
• More than $8,000: Savings at the pump per vehicle by 2025 thanks to steps the Obama administration has taken to increase efficiency 
• More than $1.7 trillion: Total amount consumers will have saved at the pump by 2025 thanks to President Obama’s fuel efficiency program

It certainly appears that the President has done FAR more than most of his predecessors to reduce our dependence on fossils fuels, increase domestic production, and increase fuel efficiency.

So I guess the only question left to ask the GOP is, "What else ya got?"

Tiny Alaskan village sues energy companies for conspiring to cover up their responsibility for climate change.

Courtesy of the Alaska Dispatch:

The battle between some of the world's most powerful energy companies and an Alaska village that's losing ground to climate change heads to federal appeals court on Monday. 

Nine Kivalina residents, having survived the recent mega-storm that walloped western Alaska, will be at the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to watch their lawyers argue that ExxonMobil Corp., BP, ConocoPhillips and other corporate Goliaths owe the village at least $95 million in damages. 

A key Kivalina argument charges that the energy companies are engaged in a conspiracy to cover up the link between their emissions and the earth's warming temperatures. A similar argument proved pivotal decades ago in helping smokers prevail in court against tobacco giants. 

The Northwest Alaska village lost the first round of its lawsuit in 2009, when a U.S. District Court dismissed it, saying climate-change pollution needs to be regulated by Congress and the administration, not courts. The village lacked standing, the court said, because it could not show the companies' emissions caused the erosion threatening the village. 

But Kivalina is optimistic this time around. 

"What we have going for us is the science is changing by the day," and the causal connection between greenhouse-gas emissions and the climate is clarifying, said Heather Kendall-Miller, an attorney for Kivalina and head of the Alaska office of the Native American Rights Fund. 

Alaska spokespeople for ConocoPhillips and BP, and a ConocoPhillips attorney named in the case, would not comment about the companies' arguments.

There are few places on earth that have felt the impact of climate change as acutely as those living in these remote Alaskan villages.

It seems very appropriate for them to be the ones mounting the legal battle that will finally force these energy companies to admit that they have been working for decades to hide the truth about their responsibility, and spending millions of dollars refuting the science that dares to say otherwise.

Now THESE are Alaskans that we can all feel proud to have living in our great state.

Goliath, meet David.

Which President has done the most to encourage growth in the US energy industry? Are you thinking Ronald Reagan or George Bush? Wrong again!

"You oil executives see my tie? That is an indication of the future of energy in this country. Deal with it!"

Courtesy of Chron.com:

Advocates for the U.S. energy industry routinely say they wish President Obama would pursue pro-growth energy policies. Well, he has been, and not just for the likes of fallen green giants like Solyndra. Under Obama, the traditional U.S. energy sector is flourishing. The domestic energy sector is experiencing its largest growth since the halcyon days of the 1950s and 1960s. As importantly, we're growing in the right directions. 

For the first time in decades, we are seeing sustained increases in U.S. oil production and decreases in oil consumption, which means imports are dropping. 

U.S. domestic oil production is up an incredible 14 percent since Obama took office. A few years ago we imported nearly two-thirds of our petroleum products. Today we import less than half. The reduction in imports means tens of billions of dollars now stay in our own economy. 

But it's not just oil: dry natural gas production is up 16 percent, natural gas liquids are up 26 percent, solar generation is up 14 percent and wind generation is up 59 percent. Even production of coal - supposedly the main target of Obama's policies - is flat over that same time period. There are even headlines blaring that U.S. refining capacity is at the highest point in decades, exceeding levels achieved under recent Republican administrations. All of this growth produces royalties and taxes to address our budget challenges. 

Despite the numbers, many in the energy industry describe Obama as if he's intent on making us freeze in the dark. They'd have us believe Obama and his team are singlehandedly killing the American energy industry. 

The facts tell a different story: This is a pro-energy president.

And that my friends is the difference between having a comprehensive energy policy, and just coming up with bumper sticker slogans like "Drill Baby, Drill."

By the way if anybody is standing near Sarah Palin when she reads this I will pay serious money for a picture of the look on her face at this news.

Though in my minds eye, it will look something like this:

Let's face it this is YET another area where the Republicans simply have no ammunition to use against the President. I swear if this jobs crisis turns around before the election, all the Republican candidate will be able to do is point at his face and say "Yeah, but at least I'M white!"

Klondike Kardashian's latest Facebook fail is so stupid even Fox News cannot support her.

I was not going to address this at all because Palin's most recent Facebook attack on President Obama over gas prices is so completely bereft of factual information that it should be beneath the notice of anybody with half of a brain. However since so many media outlets seem determine to address this mooseshit I figured I should weigh in as well.

Palin's Facebook ghostwriters have apparently decided that Obama's so-called "anti-oil policies" have somehow contributed to the recent prices that we are all paying at the pump.

That is of course a specious argument and one easily cleared up by experts who actually know what they are talking about.  Like the ones Media Matters contacted to punch holes in Palin's ridiculous ghostwritten rant:

I recently asked several economists and energy experts if there was any truth to the claim that the Obama administration's drilling policies are responsible for the recent surge in gas prices. Not a single expert I consulted said that the claim is valid, including those aligned with the oil industry. Here's a sample of the responses I received:

• "Absolutely No Merit To This Viewpoint Whatsoever." Chris Lafakis, economist at Moody's Analytics and expert in energy markets, said: "I received your question about whether or not federal drilling policies are responsible for the current rise in gas prices. There is absolutely no merit to this viewpoint whatsoever. Near-term fluctuations in gasoline prices are determined by two primary factors: crude oil prices and seasonality. Since the deepwater drilling delay applies only to exploration and production, it would take years, maybe a decade to get any amount of crude oil out of the ground and into our gas tanks. In the meantime, global crude oil supply is exactly the same as it would have been if the government were giving away permits like candy."
• "It's Not Credible To Blame The Obama Administration's Drilling Policies For Today's High Prices." Michael Canes, research fellow at the Logistics Management Institute and former chief economist of the American Petroleum Institute disagrees with Obama's drilling policies. Still, he said: "It's not credible to blame the Obama Administration's drilling policies for today's high prices because of the relative scales involved." He further stated that "world oil prices are determined in a market of around 85 million barrels per day of production and consumption, while the consequences of domestic drilling, particularly in the Gulf, likely would be more in the range of several hundred thousand to one million barrels per day, and most of that production would not occur for a number of years."
• "Gasoline Prices At The Pump Would Be Higher Either Way." Lou Crandall, chief economist of Wrightson ICAP LLC said: "Higher oil prices today are a global phenomenon, and the additional supply from increased drilling by the U.S. would not alter the global balance of supply and demand greatly. Gasoline prices at the pump would be higher either way. The only difference is that a somewhat larger share of the revenue would accrue to domestic interests (governmental and private) rather than to foreign suppliers."

There we go.  Now isn't it better to hear from people who ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT on this subject?

In fact the argument was so...what's the right word here...oh yeah...retarded, that even Fox News simply could not go along with it.



(By the way Fox News is also incorrect with their assessment that if we reversed our domestic oil producing policies this minute, that it would have a real impact on gas prices in this country in the long term. It would not.)

Now here is my personal pet peeve.  One of the reasons that people keep responding to Palin when it comes to issues of energy or gas and oil issues is because they continue to buy into the myth that she is an "energy expert."  No, Goddammit she is not!

When Palin was tapped by Governor Murkowski to sit on the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission it was just one of a number of jobs he offered her to get her to stop pouting about not getting his vacated Senate seat. (Something, by the way, that she is STILL pissed off about.)

However one of the very enlightening things that Frank Bailey pointed out in his manuscript is that on that commission there was a slot made available to one person who had no fucking idea what they were talking about, just to give the Alaska people the idea that even the dumbest among them were being represented.  That was the slot given to Palin.

The other so-called jewel in Palin's "energy expert" crown is the gas line project. The contract for which she promised TransCanada $500 million to bribe them into accepting, and which we now know is essentially doomed.

The facts are that Palin is about as much of an expert on energy as she is on telling the truth, which is not one damn bit.  Has everybody got that now?

Let's take a trip in the "Way Back Machine" and remind ourselves what the so-called "energy expert" Sarah Palin knows about energy. Here is a hint, not a damn thing.

That is how the Grizzled Mama responds to off the cuff to questions about energy, and let's face it, pretty much anything else.

She may be fooling the low hanging fruit by having ghostwriters piece together articles for the Washington Post or Fox News that she can then put her paw print on and claim as hers, or by twittering links to articles written by those who know how to use things like "verbs" and "nouns," but those of us who live in Alaska know that Sarah Palin is still that simpleton throwing out unrelated words on a stage in an attempt to confuse the questioner.

She has learned NOTHING, except how to hide her incredible stupidity more carefully.  And you can still see that stupidity on display when she is forced to make a guest appearance with Bill O'Reilly and he refuses to throw her softball questions like Palin pantie sniffer Sean Hannity or Greta van Damn-it's-hard-to-be-Palin's-friend.

You know in Alaska we have an odd tradition of taking moose nuggets (moose poop for the uninitiated among you), shellacking them, and selling them as novelty items, or even jewelry, to the tourists.

(Thought I was kidding, didn't you?)

However, no matter how you shine them up, they are STILL packed with mooseshit.

And so is Sarah Palin.

Oh this is going to piss Palin off!

The Center for Biological Diversity praised the Obama administration’s announcement today that it is cancelling two offshore oil and gas lease sales: one in the Atlantic off the coast of Virginia and another in the Gulf of Mexico. The Atlantic lease sale was part of a controversial area that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar approved for expanded offshore oil development after the Bush administration lifted the moratorium on drilling in the Atlantic. The Gulf of Mexico lease sale was scheduled to take place in mid-August.

“Obama’s decision to cancel these lease sales recognizes that risky offshore drilling needs reform,” said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans director at the Center. “Halting controversial lease sales is among the most proactive steps that Obama has taken toward the Gulf disaster.”

You just know that somewhere on the road (just where in the hell is she these days anyhow?). Sarah Palin is bitch slapping her Facebook writer and demanding that she "make me sound smart" as she prepares to dictate some mind numbingly stupid word salad which will have little, if any, resemblance to the finished post.

"President Obama...oil independence...honor our troops...take away Trig's health care...drill, baby drill...Todd's snowmachine runs better on domestic gasoline...patriotic Americans...common sense...tax and spend...there!  Now polish that up and hit the "publish" button!" 

It looks like Senator Mark Begich is channeling Sarah Palin these days.

U.S. Sen. Mark Begich released the following statement after a federal judge in Louisiana blocked a six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling projects implemented by the Obama Administration after the Gulf oil spill disaster:

“Today’s decision by the Louisiana judge overturning the Obama Administration’s temporary ban on deepwater offshore oil and gas development shows the moratorium was overreaching. It should serve as a shot across the bow to the administration and Congress that American workers must continue to develop America’s energy resources within our borders.

“Companies demonstrating solid exploration and development plans and oil spill response plans should be able to develop our nation’s abundant oil. Lifting a ban on deepwater activity, which carries greater risk than low-pressure, shallow-water development like in Alaska, hopefully will get responsible exploratory drilling planned by Shell in Alaska’s Arctic waters back on track soon.

“As much as a tragedy as BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster is, we can’t let emotion overrule sound energy policy. Our country’s energy policy must include increased domestic oil and gas development as we transition to cleaner energy sources.”

Look I have lived in Alaska my entire life.  And I am well aware that our Democrats are not exactly latte drinking, Volvo driving, tree hugging liberals.  But they at least should be fucking Democrats!

When President Obama placed that moratorium on deep water drilling he was doing something that should have been done a LONG TIME AGO.  Clearly the oil industry has placed profits over the safety of our planet and until there is some serious new oversight put in place we should absolutely NOT allow anymore new wells to be drilled.

And do you know what? I would expect my Alaska Senator to be right on board with adopting that kind of cautious approach after the terrible devastation that we are witnessing in the Gulf of Mexico. 

No not Senator Lisa Murkowski, we know that she is prostituting herself to ANY energy company with a bulging billfold and a hard on for spoiling our pristine Alaska environment.

No I am talking about our token Democrat.  You know the guy who was supposed to bring a little progressive blue into our blood red Congressional delegation.  But instead I see him breaking away from our embattled President, and prostrating himself to the oil companies,  when Obama desperately needs all of the support he can get.

I have very little confidence that Shell oil is any more competent than BP was in performing deep water drilling more safely.  After all until THIS spill happened most people assumed that BP knew what they were doing.  It was only AFTER the Gulf began to hemorrhage oil that we learned just how careless BP has been for decades.

And really does this sound so very unreasonable?

Despite a late appeal from Shell that it would employ new safety measures in the wake of the Gulf spill, Salazar was unconvinced that the exploratory drilling even in the much shallower waters of the Arctic would be safe.

"He is suspending proposed exploratory drilling in the Arctic," an administration official said on condition of anonymity to talk before Salazar's report is officially released today. "He will not consider applications for permits to drill in the Arctic until 2011 because of the need for further information-gathering, evaluation of proposed drilling technology, and evaluation of oil-spill response capabilities for Arctic waters."

Apparently our Senator is jealous of all of the attention that Louisiana is getting from all around the world and is desperate for Alaska to have our very own environmental disaster.

Gee Senator are you also in favor of this little enterprise?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Rachel Maddow does the best job I have ever seen in explaining why "Drill Baby, Drill" will do NOTHING to give America energy independence.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I do not usually insist that people watch one of the videos that I embed, but this time I do. I INSIST that you not only watch this, but that you to tell your friends to watch it as well. Especially your Republican friends. It is literally that good.

In fact I would pay a year's salary to see Sarah Palin watch this video and then try to point out where Rachel went wrong. If you think she almost lost it while being interviewed by Bill O'Reilly THIS would definitely make her head explode! And that would easily be worth a year's salary!