Environment

"No species will be harmed by global climate change.  Are you kidding me?" Nope, not kidding. There is no catasptrophic change happening (or that is going to happen.) It’s a natural cyclic system and as I said above, GCC is has happened many times thorughout the history of this planet and every species on this planet has lived through it, multiple times.

"Looks like another degradation of the planet to this observer.  Thank God Bush’s reign is nearly over before he bankrupts our grandkids as well as our kids."

I see you’re not an Obama supporter. That’s cool. He makes Bush look like quite the miserly, reasonable fellow. Actually, I’d vote for Bush again over either available candiate.

I understand what the Species act does. I do want real scientists makeing sure that it’s used for real good reasons. Property rights need to be respected, as well. So if the scientists find the extremely rare Whateveritisium Tinyificus living on your 40 acre bacx lot then it can pay you fair market value for the 40 acres and set it aside forever.

Or atl east until the next ice age paves it over with 40 yards of gravel.

No species will be harmed by global climate change.  Are you kidding me?

One of the most important ways the Endangered Species Act successfully protects endangered and threatened plants and animals is by requiring federal agencies to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) before approving a project that may harm those species. Very few projects are actually stopped by the Endangered Species Act; however the changes made to these projects are vital to ensuring that endangered species receive adequate protection.

The proposed changes in the rules unacceptably narrow the circumstances under which federal agencies are required to consult with the FWS or NMFS before approving projects such as permitting new oil and gas drilling or constructing federal highways.

If you want some hard science behind the Endangered Species Act, why wouldn’t you want the FWS and the NMFS checking to make sure the industrial "big guns" don’t just do whatever they want with our resources?

Looks like another degradation of the planet to this observer.  Thank God Bush’s reign is nearly over before he bankrupts our grandkids as well as our kids.

Not particularly. Still, air quality all over this country has improved a lot over the years. Note the "for the first time in more than a decade" comment. Also, the ozone limites were reduced this last May. Seattle was easily within the previous limits.

Chalk it up to the perfect storm of vacation traffic and hot, still air. It’s not evidence of increasing pollution.

Surprised??

Yes, let’s trim the fat off budget. Or, at least, lets have no new spending and no rate increases beyond inflation. I can already hear people howling.

No species will be harmed by climate change. every species on Earth has gone through far more drastic climate changes (warmer times and ice ages) than anything we’ll experience in our lifetimes or that of our great grandkids. The idea of catastrophic CC as put forth by the Goracle is total nonsense. By the way, the Polar Bears like less ice, their populations are increasing quite nicely, much to the chagrin of the people who have to live near them.

Politicians like to buy votes, Dems especially, Obama in particular, but R’s too (which is one of the reasons they lost big in ‘06,) so there will be no spending decreases. I have little hope that McCain will do anything to do more than slow the rate of spending increases.

While the Endangereed Species Act maybe doesn’t need to be gutted, it does need to have some hard science behind it and it needs to have some respect for property right and people’s rights.

I dunno that Bush will hand out all that many pardons, he seems willing to let people take their "punishments." I expect there will be some, though.

This is a small counter balance to the way Clinton locked up coal resources at the end of his term.  And something tells me that Bush will have plenty, but fewer pardons to hand out than Clinton.

It’s about time we start trimming the fat off of the budget – 1300 consulations per year!!!  Let’s make room for 5 and go from there.

Umm . . . species that might be harmed by climate change?  How about humans?  There’s an important one.  How ‘bout we focus on ourselves and then start worrying about the polar bears.