Random Politics & Religion #00

The Senate on Tuesday blocked a bill to end bulk collection of American phone records by the National Security Agency, dealing a blow to President Barack Obama's primary proposal to rein in domestic surveillance.

The 58-42 vote was two short of the 60 needed to proceed with debate. Voting was largely along party lines, with most Democrats supporting the bill and most Republicans voting against it. The Republican-controlled House had previously passed its own NSA bill.

The legislation would have ended the NSA's collection of domestic calling records, instead requiring the agency to obtain a court order each time it wanted to analyze the records in terrorism cases, and query records held by the telephone companies. In many cases the companies store the records for 18 months

Well... 1 for 2 Senate...

Known for its liberal politics, Berkeley has racked up a long line of firsts over the years, from taxing sugary drinks to ditching Styrofoam takeout containers.

City officials are now considering another novel plan: putting stickers on gas pumps citywide to warn consumers that burning fuel contributes to global warming.

The Berkeley City Council was set to vote to possibly move forward by early next year with the proposal, among the first of its kind in the U.S. San Francisco is drafting a similar ordinance that the city's Board of Supervisors could vote into law by next spring.

Environmental improvement efforts in Berkeley date back to 1910, when the city was the first to put police officers on bicycle patrols. In 1989, Berkeley adopted a citywide ban on Styrofoam, and about decade ago city vehicles were converted to operate on biodiesel.

Berkeley voters overwhelmingly approved the special tax on sugary drinks earlier this month, becoming the first U.S. city to pass such a measure.

Supporters of the gas-pump measure hope that simply putting the labels in front of consumers will motivate them to drive less. One environmental group compares the labels to health warnings on cigarette packages.

City Councilman Kriss Worthington, who wrote the original label proposal, said the idea is not to stop people from buying gas but rather to remind them of green and clean alternatives.

"This is a very inexpensive proposal that is simply educational," Worthington said Tuesday.

Worthington has indicated that none of the 20 gas stations in Berkeley has voiced disapproval of the plan.

I'm sorry, one senate seat, especially when it isn't the tipping point for majority control, isn't worth rubber stamping a massive construction project .

EIA data shows that.U.S. oil production reached 8.5 million barrels per day in July 2014, the highest monthly levels since April 1987. The agency predicts U.S. production to average 8.5 million barrels per day in 2014, and a whopping 9.3 million barrels per day in 2015 — the highest oil production levels since 1972.

Supply and demand yo!

What the media won't tell you about global warming.

Every one of those "points" has been debunked in earlier threads. (Actually, most of those could be dismissed if one possessed a fully-functional logic center.) Is there anything new coming from the denialist think tanks, at least?

But instead of debating whether or not the global warming hypotheses is a valid threat to the Earth, the media starts with the premise that the theory is real and anybody who contests global warming is the equivalent of people who don’t believe the holocaust actually happened, they are called deniers.

Every one of those "points" has been debunked in earlier threads. (Actually, most of those could be dismissed if one possessed a fully-functional logic center.) Is there anything new coming from the denialist think tanks, at least?

All this doesn't mean that the pipeline isn't going to happen. It's just back to the drawing board on a new bill.

Your own article lists several other reasons that I guess you chose to ignore and just shouted drill baby drill instead. It leaves out significant factors one being what Viciouss brought up and also Milamber's posts on current total produced and how much had already been produced in the US.

Not to say increased production doesn't have an effect but it's nowhere near as significant as you would like to believe.

All that was needed is this extremely long sentence.


Thanks for proving it true.

Every one of those "points" has been debunked in earlier threads. (Actually, most of those could be dismissed if one possessed a fully-functional logic center.) Is there anything new coming from the denialist think tanks, at least?

No, I've provided links in past threads regarding each one of the talking points that are somewhat based in the science. Things like "herp derp we have A scientist who changed his mind once" and "b-b-b-but what about global cooling" don't really merit discussion.

No, I've provided links in past threads regarding each one of the talking points that are somewhat based in the science. Things like "herp derp we have A scientist who changed his mind once" and "b-b-b-but what about global cooling" don't really merit discussion.

"The fact that the liberal skewed media refuses to look at both sides of the climate argument should be evidence enough that they realize global warming theory is flawed"

No, I've provided links in past threads regarding each one of the talking points that are somewhat based in the science. Things like "herp derp we have A scientist who changed his mind once" and "b-b-b-but what about global cooling" don't really merit discussion.

So increasing the oil supply via fracking doesn't lower prices?

Supply shock from North American oil rippling through global markets