I ususally don’t agree with Congress, because they’re generally stupid. (look at the steroid hearings) But this time they’re on to something.
HR 5351 is a bill which funds a variety of renewable energy initiatives by taking away tax loopholes that were afforded to big oil companies. It just passed the House today, on a largely partisan vote, which means it’s on it’s way to the senate, and then onto the President, who would probably veto it. The Center for American Progress has a great article about it. Money quote:
One of these revenue-raising measures is eliminating the Internal Revenue Code section 199 deduction, which gives a subsidy for domestic oil and gas production. Its removal would cost Big Oil $1.4 billion annually over the next 10 years—a paltry sum considering that the big five oil companies made a combined profit of $123 billion in 2007 alone. ExxonMobil alone made a profit of over $77,000 per minute last year—more than the annual income of two-thirds of American families.
I don’t know about you, but when recycling trash, I usually throw my paper, glass, plastics, etc. into the corner of the room - and when that pile gets too big to ignore, I’ll take everything to the dumpster, sort and recycle. It’s a pretty inefficient system, not to mention ugly. Imagine stacks and stacks of paper, or a box full of empty cans.
It’s not that I want to be so unorganized, but I’m just too lazy to get anything to help me with my organizational needs. However, I came across these bags online, which I’m thinking of purchasing. I like the fact that they allow you to sort easily, have handles for easy transport, and most importantly, are machine washable! The price isn’t bad either… only $15.
How do you sort your recyclables?
Check out this article on China’s new red river. Here are some snippets:
“Pollution has turned part of a major river system in central China red and bubbly, forcing authorities to cut water supplies to 200,000 people and close schools, a government news agency reported Wednesday.
“Tests showed the polluted waters contained elevated levels of ammonia, nitrogen, and permanganate, a chemical used in metal cleaning, tanning and bleaching, Xinhua said. The source of the pollution had not been determined, and an investigation was ongoing.”
Damn.
I ususally don’t agree with Congress, because they’re generally stupid. (look at the steroid hearings) But this time they’re on to something.
Is it me or is it too early for flowering trees to already be in bloom? Has seasonality been shifted due to global warming?
