State of Emergency

(via Fail Blog.)

Of course, I've been distressed over the situation in Japan and the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant... but if I laugh at the above magazine cover, does that mean I go to hell?

But now let's discuss the real emergency, at least as the Republicans see it: House GOP Declares Emergency ... Over NPR Funding. Yeah, all because that little prick O'Keefe taped (and edited!) one video of one NPR employee not taking bribes while describing the teabaggers in quite accurate terms.

Another stupid and misguided thing the Republicans are fervently working on is cuts to the U.S. solar industry. Yeah, so solar power facilities are a million times safer, cleaner and simpler to operate than nuclear power plants, so Republicans say "let's cut funding to solar power!" At the exact moment in history when we should be investing in clean renewable energy sources, Republicans want to play childish games.

Speaking of which, the new Pokemon game is pretty cool.

Bush, The Oil Man

Yesterday The New York Times reported that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is freezing solar energy projects, citing the need to study the environmental impact. It sounds to me like somebody is trying to kill the solar power industry:

While proponents of solar energy agree on the need for a sweeping environmental study, many believe that the freeze is unwarranted. Some, like Ms. Gordon, whose company has two pending proposals for solar plants on public land, say small solar energy businesses could suffer if they are forced to turn to more expensive private land for development.

The industry is already concerned over the fate of federal solar investment tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year unless Congress renews them. The moratorium, combined with an end to tax credits, would deal a double blow to an industry that, solar advocates say, has experienced significant growth without major environmental problems.

This is the same Bureau of Land Management that under President Bush has allowed a huge expansion of oil drilling. But now suddenly they are concerned about the environment? This news deserves a big WTF!

But I really shouldn't be so shocked. We all know that Bush, and his entire cabinet actually, are owned by the oil industry, and therefore the notion that they could care about the environment is thoroughly absurd.

At least I haven't become totally desensitized to hypocrisy.