As the Supercommittee casts about for ways to reduce the federal deficit, the massive taxpayer subsidies for massively profitable oil and gas companies have been mentioned as a possible cut. The industry has mounted a big ad campaign and media blitz to deny that the subsidies are real.
The Martins, a Latino family who live in Maywood, California, 10 minutes from downtown Los Angeles amid a sea of heavy industry, suffered from a variety of chronic sicknesses. Test results finally showed "The Martin family had traces of eight dangerous heavy metals and 17 industrial byproducts in their bodies. Levels of arsenic, chromium, mercury, manganese and vanadium were far higher than for most Americans."
"Whitebark pines may be among the earliest victims of a warming climate in the Northwest, as rising temperatures at higher elevations have brought the trees into contact with the destructive mountain pine beetle."
Craig Welch reports for the Seattle Times November 7, 2011.
"CHASE, Wisc. -- Federal environmental regulators have joined an investigation into drinking water supplies tainted by elevated levels of a chemical used to make plastic products.
The problem in this Oconto County community first was detected last year at Sunnyside Elementary School and prompted school authorities to begin supplying bottled water to students, teachers and staff.
But tests this summer showed that the same contaminant was turning up in private homeowner wells, leading investigators to question whether the situation was more widespread.
"CANNES, France -- The leaders of the G-20 group of major economies wrapped up their two-day annual meeting on Friday with promises to finance the fight against climate change through the Green Climate Fund, protect the marine environment from oil spills, and promote low-carbon development strategies.
In their joint Communique, the government leaders said, 'We are committed to promote sustainable development and green growth and to continue our efforts to face the challenge of climate change.'
"At the Conowingo Hydroelectric Dam in northeast Maryland, the barbarians are at the sluice gates.
Sediment, millions of tons of it, has flowed down the 440-mile Susquehanna River for more than 80 years and massed at the dam. And now a reservoir built to hold it is filling up.
"Dominion Virginia Power and federal nuclear regulatory staff members covered up knowledge of geologic faulting at the North Anna Power Station site in 1973, according to a U.S. Justice Department memo."
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"The system Congress set up 21 years ago to clean up toxic air pollution still leaves many communities exposed to risky concentrations of benzene, formaldehyde, mercury and many other hazardous chemicals.
"The White House Counsel's Office has formally rejected a congressional subpoena of documents relating to the $535 million loan guarantee that the administration shepherded for Solyndra, the now-defunct solar energy company.
In a letter to the chairs of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation, Kathryn H. Ruemmler, counsel to the president, calls the request for documents made by House Republicans a 'vast fishing expedition' and a 'significant intrusion on Executive Branch interests.'"
A car struck three "Occupy DC" protestors blocking traffic outside an event at the DC Convention Center, where two GOP presidential candidates were honoring the anti-environmental Koch brothers. The protestors were ticketed for blocking traffic and sent to the emergency room, while the driver who struck them was not charged. Accounts of the incident differed. Protestors said the driver sped up to plow through two different sets of protestors. Police said that the protestors jumped in front of a moving car and that they released the driver because he had a green light when he hit them.
