Remainders
is the blog term for links and bookmarks that have come to the
blogger's attention, that s/he thinks are worth a read, but lacks the
time or inclination to write a full article about them. Here are mine
for this week:
The Sixth Great Extinction: The Earth Policy
Institute
is tracking rates of animal extinction and comparing them to the great
extinctions of the past, 65 million years ago (meteorite wipes out the
dinosaurs), 208 million years ago, 245 million years ago (massive
volcanic eruptions), 367 million years ago, and 440 million years ago
(ice age). In each great extinction, 70-95% of all species of land or
sea creatures suddenly (within a few thousand years) disappear. Current
annual rates of species extinction are between 1,000-10,000 times
greater than average extinction rates since the dinosaurs disappeared,
indicating that the sixth known great extinction is underway. Although
this increase in extinction rate was already trending upwards a
millennium ago, global warming and habitat destruction are accelerating
the extinction rate many-fold. This will be the first known extinction
precipitated substantially by a single species, and the first one that
a single species could act to prevent.
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Women Design a Smart Sexy Car: Volvo is touring
a 'concept' car designed by women for women, with a combination of
practicality (rubber bumpers), fashion flexibility (interchangeable car
seats), and sexiness (gullwing doors). I think it looks and sounds
sensational. So why is everyone going to such pains to say it will
never be made commercially? Am I missing something? |
Buying Your Way Out of Jail with Bush: Adam Hersh at Globalize This is doing some
wonderful economic and legal research. Read his recent posts on
unemployment and education, and then check out this
research on the crimes of Charles & David Koch and the $40
billion conglomerate Koch Industries, from which the table at right was
prepared.
The case against Koch is the second major recent criminal environmental
action against the company. In 2000, Koch also
settled out of court, for $35 million, charges of "egregious"
negligence in connection with over
300 major oil spills in six states.
Note that Ken Lay of Enron, an even more generous donor to Republicans,
whose crimes are even more heinous than Koch's, has yet to be charged
with anything.
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Charles
& David Koch
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Martha
Stewart
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Charge
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Criminal
violation of clean air act, knowingly dumping hazardous wastes,
conspiracy, making false statements, endangering public health and
safety, 97 charges in all
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Insider
trading, 4 charges in all
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Assessed
value of damage
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Incalculable
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$75,000
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Penalties
sought
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$350
million fines plus lengthy jail terms for principals
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Unspecified
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Contribution
to Republicans etc.
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$22
million to Republicans, 137 judges accepted free trips to Koch's
anti-regulatory "environmental seminars"
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Zero
(Stewart is a Democrat)
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Verdict
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Settled
out of court for $20 million damages (one hour's revenue) and no
jail time
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Guilty
verdict; jail time probable; loss in net worth over $500 million
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1. April 24, 2003. President
Bush travels to the Canton, OH, plant of the Timken Company to promote
his tax plan. In a speech to workers, he promises that the tax cut plan
?means more money for investments, more money for growth and more money
for jobs.?
2. June, 2003.
W. R. Timken, CEO of the Timken Company (2002 income: $2,600,000) holds
a fund raiser for George W. Bush that brings in $600,000 and earns
"Ranger" status for Timken.
3. September, 2003.
The Timken Company demonstrates the effectiveness of Bush's tax plan by
laying off 700 workers.
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Another Great Bush Job
Creation Story: Mike Jones
points out an amazing series of
coincidences that occurred last year at the Timken Company, another
strong Bush supporter and a company with a history of price-fixing.
Details at left.
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US Income & Wealth Disparity Data: Bookmark this list from
the Shared Capitalism Institute if you ever find yourself in a debate
with people who say trickle-down economics works or wealth disparity is
decreasing. This site needs to be updated, because the data is before Presnit Bush took office and
made things much worse. But it's still paints an incredible (and fully
cited) picture of gross inequity. Chart at right is based on data from Worldwatch: Vital Signs.
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MADE IN CANADA
trust your
instincts 
