Obama wishy-washy on LGBT issues

A few days ago, the Obama Justice Department, in filing a notice of a motion to dismiss the first same-sex marriage case filed in federal court, upheld the Defense of Marriage Act--although he opposed DOMA as a presidential candidate.

The dismissal came shortly after June 1st, when President Obama declared June Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. While the religious right is outraged, evangelicals are not Obama voters to begin with. No political loss.

Although I am not a fan of marriage, it is clear to me that a marriage license is a tangible item, and dedicating a month is abstract, symbolic and not particularly productive. I am not impressed by the dog and pony show.

carbon markets and conservation

Interesting article regarding the insignificant weight of bio-diversity as a reason to protect tropical rain forests. Not to worry, though. Carbon markets to the rescue.

In Kalimantan, Indonesia, paying for each carbon ton saved proved more valuable than a plantation.

This raises the question: can we pay poorer nations to conserve their lands?

Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

San Fran mandates composting

The San Fransisco Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday to mandate composting. Residents will now receive three bins: a black bin for trash, a blue bin for recycling, and a green bin for composting. Repeated and extreme violators may be fined.

The main goal in this initiative is to target apartment buildings; only 25% of multi-tenant buildings offer recycling.

Of course, there are objections, with some locals complaining that the role of government is not to be sorting through private trashcans.

While I am all for the government backing off, the over-proliferation of trash, hyper-consumption, limited lands available for dumping, and the consequences of pollution and carbon emissions both merit and demand government intervention.

Check out the full article

climate conference call with Reps Waxman and Markey

Earlier today, I joined climate advocates across the nation on a conference call with Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA) to discuss the American Clean Energy and Security Act, otherwise known as the Waxman-Markey Bill or ACES. The call was co-sponsored by 1Sky and the Energy Action Coalition.

While Rep. Waxman rattled off some of the key provisions of the bill in his opening statement, Rep. Markey followed up with a grim report of Republican opposition--including references to green jobs as "sub-prime" jobs and "paper machete" jobs. Even more ominious, he explained the alternative plan generated by our friends across the aisle: more and more coal. Rep. Markey likened the climate-change skepticism and heavy coal initiative as "going from one pack of Camels a day to two packs of Camels a day."

However if Rep. Markey thought the only skepticism was coming from the GOP, he was mistaken. Climate advocates are wary of ACES, calling the renewable energy standards (RES) inefficient, offsets inadequate, the role of nuclear and coal questionable, and the helplessness of the EPA as unacceptable. The conversation was an hour long, but here are points that I found most critical:

• In response to credits awarded to nuclear and the acceptance of coal as an energy source, Rep. Waxman reiterated that nuclear energy is not considered renewable. However, he did stress that the main goal of this intiative is to reduce carbon emission. If industries can reduce emissions while adapting coal use to new targets, that is acceptable. The objective is to keep pressing down on total carbon emissions. While both members understand that coal is a heavy contributor to emissions, so long as reductions are met, we are ahead of the game. In short, coal can be a part of our energy future so long as reductions are met, and the coal is produced on our own turf as a measure of domestic security.

• In response to concerns that standards are not tight enough, the members explained that this bill simply provides a floor, but not a ceiling. The only exception is that, in terms of cap-and-trade, states must refrain from running their own cap-and-trade systems from 2012-2017 so that the national program can be put in place. During this time, however, states may tighten emissions standards. Under ACES, states will also receive money for research in efficiency and renewables.
  

• In response to concern that ACES does not meet the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) targets, the members explained that the projected reductions of 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 will actually be upwards of 23% in consideration of allowances aimed at preventing tropical deforestation. Rep. Markey also added that this is a first step--one that has happened far too late, thanks to the last administration--and that new bills considering current scientific findings will be introduced in years to come. These issues will be monitored as we go forward.
  

• As for uproar that 85% of allowances will be given away for free to polluters under the cap-and-trade system, staffers asserted that this is an incorrect statement. The configuration of 85% of total permits awarded for free to polluters is inaccurate, because this number also includes allowances that will be given to individual states, consumers, and in helping businesses transition. Additionally, 100% auction would pass enormous costs onto consumers in electricity bills. The current initiative is aimed to ease the transition, which will currently cost Americans less than a postage stamp a day (unlike Republican claims that this will cost families thousands of dollars).

• Vague answers include whether or not offsets, which can be purchased by companies as a means of meeting reductions, will undermine the bill through over-relying on offsets, incentives to create useless projects to produce offsets, or sub-par offsets. Staffers assured that the bill has 50 pages of detailed text to create quality offsets and agreements between countries to ensure that international offsets are as high in quality as domestic offsets.
  

• Lastly, answers provided to explain the inability of the EPA to regulate coal plants were entirely unclear to me. Staffers explained that consensus and creating a coalition on this bill is key, and that performance standards for coal are going forward. When the recording of the conference is released, I will re-examine this issue. I heard no answer the first time around.
  

I will say that I am content with giving away some free allowances for the time being, with the understanding that these allowances will have a variety of recipients (and therefore retract my harsh criticisms against Obama on this issue), not just high-polluting industries. I get that coal is going nowhere fast, that we need to wait for a renewable market to kick in and emerging technologies to drive this process forward--but I am not satisfied by stripping the EPA of its authority. I am not sure of the details, so this is something that will be revisited on The Colonic soon.

Stay tuned!

Declare your independence from dirty energy

This Independence Day, take action against dirty energy from June 27th-July4th. We need to call on President Obama and Congress to create strong and effective energy policy and to hold polluters accountable.

Get ideas and organize an event here.

Or locate events in your area.

For all of you Colonic readers, I will be organizing something in the LA area, but need to work out a few particulars before I register my event. If you're interested, please email me.

Harvard endows professorship in LGBT studies

The Boston Globe reports:

Harvard University will announce tomorrow that it will establish an endowed chair in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender studies, in what is believed to be the first professorship of its kind in the country.

Harvard President Drew G. Faust described the academic post as an important milestone in an ongoing effort by faculty, students, and alumni to raise the profile of LGBT studies at the university.

The university has received a $1.5 million gift from the Harvard Gay & Lesbian Caucus...

Check out the full article

visibility at what cost: gay marriage and gay night life

My pal over at the Gluten Freeway sent an interesting article about the demise of the Boston gay bar scene. While the internet and online social networking has been described as a contributing factor, the acceptance of gay marriage is also thought to be nurturing mixed-orientation socializing at the expense of gay bars.

This raises the issues of "visibility at what cost?" Enclaves, whether religious, ethnic, or sexual, are created when a group of people is "othered" or differentiated on the basis of a specific characteristic. This is why I believe that Judaism is alive today--because of the vicious and even more subtle forms of Antisemitism that have followed Jewish people throughout history. Tolerance and assimilation would not have forced into preservation a strong identity and rich cultural heritage the way fierce hatred excluded and thereby cultivated a growing and strengthening sense of Jewry over time.

I think it's far too utopian to suggest that the acceptance of diverse sexuality will lead to the magical disappearance of gay bars. Exhibit A: Prop 8. However, I think communities will face changes differently at different times. And while many people choose to assimilate, others still choose to self-segregate--and some prefer a hybrid of the two.

Friday, June 19th: A National Day of Action for a Strong Climate Bill -- Sign Up Today!

The 1Sky campaign is organizing a National Day of Action to advocate for a stronger climate bill. The House of Representatives could very well pass a piece of climate legislation by the end of this month, and we need to make it as strong as possible.

Sign up here

the EDC has a new blog

The Eating Disorders Coalition has hit the blogosphere

Belgium city begins meat-free Thursdays

The Ghent City Council, in consideration of the green house emissions associated with the over-consumption of meat, has initiated Veggie Day every Thursday. Reuters reports:

The city is also promoting vegetarian meals in its canteens, schools and restaurants. Kindergartens and primary schools will offer vegetarian meals on Thursdays from September 2009. A city hospital has expressed interested in taking part as well and Balthazar hopes Ghent University will soon follow these leads.

The campaign also includes free vegetarian recipes in the free city magazine, cooking workshops for professionals and distributing a map of Ghent that indicates restaurants offering vegetarian options.

Ethical Vegetarian Awareness, which is behind the campaign, says that if every Ghent resident were to go meatless for just one day a week for a year, it would be the equivalent of taking 20,000 cars off the road. Full article

immigration and same-sex couples

In the immigration debate, Senator Leahy of Vermont is pushing to allow residency for the same-sex partners of American citizens. Check out the article

recession forces some brothels to consider female sexuality

Now that Las Vegas brothels are getting desperate for profits in a crippled economy, some are adding men geared toward pleasing female patrons.

That's right, folks. Female sexual desire is recognized only in times of desperation as a new quirk to hopefully make a few.

Read the article