HOLD THE PRESSES!!! Seems like Bush's new Supreme Court nominee has over $100,000 in Exxon stock. Gasp.

Wal-Mart recently announced an environmental plan to boost energy efficiency, reduce waste and trim greenhouse gases. But don't be fooled America! The superstore still has a ways to go before it gets its critics off its back. For example, it needs to stop the sell of whalemeat, address workers' rights issues and stop making really annoying commercials with that stupid bouncing smiley face.

See also:

Wal-Mart Watch
Wake-Up Wal-Mart

See this astrology report from the October 26 edition of the Minneapolis City Paper:

Even though Americans comprise five percent of the world's population, they use one-third of its resources and generate half of its hazardous waste. Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders are a little less extravagant, but not so much that they can brag. Profligacy on this scale is not only terrible for the planet and our descendants, but also bad for the perpetrators. Your first assignment this week, Libra, is to identify ways in which you personally participate in this greed and excess. Your second assignment is to analyze how it might be damaging to your mental and physical health. Your third task: Do something about it! You now have an unusually high potential for drawing deep satisfaction from simple, inexpensive pleasures. Halloween costume suggestions: monk, nun, garbage collector, Greenpeace activist.

That's pretty good advice for anyone who is a Virgo, Leo, Cancer, Gemini, Taurus, Aries, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, Sagitarius or Scorpio too! And if you (like me) didn't know what profligacy is, it means extravagant...

Last night, an icon of the civil rights movement died at age 92. Rosa Parks sparked a year-long boycott of the bus system, led by Martin Luther King, when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man who demanded it. Rosa was jailed and fined for her act of defiance.

Most Americans are familiar with Rosa's legacy and, upon hearing the news of her death, will take a moment to mourn the loss of such a courageous woman. But the question remains: "Why is an ENVIRONMENTAL organization acknowledging the passing of this civil rights heroine?"

Fair enough. Rosa was not a tree-hugger. She never hung a banner denouncing whaling. She never stood by us when we protested nuclear weapons. However, Rosa Parks and Greenpeace are inherently the same. We both stand up for what we believe in, and we do it through civil disobedience.

Gandhi, MLK, members of the Boston Tea Party...we consider these people part of our family. Rosa's death is like losing a cousin. We may not all be fighting for the same thing, but we're all speaking the same language and adhering to the same principles of non-violence.

"At the time I was arrested I had no idea it would turn into this. It was just a day like any other day. The only thing that made it significant was that the masses of the people joined in."
-Rosa Parks

It's official, 2005 is the most active hurricane season on record. The country is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Katrina, but that didn't stop Rita, Wilma and other storms from kicking us while we were down.

Hurricane Wilma has been battering the Florida coast since early this morning, after killing at least 17 people in the Caribbean. At one point it was the most intense hurricane on record in the Atlantic, with winds of 175 miles per hour, but today it has been seesawing between a Category 2 and Category 3 hurricane.

Wilma isn't the only record-setter of the season. Close on its tail is tropical depression Alpha and forecasters are suggesting the storm could grow in strength. This is the first time EVER all 21 names pre-assigned for storms in a year have been exhausted, forcing the body responsible for naming storms to move onto the Greek alphabet. If there are more storms to come this season (let's hope not), they will be named Beta, Gamma, Delta and so on.

If this trend continues, what will we be doing a 100 years from now, when we've exhausted all the letters in the Greek alphabet? Move onto Chinese characters? Borrow symbols from the artist-formerly-known-as Prince?

No one is suggesting that extreme weather events, like hurricanes, didn't exist before man started trashing the planet. But it is unmistakable that our actions are contributing to global warming, and the Earth's increased temperature and melting glaciers are severely altering Mother Nature's plan.

Global warming is no longer a catch phrase for politicians or interesting subject matter for scientists to write papers. The issue has clawed its way into conversations at the family dinner table, crowded subways and supermarket checkout lines. Now that the general public has grasped the urgency of the situation, it is up to us to do something about it. The responsibility is ours since our government has known for years, and hasn't lifted a finger to resolve the crisis.

A good place to start is by reducing our oil dependence and meeting our energy needs with clean sources like wind and solar. Some politicians are actually exploiting these hurricanes to EXPAND offshore drilling operations to vulnerable coastal communities. Don't let them.

-John Passacantando
Greenpeace Executive Director

Everyone and their mother knows that the Amazon Rainforest is being logged at an astounding rate. But it turns out that the destruction is actually DOUBLE what the experts had originally believed. Thanks to some fancy new satellites, we now have a clear picture of the true impact of the deforestation - and it's not a pretty sight.

Check out the breaking story.

According to FearlessFlight.com approximately 60 million Americans are afraid to fly. That number is understandable in light of the events on September 11, 2001. But is it that people are scared of crashing or falling victim to a terrorist act? Or could it be the REAL reason people are afraid to fly is the drinking water??

The Environmental Protection Agency investigated over 300 planes in 2004 and found that 15 percent of the drinking water on the aircrafts were contaminated. But the EPA announced yesterday that major airlines have agreed to routinely monitor the water served onboard to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.

Now that that's settled, it's time to turn our attention to an even bigger problem. Do those ridiculously small bags of pretzels contain genetically modified organisms? Only time will tell.

While we may not know much about Harriet Miers' legal experience, we do know she is another one of big oil's buddies in the Bush administration. For more than 15 years (1985-2001), the wanna-be Supreme Court justice served on the board of the Center for American and International Law (CAIL). Exxon has contributed over $177 thousand dollars to CAIL since 1998 according to company documents.

CAIL and the Institute for Energy Law have numerous attorneys from Exxon and other oil companies on its Board of Trustees and advisory committees. Take a look at this from CAIL's Web site!

"The Institute for Energy Law (IEL), formerly the International Oil and Gas Educational Center, provides advanced education for lawyers and other professionals in the energy industry. Through educational programs, scholarly publications and membership activities, the IEL serves as an important forum in which contemporary issues affecting the industry can be examined. Founded in 1959, IEL counts among its membership many of the world's leading energy companies and attorneys."

"The very first educational program of the then Southwestern Legal Foundation was an Institute on Oil and Gas Law and Taxation, offered in 1949 (and every year since). Other energy law programs and activities followed, leading to the creation in 1959 of the International Oil and Gas Educational Center as a division of the Foundation."

"Renamed the Institute for Energy Law (IEL) in 2001, the IEL has, through its educational programs, scholarly publications and membership activities, served many thousands of energy lawyers and other professionals as an important educational forum in the energy industry." www.cailaw.org/iel/about.html

Harriet Miers looks like another Washington insider with oil on her hands!