HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY BARACK OBAMA!
Joseph Raglione
August 04, 2011
Dear Michelle Obama:
I would gladly trade my White hairs for Barack's Gray hairs!
I am not sharing this journey with Barack and the Democratic Party. I am kicking
and screaming for a clean environment that includes clean Air and Water and a lot less Carbon pollution! The only way to obtain that is with a U.S. President who has the power and skills to introduce the changes necessary. Your husband Barack Obama held that power for exactly two years before the billionaires decided to push him aside. As you know, they stuffed your Congress with well paid Republicans. The game is far from over however, and if your Democrats want to win back power they will have to win Wisconsin and then once again and more honestly begin talks with leading members of the Christian and other faith based groups who lined up to back Democrats in 2008. Behind them is the forgotten environment movement which includes: GreenPeace..the Sierra Club..Al Gore's AVAAZ movement..the WWF..the Youth Movement and of course the millions of dedicated professional and civil servants who work tirelessly to help the poor and underpriveleged within the U.S.A. The same Tree Roots who helped the Democrats win power in the first place. (Grass-Roots be hanged!)
With that said I am more than Happy to Wish President Barack Obama
A Happy Birthday with Many Happy Returns!
Original Message -----
From: Michelle Obama
To: Joseph Raglione
Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2011 11:06 AM
Subject: Gray hairs
Every day, I see Barack make choices he knows will affect every American family. That's no small task for anyone -- and more proof that he's earning every last one of those gray hairs.
This has been a busy week in Washington, but today happens to be Barack's 50th birthday. I'm writing to you because this year, the girls and I would like to do something a little different.
I'm asking friends and supporters of this campaign to wish him a happy birthday by signing his card, and sharing why you're on this journey with us.
Your names and notes will become part of a book that tells the story of this campaign -- who's building it, why we're in this thing, and what he means to us. We'll deliver a copy to Barack and send one to our campaign offices across the country.
Sign the card for Barack:
http://my.barackobama.com/Birthday-Card
I've known Barack for more than 20 of his 50 years, and we've been through quite a lot together.
It still amazes me that no matter how many decisions and distractions he's faced with every day, he's always able to focus on the bigger picture. One way he does that is by making time for stories and letters from people like you -- because he knows that this job isn't about him, but about the millions of folks around the country he's fighting for.
This next year will challenge us all to work harder than ever before, but the crucial thing is that you're here now, early on, helping to build this campaign.
I know that, like Barack and me, you have your own reasons why, so I hope you'll take a moment to sign the card and share your story with him and other supporters of this campaign.
http://my.barackobama.com/Birthday-Card
Thanks for being a part of this,
Michelle
Contributions or gifts to Obama for America are not tax deductible
This email was sent to: human4us@sympatico.ca
AND NOW FOR A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS..>
Watch the Ted.com lecture for some great ideas on how to feed the hungry around the world.
http://www.ted.com/talks/josette_sheeran_ending_hunger_now.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-08-03&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email
The Random Acts of Kindness Movement:
Help spread kindness: "Like" us on Facebook|"Follow" us on Twitter| Share Your Story| View Resources
Everyday Kindness August 2011
Issue 118
Project Insight
Check out the latest Random Acts of Kindness Foundation video highlighting the work of Project Insight! Ben Oude Kamphuis may look like a famous American wrestler, but this Holland native is all heart. Learn how he is inspiring the disabled and many more with a most unique form of kindness.
New Educator's Page
Just in time for back-to-school preparations the new and improved RAK Educatorīs page! Whether you are a teacher, parent, administrator, youth leader, mentor or after-school program leader, we have all the kindness resources you could ask for. Check out our new and improved lesson plans and school activity ideas, or submit your own!
Inspiration From The Website | RandomActsOfKindness.org
Share Your Story
We want your stories! Everyday RAK members share their stories of a kindness given or a kindness received. Help us inspire others by sharing YOUR story here!
Kindness Videos
RAK has started an "Everyday People, Everyday Kindness" video series. Check out these inspiring videos, and send us your recommendations!
Kindness Books
Looking for a good summer read? Browse our reading nook for inspiring books on kindness!
Kindness Ideas
Want to do a random acts of kindness but arenīt sure where to start? Browse through our kindness ideas today and find the perfect fit for you. Donīt see your idea on the list? Share it with us!
Our sister foundation, The Foundation for a Better Life, is offering a free set of posters promoting positive values plus a free DVD with their public service TV Spots for teachers, youth group leaders and others.
For more information on The Foundation for a Better Life please visit their site at values.com.
To request a free set of posters and a DVD visit www.values.com. Keep in mind they can send only one set of posters per request and there are no substitutions on the posters design.
Find Kindness Everyday
2011 Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
To ensure delivery of the Everyday Kindness Newsletter, please add newsletter@randomactsofkindness.org to your address book or accepted sender list. If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, click here to unsubscribe
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
951 20th Street P.O. Box 13543, Denver CO 80202, United States
Phone (800) 660-2811 | info@randomactsofkindness.org
http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/Resources/Videos/Project-Insight/
http://www.ted.com/talks/louise_fresco_on_feeding_the_whole_world.html
AND NOW FOR AN ACT OF CRUEL AND FOOLISH STUPIDITY!
WHAT THE REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAVE DONE TO HELP CLIMATE CHANGE!
YES,YOU READ ME CORRECTLY! THEY HAVE PASSED A BILL TO HELP THE CLIMATE CHANGE FASTER! IF THERE EVER WAS A TIME FOR A CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT, THIS IS THE TIME!!..>
Climate Contradictions: The Science Bulks up as U.S. Policy Strips Down
Natalie Narotzky Revolt 2011-07-25
The last few weeks have demonstrated an unfortunate juxtaposition between the U.S. federal climate policy debate and the scientific case for climate action. Strong evidence for the need to regulate greenhouse gas emissions continues to pile up, but meanwhile last week the U.S. House Appropriations Committee passed drastic cuts to environmental regulations in the Fiscal Year 2012 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill.
The bill proposes $1.5 billion in cuts from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)´s budget. Members of Congress supporting these cuts hold that the EPA is too costly and hampers economic growth. The bill would cut climate change spending by $83 million, or 22 percent below last year´s budget. One of the many prohibitions in the bill prevents the EPA from regulating stationary greenhouse gas emissions. EPA´s regulation of climate-altering greenhouse gases (GHGs) under the Clean Air Act, which will be finalized in 2012, are the only federal greenhouse gas regulations on the table, as the U.S. has not passed comprehensive climate legislation, and the prospects for doing so in the near future seem dim. Negotiations on the House and Senate floor will likely alter the contents of the bill with a Democratic majority in the Senate that is very likely to refuse to withdraw EPA´s authority to regulate GHGs and impose major cuts on its budget. Also, President Obama threatened to veto the bill. Still, the proposed cuts highlight the strong disconnect between climate science and climate policy within the United States.
This comes at a time when the United States is suffering from a taste of the extreme weather events that unchecked climate change could make all too frequent in coming decades. Much of the U.S. is currently experiencing dangerously high temperatures and humidity levels. Temperatures in the 90s and 100s, with heat indices up to 115°, are currently plaguing most of the Midwestern U.S. and are moving eastward toward the mid-Atlantic region. Here in Washington, D.C., home of the Worldwatch Institute´s headquarters, we experienced temperatures around 100° with dangerous heat indices around 110° for several days in a row. Nearly 1000 high temperature records have been broken this July, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Source: NOAA
High temperatures are not unique to 2011. NOAA´s new climate "normals", 30-year climate averages calculated from data collected across the U.S., show that 1981-2010 was 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit (.28 C) warmer than the 1971-2000 average. The annual "normal" minimum and maximum temperature rose for all of the lower 48 states. The figure to the right shows the change in climate normals from 1971-2000 to 1981-2010, demonstrating warming across the board, but particularly in the Southwest and around the Great Lakes.
Source: NOAA Hazard Assessment July 18-29, via Washington Post
Aside from record temperatures, July has also seen widespread flooding, severe drought and massive forest fires. To help manage flooding, the House nearly unanimously approved a bill to overhaul flood insurance. While this bill may help victims adapt to the effects of a changing climate, it demonstrates the disconnect between the debates over managing the causes of climate change and its symptoms. Critics of the bill also note that overhauling flood insurance may further encourage development in flood prone regions.
In order to scientifically link these extreme events to climate change it is necessary to look at attribution data, which can probabilistically attribute weather events to anthropogenic forcings by modeling scenarios with natural and anthropogenic emissions and scenarios with only natural emissions. In these studies the question isn´t whether a particular event was caused by climate change (which can never be answered with certainty) but rather how much human activities have increased the likelihood of an event of that type. The journal Nature published several of these studies earlier this year. One demonstrated that human-induced GHG emissions increased the risk for flooding in record-breaking floods in the UK in 2000 by more than 90 percent in the majority of seasonal-forecast simulations. Another study, using both observations and models, identified that human-emitted greenhouse gases were responsible for an increase in extreme rain events on more than two-thirds of data-covered North American landmasses during the later part of the 20th century. Yet another attribution study finds with 90 percent confidence that human influences have at least doubled the likelihood of a heat wave of the magnitude of Europe´s 2003 wave, which is estimated to have killed 35,000 people.
In addition to the manifestation of climate change in extreme events, it is further weakening the Earth´s mechanisms to limit the greenhouse effect. Oceans absorb close to one third of the CO2 we emit. This uptake mechanism is a vital part of the global carbon cycle and removes a large portion of anthropogenic (as well as natural) greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Recent evidence, based on climate modeling, has been mounting, however, that the capacity of this sink is diminishing. A study published earlier this month, which employs both observational data and numerical models covering 87 percent of the North Atlantic, in order to determine the effect of increasing temperatures on the oceanic carbon sink revealed a diminishing trend in sink capacity in the ocean attributable to increasing temperature. The slowing of oceanic carbon sequestration creates a positive feedback loop. More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere further contributes to the greenhouse effect, which in turn further warms the ocean and thus further reduces oceanic carbon sequestration.
The heat waves, droughts, and floods that have plagued the U.S. over the past weeks and months are an indication of the kind of extreme weather that climate change will make more frequent. Informed policymaking in the future will hopefully engage with the scientific community to bridge the current divide between the knowledge that we need to act, and the prevailing non-action. Perhaps the current inhabitability of Washington D.C. after all also the home of the U.S. Congress will make our Representatives eventually sweat over how to solve this giant crisis.
I would gladly trade my White hairs for Barack's Gray hairs!
I am not sharing this journey with Barack and the Democratic Party. I am kicking
and screaming for a clean environment that includes clean Air and Water and a lot less Carbon pollution! The only way to obtain that is with a U.S. President who has the power and skills to introduce the changes necessary. Your husband Barack Obama held that power for exactly two years before the billionaires decided to push him aside. As you know, they stuffed your Congress with well paid Republicans. The game is far from over however, and if your Democrats want to win back power they will have to win Wisconsin and then once again and more honestly begin talks with leading members of the Christian and other faith based groups who lined up to back Democrats in 2008. Behind them is the forgotten environment movement which includes: GreenPeace..the Sierra Club..Al Gore's AVAAZ movement..the WWF..the Youth Movement and of course the millions of dedicated professional and civil servants who work tirelessly to help the poor and underpriveleged within the U.S.A. The same Tree Roots who helped the Democrats win power in the first place. (Grass-Roots be hanged!)
With that said I am more than Happy to Wish President Barack Obama
A Happy Birthday with Many Happy Returns!
Original Message -----
From: Michelle Obama
To: Joseph Raglione
Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2011 11:06 AM
Subject: Gray hairs
Every day, I see Barack make choices he knows will affect every American family. That's no small task for anyone -- and more proof that he's earning every last one of those gray hairs.
This has been a busy week in Washington, but today happens to be Barack's 50th birthday. I'm writing to you because this year, the girls and I would like to do something a little different.
I'm asking friends and supporters of this campaign to wish him a happy birthday by signing his card, and sharing why you're on this journey with us.
Your names and notes will become part of a book that tells the story of this campaign -- who's building it, why we're in this thing, and what he means to us. We'll deliver a copy to Barack and send one to our campaign offices across the country.
Sign the card for Barack:
http://my.barackobama.com/Birthday-Card
I've known Barack for more than 20 of his 50 years, and we've been through quite a lot together.
It still amazes me that no matter how many decisions and distractions he's faced with every day, he's always able to focus on the bigger picture. One way he does that is by making time for stories and letters from people like you -- because he knows that this job isn't about him, but about the millions of folks around the country he's fighting for.
This next year will challenge us all to work harder than ever before, but the crucial thing is that you're here now, early on, helping to build this campaign.
I know that, like Barack and me, you have your own reasons why, so I hope you'll take a moment to sign the card and share your story with him and other supporters of this campaign.
http://my.barackobama.com/Birthday-Card
Thanks for being a part of this,
Michelle
Contributions or gifts to Obama for America are not tax deductible
This email was sent to: human4us@sympatico.ca
AND NOW FOR A RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS..>
Watch the Ted.com lecture for some great ideas on how to feed the hungry around the world.
http://www.ted.com/talks/josette_sheeran_ending_hunger_now.html?utm_source=newsletter_weekly_2011-08-03&utm_campaign=newsletter_weekly&utm_medium=email
The Random Acts of Kindness Movement:
Help spread kindness: "Like" us on Facebook|"Follow" us on Twitter| Share Your Story| View Resources
Everyday Kindness August 2011
Issue 118
Project Insight
Check out the latest Random Acts of Kindness Foundation video highlighting the work of Project Insight! Ben Oude Kamphuis may look like a famous American wrestler, but this Holland native is all heart. Learn how he is inspiring the disabled and many more with a most unique form of kindness.
New Educator's Page
Just in time for back-to-school preparations the new and improved RAK Educatorīs page! Whether you are a teacher, parent, administrator, youth leader, mentor or after-school program leader, we have all the kindness resources you could ask for. Check out our new and improved lesson plans and school activity ideas, or submit your own!
Inspiration From The Website | RandomActsOfKindness.org
Share Your Story
We want your stories! Everyday RAK members share their stories of a kindness given or a kindness received. Help us inspire others by sharing YOUR story here!
Kindness Videos
RAK has started an "Everyday People, Everyday Kindness" video series. Check out these inspiring videos, and send us your recommendations!
Kindness Books
Looking for a good summer read? Browse our reading nook for inspiring books on kindness!
Kindness Ideas
Want to do a random acts of kindness but arenīt sure where to start? Browse through our kindness ideas today and find the perfect fit for you. Donīt see your idea on the list? Share it with us!
Our sister foundation, The Foundation for a Better Life, is offering a free set of posters promoting positive values plus a free DVD with their public service TV Spots for teachers, youth group leaders and others.
For more information on The Foundation for a Better Life please visit their site at values.com.
To request a free set of posters and a DVD visit www.values.com. Keep in mind they can send only one set of posters per request and there are no substitutions on the posters design.
Find Kindness Everyday
2011 Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
To ensure delivery of the Everyday Kindness Newsletter, please add newsletter@randomactsofkindness.org to your address book or accepted sender list. If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, click here to unsubscribe
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation
951 20th Street P.O. Box 13543, Denver CO 80202, United States
Phone (800) 660-2811 | info@randomactsofkindness.org
http://www.randomactsofkindness.org/Resources/Videos/Project-Insight/
http://www.ted.com/talks/louise_fresco_on_feeding_the_whole_world.html
AND NOW FOR AN ACT OF CRUEL AND FOOLISH STUPIDITY!
WHAT THE REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAVE DONE TO HELP CLIMATE CHANGE!
YES,YOU READ ME CORRECTLY! THEY HAVE PASSED A BILL TO HELP THE CLIMATE CHANGE FASTER! IF THERE EVER WAS A TIME FOR A CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT, THIS IS THE TIME!!..>
Climate Contradictions: The Science Bulks up as U.S. Policy Strips Down
Natalie Narotzky Revolt 2011-07-25
The last few weeks have demonstrated an unfortunate juxtaposition between the U.S. federal climate policy debate and the scientific case for climate action. Strong evidence for the need to regulate greenhouse gas emissions continues to pile up, but meanwhile last week the U.S. House Appropriations Committee passed drastic cuts to environmental regulations in the Fiscal Year 2012 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill.
The bill proposes $1.5 billion in cuts from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)´s budget. Members of Congress supporting these cuts hold that the EPA is too costly and hampers economic growth. The bill would cut climate change spending by $83 million, or 22 percent below last year´s budget. One of the many prohibitions in the bill prevents the EPA from regulating stationary greenhouse gas emissions. EPA´s regulation of climate-altering greenhouse gases (GHGs) under the Clean Air Act, which will be finalized in 2012, are the only federal greenhouse gas regulations on the table, as the U.S. has not passed comprehensive climate legislation, and the prospects for doing so in the near future seem dim. Negotiations on the House and Senate floor will likely alter the contents of the bill with a Democratic majority in the Senate that is very likely to refuse to withdraw EPA´s authority to regulate GHGs and impose major cuts on its budget. Also, President Obama threatened to veto the bill. Still, the proposed cuts highlight the strong disconnect between climate science and climate policy within the United States.
This comes at a time when the United States is suffering from a taste of the extreme weather events that unchecked climate change could make all too frequent in coming decades. Much of the U.S. is currently experiencing dangerously high temperatures and humidity levels. Temperatures in the 90s and 100s, with heat indices up to 115°, are currently plaguing most of the Midwestern U.S. and are moving eastward toward the mid-Atlantic region. Here in Washington, D.C., home of the Worldwatch Institute´s headquarters, we experienced temperatures around 100° with dangerous heat indices around 110° for several days in a row. Nearly 1000 high temperature records have been broken this July, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Source: NOAA
High temperatures are not unique to 2011. NOAA´s new climate "normals", 30-year climate averages calculated from data collected across the U.S., show that 1981-2010 was 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit (.28 C) warmer than the 1971-2000 average. The annual "normal" minimum and maximum temperature rose for all of the lower 48 states. The figure to the right shows the change in climate normals from 1971-2000 to 1981-2010, demonstrating warming across the board, but particularly in the Southwest and around the Great Lakes.
Source: NOAA Hazard Assessment July 18-29, via Washington Post
Aside from record temperatures, July has also seen widespread flooding, severe drought and massive forest fires. To help manage flooding, the House nearly unanimously approved a bill to overhaul flood insurance. While this bill may help victims adapt to the effects of a changing climate, it demonstrates the disconnect between the debates over managing the causes of climate change and its symptoms. Critics of the bill also note that overhauling flood insurance may further encourage development in flood prone regions.
In order to scientifically link these extreme events to climate change it is necessary to look at attribution data, which can probabilistically attribute weather events to anthropogenic forcings by modeling scenarios with natural and anthropogenic emissions and scenarios with only natural emissions. In these studies the question isn´t whether a particular event was caused by climate change (which can never be answered with certainty) but rather how much human activities have increased the likelihood of an event of that type. The journal Nature published several of these studies earlier this year. One demonstrated that human-induced GHG emissions increased the risk for flooding in record-breaking floods in the UK in 2000 by more than 90 percent in the majority of seasonal-forecast simulations. Another study, using both observations and models, identified that human-emitted greenhouse gases were responsible for an increase in extreme rain events on more than two-thirds of data-covered North American landmasses during the later part of the 20th century. Yet another attribution study finds with 90 percent confidence that human influences have at least doubled the likelihood of a heat wave of the magnitude of Europe´s 2003 wave, which is estimated to have killed 35,000 people.
In addition to the manifestation of climate change in extreme events, it is further weakening the Earth´s mechanisms to limit the greenhouse effect. Oceans absorb close to one third of the CO2 we emit. This uptake mechanism is a vital part of the global carbon cycle and removes a large portion of anthropogenic (as well as natural) greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Recent evidence, based on climate modeling, has been mounting, however, that the capacity of this sink is diminishing. A study published earlier this month, which employs both observational data and numerical models covering 87 percent of the North Atlantic, in order to determine the effect of increasing temperatures on the oceanic carbon sink revealed a diminishing trend in sink capacity in the ocean attributable to increasing temperature. The slowing of oceanic carbon sequestration creates a positive feedback loop. More carbon dioxide in the atmosphere further contributes to the greenhouse effect, which in turn further warms the ocean and thus further reduces oceanic carbon sequestration.
The heat waves, droughts, and floods that have plagued the U.S. over the past weeks and months are an indication of the kind of extreme weather that climate change will make more frequent. Informed policymaking in the future will hopefully engage with the scientific community to bridge the current divide between the knowledge that we need to act, and the prevailing non-action. Perhaps the current inhabitability of Washington D.C. after all also the home of the U.S. Congress will make our Representatives eventually sweat over how to solve this giant crisis.
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