November 9, 2008 by mike.

The United States elected a smart guy and progressive thinker to be President for the next four years.  This has to be a good thing.  The less than smart guy we have been suffering with the past eight years has destroyed his political party for the time being.  Now we see how much of the damage can be undone.  Two wars and a world-wide financial crisis.  George W. Bush has always figured out a way to go Arbusto and he brought his unique talents to bear and turned this country into the United States of Arbusto.

But he is leaving and his sidekick/mentor Dick Cheney is required to leave with him, so here we go, a new day.

Barack Obama has chosen Rahm Emanuel as chief of staff.  Rahm is a guy who makes things happen.  We will have to see if he is pragmatist and can help Barack with a progressive agenda.

If he is a committed free-marketeer, as some think, and can keep our economic train on that set of tracks then Barack is going to be the first African-American Herbert Hoover.

If there was ever a time for Keynesian economics, this is it.  We need to seize the opportunity of the economic downturn to gear up a major public works project with a focus on energy independence,  sustainability, a re-tooling of our transportation system to reduce the power and profits of the oiligarch.   The economic swing that would follow would allow the market economy to retool to a sustainable model, a human model.  This will only work if there is regulation and/or tax policy that makes it happen.  The glory days of the idea that free markets are self-regulating should be over.  Anyone who spouts that sad story should be immediately forced to convert all of their economic assets into Enron stock.

Oh, on the wish list - Barack should ask Nobel Prize Economist Paul Krugman to sign on for a one-year stint as Economy Czar.

Posted in Connect the Dots, Small Foot Print, Global Warming | Print | 1 Comment »

November 9, 2008 by mike.

clipped from news.yahoo.com Scientists say a rock can soak up carbon dioxide NEW YORK (Reuters) – A rock found mostly in Oman can be harnessed to soak up the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide at a rate that could help slow global warming, scientists say.

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