Should Congress Go Paperless?

Should Congress Go Paperless?: "

Rep. Chris Lee [R, NY-26] and the 39 bipartisan co-sponsors of his recently introduced ‘STOP the OverPrinting Act’ think so.

Currently, when a bill is introduced into Congress, the Government Printing Office (GPO) automatically prints five copies of the entire text for the office of each co-sponsor. That means that for H.R. 3962, the House’s health care bill, which is 2,070 pages long and has 7 total sponsors, the GPO printed out a total of 72,450 pages. That’s 151 reams.

The STOP the Overprinting Act would only allow bills to be printed by the GPO if they are specifically requested by a member of Congress or a committee. According to Lee, ‘the Congressional Research Service estimates the potential cost savings of Lee’s legislation would be upwards of $2.2 million in 2010 alone.’ Every bill is already made available to members of Congress and the public on the internet. Sites like OpenCongress, Thomas and GovTrack post them, as does the GPO itself through their GPO Access website. For lawmakers who find paper copies of bills easier to read and digest, Lee’s bill would accommodate them.

Presumably, since this isn’t law yet, 5 copies of the ‘STOP the OverPrinting Act’ were printed up by the GPO and distributed to each of its 40 sponsors. But it’s a short bill — only 3 pages long — so it only amounted to 600 pages, or one and a quarter reams.

Image used under CC license from pawpaw67.

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(Via Open Congress : Blog.)

The Worst That Could Happen

The Worst That Could Happen: "Greg Craven - Dec. 13 (Opinion) - Science teacher Greg Craven makes a powerful case for taking immediate action to ameliorate the effects of global warming, with a simple logical exercise that demonstrates the consequences of failing to do so in a very graphic way.

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(Via NewsTrust - Politics - Most Recent Stories.)

"A Second Bill of Rights", Or, "Why David Swanson Should be Canonized"

A Second Bill of Rights:

From his new book, Let's Try Democracy (follow link to see his comments on each one):

1) The right to vote

2) The right to expanded Magna Carta protections

3) Equal rights for all!

4) Environmental rights

5) Right to education, housing, and health care (N.B. Echoing this is never-before-seen footage used in Michael Moore's documentary Capitalism: A Love Story in which FDR calls for a second Bill of Rights that guarantees--among other things--"the right to a job, to a home, to an education, and to medical care")

6) Workers' rights

7) Right to basic welfare

8) Right to be a conscientious objector

9) Freedom of the press and freedom from war lies

10) Right to know your rights!

Oh if it weren't so terrifying!

MoJo's Kate Shepard calls the Chamber out based on a memo it submitted to the EPA in June, which stated--among other nonsense--that "Humans have become less susceptible to the effects of heat due to a combination of adaptations, particularly air conditioning. The availability of air conditioning is expected to continue to increase."

Good riddance to the animals and the plants!

Is Buying Green a Moral Offset?

Is Buying Green a Moral Offset?:

While consumers can restore their eco-ego through carbon offset programs after buying an SUV or plane ticket, new research suggests that buying green products functions as a type of 'moral offset.'

Researchers at the University of Toronto questioned the assumption that the 'green consumer' is also socially responsible and a humanitarian. The study found that making environmentally responsible consumer choices leads people to make unethical decisions (or at least not as nice ones) later on:

'the halo associated with green consumerism has to be taken with reservations. While mere exposure to green products can have a positive societal effect by inducing pro-social and ethical acts, purchasing green products may license indulgence in self-interested and unethical behaviors.'

The researchers conducted three experiments in which students were asked to purchase or evaluate green products, or buy conventional ones, and then participate in an 'unrelated' task. In each experiment, students who didn't buy green products acted more altruistically and honestly in the second task than those who did. In the words of the researchers, 'people act less altruistically and are more likely to cheat and steal after purchasing green products as opposed to conventional products.' However, if you consider that 98 percent of so-called 'green products' are based on misleading claims, then that moral high ground is even shakier.

So are Prius drivers and folks who drink organic, fairly traded coffee not as nice as those driving a conventional sedan and drinking Starbucks? Seems like a question to ask the Girl Scouts and Salvation Army: Are people more generous in front of Safeway or Whole Foods?

(Via MoJo Blogs and Articles.)

Solar Power's Drinking Problem

Solar Power's Drinking Problem:

When basking in the warm moral glow of solar power, it's good to remember one of Barry Commoner's four laws of ecology. Commoner is one of the founders of the environmental movement -- although, for some reason, he's never received the credit he deserves.

The Commoner Law to keep in mind is: There is no such thing as a free lunch.

With solar power, I'd just expand Commoner's language to ensure that it includes the drinks.

As reporter Stephanie Tavares points out in today's Las Vegas Sun, 'Solar photovoltaic developers say their plants don't use much water, but 'much' is relative.'

Especially in the desert, where, as Tavares points out, most solar power plants are being built.

She's written a great expose, well worth the read, particularly because of Tavares' admirable legwork in putting real numbers on words like 'much.'

I should point out that Tavares isn't trashing solar. She just makes a compelling case for considering all the environmental impacts of generating energy, no matter what the source.

You may also want to check out a piece in today's Phoenix Sun (my other writing vehicle), where we've got a story about the 25 largest photovoltaic plants on Earth. Guess how many are in the US? If you guessed more than 0, try a smaller number.

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Osha Gray Davidson is a contributing blogger at Mother Jones and publisher of The Phoenix Sun, an online news service reporting on solar energy. He tweets @thephoenixsun.

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(Via MoJo Blogs and Articles.)

For Early Man, It Wasn't Easier Being Green

For Early Man, It Wasn't Easier Being Green: "

Researchers are rethinking the notion that hunter-gatherers lived in harmony with their environment. Archaeologist Torben Rick says indigenous people altered America's coastlines, thousands of years ago, to make their lives more comfortable.

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(Via Clippings.)

Consumption, Not Population Is Our Main Environmental Threat

Consumption, Not Population Is Our Main Environmental Threat: "Let's challenge the convenient notion that 'over-consumers' in rich countries can blame 'over-breeders' in distant lands."

(Via Clippings.)

Taking Shorter Showers Doesn't Cut It: Why Personal Change Does Not Equal Political Change

Taking Shorter Showers Doesn't Cut It: Why Personal Change Does Not Equal Political Change: "Are we taking the easy route? Dumpster diving wouldn't have stopped Hitler, and composting wouldn't have ended slavery.

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(Via Clippings.)