A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE

• PAUL RYAN AND OTHER HOUSE REPUBLICANS OPPOSE HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF. 

"As you may recall, a couple of months ago, America was hit by two major disasters.  One of them natural — Hurricane Sandy — and one of them somewhat man-made — the Republican majority in the House of Representatives ... I’m not saying you [Republicans] are responsible for all the problems facing our country, but you sure are making them a lot harder to fix.”

• AUSTRALIA IS GETTING SO HOT, NEW COLORS HAD TO BE ADDED TO THEIR OFFICIAL WEATHER MAP—Temperatures  up to129°F / 54°C

◊Two new colors have been added to Australia’s weather maps to show temperatures exceeding 122 degrees Fahrenheit in the country’s fiercest heat wave in more than 80 years." (Source 1) ~

◊The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced : "2012 was warmest and second most extreme year on record for the contiguous U.S ... The average temperature for 2012 was ... 3.3°F above the 20th century average, and 1.0°F above 1998, the previous warmest year." (Source 2) ~

◊Global climate change is the final component of the environmental commons and the one with the greatest potential geopolitical impact. Scientists and policy makers alike have projected catastrophic consequences for mankind and the planet if the world average temperature rises by more than two degrees over the next century. Plant and animal species could grow extinct at a rapid pace, largescale ecosystems could collapse, human migration could increase to untenable levels, and global economic development could be categorically reversed. The United States is the second-largest global emitter of carbon dioxide, after China, with 20% ofthe world’s share. The United States is the number one per capita emitter of carbon dioxide and the global leader in per capita energy demand. Therefore, US leadership is essential in not only getting other countries to cooperate, but also in actually inhibiting climate change." (Source3) ~

_________________

Source (1):  Australia on Fire: Record-Shattering Heat, Wildfires Engulf World’s Largest Exporter of Coal —01/08/13 ~

Source (2): National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; 2012 was warmest and second most extreme year on record for the contiguous U.S. —01/09/13 ~

—"TIME MAGAZINE COVER ORIGINALLY FEATURED OSAMA BIN LADEN CROSSED OUT. THE UNKNOWN ARTIST OF THIS PICTURE CHOSE A DIFFERENT TERRORIST" 

•Speaking to Reuters, the former commander of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, retired General Stanley McChrystal, became one of the highest-ranking former military officials to publicly question the drone attacks, saying:

—"The resentment created by American use of unmanned strikes ... is much greater than the average American appreciates. They are hated on a visceral level, even by people who’ve never seen one or seen the effects of one."

• A former adviser to Obama on security issues has forcefully come out against drone warfare, saying it is encouraging arms proliferation worldwide while causing unknown civilian casualties. Writing in this month’s issue of International Affairs, La Salle University’s Michael Boyle, an adviser on the Obama campaign’s counterterrorism expert group in 2007 and 2008, writes:

—"[Obama] has been just as ruthless and indifferent to the rule of law as his predecessor. ... The consequences can be seen in the targeting of mosques or funeral processions that kill non-combatants and tear at the social fabric of the regions where they occur. No one really knows the number of deaths caused by drones in these distant, sometimes ungoverned, lands."

________________________

Source: Democracynow.org: McChrystal, Ex-Commander of U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, Questions Drone Warfare

• EVOLUTION OF EQUALITY

"We know about milestones such as the end of slavery, a woman’s right to vote in America, and the Civil Rights Act. But did you know that as early as 1250, it was completely legal to be gay in Europe? Or that American women were eligible to be elected to office in 1788 even though they couldn’t vote themselves? And why does 1896’s Plessy v. Ferguson "separate but equal" ruling look so much like our federal Defense of Marriage Act?  

When it comes to where we’re going, it’s important to know where we’ve been." —Via: Upworthy

—"In Case You Missed It, A Very Curious Google Search Pattern Happened This Year. You can take this as a sign that things will get better this time. Please share this and keep talking!" Upworthy

• DEMAND A PLAN

—It’s time. Join more than 750 mayors and 750,000 grassroots supporters to demand that President Obama and Congress step forward with a plan to end gun violence.

Our efforts cannot bring back the 20 innocent children murdered in Newtown, CT -- or the 34 people murdered with guns every day in America. But we can prevent future tragedies by passing common sense legislation that will:

1. Require a criminal background check for every gun sold in America 2. Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines 3. Make gun trafficking a federal crime, including real penalties for “straw purchasers”

• The Quintessentially British Response To Everyone Who Denies Global Warming Because It's Raining

• A Brief Explantation of The Fiscal Cliff

By: MoveOn.Org and ROBERT B. REICH:

—Professor of Public Policy at the U.C Berkeley.

—Former Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration.