Comments on: The fires next time http://online.worldmag.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/ A forum for discussion of news that arises at the intersection of Christianity and culture. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:12:29 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: rdean http://online.worldmag.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/comment-page-1/#comment-231615 rdean Sun, 28 Oct 2007 20:09:42 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/#comment-231615 #10: I’m interested in what standard you are using to make your assessment? Their own low standard. I guess it’s possible, but Chertoff said he has no idea what his own people are doing? They are only doing what the Bush Administration has been doing for the last seven years. Coverups, lies, deciet, scandal. Bush has attempted to force our own scientist to change data to match is policy. This is the guy you people call “moral”. I guess the Bible just gives you a different standard than non believers. Jan 07 "High-quality science [is] struggling to get out," Francesca Grifo, of the watchdog group Union of Concerned Scientists, told members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. A UCS survey found that 150 climate scientists personally experienced political interference in the past five years in a total of at least 435 incidents. Scientists Mobilizing to Fight Bush & Cheney Tribe - San Francisco, August 1, 2007 Straight to the Source More than 60 influential scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, are mobilizing scientists and citizens alike to push for reforms that will protect our health, safety, and environment. The Scientific Integrity Program from the Union of Concerned Scientists http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/ Join more than 12,000 scientist's opposed to the misuse of government science. 02-10) 04:00 PDT Washington -- Scientists in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say they've been forced to alter or withhold findings that would have led to greater protections for endangered species, according to a survey released Wednesday by two environmental groups. The scientists charge that top regional and national officials in the agency suppressed scientific information to avoid confrontations with industry groups or to follow the Bush administration's political policies. October 27, 2007 at 2:56 PM EDT WASHINGTON — The homeland security chief on Saturday lashed into his own employees for staging a phony news conference at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “I think it was one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I've seen since I've been in government,” Michael Chertoff said. “I have made unambiguously clear, in Anglo-Saxon prose, that it is not to ever happen again and there will be appropriate disciplinary action taken against those people who exhibited what I regard as extraordinarily poor judgment,” he added. Asked specifically if he planned to fire anyone at FEMA, which is part of his department, Mr. Chertoff declined to say, citing personnel rules. “There will be appropriate discipline,” he told reporters at a news conference with New York's governor where they announced an agreement on a driver's license plan. Mr. Chertoff said he knew nothing about the matter until after it happened and that he “can't explain why it happened.” #10: I’m interested in what standard you are using to make your assessment?

Their own low standard. I guess it’s possible, but Chertoff said he has no idea what his own people are doing? They are only doing what the Bush Administration has been doing for the last seven years. Coverups, lies, deciet, scandal. Bush has attempted to force our own scientist to change data to match is policy. This is the guy you people call “moral”. I guess the Bible just gives you a different standard than non believers.

Jan 07
“High-quality science [is] struggling to get out,” Francesca Grifo, of the watchdog group Union of Concerned Scientists, told members of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. A UCS survey found that 150 climate scientists personally experienced political interference in the past five years in a total of at least 435 incidents.

Scientists Mobilizing to Fight Bush & Cheney
Tribe – San Francisco, August 1, 2007
Straight to the Source
More than 60 influential scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, are mobilizing scientists and citizens alike to push for reforms that will protect our health, safety, and environment.
The Scientific Integrity Program from the Union of Concerned Scientists http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/
Join more than 12,000 scientist’s opposed to the misuse of government science.

02-10) 04:00 PDT Washington — Scientists in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say they’ve been forced to alter or withhold findings that would have led to greater protections for endangered species, according to a survey released Wednesday by two environmental groups.
The scientists charge that top regional and national officials in the agency suppressed scientific information to avoid confrontations with industry groups or to follow the Bush administration’s political policies.

October 27, 2007 at 2:56 PM EDT
WASHINGTON — The homeland security chief on Saturday lashed into his own employees for staging a phony news conference at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“I think it was one of the dumbest and most inappropriate things I’ve seen since I’ve been in government,” Michael Chertoff said.

“I have made unambiguously clear, in Anglo-Saxon prose, that it is not to ever happen again and there will be appropriate disciplinary action taken against those people who exhibited what I regard as extraordinarily poor judgment,” he added.

Asked specifically if he planned to fire anyone at FEMA, which is part of his department, Mr. Chertoff declined to say, citing personnel rules.

“There will be appropriate discipline,” he told reporters at a news conference with New York’s governor where they announced an agreement on a driver’s license plan.

Mr. Chertoff said he knew nothing about the matter until after it happened and that he “can’t explain why it happened.”

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]]> By: Dick Friedrich http://online.worldmag.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/comment-page-1/#comment-230962 Dick Friedrich Fri, 26 Oct 2007 17:57:24 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/#comment-230962 RDEAN #8 Without trying to defend the Federal Government, I'm interested in what standard you are using to make your assessment? Are you just feeling overwhelmed or did you have some specific comparisons or criteria in mind? RDEAN #8 Without trying to defend the Federal Government, I’m interested in what standard you are using to make your assessment? Are you just feeling overwhelmed or did you have some specific comparisons or criteria in mind?

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]]> By: rdean http://online.worldmag.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/comment-page-1/#comment-230794 rdean Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:01:06 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/#comment-230794 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21487060/ I didn't know this. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21487060/

I didn’t know this.

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]]> By: rdean http://online.worldmag.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/comment-page-1/#comment-230781 rdean Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:46:00 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/#comment-230781 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21478621/ All US is government is so messed up right now. All of it. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21478621/

All US is government is so messed up right now. All of it.

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]]> By: Dick Friedrich http://online.worldmag.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/comment-page-1/#comment-230732 Dick Friedrich Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:24:16 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/#comment-230732 Human actions of directly setting fires has been proven in several cases over the last few years in other states as well as California. To #5 comment, where does one go to get away from disaster? The same holds for the fraudulent use of money that was supposed to go to proper levy maintenance in Louisiana. Should insurance companies be covering these costs any more than the costs of people building in foolish places? It seems to me we are often looking for ways to reward foolishness (in some cases even evil) instead of discouraging it. Human actions of directly setting fires has been proven in several cases over the last few years in other states as well as California. To #5 comment, where does one go to get away from disaster? The same holds for the fraudulent use of money that was supposed to go to proper levy maintenance in Louisiana. Should insurance companies be covering these costs any more than the costs of people building in foolish places? It seems to me we are often looking for ways to reward foolishness (in some cases even evil) instead of discouraging it.

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]]> By: Sawgunner http://online.worldmag.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/comment-page-1/#comment-230720 Sawgunner Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:37:07 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/#comment-230720 Meanwhile over at Politicalmavens dotcom I read an article that raised a question I'd been suspecting for a time. Namely, does anyone think the arson done could have been perpetrated by AlQaeda fanatics? At first I thought that the fires could have been started by members of the Earth Liberation Front. ELF is a home-grown kook group. The environmt is their god, so to speak. They have already torched at least one subdivision on the east coast. The thing that amazes me is how one house will be a cinder pile while the neighbors' pad is hardly damaged at all. Life is not fair Meanwhile over at Politicalmavens dotcom I read an article that raised a question I’d been suspecting for a time. Namely, does anyone think the arson done could have been perpetrated by AlQaeda fanatics?
At first I thought that the fires could have been started by members of the Earth Liberation Front. ELF is a home-grown kook group. The environmt is their god, so to speak. They have already torched at least one subdivision on the east coast.
The thing that amazes me is how one house will be a cinder pile while the neighbors’ pad is hardly damaged at all.
Life
is
not
fair

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]]> By: Dramaturge http://online.worldmag.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/comment-page-1/#comment-230647 Dramaturge Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:44:59 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/#comment-230647 "But the long-range question concerns building in disaster-prone areas, whether below-sea-level New Orleans or on brushy California hillsides." So, I'd like to quietly wonder where on this globe you can build where there some kind of cyclical disaster. “But the long-range question concerns building in disaster-prone areas, whether below-sea-level New Orleans or on brushy California hillsides.”

So, I’d like to quietly wonder where on this globe you can build where there some kind of cyclical disaster.

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]]> By: Bob Buckles http://online.worldmag.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/comment-page-1/#comment-230584 Bob Buckles Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:08:30 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/#comment-230584 Los Angeles City schools have a yearly earthquake drill, usually in May. Everyone leaves the classroom and goes to the playground or PE field for an hour. May is usually warm. The drill is aptly named "Shake snd Bake." What would you call a wildfire drill? Los Angeles City schools have a yearly earthquake drill, usually in May. Everyone leaves the classroom and goes to the playground or PE field for an hour. May is usually warm.

The drill is aptly named “Shake snd Bake.”

What would you call a wildfire drill?

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]]> By: Travis Birkenstock http://online.worldmag.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/comment-page-1/#comment-230540 Travis Birkenstock Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:39:57 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/#comment-230540 I just wanted to point out that Ms. Curtis is paraphrasing the great scientist and natural hazards geographer Gilbert White, who passed away last year. White wrote: "Floods are an act of God, but flood losses are largely an act of man." White is perhaps *the* most influential scientist on flood management and natural hazards research. Here's a passage from his bio on Wiki that may be of interest. "White was motivated by his Quaker faith to do research beneficial to humanity. As a conscientious objector to World War II, from 1942 to 1946 he served with the American Friends Service Committee aiding war refugees in France, and was briefly interned by the Nazis at Baden-Baden. He continued to serve as a leader in various Quaker service organizations for much of his life." I just wanted to point out that Ms. Curtis is paraphrasing the great scientist and natural hazards geographer Gilbert White, who passed away last year.

White wrote: “Floods are an act of God, but flood losses are largely an act of man.”

White is perhaps *the* most influential scientist on flood management and natural hazards research. Here’s a passage from his bio on Wiki that may be of interest.

“White was motivated by his Quaker faith to do research beneficial to humanity. As a conscientious objector to World War II, from 1942 to 1946 he served with the American Friends Service Committee aiding war refugees in France, and was briefly interned by the Nazis at Baden-Baden. He continued to serve as a leader in various Quaker service organizations for much of his life.”

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]]> By: trr http://online.worldmag.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/comment-page-1/#comment-230537 trr Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:34:39 +0000 http://www.worldontheweb.com/2007/10/25/the-fires-next-time/#comment-230537 If, as is suspected, some of these fires were set by arsonists, then it is more directly an act of man. I understand some arrests have been made. At least she didn't use the global warming angle to blame it on man. ;-) If, as is suspected, some of these fires were set by arsonists, then it is more directly an act of man. I understand some arrests have been made.
At least she didn’t use the global warming angle to blame it on man. ;-)

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