United States News
The latest news from and about U.S. issues.Wednesday, August 20, 2008
All the Oil We Need.
NY Times Op-Ed Contributors, August 20, 2008 - “While oil prices have declined somewhat of late, the volatility of the market and the political and religious unrest in major oil-producing countries has Americans worrying more than ever about energy security. But they have little to fear — contrary to common understanding, there are robust stockpiles of oil around the globe that could see us through any foreseeable calamities on the world market. True, trouble for the world’s energy supplies could come from many directions. Hurricanes and other natural disasters could suddenly disrupt oil production or transportation. Iran loudly and regularly proclaims that it can block oil exports from the Persian Gulf. The anti-American rhetoric of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela raises fears of an export cutoff there. And ongoing civil unrest wreaks havoc with Nigeria’s output. Even worse, this uncertainty comes in the context of worrisome reports that oil producers have little spare capacity, meaning that they could not quickly ramp up production to compensate for a disruption. But such fears rest on a misunderstanding.” Read more.
Mexicans are wary of both U.S. candidates.
Arizona Republic, August 20, 2008 - “Like many Mexicans, Jaime Reyes is a little apprehensive about the coming U.S. presidential election. ‘Whoever wins, it could be bad for us,’” said Reyes, a salesman in the western city of Guadalajara. ‘The Republicans seem like they’re anti-immigrant, and (Barack) Obama is against free trade. I don’t think either is good.’ It’s a common sentiment in Mexico, as the slumping U.S. economy and the effects of the 2001 terrorist attacks make the relationship between the United States and its southern neighbor more complicated than ever.” Read more.
The changing face of America poses risks.
SF Gate, August 20, 2008 - “If Sen. Barack Obama’s candidacy has indeed placed race in the spotlight again this election season, then the Census Bureau’s new projections that white America is fading into minority status much faster than previously thought offers a glaring view of the fissures that continue to spider web our republic. The meteoric rise of Obama’s fortunes and the potential success - or failure - of his run for the White House has provoked much soul-searching about whether America ‘is ready’ for a black president; the subtext of which is really whether a black president might be somehow intrinsically different than a white commander in chief beyond that extra helping of melanin.” Read more.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Would There Be Change in Obama’s Americas Policy?
Foreign Policy In Focus, August 19, 2008 - “The great debate on how much – or how little—Barack Obama would change our disastrous U.S. foreign policy usually focuses on the Middle East. That makes sense. Nowhere has the price of the Bush national security strategy been higher, as the violent deaths of more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers and 93,000 Iraqis attest. But a smaller, no less passionate, debate exists over Latin America policy. Although the Western Hemisphere isn’t a headline-grabber these days, the debate raises matters that deeply affect people south of our border and the millions of Americans with family ties to the region. U.S. relations with Latin America can no longer be seen as a regional foreign policy box. In an increasingly integrated world, they have become part of fundamental U.S. debates on trade, employment, immigration, and transnational crime.” Read more.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
NAFTA paves U. S. route to energy from north.
The Buffalo News, August 17, 2008 - “Beneath the forests of Alberta, 2,300 miles miles northwest of Buffalo, you’ll find the latest black gold: a mix of sand and oil being mined as a new kind of gusher. And Alberta’s Athabasca Oil Sands are just part of a petroleum boom that has made Canada the world’s top supplier of oil to the United States. The boom could make its way to Buffalo through two proposed pipelines that would carry Canadian oil through Western New York to refineries in the Philadelphia area. The boom also serves as a backdrop for two of the big issues in the U. S. presidential race between Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain: the future of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the U. S. oil supply.” Read more.
Greenhouse gas battle plan good for business.
Calgary Herald, August 17, 2008 - “Seven western states and four provinces have joined forces in a plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, a host of technology giants are rushing into the global solar play. In February 2007 California’s Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oregon’s Gov. Ted Kulongoski and Washington’s Gov. Chris Gregoire formed the Western Climate Initiative. Their mandate was clear: Reduce greenhouse gases.” Read more.
Friday, August 15, 2008
So Who Is Actually Building the Wall?
Latino Evangelicals, August 14, 2008 - “So what exactly is the status of the great wall of Homeland Security along the Mexican border? With all of the long-winded rhetoric and debate about the value of a wall along the border, some critics still question whether the wall will actually ‘secure the border?’ Government estimates show that about half of the undocumented immigrants in our country are immigrants who have over stayed their visas. If that is true, then the wall along the border will do nothing to stop this group of immigrants from entering the country. These immigrants are crossing the border legally at entry checkpoints staffed by U. S. customs and border guards.” Read more.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
U.S. Could Halve Fuel Consumption by 2035: Report.
Greenbiz.com, August 14, 2008 - “The U.S. could feasibly halve its gasoline consumption if the country switched to hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles by 2035, according to a new MIT report. For too long, automakers have focused on improving performance at the expense of efficiency, said the report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A large part of the challenge will involve convincing consumers that they don’t need fast, gas-guzzling cars.” Read more.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Balancing border security, trade a delicate act, experts say.
Dallas Morning News, August 12, 2008 - “With heightened security at the border in wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and increased drug-related violence, residents find themselves in a delicate balancing act. They want enhanced security while continuing to maintain good access for the cross-border trade. ‘Violence has had a large impact on border trade because it affects our perceptions of public safety,’ said Maria Louisa O’Connell, president of the Border Trade Alliance. ‘We have to be careful that we give people an accurate understanding based on facts, not scare stories.’” Read more.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Flush With Energy.
NY Times, August 9, 2008 - “The Arctic Hotel in Ilulissat, Greenland, is a charming little place on the West Coast, but no one would ever confuse it for a Four Seasons — maybe a One Seasons. But when my wife and I walked back to our room after dinner the other night and turned down our dim hallway, the hall light went on. It was triggered by an energy-saving motion detector. Our toilet even had two different flushing powers depending on — how do I say this delicately — what exactly you’re flushing. A two-gear toilet!” Read more.
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