Congress is considering a major overhaul of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that will shift scientific decisions to political appointees, harm the Fish and Wildlife Service’s ability to react to short-term threats to species, and jeopardize many critical habitats. Please join me in asking Congress to reject the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 (TESRA), which may come up for a vote as early as this week.
September 2005 Archives
Protect the Endangered Species Act
Vikings Win!
As the final synthesized horn-blast rang through the stadium, what was left of the purple crowd roared its approval of the first Minnesota Vikings win of the year (in 3 tries). After an abysmal performance against Cincinnati last week (37-8, 7 turnovers), the Vikings managed to hold on to the ball for the entire game, run well, and look crisp in the passing game despite Daunte Culpepper’s banged-up knee and the absence of their top receiver, Nate Burleson.
It felt strange to be sitting inside a dome while the weather was perfect for gridiron mayhem: mid 60s, drizzly, and gray. Of course I understand that the weather would be … a bit challenging … in a few months, but it just seems wrong to be playing this hearty sport in climate-controlled conditions. Apparently the team announced this week that they’ve convinced Anoka County (north of Minneapolis) to tax their citizens in order to build a retractable roof stadium. So we’ll get the best of both worlds, but ridiculously at the consumer’s expense (it’s a sales tax).
Two facts you won’t learn watching the Vikings on TV: they have a fight song and they have this horn-blast (alluded above) that plays after every first down.
International Day of Peace
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
Are you familiar with the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Brilliant alternative creationist theory.
A Challenge: Creating a Global, Virtual Meeting Space
The challenge: what is the best, least costly method for connecting people from all continents, with Internet connections ranging from broadband to slow dial-up or none at all, with the intention of allowing significant discussion on diverse matters? What if there were 100 people present? 300? 600? Can this challenge be met with a single technology, will it require a hodge-podge of media, protocols, and devices, or is it simply impossible? The United Religions Initiative is looking to do this very thing by the end of the year.
Hook 'Em Baby
InterfaithNews.Net - September 2005
Links to the long defunct InterfaithNews.Net website removed April 2012
Reacting to religious fanaticism and the challenges of advancing and sustaining a more equitable civilization, a global interfaith movement has sprung from the grassroots of religion and spirituality. InterfaithNews.Net (INN) seeks to chronicle this movement by focusing primarily on positive interfaith and religious news, events, and resources.
We missed July. Not because there was nothing to report -- but rather because this editor was busy participating in some of those very events on which we are reporting. Read on for brief descriptions of the latest articles...
Religious Arbitration in Canada
Bahá'ís have their own laws / rules, just as many other religions. These laws are not binding in the government sense in any situation I am aware of; truth be told, I'm not entirely sure if that is a meaningful statement anyway. Will it ever come about that "Bahá'í arbitration" and/or legal application of "Bahá'í laws" will be granted by government bodies?
Relief for Katrina's Refugees
The destruction caused by a class 4 hurricane hitting New Orleans was not unanticipated. For many of us though, the inability to provide immediate rescue and relief operations to the victims of Hurricane Katrina has come as a shocking surprise. How is it that the most powerful nation on Earth cannot get adequate shelter and food to the people of southern Louisiana? The future will, I hope, bring soul-searching answers and honest reflection on the lack of preparedness and the wisdom of rebuilding across New Orleans.
Coming to Grips With Katrina's Devastation
I am sure that I am not alone in having taken a few days to fully grok the long-term affects of the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina. There were two things yesterday that made it sink in for me: 1) seeing that 25,000 people were heading to the Astrodome in Houston as refugees, expecting to be there for several months, and 2) hearing about displaced Tulane students who are taking classes at the University of Texas (and elsewhere).