Desert,Ice & Homer

Iraq Riches- Now we learn from the GAO that it looks like Iraq will have a $79 billion budget surplus by years end. It’s just so incredibly awesome that our government continues to underwrite all the rebuilding and security costs in Iraq while they experience oil profit windfalls. Wasn’t this the money that the Bushies promised would pay for our activities in Iraq? Even more we learn today that the Iraqi military is still unprepared and ill equipped to protect their borders. This debacle is becoming so surreal that it’s difficult to properly comment on it. $10 billion of this money is parked at the Federal Reserve of New York and the US is paying Iraq $435 million a year in interest! You couldn’t possibly make this stuff up. I think I may head down to the Federal Reserve today with my tax returns and ask for reimbursement.

McNuke- McShame’s energy policy is aimed at building 2 nuclear power plants a year until 2030. He must be a huge Simpson's fan. There are already 34 new plants in line according to the Energy Department. I think nuclear in smaller quantities and the ability to dispose of the waste may be something to consider. The only problem is that the Energy Department now anticipates the Yucca Mountain facility in Nevada to cost $97 billion over its lifetime. This is $37 billion more than budgeted. So if you add 45 more nuclear plants; where are the funds coming to pay for the waste disposal?

Ice Melts- I am continuing to advocate for conservation as part of the immediate problems confronting energy and its scarcity. In today’s NYT columnist Thomas Friedman shares his travels to Greenland and observing the ice sheets melting away. As suggested in his column the climate crisis will not be delivered to the world via disaster, but by the mailman, as we all start receiving astounding increases in our electric, gas and water bills.