Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Lula Obama biofuel love, no REDD love


This just in (OK, a few days ago but we were skiing).



Brazil's Lula, Obama To Work On Trade, Biofuels

Date: 28-Jan-09
Country: BRAZIL
Author: Fernando Exman

Lula and Obama 1st talk. No mention of REDD or deforestation.


BRASILIA - President Barack Obama wants to work with Brazil on biofuels and pledged to advance global trade talks as a way to stoke economic growth, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's spokesman said on Monday.

Lula and Obama spoke by phone for about 25 minutes and agreed to meet in March in Washington, Lula spokesman Marcelo Baumbach said.

Obama may visit Brazil in the Northern Hemisphere's summertime, between July and September, though no date has been set.

In his national radio address last week, Lula urged Obama to make the Doha round of global trade talks a priority.

"President Obama said he is interested in continuing discussions to advance the Doha round, given the importance of global trade to confront the current international economic crisis," Baumbach said.

Obama said the United States has much to gain by cooperating with Brazil on biofuels, according to Baumbach. The new U.S. president has made the increased use of alternative energy sources, including biofuels, a key goal of his administration.

Brazil is among the world's biggest users of alternative fuels, with nearly 90 percent of all new automobiles in the country so-called flex-fuel cars that can run on ethanol made from sugarcane.

Someday we'll look back and laugh, right?

This article is pretty funny. My favorite part is:

No administration is entirely free of corruption, and generally the public won't get too exercised about it if it's done in moderation. To pick an example out of a hat, it would be nice if federal regulators didn't offer favors to oil companies in exchange for cocaine and sex. Too much to ask? Apparently so, at least for the Interior Department's Minerals and Management Service...

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Obama speech 1st in history to mention "a warming planet"


I took my two boys to see the inauguration along with Cara Peace, here in San Diego. We were running late and had to dart into a closed restaurant to find TVs. Maxwell, the eldest (3 1/2) was infatuated with the bar stool concept and his race car. (Another race car was taken away the night before by parents after it was thrown at us). Finnegan (1 1/2) screamed and thrashed and mostly wanted to eat the sharp plastic olive spears he had found on the floor. Cara and I were struck that the speech mentioned the word planet twice, and was the first inaugural speech we know of to talk about the specter of a warming planet. As we drove the boys to daycare, Cara's mom who makes vibrationally infused flower remedies, sent her a text. Apparently the speech also used the words "new age" two times as well. Everyone hears what they want.