Haiti, Quebec, and Massachusetts

My family and I just got back from a trip to Quebec over the long weekend. The province is a beautiful place, and Quebec City, right on the frozen Saint Lawrence River, had a bizarre feel, almost as if it were a city at man's northernmost frontier, though I'm sure the fact I'm not used to so much snow played a role in that idea. We toured the city, tasted delicious Quebecois food, and enjoyed the Winter activities, like ice skating in Place D'Youville and tobogganing outside our hotel, the Chateau Frontenac. The highlight of our trip, however, was a night in Hotel de Glace, the Ice Hotel. The idea of an 80-person hotel made entirely of ice was bizarre, the structure itself was beautiful, and the sleeping conditions, 27 degrees Fahrenheit on a bed made of ice, wood and foam, were an experience in themselves.
The only negative aspect of the trip was the Canadian security. Apparently, to align with the US's security needs, Canada has enforced a "no-carry-on" policy. Interestingly, women's purses, but not men's satchels of similar sizes, are allowed through, which I think smells of sexism. I'm fine with pat-downs (which we had), Millimeter-Wave full-body scans, and even complete bag searches if it means the liklihood of a Terrorist attack is lessened, but let me bring my bag on the plane! Or, at the very least, the airline or the hotel should have informed us of the Canadian policy, so we would know to pack our bags appropriately.

The biggest story in the news this past week has been the tragic earthquake in Haiti, the desperate search for survivors, and the deployment of 11,000 US troops to the country to ensure stability and efficient aid deployment. All of the aid funds being collected, from groups as diverse as the Red Cross, Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti, private donors, and national governments is a testament to the generosity of the human race, and will surely help Haiti get back on their feet after this disaster, and will hopefully leave them with an improved infrastructure that will allow them to break away from their position as the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Recently, a row over a French aid plane that was apparently turned away before later being allowed to land has led to French criticism of the US role in Haiti. France, as the former ruler of Haiti, likely feels some responsibility for Haiti's economic situation, but now is not the time to make amends for History for their posterity's sake. What matters most is the recovery of the few left alive under the rubble, the efficient distribution of aid, and protection for the millions of homeless Haitians from the bandits and looters that have taken control of much of the disaster zone in the absence of a real government. The United States, with the UN mission and Haitian government scattered, is in the best position to take command of the situation. With troops, a hospital ship, an aircraft carrier, and other resources already deployed, the United States, under President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and General Keen, has done an excellent job in caring for the living, and preserving order, and the US presence should remain for the foreseeable future.

Finally, the big story yesterday was the election of Republican Scott Brown to the seat vacated after the "lion of the Senate" Ted Kennedy's death, breaking the Democratic monopoly of MA senators that has lasted since the '70s. With 41 Republicans in the Senate, the Right will now be able to filibuster unpopular Democratic legislation, particularly the Health Care Reform effort, and force the majority party to moderate their reforms to accommodate the views of some of the 41% of Americans whose representatives have been largely ignored in the Health Care Debate. This slight rebalance of power in Congress is good for both sides, giving Republicans greater control, and allowing Democrats to craft a Reform bill that will be more accepted by the American people than the one being proposed. Many analysts predict that Brown (a moderate Republican) is an indication of an anti-Democrat trend that will be fleshed out fully in November. No one can know for sure, but I for one, am excited.
One final thing many analysts worried about was the issue of "Shenanigans" in Brown's seating. However, the Majority has accepted the will of the people of Massachusetts, and Brown seems likely to be seated without delay. Martha Coakley, Brown's opponent, was gracious in defeat and did not contest the election as some had feared. Obama and Harry Reid also showed grace in statements today urging legislators to halt Health Care debate until Brown is seated. The fear remains that the House will pass the deeply flawed Senate bill and send it to Obama to be enacted without changes, but the consensus is that such an event will not occur, and renegotiations will be held, with at least some Republicans on board.

I'm Dreaming of a White..... Tomorrow?

The past couple of weeks have been marked by record lows across the United States, Europe, and China. Much of the northern hemisphere is suffering from the coldest winter in decades. Stunning evidence can be seen here: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=42237. In Florida, temperatures have not risen above 60, even in Key West, which experienced its coldest day in over 150 years. Tampa, Florida may even receive its first flurries in decades tomorrow!

I guess all this hullabaloo is a good opportunity for me to express my views on Climate change. Is it real? Obviously. The Climate has varied tremendously over time, from the heat of the Cretaceous, to the Ice Age-Interglacial cycle we're in now. Even short periods have trends, like the Little Ice Age of the 17th-19th centuries.  The warming trend from 1850-1990ish is due to a variety of factors, including a return to equilibrium from the Little Ice Age and, to some degree, human carbon emissions. Records from ~1990-2009 seem to indicate a cooling trend, but scientists are unsure of how that fits into the big picture, as evidenced by some of the "Climate-gate" statements.

Now all that's left to determine is which is the fluke, the warming or the cooling. Once we figure that out, we as a species must learn to cope with the consequences. Limiting our role in Climate change is a good start, and non-fossil fuel energy sources, like nuclear fission, fusion, wind, solar, hydro-electric, and others must be funded, if not to save the environment, then at least to keep us going once the oil runs out. In case the warming theory wins out, research on flood control technologies must be accelerated as well.


My biggest political story this week is the Majority in Congress's plan to shut the Republicans out of Health Care debates as the House and Senate bills are reconciled. Normally, a Conference Committee would be formed with bipartisan membership to "iron out" bill differences. The Democrats plan to skip this process, and  use informal "ping-pong" negotiations to pass identical bills in both houses, allowing them to get by with few or no Minority votes as they did the first time they got HC legislation passed. Skipping the Conference process in a bill as important as this is a dangerous idea. Democratic policymakers insist that reform must pass immediately, and I agree that the system needs reforming, but does urgency make up for alienating the representatives of 40% of the nation's people? Despite being branded as "the Party of NO", the Republicans actually agree on the majority of reform provisions, notable exceptions being any form of "public option" and abortion funding. It would do both parties well to bring leaders from both parties and both Houses to create a bill an overwhelming majority of our nation's 535 legislators can agree on, incorporating the best ideas from both sides, like an end to restrictions on "pre-existing conditions" to expand coverage, and employing medical malpractice Tort reform to decrease costs.

Wishing you a pleasant snow day, wherever you may be (except in the Southern Hemisphere, and probably the Northern tropics as well.)

What's This About 2010?

So it's a brand new year, a brand new decade. I think we can finally get into the habit of naming years the way they did in the 20th century, twenty-ten sounds pretty nice. Last decade will probably bug the heck out of linguists for a while, twenty-oh-two doesn't sound quite as nice as 1902 does.

2009 was pretty exciting, the Miracle on the Hudson,  a new President, the Swine Flu scare, continuing uncertainty over the economy, coups, wars... you name it, 2009  had it.

But we've got a lot to look forward to this year: a new claimant to the title "World's Tallest Building" (the Burj Dubai), victory and an end to the Iraq War, and of course, the 2010 Mid-Term elections. I'm excited because I will be voting for the first time, and the nation will get to decide how much of President Obama's "Change" agenda they want to keep, and how much they don't. I'll certainly be watching the run-up to those as we go along, and I hope you all do too.

I hope you've all had a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hannukah, and a Happy New Year.