Seth Meyers and Vox take closer looks at political polarization over climate change

Two weeks ago, I reported July 2016 was the hottest month on record yet.  I didn't go much into the "so what?" about that news.  Seth Meyers answers that question in Extreme Weather and Climate Change: A Closer Look.

Seth takes a closer look at the current state of climate change.

In addition to the apparent relation between climate change and extreme weather, where we should have a 500-year event for every state an average of once every ten years instead of eight times in one year, Meyers points out that climate change just hasn't become a major issue in this campaign.  When it does come up, it suffers from the effects of political polarization.  As The Week wrote earlier this month, Americans are more polarized over climate change than abortion, polls suggest.

Scientists are overwhelmingly convinced that climate change is real, largely caused by human activity, and a deeply serious problem. The American electorate, on the other hand, is deeply divided over the issue. That didn't use to be the case, The Associated Press reminds us, noting that two decades ago, the leading senator proposing action on global warming was a Republican (John McCain, but still). Then, sometime around 1997, when Vice President Al Gore helped negotiate the Kyoto Protocol — and George W. Bush withdrew the U.S. four years later — the Democrats and Republicans started to split, partisan views on climate change growing into a chasm after President Obama was elected and the Tea Party revolted.

Now, climate change is "more politically polarizing than abortion," Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, tells AP. "It's more politically polarizing than gay marriage." Citing surveys by Yale and George Mason University, Leiserowitz has some numbers: 17 percent (and growing) of Americans are alarmed by climate change and want action now, 28 percent are concerned and believe it is man-made but don't think the threat is imminent, 27 percent are cautious but on the fence, 11 percent are skeptical, 10 percent are vocally dismissive of the science and its conclusions, and the last 7 percent aren't paying attention.

Vox shows that partisan split over climate change developing during the past decade in Climate change: Yep, still happening.

Ten years after Al Gore's movie, the climate debate in the US has devolved into nonsense.

Since "An Inconvenient Truth" was released, the polarization has just gotten worse.  The Republicans were reasonable on the issue a decade ago; they're not now.  This is not news.  As I pointed out in Climate for the fifth year of Crazy Eddie's Motie News, when I discussed Republicans on climate change and energy at the CNBC debate, "as for the Republicans who were actually talking sense about climate, as much as their ideology would allow, none of them are still in the contest.  Why am I not surprised?"

Michigan's two smallest parties nominated candidates, too

Today, I go from one extreme to the other.  Yesterday, it posted Michigan's major parties nominated the ballot's final candidates on Saturday, which ended with "stay tuned for a final story about the minor party nominees for state and federal office followed by the final entry of the month."  Today, I pass along the news about Michigan’s newest political party, the Working Class Party.  From the Working Class Party's website, here are its candidates.

The new party has chosen its candidates for the 2016 elections: Gary Walkowicz for U.S. Congress, district 12; Sam Johnson for U.S. Congress, district 13; and Mary Anne Hering for the State Board of Education, which is a state-wide position.

The Working Class Party is the most far left (as opposed to far out--they're next) party on the ballot in Michigan.  They're not just Communist, they're Trotskyite.  Fortunately, I think they'll do very little harm to the other left parties in the districts where they are running; there are enough lefties to go around in the 12th, where the Greens are fielding a candidate, and there is no Green running in the 13th, so the Working Class Party has the disaffected far left all to itself.

Oddly enough, the Working Class Party could have endorsed a candidate for president and put them on the ballot, but they didn't.  Perhaps they'll vote for the candidates of the most far out party in Michigan, the Natural Law Party.  Follow over the jump for their candidates.

Michigan's major parties nominated the ballot's final candidates on Saturday

I hinted that I would continue my coverage of minor parties at the end of U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan candidates for 2016 when I wrote "This is also one of the few contests in which the Natural Law Party has nominated a candidate, but that's a story for another entry."  I'll keep that promise, but first I'm going to give the major parties their due.  WOOD-TV has video in advance of the story in Michigan parties picking Supreme Court, other nominees.

Democratic and Republican party activists are meeting to pick Supreme Court candidates and other nominees for the November ballot.

In case the woman speaking in the background at the Michigan Democratic Convention, it's Wendy Davis, who I featured in Today is primary day in Texas.  She may have lost the election for Governor of Texas, but she's still a celebrity in Democratic circles.

The stories from both MLive and the Detroit Free Press emphasized the presidential contest, which only applied to the weekend's conventions as far as choosing the Electors for the Electoral College.  Both papers buried the actual candidates on the ballot as well as their significance far down in the story.  I'll let the Free Press report that news.

The state Board of Education and the boards of the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University all are dominated by Democrats, and Republicans are hoping to eat into those majorities this election year.

Not very likely.  About the only way that will happen is if Schuette wins the state's appeal to permanently prohibit straight-ticket voting before the ballots are printed.  I doubt that will happen.

Toward that end, the Republican delegates nominated: former state Rep. Tom McMillin and Nicolette Snyder for the state Board of Education; [Ron] Weiser and [Carl] Meyer[s] for the U-M board; William Deary and Dan Kelly for the MSU Board of Trustees; Michael Busuito and Kim Shmina for the Wayne State Board of Governors and incumbent Supreme Court Justices David Viviano and Joan Larsen for the two open seats on the bench. Both judges were appointed by Snyder.

The Republicans have the state educational and university governing boards as their goal for this election.  The Democrats have their own.

[L]eaders told delegates that they need to get engaged so Democrats regain the majority in the state House of Representatives and cut into the GOP majority on the state Supreme Court.

These are the Democrats' nominees.

Democrats nominated: Wayne County Circuit Judges Deborah Thomas and Frank Szymanski for the state Supreme Court; incumbents Denise Ilitch and Laurence Deitch for the U-M board; former state Sen. Dianne Byrum and Diann Woodard for the MSU board; Mark Gaffney and Yvette Anderson for the Wayne State board, and incumbent John Austin and Ismael Ahmed for the state Board of Education.

I was thinking of going to the Democratic convention on Saturday, but after an hour in the dentist's chair, I decided I'd rather stay home and hope that I found the nominees satisfactory.  Since most of the nominees were incumbents and better qualified people than me vetted the nominees for State Supreme Court, I'm fine with the results and looking forward to voting for all the Democratic nominees in November.

Stay tuned for a final story about the minor party nominees for state and federal office followed by the final entry of the month.

'The Strain' vs. 'Fear the Walking Dead' from CNN and Vox

I concluded yesterday's U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan candidates for 2016 by telling my readers "Stay tuned for the Sunday entertainment entry, which is about the return of "The Strain."  It's the Vampire Apocalypse!"  I'm keeping that promise with CNN Money's 'The Strain' is more contagious than 'Fear the Walking Dead'.

Brian Lowry reviews FX's 'The Strain' and AMC's 'Fear the Walking Dead.'

For a print review, read 'Fear the Walking Dead,' 'The Strain' take similar concepts in different directions at CNN.com.

I shouldn't be surprised that CNN compared "The Strain" to "Fear the Walking Dead."  I did it last year in Vox on Sunday's zombies and vampires.  I even compared "The Strain" to "The Walking Dead" in Vox on vampires and zombies.  I'm just surprised that the review was so negative.  Then again, "Fear the Walking Dead," like "The Walking Dead," has aspirations of being a serious drama, while "The Strain" makes no pretentions about what it is, so it goes for action over introspection.  Last Sunday's "Fear the Walking Dead" did just the opposite, and I appreciated it.

Since the last two comparisions of the two franchises involved Vox, I'll repeat it this year.  Follow over the jump for the excerpt.

U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan candidates for 2016

Earlier this week, jalp5dai left this comment to Michigan Green candidates from the bottom of the ballot to the top.

The Bureau of Elections list is now "official" -- meaning that the Board of State Canvassers has certified the results of the August 2 primary. Pending recount petitions -- and the results of the Democratic and Republican state conventions this weekend (nominating education-board and state Supreme Court candidates), this is how it will be.

I acknowledged the comment gratefully.

Thanks for that news. I went over to the Secretary of State's candidate page and checked it out. I see the U.S. Taxpayers Party held its convention and nominated candidates. I'll write them up on Friday or Saturday. Tomorrow is the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, so that's the topic of the next post.

I was distracted yesterday by the shiny object of a possibly habitable planet around Proxima Centauri, so Saturday (today) it is.  From the party's own website, here is the list of 2016 US Taxpayer Party Candidates interspersed with my comments.

President of USA - Darrell Castle

Vice President of USA - Scott Bradley

This ticket will come in fifth, both nationally and in Michigan, but consistent with my prediction that 2016 will likely be a good year for minor party candidates, it is getting some attention.  In particular, Glenn Beck interviewed Castle this week.  Regardless of how loony I think Beck is normally, his paying attention to Castle strikes me as being at least ideologically consistent for him.  Beck is anti-Trump and an arch-conservative, so his possibly supporting Castle would be the logical choice for him.  It's not often I get to praise Beck for being logical.

Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominees.

Did we just discover Wunderland? No, Moiroi

Four years ago, I asked "Did we just discover Plateau?" in response to the discovery of a possibly habitable exoplanet around Tau Ceti.  Today, the question is "Did we just discover Wunderland?"  New Scientist has the story in Proxima b: an Earth-like planet on our cosmic doorstep.

We've found a planet orbiting in the habitable zone of our nearest star, Proxima Centauri, just 4.25 light years away. Here's what we know about it so far.

Nature has more in The exoplanet next door.

Astronomers have discovered evidence of a small, rocky planet orbiting our nearest star - and it may even be a bit like Earth. Nobody knows whether the planet, called Proxima b, could ever sustain life. The little planet orbits our sun's nearest neighbouring star, Proxima Centauri, making it the closest exoplanet ever found.

The answer is no, as Wunderland orbits Alpha Centauri, not Proxima Centauri.  It is, however, the next best thing, even if it is tidally locked.  That might make it a combination of We Made It and Jinx.

On the other hand, we might have discovered Moiroi from the game 2300 A.D.  According to Wkipedia's Alpha Centauri in Fiction article, it's the only habitable fictional planet with a proper name listed around Proxima Centauri.  The others are Proxima Centauri 3 from "Babylon 5," an unnamed planet in Stanislaw Lem's "The Megallanic Cloud," and another unnamed planet in "Spacecraft 2000-2100 AD."  Since they don't have names, Moiroi it is.

Happy 100th birthday, National Park Service!

Today is the 100th birthday of the National Park Service, a day close to my heart not only because of the many years I visited Yosemite during my youth but also because I was a Park Ranger at Channel Islands National Park 30 years ago.  I could go on, but someone expressed the importance of the U.S. National Park System better than I did, President Obama in his Weekly Address: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service.

In this week's address, President Obama commemorated the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service and encouraged Americans to "Find Your Park."

Another famous person celebrating today's anniversary is Bill Nye, who talks national parks, climate change, and the 2016 election with CBS.  He put all of those together in these two paragraphs.

We want to preserve our parks and the 100th anniversary is an appropriate time to remind everyone their significance and importance. You know, when you vote this November, you should vote to preserve our parks -- it’s another line item in the federal budget, another thing for the government to do. I want everybody to realize that once you “find your park,” you will find an appreciation for the importance of the parks.
...
You have to say to everybody: “vote.” I’m not telling you for whom to vote, but please take the environment into account when you vote...If the election goes to the candidate who is in favor of addressing climate change and preserving the environment it will move in one way, but if it goes the other way, it will be very difficult -- it will lower the quality of life for billions of people. Unite[d] States has to be a world leader when it comes to the environment.

Follow over the jump for two more examples of politics and the national parks.

Q-Line/M-1 Rail testing in preparation for 2017 opening

Literally every other day, I've been updating my readers on transportation projects here in metro Detroit that have a sustainability component.  On Saturday, I wrote about the first carpool lane in Michigan as part of I-75 upgrade.  Monday, I reported Regional Transit Millage on November ballot.  Today, it's Q-Line track in Detroit undergoing testing through the fall.  Take it away WXYZ!


The best news about this project comes from the Detroit News...

“Construction progress continues on schedule,” said Paul Childs, chief operating officer of the M-1 Rail. “Speeder tests will be ongoing over the next few weeks, eventually covering the full 6.6 mile track. It’s one of nearly 1,000 tests we’ll be going through over the course of the project.”

...and the Detroit Free Press.

Officials continue to shoot for early 2017 as the start of passenger operations on the line. M-1 Rail on Monday announced that the track installation is 83% complete, station construction 40% complete, traction power substations to provide power for the system is almost 40% complete, overhead catenary system is at 60%, with 85% of poles installed.

Here's to the Q-Line opening on time!

'The Martian' and 'Jessica Jones' win Hugo Awards

Today, I present a bonus entertainment entry, a follow up to Rabid Puppies infect 2016 Hugo nominees for movies and television.  From The Verge: Here are the winners of the 2016 Hugo Awards.

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

• The Martian screenplay by Drew Goddard, directed by Ridley Scott (Scott Free Productions; Kinberg Genre; TSG Entertainment; 20th Century Fox)
• Avengers: Age of Ultron written and directed by Joss Whedon (Marvel Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• Ex Machina written and directed by Alex Garland (Film4; DNA Films; Universal Pictures)
• Mad Max: Fury Road written by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, and Nico Lathouris, directed by George Miller (Village Roadshow Pictures; Kennedy Miller Mitchell; RatPac-Dune Entertainment; Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens written by Lawrence Kasdan, J. J. Abrams, and Michael Arndt, directed by J.J. Abrams (Lucasfilm Ltd.; Bad Robot Productions; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

• Jessica Jones: "AKA Smile" written by Scott Reynolds, Melissa Rosenberg, and Jamie King, directed by Michael Rymer (Marvel Television; ABC Studios; Tall Girls Productions; Netflix)
• Doctor Who: "Heaven Sent" written by Steven Moffat, directed by Rachel Talalay (BBC Television)
• Grimm: "Headache" written by Jim Kouf and David Greenwalt, directed by Jim Kouf (Universal Television; GK Productions; Hazy Mills Productions; Open 4 Business Productions; NBCUniversal Television Distribution)
• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: "The Cutie Map" Parts 1 and 2 written by Scott Sonneborn, M.A. Larson, and Meghan McCarthy, directed by Jayson Thiessen and Jim Miller (DHX Media / Vancouver; Hasbro Studios)
• Supernatural: "Just My Imagination" written by Jenny Klein, directed by Richard Speight Jr. (Kripke Enterprises; Wonderland Sound and Vision; Warner Bros. Television)

"The Martian" was, as We Hunted the Mammoth said, one of "two nominees who didn’t need [Vox Day's] help to win."  As Lorcan Nagle wrote in a comment, Day was "claiming he won because The Martian got best Dramatic Picture - Long Form and Andy Weir [who wrote the book the movie was based on] got the Campbell (even though Weir was kept off the Campbell shortlist last year by the Puppy campaigns)."  I quite agree with that assessment.  I thought "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was the favorite to win the Hugo, just as I did the Saturn Award for best Science Fiction movie (I was right about the Saturn Award, but I preferred "The Martian."  Therefore, I'm quite happy about the result.

As for "Jessica Jones," I'm not surprised or displeased, either.  It was the only television script nominated for a Nebula Award.

Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation Winner: Mad Max: Fury Road, Written by George Miller, Brendan McCarthy, Nick Lathouris

Other nominees:
Ex Machina, Written by Alex Garland
Inside Out, Screenplay by Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley; Original Story by Pete Docter, Ronnie del Carmen
Jessica Jones: AKA Smile, Teleplay by Scott Reynolds & Melissa Rosenberg; Story by Jamie King & Scott Reynolds
The Martian, Screenplay by Drew Goddard
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Written by Lawrence Kasdan & J.J. Abrams and Michael Arndt

The writers preferred "Mad Max: Fury Road," which also would have been a suitable choice, even if it wasn't mine.  For what it's worth, it came in second in the Hugo voting results, while "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" ended up in third.  I guess the literary crowd preferred a movie based on a book.  I can't say I blame them.

Speaking of the voting results, at least this time "Grimm" didn't lose out to "No Award," although "Supernatural" did.  Speaking of which, there were two categories in which no award was given out, Best Related Work and Best Fancast.  The voters decided that none of the nominees produced by the Sad Puppies and Rabid Puppies slates were acceptable.  Good for them.  Maybe next year, a non-slate candidate will get on the ballot and win.

Regional Transit Millage on November ballot

As I foreshadowed in First carpool lane in Michigan as part of I-75 upgrade, the ballot measure to fund increased regional mass transit that I mentioned at the end of Clawson 4th of July Parade will be on the ballot.

On the bus ride back to the start of the parade, I ran into advocates for the Regional rapid transit plan for Metro Detroit.  The taxes to support the plan will likely be on the November ballot.  Look for me to cover that issue at least once this fall.

The Detroit Metro Times has the story in Welp, it's official: this November you can vote on regional transportation.

On Tuesday clerks of Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties accepted the controversial proposal to fund the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan’s (RTA) Regional Master Transit Plan. This acceptance — which came at the eleventh hour — means voters can now hit the polls this November and weigh in on a plan that aims to tackle many of the region's unaddressed transit issues.

"This is the opportunity Southeast Michigan residents have been waiting for – the opportunity to finally connect Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties," Kelly Rossman-McKinney, a spokesperson for A Coalition for Transit (ACT) said in a statement Tuesday.

The Detroit Free Press has the ballot language in Counties approve regional transit millage language.

A Proposal Authorizing the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan (RTA) to Levy an Assessment

The proposal would authorize the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan (RTA) to levy within Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties a property tax assessment:

• at a rate of 1.2 mills ($1.20 per $1,000 of taxable value);
• for 20 years beginning in 2016 and ending in 2035;
• that may not be increased, renewed, or used for other purposes without direct voter approval; and
• to be used upon the affirmative vote of an RTA board member from each RTA member jurisdiction for the purpose of construction and operation of a public transportation system connecting Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties, including rapid transit bus routes across county lines, specialized service for senior citizens and people with disabilities, commuter rail, airport express service, and other public transportation purposes permitted by law, consistent with RTA bylaws and subject to the limitations of the Regional Transit Authority Act.

If this new additional assessment is approved and levied, revenue will be disbursed to the RTA. It is estimated that $160,907,285 will be collected in the first year. Should this assessment be approved?

Tom Watkins, President and CEO of the Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority, wasted no time endorsing the millage.  Two days after the measure was put on the ballot he wrote OPINION: Get metro area moving: Vote 'yes' on public transit in The Press&Guide of Dearborn.

Every elected official, civic, business, labor and religious leader should be promoting a "yes" vote on Nov. 8 to move Michigan forward by building a much-needed regional transit system.

An investment in mobility in the four-county region (Wayne, Macomb, Oakland and Washtenaw plus the City of Detroit) is an investment in our collective future. The region’s leaders have put forth a proposal to raise tax dollars for a sensible regional transit initiative. It is truly a positive step to see the leadership of Southeast Michigan come together to jump start our region.
...
This is an opportunity to vote your self-interest and help Michigan catch up with the rest of world by providing a viable public transit system.

Vote YES on Nov. 8.

Help drive our region boldly into the future.

I couldn't have said it any better myself.  May this ballot measure be as successful as Renew for the Zoo, which was renewed overwhelmingly.