I agree with your comments about finding broader arguments. I think it is also good to include opposite points of view. We need to be aware of what other people think. Even though sometimes as we read about the opposite side, we have to hold our noses. I was at a National Sierra Club lobbying activity in Washington, DC several years ago. The speaker asked us (about 60 people) to raise our hands if we watched Nascar, if we regularly went to or watch professional football games, and the like. No one (or very few) raised their hands. Then he asked us if we watched public television regularly, if we listened to public radio regularly, if we read newspapers regularly, if we read books, and other related questions. For most of those things, most of the group raised their hands. Then the speaker said, "You folks are in the minority". That really opened a lot of our eyes. As Sierra Club members, we like to believe that we are right on our issues. But there is a whole world out there that does not necessarily follow us. Knowing the opposition will help us better form our arguments, so we can win others to our side. Pam In a message dated 6/21/2007 2:41:23 AM Central Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: Hi everyone. I'm unsure how much of my own opinion is appropriate - but I'll interject this into the clips once, and check everyone's feedback. I believe very strongly (and maybe even more so after a very productive debate with super-organizer Mark Kresowik) that we need to always look to be proactive; to not only be ready to respond but to find broader arguments that will advance our point of view. With that in mind, I try to include opposite points of view; and would really encourage everyone to think about and then respond to those arguments. This is an email list to keep everyone up to date and aware, so please let me know what I can do to make it more useful for you. IA Energy/Environment/Politics News for Wednesday, June 20 Ames Tribune: New busing, public transit study and proposals http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=18498798&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept _id=554432&rfi=6 Cedar Rapids Gazette: 'Highway 100 extension finds favor with public' http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070618/NEWS/70618047 /1006/NEWS Council Bluffs Nonpareil: 'Economists: Google Good' - for Omaha? Energy.. http://www.nonpareilonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18497895&BRD=2703&PAG=461& dept_id=555106&rfi=6 Des Moines Register: Pheasant harvest down again - CRP, below http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070620/NEWS/7062 0010/1001 Des Moines Register: 'Ethanol tariff survives Senate vote' http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770620041 Des Moines Register: 'Big Projects use, stir a lot of energy' - Google http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007706200380 Dubuque Telegraph Herald: 'Senate advances $29B in taxes on oil' http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=162895 Mason City Globe-Gazette: 'IA Debates Filling Up' - and more from caucus http://www.nonpareilonline.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18497895&BRD=2703&PAG=461& dept_id=555106&rfi=6 Mason City Globe-Gazette Opinion: 'at war with sense on energy' - VERY bad... anyone like to respond? http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2007/06/20/opinion/doc46787fc5733b3169662 320.txt Quad City Times: 'Two special walks in one day' - how do we captivate others?? http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/06/20/opinion/letters/doc467857da02061134 836690.txt Quad City Letter: 'Take a critical look at electrics' - missed junk.. but, let's be proactive. http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2007/06/18/opinion/letters/doc4674a75e7bdd0605 557258.txt Sioux City Journal: 'Officials offer reward in dead pig dumping' http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/06/20/news/latest_news/059194b6b c330fcf86257300006165ec.txt Sioux City Journal(AP): 'Thune pushes wind energy incentives' http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/06/20/news/south_dakota/0a653721 b81aca378625730000106d1d.txt Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier: Lake near Waverly supports toxic algae http://wcfcourier.com/articles/2007/06/20/news/regional/9c90b243f0311765862573 000041c989.txt -- Akron Beacon-Journal Editorial: 'Energy Showdown' CAFE, climate - good http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/editorial/17393334.htm MSNBC: 'Professional noses sniff out pollution in China' http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19331274/ NY Times(AP): 'Global investments in renewables up' http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/world/AP-Renewable-Energy.html NY Times(REUTERS): 'China overtakes US as top CO2 emitter' - very interesting http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-climate-china.html Washington Post: 'A Slow Demise in the Delta' - Farm subsidy inequities http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/19/AR200706190219 3.html Washington Post Editorial: 'Strong CAFE needed' - Mikulski is key http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/19/AR200706190195 7.html Washington Post Letter: 'A Coal-Based Fuel Solution' - from mining ass... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/19/AR200706190194 9.html -- IA pheasant harvest down for third year in a row REGISTER STAFF REPORTS June 20, 2007 The pheasant harvest in Iowa was down by nearly 60,000 birds and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is blaming the decline on a loss of habitat. It was the third year in a row that the harvest was below one million birds — fewer than 750,000. Only 118,000 hunters pursued rooster pheasants last fall, compared to 200,000 a decade ago, the state agency said in a news release. It said the movement of Conservation Reserve Program lands back into crop production has caused a loss in winter cover and spring nesting habitat. While the 2006-2007 numbers were down from the 2005 pheasant harvest season, officials said Iowa remains a premier pheasant hunting spot, attracting hunters from 43 states. The state agency said the partridge and cottontail rabbit harvests also decreased, both by more than 25 percent from 2005. The quail harvest, on the other hand, rebounded to more than 75,000, a 16 percent increase from the previous year. Andrew Snow Regional Representative Sierra Club 603.361.0218 [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp