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
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/70620010/1001
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/doc46787fc5733b3169662320.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/doc467857da02061134836690.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/doc4674a75e7bdd0605557258.txt
Sioux City Journal: 'Officials offer reward in dead pig dumping'
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/06/20/news/latest_news/059194b6bc330fcf86257300006165ec.txt
Sioux City Journal(AP): 'Thune pushes wind energy incentives'
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2007/06/20/news/south_dakota/0a653721b81aca378625730000106d1d.txt
Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier: Lake near Waverly supports toxic algae
http://wcfcourier.com/articles/2007/06/20/news/regional/9c90b243f0311765862573000041c989.txt
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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/AR2007061902193.html
Washington Post Editorial: 'Strong CAFE needed' - Mikulski is key
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/19/AR2007061901957.html
Washington Post Letter: 'A Coal-Based Fuel Solution' - from mining ass...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/19/AR2007061901949.html
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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
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