What Caught My Eye Today

I'm still playing a bit of catch up from this past weekend, so these first couple of items are a bit dated. What can I say, there is way too much stuff going on in the world.

Climate Change - The U.N. climate change conference ended in Bali Saturday with a last-minute deal that sets the terms of a "roadmap" for a new climate change treaty. The talks were described as emotional, with discontent directed toward U.S. objections to specific emissions caps. The Bush administration refused to accept a plan backed by Europe and many other countries calling for all industrialized nations to cut their own greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2020. Under the Bali road map deal, the delegates essentially agreed to negotiate a treaty by 2009. The agreement says significant cuts in emissions will be required of industrialized countries, but does not specify the size of those cuts or whether they will be mandatory. Well there you have it. Two weeks of posturing and finger pointed culminating with an 11th hour agreement on a roadmap that includes no accountability. I suppose it is better than nothing. And if you are big on U.S. nationalism, it certainly looks like we got everything we wanted. I'm not sure that bodes well for the planet, but that's another discussion altogether.

Russia - Russia started delivering nuclear fuel to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant this week as part of a compromise effort to alleviate concerns over Iran's nuclear intentions while supporting Iran's right to a nuclear energy program. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Iran had provided additional written guarantees that the fuel can only be used at and for the Bushehr plant, and that the spent fuel will be returned to Russia for utilization and storage. The United States supports the Russian plan to enrich uranium on its soil, which is a compromise effort to alleviate Washington's concerns over Iran's nuclear intentions and Russia's support for Iran's right to a nuclear energy program. President Bush said he voiced his support for the program in a phone call to President Vladimir Putin earlier this month. "One of the interesting tactical decisions that Russia has made -- that the United States supports -- is the notion that Iran has a sovereign right to have a civilian nuclear power program," Bush said. Maybe it's just me, but it kind of sounds like Bush is flip-flopping on this whole Iranian nuclear program. Wasn't it just last week that Bush said Iran was still dangerous and that it needed to explain why it had a nuclear weapons program in the first place? Now, he's cool with Russia shipping nuclear fuel to Iran. Don't get me wrong. This all seems legitimate and appears to make sense for all parties concerned. All I'm saying is that its getting a little hard to keep track of Bush's position on these things.

Alright then, back to the events of the day...

Turkey - U.S. military commanders in Iraq didn't know Turkey was sending warplanes to bomb in northern Iraq until the planes had already crossed the border, said defense and diplomatic officials, who were angered about being left in the dark. Americans have been providing Turkey with intelligence to go after Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. And a "coordination center" has been set up in Ankara so Turks, Iraqis and Americans can share information. Yeah, right. We gave them all the intelligence on who and where to strike, but we knew nothing about the actual airstrike. Please let this be a case where the military just isn't very good at coming up with a reasonable lie, as opposed to being completely stupid.

Meanwhile...

Turkey sent approximately 300 troops across the border into the frigid mountains of northern Iraq today, claiming it inflicted heavy losses on Turkish Kurd rebels in the small-scale incursion and from the air strikes two days earlier. In its statement, the Turkish military said ground forces based close to the border crossed "a few kilometers" into northern Iraq after spotting a group of rebels trying to infiltrate into Turkey overnight. Rumor has it that this was pretty much a publicity stunt staged by the Turkish government to show its people that it has the capability to take on the PKK anytime it wants. A tad extreme if you ask me, but most publicity stunts usually are.

U.S. Nuclear Arsenal - President Bush has approved "a significant reduction" in the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, cutting it to less than one-quarter its size at the end of the Cold War. The Energy Department also announced plans to consolidate the nuclear weapons complex that maintains warheads and dismantle those no longer needed, saying the current facilities need to be made more efficient and more easily secured and that the larger complex is no longer needed. The government will not provide any numbers on the overall size of the nuclear stockpile, but there are believed to be nearly 6,000 warheads that either are deployed or in reserve. Separately, under terms of a 2002 arms control treaty with Russia, the U.S. is committed to reducing the number of deployed warheads to between 1,700 and 2,200 by 2012. Three years ago, Bush said he wanted the overall stockpile reduced to half by 2012, but officials said that goal now has been reached so further reductions are being made. A couple of thoughts on this story. First, anytime someone reduces the number of nuclear weapons in the world, I say that's something to cheer about. Second, while this is good news to be sure, let's not forget that we'll still be able to blow up the planet several times over with the nuclear bombs that remain. Third, and most shocking of all, did I read correctly that the U.S. government actually managed to finish something ahead of schedule? I never thought I would live to see that day.

And in keeping with that theme for just a moment longer...

Fuel Economy - Congress by a wide margin approved the first increase in automobile fuel economy in 32 years and President Bush plans to quickly sign the legislation, accepting the mandates on the auto industry. The energy bill, boosting mileage by 40 percent to 35 miles per gallon, passed the House 314-100 and now goes to the White House. The centerpiece of the bill is the requirement for automakers to increase their industrywide vehicle fuel efficiency by 40 percent to an industry average of 35 mpg by 2020 compared to today's 25 mpg when including passenger cars as well as SUVs and small trucks. Congress has not changed the auto mileage requirement since it was first enacted in 1975. Seriously, don't be surprised if you look outside your window and see pigs flying. Admittedly, 32 years is a long time to wait to increase fuel economy standards, but rarer still is the fact that Congress and the President seem in step on this.

Jamie Lynn Spears - Like sister, like sister, especially when it comes to the Spears clan... Another Spears baby is reportedly on the way — and it's not Britney's. Jamie Lynn Spears, the 16-year-old "Zoey 101" star and sister of Britney, announced that she's pregnant and that the father is her longtime boyfriend, Casey Aldridge. Spears is 12 weeks along and initially kept the news to herself when she learned of the pregnancy from an at-home test and subsequent doctor visit. "It was a shock for both of us, so unexpected," she says. "I was in complete and total shock and so was he." Just out of curiosity, Ms. Spears, you do know that he had to be wearing the condom for it to actually work, right? So you 16 and expecting your first child, huh? Boy, your parents must be gushing with pride. Seeing as your older sister has been the posterchild for good parenting, who could blame them.