Top 10 Gay Stories of 2007

A lot of progress was made in 2007 in the United States – not through big gains, but through small important steps. Here's a quick look at the stories that topped 2007.

1. Presidential Candidates Take Gay Concerns Seriously Gays and lesbians became major players in the Democratic primary race in 2007, with all of the candidates racing to assure us that they would (mostly) support our battle for civil rights.

LOGO and HRC made history by hosting a presidential debate for the Democratic candidates in which Richardson flubbed a question about choice, Kucinich rhapsodized about love and Melissa Etheridge impressed all of us with her wise questions.

2. ENDA Who could have predicted that a gay bill that seemed likely to pass would tear our community apart? The Employment Non-Discrimination Act that was put before the House of Representatives in September (and which passed Congress 235-184) did not include transgender protections – a bill introduced in April but not yet voted on, does.

HRC entered into a tug of war with transgender and other gay and lesbian organizations, debating two important values: incrementalism ( i.e., winning in small steps) vs. full inclusion. It's still not clear which value has won – and it won't be for some time yet.

3. Gay Unions Move Forward Advances were made in gay marriage and unions on many fronts this year.

Washington state recognized domestic partnerships, Oregon and New Hampshire said they would recognize civil unions beginning in 2008 and New Jersey began to recognize civil unions (which caused a mess, when companies were unsure about whether they were obligated to treat civil unions as marriages.).

Iowa had gay marriage for one day thanks to a ruling that preventing them was unconstitutional. The resumption of gay marriage there waits on an appeal. New York agreed to recognize gay marriages performed legally in other jurisdictions, and a Vermont panel came close to wrapping up discussion on whether civil unions there be converted to marriage. And Massachusetts voted to keep marriage equality.

On the other hand, Calif. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a same-sex marriage bill and the Maryland Supreme Court upheld a gay marriage ban.

4. AIDS Numbers Were Overstated The United Nations announced that it had overstated the size of the AIDS epidemic – new infections have dropped every year since their peak in the late 1990s. So, instead of 39.5 million infected worldwide, we are left with – 33.2 million. Still seems like an awfully big number.

5. Public Opinion Turns For Us – Kind of A survey in June announced that for the first time, a majority of Americans believe that sexual orientation cannot be changed. Unfortunately, in a separate poll, a similar majority declared themselves to be against gay marriage.

Gay unions though? Americans are for them, by 56 percent.

This sort of thing could give a girl whiplash. They're for us! They're against us! They're for us!

6. The Matthew Shepard Act Rises – and then Tanks What looked hopeful turned into a crushing defeat, when Congress dropped the Matthew Shepard Act in December. The hate crimes bill passed the House in April, and the Senate in September, where it was attached to a defense bill. But it got tied up in the committee that harmonizes the House and Senate versions, and when it became clear that the defense bill wouldn't pass with the Shepard Act attached, Congress dropped it. The bill would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to a list of hate crimes.

7. Don't Ask, Don't Tell Moves Toward Retirement Despite Gen. Peter Pace's declaration that "gays are immoral," more and more military officers and legislative leaders in 2007 called for the end of the ban, including Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff when the ban was enacted. In November, 28 other retired generals called for an end to the ban in a letter in the New York Times, saying, that gay servicemembers have served their country honorably. SLDN estimates that 65,000 gay men and lesbians now serve in the American armed forces and that there are more than one million gay veterans.

8. FDA Renews Gay Blood Ban The FDA announced that they would keep the ban forbidding any man who has ever had sex with a man from giving blood.

The American Red Cross, the American Association of Blood Banks and America's Blood Centers all testified last year that the ban "is medically and scientifically unwarranted" and that "it does not appear rational to broadly differentiate sexual transmission via male-to-male sexual activity from that via heterosexual activity on scientific grounds." Yet the Bush Administration chose to keep it. Surprise, surprise.

9. Scandals and Controversies
The biggest gay scandal of 2007 was of course Larry Craig's unfortunately wide stance in an airport restroom. But that wasn't the only gay bathroom scandal among Republican leaders.

Rep. Bob Allen offered $20 to a cop for oral sex in the bathroom of a park and Louisiana state senate candidate Joey Difatta was caught in a sting in a mall restroom.Other scandals? GOP state chair Donald Fleischman was accused of seducing and fondling a teenage boy, Washington state Sen. Richard Curtis supposedly hired a rent boy and former head of the Young Republican National Federation Glenn Murphy was called out for allegedly forcing sex on another man.

This year had its share of gay-centered controversies, too. Let's not forget Ann Coulter calling John Edwards a "fag," Isaiah Washington using the "f" word to refer to fellow Grey's Anatomy actor T.R. Knight (who came out during the controversy) and basketball star Tim Hardaway saying that he "hates gay people." He has since apologized.

10. Kicking Down the Closet Door Happily, a number of gay folks came out this year, directly or indirectly, including T. R. Knight, David Hyde Pierce, Jodie Foster, Neil Patrick Harris and Lance Bass. Every time a celeb comes out, it makes every gay person's life easier.

In short, 2007 was a good year. Let's hope that 2008 has even more successes – and fewer scandals.

Christmas with Adrian in Florida

Adrian is now one year old. Time to celebrate Christmas. Ro's parents were visiting for a month.

GMCLA: HoLidAys Concert

The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles presents the Holidays LA concert at the Alex Theatre.



The music of the concert represents the diversity of Los Angeles and the chorus sings in six different languages throughout the concert.


The 'whores de flores' ballet. On point. Sean is the prince.

Yuki - with the chorus signing in Japanese.

Santa gets a make over.

The concert is over.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

WWF - No George Bush

peace in the world

“Since 1945 there have been only 26 days of peace in the world.”

Schwarzenegger: California will sue federal government

“It's another example of the administration's failure to treat global warming with the seriousness that it actually demands.”

California Gov. ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, who plans to sue the federal government over its decision not to approve the state's strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to sue the federal government over its decision not to allow a California plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he announced Thursday.

Environmental Protection Agency chief Stephen Johnson announced the decision Wednesday, refusing the state's request for a waiver that would have allowed it to cut emissions faster than a new federal plan the president signed into law Wednesday. "It's another example of the administration's failure to treat global warming with the seriousness that it actually demands," the governor said at a news conference Thursday.

Bush on Thursday defended the decision of his EPA administrator. "Is it more effective to let each state make a decision as to how to proceed in curbing greenhouse gases? Or is it more effective to have a national strategy?" he said.

Citing the new energy law -- which sets a fuel economy standard for the whole country -- Bush said Johnson "made a decision based upon the fact that we passed a piece of legislation that enables us to have a national strategy." But Schwarzenegger said he would like to set a higher standard for California. "Anything less than aggressive action on the greatest environmental threat of all time is inexcusable," he said.

The new federal law will increase fuel efficiency standards by 40 percent by 2020, requiring automakers to bring their fleets to an average of 35 miles per gallon.

The California plan, however, would cut emissions by nearly 30 percent by 2016, raising fuel efficiency standards in the state to 43.7 miles per gallon for passenger cars and some SUVs and trucks, while larger vehicles would need to reach 26.9 mpg by that year. In all, 16 states had either adopted California's tough standards or announced plans to do so.

A top aide to Schwarzenegger said the governor has been frustrated with the White House over emissions standards, and was very exasperated after a February meeting with Johnson. EPA officials say they went the extra mile with Schwarzenegger, even taking the unusual step of holding a second hearing in California on emissions. They say they're sorry he's upset, but they believe a national standard on emissions is going to be more effective.

A White House official would only react to Schwarzenegger's frustration by saying the administration "looks forward to working with him on a variety of issues."

Nepal High Court Issues Landmark Gay Ruling

In a landmark verdict aimed at legitimizing homosexuality, Nepal's top court ruled Friday that the government must create new laws to protect gay rights and change current ones that might be tantamount to discrimination, an official said.

The Supreme Court issued the order in this conservative Himalayan kingdom after hearing a petition filed by four gay activist groups seeking greater rights for homosexuals, said court spokesman Til Prasad Shrestha. Shrestha indicated it is up to the government to determine how the ruling should be implemented. It was not immediately clear whether the ruling overturns current laws banning homosexuality or whether the government would be compelled to recognize same-sex marriages.

Sunil Pant of the Blue Diamond Society, the country's main gay rights group, said it was a bold decision by the highest court in Nepal, where homosexuals frequently face harassment, including by police. "It was an extremely positive decision and a pleasant surprise for us. It would set a precedent for other conservative countries like Nepal," Pant told The Associated Press.

WWF - global cooling

Wave Farming for Power is Going Commercial in California

California's Pacific Gas & Electric has signed an agreement with Finavera Renewables to supply 2 megawatts of electricity that will be generated by a “wave farm” set 2.5 miles off the coast near Humboldt County. This move is expected to offset 245 tons of carbon dioxide annually. At the heart of the project will be Finavera's AquaBuoy —a fairly simple set involving a floating buoy that generates electricity by bobbing up and down, forcing a piston to drive seawater into a pressurized chamber. The pressure then cranks a turbine.

A full-scale buoy is capable of generating enough electricity to power 80 homes. In PGEs setup, 8 buoys will be used in total. If the project succeeds, the wave farm will be expanded to 100 megawatts

[Portugal already has a huge wave farm and England is installing one.]

Rome rejects civil register under Vatican pressure

The city council in Rome has blocked plans for a domestic partners register for same-sex and heterosexual couples. The Vatican, which is an independent state within Italy as well as the seat of the Roman Catholic church, had vehemently opposed the measure.

Rightwing groups on the council rejected the modest proposal, whereby couples could have signed a register at the city clerk's office. They would then have been entitled to rights to visit their partner in hospital, family rates at city-run leisure centres and other benefits in the control of the council.

In December 2006 Padua city council outraged the Vatican by allowing gay and lesbian couples to register their family.

[Okay, okay… what would Jesus do? Maybe something more like Uruguay and Hungary!]


Uruguayan Pres. To Sign Gay Unions Bill

Uruguay President Tabare Vazquez said Wednesday that he will sign legislation making the country the first in Latin America to allow civil unions. The final version of the bill passed Congress on Tuesday. Initial drafts of the legislation passed the Senate earlier this year and the lower house last month. The law will allow same and opposite-sex couples to form civil unions. Couples must have been together for at least five years and sign a registry. They would then receive pension, inheritance and parenting rights.

Hungary Legalizes Civil Partnerships

Hungary's parliament voted 185–154 (with nine abstentions) Monday to pass a law allowing same-sex couples to register their civil partnerships. Registered couples will have access to the same rights as married straight couples with respect to inheritance, taxes, and other financial matters, Reuters reported. They will not, however, be allowed to adopt children. The law is slated to take effect in January 2009.

While none of the former communist states allow same-sex marriage, the Czech Republic and Slovenia allow same-sex partnerships to be registered.

Semen Enzyme Speeds HIV Transmission

An enzyme in human semen may be a catalyst to help HIV infect cells, German researchers announced Thursday.

The enzyme, prostatic acidic phosphatase, or PAP, is produced in the prostate and can form fibers that are able to capture particles of HIV, delivering it to other cells, Reuters reports. University Clinic of Ulm researchers were analyzing ingredients in semen that could block infection with HIV-1, the most common strain of the virus. Instead, they found the enzyme, which enhanced transmission as much as 50-fold in some experiments. They are now looking for compounds to block this process and slow transmission of the virus.

The fibers, amyloid fibrils, are formed from different proteins that are associated with other diseases like Alzheimer's and prion disease, according to the article. "Further studies on the role of amyloids in the transmission and pathogenesis of enveloped viruses are highly warranted," they wrote in the journal Cell.

‘Popcorn lung’ chemical gone from most recipes

The nation’s four biggest makers of microwave popcorn have removed a flavoring chemical that has been linked to a lung ailment in popcorn plant workers from nearly all their products. The companies say all their microwave popcorn recipes should be changed by January. But it might take several months for the reformulated popcorn to replace all the older varieties on store shelves.

In August, the Weaver Popcorn Company of Indianapolis announced it had removed the butter flavor diacetyl from all its microwave popcorn varieties. ConAgra Foods Inc., of Omaha, General Mills Inc., of Golden Valley, Minn., and the American Pop Corn Co., of Sioux City, Iowa, all promised in September to change their microwave popcorn recipes. Those three companies sell Orville Redenbacher, Act II, Pop Secret and Jolly Time microwave popcorn.

“We want to assure our consumers they can continue to enjoy their favorite popcorn with complete confidence,” said ConAgra’s Stan Jacot, who oversees popcorn marketing for the company.

The chemical diacetyl has been linked to cases of bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare life-threatening disease often called popcorn lung. Diacetyl occurs naturally in foods such as butter, cheese and fruits, and the FDA has approved its use as a flavor ingredient.

[Sean and I were talking about this last night... when he was sniffing the popcorn bag. He didn't believe me. Then, today, there is an article on MSNBC about it.]

Singing in the Holiday Spirit

Annual Christmas show by the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles draws hundreds of music lovers to the Alex Theatre.

Fans of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles packed the Alex Theatre on Sunday for their annual Christmas concert, "Holidays L.A." that included a combination of traditional and contemporary choral music and dancing. Wearing red ties and boutonnieres on their coats, members of the chorus performed to a full house. Unconventional renditions of holiday favorites were a hit with the audience.

One of the musical numbers that rendered a response from the crowd was Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers," from Swan Lake. Tutu-clad male ballerinas in tights took to the stage and danced asflowers in the spotlight while a dancer dressed as a prince, made an appearance.

The number wasn't without humor. As the prince came on stage, the flowers pretended to dislike his presence but he did the best he could to impress them with his silly dancing. Laughter and applause broke out from the crowd as the prince stumbled and fell at the feet of the dancing flowers.

During the intermission, concert-goers awaited the second act of the show. "They just keep getting better and better," Richard Altman, a Los Angeles resident, said.

"They are comical and fun." Other attendees, including William and Marguerite Barnes, of Moorpark, were impressed with the talent they saw on stage. "They're wonderful and this is not the first time I've seen them," Marguerite Barnes said. William Barnes appreciated the comedy. "'The Waltz of the Flowers' was hilarious," he said. "It added to the merriment of the music."

On Sunday, some of the youngest concert-goers came to hear the Gay Men's Chorus. Eduardo Santiago and his 3-year-old niece Olivia attended the concert. Olivia liked the flower ballerinas. "It's their best one yet," Santiago said. [Olivia] has been here three times. It puts us in the holiday spirit."

ARCHBISHOP DESMOND TUTU TO APOLOGIZE FOR ANTI-GAY PERSECUTION

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who has been vocal of late in his criticism of the Anglican church and its homophobic policies towards gays for the way that the church has treated gay people in the past.

Said Tutu: "I want to apologize to you and to all those who we in the church have persecuted. I’m sorry that we have been part of the persecution of a particular group. For me that is quite un-Christ like and, for that reason, it is unacceptable. May be even as a retired Archbishop I probably have, to some extent, a kind of authority but apart from anything let me say for myself and anyone who might want to align themselves with me, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the hurt, for the rejection, for the anguish that we have caused to such as yourselves."

Tutu recently called the church “extraordinarily homophobic” and "obsessed with questions of human sexuality" and continues to blast it over its rift with the Episcopal branch.

Corn boom could expand ‘dead zone’ in Gulf

Farmers say crop too profitable to stop, despite problems downstream

A truck driver unloads his cargo of corn into a chute at the Lincolnway Energy plant in the town of Nevada, Iowa, on Dec. 6. The company is one of a growing number across Iowa and the United States that convert corn to ethanol fuel as an alternative to oil.

Because of rising demand for ethanol, American farmers are growing more corn than at any time since World War II. And sea life in the Gulf of Mexico is paying the price.

The nation's corn crop is fertilized with millions of pounds of nitrogen-based fertilizer. And when that nitrogen runs off fields in Corn Belt states, it makes its way to the Mississippi River and eventually pours into the Gulf, where it contributes to a growing "dead zone" — a 7,900-square-mile patch so depleted of oxygen that fish, crabs and shrimp suffocate.

The dead zone was discovered in 1985 and has grown fairly steadily since then, forcing fishermen to venture farther and farther out to sea to find their catch. For decades, fertilizer has been considered the prime cause of the lifeless spot.

The dead zone typically begins in the spring and persists into the summer. Its size and location vary each year because of currents, weather and other factors, but it is generally near the mouth of the Mississippi.

This year, it is the third-biggest on record. It was larger in 2002 and 2001, when it covered 8,500 and 8,006 square miles respectively.

Divided We Fail

Anglican Church Head Excludes Gay Bishop

Archbishop of Canterbury Won't Change Decision Not to Invite Gay Bishop to Anglican Summit

The archbishop of Canterbury said Friday he will not reverse his decision to exclude a gay U.S. bishop from joining other bishops at a global Anglican gathering next year.

Archbishop Rowan Williams' office said he had also not changed his mind about refusing an invitation to Martyn Minns, a traditionalist U.S. priest who was consecrated as a bishop in the Church of Nigeria.

Williams said he has also recruited professional help in trying to reach greater understanding between the U.S. Episcopal Church and its critics both at home and abroad. Williams' office was unable to say immediately whether any invitations had been extended or accepted.
In his Advent message to leaders of Anglican national churches, Williams said Episcopal Church pledges of a moratorium on confirming any more gay bishops or on approving blessings of homosexual unions have not been accepted by all parts of the communion.

"Given the differences in response to the Episcopal Church revealed in the responses of the primates, we simply cannot pretend that there is now a ready-made consensus on the future of relationships between (the Episcopal Church) and other provinces," Williams said. "Much work remains to be done."

Statements by individual U.S. bishops that seemed to deviate from the declarations the bishops agreed to in New Orleans in September have complicated the situation, the archbishop said.

Williams also had stern words for Anglican leaders who have threatened not to attend the Lambeth Conference, held every 10 years and scheduled to start in July in Canterbury.
The head of the Church of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, has threatened to boycott the session because Williams also refused an invitation to Minns. "I have said that the refusal to meet can be a refusal of the cross and so of the Resurrection," Williams said.

"We are being asked to see our handling of conflict and potential division as part of our maturing both as pastors and as disciples. I do not think this is either an incidental matter or an evasion of more basic questions."

In Stand for Marriage Equality, Some Churches Cut Out Civil Wedding Ceremonies

It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, you can't get legally married at Lyndale United Church of Christ.

The small, liberal church in south Minneapolis was the first of several Twin Cities congregations last year to stop performing civil marriage ceremonies as long as same-sex marriage is illegal. These churches, and a handful of others around the country that took the same step, will still hold a religious ceremony to bless the unions of straight and gay couples -- but straight couples must go separately to a judge or justice of the peace for the marriage license.

''If you feel that gay and lesbian people are loved and credited by God, then how can we continue to discriminate against our brothers and sisters?'' asked Rev. Don Portwood, the reserved Nebraska native who's been lead pastor at the 120-member Lyndale United Church of Christ for 27 years.

Anglican Church Head Excludes Gay Bishop

Archbishop of Canterbury Won't Change Decision Not to Invite Gay Bishop to Anglican Summit

The archbishop of Canterbury said Friday he will not reverse his decision to exclude a gay U.S. bishop from joining other bishops at a global Anglican gathering next year.

Archbishop Rowan Williams' office said he had also not changed his mind about refusing an invitation to Martyn Minns, a traditionalist U.S. priest who was consecrated as a bishop in the Church of Nigeria.

Williams said he has also recruited professional help in trying to reach greater understanding between the U.S. Episcopal Church and its critics both at home and abroad. Williams' office was unable to say immediately whether any invitations had been extended or accepted.
In his Advent message to leaders of Anglican national churches, Williams said Episcopal Church pledges of a moratorium on confirming any more gay bishops or on approving blessings of homosexual unions have not been accepted by all parts of the communion.

"Given the differences in response to the Episcopal Church revealed in the responses of the primates, we simply cannot pretend that there is now a ready-made consensus on the future of relationships between (the Episcopal Church) and other provinces," Williams said. "Much work remains to be done."

Statements by individual U.S. bishops that seemed to deviate from the declarations the bishops agreed to in New Orleans in September have complicated the situation, the archbishop said.

Williams also had stern words for Anglican leaders who have threatened not to attend the Lambeth Conference, held every 10 years and scheduled to start in July in Canterbury.
The head of the Church of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, has threatened to boycott the session because Williams also refused an invitation to Minns. "I have said that the refusal to meet can be a refusal of the cross and so of the Resurrection," Williams said.

"We are being asked to see our handling of conflict and potential division as part of our maturing both as pastors and as disciples. I do not think this is either an incidental matter or an evasion of more basic questions."

BUSH SECRET SHREDDING SOARS

HELL BENT ON DESTRUCTION
Shredding contracts during Bush/Cheney

Behold, the Bush Administration in chart form: Federal spending on paper shredding has increased more than 600 percent since George W. Bush took office. This chart, generated by usaspending.gov, the U.S. government's brand new database of federal expenditures, shows spending on "contracts for paper shredding services" going back to 2000.

In 2000, the feds spent $452,807 to make unpleasant truths go away; by 2006, the "Cheney Effect" had bumped that number up to $2.9 million. And by halfway through 2007, the feds almost matched that number, with $2.7 million and counting. Pretty much says it all.

Gay Marriage Case Receives Many 'Friend-Of-Court' Briefs

One reason why the California Supreme Court is taking so long to decide whether gay marriage is legal is that the issue has attracted more "friend of the court" briefs than any other case in recent memory, Chief Justice Ronald George said Tuesday.

George said the court has received 45 such briefs from 145 different organizations lobbying the state's high court to decide the case in a variety of ways. An array of civil rights groups and several cities have filed court documents in favor of gay marriage, while politically conservative and religious organizations filed papers supporting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's position opposing gay marriage. Attorney General Jerry Brown also has filed opposition papers.

"We have a lot of material before us," George said. "There is a vast amount of literature to read."

The Supreme Court took up the matter in December 2006. All the required written legal arguments were filed by Nov. 15, George said. The chief justice said the court expects to hear the case in 2008. The issue is not on the court's January calendar. The court is required to rule 90 days after oral arguments.

The issue dates back to Valentine's Day in 2004 when San Francisco began marrying same-sex couples. In March, the California Supreme Court ordered the city to stop the marriages while the courts considered six related lawsuits challenging whether the state's one-man, one-marriage laws are constitutional.

In October 2006, a divided appellate court upheld California's marriage laws, ruling that they did not discriminate against gays because they get the same rights by registering as domestic partners.''

Pope's message - gay weddings threaten peace

The annual message from the head of the Roman Catholic Church to the world has been unveiled. Pope Benedict's statement will mark World Peace Day on January 1st. It is entitled ‘The Human Family, A Community of Peace,’ and in it he calls for the dismantling of nuclear weapons and environmental co-operation and describes gay marriage as "an obstacle on the road to peace."

The 80-year-old German-born pontiff theorises that peace and the family are inherently linked and any threat to the "traditional family" will be opposed by Catholics.Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, explained the thinking behind the Papal statement to journalists. "Many legislative initiatives work against peace by weakening the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman, by directly or indirectly forcing families not to be open to accepting a morally responsible life, or by not recognising the family as having primary responsibility in the education of children," he said.

The Pope's message emphasises his opposition to gay and lesbian relationships. "The natural family, as an intimate communion of life and love, based on marriage between a man and a woman, constitutes "the primary place of 'humanisation' for the person and society," he wrote. "The family is therefore rightly defined as the first natural society, a divine institution that stands at the foundation of life of the human person as the prototype of every social order. "Whoever, even unknowingly, circumvents the institution of the family undermines peace in the entire community, national and international, since he weakens what is in effect the primary agency of peace. "This point merits special reflection: everything that serves to weaken the family based on the marriage of a man and a woman, everything that directly or indirectly stands in the way of its openness to the responsible acceptance of a new life, everything that obstructs its right to be primarily responsible for the education of its children, constitutes an objective obstacle on the road to peace."

[Of course, you may remember the Anglican Church in Canada will start providing same-sex blessings. And then the Church of Sweden…]


Church of Sweden prepared to accept same-sex unions

Marriage and same-sex unions were 'equal forms of living together,' the Church of Sweden, a Lutheran church, said Wednesday. The central board of the church said it would accept pending changes of marriage laws that would offer same-sex unions the same legal status as traditional marriage.

Arctic summers ice-free 'by 2013'

“The Arctic is screaming.”

MARK SERREZE, scientist at the U.S. Government's snow and ice data center, on new figures suggesting Arctic ice is melting faster than earlier thought


Scientists in the US have presented one of the most dramatic forecasts yet for the disappearance of Arctic sea ice.

Their latest modelling studies indicate northern polar waters could be ice-free in summers within just 5-6 years. Professor Wieslaw Maslowski told an American Geophysical Union meeting that previous projections had underestimated the processes now driving ice loss. Summer melting this year reduced the ice cover to 4.13 million sq km, the smallest ever extent in modern times. Remarkably, this stunning low point was not even incorporated into the model runs of Professor Maslowski and his team, which used data sets from 1979 to 2004 to constrain their future projections. "Our projection of 2013 for the removal of ice in summer is not accounting for the last two minima, in 2005 and 2007," the researcher from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, explained to the BBC.

"So given that fact, you can argue that may be our projection of 2013 is already too conservative."

Holiday Huddle

Many thanks to Andy and Nick for hosting the Holiday Huddle.