A Californian Vote

As a native Californian, I couldn't resist voting absentee in my home state for my very first election. While the ballot question in MA this year are extremely gripping and interesting, I still felt it was in my best interest to cast my vote in the Golden State.

One of the most buzzed about prop questions on the Californian ballot this year is Prop 35, a vote for new anti-sex-trafficking laws. Amanda Hess, a staff writer for Slate is voting for the first time in California this year. She discusses the consequences of prop voting in California, and admits that most people are likely unaware of them.

The official summary of the prop is as follows:

"Increases criminal penalties for human trafficking, including prison sentences up to 15-years-to-life and fines up to $1,500,000. Fines collected to be used for victim services and law enforcement. Requires person convicted of trafficking to register as sex offender. Requires sex offenders to provide information regarding Internet access and identities they use in online activities. Prohibits evidence that victim engaged in sexual conduct from being used against victim in court proceedings. Requires human trafficking training for police officers."

The Los Angeles Times, which endorses a NO vote on Prop 35, notes, that ending sex-trafficking, while important, is not necessarily possible with the proposed prop. It says that the prop fails to create the correct approach in all of this.

"Voters must ask more than whether they would like to see those cruelties come to an end. They must be satisfied that the particular, far-reaching and inflexible penalties and procedures that would be enacted by this measure would help; that they are the best approach to solving an actual problem; and that actual progress would dwarf any unintended consequences."


Hess worries that most voters are not equipped to "focus on the intricacies of the law."

She notes that critics' concerns lie in "bloating" of the sex-offender industry and that more prominent types of forced labor in California would be overlooked as a result of the passing of Prop 35.

The SAGE project, a San Francisco based advocacy group for victims of sex-trafficking, initially stood behind the prop, but have since "rescinded" their support, and are no longer in favor of the passing.

What does this tell you about the flawed prop?

To all of you California voters, don't discount the information available for you on each prop. Do your research to make the most informed decision. Surely we know human-trafficking isn't a good thing, and of course many would like to see an end to it, but it is important to understand what Prop 35 would actually impose - racial and gender profiling especially. Also, the bankrupt state would see an increase in costs of at least a couple million dollars annually to enforce this law.

I'll be keeping up with my home state as the polls close on the West Coast. Happy Election Day to you all! Hope you've all done your civil duty by voting!

Favorite Boston Eateries

Here is an interactive map of my favorite places to eat in Boston.

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NBA Opening Night

Port Richmond Residents Prepare for Hurricane Sandy

Residents of Port Richmond, a neighborhood in Philadelphia, rushed to gather essential groceries on Sunday before Hurricane Sandy was expected to make landfall on Monday. The local ShopRite was extremely crowded with nervous customers, all in a rush to insure they were fully stocked and ready when the storm hit.

I had a chance to interview a number of employees and patrons about what the most in demand items were and why. Bread, water, batteries, and milk were among the most coveted groceries, and by the time I arrived around noon, their shelves were nearly empty.

The check out lines were extremely congested as annoyed customers rushed to get out of the store and back home to continue preparations for the "frankenstorm."

As stressful as the situation may have been for everyone involved, I'm sure the owners of ShopRite weren't disappointed with the pre-hurricane turn out.

Did We Cause Hurricane Sandy?

Last week, I discussed in my blog post the fact that the presidential candidates have stayed relatively mum on the issues of climate change and its potentially catastrophic effects on the environment and the future of our planet. Less than a week after this revelation made headlines, the east coast was hit with what the media is referring to as a "frankenstorm"or "superstorm" - an S-shaped storm that collided with a cold front to create what President Obama has officially declared a disaster in New York and New Jersey.

Kerry Emanuel, a climate scientist at MIT, is referring to the storm as a "hybrid storm," a type that scientists know very little about. He explained, "It is correct to say that in no individual [weather] event can you really make an attribution to anything, whether it is climate change or El Nino or your grandmother had her tooth pulled this morning."

Sandy, Emanuel explains, is a hybrid between a hurricane and a winter storm, and that it has many qualities from the two. The two different kinds of storms are powered by different types of energy sources - hurricanes from the evaporation of sea water and winter storms from a horizontal temperature contrast in the atmosphere. These storms are so powerful because they are powered by both types of energy.

Photo Courtesy of NASA/NOAA GOES Project Team

Emmanuel does not think that climate change caused by humans will increase the length of hurricane seasons going forward. He does, however, note that as water temperatures get warmer, for whatever reason - whether it be human caused or not, there will be an increase of rain and likelihood of such powerful storms. 

However, climate change may not be completely off the hook in this case. 

Another one of the factors that has made Sandy so catastrophic is the rising sea level. It is said by many climate specialists that the rising sea level is a result of warmer temperatures melting the ice caps. Because Sandy hit so many coastal areas, the rise in sea level has had catastrophic results as massive waves crashed far beyond the beach. 

Hurricane waves crash over Winthrop, Mass. on Monday
Photo Courtesy of Getty Images

Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist for the National Center for Atmospheric Research, is a little more willing to place blame on climate change. He explains that the storm occurred in an area where water and air temperatures have been higher than usual, and this, he says is no coincidence. 

The added moisture from the higher temperatures along the east coast (approximately 5 degrees Farenheit higher than normal, one degree of which Trenberth says can be blamed on climate change) have greatly contributed to the power of this hybrid storm. 

Sandy is being called the worst storm to ever hit NYC by Mayor Bloomberg. It has left millions, including all of lower Manhattan without power. 

For more information of the events of Sandy as they unfolded, you can check Slate's live feed of the storm as it progressed on Monday night.

A Not-So-Green Election

President Obama and Mitt Romney met for their last debate Monday night and noticeably made no mention of environmental change.

Despite the fact that the debate was supposed to cover foreign policy, the two candidates managed to cover a variety of topics including the war in Afghanistan, the performance in Massachusetts elementary schools, and bayonets being obsolete (fun fact, they're actually still used!) There was, however, no mention of the environment or how either candidate would go about any future green initiatives. This marked the first time in 24 years that the environment was not brought up in any of the presidential or vice presidential debates.

Both Candy Crowley, the second debate's moderator, and Bob Schieffer claimed they had intended to ask the nominees about the environment and climate change, but that in both debates the questions were left on the "cutting room floor."

This seemed unsurprising in what has been an altogether non-green election. Neither candidate has spent a significant amount of time discussing green initiatives or ways in which Americans can combat climate change and work towards a cleaner environment.

According to Climate Silence, which uses the hashtag #climatesilence to describe the 2012 debates, climate change was largely a topic discussed by the VP candidates until the Bush/Gore debates of 2000.

In the last presidential election of 2008, climate change was discussed extensively in all three presidential debates as well as the vice presidential debate. Obama said in the second debate of 2008 that climate change was "one of the biggest challenges of our time." He also went on to say on the subject of creating alternative energy that, "it's important for us to understand that it requires a sustained effort from the next president."

Because this was such a debated and heated topic in the last election, for it to be completely eliminated from discussion this time around was noticeable to many. There were a number of mentions of energy, but it was not enough to keep environmentalists satisfied. 

Image courtesy of climatesilence.org

As we move into the election, many voters are still unsure which candidate would do more to encourage green living and better combat global warming.

Do you think this is an important issue that should have been discussed? Or are you glad the focus was kept primarily on war, foreign policy, the economy, and the job market? 

First Attempt at a Video News Story

I've got a ways to go....