Clinton Know-How Wows Scientists

[SaveElmer]

Hillary Clinton picks up Newsom endorsement, scientists' admiration

Kevin Fagan, Chronicle Staff Writer

Saturday, August 11, 2007


It was just another political dog-and-pony show to announce San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's endorsement, complete with a hokey photo opportunity to snap Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton smiling in front of an environmentally trendy pile of dirt.

But then the New York senator tossed in a wrinkle as she strolled through the partially constructed skeleton of the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park on Friday afternoon, alongside one of the scientists in charge of planning it.

She actually knew what she was talking about.

Did growing plants on a roof instead of nailing down shingles sound goofy to her? Nope - she understood the "urban heat island" effect, which means that the soil-and-plant roof will be 40 percent cooler than a typical top.

And how hippie-silly is using shredded blue jeans to insulate the walls? Not at all, she said - aside from the recycling benefit, it snuffs the danger of glass-like fibers breaking down and polluting the air.

"It's exciting to tour someone who is so aware of the issues of sustainability, of green buildings and even the challenges of creating green buildings," said a shell-shocked-looking Chris Andrews, who as the academy's associate director led Clinton and Newsom through the $484 million structure. "I frankly did not expect that.

"I've led a lot of tours like this with a lot of officials, and believe me, this was pretty unusual to have someone understand what I was talking about."

...

It also gave her a platform to take a swipe at the Bush administration's "very insidious campaign against science."

"Scientists have been muzzled, information has been taken off of government-sponsored Web sites, the leaders of our country have dismissed scientific research and advancements," Clinton said. "There has been a concerted effort against stem cell research, a campaign against evolution. I mean, it has been relentless.

...

Later, after Clinton's handlers had hustled her away to her next engagement, Newsom talked animatedly about how the senator understands the issues he cares about - environment, homelessness, how to get federal money into his city - even better than her husband, former President Bill Clinton. And certainly better than the other Democratic candidates for president, he added.

Newsom doesn't even mind that Clinton splits with him by not supporting only civil unions and not same-sex marriage.

"I like Barack (Obama) and admire him ... and (John) Edwards as well ... but I never was able to have a discussion of the issues with the same depth, the same understanding, that I have had with Hillary Clinton," he said.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/08/11/MNBPRGQH0.DTL

[Alamom]

1. Great article. I read it earlier. Hippie-silly....love it and love that she "gets" it. nm

[Tellurian]

5. How Ironic, I just posted this before reading this thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3443066#3443551

Hillary is unique in this respect. This is a major strength that adds to her appeal and sets her far apart from the field of Dem candidates.

I believe people are beginning to notice this dynamic. Hillary is not hype, she's the real deal.


"Character is like a tree and reputation like it's shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing." .... Abraham Lincoln

[rodeodance]

7. This is how she wins Hearts and Minds.

[Tellurian]

10. Yes, it is..

Knowledge is power and what to do with that knowledge for the common good, is what Hillary is all about.

[Kolesar]

2. It is not a problem of "glass like fibers breaking down and polluting the air"

It is the polymers used to bond the glass fibers that are a possible health problem.

DUers should know that the open pattern of fiberglas (tm) that makes it a poorer insulation product than cellulose (or this recycled blue jeans product). Convection currents and wind and furnace-blower driven air can allow the heated air to waft out of the insulation. I would recommend treated cellulose or other products like polyisocyanurate as wall insulation before using fiberglas (tm).

There was even a lawsuit against the shredded glass fiber company in Minnesota because their product did not perform its insulating function.

[rodeodance]

8. But it is true that glass fibers have a terrible health effect. Both of you are correct

right?

[Kolesar]

12. The vapor from the formaldehyde is the health problem in an existing structure

And glass fibers are a problem for construction people and demolition contractors who will be working with the loose material.

By that definition, one could say the "breaking down glass fiber is a problem" :)

http://www.sustainableenterprises.com/fin/

Instead, unwary installers continue pumping potentially lethal loose glass fibers into attics all over the world. Tons of filthy, rotting fiberglass insulation lurking in aging buildings endangers trades persons, cleaning crews, even teachers and schoolchildren. Homeowners tromping through attics unwittingly dust their family with tiny glass shards. Fiberglass is ubiquitous, yet most people know very little about this man-made replacement for asbestos .

If you think it's a reasonable proposition that inhaling microscopic shards of glass coated with phenol-formaldehyde and urea-formaldehyde resins can cause disease, then this site will make sense to you. We hope you will do what you can to spread the word.

[CitizenLeft]

17. I have a question for all of you

I'm totally ignorant of the dangers of insulation. My 77-year-old house has never been insulated. I'll be taking care of that within the next few years (i.e., when I can afford new siding!). Are there any dangers to the "shredded blue jeans" option? Is it a fire hazard? Or, is it no more of a fire hazard than any other type of standard insulation? Because, let me tell you, I've got jeans all over the house I can no longer fit! (LOL!) I hope it's not a dumb question... :)

In the meantime, I'll do some googling...

[Kolesar]

18. I would recommend treated cellulose because I don't know much about the "shredded blue jeans" option

I looked into this for a long time before having it done--yesterday (yay!). The Nu-wool brand has borate flame retardent and a proprietary, EPA-approved fungicide. www.nuwool.com

People in the energy/environment forum could address your question. We also have a home improvement forum, but you need to be a donor. You could start by donating a modest amount and "get your star".

[CitizenLeft]

19. thank you thank you!

How cool is that (no pun intended!), you had this done yesterday! I'll check in on those forums, and I'll watch for any updates or follow-ups you make about it, see how you like it and if it helps you. It'll be awhile before I can do this - or anything - I'm pretty badly strapped right now. But I'm hoping that I'll be more solvent in a year.

Thanks again for the link!

[Kolesar]

24. With modest funds, you might want to start just insulating the ceilings

Since heat losses through the ceilings are much higher than walls. (heat rises, of course). Even a modest first layer of five inches of cellulose or fiberglas (tm) would give you R-15 and cut your heat loss through the ceilings by hundreds of dollars a year (in a climate like where I live in Ohio). I did calculations for reducing the heat loss through our 600 square feet of ceiling. Then in succeeding years, you could buy and add more insulation up to the typical R-40 that is recommended. That last treatment would make a difference of less than one hundred dollars per year

I went with batts of fiberglas because I did not want loose cellulose underfoot when I went back up into the attic. Working around the old, exposed knob and tube wiring was no fun. We ended up rewiring the attic and side attic with jacketed romex cable.

Welcome to our forum :hi:

[Benhurst]

3. Not to disparage Hillary's knowledge, isn't it pathetic that Chris Andrews would say,

"I've led a lot of tours like this with a lot of officials, and believe me, this was pretty unusual to have someone understand what I was talking about."

Assuming what he says is accurate, I would think most of us on DU would be able to hold up our end of a conversation with him. "Leaders," indeed.

[rasputin1952]

4. I found myself snickering at that myself....

:)

I have to wonder if some who have taken the tour are GOP "hopefuls", I can understand why they would be so ignorant in science.

While I support none of the D candidates at this point, I have always known that Hillary is no moron, in fact, one of reasons the GOP despises her so is because she is an intelligent female, that alone terrifies them....:D

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. My thoughts exactly.

How old was that guy, again? The heat factor in concrete jungles has always been known. There are areas downtown which are 10 degrees higher than the suburbs. And I can see Hillary being up on the pollutants in insulation because she's a Senator from New York, and with the destruction of the World Tower buildings, those kinds of pollutants would be an issue.

The question is, does she have the resolve to force corporations to eliminate those hazards?

[rodeodance]

6. "shredded blue jeans" I saw a documentary of this------HUGE warehouses

FULL of these shreads and Green Hounsing contractors buying it up for insolation.

"this old house" TV show

[Tellurian]

9. There are several quotes in the OP I can relate to:

==="It also gave her a platform to take a swipe at the Bush administration's "very insidious campaign against science."===

Yes, I noticed Hillary is taking advantage of her appearances, 'firing a few cannonballs over the Republican's bow', as a pre-emptive strike strategy for the General! Excellent!

==="Scientists have been muzzled, information has been taken off of government-sponsored Web sites, the leaders of our country have dismissed scientific research and advancements," Clinton said. "There has been a concerted effort against stem cell research, a campaign against evolution. I mean, it has been relentless."===

Making the most out of an opportunity for an excellent segway into other issues important to scientific research benefiting Americans. Again, BRAVO!

==="It's important to have institutions like this, with such a distinguished history, that can perpetuate curiosity and intellectual inquiry. But it would help to have a president who actually supported science again."===

The Republican mantra of tamping down curiosity. Move along, nothing to see here, folks. Has been a hard pill to swallow, especially in this day and age with cutting edge technologies forced to remain static because of Flat Earth Republithink!

==="We've always understood what your husband understood, and that is the genius of 'and' versus the tyranny of 'or,' " he told Clinton. "You can grow an economy and be environmentally friendly.===

The Mayor is exactly right. President Clinton proved to the Globalists, we CAN have it all! A thriving economy while living in peace and harmony. Now, we have the contrast of the Clinton presidency comparing the devastating effects of Republican Goals ='s The Haves and The Have-nots as an unacceptable version of governing for the citizens of the United States of America!

==="But we need your help," the mayor said. "We need someone who understands these things and doesn't just pay lip service ... and that's the spirit in which I am here fundamentally, to proudly announce my support for Sen. Hillary Clinton to be the next president."===

My thoughts exactly and why I adamantly support Hillary, above all, for the next presidency!

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SaveElmer]

14. And Indiana has a Hillary Obsession...

Just can't get enough of her...actually I think she secretly likes her in a juvenile kid on a playground kind of way...push her down, dip her pigtails in an inkwell, call her names, make fun of people who like her...that kind of thing!!!

Kucinch is not qualifed for President!

[PatSeg]

16. I was just thinking the same thing about Kucinich

I really like him and agree with a lot of what he says, but I don't think he would make a good president. This isn't a personality contest. I don't have to particularly "like" the candidate, I need to believe in his/her ability to run the country. Kucinich doesn't pass that test. Neither does Edwards or Obama.

[Cameron27]

15. What a silly post that's

completely unrelated to the OP. There's no more a Clinton cult, than an Obama cult, or an Edwards or Kucinich cult or even gasp, an ANTI-HILLARY cult.

She was no worse than any of the others who spoke at the forum, except for Kucinich, so I'll be looking for that vomit icon in all of those threads too.

[laugle]

20. Thanks for the article, that is really amazing!

Well.....her husband always said she was smarter than him! Just a preview, IMO, of how well informed she will be on the greater issues affecting all of us, she has my confidence!

[AtomicKitten]

21. Hillary is one smart cookie.

Her expertise on any number of subjects is impressive.

[IndianaGreen]

22. Yet, Hillary wastes her talents in fronting for the elites

Hillary is not concerned about media concentration. It would offend not only Murdoch, but all the other corporations that control the media in order to control us.

She is not concerned about the Palestinians being subjected to the 24/7 terrorism of Israel's occupation. It would offend the Israel Lobby for Hillary to even suggest that Palestinians are human beings with the right of return to their lands.

As to LGBT rights, Hillary is no better than Richardson. If sexual orientation or identity are not a personal choice, why is she (or Edwards, Obama, Biden, Dodd, and Richardson) denying LGBTs full rights of citizenship, including the right to marry?

As to war, Hillary only discovered that Iraq was bad after the polls went South on support for the war. I am not fooled one minute by a candidate that can utter so many words, yet say so little, about the illegal and criminal invasion of Iraq.

[AtomicKitten]

23. at least Richardson plead ignorance on choice v. biology

The truth is only Kucinich and Gravel support gay marriage.

Keep in mind the age-old admonition about not sh*tting where you eat. It would be infinitely more positive and productive to promote somebody you do support. I understand wanting to "vote your heart" in the primary by supporting Kucinich. What I don't understand is why those so adamantly opposed to HRC don't support somebody that can actually beat her in the primary like Obama. IMO that would be strategic voting.

[AngryAmish]

25. I'm sure the appreciate her on-the-spot direction

[MadHound]

26. Sure, she may know a lot(and there are those who know more),

But what has she done with that knowledge?

Dennis Kucinich on the other hand has been consistently leading the charge on enviromental and energy issues, again, being out ahead of the pack. Hell, he started working on enviromental issues thirty years ago when he was a council member. What was Hillary doing at the time? Oh, yeah, starting her career as a corporate laywer and future Wal Mart board member:eyes: