Fact Check Friday

I am pleased to "allow" my son Nathan to contribute his Fact-Check Friday edition to "MY" blog. Just know that the views here-in do not necessarily represent the views of his father, who none-the-less (and as an English major, know that I truly despise & generally abstain from using that word) love my son. You might note some of my commentary.

Time for another round of fact checking. All articles should have hyperlinks you can click on if you'd like to check some some facts.

In science:

• Read a balanced perspective on climate change and carbon dioxide emissions from Skeptical Science, "How do human emission compare to natural CO2 emissions?" Read the whole thing if you'd like to know some facts--unfortunately this article will require some scientific literacy and is longer than a two minute talking point. 
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, "Greenhouse gas emission trends" also provides some interesting information on carbon emissions.

• Skeptics of man made climate change can read, "Climate scientist Dr. Murry Salby explains why man-made CO2 does not drive climate change," but reader beware as Dr. Salby badly misquotes and/or misinterprets the IPCC's report. 
• You can read about Dr. Salby on his Wikipedia page.

• Whether you believe human activity is responsible for climate change or not, read about energy companies in North Dakota burning off hundreds of millions of dollars worth of natural gas, polluting the surrounding area, and decreasing nighttime visibility for North Dakotans and its tourists (Frakking Boom Waste: Flares Light Prairie with Unused Natural Gas).

• Here's a great article from the Christian Science Monitor, "Microbes on a comet?! Why scientists are skeptical (+video)."

A comment from Nathan's father:  I am not necessarily skeptical of global climate change. I am necessarily skeptical of man's ability to change the climate & even more necessarily skeptical of government's motives behind attempts to intervene. As a Christian, we already have good motivation to be good stewards of nature, but not to "save" the earth.

In religion: 

• San Francisco's archbishop's morality clause is making some waves naturally. Morality shouldn't be too controversial in religious schools, but bans on "masturbation, contraception, and reproductive technology" might be a little much for Christians who don't subscribe to the idea that their condoms, birth control pills, and various medical procedures for infertility are specifically prohibited by the catholic or protestant Bibles. Read about it in, "S.F. archbishop's imposition of morality clause at schools outrages many."

• The Washington Post reports on Republicans, "Learning to leave gay marriage alone in."

• Churches come together in the wake of deadly shooting in Charleston. Time has an excellent photo gallery, "See Charleston Churches Come Together to Mourn Church Shooting Victims," and if this video and story doesn't give you chills, I don't know what will in, "The Incredible True Story Behind Amazing Grace."

On the lighter side of news:

• I think humor is a great way to de-escalate serious issues. Watch Jon Stewart talk about when it's OK and not OK to shoot people:

In sports:

• The Royals smoked the Rays on Wednesday night (recap), then finished off the sweep Thursday with a 3-8 win (highlights). Read about the Royals defense, "The Royals' defense isn't just good in 2015 -- it is historically elite" from ESPN.com.

A comment from Nathan's father:  Let's hope Alex Gordon's loss does not prove devastating.

• Evan Jager, American Olympian Steeplechaser (not the horse race), set an American record in the Paris Meeting Areva Diamond League steeplechase. Read my commentary at Twin Cities Runner - Coaching.

That's all for this week. Next week's "Fact Check Friday" will most likely be postponed or canceled due to a Leckband family vacation to celebrate my spouses graduation in D.C. and see some family, museums, and natural wonders in Virginia, New York, and Canada.

A final comment from Nathan's father:  Nathan & Laura truly deserve this vacation. Congratulations, Laura. Have a great time. The Holocaust Museum is a sobering reminder that evil is an instrinsic part of human nature, as if we needed a reminder. Hope you get to visit it.