Google released a new feature on their maps today which allows users to create political district boundaries which are then verified by the Google team.  There has always been a love-hate relationship for political consultants, precinct walkers, and anyone else trying to isolate data points within a given district.

Who knows how long it will take for enough maps to be made until we can expect the average district to be pre-drawn and approved by someone searching for it.

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Following the horrific act of gun violence on Sandy Hook Elementary School, President Barack Obama gave a memorial speech insisting that this nation needs to address prevention measures to stop an act like this from happening again. The President noted that this is the fourth time since he took office that he has gathered to speak in memory of those lost in a mass shooting.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence periodically releases reports of gun violence in the United States and, after the tragic events in Newtown, Connecticut last Friday, made their report on major school shootings in the United States since 1997 available to the public shortly after the massacre. The report is extensive and an eye-opener to the significance of gun control in this country.

The Brady Campaign was founded by former assistant to the president and White House press secretary, James Brady, who was permanently disabled and nearly killed as a result of the assassination attempt on former President Reagan in 1981.  The Brady Campaign is a non-profit political organization dedicated to preventing gun violence through policy change.

Over the last five years (since the beginning of 2008), as recorded by The Brady Campaign, the United States has seen 123 school related shootings.  The map below shows the regional distributions of these events and the school they took place.

Click on a School to View Event

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Newly drawn odd-numbered state senatorial districts seats were up for election this year. Many electees have never previously held office as a California state senator, but have robust track records serving their communities and/or as a state assemblymember.

The biographical excerpts below highlight some of the newly elected California state senators’ listings of accomplishments. For example, the maps lists Senator Monning’s 20 years spent as Professor of International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Monterey Institute of International Studies or Senator Block’s extensive 26 year contributions to San Diego’s academic community.

California’s Newest Senate Members: Click on The Districts Below

Meet the New California State Senators

Jerry Hill (D): 13th District

Jerry Hill has served the City and County of San Mateo as City Councilmember, Mayor and most recently County Supervisor for the last 20 years. A San Mateo native, Sen. Berryhill will now represent his home town and its surrounding communities as California State Senator for the 13th District. Sen. Berryhill have served his community as an active member of numerous organizations including the San Mateo Medical Center, the San Mateo Youth Foundation, and the Advisory Board for Sustainable San Mateo. He has a Teaching Credential from UC San Francisco and a B.A. in History frmo UC Berkeley.  Read Full Bio

Jim Beall (D): 15th District

Jim Beall spent 14 years on the San Jose City Council and thereafter 12 years on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Jim has represented the Bay Area’s 24th Assembly District since 2006 and will now serve the residents of Greater San Jose as California State Senator for the 15th District. One of Sen. Beall’s greatest accomplishments was laying the foundation for bringing the famous Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system to the South Bay.  Read Full Bio

Bill Monning (D): 17th District

One of California’s newest members of legislature, serving the 27th State Assembly District since 2008, Bill Monning will now serve as California State Senator for the Monterey Bay 17th Senatorial District. Sen. Monning has a rich academic, legal and humanitarian presence and history. Some of his distinguished titles include: Dir./Distinguished Prof. of Law, Mandell-Gisnet Center for Conflict Management, Monterey College of Law, (2005-present); Prof. of Int’l Negotiation & Conflict Resolution, Monterey Inst. of International Studies, (1993-present); Exec. Dir., Int’l Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, (1987-1991); Dir., Salvadoran Medical Relief Fund, (1982-1987). Sen. Monning is also a Senior Fullbright Specialist.  Read Full Bio

Hannah-Beth Jackson (D): 19th District

Jackson started her career as a Deputy District Attorney eventually making a successful bid for the Assembly from 1998-2004. Her campaign themes focused on jobs creation, education, and environmentalism. Hannah-Beth served as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources and Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Coastal Protection. She also served as Chair of the bipartisan Legislative Women’s Caucus and was Chair of the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee from 1999-2002.   Read Full Bio

Steve Knight (R): 21st District

Elected to Palmdale City Council in 2005 and then to State Assembly in 2008, Steve Knight has worked to relieve tax hikes and promote small business. Senator Knight served on LAPD for over 18 years and will now go on to represent the people of the 21st Senatorial District which surrounds the cities of Palmdale, Lancaster, Victorville and their outlying communities.  Read Full Bio

Richard Roth (D): 31st District

Roth spent 32 years in the military serving with the US Air Force JAG Corps and will now represent the people of the of the 31st State Senatorial District, which encompasses the Greater Riverside area. His priorities include securing a medical school for UC Riverside, using the community college system to create jobs for veterans, and the protection of education funding. As with many candidates from the Inland Empire, he is also campaigning on increased transportation infrastructure for the region.  Read Full Bio

Ricardo Lara (D): 33rd District

Current Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, Ricardo Lara will serve the people of Long Beach as California State Senator for the 33rd District. Sen. Lara serves on the Appropriations Committee, the committees on Banking and Finance, Higher Education, and Water, Parks, and Wildlife. He is a member of the Assembly Select Committees on California Mexico Bi-national Affairs, Foster Care and on Post-Secondary Access and Matriculation.  Read Full Bio

Marty Block (D): 39th District

Marty Block will enter the State Senate with an extensive history in civic leadership and academia. He has formerly represented the 78th Assembly District and will now serve San Diego’s 39th Senatorial District. Sen. Block has 26 years experience as a professor/dean/director, is a Five-time Recipient of Outstanding Faculty Awards at San Diego State University who was presented with an University Distinguished Service Award upon retirement by former SDSU President Stephen Weber.  Read Full Bio

Read More Bios at Vote-USA.org

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Credit: Mashable.com

As the Israel-Gaza conflict escalates, accounts of violence are filling the airwaves, with reports of the airstrikes coming from both the Israeli Defense Force and Hamas operatives. The war zone continues to restrict access to journalists and foreign reporters, making it difficult to find detailed accounts of the conflict. While both the Israel Defense Force and Hamas military are live-tweeting the conflict in real time, it is hard to distinguish between what is accurate and what is mere speculation.

To help readers follow the conflict, The Guardian has created a Google Map that locates the attacks that have ensued since the November 14th assassination of Hamas military leader Ahmed al-Jabari. The interactive Google Map shows you locations of verified incidents. By clicking on a red dot, you are provided with information on the incident, including the date, the number wounded or dead, and a link to the verified source.

For those with friends and family in the region, the map allows you to search a location and see surrounding attacks. It is not all-inclusive, however, and The Guardian invites readers to submit more details, their own videos and photos, and any relevant information:

Is this an effective tool for mapping the Israel-Gaza Conflict?

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Distribution Map for Biomass Feedstocks: Click the Image Above

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) operates as the U.S. Department of Energy’s primary national laboratory for renewable energy efficiency research and development. Addressing the nation’s energy and environmental goals, NREL has put out a series of robust mapping tools that address certain distributions of energy sources and production.

Biofuel is a growing renewable energy industry which requires plant-based material(s), called feedstocks, to be the starting point in production. Biomass feedstocks are abundant and potential sources are found throughout the United States.

This mapping tool allows the user to turn on and off distribution layers of potentials for biomass feedstocks as well as other distributions of non-renewable resources, like coal and oil, and their production facilities.

Ian DawesRelative Bearings - A place to discuss political demographics and geographical foundations which affect the dynamics of that atmosphere.

Credit: Flickr/Steve Rhodes

For the first time in over 100 years, the California Democratic Party captured enough votes to hold a supermajority in each house, solidifying the stronghold Democrats enjoy in the California political process. The deepening blue hues of the state reveal its liberal tendencies and indicate changing demographics in California have led to a significant shift in the political landscape.

California voters not only overwhelmingly voted to re-elect Barack Obama and Dianne Feinstein, but voters passed the controversial tax initiative, Proposition 30, voting to increase taxes on the wealthy in order to fund education. With 28 seats in Senate, the Democratic two-thirds supermajority now has the power to raise taxes without GOP votes, giving Republicans little say in the future of the state.

Credit: http://www.contracostatimes.com/

However, Democrats have not always had a monopoly on California politics. First nominated governor of the state in 1966, Ronald Reagan served two terms in the state before running for president. Now heralded as a Conservative icon, Reagan received the support of California voters who were moved by principles of a smaller government highlighted in his “A Time for Choosing” speech.

A surge of immigration drastically changed the demographics of the state, and the once predominantly “white” state transformed into a beacon of diversity. By 1998, the number of Hispanics, African Americans and Asians combined outnumbered the white population, calling for drastic changes in governmental policy. Recognizing the shift in the political landscape, Democrats have responded to the demand for reform, while Republican leaders fail to embrace the issues important to Hispanic voters.

This phenomena is in line with the decline of the GOP on a national scale, arguably caused by an internal split in the party. The Republican Party’s main downfall this election was a failure to reach out and communicate effectively with different demographics and their needs.

As argued by Slate, if the presidential election were held 20 years ago, Romney’s victory would be ensured, as he received 59% of the white vote. White people who voted for Romney made up 42.5% of the overall vote, making 88% of Romney voters white. While Obama also received a sizable chunk of the white vote, with 56 percent, he dominated in reaching out to minority voters, a skill that Romney failed to grasp. His failure to effectively communicate with these increasingly important voters is arguably what cost him the election, with Obama receiving 93% of the African American vote and 71% of the Latino vote.

Former Republican leader in the California Senate, Jim Brulte explains,

“There are demographic changes in the American electorate that we saw significantly, first, here in California and Republicans nationally are not reacting to them.”

In California, crafting a message that resonates with Hispanic voters is the key to success in state elections, as the state is home to the highest number of Hispanics in any state: 14 million.

Credit: http://www.contracostatimes.com/

Barely maintaining their place as one of the top two major parties in California, Republicans make up a mere 30% of the total voting population in the state. There were more registered Republicans in 1988, despite the growth in California’s population, and independent voters outnumber Republicans in 13 congressional districts in California.

Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican consultant in California for 30 years, said of the Republican Party, “It’s no longer a statewide party.” He continued,

“They are down to 30 percent, which makes it impossible to win a statewide election. You just can’t get enough crossover voters.” Hoffenblum continued, “They have alienated large swaths of voters…They have become too doctrinaire on the social issues. It’s become a cult.”

If this is any indication of what could happen on a national scale, Republicans should take heed of the shortcomings present in the California GOP. In a state that is nationally recognized and ridiculed for fiscal irresponsibility, the need for Republican leaders to adapt to shifting political landscape is critical.

California acts as reminder that as demographics change, our political landscape shifts as well, creating an unfamiliar frontier for politicians unwilling to adapt. If they are to survive in America as one of the major parties, Republicans nationwide should learn from the California. The “traditional” values that the Republican party relies upon may no longer be effective in a not-so-traditional society. As society advances, so should politics.

Jane SusskindRelative Bearings - A place to discuss political demographics and geographical foundations which affect the dynamics of that atmosphere.

Several newly elected U.S. Congress Members from California ran as challengers against favored incumbents. Some of these new Members stand out as evidence of California’s growing independent political dynamic. In the Bay Area Eric Swalwell defeated career Democratic politician and incumbent Rep. Pete Stark while a local farmer, David G. Valadao, will represent a portion of California’s agricultural heartland.

California’s Newest House Members: Click on The Districts Below

Doug LaMalfa (R): 1st District

A conservative leader, Doug LaMalfa opposes increasing taxes and is a stalwart defender of Proposition 13.  In Northern California’s 1st congressional district Rep. LaMalfa, author of a constitutional amendment to protect Californians against eminent domain abuse, will be a strong supporter of private property rights for his constituents. Read Full Bio

Jared Huffman (D): 2nd District

Huffman served in the California State Assembly representing California’s former 2nd district from 2006 onward. Before serving as an Assemblymember, Jared Huffman served as President of the Marin Municipal Water District Board for eleven years. Rep. Huffman received his Juris Doctor in 1990 from Boston College Law School and has extensive legislative and civic experience concerning Natural Resources and Environmental policy. Read Full Bio

Tom McClintock (R): 4th District

During 19 years in the state legislature, State Senator Tom McClintock has become one of the most recognizable political leaders in California and will now go on to represent the 4th congressional district in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. Rep. McClintock’s commentaries on California public policy have appeared in every major newspaper in California and he is a frequent guest on radio and television broadcasts across the nation. Read Full Bio

Dr. Ami Bera (D): 7th District

With over 15 years experience serving as a Sacramento region educator and physician, and more recently Chief Medical Officer for the County of Sacramento, Rep. Bera will continue to address the needs of the residents of the State Capitol’s eastern suburbs that fill the boundaries of California’s new 7th congressional district. Rep. Bera’s academic service also amounted to his recent service as Associate Dean of Admissions at the UC Davis School of Medicine. Read Full Bio

Paul Cook (R): 8th District

Before being elected to represent the newly drawn 8th congressional district of San Bernardino and Death Valley, Rep. Cook was elected in 2006 as California State Assemblymember for former district 65. Mr. Cook has taught history and political science at Copper Mountain College, California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB), and University of California, Riverside (UCR) and holds a Master’s in political science from UC Riverside and a Master’s in public administration from CSU San Bernardino. Read Full Bio

Eric Swalwell (D): 15th District

Eric Swalwell has earned a much deserved respect among Independent voters that saw him defeat career Democrat and incumbent Rep. Pete Stark. Rep. Swalwell will represent his home town of Dublin, CA which makes up a northern portion of California’s 15th congressional district. He is actively involved in local charities and organizations in Alameda County. His academic background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law. Read Full Bio

David G. Valadao (R): 21st Dsitrict

David G. Valadao now represents the agriculturally rich Central Valley region in the 21st California congressional district. Rep. Valadao has taken on leadership roles within the California Milk Advisory Board, Western States Dairy Trade Association, and was elected as Regional Leadership Council Chairman for Land O’ Lakes Inc., a Fortune 200 Company. Read Full Bio

Julia Brownley (D): 26th District

Brownley believes it is a moral and economic imperative that we fix our broken health care system and ensure access to affordable, quality health care for all Californians. Rep. Brownley served California’s 41st State Assembly district for the last 11 years and prior to her service as Assemblywoman, was a member of the Santa Monica-Malibu School Board for 12 years. Rep. Brownley will now serve the people of the 26th congressional district in and around Ventura County. Read Full Bio

Tony Cardenas (D): 29th District

After having served three terms in the State Assembly, and as a member of the Los Angeles City Council, Cardenas has been elected as the first Latino representative for the San Fernando Valley’s 29th congressional district. Cardenas cites his record on the Assembly Budget Committee and his co-authorship of the Schiff-Cardenas Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act as examples of his leadership. Read Full Bio

Gloria Negrete McLeod (D): 35th District

Rep. Negrete McLeod assumed her State Senate office in 2006, prior to which she served in the Assembly from 2000-2006. Redistricting transformed the 35th congressional district in Ontario, California so that it became virtually coextensive with her Senate district propelling the Senator to run. Gloria Negrete McLeod cites jobs creation, improved transportation, and the restoration of local authority over schools as her priorities. Read Full Bio

Raul Ruiz (D): 36th District

Mr. Ruiz graduated magna cum laude at UCLA and went on to become the first Latino to receive three graduate degrees from Harvard University – a Medical Doctorate, a Masters in Public Policy and a Masters in Public Health. His extensive civic involvment in his community has developed the academic and medical communities of the Coachella Valley region and Rep. Ruiz, with no prior experience in government will serve the people of the 36th congressional district. Read Full Bio

Mark Takano (D): 41st District

Rep. Takano will represent California’s 41st congressional district which encopasses the City of Riverside and its surrounding communities. In 1991, Takano was elected as president of the Riverside Community College District’s Board of Trustees and helped the Board and the District gain stability and direction amid serious fiscal challenges. Read Full Bio

Alan Lowenthal: 47th District

Rep. Lowenthal formerly represented the 27th Senate district for the past 8 years. Rep. Lowenthal has been honored by several environmental advocacy groups, and is the former Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and current Chairman of the Select Committee on Goods Movement. Read Full Bio

Juan Vargas: 51st District

San Diego native, Juan Vargas has served in San Diego as both Assemblymember and as State Senator for the former 40th district. Juan attended the University of San Diego on scholarship, graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science in 1983. In 1987, Juan earned a Master of Humanities from Fordham University in New York City and in 1991 earned a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, where he was classmates with President Barack Obama. Read Full Bio

Scott Peters (D): 52nd District

Peters is well-known in San Diego having served two terms on the San Diego City Council (2000-2008) and more recently as Commissioner for the politically influential Unified Port of San Diego. Peters ran unsuccessfully for City Attorney after being termed out of the City Council. He focused his campaign on a variety issues that are central to San Diegans including jobs, healthcare, veterans, energy policy and immigration. Read Full Bio

Read More Bios at Vote-USA.org

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Credit: Howard Chandler Christy

The 2012 election cycle saw a record number of women elected to Congress. An all time high of 20 women were elected in the Senate, and at least 77 women in the House, with a few races left uncertain.

For the past two years, the 2012 Project worked to ensure 20% of those elected to Congress in 2012 were women. The goal has been achieved in the Senate, with 20 female senators, but House of Representatives fell short in reaching its goal by ten women. (This number is uncertain as of today, since three races in Arizona with female candidates are still undecided). Even if the milestones of 20 percent has not been reached, the 113th will have at least 18.13 percent of women, an all time record, and an almost 8% increase since the 2008 election.

For women, this election was historic beyond the 2012 Project milestones.

1992 was named the “year of woman,” after 6 women were elected to the Senate. This year, out of 15 races, 11 women won senate seats. (An interactive map can be found on the Huffington Post)

Credit: Huffington Post

Democrat Elisabeth Warren became the first female senator from Massachusetts by defeating incumbent Republican Scott Brown. Tammy Baldwin was elected to the open senate seat in Wisconsin, becoming not only the first female senator from that state, but also the first openly gay senator in US history. Mazie Hirono, from Hawaii, is breaking many “first” records. She is the first senator to be: Asian-American, representing Hawaii, born in Japan, and Buddhist.

The House of Representatives will also have more women than ever, with 77 representatives (potentially 79 with 2 undecided races), which is 4 more than in 2010. Among these women, Tulsi Gabbard from Hawaii became the first Hindu in Congress.

Credit: Huffington Post

This year is also setting a new record in terms of number of minorities, with 28 women of color elected, including 13 African American women, 9 Latinas and 6 Asian/Pacific Islander-Americans.

Another great achievement to close the gender gap is New Hampshire’s all female delegation to Washington, DC. New Hampshire also elected a female governor, Maggie Hassan.

The path to close the gender gap remains long, but initiatives like The 2012 Project show that by encouraging more women to run for office, more women will be elected. To achieve parity, a strong model will be needed — for example, a female president in 2016.

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During his 2012 State of the Union address, President Obama said:

“With only 2 percent of the world’s oil reserves, oil isn’t enough. This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy. A strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs.”

Mitt Romney agrees:

“An affordable reliable energy supply is fundamental to a prosperous and growing economy.”

Biofuel can be an alternative energy source, but its benefits are contested. In recent years, there has been a growing understanding among scientists and politicians that rapid economic development, increasing global population, and rising global living standards will eventually lead to the depletion of our primary energy source, fossil fuels.

Another result of the increased burning of fossil fuels is a predicted rise of over 30% in greenhouse gas (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere which has made the need to find an alternative energy source increasingly urgent.

Geoscientist and Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas board member, J. David Hughes, says, this will be no easy task given the United State’s massive annual oil consumption of seven billion barrels a year and with the growing demands of developing nations like China and India.

Today, a large amount of the biofuels produced come from food crops including soybean, coconut, corn, and palm. However, the increased production of biofuels from food crops has brought up ethical concerns regarding harming lower income populations by diverting productive land and resources away from edible crops and thereby increasing food prices, according to Denis J. Murphy, head of the biotechnology unit at the University of Glamorgan, Wales.

It has also been recognized that biofuel production in industrialized countries may be generating more CO₂ emissions than what is being captured. To compete in the biofuel production market, some developing countries have converted pristine habitats into land that is viable for biofuel production, adds Murphy in Technological Innovations in Major World Oil Crops, an academic journal on the topic. This has led to environmental degradation and habitat loss for species like the orangutan in parts of the Far East.

Thom Hartman, a political commentator, poses the question: how do we replace the energy from a million years of ancient sunlight, which we currently burn each year, without destroying pristine habitats or driving up food costs?

A group of scientists at the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology and the Division of Biological Sciences says micro-algae may be a significant contributor as an alternative biomass source for biofuels. Algae can produce biomass rapidly with some species doubling in six hours under optimal growth conditions. They all have the ability to produce energy-rich oils and some accumulate high levels of oil in their total dry biomass.

Most micro-algal species have the potential of producing significantly higher lipid to land area ratios than terrestrial plants and can grow in brackish (otherwise unusable) water. Algae are also efficient at CO₂ fixation and account for 40 percent of global carbon capture and fixation. The goal of large-scale production of biofuels from micro-algae is to establish crop production methods and infrastructure that maximize lipid production while maintaining it as an economically viable energy source.

Currently, there are two main systems being investigated for maximizing lipid production from micro-algae. These are monocultures, single algal species, grown in closed photo-bioreactors and open pond systems. Some challenges associated with production in open pond systems include obtaining a sufficient amount of flat land close to water and nutrient sources. Production and processing, such as sufficient mixing to ensure the algae receive uniform exposure to sunlight and the process of harvesting lipids and biomass, can quickly become energy intensive and therefore expensive processes.

Sapphire Energy has made significant progress in overcoming some of these challenges. They make claims to having the largest photosynthetic, fully integrated, algae-to-energy testing facility in the world, located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They may have found ideal conditions for their 22 acre “green crude” production facility.

At this location they are utilizing land that has been un-farmable for forty years and take advantage of the local source of underground brackish water.

Will there be enough resources available, like those found by Sapphire Energy, for other companies to compete in algae production and make a significant contribution as an alternative to fossil fuels? Or, can the support from politicians and the majority of citizens provide enough financial support and resources to make this possible?

One thing is certain: currently there is no one solution to replace the world’s, let alone the United States’ massive consumption of fossil fuel.

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Candidates have taken to Twitter in attempt to appeal to the young, Independent voters and the social media savvy. Tweeting the newly drawn California districts this election has been a campaign strategy of candidates in some districts with a strong Independent voter presence.

The candidates running in some of these districts (Congressional, CA Senate and Assembly) were so close in the primary election that appealing to the high ratio of Independent voters in those new districts can predictably play a significant role on the outcome of the election.

Below are lists and tweets of candidates in California districts that will see a strong Independent voter Influence on Tuesday.

California Congressional Races with a Strong Independent Influence

Tweets from @OneIFbyeC/ca-cong-indy-influenced

California State Senate Races with a Strong Independent Influence

Tweets from @OneIFbyeC/ca-sen-indy-influenced

California State Assembly Races with a Strong Independent Influence

Tweets from @OneIFbyeC/ca-assem-indy-influenced

Ian DawesRelative Bearings - A place to discuss political demographics and geographical foundations which affect the dynamics of that atmosphere.