Al Huebner, Author at Toward Freedom

A History of Infamy: US Military Tactics From Vietnam to Iraq

Al Huebner December 5, 2007 Al Huebner

National Public Radio recently reported on one of the latest gadgets developed by DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Described as a non-lethal weapon, it concentrates microwaves and can reach a target as far away as 500 yards, causing the victim to retreat. One of the scientists involved in its development, noted that it operated by heating water molecules just under the skin, causing pain. In short, this non-lethal weapon functions like a microwave oven. Yet the report was remarkably free of important details. For example, what happens if the device strikes a target at a distance appreciably less than 500 yards?

Burning Earth: Linking Wildfires to Global Warming

Al Huebner October 8, 2007 Al Huebner

As the earth warms, a growing number of researchers are investigating the far-reaching consequences of the increasing average temperature. One of these consequences is the effect on wildfires.

Health Hazards Rise from the Dust of the World Trade Center

Al Huebner August 30, 2007 Al Huebner

In the hours following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center firefighters, police, and emergency medical technicians performed acts of enormous courage. Many of them died or were exposed to health-threatening substances while performing these heroic deeds. Unfortunately, while bureaucrats were unctuously praising these heroes, irresponsible and deceptive post-attack actions by some officials paved the way for more illnesses and deaths among workers and residents in Lower Manhattan.

The Future of Global Warming

Al Huebner June 6, 2007 Al Huebner

In early February 2007 the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its strongest statement yet on global warming. According to a 20-page summary of the report, the warming of the Earth will continue for centuries, even if greenhouse gas concentrations are stabilized.

Book Review – Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic

Al Huebner May 7, 2007 Al Huebner

On May 11, 1996, the CBS television program 60 Minutes made famous one of the more notorious statistics in the history of Iraqi-US relations. In an interview of then secretary of state Madeleine Albright, correspondent Lesley Stahl said, "We have heard that a half million children have died as a result of the sanctions [in Iraq]. That's more than died in Hiroshima."

The Truth About Global Warming

Al Huebner March 15, 2007 Al Huebner

The recently released summary of the fourth report of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) wasn't pleasant reading. Temperature will rise 3.2 to 7.8 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100; sea levels could rise 7 to 23 inches, and perhaps an additional 4 to 8 inches if melting of the Greenland ice sheet and Antarctica's Larsen ice shelf continue at current rates; it's likely that the strong hurricanes experienced since 1970 have been produced by global warming; and more drought and severe storms will occur. This global warming is "very likely" (meaning with 90 percent certainty) caused by human activity and will continue long into the future no matter what steps are taken.