Laura Revell is an atmospheric scientist interested in climate modelling, aerosols and atmospheric chemistry. I teach atmospheric physics and physical chemistry at the University of Canterbury.
The spill, which closed a major highway and sent at least ten people to seek medical attention for respiratory symptoms, became a catalyst for a renewed political battle over the chemical's future in California.
The proposal would make revenue increases extraordinarily difficult while allowing tax cuts to pass more easily, shifting pressure onto widely used federal programs.
To win big in this brave new world, forget tested skill-sets and the wisdom of experience: chutzpah and risk-taking, even gambling, are paramount, then the facile ability to learn on the job how to cling to power.