The world is going solar. According to new data released by the Fraunhofer Institute, in the first half of 2014, renewable energy, like solar power, accounted for almost 31% of ALL electricity produced in Germany. In fact, solar power generation was up 28% during the first half of 2014, compared to the same time last year.

 

For the first time ever in Germany - the cloudiest country in western Europe - solar power and other forms of renewable energy created more energy and electricity production than dirty coal. And, in June, Germany set a solar power record, using solar power to generate 50 percent of overall electricity demand for part of a day.

 

While Germany is relying heavily on renewable energy today to help fight global warming and climate change, it has had a pretty standard energy evolution. In the 18th century, Germany was burning wood. In the 19th century, it was burning coal. In the 20th century, it was burning oil. Today it's getting electricity from solar and renewables.

 

That's a typical evolution for a developed country (that's not controlled by the financial interests of Big Oil). But what if the dozens of developing countries across the globe, that are still stuck in the 18th century and that still rely on burning wood for energy, jumped directly to renewable energy, and leapfrogged the whole carbon cycle?

 

Can you imagine how that would transform the fight against global warming and climate change? Well, that's exactly what's going on right now in rural India.

 

Read more here.

 

-Thom

       

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Is the housing bubble about to crash...again? (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

 

Have a question or comment for Thom? Grab your phone, hit record and send your video to YourTakeMyTake@gmail.com and we may air it on "The Big Picture."

 

Need to Know: Is the housing bubble about to crash...again?
- Stephanie Kelton, University of Missouri at Kansas City / New Economic Perspectives  

 

Screwed: Are unions growing?
- Mike Lux, Democracy Partners    

 

Your Take / My Take Live: Call Thom LIVE at (202) 904-2134 TONIGHT 7-8pm ET (check local listings)

 

Geeky Science: How dark chocolate can save your life...

 

 

Thursday's Daily Stack 

Article: "The Week in Review Thursday, July 3, 2014" by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Article: "2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure" by American Society of Civil Engineers.

Article: "Could A Socialist Senator Become A National Brand?" by Ailsa Chang.

Site: "350.org".

Article: "Sherrod Brown warns of new Republican effort to divide and conquer on Social Security" by Joan McCarter.

The good: "To Improve Accuracy, BBC Tells Its Reporters To Stop Giving Air Time To Climate Deniers" by Emily Atkin.

Article: "Sanders, Boxer Propose Climate Change Bills" by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Article: "Hillary Clinton Begins to Move Away From Obama Ahead of 2016" by Peter Nicholas.

Site: The Common Sense Revival.

Article: "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, 2014 Update: How the U.S. Health Care System Compares Internationally" by Karen Davis, Kristof Stremikis, David Squires, Cathy Schoen.

Article: "It's a Fact: Republican Run Red States Have America's Highest Poverty Rates" by Rmuse.

Article: "States That Raised Their Minimum Wages Are Experiencing Faster Job Growth" by Bryce Covert.

Article: "Do Republicans Want America to Become a Third World Country?" by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Hour Two: We know who the NSA is spying on
- Shahid Buttar, Bill of Rights Defense Committee  

Article: "NSA Spied On Five Politically Active American Citizens, The Intercept Reports" by Ryan Grim.

Article: "Church Committee", 1975-6.

Bill: "H.R.2818 - Surveillance State Repeal Act" by Rep. Holt, Rush [D-NJ-12].

Article: "JUSTICE Act" by ACLU.

Law: "Patriot Act", October 26, 2001.

Law: "FISA Amendments Act of 2008", July 10, 2008.

 

Article: "House candidate Nancy Skinner makes climate a centerpiece issue - in a winnable race" by Gaius Publius.

Article: "Americans Have Spent Enough Money On A Broken Plane To Buy Every Homeless Person A Mansion" by Hayes Brown.

Article: "The Big Lie at the Core of Pete Peterson's Attack on the Baby Boomers" by William K. Black.

Article: "Proposed U.S. - China Bilateral Investment Treaty Would Expose U.S. Laws to Extrajudicial Attacks by Chinese Corporations Operating Here, Incentivize More Offshoring of American Jobs" by Dan Hockensmith.

 

Article: "Marijuana Retailers Now Open For Business in Washington State" by Mark Taylor-Canfield.

Law: "William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008", January 1, 2008.

Article: "Flores v. Meese - Stipulated Settlement Agreement" by ACLU.

Article: "14 facts that help explain America's child-migrant crisis" by Dara Lind.

Article: "Anwar al-Awlaki" by Wikipedia.

Site: Progressive Democrats of America.

Clip: Phone conversation between Richard Nixon and President Lyndon Johnson, November 8, 1968.

 

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Bob Ney 

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman.

Book: "Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill" by Robert Ney.

Article: "Obama meets Perry and links border patrol changes to spending package" by Dan Roberts.

Article: "Graham: GOP must pony up emergency border funds or take blame" by Mike Lillis and Bernie Becker.

Article: "Cowboy boots? 'No thanks, they're bad for my back,' says Texas governor" by Philip Sherwell.

Article: "34 Most Demented Things in the Texas GOP Platform" by Janet Allon.

Article: "Benghazi: 2 days, 2 distinct attacks on Americans" by Donna Cassata and Bradley Klapper.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 7/9" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "TRNS News Notes- 7/10/14" by Victoria Jones.

Hour Three: Christians only...all others convert?!
- Rev. Bill Keller, LivePrayer.com 

Article: "Liveprayer's Keller Challenges Terror Leader al-Baghdali to Modern Day 'Mt. Carmel' Showdown" by Rev. Bill Keller.

Article: "Religious Freedom in Peril" by Nicholas Kristof.

Article: "New Tribes Mission" by Wikipedia.

Bible: "John 18:10-11".

 

Article: "Supreme Court Says Obama's NLRB Recess Appointments Were Unconstitutional" by Brett LoGiurato.

Article: "Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan & Kevin McCarthy: Plot To Sabotage US Economy with Frank Luntz" by keepemhonest.

Article: "Golden Rule" by Wikipedia.

Case: "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission" (2010).

Bible: "Matthew 10:14" "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.".

Bible: "Luke 9:5" "If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.".

Book: "The Five Gospels: What Did Jesus Really Say? The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus" by Robert W. Funk.

Article: "Elaine Pagels".

Bible: "Mark 12:30-31" "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."".

Bible: "Matthew 28:19" "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost".

Site: callcongress.org.

Site: Move to Amend

Article: "Constitution of the United States", article 3 section 2. "... the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make..."

Case: "Burwell v. Hobby Lobby", 2014.

Law: "Religious Freedom Restoration Act", 1993.

Article: "Are UFOs real? Famous people who believed".

Article: "Bill Clinton 'Wouldn't be Surprised' if Aliens Exist" by Dan Good.

  

Friday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET 

We'll have the best of the rest of the news...all the latest news & information you won't be hearing from the corporate owned news media...

 

And, the best of the rest of the news along with your calls right here on...

 

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Watch Thom on: - MSNBC's The Cycle
- CNN's Crossfire
- Democracy Now!

Full Show 7/9/14: NSA Spying on Muslim Americans

Thom discusses the spying of five politically active Muslim Americans by the NSA with Corey Saylor with the Council on American Islamic Relations and whether Nixon was guilty of treason with Consortium News' Founder Robert Parry. Tonight's "Lone Liberal Rumble" discusses whether the Hobby Lobby decision will be overturned by Congress, whether the Hobby Lobby decision will allow Gitmo detainees their religious freedom and what to do with the child migrant crisis on the border. In tonight's "Daily Take" Thom discusses how we dodged a nuclear bullet with the weakening of Typhoon Neoguri in Japan.

Caller: George Ain't my Father and Jesus Ain't my Savior!

The Thom Hartmann Program - July 10, 2014

Hartmann to Rev. Keller: REPENT!

Brunch With Bernie - July 10, 2014

Caller: Stocking Shelves Not Worth $10 an Hour

What the Bible says about Contraception

How to Become Your Own Supreme Court

We Need a new way to Judge our Economy

Economy...Boom or Bubble

Hartmann: U.S. Economy Needs More Demand

Caller: I was Denied Disability Because of Medical Marijuana