From the BBC:

The rise in humanity's emissions of carbon dioxide has accelerated sharply, according to a new analysis.

The Global Carbon Project says that emissions were rising by less than 1% annually up to the year 2000, but are now rising at 2.5% per year.

It says the acceleration comes mainly from a rise in charcoal consumption and a lack of new energy efficiency gains.

<sad irony>Kudos to those entrepreneurially-minded Iraq insurgents! From oil smuggling to profitable crime to corrupt Islamic charities, the insurgents are paying their own way, a classified U.S. government report finds. They may even be profitable enough to suppor other insurgencies!</sad irony>

   more »

The Washington Post is reporting on a classified U.S. Marine Corps report on how badly the fight is going in Sunni Muslim-dominated Anbar province, where al Qaeda in Iraq continues to grow in popularity. Essentially, the Marines say the insurgency there cannot be defeated.

   more »

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says Iraq is almost in a state of civil war.

Here's a Nov. 26 NYT analysis on when a country has reached a state of civil war (hint: Many experts say Iraq has crossed that threshold).

If you haven't already seen it, go to The Daily Show's website later this afternoon and watch the clip of White House Press Secretary Tony Snow trying to explain why the situation in Iraq shouldn't be considered a civil war.