A single bird can take out a jet engine, with potentially catastrophic results. There is, however, an ingenious, humane and natural way of keeping the birds out of the path of airplanes as they take off and land.
A single bird can take out a jet engine, with potentially catastrophic results. There is, however, an ingenious, humane and natural way of keeping the birds out of the path of airplanes as they take off and land.
Thirty-five years on from the Boldt Decision, whole new generations in the northwest are experiencing salmon war fatigue. Millions upon millions of dollars have been spent on failed mitigation, lawyers have retired after [...]
Thirty-five years on from the Boldt Decision, whole new generations in the northwest are experiencing salmon war fatigue. Millions upon millions of dollars have been spent on failed mitigation, lawyers have retired after [...]
Talk about a news dump: on New Year's Eve the Bureau of Logging and Mining finalized its Western Oregon Plan Revisions to the Northwest Forest Plan.
This WOPR wasn't wanted by Governor Kulongoski, NOAA, the EPA, the Forest Service, hunting, fishing, and tourism interests (representing a significant chunk [...]
Talk about a news dump: on New Year's Eve the Bureau of Logging and Mining finalized its Western Oregon Plan Revisions to the Northwest Forest Plan.
This WOPR wasn't wanted by Governor Kulongoski, NOAA, the EPA, the Forest Service, hunting, fishing, and tourism interests (representing a significant chunk' [...]
The opportunity is before us to bring focus to [energy and global warming] across campaigns, across the United States, and make Energy/Global Warming a winning issue come November and a higher priority for serious Congressional and [...]
The opportunity is before us to bring focus to [energy and global warming] across campaigns, across the United States, and make Energy/Global Warming a winning issue come November and a higher priority for serious Congressional and [...]
To all those grassroots workers and volunteers and community organizers on a marvelous job putting reason and hope, truth and progress, insight and foresight back into play in Washington politics. :-) [...]
T Boone Pickens continues his hard sell efforts when it comes to the flawed Pickens' Plan. Yesterday, a bipartisan group of bloggers had a teleconference with T Boone. If one listens through 'the call', several points might jump out:
1. The bloggers seem have an uneven understanding of energy issues [...]
Maybe it is the nearness of the event we've been anticipating all year - yes, the annual Ig Nobel Awards will be given out on October 2nd - or maybe it's just something in the air - and it turns out there are some unpleasant possibilities there - [...]
Award season is upon us already. Kicking it off, the Center for Biological Diversity has given Alaska governor Sarah Palin its coveted Dodo Award for 2008 for her denial of human-caused global warming and her extraordinary efforts to fight off any legal protection for the polar bear.
Although this talk was given a year ago, the good folks at TED just now got around to making it public.
Ewango is a botanist, former poacher, and winner of the 2005 Goldman Prize for his heroic efforts to protect the DRC's Okapi Faunal Reserve in the chaos [...]
Since diving into the deep end when it comes to energy issues, almost every day sees new fascinating concepts, approaches, and technologies. Fascinating ... exciting ... even hope inspiring at times. And, as well, as the passion builds, so many of these are truly Energy COOL.
Over the years I have ventured far and wide, but I have never encountered such severe reaction to my travel plans as I did before this trip to Pakistan.
"Pakistan! You must be crazy! Are you insane?"
That was the general consensus, and I do understand. This is a [...]
This video is the rage among the Global Warming denial sect, as they pass it around and post it with great glee following Carlin's death. Their RIP is a celebration that George was one of theirs.
You got people around you.
The country's full of them right now, people walking [...]
I assume most readers of this site know already of the Climate Crisis Coalition and their distribution of environmental news bits. Today we have the usual assortment of goodies to read from their site. Everyone may receive a daily summary of this new by subscription on the website. [...]
Climate Change Adaptation and the Transition to a Low Carbon Society
Since 2005, the Academies of Science for the G8+5 countries have called on world leaders to limit the threat of climate change. We have advised prompt action to deal with the causes of climate change and
cautioned that some climate [...]
We could easily ask: Washington Post editors, are you idiots? In publishing George F. Will's Carbon Power Brokers, the Post editorial board is complicit in the dissemination of deceptiveness and falsehoods surrounding policy making on what likely will be the most significant issue of the 21st century. The [...]
The Physicians for Social Responsibility have stepped with a strong statement about the Lieberman-Warner Climate inSecurity Act's inadequacies and requirements for strengthening it.
In June the U.S. Senate will begin debate on legislation to address global warming. The Climate Security Act, S. 3036, fails to meet the [...]
The entire thirty-minute version and other clips, are available here. (I had the full version embedded here, but it seems to be disagreeing with the blog.)
Humanity today, collectively, must face the uncomfortable fact that industrial civilization itself has become the principal driver of global climate. If [...]
Holy you-know-what. 10% of Ohio is on food stamps (almost double from 2001), and even more people are eligible for them but not receiving them. 1.1 million Ohioans receive food stamps, and 500,000 more are eligible.
This is BAD. Look at the requirements for food stamp eligibility. Over 14% of [...]
I'm on the winning side of an issue! What happened? Am I dreaming? <pinches self> No. Am I becoming a Republican? OK, absolutely not. And yet... an issue I care deeply about, the freedom to label rBGH-free milk, seems to be going my way. How could that be?
On the occasion of his 90th birthday in December, he recorded this video expressing his three wishes: Contact with extraterrestrial life, an end to the oil addiction and the rise of a green energy economy, and peace in his beloved Sri Lanka.
If you could identify a father of America's organic standards, Harry MacCormack would be it. He's been farming organically since before the term existed. Of course, during his childhood in upstate New York, there was no need for the term. No one used chemicals yet, so there was no alternative [...]
Solutions are the key to better living for one and all. I am guilty as anyone else of sometimes standing around and pointing out the problems which all can see without my advice. This approach often leads to a case of seeing the forest and not recognizing the trees. We [...]
For most of my life I have been a dreamer. As a child I sat many a fine hour on a creek bank with a cork floating on the water (often with no bait on the hook) and dreamed of other times and other places. In those years science fiction [...]
the current news and links on Terra Preta (TP) soils and closed-loop pyrolysis of Biomass, this integrated virtuous cycle could sequester 100s of Billions of tons of carbon to the soils.
This technology represents the most comprehensive, low cost, and productive approach to long term stewardship and sustainability.Terra [...]
The American Legion is asking its members to use their power in moving Congress to pass the Bush legislation giving full telecom immunity from prosecution for their cooperation in illegal wiretaps. Over at the Big Orange a few days ago, front page author McJoan had a [...]
In the face of the potential for catastrophic climate change and global warming, "geo-engineering" is an arena getting a little attention and some press, such as W Broad, NYT Times
Geoengineering is the deliberate modification of Earth's environment on a large scale "to suit human needs and promote [...]
Lost in the hoopla and frenzy of the 2008 Presidential Campaign over the past couple of weeks was an overlooked (though important) anniversary in the Peoples Republic of China. In February 1978 -- a year or so after Chairman Mao Zedong's [...]
In the last days of January, I got an email with an undercover video of cow torture in a beef plant. Probably some crazy PETA thing going around I figured. I ignored it. Not that cruelty to animals isn't a valid issue, but there are ALWAYS videos of animal abuse [...]
A research team from the University of St Andrew's accidentally ran into a pod of sperm whales sleeping at the surface off the Chilean coast. The boat was not powered at the time, and the scientists did not realize what was happening until they were already drifting through the [...]
Cocco performing Dugong no Mieru Oka during Live Earth. At her website, Cocco has provided an enhanced version, including her emotional introductory remarks and news footage of the dugong sighting in Oharu Bay last June which inspired the song - all with English subtitles.
Yesterday I spent an hour speaking with David, a former meatpacker at a Tyson hog plant in Iowa. The conversation left me near tears, and I wonder at how David has been able to pick himself up and move on - or for that matter, do anything other than curl [...]
Energy and Global Warming are complex, multifaceted, deep subjects. They are beyond the ability of any single person to totally master. And, a great challenge to those focused on them is seeking how to communicate, in a meaningful way, to those who don't have the ability to dedicate huge chunks [...]
An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore's Nobel Prize, Live Earth, and countless articles on the topics of the global climate crisis have put global warming on everybody's radar as of late. Green products/services are trendier than ever, and there is even a cache to driving a hybrid. And yet, the majority [...]
Barack Obama stopped for a campaign appearance in downtown Wilmington, DE, earlier today. My wife and I were privileged to be among the several thousands (estimated at 20,000 on local radio) in attendance. We live just north of the city and were worried about parking and access and all [...]
On this day, January 23, 1976, one of the greatest Americans of the twentieth century died a nearly forgotten man in self-imposed seclusion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The world has changed. The sole face, the sole name that seems to compete with Mickey Mouse or Ronald McDonald or a Pokemon figure for instant awareness among children seems to be Martin Luther King. The world does change. And, it can change for the better.
It was the repeated assertion from Deval Patrick that "there is more than one bottom line,"" as much as anything else, that drew me to join his campaign for governor, early on, in the spring of 2005. I threw myself into this campaign with all my [...]
Yesterday, I read an arousing Daily Kos diary, HOW TO BE A CLIMATE HERO (which had been crossposted from Truth & Progress -- nice blog, folks!). The author, Audrey Schulman, described breaking through her fellow passengers' paralysis in order to bring help to a woman who was undergoing a [...]
I hate to repeat the same old topics in these diaries but this is a case where I feel forced to. In New Jersey, a flurry of emails from citizens defeated the all-powerful Monsanto. We need a big push of emails to do the same in Pennsylvania. If Monsanto gets [...]
One afternoon last summer, I was on a commuter train when I heard someone yelling behind me. I didn't pay attention because I was breaking up a fight between my kids. I figured the noise was from some college students having fun. The third time the person yelled, I turned [...]
What are they waiting for? is an excellent question from the League of Conservation Voters and an excellent site. As I've noted before, if we judge their views by the issues they raise with presidential candidates, global warming simply does not exist for TV pundits like [...]
As it stands, the US Housing Market is crumbling – quite literally – as hundreds of thousands of homes all across the country are in desperate need of a greenovation…having been built some 20 to 30 years ago at a time when the depletion of our natural resources and [...]
Make no mistake: Gore will not - and technically cannot - run in the Democratic primary next year. The Draft Gore movement has indeed respected his wishes and shut down shop, the latest of which has been DraftGore.com. But for whatever reason, that has not stopped the speculation and [...]
First there was The Bali Communiqué, signed by the heads of 150 global corporations begging political leaders for action.
Even an immediate peaking in global emissions would require a subsequent reduction of at least 50% by 2050, according to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate [...]
Now I know the truth about Bush's strategy to fight Islamic extremism. It all comes together now... bloody oil wars, refusing to sign Kyoto, denying global warming... He's trying to make the world's largest Muslim nation, Indonesia, disappear into the sea.
Ever since the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863 during the American Civil War -- when President Abraham Lincoln committed the Union to ending slavery -- the issue of race has bedeviled not just the United States [...]
When it comes to the public's reaction to an issue, we all know the term for an issue is critical. Bush showed us that with his policies of "Healthy Forests" and "Clear Skies." From the moment either of those pieces of legislation got their name, people's reactions to them were [...]
Truth & Progress would like to congratulate Peter Garrett on the occasion of his appointment as Environment Minister for the Commonwealth of Australia, as well as Senator Penny Wong, the new - and first - Minister for Climate Change, now a separate portfolio in the Rudd government.
Earlier this morning, a young, widely-misunderstood African-American man died from a bullet wound in a Miami, Florida hospital. Outside of the Washington, DC area and the close fraternity that is the National Football League and the city of Miami -- where he was a star football player for the University [...]
According to the New York Times, Pennsylvania just banned all "rBGH-free" labels on dairy products, effective January 1, 2008. The move was taken by the state's Secretary of Agriculture, Dennis Wolff.
I promise I will abstain from any puns using the phrase "guarding the henhouse" in this diary.
DISCLAIMER: This is not about investing for your direct financial security but investing in our common future, If interested, continue with this discussion of a new path toward Investing in a Progressive Future.
Political Mutual Funds
It is a complex challenge to decide how to donate money. There are so many important [...]
Nobody wants their kids tossed around as political footballs, and yet, when it comes to school lunch, that's the case. On the right correct side of the politics of school lunch are those who care about climate change, conservation, hunger, and childhood obesity.
Grist, in cooperation with NRDC and several groups, invited all the presidential candidates to a forum on climate change and energy policy to be held today at 2 pm pacific, 5 eastern.
Only Clinton, Edwards, and Kucinich have agreed to show up, today of all days, literally a few hours [...]
Olympia Port Militarization Resistance (OlyPMR) has been trying to physically blockade movement of military equipment in and out of the Port of Oympia (Washington). For a while Friday, they gained physical control of the gates when police declined to pepperspray infants in the crowd.
This brief slide show from the Boston Globe today is worth a click just for a little perspective on the non-human cost of the Iraq War. It touches on Education, Healthcare, and public works, just to mention a few.
I like the "localness" of the items that made the [...]
I can't yet say exactly when the election will occur, but right now it's looking like Feb 5th for the Presidential primary AND the 5 anticipated special elections here in Massachusetts. No matter when it occurs, I'll be there. To [...]
Well, when it comes to front pages in regards to Global Warming, it is Vice President Al Gore (and, well, elected but not sworn in President Gore) who (very legitimately) has the headlines and receives the (global) accolades.
Jimmy Carter is one of the two best ex-Presidents the United States has [...]
Imagine a public figure that took responsibility for his actions, and the actions of his underlings. A leader who, when a problem was discovered in his organization, didn't hide and deny and obfuscate, but acknowledged it, then attacked the problem root and branch and cleaned it up.
Fresh-packed from the upper left coast.
Looking for a little peace and quiet? Gordon Hempton claims to have found the quietest spot in the continental US at 47? 51.959N, 123? 52.221W. And he intends to keep it that way. From his fascinating website, One Square Inch:
When it comes to climate disruption, most people worry about the effect of their driving. They assume that's where they're doing the most damage. However if you're an average American, your home emits as much as your car. If you add in your [...]
As a person in real estate and wanting to make a difference, I looked around and saw a tremendous need. A need for the current MLS (multiple listing service) system across the country to properly promote green, energy efficient and [...]
(The small youtubes embedded on the left side of the page are parts 1-3 of Buddha's Dream, with Riley Lee on shakuhachi.)
The IUCN is generally recognized as the most authoritative body on the state of and trends in global biodiversity. But there are a few things about the [...]
'ya hang around some of the less savory places I do on occasion and you're bound to bump into this sweet-smelling bad actor named, Trichloroethylene, or TCE. You might recall that this bad actor had a lead in the book and movie [...]
A few minutes ago, I received a phone call from Paris from an old grad school friend of mine who said that Sky News just broadcast a report about secret negotiations between Al Gore and Nicholas Sarkozy over Gore's political future.
Bush cites his "global war on terror" and the need for energy independence as reasons to legalize the killing of mountains from a range that has lived for millions of years. There is no way to bring back the over 450 mountaintops that have been razed solely to [...]
British Columbia seems serious about its announced goal of reducing carbon emissions by one third by 2020. How? Finance Minister Carole Taylor won't announce the final plan until February, but is seriously considering the real thing.