Conflicted
Sorry, i have been MIA for a week or so.
So, i really like John McCain ( not saying im voting for him- i promise i am going to keep my political opinions out of this) and i think he has always tried to be a friend of the environment in his own way. Of course he could do more but so could we all. Right?
Well, yesterday he proposed to lift a 27-year federal moratorium on new oil and gas drilling along the nation's coastline. But he did say he was still opposed to drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, which makes me a little at ease.
So here is the conflict this struggling environmentalist has- GAS is so expensive and I want the US to be able to explore other options.
In the meantime here is what our presidential candidates have to say on the issue.
John McCain
I believe it is time for federal government to lift these restrictions and put our own reserves to use," .
"Off-shore drilling", McCain said is "safe enough these days that not even hurricanes Katrina and Rita could cause significant spillage from the battered rigs off the coasts of New Orleans and Houston,"
Barack Obama
He called McCain's proposal a "short-term political posturing from Washington, not the long-term leadership we need to solve our dependence on oil." Obama called for imposing a windfall- profits tax on oil companies and urged investing "in the affordable renewable sources of energy that Sen. McCain has opposed in the past."
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Weather extremes consistent with global warming
This is a very interesting article on Global Warming and the recent floods in the midwest. I dont understand how our government officials can continue to ignore this climate crisis we are in. In one of the debates this fall or maybe it was after one- i remember John McCain (im conflicted about him right now, btw- about to post why) saying something like so what if we find out 50 years from now that there was nothing we could do prevent global warming- then what's the worse we have done- made our air cleaner? Now how is that so bad?
Makes sense to me- how about you?
My heart and prayers go out to all those in the flooded areas. Hang in there!
Here's the link to the article
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-06-19-global-warming-impacts-north-america_N.htm?csp=34
Makes sense to me- how about you?
My heart and prayers go out to all those in the flooded areas. Hang in there!
Here's the link to the article
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2008-06-19-global-warming-impacts-north-america_N.htm?csp=34
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
African Landmarks at Risk
Some of Africa's most famous landscapes such as snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro and Lake Chad, are at risk of vanishing forever as a result of global warming, a new UN report warned Tuesday
The head of the United Nations' environment programme (UNEP) unveiled a new atlas of Africa which mapped out its changing nature.
The atlas showed images of more than 100 landmarks taken over the course of the last 35 years.
Included in the atlas were satellite images of Mount Kilimanjaro's glaciers which have been disappearing since the beginning of the 20th century.
The survey warned that Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, could be snow-free by 2020. Lake Chad and Lake Victoria, two of the continent's most important water sources, were both shown to be drying up.
The atlas showed images of more than 100 landmarks taken over the course of the last 35 years.
Included in the atlas were satellite images of Mount Kilimanjaro's glaciers which have been disappearing since the beginning of the 20th century.
The survey warned that Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, could be snow-free by 2020. Lake Chad and Lake Victoria, two of the continent's most important water sources, were both shown to be drying up.
Highlights from AFP article and report:
"Loss of forest is a major concern in 35 countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Nigeria and Rwanda, among others," said the survey which was released in Johannesburg".
"Africa is losing more than four million hectares (a little under 15,500 square miles) of forest every year -- twice the world's average deforestation rate, says the Atlas. Meanwhile, some areas across the continent are said to be losing over 50 tonnes of soil per hectare per year"
"The survey said that erosion and chemical and physical damage have degraded about 65 percent of the continent's farmlands".
"In addition, slash and burn agriculture, coupled with the high occurrence of lightning across Africa, is thought to be responsible for wild fires,".
"Loss of forest is a major concern in 35 countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Nigeria and Rwanda, among others," said the survey which was released in Johannesburg".
"Africa is losing more than four million hectares (a little under 15,500 square miles) of forest every year -- twice the world's average deforestation rate, says the Atlas. Meanwhile, some areas across the continent are said to be losing over 50 tonnes of soil per hectare per year"
"The survey said that erosion and chemical and physical damage have degraded about 65 percent of the continent's farmlands".
"In addition, slash and burn agriculture, coupled with the high occurrence of lightning across Africa, is thought to be responsible for wild fires,".
The Full report can be found here:
How Global Warming Will Hurt Crops
There was a great article in US News and World Report on the impact of Global Warming on American farmers. Scientist conducted extensive research on the effect Climate Change is having on US Agriculture. The report says that "Temperatures in the United States will rise on average by about 1.2 degrees Celsius by 2040, with carbon dioxide levels up more than 15 percent. The consequences for American-grown food, the report finds, will most likely be far-reaching: Some crop yields are predicted to drop; growing seasons will get longer and use more water; weeds and shrubs will grow faster and spread into new territory, some of it arable farmland; and insect and crop disease outbreaks will become more frequent." Hmmmm, i am really seeing consequences of this myself. If you have a dog, have you noticed that fleas have been awful the last two summer. The winters are not as long and cold as they used to be. Which means the fleas are not dying as much.
I promise this article is very interesting- so i encourage you to read the full version. I promise, if it was very boring i would take it apart for you. Anyway, the link is below. Let me know what you think and if you have noticed any changes already.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2008/05/28/how-global-warming-will-hurt-crops.html
I promise this article is very interesting- so i encourage you to read the full version. I promise, if it was very boring i would take it apart for you. Anyway, the link is below. Let me know what you think and if you have noticed any changes already.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/2008/05/28/how-global-warming-will-hurt-crops.html
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
NIMLI
I found this website today and i LOVE it. They have some really fashionable clothing and great gift ideas! http://www.nimli.com/. I Love the dress pictured. It's made by EcoSkin and it's made out of bamboo- which has become very popular in the last couple of years. We thought about using it for some of our products (did i mention i own an apparel company?) but decided against it- maybe i will save that story for my next "confession"
From their website:
"Nimli is an online retailer devoted to providing natural, organic, and sustainable lifestyle products while embracing style and aesthetic. Nimli offers clothing, accessories, home décor, beauty products and much more from independent designers who combine their effortless creativity with our environmentally conscious ethics. We offer an array of ecologically friendly products that are natural, organic, recycled, sweatshop-free, and cruelty-free. We are firmly aligned with a lifestyle that cultivates a green conscious mind, body, and soul"
"Nimli is an online retailer devoted to providing natural, organic, and sustainable lifestyle products while embracing style and aesthetic. Nimli offers clothing, accessories, home décor, beauty products and much more from independent designers who combine their effortless creativity with our environmentally conscious ethics. We offer an array of ecologically friendly products that are natural, organic, recycled, sweatshop-free, and cruelty-free. We are firmly aligned with a lifestyle that cultivates a green conscious mind, body, and soul"
TOGETHER
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon along with leading businesses and non profit groups came "together" today(http://www.together.com/) to to launch "Together" -- the largest-ever consumer engagement campaign on climate change.
Together's mission is to make it easier for every American to fight climate change. Together and its partners realize that many Americans want to help fight climate change but research shows they are unsure on what they can do. Together plans to help people with simple steps they can take to help reduce their impact on the planet.
"Protecting our environment is a job that belongs to each one of us. It means more than companies changing their practices or governments changing their policies. It means each person finding ways to change the little things in our lives that will in turn have a huge positive impact on the world around us. Together will help make this possible," said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "By making it easier and more affordable for Americans to fight climate change, we are taking a giant step towards a brighter and cleaner future. I extend my best wishes for every success in saying 'Hasta la Vista' to climate change."
"Protecting our environment is a job that belongs to each one of us. It means more than companies changing their practices or governments changing their policies. It means each person finding ways to change the little things in our lives that will in turn have a huge positive impact on the world around us. Together will help make this possible," said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "By making it easier and more affordable for Americans to fight climate change, we are taking a giant step towards a brighter and cleaner future. I extend my best wishes for every success in saying 'Hasta la Vista' to climate change."
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Confession
When i was in High School i had a "secret" eating problem. I didn't want anyone to see me eat- Once i drove about 40 miles out of town and picked up a hot fudge sundae cake and onion rings. The 40 miles back were spent shoving then in my face- that's so sick, i know! Anyway, for some reason, when i finished - i don't know what came over me- i tossed the entire bag out the window of my car. Let, me tell you- i have never felt so guilty. I felt like a piece of trash myself and from that day on I have vowed never to litter again. Its so disgusting- I mean, i see all the crap on the side of the road and it makes me so sick. Someone once put littering into perspective by saying - (try to look at it this way) would you walk into your parents house and throw a coke can on the floor? So why would you throw one on God's floor. Anyway, so that's my confession for the week- i once was a litter bug.
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