Breathe Safely

e-waste is a big concern with cell phones, cameras, tvs and much more

2010-04-01T17:21:00.000-07:00

Electronic waste is a sometimes overlooked aspect of the waste that is being caused daily and in absurd numbers.

In fact it is reported that 125 million phones a year are thrown away a year and the average lifespan of a computer is only 3-5 years. Add in any number of household appliances and electronics and e-waste is here to stay.

How we deal with the issue is a different matter. It is easy for people to get into the habit of buying something and carelessly buying a replacement when something is not working properly. Those times are changing.

Websites offering services like iPhone screen repair are popping up everywhere capitalizing on a suffering economy. Like all bad things though, there is some good that comes from it. In terms of e-waste, lots of good has come out of it. In part due to changing financial times, the public is naturally trying to save money. As a result they are looking at ways to extend the use of their products at no or minimal charge. It turns into a good thing because people are saving money and there is less e-waste.

These efforts should be applauded but are also really just a reaction to a big and growing problem along with other waste management issues.

It is crazy to imagine how this stuff will be dealt with in 50 years.

Obama says Drill Baby Drill

2010-04-01T17:10:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON — Shaking up years of energy policy and his own environmental backers, President Barack Obama threw open a huge swath of East Coast waters and other protected areas in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico to drilling Wednesday, widening the politically explosive hunt for more homegrown oil and gas.

Obama's move allows drilling from Delaware to central Florida, plus the northern waters of Alaska, and exploration could begin 50 miles off the coast of Virginia by 2012. He also wants Congress to lift a drilling ban in the oil-rich eastern Gulf of Mexico, 125 miles from Florida beaches.

Still off limits: the entire Pacific seaboard. And in a nod to conservation, Obama canceled oil exploration in Alaska's Bristol Bay, deeming the area a national treasure.

For this oil-dependent nation, the decision could start to reshape far-reaching economic and national security policies, affecting where the U.S. gets the fuel for its cars, heating and energy-gulping industry.

For a president on a roll following a big health care win, Wednesday's drilling declaration was both aggressive and pragmatic. Even with a push for cleaner energy sources and efficient cars – and with promises of protection for ecosystems and coastal tourism – the nation still needs more oil, Obama said.

"The answer is not drilling everywhere all the time," Obama said in an event at Andrews Air Force Base. "But the answer is not, also, for us to ignore the fact that we are going to need vital energy sources to maintain our economic growth and our security."

Inside politically conscious Washington, Obama's announcement was viewed, too, as a play to win Republican support for a comprehensive climate change bill. Obama needs GOP help to move legislation through the Senate that would limit carbon emissions, a key priority, and his decision on drilling drew at least a bit of Republican applause.

Republican George W. Bush pushed for years to expand offshore drilling. He and Congress lifted bans on some drilling in 2008, when gasoline prices hit record levels. But Obama's plan is narrower than Bush's, which also would have opened up oil and gas leasing areas off California and in the North Atlantic.

Obama got a predictable pummeling Wednesday from environmentalists, who sarcastically compared him to Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate whose oil-promoting speech at the Republican National Convention in 2008 famously drew chants of "Drill, Baby, Drill!"

Any big changes to environmental policy – particularly oil drilling – tend to touch off the bitter debate that Obama says he wants the country to end.

His support for exploratory drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas north of Alaska, for example, drew outrage from the Center for Biological Diversity as a threat to polar bears. "Short of sending Sarah Palin back to Alaska to personally club polar bears to death, the Obama administration could not have come up with a more efficient extinction plan for the polar bear," said Brendan Cummings, the center's senior counsel.

More broadly, the conservation group Oceana declared Obama was "unleashing a wholesale assault on the oceans."

Obama has been a supporter of drilling as part of a broader energy agenda, and the White House played down any talk of wooing Republicans.

But it is clear the president wants to show the opposition party that he is willing to come toward them with hopes the GOP will do the same in return. He has already done so on nuclear energy. However, winning a broad climate and energy bill remains an enormous lift for Obama in this election year.

"He could certainly point to this: `Look, I've moved away from where we were even a year ago, so let's work something out,'" said Guy Caruso, an energy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former Department of Energy administrator. "Whether it's enough? I doubt it. But it's a step."

Indeed, the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said it was a step in the right direction. But he chided Obama for leaving too many exploratory areas off limits and questioned whether the administration would actually follow through and open areas for oil production. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a key negotiator with the White House on the energy bill, said he listened to Obama with "great interest."

As for the fallout from environmental activists, White House spokesman Bill Burton said, "None of this should have been a surprise to anybody. We've been talking about all these different elements for a very long time and the president is following through on promises."

While the first lease sale for an area 50 miles off the Virginia coast could come as early as 2012, development in other areas of the South Atlantic would still be years away, according to the Interior Department's leasing plans released Wednesday. The department said it plans seismic studies, environmental reviews and public meetings in the regions involved to determine if leases should be offered in those areas between 2012 and 2017.

Obama's plan to open more of the eastern Gulf of Mexico would require Congress to lift a drilling moratorium it imposed several years ago. An energy bill before the Senate would open an even wider area of the eastern Gulf than Obama is proposing, allowing drilling within 45 miles of some of Florida's coast.

Access to oil and gas in South Atlantic waters also would probably meet stiff resistance from the coastal states unless Congress first enacts a plan to share the billions of dollars in potential revenue from lease sales and oil and gas development. And that's not easy.

Lawmakers from coastal states that would benefit have been pushing for that, but some other senators argue that proceeds from oil and gas resources in federal waters should go to the U.S. Treasury.

Obama is trying to push several levers at once.

As part of his oil announcement, Obama said his government would release new requirements Thursday requiring automakers to build more fuel-efficient cars and trucks. The standards include first-ever rules on vehicle greenhouse gas emissions, which have been blamed for global warming.

For a bit of imagery, Obama stood in front of a Navy F-18 fighter scheduled to fly on Earth Day with a half-biomass fuel mix.

He implored people to accept a middle ground between viewing drilling as a cure-all or claiming it has no place in an energy portfolio.

Said the president: "This issue is just too important to allow our progress to languish while we fight the same old battles."

Any big changes to environmental policy – particularly oil drilling – tend to touch off the bitter debate that Obama says he wants the country to end.

His support for exploratory drilling in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas north of Alaska, for example, drew outrage from the Center for Biological Diversity as a threat to polar bears. "Short of sending Sarah Palin back to Alaska to personally club polar bears to death, the Obama administration could not have come up with a more efficient extinction plan for the polar bear," said Brendan Cummings, the center's senior counsel.

More broadly, the conservation group Oceana declared Obama was "unleashing a wholesale assault on the oceans."

Obama has been a supporter of drilling as part of a broader energy agenda, and the White House played down any talk of wooing Republicans.

But it is clear the president wants to show the opposition party that he is willing to come toward them with hopes the GOP will do the same in return. He has already done so on nuclear energy. However, winning a broad climate and energy bill remains an enormous lift for Obama in this election year.

"He could certainly point to this: `Look, I've moved away from where we were even a year ago, so let's work something out,'" said Guy Caruso, an energy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a former Department of Energy administrator. "Whether it's enough? I doubt it. But it's a step."

Indeed, the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said it was a step in the right direction. But he chided Obama for leaving too many exploratory areas off limits and questioned whether the administration would actually follow through and open areas for oil production. GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a key negotiator with the White House on the energy bill, said he listened to Obama with "great interest."

As for the fallout from environmental activists, White House spokesman Bill Burton said, "None of this should have been a surprise to anybody. We've been talking about all these different elements for a very long time and the president is following through on promises."

While the first lease sale for an area 50 miles off the Virginia coast could come as early as 2012, development in other areas of the South Atlantic would still be years away, according to the Interior Department's leasing plans released Wednesday. The department said it plans seismic studies, environmental reviews and public meetings in the regions involved to determine if leases should be offered in those areas between 2012 and 2017.

Obama's plan to open more of the eastern Gulf of Mexico would require Congress to lift a drilling moratorium it imposed several years ago. An energy bill before the Senate would open an even wider area of the eastern Gulf than Obama is proposing, allowing drilling within 45 miles of some of Florida's coast.

Access to oil and gas in South Atlantic waters also would probably meet stiff resistance from the coastal states unless Congress first enacts a plan to share the billions of dollars in potential revenue from lease sales and oil and gas development. And that's not easy.

Lawmakers from coastal states that would benefit have been pushing for that, but some other senators argue that proceeds from oil and gas resources in federal waters should go to the U.S. Treasury.

Obama is trying to push several levers at once.

As part of his oil announcement, Obama said his government would release new requirements Thursday requiring automakers to build more fuel-efficient cars and trucks. The standards include first-ever rules on vehicle greenhouse gas emissions, which have been blamed for global warming.

For a bit of imagery, Obama stood in front of a Navy F-18 fighter scheduled to fly on Earth Day with a half-biomass fuel mix.

He implored people to accept a middle ground between viewing drilling as a cure-all or claiming it has no place in an energy portfolio.

Said the president: "This issue is just too important to allow our progress to languish while we fight the same old battles."

Article via Huffington POst

More Swine Flu Goodness: Masks Don't Protect

2009-04-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

As pointed out so expertly on naturalnews.com, those paper masks you see people wearing about town in Mexico City and other places where the swine flu has broken out do not protect against the swine flu or other airborne diseases as is widely assumed.

The newscasts often show them in that context, and that could be a dangerous piece of subconscious information.

The masks are worn by surgeons in order to prevent themselves from transmitting their own germs to their patients but not to avoid the germs of their patients.

Yet the assumption among the swine flu-fearing citizens of North America is that these paper-thin masks will somehow protect them from germs when in reality they aren't helping much at all. Germs can still easily get through the small holes in the masks.

Some people might get a false sense of security wearing these masks for the swine flu and put themselves into potentially harmful situations they otherwise wouldn't, so it's important that the media as well as people around the world spread the word that these masks don't really protect people from swine flu.

The FDA has said as much even though they usually aren't the most trustworthy source. You'll need a full-fledged, tight gas mask in order to truly protect yourself against the swine flu.

But for now, lay low and focus on keeping your immune system strong as we wait for this swine flu "pandemic" to pass.

Swine Flu Prevention Tips

2009-04-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

The swine flu is here to stay and even though most people who read this blog are probably healthy enough to fight it off, it's a good idea for me to go ahead and post some basic tips on the swine flu outbreak and how to prevent it.

The first tip is that this flu is spread much like the regular flu we've all heard so much about, so keep close contact with strangers to a minimum as much as possible and stay away from germ-infested areas like hospitals and airports as much as possible.

Be really careful at the gym as well, you should disinfect all equipment before and after you use it and bring a towel with you if possible, especially in states like Texas where swine flu has been reported.

Here are some basic tips and etiquette for swine flu prevention:

Stay home from work or school- If you get sick, make sure you keep yourself in check and don't spread the flu to others, and go to a doctor if symptoms get bad or you suspect swine flu. This one is common sense but should be re-iterated.

Wash hands often- All flus are transmitted the same way but the risk can be prevented with simple hygiene. Grab a bottle of hand sanitizer if you live in an at-risk area and use constantly until the coast is clear.

Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth- This is the easiest way to spread swine flu after contacting it.

Feed your immune system to stop swine flu- Vitamin C, zinc, plenty of sunlight, etc. are all good ideas to keep your body ready, willing, and able to fight off all diseases. Swine flu can strike younger people in the 20-30 range but a good immune system is still the best defense against any disease.

Vegetarian Festival Hits Detroit Area

2009-04-26T12:55:00.001-07:00

Go to http://www.vegmichigan.org/ to check out some of the events going on in Ferndale, Michigan today.

It's a good thing when vegetarian lifestyles are celebrated as opposed to blasted like they often are in the mainstream media, at least on TV shows and in movies and advertisements, that is.

More vegetarians are obviously good for the planet.

Growing food will reduce emissions from methane gas from animals as well as waste runoff from all of the farm animals as well.

Plus, a vegetarian diet movement would save food overall when you take into account how necessary it is to commit lots of food resources to feeding the massive cows and keep them alive long enough to turn into beef.

Why doesn't the media see vegetarianism for what it is, a noble sacrifice for the planet and a healthy way to live?

Personally, I eat a lot of meat but I would cut that down to once per day (including chicken) if I could if not less. I think less meat consumption would be a good compromise for everyone but Americans obviously don't want to hear it.

Let's do our best to spread the word that vegetarianism is smart and not such an uncool thing to do in the future.

Earth Day Celebrations and Tips

2009-04-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

The celebration of Earth Day is upon us and everyone is looking for ways to help the environment.

But the most important way to celebrate the day and to keep the planet healthy is to SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS AND FARMS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

Put Global Warming, whether you believe in it or not, aside for a second on this Earth Day and follow me here.

It is without hesitation that I tell you that the cause of the Earth's problems, of the massive pollution of the Puget Sound in the Seattle area, of the awful state of our air and water, of the giant dead zones in the ocean...is the corporate pox upon the Earth, mainly through America.

They are the ones who eschew regulations in the name of obscene profit. Money is the most powerful motivator in the world and even one minor tweak or concession can cause MASS LOSS OF PROFITS for the wealthy elite.

They are the ones who drive local farmers out of business or cause them to use their corn for poisonous, obesity-causing, unnatural high fructose corn syrup, and the ones who allow runoff from massive corporate farms' animal manure to pollute the waterways.

Saving the Earth in this day and age is about a return to personal responsibility, about looking after each other and supporting good, honest businesses and people rather than the slave labor corporations like Wal-Mart and the massive industrial DDT and growth-hormone-pumping farms that are the cause of almost all of our problems.

As the Earth heads towards uncertain times, question everything. Question who new taxes and laws are really looking after (hint: follow the money), and question the very existence of Earth Day. Why do we need one in the first place?

Every day should be Earth Day.

Maybe some day we will have a true reason to have an Earth Day celebration.

We must attack the roots of the greed that has gotten us to this point. It's not about CO2 emissions as much as it is the overall toxicity of the instruments of mass capitalism.

Spread the word, do your own research. This is merely a blog on Earth Day and I have other work to do so I couldn't state this as elegantly as I wanted to do.

Let's make it happen and let's take care of each other. Let's watch out for the little guy.

More Urban Greening Projects

2009-04-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

The people of Detroit are a resilient bunch, well, a good deal of them at least. Unfortunately it doesn't take many people to screw things up for the rest of the city's citizens.

The people who have stayed behind are often quite upbeat, gritty, and idealistic about their sickly city.

On Saturday, park cleanup projects went down across the city which is a very important thing because all Detroit kids often see are blight and decay and burned out houses. Just getting in touch with nature is so important for inner city kids to see the big picture and what life is really all about.

I drove through one park on the southwest side where trash was strewn all over the place and there were only about three pieces of rusty playground equipment. It seemed like a potentially beautiful site just off of I-96 freeway but people had been dumping things there like trash of all kinds and even a small boat near the back.

The irresponsibility of a few citizens can easily mess up what a bunch of dedicated people can do in no time. That makes it much more honorable that so many people are so persistent with all the greening projects.

One lady I met taught local boys how to grow crops like potatoes and then had them sell them at a local market for spending cash. That's a beautiful thing right there.

The solutions to many of our inner cities' natural problems or at least support for a healthy lifestyle someday comes on the back of green projects like this and others.

Spread the word and let's try to beautify our urban areas as much as possible in the future.

HR 759 and HR 875: Both are Bad, but 759 Should Be Focus

2009-04-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Two bills that threaten to change the agricultural industry in America for the worse are set to make their way to the house to be voted upon soon.

HR 759 and HR 875 are both complex, gigantic behemoths that each require tons of study and lawyer-types to understand, but in the end, you simply need to know that they are both BAD NEWS for anyone who's a fan of healthy, environmentally sound farming practices.

ORGANIC FOOD COULD BE EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO COME BY IF THESE BILLS PASS.

Already organic food prices are too high for many struggling families to pay. These bills would make life hell on small farms by forcing them to adhere to tough standards, and by standards I mean the standards of large industrial farms.

To large farms, the standards are pesticide poisons by the gallon and other "modern" methods that make a mockery of everything nature attempts to provide to us.

HR 759 is the bill we need to watch most. It is most likely to pass and will be up for vote around memorial day so write your congressmen and women and reps now and voice your displeasure.

Big industrial farms are the reason why this so-called safety bill is being passed and now they want punish smaller farms and use them as scapegoats.

We're not having that, are we?

Do we want to see disease rates skyrocket across the board as pesticides and genetic modification in our food becomes commonplace?

Science can never replace nature. Never. Let's take care of business and SPREAD THE WORD because if this passes, there's no going back.

Don't Forget to Grab Some Sun Rays!

2009-04-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

The sun is finally shining down with all of the energy and warmth of a typical spring here in Michigan and across the midwest, and that means one thing according to what the media would have you believe: stay inside!

Am I right? Okay, so I exaggerated a bit, but the public has definitely been spooked into avoiding sun by many media sources because of skin cancer threats. They are quite valid, I must say, but that type of exposure and problem has been overblown a little bit.

Going out and taking the dog for a nice walk or cruising around with the top down in a convertible and everyday things of that nature is not much of a risk for the most part and only a small SPF sun block is usually needed.

On top of that, the health benefits for going out and getting some sun are too great to ignore.

People who stay inside too much are at risk for insomnia because the sunlight regulates our natural sleeping patterns and rhythms and allows us to store the right amount of melatonin for use later in the night after the sun goes down. People sleep better when they get out and enjoy the sun during the day.

Even if you're stuck at work, there's no excuse for not getting up and taking a break outside.

Also, most cases of vitamin D deficiency are the result of lack of sunlight as opposed to not drinking enough milk as the money-grubbing dairy campaigns would have you believe. Sunlight is the best source for natural Vitamin D and there is growing evidence that vitamin D deficiencies can lead to some pretty bad diseases such as multiple sclerosis, although more research is needed.

Be sure to get at least a solid amount of sun each day when the opportunity presents itself.

Why is Fluoride in Our Water?

2009-04-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

It sounds simple, but it's anything but easy. Of course, a lot of politics seem to go into it.

So why is Fluoride in many Americans' water supplies, anyway?

The Web site http://www.fluoridealert.org/ is a good source of information for this toxic substance that many people unknowingly bombard themselves with every day.

Fluoride was originally added to water in order to help prevent tooth decay, or at least that's what the story was at the time. Aluminum company marketed adding the fluoride to water as a way to make money off of their smokestack byproducts by pushing the myth that fluoride would help with dental problems. It was and still is all about money, which is the chief reason why awful things like this generally occur in our modern, greed-poisoned society.

But many recent studies have found that fluoride is only marginally beneficial to better teeth health if it offers any benefit at all, and the trade-off is definitely not worth it, that's for sure.

Places that have fluoridated Water have seen side effects such as men with fewer sperm count, higher autism case amounts, add, adhd, and learning disability proliferation is, significantly higher, more heart disease issues, thyroid problems, and even lowered IQ and adverse effects on the brain are possible.

Fluoride is considered a poison when it is in the air and in our waterways according to the book "The Hundred-Year Lie" by Randall Fitzgerald about the deceptive practices of the FDA and how people think it protects them from health issues when it really often only exasperates them. But in our drinking water, it is supposed to help us. That is pure insanity.

In western Europe, most countries have rejected water fluoridation, including: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Switzerland, according to flouridealert.org.

Some towns have managed to vote against and get fluoride removed from their water in some cases so contact your local government and raise the issue if you're concerned about fluoride contamination in your water, which you should be.

Tell everyone you know because this is a problem that isn't discussed nearly enough in society.

Nuke Yellowstone Park to Prevent Global Warming?

2009-04-10T20:52:00.000-07:00

The Web site naturalnews.com has raised the idea of the government potentially blowing the top off of the super volcano underneath Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming in order to help contribute to a proposed idea of "global dimming" that would keep the sun's rays to a minimum.

Don't say it can't happen, because those in the know have seen the kind of radical weather alteration experiments that have been conducted secretly in recent years, or at least speculated as to them being carried out.

The article, which can be found by going to http://www.naturalnews.com/026021.html and scrolling down, suggests that someone could bury an unseen nuke under the surface and when the top erupts, blame it on some sort of natural event.

While that seems far-fetched, the importance of this article is that you can't rule anything out when dealing with the people that run things nowadays. They have proven time and time again they have no problems "playing God" for their own interests and ignoring the health, needs, and safety of the general public.

Of course, such a plan isn't likely to happen but a plan to for "global dimming" has at least been discussed at some level and is obviously another example of the "magic bullet" theories of modern society whereby people attempt outlandish solutions to complex problems as a means of taking a shortcut to solve problems that could have been fixed with preventive, prudent measures instead. Keep an eye on the "global dimming" phenomenon and let's make sure it never happens unless as an absolute last resort (maybe....

Oceans Depleted by Overfishing?

2009-04-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

I highly urge those of who haven't done so yet to sign up for the NaturalNews.com newsletter.

The site is excellent for keeping tabs on the biggest problems facing nature lovers and those who are fans of living a sensible lifestyle as we face perhaps the toughest era in human history in the coming years.

A recent interview on the Web site with Dr. Boris Worm suggests that overfishing might be the cause of a lot of problems in the ocean. Check out this link: http://www.naturalnews.com/026009.html.

Dr. Worm noticed these problems while doing a bunch of dives for purposes of studying ocean life. He has noticed a distinct lack of large fish species as well as whales and other large marine mammals.

While many people think of sharks as nuisances and/or menaces in the ocean, they actually play a big role in keeping things in check. There are many shark conservancy organizations out there who seek to keep this creature protected even though it seems like it can look out for itself.

Back to the overfishing problem, people don't realize that the ocean is sensitive to this and is not simply a giant, ever-useful resource that doesn't deplete. With the vast amount of commercial fishing boats out there on the oceans round the clock, food sources for tons of species have been thrown out of whack. It's bad news for the ecosystem.

Throw in other distressing problems such as the giant "dead zones" of garbage and toxic plastics littering the ocean and you can see how an awful cycle of misuse can start to put chinks in the collective armors of our mighty system of oceans.

The ocean is remarkably strong and vast but we still have to do our part in keeping it clean. Don't forget that as we move along in this vital 21st century.

Stop ocean dumping and support efforts to keep fish populations strong.

Is Detroit Going Green?

2009-04-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

Businessman John Hantz has pitched an idea that just might revolutionize the look, and the outlook, of the downtrodden city of Detroit's urban areas.

Hantz wants to beautify the city of Detroit by planting fruits and vegetables on the city's many vacant lots according to the Detroit Free Press while also adding on things like windmills for energy production and maybe even cider mills and nature centers.

Detroit has an estimated 40 square miles of vacant and abandoned property within city limits out of a grand total of 139 square miles according to the Detroit Free Press as well.

This sounds like an incredible idea and a plan that should be taken very seriously by Detroit's city council. But knowing the history of that group, they'll find some way to mess this up.

Hopefully not for the sake of the city and its people. This plan has the potential to benefit the people of Detroit on so many levels.

First of all is the glaring lack of quality food and produce in the city. Eastern Market is popular but it's also packed with out-of-towners most of the time. The city needs more good produce and healthy food as is the case with most inner cities as Detroit is littered with fast food restaurants but has virtually no grocery stores.

Additionally, just the ability to actually see some semblance of nature in the midst of the burned-out houses that dot the Detroit landscape as well as the garbage and abandoned buildings, etc., could make a big difference in many kids' lives.

The wind turbines may not necessarily generate a ton of energy but they could be a nice symbolic boost to the psyche of Detroiters as well to make them feel like part of the solution to a major problem and like part of a progressive, positive movement of sorts. Michigan has taken a great deal of steps to become one of the leading alternative energy players and this strategy seems to fit in well with Governor Jennifer Granholm's long-term plans to re-imagine the Michigan economy and diversify it into something sustainable for the future.

All Detroiters and Michiganders should be on board with this idea because it sure beats letting the properties rot and decay even further. We can only hope that it works out and other cities follow suit.

B Vitamins Banned- No April Fool's Joke

2009-04-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

One of the most important stories that so predictably flew under the radar of the national and local newspapers yet again was the announcement of the expected banning of Vitamin B-6 by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

This should serve as yet another wake-up call that the FDA is all about protecting the profits of so-called "Big Pharma," the manufacturers of all those lovely, overpriced drugs with their laundry lists of potentially deadly side effects, and other special interests groups as opposed to protecting the health of its people.

Vitamin B-6 is a natural supplement that has been declared a "drug" by the FDA, opening up an opportunity for Medicure Pharma, Inc. to profit off of a new B-6 "drug" in the near future.

This obviously sets a horrible precedent...look for tons of other pharmaceutical companies to get on board with snatching up the rights to sell natural supplements and vitamins as drugs and to gouge the living hell out of anyone who wants them or in many cases needs them to maintain healthy day-to-day functions.

This is insidiousism (yep, I made that word up, but whatever) of the first order and it must be stopped.

The problem is, not too many know about it thanks to our wonderful corporate-controlled media.

Now that you know, what do you plan to do about it? We all need to bind together and write letters to our Congressmen to keep an eye on these companies before staying healthy in this country becomes an unaffordable luxury.

You'd better act fast before we need a prescription to buy 10-dollar Hi-C juice boxes at the pharmacy to help stave off threats posed by lung cancer and stroke.

Earth Hour Brings Out the Best, Worst in Humanity

2009-04-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

Earth Hour was observed on March 28 across the world, as more than 1,000 famous landmarks and households and businesses across the country turned off their lights and electronics in a show of solidarity.

The day was designed as a political statement to show how important it is to get serious about climate change.The event was deemed a success as researchers predicted that the amount of participants would top the 2008 Earth Day total of 53 million people.

Of course, much more action is needed to solve the problem of global warming. The main problem is that no matter how many steps are taken in the United States and other well-developed nations like Great Britain, the staggering potential growth in population and energy usage in India and China will continue to eclipse other nations’ progress.

That’s not to say it’s India and China’s fault, they have the right to experience a comfortable lifestyle as much as people in the US do. But it’s going to take a monumental effort to keep global warming in check and to stave off disaster in the coming years if you want to be brutally honest about it.

While the amount of people participating in Earth Hour was encouraging, some of the complaining I saw in the days leading up to the event was embarrassing to say the least:

“I’m going to make sure to turn on all my lights that day and leave them running all night long!”

The above is an example of one of the comments I saw while perusing Earth Hour articles in major newspapers. Resistance to the idea that global warming is an issue is still strong.

Personally, I attribute it to pure gluttony and laziness. Other people scoffed at the notion of Earth Hour by saying “Pfft, one hour? It won’t make much of a difference anyway so what’s the point?”

Earth Hour was mostly about the message, and the numbers show that plenty of people still care about making the world a “greener” place. We’re all going to have to shake that attitude one-by-one if we’re going to preserve the future for our children on this planet.

Even if global warming does somehow appear to be not as big of an issue as most scientists are making it out to be, what’s wrong with developing cleaner energy and taking good care of our natural resources?

We want to sustain life on this planet for many generations, not just “the next 100 years” or whatever other conservative estimates people like to throw out there.

To conclude, my message is this: ignore the complainers, and keep fighting the good fight.

There is a War going on and Uncle Sam ain't feelin' it

2009-03-25T08:07:00.000-07:00

In the blog world, actions do not speak louder than words. This is because words are everywhere. It's true. People blog with emotional force just for the release they need and the slim possibility that someone is listening. Thankfully, we live in a country where these words can be scrutinized, analyzed, accepted, disproven or simply ignored.

In the real world, actions are everything.

Marie Mason spoke loudly. In fact, she let out a roar that would make a grown Lion scared. In return, the American Government sent thunder, lightning, dark clouds and jail cells her way for 22 years. KABOOOOOOM!

Marie Mason is what we call an environmental activist. Her actions, though, are now essentially defined as terrorism. This is because justifications of actions don't matter to Uncle Sam and really, maybe they shouldn't.

The explosive fire Mason and Ambrose set at Michigan State University on 31 December 1999 caused nearly $1m (£680,000) of damage to buildings and equipment, but no death or injuries. The target was the office of the director of a genetically modified crop research program into moth-resistant food crops for Africa, funded by the US Agency for International Development and the biotechnology company Monsanto.

Professor Daniel Clay, who worked at the institute in 1999 and is now the director, said the attack had a severe impact on the staff. "It really was a shock," he said. "It was a very difficult period for all of us. People were frightened and we asked ourselves how close did this come to physically harming someone."

Along with Mason's ex-husband, the two nearly got away with the crime until evidence as discovered and reported.

Now the question of fairness arises. Is 22 years in jail fair. Nobody was killed but the damages were extensive. Rapists and murderers often get less punishment. How can one distinguish politically charged crimes?

The post 9/11 world is tricky. I'm thinking Uncle Sam does not mind bloggers. It's real confrontations that they will clamp down on.

Environmentalists see New Job Creation with GREEN Technologies

2009-03-18T11:14:00.001-07:00

With the current economic downturn affecting various industries in the United States, many are hopefully of a new green economy, utilizing state of the art technologies to create millions of new jobs and products. While the economy may take significant time and patience to fully recover, many believe the glass is half full. With many states and cities committed to environmental awareness and change, the implementation of Eco-construction and alternative energy solutions will play a vital role in the transformation to a sustainable world and revitalized economy.

Green Advocates see New Job Potential Post-Election
Uploaded by environcrossing

Premature Death Linked to Smog Exposure in Medical Study

2009-03-12T11:36:00.000-07:00

A study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine found that long-term exposure to concentrated smog significantly raises the risk of dying from lung disease. The study found that the risk of dying from a respiratory disease is 3 times higher in metropolitan areas with the most concentrated ozone -- a precursor of smog -- than in those with the lowest ozone concentrations.

According to a statement from New York University's Langone Medical Center, this is the first nationwide study to evaluate the long-term effects of ozone exposure on human health. It is also the first to separate the the effects of ozone pollution from those of fine particle pollution (soot).

Co-author of the study, George Thurston:

"Many studies have shown that a high ozone day leads to an increase in risk of acute health effects the next day, for example, asthma attacks and heart attacks."

Thurston also said that the EPA's current standards for airborne ozone do not protect against the long-term effects of ozone exposure:

"It seems clear that even in cities that are approaching meeting the existing standard, you still have a substantial risk from the cumulative long-term exposure that's not addressed by the acute standard."

The Obama administration called for the stalling of a pending court case over the EPA's current smog standards to give the agency more time to decide on revising the controversial Bush-era air quality standards.

President of advocacy group Clean Air Watch Frank O'Donnell agrees that standards need to be stricter:

"There's certainly a great weight of evidence to document that tougher ozone standards are needed."

The GREEN Paradigm: Coming to a City Near You!

2009-03-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

Moving to a green eco-friendly paradigm has become an important aspect in construction and building industries. As citizens of this planet, we have an inherited obligation to care and nurture the world we live in. Helping protect what many citizens want to keep: clean air, water, decreased pollution and healthy food, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining, restoring and enhancing the quality of this planet’s air, water and land.

Green building can and must be available to all people. They strive to produce changes on many levels including: 1) Helping citizens and homeowners to live green 2) Help business, farmers and health providers sustain eco-friendly practices. This will lead to a better quality of life not only for the country, but around the world.

Highly regarded throughout the 20th century, asbestos was considered the pinnacle of building materials, posing many intrinsic qualities that manufacturers loved. It’s fire resistant, durable and versatile components made it sought out by many industries. Asbestos was used in industrial products such as insulation, piping, roofing and flooring products. Many homes, buildings and public facilities constructed prior to 1980 may still be harboring asbestos and other toxic materials. There are now many green alternatives that replace the need for asbestos and can even reduce annual energy costs.

Conducting a study in 2003, the United States Green Building Council reported a savings of $50 to $65 for green constructed buildings. The use of recycled building materials such as cotton fiber, lcynene foam and cellulose can provide significant dividends for home owners. Cotton fiber is becoming a favorite insulation method. Made from recycled batted material, it is then treated to be fireproof. Water based spray polyurethane foam, lcynene, is a healthy insulation which contains no toxic components.

The “building green” philosophy is evolving to be more than a trend. Builders and investors are recognizing that eco-friendly construction provides not only long-term positive environmental benefits but also financial payoffs as well. These new environmentally-sustainable alternatives create healthier, quieter and more energy efficient homes in the 21st century.

Stimulus Package Aims to Revive Renewable-Energy

2009-02-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

For years now the only way for the clean energy sector to compete with more traditional forms of energy, was through tax breaks. These tax breaks helped fee up cash, allowing companies to operate off of lower profit margins and receiving loans from lenders based on estimated growth.

With the economic downturn over the past year and the failure of the banking industry, tax breaks and loans are not what they used to be. This has lead to a halt in the industry. But, no need to fear, Obama is hear (sarcasm somewhat noted).

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will invest nearly $79 billion in renewable energy, energy efficiency and green transportation, according to a finally tally of the legislation by the nonprofit Environment California.

As a result residential solar firms like SolarCity, for example, will end their hiring freezes soon and will be adding 16 additional crews over the next few months.

The hope is that this will help the industry enough to attract investors once again, who are always happy to get tax credits and to help out the environment.

Notable provisions of the recovery act include $5 billion for weatherization fo more than 1 million homes, $8 billion for new high-speed rail systems, $4.5 billion for energy upgrades to federal buildings and $4.5 billion in federal matching funds to upgrade the nation's creeky energy grid.

The key for this industry now is to keep the momentum going forward after the stimulus has helped to push it along. While some green enthusiasts wanted more, this should be enough to make most feel ok. I think it's a safe bet that if they want more, results will need to be shown.

After all, finding and improving renewable energy alternatives is not only an environmental issue but also a way to rid ourselves of oil dependency with foreign nations.