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

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.

Nuke Yellowstone Park to Prevent Global Warming?

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?

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?

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.

Earth Hour Brings Out the Best, Worst in Humanity

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.