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.

B Vitamins Banned- No April Fool's Joke

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

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

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

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
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Premature Death Linked to Smog Exposure in Medical Study

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!

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.