For those who think that green action is a luxury, optional, and an after-thought, I will present here some links to resources created by a variety of organizations, for-profit and non-profit, exhorting all of us about the importance of developing and living in a sustainable and "green" world. As a bit of black humor, I will start with a reference to The Onion, a biting satirical look at this issue. The other references are traditional, serious sources of research and discussion:
One path to wisdom is removing the disturbed ideas which can make us harmful to ourselves and others. After observing daily life for many years, I have decided that it would be useful and enlivening to list some popular maxims that are essentially a pile of garbage (to avoid stronger language). And without further ado, here they are!
1) When the student is ready, the teacher appears
Many, many devoted students strive to understand the principals of life, or to excel in their field of music or art or... See entire blog item
Because it relates to the failed efforts so far to change environmental policy, as well as to implement true economic reform and healthcare policy reform, it is time to state the obvious:
Barack Obama is a fine gentleman, and has excellent self-control, but is lacking as a leader.
This lack of leadership has had the effect of allowing defeats, with only very slight improvements, in the three major policy... See entire blog item
I still don't believe the 35,000 minimum to 60,000 barrels per day upper limit that the experts are now quoting, but they are getting within shouting distance.
BP and the government (following BP's lead) started by chanting 1,000 barrels a day, and then for quite some time, 5,000 barrels a day. Scientists are now saying 35,000 to 60,000 barrels a day, and BP laughably says the amount does not matter, they will just clean it all up. Unfortunately, lack of accuracy in revealing the rate of the leak also means the tankers they have in... See entire blog item
Because PlanetThoughts.org is about consciousness-raising and taking action towards a better way of life, we consider a shift towards individual initiative and freedom from corporate culture as goals with importance equal to the more standard goal of reduction in consumption. All of these goals are important for achieving a shift in society.
In that light, the World Naked Bike Ride, taking place in the Northern Hemisphere mostly on June 12th, has much to... See entire blog item
Once again, the Federal government and many news outlets have been shown as willing to suspend disbelief. That is, the same folks who at first echoed BPs numbers and proclaimed a "mere" 1,000 barrels per day leak, and then after a week or two proclaimed a 5,000 barrel (210,000 gallon) per day leak for over a month, and more recently adjusted to a 12,000 barrel per day (oh, no, that became 19,000 barrels per day) leak, have again been shown to be wildly inaccurate.
I wrote here on May 14th about reports that the true range of the oil leak size was about 50,000 to 100,000 barrels daily. ... See entire blog item
This is the dirty little secret that is dirty and nearly secret, but not little. The plastic that innocently wraps our supermarket foods, that is disposed of when toys are opened and when toys are discarded, that permeates the practice of medicine, that is used for eating on and with, and for manufacturing,... See entire blog item
Independent estimates are now indicating that the oil well leak in the Gulf of Mexico may be spreading 70,000 barrels of oil per day, and likely in the 50,000 to 100,000 barrel per day range. Meanwhile, capping of the well, after the failed effort last week, is not an immediate prospect as BP officials outline plans that sound more like a children's game than a scientifically-founded effort. More about these plans can be seen in the video.
After hearing the controversy about the actual size of the leak, US Congressman Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, has announced that he will be sending a letter shortly to BP asking them for details on how they arrived at the 5,000 barrels per day... See entire blog item
Bombs exploding trains, Full of people; Sun rising, on a Pristine desert. Both rock the heart, yet How can it be, that Some do not feel The difference?
It has become clearer and clearer to me recently that the United States is on many levels in a most serious situation. We may bounce back somewhat from the Great Recession, but alarming signs point to trouble ahead, perhaps a year or two away, or perhaps twenty years away, but in any case, not in some far distant future.
1) The citizens of the United States are badly informed on cultural priorities, such as understanding what aspects of social policy make life better in the long term, and which aspects are self-damaging. The citizens, when receiving new information, have trouble distinguishing between self-serving deception that seems to bring immediate results to the people, and public-minded efforts that may require temporary restraint or discipline by the people... See entire blog item
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