Come Together

There is no reason power and the environment can not co-exist.



Created by Montreal-based PALM Communication for Volkswagen TDI

This is a funny commercial and shows how you may appeal to disparate markets with taste, humor and success. This ad packs surprise in that power is represented by tall, blonde woman. I like it.

Tags: power, enironment, together

A review of disposable eco-diapers in Grist this month. Are there any diaper that truly are eco-friendly? Check out this article

Of course, the best diapers to use are cloth. However, they can be hard to find. When I had my son, many years ago. There was actually a diaper service. They picked up the dirty diapers and dropped off clean ones once a week. I bought some of those plastic diaper covers that were secured with Velcro and they worked great.

Lucky for me, my son learned to use the toilet when he was just a year old. He was a very fastidious child and did not want ookey-pookey on him. For another year, he wore those pull-up pants at night and that was it.

Every child is different, but if you can make your child aware of how you eliminate, they will want to emulate you. You can get your child out of diapers sooner than you think.

In the meantime, do your research to ensure your diapers are eco-friendly and healthy to your baby.

Tags: diapers, eco-friendly diapers, grist

Restore and Strengthen Stream Barriers

What is Left After Mountain Top Removal

The Bush administration is set to issue a regulation that would guaranteed the continuation of the coal mining practice of mountaintop removal. The technique involves blasting off the tops of mountains and dumping the rubble into valleys and streams.

Enormous machines scrape away mountain ridges to expose and mine the coal seams. It is estimated that 1,200 miles of Appalachian streams have been buried under coal mine spoil and hundreds of square miles of forests damaged by this destructive mining practice. Entire valleys and communities have been buried under tons of dirt and rock.

Since 1983, dumping mine waste within 100 feet of streams has been illegal, but many mining companies have ignored the regulation and there were issues with enforcement as well.
Now, Bush would like to gut the law further. Miners would be asked to observe the 100-foot stream-buffer rule unless, of course, they do not want to and can show why avoidance is not possible.

Beginning in the late-1990s, concerned citizens tried to slow things by invoking the so-called stream buffer zone rule, which seeks to protect water quality by prohibiting any mining activity within 100 feet of flowing streams. In 2004 the administration began a systematic effort to weaken this protective buffer. That culminated Friday when the Office of Surface Mining sent its proposal for gutting the rule to the E.P.A., whose concurrence is required.

Please comment on the regulations.gov site.

Tags: mountain top removal, mine spoils, streams, valleys

Green Jobs Created

Join the Green Jobs Group Now and stay informed.You can also upload your resume free for potential employers to see on the new upcoming Jobs Market site. www.green-jobs-now.com

There are 55 new green jobs are posted on Green Jobs Now Group at: http://push.pickensplan.com/group/greenjobsnowcom

The jobs are mostly on the West coast, but there are others around the world. Looking to change your employment? Just bookmark the link above and check the site periodically. These jobs are green jobs, new jobs created by the alternative energy industry.

Tags: green job, pickensplan, greenjobsnow

High Performance, Low Cost, Solar Power

Press Release
SkyFuel unveils the SkyTrough™: the world’s highest performance, lowest cost
utility-scale solar power system.

Arvada, Colorado October 10th, 2008: – SkyFuel, Inc. today secured its position as the leader in the rapidly growing concentrating solar power (CSP) industry by unveiling the SkyTrough™: the highest performance, lowest cost utility-scale solar power system of any kind for generating electricity. With glass-free mirrors, a highly engineered space frame that allows compact transportation and rapid field assembly, and new more efficient drive & control systems, the SkyTrough™ cuts the cost of the parabolic trough concentrator by 35% compared to other commercially available systems. Read more . . .

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For a good description of Parabolic Trough Solar Field Technology visit the NREL website and read this article.

Solar energy is growing as our demand or clean, sustainable energy increases.For up to date information on Consumer Energy Tax Incentives, checkout Department of Energy website.

Burton Snowboards and Buy Snow

I know nothing about snowboarding except what I have learned from my son. He attended a snowboarding camp on Mount Hood one Christmas and has snowboarded a few times since then. He is talking of perhaps going snowboarding during the Christmas holiday, so this website, BuySnow.com, caught my eye.

Then the Burton snowboards caught my interest. They are offering a free ski lift ticket and a free learn how to ride lesson with the purchase of a 2009 Burton Snowboard under $359.95. Usually, you have to buy the more expensive items to get the bonuses, but not here. While looking at the Burton snowboards, I noticed that quite a few were in the right price range to get the bonuses. I also noticed they have free shipping over $99!



Burton offers 209 snowboards, as well as jackets, boots, outerwear, hoodies, hats, backpacks and stomp pads. Stomp pad was a new term for me. Evidently, a stomp pad keeps your rear foot from slipping off the snowboard. However, from the looks of some of the stomp pads, they are another form of board bling.

If you are looking for a Christmas gift for a hard to please teen, you may want to visit BuySnow.com and take a look at the Burton section. If you cannot find something to please your teen, buy yourself something.

Good News Today : Beluga Whales

SAVED: the last 375 beluga whales of Alaska's Cook Inlet

The National Marine Fisheries Service has decided to place these imperiled whales, which is one of the smallest populations of marine mammals left on Earth, on the endangered species list.

This is a huge win for beluga whales, whose population has been reduced due to the industrialization of Alaska's most populated and fastest-growing waterway.

This was a huge win for the NRDC Action Fund as well. Messages sent through NRDC email system accounted for two-thirds of the 180,000 comments received.

The Bush Administration tried to stall, but NRDC and 10 other conservation groups filed suit and put a halt to the administration’s delays.

The beluga's newly won protection will help scientists study and mitigate many dangers now facing the whales: oil and gas exploration, increased pollution, and plans for massive new projects that could endanger the whales' survival.

Tags: beluga whales, endangered species, captain cooks inlet, nrdc

Thoreau, You and I

A picture is worth a thousand words. Do you have a picture of an area in Texas that has been impacted by global warming? A spring that no longer puts forth water? Lakes that have water levels so low they are closed?

Do you love to write? Would you contribute an essay of 200-500 words about global warming as it has affected your life or the Texas environment? How did you cope with the weeks of 100+ degrees heat wave this summer?

The Union of Concerned Scientists expects Congress to vote on a number of bills to help reduce the pollution that causes global warming. Personal stories from you and others in Texas will have a positive influence on the outcome.

From the website:

From Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson in the nineteenth century to Rachel Carson and E.O. Wilson in the twentieth, writers have played a profound role in drawing attention to our natural environment and inspiring people to protect it. To continue this tradition and inspire action on global warming, the Union of Concerned Scientists has partnered with literary publisher Penguin Classics to encourage the public to submit essays and images about climate change for publication in a new online book, Thoreau’s Legacy: American Stories about Global Warming . . . The best submissions will be included in Thoreau’s Legacy, which will be published online in spring 2009 and in a limited-edition hardcover version.

Visit Thoreau's Legacy: American Stories about Global Warming for more information and entry information. Please think about participating if you live in Texas or did live in Texas and have a story to tell or a picture to share. There is no grand prize, payoff or scholarship tied to this endeavor. However, your work could be included in the Anthology. If not, it could be used next year to show YOUR representative what you have witnessed.

Tags: texas, global warming, evidence of global warming, thoreau's legacy, online anthology

How Green is Your Printing?

Did you know you could go almost completely green with your printing for your business or organization? Would you like to make a statement to your customers or members that green printing is the way to go?

We all know about using recycled paper, printing on both sides of pages when working on drafts, putting the printer into draft mode to save ink, and printing multiple pages on one sheet of paper can save paper and ink.

Greening the Office

Did you know that the easiest way to go green in all your printing is to switch to using 100 percent recycled paper when appropriate. Recycled paper could be used in the office copier, office printer and fax machine. Now, you may not want your Annual Report printed on recycled paper; although, you might be surprised at some of the beautiful finishes and textures you can get with recycled papers. You might also get an "attaboy" for using recycled paper in this particular case.

Use Recycled Paper

PsPrint offers high-quality recycled papers that do not detract from the quality of the finished document. Take a look at the 100% recycled matte paper stocks for brochure printing, business cards, postcards and greeting cards.

Print with Soy Based Inks

PsPrin using Soy Based Inks that are environmentally friendlier than traditional petroleum based inks. Traditional inks emit volatile organic compounds, of which you are probably aware if you have been in a print shop. Soy Based Inks are manufactured with less pollution and from natural ingredients. Soy based inks have brighter, more vibrant colors and can even help printing presses last longer due to lack of harmful chemicals used in the printing process.

Recycle All Paper Waste

If you truly want to go totally green, make sure everyone in your office, school, organization and vendors recycle all of their paper waste. It is easy in the office. Place a shredder next to your office printer. Make sure there are recycle containers located in many places in the office. Hang a few recycling reminders around the recycle boxes and do not ever be scared to say a few well-thought-out words to people who may not know the benefits of recycling paper.

Go green. In all areas of your life.

Tags: green printing, soy-based inks, psprin, recycled paper

Future Cars : Renault Z.E. Concept

The world has the technology and the creativity to build zero-emission, all-electric, solar-assisted transportation. Car Body Design features the photographs and specifications for some of the new concept cars. Please visit this site to see what design creativity flows from these incredibly gifted engineers.

Photo by CarBodyDesign - all rights reserved

The Z.E. (Zero Emission) Concept is the Renault's vision for an all-electric family vehicle focused on minimizing energy consumption while providing comfort.

Photo by CarBodyDesign - all rights reserved

Just a few highlights:

• The Z.E. Concept is powered by a 70kW electric motor with torque of 226Nm and uses lithium-ion batteries.
• By using heat-reflective paint and insulating large surface areas of the car body (like a thermos), temperature is regulated without traditional climate control systems.
• Insulation is further optimized through the use of acid green-tinted glass for all windows.
  
• Head lamps are LEDs, which are long lasting and very energy efficient.
• The low-drag full-disc aluminum alloy wheels improve aerodynamics. Non-aerodynamic mirrors have been replaced by small solar-powered cameras.

This particular car comes with an electric scooter that stores in the trunk and stays charged using solar power. This car will be marketed in the states (Tennessee), beginning in 2011.

Tags: concept car, renault, all el ectric car, zero emissions

Possible Habitat for Polar Bears

Habitat Needed

The U.S. government will designate critical habitat for polar bears off Alaska's coast as part of a partial settlement of a lawsuit brought by Greenpeace, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Center for Biological Diversity.

The Interior Department declared polar bears a threatened species in May, but neglected to make any stipulations for habitat protection. "You can't protect a species without protecting the place where it lives," says CBD's Kassie Siegel, adding, "After global warming, oil development is the biggest threat to polar bears."

Federal law prohibits actions that "destroy or adversely modify" designated critical habitat, which would seem to include offshore oil and gas drilling -- though with GOP vice prez candidate Sarah Palin touting "safe, environmentally friendly drilling offshore," one never can be certain.

After a rule proposal, public comment period, and public hearings, the finalized critical-habitat designation must be in place by June 30, 2010. And the one remaining polar bear by then will no doubt appreciate it.

Tags: grist, good news, green peace, nrdc, cbd

Turtle Soup, Anyone?

Stop Killing the Turtles in the Bahamas

Did you Know That It Is Perfectly legal in the Bahamas
to kill every species of sea turtle except the hawksbill?

Please use the form below to contact Michael Braynen, the Director of the Bahamas' Department of Marine Resources, and tell him to take action to protect sea turtles.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists all seven sea turtle species as 'threatened' or 'endangered.' Five of the seven species inhabit the Bahamas -- green, loggerhead, leatherback, hawksbill, and olive ridley sea turtles.

The Bahamas Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources has proposed a rule that will enhance sea turtle conservation by prohibiting all harvest, purchase, and sale of sea turtles and turtle products.

We need your help to convince the Bahamas to move forward with this rule to protect sea turtles. Please take action today to help us get better international protection for these ancient mariners.

Tags: save turtles, turtle soup, endangered turtle, ridley, green, loggerhead, leatherback, hawksville

Blog Action Day : Take Action

You know all the excuses:
"No time to volunteer."
"No money to donate funds."
"No extra funds for purchasing food to give away."
"I do not know anyone who is living in poverty."
"People are too proud to accept help."

Take one minute--every day--to click at the Hunger Site to help alleviate world hunger.

Tags: blog action day, poverty, poverty in USA, stop poverty

Green Tip for Today : Check your Oil

A regular oil change can improve your car’s fuel economy and minimize its air pollution and global warming emissions. But what about the environmental impact of that oil change if it is not done right? According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), nearly 200 million gallons of used motor oil are improperly disposed of in the United States each year. The oil from just one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of water—a year’s supply for 50 people.

1. If you are a do-it-yourself oil changer, the EPA has provided the following guidelines to ensure the process is as clean as possible:
2. After draining the oil, but before removing the drip pan from under the car, close and secure the drain plug and check for leaks.
3. If you are changing the oil filter, drain it for a minimum of 12 hours into a clean plastic container with a tight-fitting lid (do not use a container that once held chemicals, food, or beverages). Then, carefully pour the oil from the drip pan into the container.
4. Reuse your drip pan; do not rinse residual oil down the drain or into your yard.
5. If you do accidentally spill any oil, use absorbent material like sawdust or cat litter to clean the spill, then dispose of it in the trash.
6. Used motor oil (from cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, or lawn equipment) can be recycled to make new motor oil—2.5 quarts of new lubricating oil can be made from one gallon of used motor oil—or processed into fuel oils or other materials. After you have changed your oil, take it to a local service station or recycling center that collects used motor oil for recyclin Some facilities will collect used filters as well; if not, ask your waste collection service if the filter can be disposed of with your household trash.

You may be able to further reduce your oil consumption (regardless of whether or not you do your own oil changes) by changing your oil less often. A 2008 study conducted by the California
Integrated Waste Management Board shows that many vehicles can go more than the standard 3,000 miles between oil changes, depending on driving conditions and motor oil type. Before you skip your next oil change, however, be sure to follow your car manufacturer’s recommendations listed in the owner’s manual.

Credit: Union of Concerned Scientists, A Greener Oil Change, September 2008

Tags: green tip, recycle oil, save oil

Green Energy Voter Guide

Environmental Defense Fund released the Green Energy Voter Guide

The focus of their campaign is simple:

We cannot solve our economic crisis without solving our energy crisis and we cannot responsibly solve our energy crisis without stopping global warming.

The center piece of the EDF Green Energy Voter Guide is an interactive "Lost Eight Years" timeline that documents America's global warming inaction during the Bush administration. As the timeline makes clear, we are running out of time to solve this urgent environmental threat.

Please, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the document and to pass it on to several friends and relatives.

Think Green when you vote.

We cannot lose another eight years.

Tags: green voting guide

Big Brother Listening to Your Telephone Call

Two former military intercept operators -- the people at the National Security Agency (NSA) who actually listen in to people’s calls --have come forth to say that surveillance programs, previously touted as critical to protect national security, have in fact been used to monitor the private communications of innocent Americans abroad, including humanitarian workers and U.S. service-members. The NSA even intentionally directed its surveillance powers at well-established humanitarian organizations like Doctors Without Borders and the International Red Cross.

Contrary to direct assurances from Bush administration officials that NSA monitoring was directed at suspected terrorists, the intercept operators report that "hundreds of U.S. citizens overseas have been eavesdropped on as they call friends and family back home." It is outrageous that service men and women and international aid workers have had their private conversations needlessly and wantonly invaded by our government.

That is why the ACLU’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Congress’s expansion of the NSA’s surveillance authority under the FISA Amendments Act is so critical. The case, Amnesty International v. McConnell -- brought on behalf of an impressive array of journalists, human rights organizations and lawyers -- shines a spotlight on the devastating effect of unchecked spying power on Americans doing indispensable work around the globe.

The NSA’s new unchecked surveillance powers invade the privacy of innocent Americans and fundamentally undermine human rights workers, journalists and attorneys doing important work around the globe. This dragnet spying is ineffective, intrusive, unnecessary and most certainly unconstitutional.

To learn more about the ACLU lawsuit challenging unconstitutional spying, visit the website of the ACLU.

When I was a teenager, we used to joke about Big Brother (government) interfering in our lives. We saw the FBI at anti-war rallies taking pictures and names. We thought that certain people had federal files with unknown agencies. We suspected that unlawful wiretapping and bugging of homes and offices took place. Never in our most paranoid scenarios could we imagine what is happening now. If you value your freedom, please learn the facts about this lawsuit and, if you disagree with governmental policy, let your opinion be known.

Free speech and the right to privacy are fundamental to our freedom. Stand up for them.

Tags: aclu, big brother, nsa, spying on americans abroad, abuse of patriot act

i am blind

Say you wake up tomorrow, get dressed and drive your car into town, planning to go to work, school, shopping or whatever activity you have scheduled. You are hurrying, certain in the knowledge that your task, your job or your school is important in the grand scheme of things. You do not look at the clouds, the bright blue sky or even the children lined up for the school bus. You drive past the rainbows reflected in the oily water, left over from the rain last night. Nothing you see really registers with you. After all, you see these things every day, right?

Soon you notice that there are more and more wrecks on the highway, more spectacular rollovers and multi car pileups. You begin to notice that people are walking around, like they are lost, in the middle of the highway. You wonder to yourself, "What the heck is going on?" You drive to work and park your car. As you walk across the parking lot, you notice your vision is becoming fuzzy. As you rush to the safety of your desk and the world with which you are familiar, your sight dims completely, You have been infected and you are blind!



You think to yourself, I am blind. You must walk to the infirmary because you realize you should not drive. The doctor has no answer for you and your stumble, blindly, out of his office.

If you could have seen on last thing today on your way to work or before you left your home, what would it have been? A flower, your child's face, the sunshine glinting off the river? Think about it.

Then go to the iamblind.org site and submit a photo of the last sight you would hope to have. Interact with others on the forum who have been infected, as they try to follow clues, discover the pathway of the infection and interact with others about this controversial film, Blindness.

I would see one more sunset on the Texas coast

This is an excellent movie that makes you think about things you take for granted. It builds to an "us against them" mentality that will surprise you. When most of the population is blind, who is in charge? What brings people together? The answers might surprise you.

Oh, one more about Palin and I will stop

In her speech at the Republican National Convention, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin touted her role in moving forward a plan for a natural-gas pipeline from Alaska's North Slope to the Lower 48. The GOP VP candidate declared,

That pipeline, when the last section is laid and its valves are opened, will lead America one step farther away from dependence on dangerous foreign powers that do not have our interests at heart.

What she did not mention, however, is the project is years from completion. So far, the pipeline exists on paper.

Palin gained a reputation for standing up to Big Oil when she criticized this same pipeline, then the idea of the current governor, as a handout to ExxonMobil, BP, and ConocoPhillips. Now, she will have to work to gain the cooperation of these companies, who hold the drilling rights to much of the Alaskan North Slope, to succeed. Meanwhile, BP and Conoco have announced plans to move forward with their own separate pipeline.

What I wonder, is how she and her husband, a VP for BP Oil deal with this issue? I have the same interest in the Governor of California (Arnold Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his wife, Maria Shriver (who is part of the Kennedy clan). I guess love conquers all?

Tags: palin, oil pipeline, politics, marriage