Posts
Many politicians are adept at the ability to present multiple realities to their constituents, depending on the audience present. But, perhaps, this goes too far.
Ms. Palin has changed her tune, once again. While governor of Alaska she had supported the need for dealing with the reality of climate change, even going so far as to to set up a special committee.
Now, having quit that post, in a recent Washington Post Op-ed piece, she has switched sides, claiming that the economic impact of carbon emission reductions called for by President Obama will be counterproductive to economic growth.
Let me see if I get this straight, economic enhancement is more important in the short run, than responsible stewardship of the planet in the long run. Last time I checked, this is the only planet in our solar system available to us, our children, and our children’s children to inhabit.
If you recall, earlier in the fall, a deeper look into Palin’s life revealed some inconsistencies, some even diametrically opposed.
For instance, the person and lifestyle she informed us about during the McCain presidential campaign of 2008 is in stark contrast to the facts revealed by would-be son-in-law Johnston in his expose in Vogue.
Johnston portrayed her as a child in parental clothing (and public office), such as not caring for her family. Whether all of his gems of insight into the real Sarah Palin are true wil be investigated, certainly. Nevertheless, the portrait painted by Palin for the public appears to be just that, a work of art.
Nevertheless, more surprising is the reaction of Republicans, especially her politcal base outside of her native state. In July, USA TODAY Gallup Polls found the support for her as a national political candidate quite strong, upwards of 67 percent nationwide. Some conservative talk show hosts, including Mr. Limbaugh and Bill Bennett, claim she is still a viable presidential candidate for the Republican party in 2012.
This is completely puzzling to me, and hopefully to many of the Republican politicians on Capitol Hill. Let’s examine the facts:
1) She is launched into the public eye after being selected as Senator McCain’s running mate in the 2008 Presidential election. Prior to that, no one had ever heard of her.
2) In looking at her political experience, which is limited to a few years as the governor of Alaska, there is not much depth at all. Evidently, this lack of experience does not faze her followers in the least.
3) In her resignation speech, she pointed a finger at the media as the reason for her early departure from office. True, she and her family have been featured in the media, both traditional and online, often as comic relief. But isn’t that what it means “to be in the public eye”. If she can’t handle it, then what would happen if she were to assume a much more visible office? Furthermore, aside from showing a tendency toward victimness, such a reaction simply teaches others to not take self-resposibility.
4) Finally, the biggest harbinger of Palin’s potential inability to represent the people at any level in U.S. government is her resignation itself. Is this what we want from our would-be leaders? To quit when the going gets tough? Is that what her followers would want if she were in a higher office, such as President?
At the end of day, I am not anti-Republican or anti-Democrat. Rather, I am for politicians that truly serve the people, not just the ones who they represent, but all citizens. Remember, our government is based on the power of the people as represented by elected officials.
Sources:
USA TODAY
CNN
Vogue
Washington Post
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Polar Bears, Arctic Oil, Climate Change, and Our Future
Have you seen any of the images of a lone polar bear swimming in the Arctic Ocean?
For me, it is one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen, certainly equal to small baby seals being bludgeoned to death by humans wielding clubs. Why? Because of the desolation of an animal forsaken by circumstances that are beyond its control.
Nevertheless, he paddles on, passing small blobs of ice that are too insignificant to hold his weight. Fortunately, polar bears can swim up to 60 miles in a day, but even that feat is becoming too little as the polar ice cap continues to shrink.
Since 1980, the polar ice in the arctic has shrunk by almost 50 percent, from three million square feet to 1.8 million square feet[1]. The importance of this fact seems lost on the public at large, including myself at times, because the science is tricky to comprehend.
Simply put, not only is the Arctic home to polar bears and the Inuit people, it is paramount to our survival as well. That beautiful white ice reflects 80 percent of the incoming sun’s rays, which helps keep Arctic temperatures cooler. So the less ice, less reflection, thus it gets hotter. This produces a negative cycle resulting in thinner ice or less overall ice coverage. In fact, this cycle has been in effect for the last twenty years with temperatures creeping upward. Initially, the rise in temperature was due to high or low air pressure changes, but now the increases are the result of excess greenhouses gases[2].
Why should we care? Because, just as an injury to your knee affects the rest of your bodily movement, increased temperatures in the Arctic results in weather changes in lower latitudes, such as warmer winters, and storm irregularity and severity. More importantly, it is a harbinger of things to come.
The five Arctic governmental powers (Russia, U.S., Canada, Denmark, Norway) should be alarmed by this trend. Instead, as the polar ice cap melts, they are positioning themselves for new opportunities to obtain Arctic fossil fuel resources. Studies show that the Arctic may hold nearly a quarter of the Earth’s natural gas and oil. This fact has created a flurry of territorial fights, like children squabbling over play area in a sandbox. These claims are governed by the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea, especially where there overlapping territory occurs [3].
It appears that climate change awareness has risen both within the general population and the government, but our leaders have not stepped up to guide us[6].
Many scientists the world over have said that the time to act on climate change is now. We cannot delay.
Shouldn’t our leaders see this as an opportunity to make this one of the finest hours of humanity?
What does it take for humankind to change its ways?
Instead of thinking about yourself, your family, perhaps we need to think like the Native Americans: let us think of seven generations in the future. Let them enjoy the Earth as we do now.
The welfare of all life, not just human existence, but all life is in our hands. Become a steward of the Earth, despite any fears you may have about being seen as different by those around you. True, our task is not an easy one, but it is a sacred responsibility.
What you can do NOW:
• Write/call/email your U.S. senators
… and deliver this message:
My name is _________________ and I’m calling from [Your City] today to remind you, my senators, that climate change poses an unprecedented threat to human communities, fish and wildlife habitat and the natural resources we depend on -- resources like clean air and water -- and recreational opportunities such as fishing, hunting, boating and hiking.
As someone who cares about wildlife and the irreplaceable value of our natural world, I ask Senator [Your Senator’s Name] to pass climate change legislation that will:
• Significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and
• Provide 5% dedicated funding from the funds generated under the bill to safeguard fish, wildlife and the natural resources that we need to survive.
Fast Facts on Wildlife and Global Warming
• Scientists warn that mid-range climate warming could cause 20-30 percent of the Earth’s plants and animals to go extinct between now and 2050. [4]
• One out of every 20 jobs in America is linked to wildlife related activities.[5]
Sources:
[1] National Geographic Supplement, May 2009, (data current to September 2008).
[2] http://www.globalchange.gov/images/cir/pdf/ecosystems.pdf
[3] National Geographic Supplement, May 2009, (data current to September 2008).
[4] United Nations Environmental Programme 2007. “IPCC Synthesis Report: Risks And Rewards Of Combating Climate Change.”; Sagarin, Raphael. 2002. “Historical Studies of Species’ Response to Climate Change.” In: Wildlife Responses to Climate Change: North American Case Studies. Ed. Terry L. Root and Stephen H. Schneider. Washington DC: Island Press. Pg. 39.
[5] Outdoor Industry Foundation. 2007. “The Active Outdoor Recreation Economy. A $730 Billion Annual Contribution to the U.S. Economy.”
Available from: http://www.outdoorindustry.org/images/researchfiles/RecEconomypublic.pdf?26
www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25666.html
www.nationalgeographic.com
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For me, it is one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen, certainly equal to small baby seals being bludgeoned to death by humans wielding clubs. Why? Because of the desolation of an animal forsaken by circumstances that are beyond its control.
Nevertheless, he paddles on, passing small blobs of ice that are too insignificant to hold his weight. Fortunately, polar bears can swim up to 60 miles in a day, but even that feat is becoming too little as the polar ice cap continues to shrink.
Since 1980, the polar ice in the arctic has shrunk by almost 50 percent, from three million square feet to 1.8 million square feet[1]. The importance of this fact seems lost on the public at large, including myself at times, because the science is tricky to comprehend.
Simply put, not only is the Arctic home to polar bears and the Inuit people, it is paramount to our survival as well. That beautiful white ice reflects 80 percent of the incoming sun’s rays, which helps keep Arctic temperatures cooler. So the less ice, less reflection, thus it gets hotter. This produces a negative cycle resulting in thinner ice or less overall ice coverage. In fact, this cycle has been in effect for the last twenty years with temperatures creeping upward. Initially, the rise in temperature was due to high or low air pressure changes, but now the increases are the result of excess greenhouses gases[2].
Why should we care? Because, just as an injury to your knee affects the rest of your bodily movement, increased temperatures in the Arctic results in weather changes in lower latitudes, such as warmer winters, and storm irregularity and severity. More importantly, it is a harbinger of things to come.
The five Arctic governmental powers (Russia, U.S., Canada, Denmark, Norway) should be alarmed by this trend. Instead, as the polar ice cap melts, they are positioning themselves for new opportunities to obtain Arctic fossil fuel resources. Studies show that the Arctic may hold nearly a quarter of the Earth’s natural gas and oil. This fact has created a flurry of territorial fights, like children squabbling over play area in a sandbox. These claims are governed by the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea, especially where there overlapping territory occurs [3].
It appears that climate change awareness has risen both within the general population and the government, but our leaders have not stepped up to guide us[6].
Many scientists the world over have said that the time to act on climate change is now. We cannot delay.
Shouldn’t our leaders see this as an opportunity to make this one of the finest hours of humanity?
What does it take for humankind to change its ways?
Instead of thinking about yourself, your family, perhaps we need to think like the Native Americans: let us think of seven generations in the future. Let them enjoy the Earth as we do now.
The welfare of all life, not just human existence, but all life is in our hands. Become a steward of the Earth, despite any fears you may have about being seen as different by those around you. True, our task is not an easy one, but it is a sacred responsibility.
What you can do NOW:
• Write/call/email your U.S. senators
… and deliver this message:
My name is _________________ and I’m calling from [Your City] today to remind you, my senators, that climate change poses an unprecedented threat to human communities, fish and wildlife habitat and the natural resources we depend on -- resources like clean air and water -- and recreational opportunities such as fishing, hunting, boating and hiking.
As someone who cares about wildlife and the irreplaceable value of our natural world, I ask Senator [Your Senator’s Name] to pass climate change legislation that will:
• Significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., and
• Provide 5% dedicated funding from the funds generated under the bill to safeguard fish, wildlife and the natural resources that we need to survive.
Fast Facts on Wildlife and Global Warming
• Scientists warn that mid-range climate warming could cause 20-30 percent of the Earth’s plants and animals to go extinct between now and 2050. [4]
• One out of every 20 jobs in America is linked to wildlife related activities.[5]
Sources:
[1] National Geographic Supplement, May 2009, (data current to September 2008).
[2] http://www.globalchange.gov/images/cir/pdf/ecosystems.pdf
[3] National Geographic Supplement, May 2009, (data current to September 2008).
[4] United Nations Environmental Programme 2007. “IPCC Synthesis Report: Risks And Rewards Of Combating Climate Change.”; Sagarin, Raphael. 2002. “Historical Studies of Species’ Response to Climate Change.” In: Wildlife Responses to Climate Change: North American Case Studies. Ed. Terry L. Root and Stephen H. Schneider. Washington DC: Island Press. Pg. 39.
[5] Outdoor Industry Foundation. 2007. “The Active Outdoor Recreation Economy. A $730 Billion Annual Contribution to the U.S. Economy.”
Available from: http://www.outdoorindustry.org/images/researchfiles/RecEconomypublic.pdf?26
www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25666.html
www.nationalgeographic.com
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Wednesday, July 08, 2009
The Tour de France
It’s that time of year again, Christmas in July for me. The Tour de France is happening July 4-26, 2009). With only a few days into racing, the excitement is fantastic. No, not because Lance Armstrong has returned after a three and a half year retirement, but he does add to the action.
To me, I think the Tour de France is the toughest sports event in the world. It requires tremendous individual athletic and mental ability, team unity and skill, and the strategic intelligence of a chess player. It takes place over a three-week period matching the top cyclists against one another as they race through a variety of countries and terrain, including both the Pyrenees and the Alps. Furthermore, most race days during the event are more than one hundred miles.
As an avid cyclist I’ve been a devoted fan of the race for more than two decades, usually watching everyday. I love listening to the expertise and stories shared by the commentators, Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, and Bob Roll (Bobke). Phil has presided over the race for 37 years.
See the riders, legs pumping, and the beautiful scenery ignites the fire within to ride. Never content being a spectator, I enjoy the participation. In fact, in 2003 and 2004, I created my own little Tours (of Vancouver, BC), where I rode a percentage of the distance that the TDF competitors raced each day. I tried to match the terrain to the particular race day. For instance, if it was a mountain stage, I rode in the mountains (of course, not the Alps). If it was a time trial, then I did that, too.
Watching a sporting event, whether the TDF or the World Cup (for me), stimulates the desire to enjoy that sport in reality. What a great way to get motivated! (And, dare I say, it proves that not all television watching causes deterioration of body balance and muscular function.)
Ask: What sport/activity do you enjoy? What motivates you to actually do it?
The key is to find what ignites your passion and use that as a motivator.
Trust me, staying motivated to exercise is essential to maintaining optimal health and well-being.
So, get out there and play!
(this is a duplication of the Body Balance & Well-being blog--remember I'm busy watching the Tour)
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To me, I think the Tour de France is the toughest sports event in the world. It requires tremendous individual athletic and mental ability, team unity and skill, and the strategic intelligence of a chess player. It takes place over a three-week period matching the top cyclists against one another as they race through a variety of countries and terrain, including both the Pyrenees and the Alps. Furthermore, most race days during the event are more than one hundred miles.
As an avid cyclist I’ve been a devoted fan of the race for more than two decades, usually watching everyday. I love listening to the expertise and stories shared by the commentators, Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, and Bob Roll (Bobke). Phil has presided over the race for 37 years.
See the riders, legs pumping, and the beautiful scenery ignites the fire within to ride. Never content being a spectator, I enjoy the participation. In fact, in 2003 and 2004, I created my own little Tours (of Vancouver, BC), where I rode a percentage of the distance that the TDF competitors raced each day. I tried to match the terrain to the particular race day. For instance, if it was a mountain stage, I rode in the mountains (of course, not the Alps). If it was a time trial, then I did that, too.
Watching a sporting event, whether the TDF or the World Cup (for me), stimulates the desire to enjoy that sport in reality. What a great way to get motivated! (And, dare I say, it proves that not all television watching causes deterioration of body balance and muscular function.)
Ask: What sport/activity do you enjoy? What motivates you to actually do it?
The key is to find what ignites your passion and use that as a motivator.
Trust me, staying motivated to exercise is essential to maintaining optimal health and well-being.
So, get out there and play!
(this is a duplication of the Body Balance & Well-being blog--remember I'm busy watching the Tour)
Technorati Profile
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
National Train Day May 9, 2009
Riding the Rails
The rocking motion is what you notice first, other than the freedom to move about at will. No seatbelt signs. No pressurized cabin and air. Just rocking and swaying. It lulls you and comforts you into its pace, a slower pace.
Train travel (www.amtrak.com) provides incredible comfort with seating at a fraction of the cost of comparable seating on an airplane. As a delicious added benefit, there are no security lines.
A train ride allows you to actually see the land upon which you are traversing. Birds alight from feeding. A small hill nudges through low-lying clouds. Each nuance of the landscape reveals itself slowly, like a lover of many years.
And the train trundles along. The vastness of the land unfurls before you with each new glimpse through the panoramic windows.
Some vistas, depending on the train route, are breathtaking. Others are eyesores. Within a glance, there lies garbage dumped by those who have forgotten to respect the land. A second later, large pastures come into view. Cows graze freely, while horses roam, all back dropped by greens and browns of distant hills. The land bares its true self unabashedly, as if to say, ‘This is who I am’.
Trains are not a means of conveyance for those in a hurry. Train travel is for plodders, dawdlers, and wanderers. Trains also serve those who enjoy letting go and allowing another to do the work for you.
Trains and travel upon them evokes a sense of history, yet allows for the use of all items of modern life, such as mobile phones, computers, and the like. Simultaneously, you talk on the phone and notice the Main Street of some long forgotten town passing by.
Drivers of cars on the nearby highway can be seen toiling away to unknown destinations, keeping constant vigil for other vehicles, and changing lanes. All the while, you sit back, relax, and enjoy the rocking, the sweet sway of the train. Choo choo.
All aboard!
Resources:
Amtrak: www.amtrak.com
Technorati Profile
The rocking motion is what you notice first, other than the freedom to move about at will. No seatbelt signs. No pressurized cabin and air. Just rocking and swaying. It lulls you and comforts you into its pace, a slower pace.
Train travel (www.amtrak.com) provides incredible comfort with seating at a fraction of the cost of comparable seating on an airplane. As a delicious added benefit, there are no security lines.
A train ride allows you to actually see the land upon which you are traversing. Birds alight from feeding. A small hill nudges through low-lying clouds. Each nuance of the landscape reveals itself slowly, like a lover of many years.
And the train trundles along. The vastness of the land unfurls before you with each new glimpse through the panoramic windows.
Some vistas, depending on the train route, are breathtaking. Others are eyesores. Within a glance, there lies garbage dumped by those who have forgotten to respect the land. A second later, large pastures come into view. Cows graze freely, while horses roam, all back dropped by greens and browns of distant hills. The land bares its true self unabashedly, as if to say, ‘This is who I am’.
Trains are not a means of conveyance for those in a hurry. Train travel is for plodders, dawdlers, and wanderers. Trains also serve those who enjoy letting go and allowing another to do the work for you.
Trains and travel upon them evokes a sense of history, yet allows for the use of all items of modern life, such as mobile phones, computers, and the like. Simultaneously, you talk on the phone and notice the Main Street of some long forgotten town passing by.
Drivers of cars on the nearby highway can be seen toiling away to unknown destinations, keeping constant vigil for other vehicles, and changing lanes. All the while, you sit back, relax, and enjoy the rocking, the sweet sway of the train. Choo choo.
All aboard!
Resources:
Amtrak: www.amtrak.com
Technorati Profile
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
The Economy, Afghanistan...and the Planet
The dismal economies across the globe continue to hold much of the world’s attention. Perhaps rightly so.
President Obama and his administration are hard at work to correct what they can within the U.S. The President has ventured across the seas to Europe in hopes of getting increased cooperation from leaders there. The mending of fences battered by Bush’s reign flowed forth with Obama’s forthrightness and charisma.
Nevertheless, European leaders balk at helping the new war efforts aimed at Afghanistan. First, the European banks are more strapped for cash than American ones, though the Europeans won’t admit that.
Second, the Europeans know all too well the history of military aggression into Afghanistan. President Obama and his administration would do well to heed European reluctance, or at least talk with the Russians, who spent ten tough years there, only to give up in the end. Of course, it was America that gave weapons and training to the Afghani fighters then.
Moreover, if our intelligence community is to be trusted, then our targets, Al Queda and friends, hide out in Pakistan, not mountainous Afghanistan.
Finally, despite these pressing issues, and the incessant bailing out of potentially failing businesses with taxpayer money, many people forget a more critical issue—the planet.
Regardless whether one believes in global warming or an impending ice age, the one truth remains that Earth is the only inhabitable planet in our solar system. It needs our care (on a daily basis), not our recklessness, if we want it to continue to support us and our children and our children’s children.
I bring this up as a matter for increasing consciousness and intention, for caring that is. It would be incredibly inane to destroy the only home that we have, along with its delicate ecosystems.
The increases in the human population continue to threaten Earth’s stability. If my sources are correct, then the human population has tripled in the last one hundred years. This is staggering to say the least.
If that figure is true, then it is no wonder that greenhouse emissions have increased--more CO2, more cars, and more industrialization. Not to mention the advancing super-technological society, this has skyrocketed in the last thirty years and shows no signs of slowing down.
This digital revolution appears to be ever captivating to old and young, especially the latter.
As a result, people have forgotten the beauty and profundity that simple nature offers every second of every day. And it’s all free. What a gift in economic hard times!
Perhaps shutting off televisions, computers, mobile phones, and stepping outside would be a good idea, and not just for the power grids. Take a little walk, find some nature, and give thanks and praises to this sacred planet that supports each one of us every day without asking for anything in return.
Marvel at how birds fly and float through the skies above. Wonder at the grace of geese and ducks drifting effortlessly upon the water. This is a chance to appreciate nature. Sure, it can be harsh sometimes, but even a winter snowstorm leaves a beautiful blanket of white for a while.
Try it! See how good you feel!
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President Obama and his administration are hard at work to correct what they can within the U.S. The President has ventured across the seas to Europe in hopes of getting increased cooperation from leaders there. The mending of fences battered by Bush’s reign flowed forth with Obama’s forthrightness and charisma.
Nevertheless, European leaders balk at helping the new war efforts aimed at Afghanistan. First, the European banks are more strapped for cash than American ones, though the Europeans won’t admit that.
Second, the Europeans know all too well the history of military aggression into Afghanistan. President Obama and his administration would do well to heed European reluctance, or at least talk with the Russians, who spent ten tough years there, only to give up in the end. Of course, it was America that gave weapons and training to the Afghani fighters then.
Moreover, if our intelligence community is to be trusted, then our targets, Al Queda and friends, hide out in Pakistan, not mountainous Afghanistan.
Finally, despite these pressing issues, and the incessant bailing out of potentially failing businesses with taxpayer money, many people forget a more critical issue—the planet.
Regardless whether one believes in global warming or an impending ice age, the one truth remains that Earth is the only inhabitable planet in our solar system. It needs our care (on a daily basis), not our recklessness, if we want it to continue to support us and our children and our children’s children.
I bring this up as a matter for increasing consciousness and intention, for caring that is. It would be incredibly inane to destroy the only home that we have, along with its delicate ecosystems.
The increases in the human population continue to threaten Earth’s stability. If my sources are correct, then the human population has tripled in the last one hundred years. This is staggering to say the least.
If that figure is true, then it is no wonder that greenhouse emissions have increased--more CO2, more cars, and more industrialization. Not to mention the advancing super-technological society, this has skyrocketed in the last thirty years and shows no signs of slowing down.
This digital revolution appears to be ever captivating to old and young, especially the latter.
As a result, people have forgotten the beauty and profundity that simple nature offers every second of every day. And it’s all free. What a gift in economic hard times!
Perhaps shutting off televisions, computers, mobile phones, and stepping outside would be a good idea, and not just for the power grids. Take a little walk, find some nature, and give thanks and praises to this sacred planet that supports each one of us every day without asking for anything in return.
Marvel at how birds fly and float through the skies above. Wonder at the grace of geese and ducks drifting effortlessly upon the water. This is a chance to appreciate nature. Sure, it can be harsh sometimes, but even a winter snowstorm leaves a beautiful blanket of white for a while.
Try it! See how good you feel!
Technorati Profile
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Oil Lands in Utah
Haven't President Bush and his administration done enough harm to the country already?
One look at the economy and the answer is easy. Of course, he's not entirely to blame.
Yet, a continued military presence in Iraq at a cost of billions of dollars per month doesn't help. Are we safer? Perhaps. But still at the mercy of other types of terrorists--OPEC ones.
Bush's answer is to give away oil rights to companies in some of the most beautiful areas this country has left.
Is that the legacy he wants to leave before he exits office?
Is that what we, patriotic Americans, want him to do with our land?
I, for one, do not. The majesty of Arches National Park is one of the most incredible sights we have.
It is not for Mr. Bush to give away, regardless of the state of our oil reserves. this is our land, not his to do as he wishes.
Maybe the answer comes from finding/developing alternatives to the massive oil consumption that runs rampant on the planet. Given the option, I think many people would rather use some other form of alternate fuel, rather than be dependent on the black liquid, especially when it makes foreigners rich.
Finding and drilling more oil in protected areas of our country is not the answer to the current energy crisis.
Currently, oil barrel prices are low, but OPEC (an organization entirely controlled by countries not so friendly with the U.S.) is preparing to reduce production, which will again reduce supply, thus raising the price per barrel 100%.
We are being played big time by these oil wielding nations.
Let's bring our energy future under our control by weaning ourselves off not just foreign oil dependence, but oil dependence in general.
I know it is a complicated issue, but isn't the earth, our home, worth it?
Remember the words of Chief Seattle: "The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth."
The reality is if we screw this up, we will mostly hurt ourselves. The earth has been here for billions of years, we have not. So this is about a positive energy and lifestyle future for us, for our children, and for our children's children, that is in harmony with the planet.
Happy Holidays to all!!
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One look at the economy and the answer is easy. Of course, he's not entirely to blame.
Yet, a continued military presence in Iraq at a cost of billions of dollars per month doesn't help. Are we safer? Perhaps. But still at the mercy of other types of terrorists--OPEC ones.
Bush's answer is to give away oil rights to companies in some of the most beautiful areas this country has left.
Is that the legacy he wants to leave before he exits office?
Is that what we, patriotic Americans, want him to do with our land?
I, for one, do not. The majesty of Arches National Park is one of the most incredible sights we have.
It is not for Mr. Bush to give away, regardless of the state of our oil reserves. this is our land, not his to do as he wishes.
Maybe the answer comes from finding/developing alternatives to the massive oil consumption that runs rampant on the planet. Given the option, I think many people would rather use some other form of alternate fuel, rather than be dependent on the black liquid, especially when it makes foreigners rich.
Finding and drilling more oil in protected areas of our country is not the answer to the current energy crisis.
Currently, oil barrel prices are low, but OPEC (an organization entirely controlled by countries not so friendly with the U.S.) is preparing to reduce production, which will again reduce supply, thus raising the price per barrel 100%.
We are being played big time by these oil wielding nations.
Let's bring our energy future under our control by weaning ourselves off not just foreign oil dependence, but oil dependence in general.
I know it is a complicated issue, but isn't the earth, our home, worth it?
Remember the words of Chief Seattle: "The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth."
The reality is if we screw this up, we will mostly hurt ourselves. The earth has been here for billions of years, we have not. So this is about a positive energy and lifestyle future for us, for our children, and for our children's children, that is in harmony with the planet.
Happy Holidays to all!!
Technorati Profile
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Book that the U.S. Government Doesn't Want You to Read
FORMER FEDERAL AGENT USES EXPERIENCE
TO CRAFT ESPIONAGE THRILLER:
Abunga.com Features Author Geoffrey Gluckman to Chat with Fans Aug. 27
| WHO: | Geoffrey Gluckman, author of the gripping spy novel “Deadly Exchange.” Drawing from his training experience as a federal agent and CIA recruit, Gluckman wrote “Deadly Exchange” with a genuine understanding of the criminal mind and a suspense-filled pursuit. Gluckman also used his expertise as an exercise physiologist and international lecturer to weave real life experiences into his fictional story. Full of wit, mystery and danger, “Deadly Exchange” chronicles a corporate mega-firm out to control the minds of America’s work force using a high-tech product decoy. A deceptive villain and charming, yet fragile, heroine make for a story that leaves readers on the edge of their seats wondering who they can actually trust. |
| WHAT: | “Authors at Abunga” Online Chat with Geoffrey Gluckman, the fourth author to be featured on the newly-created chat series by Abunga.com, an online bookstore offering family-friendly materials. |
| wheN: | Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008 11 a.m. – Noon PDT / 1 – 2 p.m. CDT / 2 – 3 p.m. EDT (LIVE) At www.Abunga.com/AuthorsAtAbunga |
DETAILS:  | In addition to “Deadly Exchange,” Gluckman has authored numerous works of poetry, short stories and fiction. Currently, he pens feature articles for various print publications in the U.S., Canada and Australia. In 2000, he appeared on the “Body by Jake Healthy Lifestyles” television show as a featured functional fitness specialist. |
Available from major bookstores, such as Barnes & Noble, as well as online retailers
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