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We the Climate Ostriches?

Are we Americans ostriches?   Why in these presidential debates nothing has been said about the climate change.   How many of us truly realize that the overwhelming scientific consensus that the burning of fossil fuels is trapping heat in the atmosphere, with potentially catastrophic long-term effects. Obama and Romney failed to address our increasing   ecological disasters in the debates.   While they have talked about extracting ever-larger quantities of oil, natural gas and coal no discussion has been made of their serious economic and environmental impacts. Romney did falsely attacked Obama in the first debate on his failure with creating green jobs.   Yes a few did fail, however, most were a huge success . In the second debate, Romney spoke about how the President “has not been Mr. Oil, or Mr. Gas, or Mr. Coal.”   Romney declared, if elected, would be all three. Obama countered, “We have increased oil production to the highest levels in 16 years.” “Natural gas production i

Water, Food and Climate Weirdness

The recent drought shows how our hottest summer on record impacts our food and water.   In the past week this lack of water grew by the size of the State of Alabama and still we have many weeks to go of potential excessive heat.   Not since the 1930’s has half of the continental United States suffered such a widespread and severe drought. The worst-hit area is the Great Plains.  Food prices will also soar with the excessive heat and all-time high temperature records. More than half of all U.S. counties have been designated disaster zones and numerous cities have implemented water restrictions.   The dryness and heat keep baking things making it difficult for the land to cool down. US Department of Agriculture have made disaster zone designations for an additional 218 counties in 12 states including Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming. Almost three-quarters of the nation's cattle acreage are no

Derecho Wake Up Call

Our region got an experience- a thunder storm on steroids moving at violent speed.    It is called a derecho (duh-RAY'-choh), a straight line wind storm that sweeps over a large area at high speed.  Working outside for over 40 years I have seen some hot filthy air and weather.  I gather this may have some reason why latter we got slammed by hurricane winds.  Last night I felt like a tornado was coming.  This storm created havoc in for tens of millions of Americans after its Friday evening June 29 th impact. Coming from the Midwest, it produced tornado-like damage packing wind gusts of up to 90 mph.  You can go to http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/derechofacts.htm to see the graphic pictures of the gust front of "arcus cloud of a derecho front.  These storms stretched 750 miles from Chicago to the Atlantic Ocean, causing at least 900 reports of wind damage as well as numerous fatalities and injuries. My experience with the after effects of this storm is that

Conserving a Private Empire

Steve Coll’s recent book about Exxon Mobil, “Private Empire,” exemplifies the lobbying might of big oil. As so sadly how we may be robbing Peter to pay Paul.  The company’s profits were $21.3 billion first half of last year shows how money talks in DC.   Such a special interest hires some 20 additional former senators, representatives, legislative aides and others to influence decisions. When a corporation operates in over 200 nations how do you separate it from our own foreign policy? This firm would rank among the top 30 countries if revenue were counted as gross domestic product Americans’ belief in climate change also was reframed as a hoax by Exxon Mobil executives. This book documents the undemocratic power of wealth determining our future carbon economy.  Also how our environmental leaders are sleep at the wheel. ExxonMobil used the argument of lessening poverty in the third world instead of addressing global climate change as the most pressing environmental problems

Let’s Take Full Inventory of Our Economy

I am always amazed how we talk of economy however pay little attention exactly how we account for stuff. For examples hydraulic frac­tur­ing or "fracking" for natural gas is becoming popular however we still in the dark about its by-products and how they impact our environment. We do understand the price of gas yet we know nothing about their true environmental cost. Few Americans have any idea the value of conservation since we have invested little in profiting from pollution prevention by advocating waste reduction. Years ago World Resources Materials Flow report ( DONALD ROGICH, AMY CASSARA, IDDO WERNICK, MARTA MIRANDA 2008,WRI:ISBN 978-1-56973-682-1 http://materials.wri.org .) tracked the ebb and flow of how stuff goes through our economy and out into the environment. For example of these 169 materials are toxic substances— such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and others—whose life cycle, reflect the strengths and weaknesses in our national regulatory policies

2012 Used Oil Recycling in the US

I first became aware of the problem of improper disposal of motor oil and of the pollution of my local watershed of Little Falls in Bethesda, MD, which runs into one of the drinking water reservoirs of our nation’s capital in 1976. I was outraged. My father’s 40-year career as a congressional aide to both the U.S. House’s Ways and Means Committee and to the Senate Finance Committee gave me firsthand exposure to the workings of oil tax subsidies. Ironically, we do little to benefit from oil pollution prevention although more people recycle now than vote. Still, we have a long way to go in dealing with oil waste by-products. Last year the nation’s leading energy expert estimated that the US spent between $49 billion and $100 billion on energy subsidies in 2007. In the late 1970’s, millions of dollars were given to states following on a multi-billion dollar law suit settlement from oil overcharges awarded to the Department of Energy to promote energy conservation measures. And yet, the

Deal with a Full Deck for the Best Effect

Recently I did myself a favor. I followed through on a dream. I brought back an old creation. I created Ray CycleTM in 1981 while I was working for the D.C. Energy Office. Working to recycle paper and used oil, I created this educational character for my peace of mind. Later, I traded in my tights and ecology flag cap for a new costume when I got Ray's name trademarked, sharing it with the State of Connecticut. I became a court jester campaigning on April Fools Day at the US Capitol steps, proclaiming, "You are not dealing with a full deck when you throw the joker out!" Comics change their lives to abate tragedy. Over the past 30 years conserving energy and resources has given many lessons in folly and much wisdom. Many of us still tragically deny with "out of sight, out of mind" or "wasted” mentality. The impacts are multi-dimensional. Just look at our alarming overweight youth or our multi-trillion deficit as a few examples. Any form of waste, de

Ray Cycle Raps

CELEBRATE CREATING THE GREEN AWAKENING CONSERVING UP TO YOU, NO MISTAKING IS YOUR WORLD WARMING AND BAKING? ARE YOU NERVOUS, ARE YOU QUAKING? I’M A UNKNOWN RECYCLED HERO MISSION IS TO TRANSFORM WASTE TO ZERO COME ON NOW, DEAL WITH A FULL DECK KEEP THE JOKER FOR THE BEST EFFECT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMEDY AND TRAGEDY COMICS GIVE US A LIFE-SAVING STRATEGY. ARE YOU GOING TO FOLLOW OR LEAD? CONSERVATION NOW IS A CRITICAL NEED. WORK TO LESSEN OUR WASTE AND GREED, CREATING CLEAN ENERGY IS A GREAT DEED TAKE HEART AND MOVE THE FIRST LETTER, IT SPELLS EARTH, YOU MAKE IT BETTER WE’RE ALL TRAGIC UNLESS WE BE COOL WAKE UP BRAIN IT’S A RECYCLABLE TOOL. OUR BODIES ACT LIKE THE EARTH BOTH PRECIOUS FORMS OF DIVINE WORTH EMPLOY AGAIN THE CHASING ARROW SIGN REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE YOU’LL FIND INSIGHT PLANTS HOPE IN MIND OUT OF SIGHT – DESPAIR AND BLIND LET’S RE-ADJUST OUR BRAIN SPRAIN. CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE, APPRECIATE THE GAIN SEE WHATS RIGHT INSTEAD OF WHATS WRONG BE THE LIGHT & DANCE TO THIS RE-FRAME