Many economist are debating on how to handle our "economic crisis". Band-aids are being placed on the cuts and sores. But we mustn't forget, the market crash is the acting out of the ailment. What morality cannot fix and what equality of wallet cannot be secured will ultimately play itself out... like a dating a married man. Eventually you shall reap what you sow. Its time now to control destiny but the average person won't have to do much at first. Just watch and listen. The best thing to do is vote with your wallet. That's the real democracy of America. The Freedom of choice is what keeps prices down. Right now the oil producing companies hold the puppet strings of our lives. There is not enough competition. Soon solar, bio-diesel, wind, energy storage and battery power will compete. As President-Elect Barack Obama said, "We cannot simply drill our way out of this problem. Read his entire Energy speech here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gG5zCW
Like it or not, we have reached a tipping point and we are headed towards a new green economy.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
GreenBuild
I am looking forward to going to GreenBuild in Boston MA in November. It should be a good time. I enjoy being around others of like minds. Others who want to make a difference by greening the world. Get a little inspired. Learn a little. Share a little.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Design Inspired by Teletubby?
Some one actually design the roof of a building to look like a Teletubby home! I love it! LOL. Very avant garde. Read about it here here.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Water Water Everywhere Not a drop to Drink
Tap water is being polluted with Perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel that has been linked to thyroid problems in pregnant women, newborns and young children across the nation. I had thyroid problems when I was pregnant and I use tap water when I cook so this news is disturbing... Also, the Washington Post reports that the US DOD is a big contributor!
This is nothing new. More info.
This is nothing new. More info.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
101 Ways to Save the Earth
This website http://onehundredthings.wordpress.com/ lists 101 Things Designers Can do to save the earth. You don't have to be designer to do the things on the list. You may be already doing some of the things. I think its worth a look. But I'm warning you, this is a looooong list!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Extraordinary Green Architecture
Today I am truely impressed... inspired even... by Italian architecture. Construction is beginning in Dubai for the world's 1st twirling skyscraper. Between each of the 78 floors are turbines spinning and the exterior of the building is made of solar panels. The building is alive- a renewable machine- that creates 10 times more power than what it needs to function. Incredible.
More details here.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Is Global Warming Really Happening?
Is Global Warming Really Happening?
I'm afraid so... Fabled shipping passages along the north coast of Russia and Canada, normally clogged by thick ice, have both thawed this summer, raising the possibility of short-cut routes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. What's old may become new again.
UN: New Laws May Be Needed as Ice Caps Melt
UN: New Laws May Be Needed as Ice Caps Melt By Betsy Kraat
OSLO-- A new set of United Nations laws may be needed to regulate new Arctic industries such as shipping and oil exploration as climate change melts the ice around the North Pole, legal experts said on Sunday.
They said existing laws governing everything from fish stocks to bio-prospecting by pharmaceutical companies were inadequate for the polar regions, especially the Arctic, where the area of summer sea ice is now close to a 2007 record low.
"Many experts believe this new rush to the polar regions is not manageable within existing international law," said A.H. Zakri, Director of the U.N. University's Yokohama-based Institute of Advanced Studies.
Fabled shipping passages along the north coast of Russia and Canada, normally clogged by thick ice, have both thawed this summer, raising the possibility of short-cut routes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Dozens of legal experts are meeting in Iceland from September 7-9 to debate the legal needs of the polar regions. Other threats include a surge in tourism, with 40,000 visitors to Antarctica in 2007 against just 1,000 in 1987.
Many legal specialists believe there is a lack of clarity in existing laws about shipping, mining, sharing of fish stocks drawn northwards by the melting of ice, and standards for clearing up any oil spills far from land.
"Oil in particular and risks of shipping in the Arctic are big issues. It's incredibly difficult to clean up an oil spill on ice," said conference chairman David Leary of the Institute of Advanced Studies, which is organizing the conference with Iceland's University of Akureyri.
With the ice receding fast, defining what conditions are "particularly severe" could be a problem, said law professor Tullio Scovazzi of the University of Milano-Bicocca.
Leary said the eight nations with Arctic territories -- the United States, Russia, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and Finland -- have so far preferred to limit discussion to existing international laws.
The World Wildlife Federation is among those urging a new U.N. convention to protect the Arctic, partly fearing that rising industrial activity will increase the risk of oil spills like the Exxon Valdez accident off Alaska.
"We think there should be new rules, stricter rules. We are proposing a new convention for the protection of the Arctic Ocean," said Tatiana Saksina of the WWF.
Alaska's state governor Sarah Palin, Republican vice presidential candidate in November 4th's U.S. election, is an advocate of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
A boom in tourism in Antarctica meanwhile risks the accidental introduction of new species to an environment where the largest land creature is a flightless midge.
Bio-prospecting may also need new rules. Neural stem cells of Arctic squirrels could help treat human strokes, while some Arctic fish species have yielded enzymes that can be used in industrial processes.
Reuters
www.reuters.com
I'm afraid so... Fabled shipping passages along the north coast of Russia and Canada, normally clogged by thick ice, have both thawed this summer, raising the possibility of short-cut routes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. What's old may become new again.
UN: New Laws May Be Needed as Ice Caps Melt
UN: New Laws May Be Needed as Ice Caps Melt By Betsy Kraat
OSLO-- A new set of United Nations laws may be needed to regulate new Arctic industries such as shipping and oil exploration as climate change melts the ice around the North Pole, legal experts said on Sunday.
They said existing laws governing everything from fish stocks to bio-prospecting by pharmaceutical companies were inadequate for the polar regions, especially the Arctic, where the area of summer sea ice is now close to a 2007 record low.
"Many experts believe this new rush to the polar regions is not manageable within existing international law," said A.H. Zakri, Director of the U.N. University's Yokohama-based Institute of Advanced Studies.
Fabled shipping passages along the north coast of Russia and Canada, normally clogged by thick ice, have both thawed this summer, raising the possibility of short-cut routes between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Dozens of legal experts are meeting in Iceland from September 7-9 to debate the legal needs of the polar regions. Other threats include a surge in tourism, with 40,000 visitors to Antarctica in 2007 against just 1,000 in 1987.
Many legal specialists believe there is a lack of clarity in existing laws about shipping, mining, sharing of fish stocks drawn northwards by the melting of ice, and standards for clearing up any oil spills far from land.
"Oil in particular and risks of shipping in the Arctic are big issues. It's incredibly difficult to clean up an oil spill on ice," said conference chairman David Leary of the Institute of Advanced Studies, which is organizing the conference with Iceland's University of Akureyri.
With the ice receding fast, defining what conditions are "particularly severe" could be a problem, said law professor Tullio Scovazzi of the University of Milano-Bicocca.
Leary said the eight nations with Arctic territories -- the United States, Russia, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and Finland -- have so far preferred to limit discussion to existing international laws.
The World Wildlife Federation is among those urging a new U.N. convention to protect the Arctic, partly fearing that rising industrial activity will increase the risk of oil spills like the Exxon Valdez accident off Alaska.
"We think there should be new rules, stricter rules. We are proposing a new convention for the protection of the Arctic Ocean," said Tatiana Saksina of the WWF.
Alaska's state governor Sarah Palin, Republican vice presidential candidate in November 4th's U.S. election, is an advocate of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
A boom in tourism in Antarctica meanwhile risks the accidental introduction of new species to an environment where the largest land creature is a flightless midge.
Bio-prospecting may also need new rules. Neural stem cells of Arctic squirrels could help treat human strokes, while some Arctic fish species have yielded enzymes that can be used in industrial processes.
Reuters
www.reuters.com
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