More money needs to be allocated by Governments toward PROMOTION of climate change evidence. Plenty of television programmes have been produced to underline the impact on the planet of global warming, the melting of sea ice, rising sea levels, the knock-on effect of weather patterns from melting ice, destruction of habitat and wildlife such as in the Amazon rainforest and the impact on human life etc.With more funding various top networks could be utilized to broadcast these programmes on a dedicated climate change television and internet channel. Many networks only show programmes which get high ratings, so the creation of climate/environmental television and internet channel must be created to get more support, to generate more investment in alternative energy industry, and to broadcast energy saving initiatives to the public.
Government could easily find more money for a climate-only television channel. For example, the amount of money spent on defense spending could be reduced by a mere 1 or 2 percent to make funds available to get a climate channel going. The World Bank could be used for the creation of a dedicated climate channel in many countries, and to have it broadcasted via the web. A proportion of alcohol and cigarette tax could be allocated for a climate fund, to assist in the initial stage of the creation of a climate change channel. The public needs to be educated more on these issues, and investors will follow the trend of alternative energy creation very quickly if the climate issue is promoted more and more.Russell S.Wyllie of http://www.Youtube.com/RealClimateNews
another paper i wrote on weather mod. this semester.
11 September 2009
Weather Modification
In Jeff Hull’s article “The Modern Rain Dance” in The New York Times, he writes about “cloud seeding” which has been taking place in the United States since around the 1940’s. The idea of weather modification has been around since the late 1800’s. It's a process in which man manipulates the weather. Whether they halt rain, make rain, or make man-made clouds that reflect sun-light back into space, they are changing our weather on purpose. Hull, though, specifically writes about “cloud seeding” which is dropping silver iodide into clouds, creating ice crystals, and making precipitation. This process is currently being used in major drought areas such as California and Wyoming. Hull tells us that in 2003 the National Research Council stated that there is no scientific proof that weather modification is helping us. Hull starts questioning whether this could be harmful at all to us. No questions about the process have been addressed by our legal system. Hull concludes by stating that we should be careful with what we can do.
I am a strong believer in putting a stop to weather modification. I believe it’s not only harmful to the environment, but it could be harmful to the people here on Earth. “Cloud seeding” is only the beginning. “Many communities have experimented with “Cloud Seeding”, the introduction of artificial nuclei into clouds to spur precipitation.”(Hull, page 1) There are much worse experiments and manipulation going on, but the government will not confirm it.
First of all, I believe it’s wrong for the government to keep information from current experiments from its citizens especially if these experiments could potentially be harmful. I would think that there would be some form of harm on us or the environment, and maybe that is the reason the government is not giving us information. Do the particles being sprayed in the atmosphere disintegrate somehow? Could these particles be affecting our water supply? Many Americans don’t even have a clue that these actions are being performed right above them.
Another big concern with weather modification is the environment. Could this be harming plants and animals? Could this be ruining our atmosphere? The only way we will know is when it happens and everything begins to unfold. For now, though, many are not paying much attention because they don’t know! How can the EPA, NASA, and NOAA overlook this issue? Do they not realize how harmful this could be? I ask so many questions because our government does not address this experimentation, nor do they answer questions regarding the issue.
When I earn my Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science I hope to put a stop to weather modification. I understand drought areas need water, but putting particles in the air is not the way to fix the problem. What if the rain water they receive is contaminated? I believe this is an eye-opening issue that more of us need to look into. Some reporters and columnists, such as Hull, have already taken a look at the issue, but it hasn’t blown up the media because the government wouldn’t allow it. Many other countries are doing the same experimentation, but our country needs to take a look at what is happening above them before it is too late.
My fellow citizens,
I am a survivor of Acute Meyloid Leukemia, or AML. I recieve care from one of the finest institutions in medicine, UC Davis Medical Group, with help along the way from Stanford Medical. I had a bone marrow transplant in 2005 and have been doing great considering the trauma to my system. We need to do everything we can to help with healthcare reform, and eliminate pre-existing conditions. The relief on Emergency Rooms alone will save countless taxpayer dollars and hospital's lost revinue. The other side of the equation is to improve our personal health and environment.
When researching the environmental causes of my form of cancer, I found that it is associated with exposure to Benzene. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/316/17/1044
The "Benzene Ring" is the building block of Gasoline, paint and solvents.
I do not believe in prohibition, but I do believe that government can create strong incentives to limit the use of gasoline by endorsing clean diesel, biofeuls and natural gas production and consumption.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is obviously owned by the large oil companies who have their refineries in the San Fransico Bay Area. CARB continues to block efforts of auto companies to sell diesel cars in California, one of the largest and most important automobile markets in the world. If you can't sell a car in California, you can't produce it for sale in the US.
Barack Obama gave us the funding, let's get up and do something with it!
I am applying for a grant from the US Dept. of Energy (DOE), to create a prototype truck that will be powered by a Capstone Microturbine Generator, and use DC electric hub motors at each wheel, called the Hi-Pa Drive, manufactured by PML FLightlink of the UK.
Microturbines can be powered by Natural Gas, Hydrogen, Biodiesel, Ethanol, Methanol, Petroleum diesel, Jet Fuel, and Gasoline.
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/18365
Even when burning the stinky fossil fuels, the microturbine can qualify under CARB's standards as a low emissions vehicle.
With the use of the Hi-Pa Drive built by PML Flightlink, the vehicle would have no gears, axles, or drivelines. With the microturbine powerplant, my early estimates guarantee at least 80 MPG, in a large SUV or Truck! http://www.hipadrive.com/
Barack Obama is the leader that can, and will, help us bridge the gap to the Hydrogen Economy. His grants to the DOE are being pursued by lots of other people like me, and in the end, we can all drive our cars without polluting, and spread our technolgy to help the developing world as well as the US.
We all breathe the same air. Let's take a stand to clean it up!
So get out and help the cause America! Tell your Representatives how important healthcare reform is to our lives and economy, and do something in your own life to reduce future healthcare costs.
Run, bike, hike and swim to the future! When you get there and you are too tired to run home, just get in your clean green car and drive!
The republican premise: The atmosphere is too large for us to have an effect; it’s practically infinite.
The republican premise: The oceans are a great “sink” that absorbs carbon dioxide, so we don’t have to worry about atmospheric carbon emissions.
We can be divided by region, by color, by geography, by weather, by nation, by name we can be divided for many reason. Even United Nation is not united for many reasons. But we all are UNITED for our world, our living green world. You might have no time to think about me, to think about others but you must think about your self, about your family, about your children. For you, for your family, for your children you need this world. So keep the world clean, keep the world green. In future scientists can discover that people can live in Mars. But it will be expensive for you to travel there and also you have to face VISA problems, good health is also required for the long journey way to Mars. So without thinking for your living world keep it clean. Otherwise one day from other planet someone will come to your grave to research, is in this planet has ever life, water, tree!!!!
Putting Obama in office was just the beginning. We’ve won a major battle but not the whole war. Now we have the equally daunting and critical challenge of making sure that Obama is able to fulfill the promise that he represents. We need to keep working to take back our democracy and advance Obama’s progressive agenda.
That’s why I’m working with a network of progressive people throughout Maryland to get communities across the state organized and mobilized to in support of building a new clean green, inclusive energy economy and bold federal climate action – two major priorities for president Obama. We’ve teamed up with an amazing national grassroots climate campaign called 1Sky whose goal is to build volunteer climate action teams in every community that will push our congressional leaders to be champions of bold federal climate and clean energy policy. For more info go to http://local.1sky.org/en/.
As you may know, Maryland Congresspeople including House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Chris Van Hollen, and John Sarbanes are extremely influential and will have a big impact on the type of climate policy that congress passes. By influencing them we can have a huge influence on the climate fight, but we need to act now because Congress is working on climate legislation as we speak.
2009 is going to be the pivotal year for climate action! If you care about the issue this is the year to act. You can make a difference in just a few hours a month. Help us make history. Please contact me today to let me know if your interested in joining our local 1Sky climate precinct team!
Keith Harrington
MD 1Sky Field Organizer
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
240-396-1985
keith@chesapeakeclimate.org
Sunday, March 1st we will be discussing Bill McKibben's book Deep Economy. One of the stated goals of the book is to challenge us to evaluate an economy not just by growth but also by human satisfaction and by ecological durability. McKibben suggests that part of the solution to the many problems we face lies in the wealth of communities.
He writes that the upheaval promised by global warming is more disruptive than any military threat humans have yet faced. On Monday March 2nd Mr. McKibben (along with NASA climate scientist James Hansen) will probably be arrested for acts of civil disobedience at a coal-fired power plant in Washington, D.C. He believes it's important for us all to raise our voices loud and clear now because "We need a powerful and active movement not to force the administration and the Democrats in Congress to do something they don't want to, but to give them the political space they need to act on their convictions. Barack Obama was a community organizer--he understands that major change only comes when it's demanded, when there's some force noisy enough to drown out the eternal hum of business as usual, of vested interest, of inertia." To read his full comments go to e360.yale.edu.
So, if you live near our community of Inwood (in northern Manhattan) join us. Even if you haven't read the book. I anticipate that there will be different levels of participation at different times. Some people may just come and learn and change their buying habits. Others may read every book, talk to their friends and relatives, write to their local and federal representatives. Others may want to start a local project. Any level of participation is welcome.
Next meeting will be April 5th and we'll be discussing Tim Flannery's The Weather Makers.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Are you watching cable news today? The Auto Industry CEOs are begging Congress to turn the U.S. into another China: State-managed capitalism. Some people think that sounds a lot like National Socialism or Nazism. I've got a different perspective. Instead of bailing out the private-jet-setting CEOs and their omnicidal* automobile industry, I say nationalize it! Because the fossil fuel, automobile and military industries have brought us this Climate Crisis, creating our greatest national security threat EVER, isn't it apt and just that we take them over and use them to reduce the crisis? In the name of National Defense and Homeland Security. All the Auto Industry will do if it gets bailed out is increase fuel-efficiency by a few miles per gallon. They won't abandon the Hummer. For ten years I've been calling for a Retool Now! conversion of Detroit. Back then I said retool the factories so that only vehicles that get 75 MPG are made from now on. Of course, most of the industrial capacity should be shifted away from private vehicles entirely and used to create advanced public transportation vehicles. The future is in the public transportation sector and the rental, not ownership of personal vehicles. So lets nationalize the Auto Industry and tell Obama to appoint Amory Lovins the Secretary of Transportation, and forget about bailing out any capitalist institutions. Oh, and lets not forget to... Jail the CEOs, Andy Caffrey *omnicidal means, the death of all living things
There is an increased focus in Europe on the centrality of water in dealing with climate change as reported by this article from EurActive.com
It's clear that the global reception that Barack Obama has enjoyed puts him in the position of a moral leader of the world -- not just the free world. Even before he takes office he will be doing a great deal of leading in a world eager to align itself with his ideas. His solutions during the campaign have already begun to prove prophetic.
He has recognized the relationship among the financial crisis, infrastructure renewal, jobs, energy, and climate change and sees solutions to each as complementing solutions to the others.
It is a history an immigrant has made to white house. American is multicultural country black, white, African, Asian , Hindus, Muslims and Christians live together happily and it is a land of opportunity. Martin Luther king the civil rights activist who has fight for the rights of black may be happiest person if he would have lived. From nothing, a black leader Barack Husain Obama has become the president of United States of America, born to Kenyan Father and American mother. People of America want change, did not bother about the cultural issues and want to live happily with dignity. With recession gripping up, many banks are declared bankruptcy, energy crisis, climate change, three trillion dollar Iraq war, people fear to lose house in subprime crisis, with these problems every American wants a change. American wants happy living and show the world that American are not against any race and religion. They want peace and happiness and good living. A virtual unknown until his stirring keynote address at the 2004 Democratic Convention, the President-elect’s meteoric rise to the White House has personal style, a gift for stirring oratory and a commanding ability to deploy new technology to raise funds and organize supporters "Americans have sent a message to the world," Barack Obama, the man who would be the United States' first African American president, "If there is anyone out there that still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible... who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer." He said it was the answer told "by lines that stretched around schools and churches..." as they waited for hours to vote. It was the answer, he said, spoken by the young and old, rich and poor, Hispanics and Asians, Democrats and Republicans” With the United States having its first African-American President in Barack Hussain Obama and the Democrats got full control the Senate and the Congress. Ever one in the world seeing towards USA for change and in India the group of techies from Bangalore have collected money for funding the election in USA they formed an association Barack Obama association. In Coimbatore people have conducted “homa and puja” and have shown the birth chart of Barack Obama to astrologers, and they were sure of his victory and this happened. Obama has taken donations even two dollar and five dollars from the individuals and has funded election expenditure, there is a transparency in election funding. What are the challenges to new president? •His first task is to revive economy of USA, economy is in a grip of recession •Subprime crisis, every American wants a shelter and the prices housing sector should not fall any t more. •The greatest three trillion war with Iraq, which is the tax payer money America has spent on Iraq war. Withdrawing of troops from Iraq. •Energy crisis, USA is biggest consumer of energy and it has not signed Kyoto Protocol,(Climate Change) many American wants that USA should go to green technology and save the energy and sign the Kyoto protocol. •Control of terrorism is one more problem the new president may face. •Tackling of unemployment problem and out sourcing is some more big issues.
India has to learn lot of lessons from US election •We have to see Americans who have elected an immigrant and half Muslim to the white house, Indian are not tolerating the fellow Indians the recent Maharashtra riots is example. •The funding of elections is transparent in USA, the election expenditure is audited, where as in India the election expenditure is all unaccounted money there is no proper records maintained. •American election campaign is transparent, Obama has used internet, text messages, Utube, and media. Indian election campaign is not transparent. •Obama is nothing four years back, today he is a President of USA, which shows even a new person, can become USA president which is not possible inIndia.
While blogging about the League of Conservation Voter's endorsement of Democratic Senate candidate Jim Martin in Georgia, I took a closer look at the environmental group's analysis of Obama's environmental positions. The LCV published a comparison chart (in PDF format) outlining the environmental policies of Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain. Obama has a lifetime enviornmentally-friendly score 86 percent vs. 24 percent for McCain. And for 2007, the most recent year scored, McCain was given a 0 (yes, that’s zero) vs. 67 for Obama.
Here in Georgia, Republican encumbent Senator Saxby Chambliss is rated at only 5 percent in LCV’s 110th Congress 2008 National Environmental Scorecard. According to the LCV, Senator Chambliss has accepted $107,500 in contributions from oil and gas interests for his 2008 re-election campaign. His signature negative advertising is therefore funded, in part, by oil companies. Considering the recent gas shortages and high prices we've suffered here, along with all Chambliss' negative TV ads we've had to endure, it's clear that Jim Martin is the cleaner candidate-in more ways that one. You can check out my full blog post on the environmental issue at lifeonq.com.
On October 11, 2008, people will gather in cities worldwide to discuss global climate change and to work together to address its effects on the local level. Earth Charter U.S. is coordinating the summits in celebration of U.N. International Year of Planet Earth. They are also underwriting the web connection among participating cities so that people will feel the global connection by being able to see and hear each other.
Earth Charter U.S. is a nonprofit organization that spreads the message of the Earth Charter, an international declaration of principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society ( www.earthcharter.org).
Here in Tampa, our summit will be held at the University of Tampa. Registration begins at 10am in Faulk Theater, and the schedule of activities can be found at http://www.earthcharterus.org/summit-wkend.html
Speakers include:
Dr. Gary Yohe, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (with Al Gore) as a senior member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Alexander Likhotal, President and CEO of Green Cross International and adviser to Mikhail Gorbachev
James Hansen, NASA scientist and Columbia University professor who exposed White House editing of climate-related reports to make global warming appear less threatening
Bill Becker, executive director of Presidential Climate Action Plan, 300 policies that can be enacted by the new president without congressional approval
Michelle Weyman, executive director of ICLEI-US, leading organization for Mayors’ Climate Action Program in 1500+ cities
The Earth Scouts Festival will be held on the same day from 10am-3pm in UT's Plant Hall. The Earth Scouts are "changing the world one fun badge at a time" by participating in hands-on activities that reinforce the principles of human rights, economic justice, participatory democracy, respect for nature, and cultivating a culture of peace and nonviolence. Some common activities include tasting and learning about fair trade chocolate, making slogan buttons, and making seed necklaces that sprout while being worn!
We hope to see you at one of these great events!
Over the past few weeks, I have become increasingly concerned about the prospect of Governor Sarah Palin becoming the next Vice President of the United States. Certainly, the idea of Sen. John McCain serving as commander-in-chief is indeed a frightening prospect, but with his advanced age and numerous bouts with melanoma, he is quite likely not to survive four years in office if elected, thus allowing Palin to become President.
The prospect of a Palin presidency (or vice presidency for that matter) is troubling for many reasons. Besides her obvious lack of experience, abuses of power as governor, and apparent ignorance concerning national and international issues, Palin also is a far-right extremist. I have decided to list my Top Ten Reasons why I am convinced that Palin is an ultra-conservative fanatic that makes Pat Robertson or maybe even David Duke look moderate.
1. Sarah Palin and her husband Todd are former associates and long-time supporters of the anti-American, secessionist-based, Alaskan Independence Party (AIP). Supporting a statewide “vote” for Alaskan secession from the U.S., the fringe AIP touts itself as a “states rights party.” As one AIP leader states, the party has "a plank that challenges the legality of the Alaskan statehood vote as illegal and in violation of United Nations charter and international law." AIP’s founder, Joe Vogler, has repeatedly professed his "hatred" for the American government. As reported by ABC News, AIP leaders have claimed that the Palins are former members of the party and attended statewide conferences in 1994 and 2000. Though official records indicate that Palin has been a registered Republican since 1982, nothing has disproved the AIP claim that Palin was an active supporter of this rabidly anti-American party. Besides, one can certainly be a “member” of more than one party simultaneously. More telling is the fact that Gov. Palin sent an official videotaped message to the AIP’s annual convention in early 2008, in which she endorsed their “party’s vision” and referred to AIP as “inspiring:”
2. Palin is a Christian fundamentalist extremist who endorses a church that condones modern-day witch-hunts. For years, she was a member of a Pentecostal church, the Wasilla Assembly of God, which not only speaks in tongues and conducts faith healing, but also believes in exorcisms and witch-hunts. In fact, her former preacher and spiritual mentor, Pastor Thomas Muthee, purposively incited violent mobs in Kenya that physically drove alleged “witches” from various towns and villages. Such activities are clearly sexist and are a centuries-old form of “spiritual warfare” directed against influential women living in traditional communities.
3. Palin is a theocratic extremist who believes that God actively supported the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and even the construction of oil pipelines in Alaska. As she told the Wasilla Assembly of God in June 2008, the Iraq war and the Alaskan pipeline were part of "God's Plan." She also takes pride in the fact that her minister, the witch-hunting Pastor Thomas Muthee, beseeched God to help get her elected governor.
4. Palin is an apocalyptic survivalist who currently attends a church whose main tenet is the belief that Alaska has a “special role” in God’s divine plan for the “last days.” The Wasilla Bible Church, of which she and her family have been members since 2002, actively promotes the radical survivalist view that Alaska will provide a “shelter” as a “refuge state” in the aftermath of the impending apocalypse.
5. Governor Palin has an extreme position on abortion rights. For years, she has advocated the nationwide criminalization of abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. Going beyond the primary conservative approach of calling for the overturn of Roe v. Wade (which would return the issue back to the states), Palin favors national legislation and a constitutional amendment that would criminalize abortion in all states, with only one exception: If the mother’s life is in imminent obvious danger. In fact, she stated as a gubernatorial candidate in 2006 that she would oppose abortion “even if her own daughter was raped.” So if Palin has her way, she would legally force a 16-year old girl who was raped by her uncle to carry the fetus to term.
6. Palin is a rabid homophobic extremist. For starters, her current church clearly advocates the “conversion” of gay men and lesbians into “heterosexual Christians.” As reported by the AP, one of her church’s major theological tenets is known as “pray away the gay,” which Palin apparently supports, judging from her active support of Wasilla Bible Church’s programs and philosophy. More importantly, at the beginning of her administration, Palin actively supported a bill that would have denied state benefits for gay partners of public employees. As governor, she also sought to remove books from public libraries that were gay-tolerant. Like other far-right extremists, she supports a constitutional amendment that would ban same sex marriage nationwide. She also opposes hate crime legislation that includes provisions for sexual orientation. So, this supposedly “Christian church lady” apparently does not think that the law should offer any legal protection to the victims of hate crimes whose attackers were motivated by anti-gay bigotry.
7. Palin is an anti-environmental extremist. She not only constantly demeans science, but also decries mainstream scientific theories of climate change. Disagreeing with her running mate on this position, Palin has repeatedly argued that global warming is not man-made, but rather a “natural” phenomenon. Moreover, she favors opening up Alaska’s entire protected wilderness areas (including ANWAR) to oil exploration and development. In a recent interview, as reported on ABC News, Palin stated, “A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute it to being man-made.”
8. Palin is a jingoistic bellicose extremist in foreign policy. Like Bush and McCain, she favors rash military action as a substitute for genuine diplomacy and careful negotiations with other countries. Though her ignorance about the Bush Doctrine was revealed in a recent ABC News interview with Charlie Gibson, she nonetheless reaffirmed her belief in American unilateralism and preemptive military attacks on sovereign nations. Moreover, when asked about her response to alleged Russian aggression in Georgia, she indicated that the U.S should consider going to war with Russia if further “unprovoked” incursions occur. If Palin indeed welcomes Alaska’s role in the Apocalypse, then she may get her wish if a U.S.-Russian war is ignited over a small obscure former member of the Soviet Union.
9. Palin is a major “gun nut” who believes that the Second Amendment is absolutely sacrosanct. Like the most extreme members of the NRA, Palin is opposed to virtually all forms of gun control – including waiting periods for gun purchases and bans on assault weapons. As a gubernatorial candidate, she even argued that gun control was “as much of a threat to families as drugs and gangs.” Talk about right-wing erroneous hyperbole. No wonder Palin received the NRA’s “highest possible rating” while running for governor in Alaska. Palin recently claimed that she would be one of the most pro-gun vice-presidents in American history.”
10. Palin has taken numerous other extremist positions on a whole range of issues. For example, she actively supports and promotes “abstinence only” sex education in public schools. She favors the teaching of religious-based creationism in biology classrooms, including the “young earth” theory that promotes the ardently unscientific idea that dinosaurs coexisted with mankind literally thousands of years ago. As one commentator noted recently: “It is quite scary that someone who rejects the fundamentals of basic science, and who shows such a shocking inability to engage in rational thought, could wind up being a heartbeat away from the presidency.”
