 | "There's Justice In The Universe" |
| Posted 7/12/2008 1:42 PM CDT Less than one year ago, five mountain gorillas were murdered. Even though this highlighted the widespread tragedies inflected by the bush meat trade, much remains to be done for 'simian' wildlife. Now, with the death of two adult female gorillas between February and May 2008, conservationists are worried that the Shigella bacteria could severely cripple the viability of the fragile gorilla population. Read more: http://tshiaberimu.wildlifedirect.org/2008/06/23/message-from-dr-gladys-kalema/ |
| Posted 7/11/2008 3:00 PM CDT As people choose to develop farm land for economic and industrial development, 50 million acres of farm land vanish each year in the world. Population growth requires greater food production while it simultaneously reduces the land available for such - thus forcing farmers onto marginal quality lands (which would really be more suitable for the urban and industrial growth in the first place), thus reducing our ability to produce food. Countries like Saudi Arabia and S. Korea are now obtaining land for farming in countries like Thailand and S. Africa. The countries with the most money and population growth are buying their way out of trouble. Meanwhile, subsistence farmers are crowding out wildlife in areas that are barely suitable for farming. Apocalypse in slow motion. http://www.numbersusa.com/content/learn/issues/farmland/us-population-growth-key-factor-paving-w.html http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/world/2008/06/12/countries-are-renting-farmland-abroad.html |
| Posted 7/10/2008 6:27 PM CDT When shopping at Amazon.com, consider first going to the PopulationInstitute.Org website first and clicking on the heading, "Help by Shopping @ Amazon". The Population Institute is an international, educational nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce rapid population growth and achieve a world population in balance with a healthy global environment. They, of course, also accept direct donations. "It took all of human history until 1830 for world population to reach one billion. The second billion was achieved in 100 years, the third billion in 30 years, the fourth billion in 15 years, and the fifth billion in only 12 years. In 2005, world population exceed 6.5 billion people, growing by nearly 80 million per year with virtually all of the growth taking place in the poorest countries in the world, where population already strains economies, environments and social services. Rapid population growth causes or exacerbates poverty, hunger, environmental degradation, economic stagnation, resource depletion, disease and illiteracy – a surefire formula for global insecurity." http://populationinstitute.org/amazon-store/index.php |
| Posted 7/9/2008 4:40 PM CDT http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/obama.asp The most numerous topic on Snopes.com is in regards to Obama. Even though I'm no supporter of Obama, the false information being spread about him concerns me. Note: I myself previously blogged about his not putting his hand over his heart, etcetera at the event in Iowa (play the video contained in): http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/anthem.asp [Note: The stuff spread about McCain is also pretty weak -- although there's not as much of it.] http://www.snopes.com/politics/mccain/mccain.asp Obama's early cosponsoring of corporate 'liquid coal' legislation was what really disgusted me. The only candidate worse than him on environmental issues is McCain. For President, I would have preferred Fred Thompson... but I guess I'll vote for Nader. For the other offices, I'll spread my vote around to those who are the least objectionable. I'll also continue to support organizations that I believe in. |
| Posted 7/8/2008 2:53 PM CDT Last week Virginia Senator John Warner asked Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to determine what speed limit would be the most fuel efficient. Warner raised the possibility of Congress passing a national speed limit to save gas and help deal with rising fuel costs. The previous national speed limit was set at 55 mph in 1974 and repealed in 1995. In addition to saving gas, Warner said that the lower speed limit resulted in thousands of fewer deaths each year. Warner would like the DOE to determine if a lower speed limit would also result in lower gas prices. Do you support a national speed limit? http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/alert/?alertid=11584906&type=ML |
| Posted 7/7/2008 4:10 PM CDT Always stressing that the Buddha's own words should be thrown out if they are shown by scientific inquiry to be flawed, the Dalai Lama is the rare religious figure who tells people not to get needlessly confused or distracted by religion ("Even without a religion, we can become a good human being"). No believer in absolute truth— he eagerly seeks out Catholics, neuroscientists, even regular travelers to Tibet who can instruct him—he is also the rare Tibetan who will suggest that old Tibet may have contributed in part to its current predicament, the rare Buddhist to tell foreigners not to take up Buddhism but to study within their own traditions, where their roots are deepest. My Comment: Keeping in mind that Love equates with Truth, one can understand why the Dalai Lama is a 'truly' religious leader. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1723922,00.html |
| Posted 7/6/2008 12:36 PM CDT My family has been directly and indirectly impacted by the illegal immigration problem. We used to live on a ranch in South Texas until the break-ins and assaults by illegals increased to the point that we had to sell out and leave. I had taught in public schools in the region that were overburdened by increasing numbers of children of illegals (though they would often disappear when the family 'migrated' north). I now live 'al norte' and I see many businesses employing illegals while schools are educating their children. School programs are slowly being curtailed in order to make up the financial difference. I don't much blame the illegals for coming, but I do blame the greedy gringo for profiteering. |
| Posted 7/5/2008 6:12 PM CDT Population growth is decimating the gains that the United States has made in energy conservation and environmental protection. Traffic density, overcrowding in public schools, hospitals and social services, water shortages, etcetera are reflections of the United States now having a population of more than 300 million people (a number that is projected to jump by another 100+ million in 30 years). If nothing is done to halt this increase, the U.S. will face a population of 600 million people by the end of this century. More than 80% of population growth, nationally, will continue to be a direct result of immigration and immigrant births. And the USA is only an example of these population growth trends. Immigration from poorer countries to richer countries is going on all over the world & it's an "age old problem" / as old as life itself. If we want to avoid the worst effects of eventual 'population crashes', we need to take some civilized measures now. www.npg.org Consider joining NumbersUSA. This organization is concerned with more than just 'illegal immigration'. Urban sprawl & disappearing farm land and natural resources are part of the picture. http://www.numbersusa.com/content/content/6/3113 |
| Posted 7/4/2008 5:13 PM CDT Under the guise of implementing a bill on dropout prevention, Texas Commissioner of Education Robert Scott is claiming that he now has the power to dole out state funding to private schools. Stop this back-door private-school voucher attempt, which was not authorized by the legislature. Sign petiton: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/backdoorvouchers |
Posted 7/3/2008 6:30 PM CDT
"Drilling will not lower gas prices
today or solve our energy crisis.
* Even the U.S. Energy Information
Administration has said that massive
exploitation of new oil deposits will
not produce oil for nearly a decade --
and then will not lower gasoline prices
by more than a few cents per gallon.
The oil industry already has access
to nearly 45 million acres of our
public lands, and is only drilling
on less than a third of those.
* Under the Bush Administration,
drilling permits have risen from
3,802 to 7,561 between 2002 and 2007.
Eight years of increased oil leasing
and production on America’s public
lands has left us with nothing but
high gas prices for consumers and
record profits for Big Oil companies.
* More drilling would not affect
world oil prices. The US has less
than 3% of the world's oil reserves,
yet we consume almost 25% of the
world's oil.
We need real solutions that will end
our dependence on oil once and for all.
* It’s time to take back the
giveaways to Big Oil and secure our
energy independence by investing that
money in clean, renewable energy,
energy efficiency, increased public transportation
and the technologies needed to get our cars
going further on a gallon of gas.
* A bold national commitment to
renewable energy will put our economy
back on the right path by bringing
energy costs under control, creating
over 820,000 new jobs, and making us
more energy independent.
* Congress should stop giving tax
breaks to Big Oil and start funding
constructive alternatives that can make
a difference in people’s lives."
My Comment: I think the oil companies
should drill on their current leases
and let us save what's left for the
future when we'll really be desperate.
But our nation is so addicted to cheap
energy that most people have not
planned well enough for the future
and are feeling desperate already.
Simply put, the time for action was
in the 70s when we were given the
opportunity of a wake-up call.
Opportunity has now turned into a
major challenge (which, if left
unanswered, will become a crisis).
We need to desperately start pushing
for renewables and replacing cheap
coal power generation plants with
coal gasification plants (not coal liquification).
http://wilderness.org/OurIssues/Energy/OilGasDrillingGasPricesWA.cfm
