Category Archives: environment

Gov. Pence wants to give $1 billion to businesses

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…in the form of a tax break…by eliminating property taxes for businesses.

From the article:

An analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency determined that if the tax were eliminated, schools and cities in Lake County would lose $74.2 million, Porter County $14 million and LaPorte County $7.2 million. That’s about the same annual impact as property tax caps, which have decimated government services in all three counties.

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I can smell ALEC all over this push to eliminate taxes for the wealthiest while putting more of the burden on the middle class and poor, if they try to make it up through sales tax.

And then there’s the continued assault on Glenda Ritz’ authority as a duly elected official who got more votes than Pence.  (Indeed, they were practically begging people to attend his inauguration.  A website reported that 1500 people attended his inauguration….I’m betting that 1,000 were homeless people given $20 to be there. Or perhaps state workers threatened with their jobs if they didn’t attend. /snark)  I also tried to access the site that lists Pence’s contributors for his inauguration day–the website was listed as suspicious!  Nope, not going to risk that.

Anyway, here we are still under the death grip of the Koch brothers and neocon toadies….

Agent Orange Corn

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Dow and Monsanto seem to be in a race to see who can be the most sociopathic.  Because only a sociopath can bioengineer corn so that they can poison the earth more, no matter at the cost to the ecology, humans, and animals.

The Center for Food Safety has a petition up to somehow get the spineless FDA to stop this depraved idea.  Please sign it–you never know, they just might feel the pressure for once.

Sea water turned into drinking water

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Creation Assistance has this post up on an invention to turn salty sea water into drinking water.  Absolute genius.   I wonder if this can be applied to our dirty drinking water through public utilities?  Could it take out the prescription drugs, petroleum products, fertilizers, herbicides, etc.?

Here’s the article in translation:

A Frank Liefooghe Project ConceptMr. Frank Liefooghe :
DSC_5245
OF SEA WATER BECOMES DRINKING !
January 4, 2014 by reglang22

From http://izitech.ma :

eliodomestico1

OF SEA WATER BECOMES DRINKING WITH THIS INVENTION OPEN SOURCE THAT WILL SAVE MILLIONS OF LIVES .

Lack of access to clean water is one of the leading causes of mortality in poor countries .

In recent years , several efforts have been made to make seawater drinkable . This required power plants that consume a lot of energy and was inaccessible to poor countries.

Italian designer Gabriele Diamanti , had the idea to rally two natural elements in the service of the environment.

He created the ” Eliodomestico ” an eco- distiller that turns salt water into drinking water using solar energy.

This project is aimed at developing countries and allow these people access to clean drinking water at lower costs, with the added technical “Open Source” .
How does the ” Eliodomestico “?

eliodomestico

Eliodomestico each device can produce five liters of drinking water per day. More than enough for a family of 4 people .

The concept is simple, just put the sea water (salt water) in the morning in a special boiler.

This boiler is waterproof and thanks to the sun ( heat ) water evaporates throughout the day.

The steam passes through a connecting pipe and condenses in the cover pan.

The user can retrieve the fresh drinking water contained in the tank after sunset.

A more satisfactory idea for transporting drinking water, just wear the pelvis on the head ( a common practice).

Click the link to see more!

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I would caution, however, that since this is made of clay, that water not be allowed to stand in it.  Clay is notorious for having lead in it.

The benefits of Winter

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Okay, people, stop your whining about how c-c-c-c-cold it is and the snow…

So…I thought I’d list the benefits of Winter:

–The snow is ESSENTIAL for us not to have a drought.  A biology teacher once said that we needed at least two feet of snow each winter to avoid having a drought.  With the climate change weird weather, I would up that to three feet of snow.  Right now, we’ve almost gotten that, so we’re looking pretty good for next summer.

–The freezing weather kills a lot of bugs.

–Playing in the snow is fun.  The beauty is phenomenal.

–After a winter is through, we can appreciate Spring and warmer weather.  Would we appreciate it as much if we didn’t have the colder weather?

–Winter isn’t for sissies.  Like the butterfly struggling out of its cocoon, the struggle makes one stronger.

–The winter allows the plants to “sleep” and rest.  The snow protects the roots from the severe cold.  I dislike the “bad” part of this post, because it is always from a human’s perspective, instead of all of nature.  The broken branches or dead trees serve as homes to creatures, or as a base for other living plants that use the decaying matter as food.

Here’s a neat video with an amazing dead tree hosting several plants:

And here is a video on life beginning again after a devastating wildfire.

Related to the trees, I found this video on saving acorn seeds for planting:

(As a side note~ I just have to say that I’m digging the hairy arms.  I don’t know how it all got started, but men shaving their arms and chests bare is a turn off.  )

Also related to winter, I came across this ecotraction substitute to winter salting on roads.  Great idea.  I heard that they were using beet juice now in salt mixtures for the roads, and at first I thought that was better than the destructive effects of salt, but then I thought…they’re using food when people are hungry…yeah, can’t support that.  Beets are especially good for their detoxing effects.

 

Pot isn’t freedom

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Okay, I’ve been watching the promotion of legalizing pot and how it’s being touted as “freedom” from oppressive policies…

While I don’t think it should be criminalized, because it is senseless to put people in jail over it, I also don’t think it is a good thing, either.  I just have to wonder at the motives behind legalizing it–I’m sure that there was a push to get it legalized for business reasons and perhaps a way to “numb the masses”….easier to get stuff passed people when they’re less functional.

The reason is related to how drugs alter the brain and the person’s perception and ultimately harms them.

In a documentary on the sixties, David Crosby said that cocaine is what did them in–cocaine is destructive, and by that, it destroyed the great movement underway.  You can’t fight against the war machine or for the environment or equality if you’re messed up.  The same was said for African Americans and drugs destroying their culture and any dreams they might have had.

I just don’t see any good coming of this.  I’ve already seen where people ignore their responsibilities to get pot, and cause untold grief to those around them (who aren’t smoking pot).  And alcohol does the same thing—but you don’t see it being glorified by news outlets.

If this makes me “uncool” then so be it.  I’m not into being cool, but into safety, health, and good sense, and reigning in excess.

DIY Solar Power **edited

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I have the bah humbugs for the New Year…can’t get too worked up over the new year–too many times hopes have been dashed…

So…I thought I’d go looking for something to lift my mood...here’s a neat thing–do it yourself solar panels.  I think even if someone only wanted to do one panel, it would still help reduce their electric bill, and that would reduce the country’s needs for energy produced by oil or other environmentally toxic stuff, like fracking.  Note that the author recommends a professional installation, or having a professional inspect your work if you do it yourself.

Eartheasy also has a page on energy efficient lighting, with LED lights.  I was happy they did not have the dreaded mercury-filled lightbulbs.

Enjoy.

**edited to add:  As I read the comments, the author mentions they have a small generator when the sun is not available.  It flashed in my head that with the stupid chemtrails creating a solid mass of “clouds” it could also interfere with available sunlight for the solar panels.

Preppers versus Tradition

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Granny Miller has a post up on the curious phenomenon of preppers.

 

I am positively revolted by the survivalist perception and belief that somehow there will not be enough food, water, clothing, shelter and goodness and humanity to go around when “the collapse” comes.

…wisdom from the elders….

( TEOTWAWKI = The end of the world as we know it.  TSHTF= the sh*t hits the fan.)

 

Highway collapses along U.S. – Mexico border

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Global News has this up on highway collapse thought to be caused by several local earthquakes.

So…yeah, I’m looking at fracking in the area.  Here’s a report on fracking near the area:

(not linking to it for obvious reasons)

thehydroexcavationblog.com/south-texas-hydro-excavation-link-love-shale-fracking-growth/

From the article:

U.S. oil production has reversed a 30-plus year decline and, by some estimates, the country will become the world’s largest oil producer by as early as 2017 and will achieve full energy self-sufficiency by 2030.

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::…meanwhile, citizens are dropping dead of *mysterious* illnesses at  a rate parallel to the amount of fracking being done…..:: /not really snarky, but a little too close to the truth

I found a protest blog by Mexican nationals.   Again, you’ll have to use google translate.

I also found this on the detrimental decision to release control of Mexico’s oil resources to outside investors.  Combine that with this previous story on the huge reserves just ripe for fracking…and well, you can draw the picture.

Egyptians are also protesting fracking.  Can you imagine poisoning the Nile?  Good Grief.

 

Opposing Enbridge

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Warrior Publications has this up on the curious fact that people opposing the Enbridge pipeline are not the radicals that the Oil industry and the politicos would like you to think.

Like I’ve said before, there are a lot more people in favor of protecting the environment but are afraid to be categorized as terrorists or radicals, so they remain silent.  It really came home to me when I wrote an op-ed for my local paper talking about environmental concerns, including GMO labeling.  I had people call me and talk to me in person (in a low voice, no doubt so no one else could hear the conversation) about how they agreed with me.  But they didn’t take that next step and write their own op-ed on how they, too, wanted to protect the environment.

The oil industry and others have done a bang up job of portraying *all* environmentalists as radical, violent people….when only a small number of people have done things that are disagreeable to the rest.  And I’m sure there were agent provocateurs amongst the violent ones.

The following isn’t related to the environmental protests, but it is helpful in understanding that it isn’t paranoia on the part of protestors:

 

Probiotics and brain function

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The more I learn about the gut and neurological health, the more amazed I am at the intricate workings of our miracle bodies…and how spot on Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride is with the GAPS diet…

I’ve been all over the ‘net this morning, reading blog after blog on probiotics.  One linked to this post on the gut-brain-skin axis.

Some of this is over my head, but it appears that probiotics help reduce inflammation after a heart attack.

Here’s a good paper on the connection between probiotics and the brain.  It is so interesting that fermented food, like sauerkraut, can contain acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.  Blows me away.

This blog has a recipe for GAPS yogurt.  Since I was very sensitive at first, I gave up on yogurt.  I tried making my own according to another member’s method of putting it in an electric skillet on low heat, but didn’t have satisfactory results.  It could have been that I didn’t use yogurt starter, but rather, used store-bought kefir.  I found out later that this brand, an expensive organic brand, was putting the live cultures back in after processing it.

Yeah, that’s not going to work.

I like her idea of using raw milk.  But since obtaining raw milk is a crime…I’ll have to go through the Mafia to get some.  /super snarky

She talks about using her food dehydrator for growing the culture, but I thought it might be easier to use a yogurt maker.  I looked at several brands, and they had automatic shutoffs at 6-10 hours, which is waaaay too short a time to allow the cultures to develop…but there was this one that follows GAPS, too.  Not having tried it, I’m not able to give any kind of review on its ease of use or reliability.