Hi - We're going to get passionate about the environment; so, grab a beverage, take your shoes off, sit down and get comfy. If global warming is an interest of yours - add your comments, subscribe to the feed and/or become a follower. Don't forget to check out the ads to the right side of the column. There is some very interesting material to be had there. Read, comment, enjoy!!!
Canada, where I live, is home to over 500 species listed at some level of risk -- extinct, extirpated, endangered, threatened or of special concern. At risk species are found worldwide; and, can cause environmentally-concerned persons to feel helpless and hopeless. It's hard enough to enact changes locally; but, how can a person possibly affect the health and safety of a species halfway around the world?
Just look to your backyard or balcony for inspiration. Your backyard or balcony is more influential to the world around it than you think; and, they are totally under your control. Making your back yard or balcony an oasis for all living things either passing through or setting up home will greatly benefit wildlife no matter where on earth you live.
The first, and possibly the most important, step is to make a pledge to yourself; and, the inhabitants of your yard, that this will be a chemical-free zone. This is just as important for balcony owners as well. Well-planted balconies are favourite haunts of winged pollinators, birds and other visitors. Lawns and gardens doused in toxic chemicals may ward off weeds and pests; but, they can also harm or even kill at-risk insects, such as the Monarch butterfly; and, reptiles, amphibians and mammals that may live in your yard.
Pesticides and herbicides can also harm aquatic species whether you have a yard or a balcony. The "harm" potential for balcony owners is not as great as for yard owners; but, there is a threat nonetheless. Pesticides can drain into sewers, streams and lakes by your home or cottage, which filter out into rivers; and, eventually straight into our oceans.
Just because you have chosen a pesticide-free yard or balcony doesn't mean your can't have the oasis of your dreams. There are plenty of ways to keep your garden healthy while avoiding the use of harmful chemicals.
1. Do choose plants native to your area because they have evolved with local wildlife; and, have developed natural defences against it.
2. Do keep you soil healthy by adding compost and well-aged manure. These are better than chemical additives.
3. Don't stick to the same old plants in the same old locations. Many pests eat only certain plants. Growing a diversity of plants minimizes your garden's susceptibility to any pest invasion. Also, different plants require different elements from the soil. By growing the same old thing, in the same old place, year after year, soil can become prematurely drained of certain elements that could have been replenished naturally by rotating the plantings. Obviously, trees and shrubs are permanent; but, all other plantings benefit from the occasional new location.
4. Do use non-chemical methods, such as hand picking pests, using plant barriers or setting insect traps.
5. Do welcome insect predators, such as birds, toads, snakes, spiders, bats, or ladybugs to your garden by providing shelter, water and supplemental food sources.
6. Do your research. Take advantage of the natural aversion of pests to certain plants by adding them to your garden. Mint, garlic, cloves, nasturtiums, lavender, sage and thyme repel many pest insects.
7. Don't water in the evening. Damp leaves in the evening can lead to fungus and other diseases.
Multi-family rooftop solar for low-income housing as multi-problem solution. Photos courtesy: R Cruger via TreeHugger.
Unfortunately, it isn't often that you hear of a city trying to make environmental changes in a big way. Los Angeles, California, is doing just that. Their plan to use solar panels on multi-family, affordable housing is the type of commitment we need from more politicians. Read on to find out lots more about this marvelous initiative.
At a Sustainability Summit in Los Angeles, CA, a group of academic, business and political leaders gathered to unveil plans for "Integrating our Energy Housing and Community Needs." Henry Cisneros, the former head of the Housing and Urban Development for the Clinton Administration spoke on a panel along with Mercedes Marquez from the current department to discuss plans for green HUD projects and a proposal for rooftop solar on low-income housing in Los Angeles. The Mayor stopped by and everyone praised his support of the Solar Feed-in Tariff program which the City Council is expected to vote "yes" on. Will it work?
University of Southern California's Dr. Manuel Pastor and J.R. DeShazo of the Luskin Center for Innovation presented compelling details of their collaboration with HUD and the LA Business Council to determine the advantages of a solar energy program to economically disadvantaged neighborhoods of the city. Among many issues the USC/UCLA study points out, including the production of jobs, is the case for renewable energy from apartment building roofs (as opposed to industry or deserts), as a equitable solution that benefits residents.
LA's City Council President Jan Perry, chair of the Energy and Environment Committee, announced she'd bring a motion to implement a pilot program of 75 megawatts for a Solar Feed-In-Tariff project. "This will provide benefits to the environment, to low income residents and to non-profits that can apply energy savings to social service programs."
The LA proposal, the largest solar feed-in tariff program in the US, would develop 500 megawatts of solar-generated electricity over the next decade -- about 3% of the city's power needs - and hopes to directly reduce energy costs for consumers. With 100,000 multifamily rental apartment buildings in the city accounting for about one-half of the residents, there's a tremendous untapped resource for capturing the sun.
>Cisneros and Marquez of past and current HUD department weigh in on sustainable housing. Photo courtesy: TreeHugger.
"The program will create jobs and enable low-income residents in participating buildings to benefit from rebates or reduced utility costs," said Kelly Boyer with HUD. "And that's before you talk about clean air benefits." Besides the department's green took kit, HUD is greening 157,000 units nationwide and 2,500 in LA.
The successful feed-in tariff solar project in Gainsville, Florida met its goal for first-year participation within a week. Many are anxious to access the Federal tax credits available through 2016, providing up to $300 million to Los Angeles property owners to install solar power. A rate agreement offered by the Department of Water and Power is another incentive for investors.
The savings in utilities also greatly benefits seniors. David Grunwald of Affordable Living for the Aging admitted he wasn't a believer a few years ago, fearing it was too expensive. But after saving up to $14,000 in utilities annually, he said, "I'm a poster child for sustainability. It's an ideal blending of social, economic and environmental goals." Mary Silverstein Director of the LA Housing Partnership's 7 Maple Senior Housing Development said, "This allows us to funnel those savings into our resident programs."
At another panel moderated by Mary Nichols of the California Air Resources Board, representatives from local utilities addressed the changes to California's now renewable energy mandate and listed the retrofitting goals they've already accomplished. Some admitted rebates are slow in coming, which was confirmed by a disgruntled owner of a solar installation firm I spoke with at the break, who said his contractor has been waiting for hundreds of thousands of dollars in rebates for months. "The suits can all pat themselves on the back, but ironically, this makes my business unsustainable."
Katelyn Mccormick (back), who recently moved across from the park, thinks the knitted art adds to the vibe of the community. Mysterious knitted cozies have been appearing around trees and lamp posts at Wilbraham Park in West Cape May since the end of February. Photo courtesy: nj.com
In a town that holds annual festivals celebrating the lima bean and the tomato, West Cape May residents pride themselves on being part of a quirky, artsy community. So when colorful knitted scarves mysteriously started popping up around trees in Wilbraham Park in January, folks there were more amused than surprised at this latest artistic expression.
They call it the case of the Mystery Knitter, and these homemade works have taken on a life of their own, attracting international attention to this tiny Jersey Shore community and brightening an otherwise long, drab winter.
"It’s just something nice, something fun, something light,’’ said Mayor Pam Kaithern. ‘‘It’s not war, political fights, health care discussion. It’s a nice diversion.’’
Susan Longacre, a resident of Victorian Towers in Cape May, thinks the knitted work around the park is wonderful. Photo courtesy: nj.com
Kaithern said she’s talked to newspapers and radio stations as far as the United Kingdom about the scarves that come in all colors and widths, transforming the dull tree trunks into rainbows.
It started with a couple of scarves wrapped around a few tree trunks in the park. Then another. Then another. Soon residents looked forward to searching for the latest additions. And they weren’t disappointed.
Susan Longacre, a resident of Victorian Towers in Cape May, thinks the knitted work around the park is wonderful.The scarves recently started appearing on the poles of traffic signs in downtown West Cape May.
Diane Flanegan, a local artist who owns a framing shop and art gallery on Broadway, suspects the notoriety drove the Mystery Knitter out of the park to avoid being spotted. One of the scarves is on a pole about half a block from her shop, not far from the park.
Police Capt. Rob Sheehan showed up at Flanegan’s shop Thursday to ask her and her husband to reveal the identity of the Mystery Knitter if they know it.
"We don’t know the identity and we don’t want to know," she said. "We’ve had such a hard winter here. To me, it’s just delightful. I love it," Flanegan said.
Sheehan said he’s not looking to get the Mystery Knitter in trouble. He just wants the person (or people) to get the appropriate permits from borough officials to adorn public spaces.
"We’re not anti-art. We don’t want it getting out of hand where the park will get all junked up," he said. "We’re not going to be arresting anyone for knitting."
Some residents have taken to erecting signs in front of their homes urging the Mystery Knitter to "keep on knitting." But not everyone in this town of about 1,100 people embraces the scarves.
Kaithern said a few residents have expressed concern the wrappings could harm the trees and that they could become an eyesore as they become weather worn.
The mayor wondered whether scraps of the yarn might eventually be used by birds to line nests around town.
She mused, "Wouldn’t that be a cool kind of recycling?"
Wine bottles are seen in a restaurant in Paris 2009. The manager of a French distillery was sent a bill large enough to pop anyone's cork. Photo courtesy: Yahoo!News
..The manager of a French distillery in the renowned Burgundy wine-making district was sent a sobering phone bill for 716,414,273 euros (1.02 billion dollars).
"It's so enormous when you see it written down, you can't believe it, so several of us had a look," said Gerard Chaussee, who runs the Maison Vedrenne making various luxury spirits in Nuits-Saint-Georges in eastern France.
"At first I thought it was a forgery, what with all the things you can do with a computer these days. I looked at the bill from every angle," he said.
Phone operator Orange said that "there was a computer glitch when the bill was being printed."
"The figure inside the computer is correct. If the client hadn't looked at his bill, which happens sometimes, he obviously wouldn't have had that amount taken out of his account."
"We're having a close look at what might have happened. Fortunately, it's more of a fright than harm done to this customer."
Two walkers have claimed to have found a dead body of an alien in frozen wastes of Siberia and posted the video on the Internet.
On its side with its mouth slightly agape, the slender, badly-damage body lies half-buried in snow close to Irkutsk, Russia.
The area is a known UFO hotspot and video of the alien's corpse has become a massive worldwide hit with hundreds of thousands of followers after being posted on the Internet.
The corpse of the badly-damaged creature which resembles ET is 2ft high. Part of the right leg is missing and there are deep holes for eyes and a mouth in a skull-like head.
UFO fans believe the body could have been left behind by ET visitors after an accident, or missed by Russian military alien experts clearing up after a crash.
It follows reports of a UFO hurtling towards Earth in the nearby Irkutsk region of Siberia one month ago.
"We couldn't believe it when we saw it. And what was spooky is that there was no sign of the spaceship. Perhaps that was taken away and the body overlooked," the Daily Mail quoted Igor Molovic, one of the pair that uploaded the video, as saying.
Nearly 700,000 people have now seen the clip within a few days.
Cynics, however, claim the video is a fake using a carefully staged model for the alien's body.
This the video that has been causing all the fuss. There is a box of "info" when the video starts. Mouse over to it and hit the close button.
While most young ladies are begging their parents for prom dresses that cost more than the original down payment on the house, one young lady in Iowa was busy reusing and recycling for her prom dress. Not only that; but, she spared her parents the cost of having to buy a dress that would only be worn once (probably).
In Garner, Elizabeth Rasmuson learned of people making clothing from duct tape. She became inspired to make her prom dress and vest for her boyfriend out of a non-traditional material. She wanted to make hers and his outfits out of a creative, previously-untried material that would spark attention. Apparently, Elizabeth was successful in her attempt. She and her date, Jordan Weaver, made quite an entrance and garnered a great deal of attention (and, yes even publicity) in their prom outfits. That could be because Elizabeth had made her dress and a matching vest for her boyfriend out of gum wrappers.
She used more than 200 blue and white wrappers from Wrigley's "5" gum to craft the outfits; then, applied a vinyl topcoat to protect the somewhat fragile wrappers. It took the couple 8 months to have enough material to work with.
No word on the chewing strategies involved or whether they did all the chewing themselves.
However, I applaud their individuality and the courage to be themselves.
A human egg is manipulated during IVF treatment. The two experimental techniques scientists want to try are maternal spindle transfer and pronuclear transfer. Photograph: Getty Images/Science Photo Library
Here it is, ladies and gentlemen...the thin edge of the wedge. Leading research organisations and patient groups are asking the government to change the law to allow scientists to implant embryos that have genetic material from three different parents into a select group of women. This group of women will be women with specific defects in their mitochondrial DNA.
Call me a pessimist; but, I see a world of legal problems opening up here. What rights does the third parent have surrounding custody, visitation, financial responsibilities; and, a host of other previously unexplored moral, ethical and legal dilemmas? How will the DNA necessary from this third party be harvested? Who will supply the demand?
So far, the procedure has only been tried in the lab using animal embryos. However, if the three-parent technique proves safe and successful in the lab, scientists expect that it could prevent several hundred babies being born with genetic defects every year when used with human embryos.
Mitochondrial DNA diseases can include many symptoms: poor growth, loss of muscle coordination, muscle weakness, visual problems, hearing problems, learning disabilities, mental retardation, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory disorders, neurological problems, autonomic dysfunction, and dementia. Many babies die as a result of these genetic defects.
Mitochondrial DNA is found only in the egg of the mother. Mitochondria are located in every human cell and act as "power houses" to provide the energy for cells to function. Yet mitochondrial DNA is not present in the nucleus of a fertilised egg, meaning scientists could extract the nucleus and place it into another egg from a donor.
The resulting embryo would have almost 100% inherited genetic material from its mother and father; but, would still have some DNA from the donor egg no matter how tiny an amount.
British scientists have led efforts to find ways to prevent inherited disorders being passed on and causing babies to die or be disabled. The call for a law change comes in a letter sent to Andrew Lansley, the health secretary. The letter, from the Wellcome Trust, Academy of Medical Sciences, Medical Research Council and Muscular Dystrophy Campaign, among others, was dispatched as a group of experts published a review commissioned by Lansley into the safety and effectiveness of scientific procedures attempted so far.
Two separate techniques have been explored by scientists, both of which involve mixing the DNA of the parents with a small amount of mitochondrial DNA from a donor egg.
This is not, however, "three-parent IVF", said Professor Robin Lovell-Badge, one of the authors of the review which has now gone to the government. "It is not a term we have used once in this report and it is not a term that should be used," he said. "This is a tiny, tiny bit of DNA. It is not carrying any characteristics except that you have normally functioning mitochondria."
I don't see how this can be called anything other than "three-parent IVF". The DNA of a couple wanting to have a child is mixed with some of the mitochondrial DNA of another woman. A child that is a product of this technique can not be brought about without the help of the DNA of a third person. In my mind, this gives the child three parents.
The scientists involved contend that the DNA contribution from the egg with normal mitochondria is tiny compared to the DNA from the two main parents. I contend that no matter how tiny the third-party DNA is still present.
Dr Evan Harris, the former Lib Dem MP who has taken a close interest in embryo research, likened it to "changing the battery on the laptop, but not affecting the information on the hard disk". A rather callous opinion, in my opinion.
The review (pdf), under the auspices of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, found that the scientific procedures appeared to be safe and effective; but, recommended that three further experiments should take place.
"Some people seem to be taking our report as negative and hesitant - it wasn't meant to be at all," said Lovell-Badge. "It was meant to say, just gather a little bit more information."
One of the two experimental techniques is called maternal spindle transfer (I just love these large attention-shifting euphemisms) and involves removing the genetic material from the would-be mother's unfertilised egg and fusing it into a donor egg from which the nucleus has been removed. Fertilisation with the partner's sperm takes place afterwards.
"It's been done in various animals and seems to be both efficient and safe," said Lovell-Badge. The scientists would now like to try it out on human volunteers. But what if something goes wrong? If during the pregnancy, birth or early days something is discovered to be drastically - possibly irreparably - amiss. What then? Do we abort or euthanize this innocent and move on to attempt #469?
The other method is pronuclear transfer, which has been researched by the Institute of Genetic Medicine at Newcastle University. This involves the transfer of both parents' DNA from a fertilised egg into a fertilised donor egg which has had its nucleus removed. Depending on your stand surrounding the beginning of life - conception or birth - this could prove to be a Pandora's box of moral, ethical and spiritual wranglings.
This was successfully carried out in mice as early as the 1980s; and, in Newcastle experiments have also been done with abnormal human eggs.
The further experiments should not take much more than a year. Scientists and patient groups are now pressing the government to consider the legal and ethical issues involved, so that the necessary regulatory changes can be made to move the experimental work into the clinic as soon as possible.
In the meantime, has anyone given any thought to the lives we are creating on an experimental basis. Animals are not humans and should not be used for experimentation because the statistics are based on animal physiology not human. What is the plan if a life is created using this method and health issues - possibly extremely painful or life-threatening - become apparent in middle-age or later life?
I don't think we have the right to take these kinds of chances with other peoples' lives. OK...soapbox back under the bed. I'm ready for the cards and letters.
Like many of the other irreplaceable treasures lost to extinction, the ancient Mexican language of Ayapaneco is dying. There are just two people left in the world who still speak it - and - they're not speaking. At least, not to each other.
Ayapaneco is one of just 68 surviving indigenous languages (with 364 sub-variations) in a land where the majority of the population speak Spanish. The two speakers are Manuel Segovia (pictured right in the photo below), 75, and Isidro Velazquez, 69.
Unbelievably, the two men live only 500 m (546.2 yd or .3 mi)apart in the village of Ayapa in the tropical lowlands of the southern state of Tabasco.
No one is quite sure what has caused the two men to refuse to talk; although, there are hints that there may be a long-buried argument behind their mutual avoidance. Segovia says he bears no ill will towards his neighbour; but, others say they have never enjoyed spending time together.
"They don't have a lot in common," says Daniel Suslak, a linguistic anthropologist from Indiana University, who is involved with a project to produce a dictionary of Ayapaneco. Segovia, he says, can be "a little prickly" and Velazquez, who is "more stoic," rarely likes to leave his home.
So, it would appear that the language of Ayapaneco which has survived the Spanish conquest, seen off wars, revolutions, famines and floods will not survive the lack of communication between two old men.
Manuel Segovia still speaks Ayapaneco to his wife and son who understand him but speak only a few words themselves. Photograph: Jaime Avalos/EPA. Photo courtesy: The Guardian
Segovia, retained his fluency in his native Ayapaneco by speaking with his brother also fluent in the ancient language. Unfortunately, his brother passed on about a decade ago; but, Segovia still speaks to his wife and son in Ayapaneco.
Unfortunately, neither of them can speak more a few words themselves; and Velasquez reportedly barely speaks his native tongue anymore.
Suslak says Ayapaneco has always been a "linguistic island" surrounded by much stronger indigenous languages.
Its apparent approaching demise was sealed by the advent of education in Spanish in the mid 20th century, which for several decades included the explicit prohibition on indigenous children speaking anything other than Spanish. Much the same thing happened in Canada when Native children were rounded up and sent to the reservation schools. There they were forbidden to speak their native language; and, essentially were taught how to be white.
Urbanisation and migration from the 1970s then ensured the break-up of the core group of speakers concentrated in the village.
"It's a sad story," says Suslak, "but you have to be really impressed by how long it has hung around."
Suslak is working to preserve the language in dictionary form before its last surviving speakers pass away; and, since the last two speakers are 75 & 69, the dictionary is part of a race against time to revitalise the language before it is definitively too late.
"When I was a boy everybody spoke it," Segovia told the Guardian by phone. "It's disappeared little by little, and now I suppose it might die with me."
The name Ayapaneco is an imposition by outsiders, and Segovia and Velazquez call their language Nuumte Oote, which means the True Voice. They speak different versions of this truth; and, tend to disagree over details which doesn't help their relationship. In fact, this may be the entire problem; but, who can tell.
The dictionary, which is due out later this year, will contain both versions. Suslak says the language is particularly rich in what he calls sound symbolic expressions that often take their inspiration from nature, such as kolo-golo-nay, translated as "to gobble like a turkey".
The National Indigenous Language Institute is also planning a last attempt to get classes going in which the last two surviving speakers can pass their knowledge on to other locals. Previous efforts have failed to take hold due to lack of funding and limited enthusiasm.
Let's hope that the True Voice can be saved from extinction.
A good diet pays off for every body especially if you are a criminal. Criminals that eat a lot of processed foods leave clearer fingerprints on things such as guns because the salt in their diet makes their sweat more salty. The salty secretion burns a much clearer impression onto the gun metal than the secretions of a person eating a healthy diet.
The human body loses almost one-third of its bones from birth to adulthood. This happens because, over time, many different bones will join together as one as the body ages. This results in the adult human body having 206 bones rather than the 300 they are born with.
Everyone would agree that electric cars are a good, environmentally-friendly idea; but, some people wonder if it's a good idea to launch them in Ethiopia. What's the problem with launching an electric car in Ethiopia? It's a country with a very erratic power supply. However, infrequent electricity is not going to stop Freestyle PLC, the company producing two models of the Solaris Elettra at a plant in Addis Ababa. Carlo Pironti, general manager, says the country will have lots of power in the future; and, in the meantime, the cars can be recharged by generator and by solar power. He also mentioned that the company will develop a credit system so the less affluent customers in the country can afford the $12,000 - $15,000 car.
I'm fortunate to have several passions in my life. I am absolutely an eco-nut. I am always trying to find new ways to reduce, reuse, recycle. We, as a species, have done more harm to this planet in the short time we have been here, than any other catastrophe or happening ever has. It's up to us to fix it.
I care about the environment whether it is as small as a single cell or as large as the universe.
I adore creativity and think we can all do more with much less. This earth has enough resources for us all to live comfortably if we all learn to share. Wasn't that a lesson we were supposed to learn in kindergarten?
I also love the bizarre, unusual, the weird and the strange. Be prepared for the odd "different" blog.
Photo courtesy: trekearth.com
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