Global warming seems to be a very complicated issue now days, One scientists will say that man is to blame, one will say that its caused by external forces and the natural warming trend while one scientist will say its all hogwash. I think the scientists think the average Joe is not smart enough to figure it all out on his own. Any person can figure out if you keep pumping smoke and toxic chemicals into the atmosphere and pollute the water sources that eventually there will be some hell to pay. Deforestation and greenhouse gases are changing the ecosphere and there is no way any scientist can deny that. Of course they can spit out different percentiles of mankind’s contribution to this problem from one extreme to the other. The scientists arguments I hear now days on the news and on other programs about global warming kind of reminds me of the scientists that once said tobacco products were not addictive or harmful. Of course these were cigarette company paid scientists and that may have influenced those scientists findings.
Global warming is a fact and that mankind is playing a role in it is also a fact. The percentage we contribute both directly and indirectly really doesn’t matter. What matters is the fact we are influencing our environment in a defiantly negative way. We need to make changes to how we do things and how we see our home planet earth. The changes will have to be both sustainable and reasonably executed. To stop using coal as a source of energy may have to become a reality just not overnight. We need to phase out the environmentally damaging industries and make sure we build more eco-friendly alternatives at the same time to keep people in work and the lights on per se.
Sometimes people do not see the economical damage that a swift shutdown of all environmentally harmful industries could be. We need to be responsible in the change over as much as we need to be in finding feasible solutions to the current problems at hand. To replace the coal power plants with wind, hydro and solar power plants before shutting them down and make sure the green jobs get placed in the coal mining areas to give coal miners jobs as the mines close down is the responsible approach we should choose.
Coal is not the only fuel source we need to eventually leave behind us, the oil based fossil fuels are also on the list to be dumped eventually as technology allows. Some alternatives such as bio diesel , hydrogen, propane and electric powered vehicles are yet to be perfected but are getting closer each year. Once again this will bring some economical heart ships if we do not do the switch over responsibly. There is always the working man to think about when we make drastic changes in industry and energy. Oil will not be a easy change over since allot of oils byproducts are a part of almost every industry due to plastics, chemicals and even aspirin.
Plastics can be made from plants but far as how versatile the plant based plastics are I myself am not sure as of this post. I do know sun chips is using plant based plastics in their chip bags and besides the noise factor they seem to be just as good as regular plastic based bags. All I know is there should be allot of thought put into the subject of global warming and green technologies.
Well That’s my 2 cents worth anyway.
Peace
July 26th, 2010
Posted by
rbarbier1967 |
Green Issues, World Issues and My Opinions |
no comments
A good and healthier way to reduce your carbon footprint is to grow your own organic foods in a garden / orchard. The food you grow yourself will taste better and will not require the fuel to transport it or the fuels used to make the pesticides. Being organic it will not have the poisonous pesticides on and in them and will be higher in nutrition due to the fact of the soil wasn’t depleted of nutrients from over farming. A simple garden requires a bit of work but is quite worth it and
if you can your own vegetables and fruits you can keep from having to buy much produce.
When you are forced to buy produce due to the inability to grow a vegetable or fruit due to climate or other factors then try to buy them as organic and when in season. Buying them in season and from as local as a source as you can will reduce the fuels required to transport them. The organic choice is not only healthier but due to the fact no pesticides are used reduces the fuels used in creating and transporting the pesticides.
Here are a few good articles on Gardening
Vegetables Gardening – Profiles, Growing Tips and Ideas – About.com
How to Prepare an Organic Vegetable Garden – ehow.com
Here are a few good articles on Home Canning/freezing etc.
USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2009 revision
All About Home Canning*, Freezing and Making Jams and Jellies
Example Video from YouTube
July 13th, 2010
Posted by
rbarbier1967 |
Green Issues |
no comments
Check out this article on Seattle Times, it shows how to reduce your carbon footprint.
Excerpt: “ From the street, the house looks like any other in this quiet North Seattle neighborhood. But something different is going on here.The trash container at the curb is not much bigger than a shoebox. And inside the house, at 7:15 on a weekday morning, all the lights are off. It’s not because no one’s home “
Click link below to read full article
Local News | Simple steps reduce carbon footprints | Seattle Times Newspaper
July 13th, 2010
Posted by
rbarbier1967 |
Green Issues |
no comments
Common Sense tells us our garbage and the burning of any fossil fuel creates a toxic environment for both mankind and our fellow inhabitants of earth. Our wasteful and somewhat lazy lifestyle is effecting not only our environment but also our lifespan. Pharmacology can only slow the decline of our health and the mortality rate. The morbid truth is Mankind’s choices and actions is leading to the extinction of both himself and his fellow creatures. The good news is that though it’s late in the game we can make choices and changes that could slow down if not reverse the damage we cause. Simple things like using a water filter versus buying water in plastic bottles or use plant based plastics like the popular snack Sun Chips has done.
Even something as easy as changing your old standard light bulbs for the newer florescent type can save enough energy to reduce some of the carbon footprint made by power plants. Every single one of us are responsible for the upkeep and wellbeing of this planet we live on. Though a little more expensive glass is a far better container for soft drinks and other beverages, also glass is quite recyclable and isn’t as bad for the environment. Though Styrofoam is far better in its thermal properties versus paper, but Styrofoam is far worse for the environment. Even though paper plates and cups do impact trees if we replant what we cut down and recycle what we use it would have a smaller impact on the environment. Using real dishes is the ideal solution but then who wants to take real dishes to a picnic?
There is so many ways to make changes in our lifestyles to help preserve and repair our home called earth. So I leave it up to you to find the better ways and get the news out there. If you know of any ideas to help others make a positive impact on the environment feel free to leave a comment.
Peace
July 13th, 2010
Posted by
rbarbier1967 |
Green Issues, World Issues and My Opinions |
no comments
This modern world we live in is ran by the rich and built by the poor. Low wages paid for the laboring masses across the planet and millions of mind numbing time consuming gadgets to keep us from realizing what’s going on around us. Everything from Chemtrails left by airplanes that happened to coincide with the decline of honey bees to the wars over oil and religion. Don’t get me wrong I love those little gadgets that keep my mind occupied but they do keep me distracted allot from what is going on in the world around me. There is allot going on around us at this time we either are blind to or choose to ignore because we feel we can not do anything about it.
I think the mentality that we can not change things around us is one of the biggest problems we face as a world community besides the I don’t care attitude. We all should care about the world and the other inhabitants of it. We also should realize that even one voice shouting in the dark can reach the ears and minds of Millions. The sooner we realize this is our world to take care of the more we will understand that we must make changes. Mankind has the potential and the means to make changes and the ability to reverse allot of the damage he has caused. The current Oil Disaster in the gulf of the U.S. is a terrible ecological disaster that can impact the whole planet in the long run. Though they are trying to recapture oil that has leaked into the gulf it is a painstaking and slow process. The sooner they can plug the leak and get the relief wells in place the better. Off shore oil drilling is the most dangerous way of drilling for oil yet. Oceans can carry oil for miles and miles if leaked and that puts the life forms in the ocean at great risk. If Aquatic life is diminished and or becomes a tainted food source for humans there will be global famine in our future. Too many developing nations that rely on seafood for there main source of protein / food.
All I know is mankind doesn’t wake up and start changing towards a more earth friendly society we may become a endangered species.
Peace
July 11th, 2010
Posted by
rbarbier1967 |
Green Issues, World Issues and My Opinions |
no comments
It is nice to see the other countries out there offering help in the oil cleanup in the gulf but its offered with a price tag. Why is it when America offers help to other nations they do so for free but when its us that needs help we have to pay for it. So should America start charging for their assistance for now on or should these other countries give us help for free? B.P. would be the one paying for the help if accepted so in this case I may side with the countries offering help. This is more of a disaster caused by the lack of safety and a lack of quality control due to the possible greed of company shareholders. I do believe if it was a natural disaster or a catastrophe from uncontrollable circumstances that the nations of the world would be offering free help / aid.
It is very reassuring to see that we as a world can come together to solve problems when they are immediate, now if we could do the same for the problems that are present now and will worsen in the future. We still need to deal with the world economy and the state of the earths environmental changes such as global warming and the melting of ice caps etc. .Hopefully we will learn from the B.P. oil incident and impose more safety regulations and governmental inspections.Even if we clean up the oil there is the methane gas and the possible dead zones that can happen from the gas.So much marine life has been and will be effected by both the oil and methane gas and it will take years if not decades for the marine life to recover.
Well hats off to the global community for offering help. And here is to the hope the global community will come together to figure ways to reduce the impact on the marine life in this disaster.
June 19th, 2010
Posted by
rbarbier1967 |
Green Issues, Political, World Issues and My Opinions |
no comments
The change over to a more environmentally friendly and renewable energy source from the reliable source of coal will happen in the near future.
The cleaner energy source may make a good impact on the environment but it could have a negative impact on the economy of many coal mining towns across America. We should take in consideration the jobs that will be lost and the impact of the lost industry as we start the transition to the greener and cleaner energies. If we are to close mines that many citizens rely on for income then we should retrain the miners for new jobs and move new industries into the area to keep the economy of those towns alive. The government only can provide unemployment benefits and maybe the training for new jobs the building of new industry in the mining towns would be up to big business and investors. Though both federal and state governments can offer incentives for businesses to choose mining towns for new locations.
The future is uncertain for those in mining towns and I really hope that our government realizes that its not only clean air or water that is involved in this greener future but also the livelihoods of many Americans. I am all for green and renewable energy but not for unemployed and hungry Americans. There has to be a solution to our energy crises that wont leave so many out of work.
Well until next time
PEACE
Ray Barbier A.K.A. Verum Peto
June 18th, 2010
Posted by
rbarbier1967 |
Green Issues, Political |
no comments
Global warming seems to be a very complicated issue now days, One scientists will say that man is to blame, one will say that its caused by external forces and the natural warming trend while one scientist will say its all hogwash. I think the scientists think the average Joe is not smart enough to figure it all out on his own. Any person can figure out if you keep pumping smoke and toxic chemicals into the atmosphere and pollute the water sources that eventually there will be some hell to pay. Deforestation and greenhouse gases are changing the ecosphere and there is no way any scientist can deny that. Of course they can spit out different percentiles of mankind’s contribution to this problem from one extreme to the other. The scientists arguments I hear now days on the news and on other programs about global warming kind of reminds me of the scientists that once said tobacco products were not addictive or harmful. Of course these were cigarette company paid scientists and that may have influenced those scientists findings. 
