“In wildness is the preservation of the world.”

“Wildness and silence disappeared from the countryside, sweetness fell from the air, not because anyone wished them to vanish or fall but because throughways had to floor the meadows with cement to carry the automobiles which advancing technology produced. Tropical beaches turned into high-priced slums where thousand-room hotels elbowed each other for glimpses of once-famous surf not because those who loved the beaches wanted them there but because enormous jets could bring a million tourists every year — and therefore did.” - Archibald Macleish

“In wildness is the preservation of the world.” - Henry David Thoreau

“Only to the white man was nature a wilderness and only to him was the land ‘infested’ with ‘wild’ animals and ’savage’ people. To us it was tame, Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery.” - Chief Luther Standing Bear of the Oglala Sioux

“A civilized society must count animals as worthy of moral consideration and ethical treatment. The question is not, Can they reason? nor Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?” - Jeremy Bentham

“Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures.” - the Dalai Lama

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it’s animals are treated. …I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.” - Mahatma Gandhi

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Hide the Decline- The real meaning

A few weeks ago, and unknown hacker broke into the British Climate Research Unit computer system at East Anglia University, since then in the Climate Debate circle there has been a massive uproar, with climate skeptics, such as those of ClimateDepot.com, pointing to the so-called incriminating statements in said emails as proof that global warming is a hoax. There have been many seemingly flawless statements made that these scientists tried to make other scientists who supposedly held a different viewpoints conform and that there was an attempt to hide the evidence of a decline in temperatures as indicated by tree-rings. But as it is usual in this case one need only go back to the source to find the truth. It always comes out; it’s merely a matter of time.


The people calling these series of emails “Climate gate” and proof that Global Warming is a lie, actually only succeed in proving their ignorance and single-mindedness. It is highly apparent, after reading these emails, that all of their statements made in regards to fraud, coercion and cooking the books are made with a complete lack of understanding of scientific process and terminology. For instance, terms such as forcing, plotting and schemes are made in direct reference to the hypothetical computer model, SCENGEN and MAGICC that are used to predict possible outcomes in climate scenarios based on current data, not the lay definition that would make them damning. These are terms used in working with data sets, not for nefarious behavior. The scenario generating computer models were not the basis of the science of Global Warming, but rather a tool at predicting our future, given we continue on the path we are on. The comments to withhold the SCENGEN data were made precisely for that reason; they were speculative models, not because they were trying to hide anything.


To the contrary of those purporting fraud, these scientists took great pains to ensure the actual data they presented to the public, to their peers and IPCC was factual and substantiated, and can be observed chastising each other in these emails to that end, the same emails that are supposed to be evidence of ridicule of those who held differing viewpoints. Obviously many of these climate nay-sayers have never been through either a masters or doctoral thesis, where one is harangued to the point of tears in some cases, but it is done to bring home the point that data must be accurate and substantiated. As a scientist, if you can not prove your hypotheses to be flawless and based on sound research, you are nothing. At least one of these so called “conformist efforts” was actually a rather steamed missive about how one of the scientists had included their personal opinion in something, as opposed to letting the facts speak for themselves. In science there is no room for ego or opinion, only fact, and that was the message of the email. It is the exact opposite of what some are trying to make it out to seem.

The now famous statement made about “hide the decline” refers to the tree ring data that is extensively covered in these emails, and if they were indeed trying to hide something, why did they publish a paper about it in Nature in 1997? Once again the statements are taken out of context and ignorant to scientific process, hide the decline refers to technical discussions of data handling techniques available in the peer reviewed literature, something that is quite common in scientific circles and nothing out of the ordinary. It had nothing to do with falsifying information as the discussion was in reference to the fact that the tree ring data of the last 50 years did not correlate with other data that did support the trend of Global warming. It also was made in reference again to the hypothetical climate scenario mapping computer programs, not deliberately misleading the public. These completely baseless claims made on the behalf of those purporting climate gate, are the true deception, for they are deliberately capitalizing on the fact that most will not take the time to read these emails, let alone understand them.


But let us dig deeper into this, and the circumstances under which these emails were obtained. The CRU’s computer system was hacked, these emails were stolen. Apparently one of the scientists involved in this, Dr. Weaver, had his office repeatedly broken into before this happened, proving that someone was trying to find something, anything, and was willing to go to illegal lengths to do so. This is shameful, but unfortunately a rather common tactic used in some circles in this country, and it is used because they know they are in the wrong when they play by the rules, and so instead try to circumvent them and then expect rational intelligent adults to look past the fact that they are criminals. They add to their list of sins not only greed and theft, but lying as in twisting the emails out of context, and passing off their regurgitations as fact, and now costing an innocent man his job, the researcher Phil Jones.


Billions of dirty energy dollars stand to be lost with carbon limits and that is the truth of why there is even a discussion about man made Climate Change possibly being a hoax. These people would put their own greed above the lives of their fellow human beings, above the lives of their families and children, and their grandchildren and great grandchildren yet to be born. Their selfishness is so overblown and caricatured that it would be laughable, if there weren‘t such high stakes involved. The really ridiculous part of all this is that they wouldn‘t even have to lose money necessarily, even though most of them have more money than any one man should need or want. There are plenty of green technologies to be invested in, plenty of money to be made in the new energy economy, if we really must always boil everything down to money. But these people are cowards, not only because of the tactics they will resort to in an effort to back up their shoddy claims of fraud and conspiracy, but for their unwillingness to change, when the truth is change is the only constant in the universe. They would sacrifice the lives of all their descendents, just to make a buck, and to not have to admit they are wrong. These are the death throes of Big Oil and Big Coal, the violent desperate attempts to cling to the old order, which is rotting in their hands. They shriek with the shrieks of the damned, as they begin to realize how doomed they really are.


These people who would perpetuate this nonsense know that as the climate talks in Copenhagen continue, their policies of destruction, of desecration, of greed are going to be outlawed. They know that with the grassroots organizing of groups like 350.org, the momentum is against them. Even Phil Jones made the point that “This may be a concerted attempt to put a question mark over the science of climate change in the run-up to the Copenhagen talks,“. The questions need to be asked, who broke into those computers, how did they do it, and the real question is who paid for it?


I would think the first possible answer to this would be to look at the people who are perpetuating the lie that these emails were incriminating. The conservative right would be the most likely candidate. The supposed balanced environmental discussion (balanced as in Fox news) that is ClimateDepot.com, would be the logical place to start. This site is run by an individual by the name of Marc Morano. Mr. Morano until spring of 2009 (which should be noted was the beginning of Obama’s term and the end of Bush’s) served as the communications director for the Republicans on the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works where he worked for Senator Inhofe, a man that is vehemently against Gay rights, has denied Global Warming all along, and whose major campaign contributors were large industries in the aircraft, defense and energy sectors. Which leaves the undeniable fact that this supposed balanced site is indeed run by the same Republican lackeys that are in bed with Big Oil and Big Coal. Mr. Morano is also the man behind the 2004 smear campaign done against Senator Kerry, run by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group later discredited, as many of the veterans who were a part of it would have never served with Kerry. Mr. Morano also was the producer for Rush Limbaugh show in the 1990’s.


To further the point one need only research the group behind ClimateDepot.com. It says at the top of the page that the site is run by CFACT, and one need only click on the link to go to the website of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, a conservative anti-environmentalism think tank. This non-profit with a 1.5 million dollar budget has received money from Exxon and Chevron. There is no balance here. Climate Depot is the one cooking the books, not the CRU scientists whose careers have been severely damaged if not ruined. I think if people really would like to investigate the crime here, they should look no further than whoever the thief was who hacked these emails, and the Republican dirt bags who funded him, and who would most profit from the very real threat of climate change being undermined, and who stand to lose the most if a meaningful climate change treaty were agreed to in Copenhagen.


There are plenty of flashy graphics, and catchy headlines, on ClimateDepot.com, but where is the evidence to back this up? Give us the names of these reputable scientists and groups, who they work for if there is such overwhelming scientific evidence against Global Warming, instead of opinion blogs and cartoons. The numbers are on the side that Climate Change is real, and that they coincide with the Industrial Age, as those emails you try to hold up as proof of conspiracy actually show the very real evidence of alteration of climate since 1850 as proven by those infamous tree rings, and even though the data falls off in the mid 20th century, the very next sentence states that the basal area of young trees explodes. But forget the tree rings; there are plenty of other sources from which to glean an understanding of the issue of Global Warming. Here are data tables from the National Snow and Ice Data Center, the University of Illinois, NASA, and NOAA. Are you going to discredit them as well?





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Santas Gifts for the Young (cute)

Santa!!!




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Response to Pseudoscience

Posting pseudo science sounds like a great idea from a marketing perspective- add controversy, get your name out there and sell your products. Unfortunately many consumers do not know that this is a farse. The we end up with the guy at the grocery store last night that was yelling at me in front of my 4 small children because he thought that I was conspiring with the government to cause chaos.

This is what happens: my children were crying, other people in the store were confused as to what they should do, and I was trying to get out of there without my groceries. Pseudo science has gone too far. The internet site climate depot popped up near overnight and hit the charts running because it was so constroversial. This is a great approach in marketing and media and used many times, but in such an aspect of a way of life for millions, can we really afford to put this stuff here?

Apparently he has never been out of the country, probably not out of the locale. We would not find it funny if our homes were being destroyed by weather changes due to climate change. But no, we are here and they are there and it doesnt affect us, right?

So basically we are fortunate enough to live here, and screw everybody else that isnt, right? Hm- not good enough for me.


Check out www.midwesternsolar.org/blog


http://www.wisconsinsolar.info/

http://www.energycommunity.ws/

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Copenhagen’s “Green” Christmas Tree

In celebration of both Christmas and hosting this year’s UN Conference on Climate Change, the city of Copenhagen has unveiled a totally “green” Christmas tree for the 2009 Holiday Season.

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Economic and Energy Independence

Let’s put the whole idea of “man-made climate change” and “global warming” aside for a moment. Using hydrocarbons (fossil fuels) worked well to get the industrialized world to this stage but these are limited resources. Now we are aware of new technologies, and the technologies with most immediate potential are renewable energies. Renewable energies rely on power already existing inside the Earth’s ecosphere: the energy is there whether it is used or not.

For individual home owners, “switching” to renewable energy sources can make them energy independent. They will be generating all the electricity they need for their home and possibly be able to sell surplus to the grid.

For businesses, it is a smart investment. Once the business no longer pays for its energy needs, it can reallocate the funds towards other endeavors. The larger the business, the more sense it makes, since larger businesses tend to consume huge amounts of electricity. The investment is also good for public relations and company image.

An increase in the number of energy independent homes and businesses will take strain off the power grid. In summer the use of air conditioners will not be a burden. In winter the costs of heating will be less for both the consumer and the supplier.

It will be less likely that populations will face power “brownouts” or “blackouts” if electrical production is spread out. If there are enough energy independent homes and businesses, the chance of grid failure during a natural disaster is reduced. Because of this, there will be less pressure on emergency services, shelters, and energy industry personnel.

Perhaps you have heard of the massive blackout in Rio de Janeiro on November 10^th? The second-largest hydroelectric dam in the World failed, and millions were plunged into darkness. A situation like this makes it very difficult to maintain basic necessities: hospitals, cold food storage, businesses, computer information systems, etc. There is money lost in many areas.

Apparently there was another, albeit smaller, power loss in Rio de Janeiro on November 25^th as part of the system was taken “off line” for repairs. While you might think that hydroelectric power is a renewable energy - and it can be - there are many hydroelectric stations that use coal as part of the energy generation process.

On the other hand, I have mentioned that Spain recently broke the record for electricity generation through wind turbines. Wind gusts bolstered production to create 53% of the entire country’s electricity needs – as much as 11 nuclear power plants. The surplus energy was exported and used to create power reserves in the country’s hydroelectric dams. Oddly enough this event occurred on the weekend right before Rio’s blackout.

Under the current system of acquiring hydrocarbons from limited sources, there is a mentality of “lack” - that there is “not enough”. Huge profits then are made by energy companies who control power grids. All that money getting funneled to a small portion of the population and industrialized structure is incredibly inefficient. The reasons for hoarding resources are many, and are very old (indeed ancient), but we are starting to see that there is strain on global society and it is really to no one’s advantage.

Using renewable energy, if properly implemented, would create a surplus of energy. While this would cause a great deal of economic and industrial restructuring, the question then is: with a surplus of energy, where does industry turn its attention? Perhaps this would finally give us the time and energy required to put towards improving quality of life on the Earth and attention to efforts off of the Earth.

Rio de Janeiro power blackout November 10^th, 2009 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8353878.stm

Rio de Janeiro power loss November 25^th, 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/nov/25/rio-breakdown-electricity-supply-brazil

Spain’s wind farms exceed nation’s needs November 8^th, 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/09/spain-national-record-power-windfarms

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The 5 Stages of Loss

The grieving process, sometimes known as the 5 Stages of Loss, is a psychological term attributed to documented studies regarding coping mechanisms. The five stages are: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

You might notice something strange: when some people talk about environmental issues it sounds like they are in a stage of the grieving process.

Over what are these people grieving? A loss of a lifestyle that they are accustomed to, possibly. They may have the illusion that switching to renewable energy and being more environmentally responsible will necessarily be difficult. They may carry the illusion that people will no longer have an abundant lifestyle.

You can see that different people are in different stages of accepting this “loss”.

1-Denial- “This isn’t happening.”

“Global warming is a sham. The scientist who support the idea of global warming are doing it for attention, publicity, etc. Either that or they are very confused. Maybe they have good intentions but they are skewing the data. The people who want to enact environmental policies are trying to control our lives.”

2-Anger-”Why me?”

“I don’t see anyone else doing anything about global warming. Manufacturers, oil companies, big retail chains… they just worry about the bottom line. Recycling takes too much time - I have to sort things into too many containers! Recycling doesn’t pay for itself – it’s just taxes down the drain. Are people going to tell me I can’t drive my Humvee?”

3-Bargaining- “I can make up for it.”

“At our company we are concerned about the environment, so we contribute 1% of our profits to renewable energy research. Personally, I can off set my carbon footprint with carbon tax credits. As long as we pass laws that address the issue 15 or 20 years from now we should be okay. After all, we have only been recording weather for a few hundred years – how are we to know what the climate is supposed to be like?”

4-Depression- “I can’t see a way out.”

“We are going to have to be taxed heavily for renewable energy to work. We are going to lose jobs in so many industries. The big oil companies will never let renewable energy happen. Renewable energy would ruin our way of life. I’m just one person - I can’t make a difference. “

5-Acceptance- “I guess it really is happening.”

“Wow, I didn’t know the Dead Sea is in danger of disappearing from over-irrigating its source. Didn’t that happen to the Aral Sea by Russia, too? I can remember when I was a kid there wasn’t any smog over the city - I didn’t realize urban expansion created so much pollution. I’ve seen comparison pictures of places like the Greenland ice shelf and Mount Kilimanjaro. For that much ice to melt that fast, there must be something beyond natural climate affecting that.”

If you put these ideas in this perspective, the more you observe the more you will notice: when it comes to global warming many people are in denial. It might be different reasons for different people, but for some reason they can’t cope with the facts.

This is not the first time a society has faced a large change, nor has it been the first time American society has faced a large change. These are just a handful of examples…

• When the Soviet Empire fell (and this grieving may still be ongoing).

• After Civil Rights movement, when intolerant people were “forced” to integrate.

• When people started driving automobiles instead of riding horses.

• When people confronted the idea that the Earth revolved around the Sun.

We can’t get trapped in a mind set that we must sacrifice enormously to make renewable energy a viable replacement for hydrocarbons (fossil fuels). We can’t be pointing out every inconsistency of how things are said when the overall intention promotes positive direction. We need to have everyone “on the same page” for global sustainability of human civilization. We need to Accept that man-made climate change is very real.

Once we can more fully Accept the reality of man-made climate change, then we can begin the Five Stages of Change.

Right Thinking will lead to Right Action.

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A New Approach

“PICARD: The economics of the future are slightly different. You see, money no longer exists in the 24th century.”

LILY: You mean, you don’t get paid?

PICARD: The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives.”

- Captain Jean-Luc Picard & Lily Sloane in “Star Trek: First Contact”

* * * * *

Implementing solutions to large-scale problems requires an approach of cooperation, not competition.

Currently, in many fields of thought America insists on competing. It is ingrained into the American ‘way of life’. Competition is good to bring out excellence, but being extremely competitive inside a society undermines its foundational strengths.

What everyone must realize is that when I speak of being extremely competitive inside of a society, I am not just talking about America. The society, everyone must come to realize, is the entirety of human civilization. We are a global society now.

The industrial system is, in part, based on acquiring resources from ‘the outside’ and bringing them in. Increasingly efficient methods of extracting natural resources used by an increasing population are going to have consequences. It becomes clear that the Earth does not have ‘unlimited’ resources to acquire.

This is where reclamation of old resources is required. We cannot Appeal to Tradition simply because it is easier. Complacency is not a substitute for the essential ingenuity required for survival of humanity. We can scheme new ways of inventing capital, digging up the same resources, and playing ‘King of the Hill’, but clearly the “old ways” of doing things aren’t working so well any more.

Many people are feeling restless these days, as if they are missing some puzzle piece in their lives. I would posit to say that what is missing in the lives of people is satisfaction. I have discussed ideas as to why there are problems, but as I said before, we need to stop debating the problems (or that there is a problem) and take action with the
solutions.

“Here we have a Scales that balances two different things… on one side we have gold bars! MMM…mmm! Don’t they look ‘good‘? I’d just like to have some of them gold bars…! …On the other side of the Scales, um, the ENTIRE PLANET! Hmm… hmm… Number one: if we don’t have a Planet… (laughter) …The other reason is, if we do the right thing, then we’re going to create a lot of wealth, and we’re going to create a lot of jobs…” - Al Gore, an Inconvenient Truth

The new game is about creative collaboration. The new way is about co-operation, about balance, about harmony.

We need a new approach as a society, as a civilization, and as a species.

“Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” - Christopher Reeve

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Giving Thanks & Gratitude

"Reflect upon your present blessings - of which every man has many - not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." - Charles Dickens

The American Holiday of Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26th. Regardless of its origins, or whether you agree with the observation of this day, it is a day set aside to be grateful for what you have.

Of course the shadow of consumerism has loomed over American holidays for quite a while. As I had said in a previous article, people tend to think in negative terms first - what they don't have.

What amazing assumptions people make! For most of human history people have struggled for basic needs. In America many people have these things and they are still not happy. So what do people value? If they are unhappy, apparently they are valuing things that they perceive are hard to achieve.

Rather than live in illusions of what success is in society, of what happiness is in society, of what you must do to "keep up appearances", look at all the things you already have and be grateful for them. First, however, we must rethink what we value.

If you have a question about the value of things that really matter...

What is the value of happiness? Ask a child at play.

What is the value of success? Ask someone who needs a job.

What is the value of a person's health? Ask a person who is a long-term health problem.

What is the value of a person's life? Ask a person who just lost someone.

What is the value of duty? Ask a soldier or veteran.

What is the value of family? Ask a couple that just had a baby.

What are the value of positive emotions? Ask someone who was mentally abused.

What is the value of our five senses? Ask a person who has a sensory handicap.

What is the value of having a home? Ask a person living in a shelter.

What is the value of having the internet? Ask the faculty of a school or university.

What is the value of having enough food? Ask a person who needs to go to the local food shelf for aid.

What is the value of one's self? ... " Look within!... The secret is inside you." - Hui Neng

We should see that the true wealth of living is in the abundance and beauty of Nature, the wealth of relationships provided by friends and family, and the wealth of experiencing all the good things life can offer. This can be a new approach to living.

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others." - Cicero


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How We Think & What It Means for the Future, Part 6

In previous articles the topics have briefly focused on the disparity between our desire for positive results and the negative thinking that has hindered achievement of those results.

When it comes to the subject of man-made climate change, we could bring up an endless number of finer points regarding this and debate them endlessly. This does not serve us very well, since time and energy are limited resources (we could debate that, too, but the given conditions of how we perceive and utilize the Quantum Field, this is off the subject).

We could also discuss more climate change data and what it means or might mean. We should not be “starting to decide” what needs to be done or debating on “what needs to be done”. We need to decide what needs to be done and take action.

Our current ways of doing things are very wasteful. The internal combustion engine is over 100 years old and even modern engines have an efficiency of 20% at best. Feeding our power plants and vehicles with hydrocarbons (“fossil” fuels) requires a tremendous amount of energy. It does not make sense to search form of energy that you need just run the machines that extract the source in the first place.

Under current production methods. over half of the clean water in America is used to generate electricity!

Using one of those “green recycle bags” at the grocery store or department store will also save one tank of gas in a year. Recycling one aluminum can is the same amount of energy it takes to power your television for three hours. The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours. If you recycle one plastic bottle you create an energy savings 50% because another bottle does not need to be created and the old one does not need to be thrown away.

Now multiply this by the population of the United States. This is for just one item.

Now think about the number of aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and paper bags that are used by each individual in the United States in one year. What happens if these items are thrown away? How can these resources possibly be replenished in time?

Learn more about energy used in transportation:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/atv.shtml

Learn more about conservation through recycling (figures from the University of Utah):

http://www.usu.edu/recycle/factsFigures.htm

An article on the energy needed to grow beef cattle:

http://www.whiteoakpastures.com/article-mideastoil.html

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How We Think & What It Means for the Future, Part 5

The First Step To Change -

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." - Miyamoto Musashi

The imbalance that humans have created in the Earth's ecosphere is the most serious problem we face. However, we cannot solve our problems if we are arguing about the solutions. Even worse is denial that a problem exists.

• “To ignore the evidence, and hope that it cannot be true, is more an evidence of mental illness” - William Blase

• "The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we're afraid." - Richard Bach

• "Denial is a common tactic that substitutes deliberate ignorance for thoughtful planning." - Charles Tremper

• “What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” - Oscar Wilde

• “Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.” - James Arthur Baldwin

There has been a climate of negative thinking in our society, but we have seen where that thinking has taken us.

• “There is a lie that acts like a virus within the mind of humanity. And that lie is, There’s not enough good to go around. There’s lack and there’s limitation and there’s just not enough. And that lie has people living in fear, greed, stinginess. And those thoughts of fear, greed, stinginess and lack become their experience. So the world has taken a nightmare pill. The truth is that there’s more than enough good to go around…” - Michael Bernard Beckwith

• “I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our disposition." - Martha Washington

What exists before us - who we are as individuals, communities, nations, as a World - are the result of choices. If we choose a new direction, we can achieve whatever we set out to accomplish.

• "Some of you may be thinking, 'Well, that's very nice but I can't do that.' Or, 'She wont let me do that!' Or, 'He'll never let me do that.' Or, 'I haven't got enough money to do that!' Or, 'I'm not strong enough to do that.' Or, 'I'm not rich enough to do that.' 'I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not!'. Every single 'I'm not' is a creation." - Dr. Fred Alan Wolf

• "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him" - Buddha

• “If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.” - Peace Pilgrim

So where do we go from here? Even if you are unsure of how to proceed...

• "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

• “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” - Mahatma Ghandi

• "With your entire 'focus' on your goal, you will reach levels of achievement that you never thought possible." - Catherine Pulsifer

• "The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day." - Gloria Steinem

• "The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths to it are not found but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination." - John Schaar

• "For in the final analysis, our most basic common link, is that we all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's futures, and we are all mortal." - John F. Kennedy

"Climate change is a global problem and needs a global response. Involvement by the public - you and me and everybody - is crucial if we are to meet the reductions in greenhouse gasses we are facing. The message is clear: (1) it is urgent, and (2) everyone can make a difference."

--A message to CoolPlanet readers from Connie Hedegaard, Danish Minister of Climate and Energy and President of the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Summit

Get involved!

http://www.coolplanet2009.org/

http://www.wecansolveit.org/

http://www.theclimateproject.org/

Official site of 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference:

http://en.cop15.dk/

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How We Think & What It Means for the Future, Part 4

Negative Thinking versus Positive Thinking -

We have a difficult task ahead of us in the problem of man-made climate change. This problem is a direct result of humanity’s negative behavior. Negative action comes from negative thinking.

Negative thinking is at the root of the current trouble with the Earth's environment, yet it is also responsible for the skepticism and denial that there is any problem with the Earth's environment at all.

Negative thinking is all around us.

Not exactly a positive idea, I know, and forgive the pun but it’s true.

When people say “think positive”, why is it even necessary? Shouldn’t we be thinking “positive” already?

“..It's like positive thinking. It's a wonderful idea, positive thinking. What it means is that I have a little smear of positive thinking, covering a whole mass of negative thinking. So thinking positive is not really thinking positive. It's disguising the negative thinking that we have.”

- Micheal Ledwith, Ph.D.

Western culture and society have been built on many things. Several of the most pervasive ideas in this society do not encourage positive behavior or thought: the quest for resources, dominion over Nature, and especially - taking resources from your neighbor (your neighbor could be the person living next door, another country, or another society, etc.).

Modern civilization understands so much more than we did even 100 or 200 years ago. Why do we cling to “old” ways of thought?

Perhaps it is because technology has moved much faster than the changes in human biology. That still does not explain why we cannot change our ways of thinking. If we simply choose a new direction, why can’t it just happen?

Much of our thought is concerned with “right now” instead of what might happen a week, a month, or a year from now. The Future is intangible. If you really ponder this idea, it becomes easier to see why many people assume that tomorrow will be much like today: we don’t have to worry.

Unfortunately, while we don't want to worry, we DO worry... and often. We worry about every conceivable thing that can go wrong. We worry about what
might go wrong. Look at the undercurrent of obsession with the “End of the World”. It is the “perfect scenario” for generating anxiety.

Of course “worry” and “anxiety” are other words for fear.

This is not surprising, considering that for much of human history we have been engaged in warfare or conflict of some kind. Western culture is also full of accounts where people of every economic and social group lie, deceive, manipulate, and bully others to gain some sort of money or power. Honor and integrity only exist for some people when it serves a purpose, so we are used to looking over our shoulder for the “Boogie Man”.

The social climate where this began is largely out of date, however, but it is troublesome to get rid of old paradigms.

As I said in Part 3 of “How We Think & What I Means for the Future”, many people are obsessed with their own self-interest. If people do not pull themselves out of negative ways of thought, then it is easy to stake a claim as a “victim”. As a “victim” it is easier to say that someone “owes reparations” rather than look at one’s own actions or thinking as a possible cause of problems. “Society” is the perpetrator, but people are involved in an endless cycle of finger-pointing.

All of this negativity is counter-productive to enjoyable living. Negative ways of thinking are disempowering. Negative ways of thinking have a strong effect on a person and their health. Prolonged negative thinking is, in essence, a poison to the body. It is the “placebo effect”: a sugar pill has little to do with self-healing - it is in the Mind. Negative thinking is the opposite of self-healing - it is self-created disease.

“You may be giving yourself negative messages about yourself. Many people do. These are messages that you learned when you were young. You learned from many different sources including other children, your teachers, family members, caregivers, even from the media, and from prejudice and stigma in our society.

“Once you have learned them, you may have repeated these negative messages over and over to yourself, especially when you were not feeling well or when you were having a hard time. You may have come to believe them. You may have even worsened the problem by making up some negative messages or thoughts of your own. These negative thoughts or messages make you feel bad about yourself and lower your self-esteem.”

- Article titled “Building Self-esteem, A Self-Help Guide: Changing Negative Thoughts About Yourself to Positive Ones” from the US Dept. of Health and Human Services.

http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/SMA-3715/changing.asp

“For the average person in the World who lives life and considers their life boring, or uninspiring, is because they’ve made no attempt to gain knowledge and information that WILL inspire them. They’re so hypnotized by their environment through the Media, through television, through people living and creating ideals that everybody struggles to become - that:

• no one can actually 'become' in terms of physical appearance and definitions of beauty, and valor - [they] are all illusions -

• most people surrender and live their life in mediocrity - and they may live that life and ...their desire may never really rise to the surface - so they may want to be something else -

“…but if it DOES rise to the surface and they ask themselves ‘is there something more’, or 'why am I here? What is the purpose of Life? Where am I going? What happens when I die?' - they start to ask those questions - they start to flirt and interact with the perception that they may be having a nervous breakdown - and in reality what they’re doing is that they’re old concepts of how they view their life and the World start to fall apart…”

- Joe Dispenza, D.C.

If we change our pattern of thought, we can change our pattern of behavior.

Negative thinking says “it can’t be done”, and effort to make a difference is a "waste of time". Negative thinking does not see the possibilities - it only sees the limitations. Negative thinking is self-pity and lack of motivation.

Under this kind of thinking, critics of the man-made climate change concept are essentially saying “go away. We’re too apathetic and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

Positive thinking is the idea that “I CAN do it”, and “I CAN make a difference”. Positive thinking never ceases to keep trying new approaches to a challenge. Positive thinking is valuing one’s self and being inspired.

Under positive thinking, the advocates to stop man-made climate change say “if we work together, there is no challenge that can stop us.”

It really comes down to a choice. I hope to see you in the company of those who want to make the Future a brighter place.

Right Thinking will lead to Right Action.

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You're Doing It Wrong

If you are on Twitter.com, you will find that Al Gore, the former Vice President of the United States, has an account.

On November 12^th his Twitter post reads “Let's have a constructive debate.” The debate he was referring to took place on Saturday November 14^th at the Minzer Park Ampitheater in Boca Raton, Florida.

According to the Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale, FL, he was greeted by protesters. Unfortunately, the protesters felt they needed to be disruptive in order to get their point across. They “booed” Mr. Gore as he took the stage. Others were outside the ampitheatre with “drums, bullhorns, and posters”.

One [poster] read "Practice what you preach," accusing Gore of not living a green lifestyle. This accusation is the fallacy Ad Hominem – attacking the person instead of the issue. It also called Poisoning the Well – if unsavory information about a person is brought up, then whatever that person says must not be true. Whether Al Gore is the “perfect model” of “Green and Sustainable” living or not, this should not make the issue of climate change irrelevant.

"Another poster read 'The masses follow the asses'...”. This is a play on the phrase “The masses are asses” - an odd choice for people who are behaving rudely. This argument is simply a Red Herring – diverting attention from the topic - saying that the “real” issue is about the general population's common sense.

Some of the protesters believed Mr. Gore's view would “eventually lead to increased taxes and flawed business legislation.” This is an Appeal to Fear – the protesters are trying to generate opposition by claiming any action taken in favor of Mr. Gore's concepts will be undesirable.

To assume that people would rather have lower taxes than be more responsible on the social level - Appeal to Popularity (Ad Populum). It is also assuming that any legislation passed would be ineffective because the legislation is designed with counter-measures to climate change. This is a Straw Man argument: exaggerating the situation and then attacking the exaggeration.

Overall, the whole approach of these protesters was an Appeal to Ridicule – mockery is not a substitution for a solid line of reasoning.

The situation was not what Mr. Gore had in mind when he said he hoped the debate would be “constructive”.

Opponents of Al Gore and other Sustainable Living advocates want to argue that their “facts” are “more relevant” than the proponents of “Going Green”. This is a Genetic Fallacy – supposedly, facts supporting global warming are flawed because they are not “in line with standard patterns of traditional thinking”. To say everything must conform with previous patters is another fallacy – Appeal to Tradition.

Another strong stance taken is that man-made climate change might be true to some degree, but not as bad as “alarmists” claim. There may be a concession that human impact on the global environment exists, but significant consequences will not happen in our lifetime. This is called Middle Ground, or The Truth is in the Middle – if there are two sides with different viewpoints, the truth must be in the middle.

The global ecosphere is not going to wait for humans to moderate amongst themselves.

Some want to claim that man-made climate change is a “belief”. Therefore you can “believe” it is true or not true. Even if this False Premise is approached, how can you associate “belief” with something that is “TRUE or FALSE”?

It is extremely frustrating when an issue cannot be discussed in a reasonable manner. Falling into heavy displays of emotion clouds the communication.

Those who do not want to accept man-made climate change need to do better in pleading their case. If one side becomes belligerent, it is no longer a debate, it is a grudge match. So I say to those who are opponents of “Going Green”: you're doing it wrong.

To read the Sun Sentinel article by Sofia Santana, click the link below:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-al-gore-boca-20091114,0,5503886.story

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इनपुट?

इनपुट वौल्ड बे ग्रेअत्ली अप्प्रेसिअतेद अत थिस टाइम.

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Ways to Conserve


Why Conserve Energy?
The average Wisconsin household
uses 10,000 kWh of energy per
year—about 1 kWh per hour, every
hour of the year.2 Wisconsin ranks
above the national average in terms
of per capita energy consumption.
About 70% of the energy used in
Wisconsin homes is generated from
coal-fired power plants, which
means that the average household
uses 8,000 pounds of coal each year
and emits 24,000 tons of carbon
dioxide gas (CO2). If you were to take
all the CO2 an average Wisconsin
household emits each year, you
could fill a blimp the size of 20
average homes.
Finite fossil fuels (coal, oil, and
natural gas) are burned to produce
power. Every step, from mining or
drilling to transporting and burning,
causes significant environmental
and health impacts. Land
and wildlife are disrupted and soil,
air, and water are contaminated.

Downsize
Less can be so much more. Consider
living with fewer or smaller electronics
and appliances and simplify your
life. You’ll gain by saving energy,
reducing your utility bills, and
having less to maintain and think
about.
Why Conserve Energy?
The average Wisconsin household
uses 10,000 kWh of energy per
year—about 1 kWh per hour, every
hour of the year.2 Wisconsin ranks
above the national average in terms
of per capita energy consumption.
About 70% of the energy used in
Wisconsin homes is generated from
coal-fired power plants, which
means that the average household
uses 8,000 pounds of coal each year
and emits 24,000 tons of carbon
dioxide gas (CO2). If you were to take
all the CO2 an average Wisconsin
household emits each year, you
could fill a blimp the size of 20
average homes.
Finite fossil fuels (coal, oil, and
natural gas) are burned to produce
power. Every step, from mining or
drilling to transporting and burning,
causes significant environmental
and health impacts. Land
and wildlife are disrupted and soil,
air, and water are contaminated.
to produce energy are the single
the electricity generated by wind
is currently a small percentage overall,
it has increased nearly 600% since 2000.
As of April 2008, Wisconsin utilities
operated 121 large wind turbines at six
sites in the state.



Why should we care?

Jonathan Patz is a public health expert at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison who has looked closely at the health impacts
of climate change all over the world.
Dr. Patz, we have heard about some of the serious health risks
that global warming presents to the developing world. But why
should the "developed" world worry about the health impacts of
climate change?
We certainly learned from the European heat wave that heat waves are
killers, and that we are still vulnerable to those types of direct effects.
The fact that the developing world may be more at risk does not isolate
us. We still live in an international world with a lot of trade and
transport, so an increase in disease anywhere in the world can affect
any country.
There are also unique dangers in the developed world, such as
expanding urban areas, urban sprawl, and the issue of intensifying
urban heat island effect, worsening heat waves, and so on.


What Can You Do?
Conserving energy in your home can
save you money, make your home more
comfortable, and benefit the environment.
You can put energy cost savings
toward future energy efficiency improvements
for your home, such as attic
insulation, insulated window shades, on demand
water heaters, or solar panels.
Cost-reducing incentives are available
through Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy
program, utility companies, and federal
tax credits.7 With natural gas rates in
Wisconsin increasing over 200% since
mid-1999, investing in energy efficiency
and alternatives makes financial and
environmental sense.8 Go for it. Try out
the action steps on the following pages
to increase your energy efficiency.

the electricity generated by wind
is currently a small percentage overall,
it has increased nearly 600% since 2000.
As of April 2008, Wisconsin utilities
operated 121 large wind turbines at six
sites in the state.



There is a clear need to better understand the interdependent relationships between people and the
biophysical world. Social science research is essential for such efforts but is not yet widely viewed
as relevant to ecological research.

The social sciences have contributed much to an understanding of human interdependence with the
environment, but in many ways it seems that we have not done well enough. An ecological paradigm
has not only not pervaded American society but a powerful environmental skepticism has (Dunlap,
2008).

Here is an excerpt that I found fascinating.



Nature cannot be fooled.

Richard Feynman

Let’s talk about energy consumption and energy production. At the moment,
most of the energy the developed world consumes is produced from
fossil fuels; that’s not sustainable. Exactly how long we could keep living
on fossil fuels is an interesting question, but it’s not the question we’ll
address in this book. I want to think about living without fossil fuels.
We’re going to make two stacks. In the left-hand, red stack we will add consumption production


up our energy consumption, and in the right-hand, green stack, we’ll add
up sustainable energy production. We’ll assemble the two stacks gradually,
adding items one at a time as we discuss them.


The question addressed in this book is “can we conceivably live sustainably?”
So, we will add up all conceivable sustainable energy sources and
put them in the right-hand, green stack.


In the left-hand, red stack, we’ll estimate the consumption of a “typical
moderately-affluent person;” I encourage you to tot up an estimate
of your own consumption, creating your own personalized left-hand stack
too. Later on we’ll also find out the current average energy consumption of
Europeans and Americans.

• Invest in Renewable Power
Generate 25 percent of electricity from clean, renewable sources, through policies and programs
that prioritize local production, workforce development, and good jobs.

• Drive Toward Energy Independence
Reduce oil consumption 25 percent by 2025 by promoting efficient technologies and clean,
renewable fuel alternatives, through policies and programs that prioritize local production and good
jobs.



Here is another great excerpt of actions we may take.



Green Roadmap for the Project Development Process
PASS
1. Early Planning
• Set goals, guides and plans
• Align budget with funding/incentives
• Identify Green Champion
• Select team
2. Design
Maximize green performance by:
• Brainstorming strategies to meet goals
• Assess goals vs. construction/operating costs/benefits
• Employ all team members to optimize design vs. budget
• No compromise on components/performance outcomes
3. Construction Management
Align trades with green intent/execution of project by:
• Communication between Team/Contractor/Program Contact
• Goal and design education
• Review of contracts and bids
• Quality control review/inspection/verification/sign off
4. Verify/Certify
Affirm that green value is delivered by:
• Meeting established goals
• Obtaining 3rd party validation /certification
5. Operations / Maintenance
Assure project longevity by defining green responsibilities of
owner/manager for operating and maintaining property:
• Providing documentation training on green technologies
• Creating owner/resident awareness around green living principles
• Conduct timely performance review
6. Reflect
Improve efficiencies/reduce costs/increase green attributes by:
• Capturing/analyzing data
• Assessing lessons learned
• Introducing design/process modifications for future projects
• Sharing results

Copyright©2009 NeighborWorks® America

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How We Think (In Western Society) & What It Means for the Future part 3

The Cult of the Self -

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand

In no way am I attempting to detract from Ayn Rand's contribution to philosophy and reflections on society. Her quote simply serves to illustrate my point. In our society we are competitive, but we have become overly competitive.

As I said in Part 2 people usually want to be “right”. This leads to all manner of arguments, both with other people and within one's self. Because we tend to weigh things in an “either/or” frame of thought, if one person is “right” then the other person must be “wrong”. So a person who is “right” is a “winner” and a person who is “wrong” is a “loser”? This is an false conclusion.

It is a self-serving approach to view “right and wrong” as an “either/or” proposition. The mentality becomes the oft-used phrase “it is a dog-eat-dog World”. To say someone is “wrong” by an assumptive extension allows the person who is “right” to assert “victor's rights” over the “loser”. Under this illusion of thinking, conflicts will arise if everyone wants to be “right” because no one wants to be “wrong”.

This frame of thought certainly takes the modern way of life for granted. The abundance of freedom, health, and comfort that comes from technology has served to drive people apart. People have undergone an objectification, feeling they are becoming more like automatons in a mechanized society.

It is the cult of being “on time”, the cult of the workplace, and the cult of recreation to alleviate stress.

The mechanization of society into dull, repetitive routines has made people feel devalued. They lash back by becoming driven by self-interest, but this drives down the level of compassion - or empathy.

“The social institutions that reified, propagated and administered empathy have imploded. The nuclear family, the closely-knit extended clan, the village, the neighborhood, the Church – have all unraveled. Society is atomized and anomic. The resulting alienation fostered a wave of antisocial behavior, both criminal and “legitimate”. The survival value of empathy is on the decline. It is far wiser to be cunning, to cut corners, to deceive, and to abuse – than to be empathic. Empathy has largely dropped from the contemporary curriculum of socialization.”^†

As the trend of greater individual freedom creates a high focus on of self-importance, the “either/or” way of thinking begins to devalue others and the community at large. The community one lives in becomes perceived as a means to support the individual. Strangers start to be viewed as irrational “boogie men” who stand in the way of what a person wants. It starts to become acceptable to believe what other people want is irrelevant as long as you get what you want.

So many people feel alienated they lack the desire to change. They would rather fight tooth and nail for what they can eek out of modern living than change their way of living. People want someone to assist in their struggle but are not willing to help the next person.

It is small wonder then, when confronted with the specter of man-made climate change and global warming, that many people are not interested because it does not serve there desires. This attitude comes from a profound lack of gratitude, having been replaced by greed or the idea that the World “owes them something”.

Let's face it: those who are rich and powerful are perceived as “winners” by social standards, and people who are poor are perceived as “losers”. However, if a person has “won at 'the Game'”, are they more often “right” than “wrong”? Deep down if you really think about it, the answer is most likely “yes”. We need to re-think how we view success.

Many people falsely assume to change our way of living now, in this mental atmosphere of “right versus wrong”, would be admission to being “wrong” - to living “wrong”. It is a selfish and self-absorbed approach to responsible living and responsibility to human sustainability on the Earth. Preserving the Earth's environment for future generations is not about “winning or losing” during the present generation.

To stop pollution of the environment, to stop man-made climate change, to stop this carcinogenic way of living – we need to realize that the situation is not about any one individual. The problem involves all of us. Becoming responsible for changing our society's bad habits does involve compromise, but it is not saying we have “lost”.

The truly wrong way of addressing the situation would be to say “it is not just about YOU”. This is the old way of thinking. This devalues a person.

Actually, the problem confronting us IS about you. In the new way of thinking, you must value what others have to offer. You must value your own contribution. Everyone can contribute. It just takes a little effort, but if you really look around, you will realize that you are not alone.

Right Thinking will lead to Right Action.

^† Quote by Erin Kelley-Soderholm, M.Ed., Article on Empathy at Cassiopedia.org
http://www.cassiopedia.org/glossary/Empathy

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