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Peak oil and climate change explained to teenagers
2008-05-15 23:13:00
Here's a guy called Brian Kaller giving a talk about peak oil and CC to a large audience of teenagers. His explanations are very straightforward and explicit.Peak oilClimate changeDealing with itRelated:Running on empty (article by Brian Kaller)
More About: Climate Change , Change , Peak Oil , Teenagers

Peak water
2008-05-14 23:40:00
clipped from www.wired.comFreshwater is the ultimate renewable resource, but humanity is extracting and polluting it faster than it can be replenished. Rampant economic growth ? more homes, more businesses, more water-intensive products and processes, a rising standard of living ? has simply outstripped the ready supply, especially in historically dry regions. Compounding the problem, the hydrologic cycle is growing less predictable as climate change alters established temperature patterns around the globe.
More About: Water , Peak

Water footprint
2008-05-13 22:38:00
The last couple of years we have learned to pay attention to how carbon intensive things around us are. Now there is another thing to pay attention to in our daily lives: water.Why should we pay attention to water? Because as Fred Pearce points out in the Telegraph: "The great slow-burning, under-reported resource crisis of the 21st century is water."In his article Water - the under-reported resource crisis claims he writes that water shortage is an important factor behind the ongoing food crisis. The factors behind the water crisis he claims are the following: "Climate change, over-consumption and the criminally inefficient use of this most basic raw material are all to blame."Did you know that 16000 liters of water is embedded in the production of 1 kilo of beef? Check out more water footprints here.Virtual waterFurther reading:When the rivers run dry

McCain on climate change
2008-05-13 08:09:00
Republican candidate McCain seems to be taking climate change seriously...clipped from www.nytimes.comPORTLAND, Ore. ? Senator John McCain sought to distance himself from President Bush on Monday as he called for a mandatory limit on greenhouse gas emissions in the United States to combat climate change.?I will not shirk the mantle of leadership that the United States bears,? Mr. McCain said pointedly. ?I will not permit eight long years to pass without serious action on serious challenges.? Mr. McCain, in a speech at a wind power company, also pledged to work with the European Union to diplomatically engage China and India, two of the world?s biggest polluters, if they refuse to participate in an international agreement to slow global warming. ...but his goals are too modest. His way is a middle way. The democratic candidates have more ambitious targets. They aim for 80% reductions in carbon dioxide pollution by 2050. McCain stops at 60%.
More About: Climate Change , Climate , Change

Sliding out of control
2008-05-12 21:06:00
clipped from www.guardian.co.ukThe concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has reached a record high, according to new figures that renew fears that climate change could begin to slide out of control. The figures, published by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on its website, also confirm that carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than expected. The annual mean growth rate for 2007 was 2.14ppm ? the fourth year in the past six to see an annual rise greater than 2ppm. From 1970 to 2000, the concentration rose by about 1.5ppm each year, but since 2000 the annual rise has leapt to an average 2.1ppm.This graph is not up to date but it visualizes clearly in what direction we are heading.
More About: Control , Out Of Control

A declining economy in a finite world
2008-05-11 22:55:00
Gail Tverberg talks about the expected impact of peak oil and other resource constraints on the economy. Ms Tverberg is an actuary focusing on finite world issues. An actuary is a business professional who deals with the financial impact of risk and uncertainty.Article: Our Finite World : Implications for Actuaries
More About: Economy

Victims of climate change?
2008-05-10 22:28:00
Nightmarish scenes in Myanmar after cyclone Nargis . I can't help thinking of climate change when I see the horrible pictures in the news.clipped from ap.google.comSome environmentalists suggested global warming may have played a role. Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that warming oceans could contribute to increasingly severe cyclones with stronger winds and heavier rains."While we can never pinpoint one disaster as the result of climate change, there is enough scientific evidence that climate change will lead to intensification of tropical cyclones," said Sunita Narain, director of the Indian environmental group Center for Science and Environment."Nargis is a sign of things to come," she said. "The victims of these cyclones are climate change victims and their plight should remind the rich world that it is doing too little to contain its greenhouse gas emissions."
More About: Victims

China from the inside
2008-05-07 23:23:00
Here is an episode from a documentary series from PBS called China from the inside. This episode (60 min) is about China's environmental problems: Shifting nature. It provides a rare insider's view of the situation.Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5Part 6
More About: Inside , From The Inside

Environmentally responsible vehicles
2008-05-06 23:17:00
Paul MacCready, an aircraft designer and environmentalist, is a pioneer of human-powered flight, alternative energy for transportation, and environmentally responsible design.MacCready is the inventor of the first practical flying machine powered by a human being. He has created solar powered aircraft such as the Gossamer Penguin and the Solar Challenger. He was involved in the development of NASA's solar-powered flying wings such as the Helios. He also collaborated with General Motors on the design of the Sunraycer, a solar powered car, and then on the EV-1 electric car.In the video below he talks about his long career.
More About: Vehicles

Blimpy wind power
2008-05-06 22:28:00
Magenn has designed a buoyant wind turbine. clipped from www.magenn.comMARS is a lighter-than-air tethered wind turbine that rotates about a horizontal axis in response to wind, generating electrical energy. This electrical energy is transferred down the 1000-foot tether for immediate use, or to a set of batteries for later use, or to the power grid. Helium sustains MARS and allows it to ascend to a higher altitude than traditional wind turbines. MARS captures the energy available in the 600 to 1000-foot low level and nocturnal jet streams that exist almost everywhere. MARS rotation also generates the "Magnus effect" which provides additional lift, keeps the MARS stabilized, and positions it within a very controlled and restricted location to adhere to FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) & Transport Canada guidelines.  A computer voice explains further.
More About: Power , Wind , Wind power

Bullshit water
2008-05-05 22:54:00
When dining out do you feel ashamed of asking for tap water? The other day I had a pizza at this really lousy pizza place. I had water with the pizza. What kind did I get? A can of bull shit water! And it was more than 3 times as expensive as the gas at the pump. Unbelievably stupid.It is also disturbing that tax payers' money is spent on this bullshit water that to boot needs to be chilled:clipped from www.burlingtonfreepress.comWhile hard-working folks struggle to keep up with the ever-increasing cost of fuel and food, thousands of our tax-dollars, and dollars donated to nonprofits, are going down the bottled water drain every year along with the machine rental fees. Collectively, these machines are energy hogs, running 24/7, simultaneously maintaining cold and hot water.Here is a talk by Tony Clark on bottled water and water privatization. He is the author of two books, ?Blue Gold? which he co-authored with Maude Barlow and ?Inside the Bottle: An Expose of the Bottled Water Indu...
More About: Bullshit

Naked bicycle activist
2008-05-05 21:52:00
Roman Lutoshkin wants the city to build more cycle lanes and cycle parking. What a relaxed guy!
More About: Bicycle

Oil hits $120
2008-05-05 21:35:00
The climb continues up another notch.clipped from www.guardian.co.uk NEW YORK, May 5 (Reuters) - Oil jumped $4 to record highsover $120 a barrel on Monday on the weaker U.S. dollar andsupply concerns from OPEC members Nigeria and Iran.I wonder what lies behind OPEC's refusal to increase the output .clipped from www.guardian.co.uk U.S. President George W. Bush, who has called upon oilcartel OPEC to increase output to help bring down prices, isexpected to talk with officials from Saudi Arabia about theeffects of high fuel prices on the U.S. economy on his trip tothe world's top exporter later this month. OPEC officials have rejected consumer nation's call to rampup production and blame speculators for surging oil prices.
More About: Hits

Food for fuel
2008-05-05 10:04:00
There are several factors behind the soaring food prices around the globe. Turning food to fuel is one of them. As the demand for biofuels increases the picture will become ugly. Here is a news report on the growing biofuel production in Argentina:
More About: Food , Fuel

Mayor Johnson
2008-05-05 09:23:00
London has a new mayor... ...who is fumbling all over the place......and likes bikes.
More About: Johnson , Mayor

Fish floating in the air
2008-05-05 08:39:00
I don't know if these floating objects are good for any practical use, but they sure are fascinating to watch.
More About: Fish , Floating

A tottering society
2008-05-04 22:28:00
What is happening to our modern society? What will happen to it if fuel prices continue to rise? What will happen to our interdependent lives? Is it time to learn some skills? Here is a document about post-oil collapse. Related stuff found in the media:Natural born survivors (The Guardian) Do you need to stock up the bunker? (BBC)Uncomfortable truths about global oil depletion (Telegraph)Hamish McRae: We will never have cheap oil again (The Independent)Oil depletion FreeVideoCoding.com
More About: Society

The SUV era is finally over
2008-05-03 17:47:00
clipped from www.independent.co.ukAmerica's love affair with sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and pick-up trucks is finally over. In some cities sales of hybrid cars outnumber the lumbering vehicles that are still pouring off the assembly lines at Ford and General Motors in Detroit. The occasional Smart car can even be seen nipping through the traffic. "The era of the truck-based large SUVs is over," said Michael Jackson, boss of the country's largest car retailer Autonation. Another car executive called it the most dramatic shift in the market in 30 years.clipped from www.independent.co.ukThe biggest victim of the changing times is the petrol-swilling Hummer, the civilian version of the military's transport vehicle which became a status symbol in America's suburbs in the 1990s. Hummer sales collapsed by more than a fifth last year to fewer than 56,000 vehicles and fell by more than 30 per cent in the first three months of 2008. In response to a lack of sales and increased f...
More About: Finally

Peter Barnes-criteria for success
2008-05-02 23:44:00
How are we going to solve the climate crisis? The situation is urgent. We have one bullet and we better not miss the target! We need solutions that are simple, fair and effective in design. Peter Barnes , author of Capitalism 3.0, lists five criteria which he believes are crucial for success.According to him the solution must be:-Transformative-Adaptive-Simple-Fair-D urablePeter Barnes explains each criteria further in this video:The entire talk can be seen below. He advocates a carbon supply cap system which he believes would have a transformative effect. Related:Peter Barnes' book Capitalism 3.0 can be downloaded here.Time magazine: How to win the war on global warming
More About: Success , Criteria

Data centers and power use
2008-05-02 07:29:00
clipped from bits.blogs.nytimes.com The world?s data centers are projected to surpass the airline industry as a greenhouse gas polluter by 2020, according to a new study by McKinsey & Co. Over that time, the carbon dioxide emissions attributable to the electricity consumed by fast-expanding data centers will rise fourfold, the study estimates. The greenhouse gas impact of data centers is ?not yet counted and likely to be very significant,? said William Forrest, the lead McKinsey consultant on the report.Related:Talk by Jonathan Koomey about total data center power use.
More About: Power , Data

Blue gold
2008-05-02 00:15:00
Clean water is becoming the blue gold. Here is a film about the mounting privatization of water supplies and the personal tragedies that follow for the poor who can't afford the water fees: A world without water. More than a billion people across the globe don?t have access to safe water. Every day 3900 children die as a result of insufficient or unclean water supplies.Maude Barlow, chairperson for the Council of Canadians and author of The blue covenant , gives a talk about the looming water crisis.
More About: Gold , Blue

Exercise
2008-04-30 23:39:00
How do you exercise? Nowadays my main exercise consists of biking to work. Occasionally I get to practice some aikido. I live about 10 km from the dojo and for the last couple of years I have chosen not to take the car to get there. The distance and a tight family life schedule has made it difficult for me to practice frequently and regularly.Aikido is a martial/movement art which is about responding smoothly to a training partners moves and actions. You could say that the technical goal is to deal with the partners attacks in a sustainable manner. The movements are flowing, natural and non-aggressive.Lately I have found it quite stagnant and impractical to practice indoors in a room lit by flourecent lamps. If I chose to practice under the sun I could choose a spot nearer my home and I imagine my aikido would evolve differently. Perhaps my aikido would become more organic and less formalized. It would be interesting to choose different locations and spots and see how the various en...
More About: Exercise

Are you a bistander?
2008-04-30 21:55:00
A bystander is someone in a crowd who sees a potentially dangerous situation and does nothing. It is time to step out of the crowd and do something.

Peak food
2008-04-30 00:01:00
John Gossop, farmer and author of Famine in the West, explains why food prices are rising and why there will soon be food shortages even in developed countries.
More About: Food , Peak

Wailing trucks
2008-04-29 23:04:00
Truckers protesting over soaring fuel prices. Are we experiencing the beginning of the great decline? Washington DCLondon
More About: Trucks

Nonterrestial weather
2008-04-29 21:51:00
Here is a documentary about weather conditions occurring in other parts of our solar system.
More About: Weather

What the fux ehux?
2008-04-29 17:12:00
If you don't know you may want to check this clip which covers various positive feedback loops which may occur in our warming world.

Plastic packaging
2008-04-27 00:22:00
I wonder how people would react if I during the next weekly grocery shopping round would remove all the plastic packaging from the solid foods that I would buy, leaving the plastic rubbish behind in the shelves and counters.
More About: Packaging , Plastic

Living a year without oil
2008-04-26 23:59:00
A family father takes the decision to drag his family into a year without oil and plastics.
More About: Living , Year

Changing habits
2008-04-26 21:48:00
Today we went downtown to buy some things. Even though I brought my backpack we ended up with two fucking plastic bags, one for each item we bought. The habit of receiving plastic bags is so strong. Something has to be done. Either we ban them or we find an efficient way to have them recollected and recycled. The retailers need to take responsibility in this issue. Why we should be bothered by our plastic habits:
More About: Habits , Changing