We Have a Plan

Looks like NYC now has a viable evacuation plan in case the metro area takes a direct hit from a hurricane. STORY

Why do I have more confidence in a plan devised by Mayor Bloomberg and his administration than one created by the good ol'boys down in D.C.?
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Did Gore Get it Right?

Several rightwing pundits have taken commenting on Al Gore's, "An Inconvenient Truth", as an opportunity to dispute the factual content in the film, Mr. Gore's integrity, the film's accuracy and even the very existence of the global warming problem. It appears many prominent climate experts have sided with Gore and his film. STORY

Some issues should transcend politics.
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Green Gas Hits the High Court

This Stinks: You'd think that the EPA would do its job, and enforce its own guidelines -- without the Supreme Court getting involved. But no. A dozen states had to file a lawsuit with the High Court to decide -- get this -- whether or not the EPA is REQUIRED under the Federal Clean Air law to treat carbon dioxide from auto emissions as a pollutant, harmful to our health. And we wonder how we got to this global warming point. Kinda pathetic. Hold your nose and click HERE for more, courtesy of CNN.

Nice Green Cabs

Say what you will about us "left-wing, commie, bomb-throwers" from NYC, but we do sometimes get it right. The NYC Taxi and Limosine Commission held the first of two auctions this Friday to sell 308 new medallions that will triple the number of wheelchair accessible cabs and add more than 250 hybrid vehicles. If you've ever sat behind a giant, German-tourist-filled, Big Apple Tours bus transporting its human debris to the 3pm matinee of "Rent", you know that any reduction in exhaust emissions is both commendable and imperative...
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Light Objects Competition

Here's a design competition for the eco-minded. First prize cops $3000 and 4 runners up will each receive $1500. Aside from the money, all prize winners are sure to receive mucho good PR...click HERE for details. Entry deadline is August 13, 2006.

EcoZone

The District of Columbia is embarking on a very interesting environmental partnership with businesses called EcoZone. The project is spearheaded by EcoMedia, an environmental media company. The program, which initially consists of 100, business sponsored, eco friendly signs, is designed to raise both awareness and funding for environmental initiatives without shaking down taxpayers.
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Carbon Boom Envelopes the U.S.

U.S. PIRG, a public interest group, has released an enlightening report on global warming and carbon dioxide production trends in the U.S.. An interesting footnote is that Texas lead the nation in carbon dioxide production setting the pace with 12% of the nations total in 2001.
Hook'em horns!
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A Nutria in Every Pot

The ever horny nutria is spreading across America and now has populations in 40 states. Luckily for us northerners, they don't like it too cold, preferring the warmer climes of Louisiana and states that similarily duplicate the climate of their South American homeland. The original populations were escapees from nutria farms in the south where they were grown for their fur. Maryland and other eastern seaboard states have instituted very effective nutria eradication programs which combined with some cold winters have reduced populations dramatically. The nutria eat plant and tree roots with beaver-like ferocity causing major destruction to marshland and estuaries.

For the culinary crowd they even taste better than muskrat... or like chicken... or something like that... STORY
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Radiohead Comes Clean

Radiohead frontman, Thom Yorke, is a self-admitted hypocrite for leading the environmentally toxic life of a rockstar. INTERVIEW


Mr.Yorke, unlike many Prius driving celebrities who don't think twice about flying their fuel-guzzling personal jets to St. Barts for a nightcap, at least sees the deal for what it is.
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Quagga & Zebra Mussels

I have done a little more research on the invasive mussel/algae problem in the Great Lakes and consulted that highly respected journal, the Sheboygan-Press, for a more local perspective. There are actually two mussels at work here the zebra mussel and the larger quagga mussel. The organism that definitely isn't actively involved is Congress....LINK

One of the only successful cases of iradication of zebra mussels occurred in Virginia. LINK Check the cost.
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Great Green Goo

Algae is back bigtime in the Great Lakes, particularly the shallow Lake Erie. The traditional culprit, phosphorous, is partially to blame but the real villains are zebra mussels who filter water causing sunlight to penetrate into deeper water aiding the proliferation of the algae.

For more on the greening of the Great Lakes.
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Rudy Giuliani

I lived through the Giuliani mayoral administration in NYC and I have to admit I agreed with the man on a lot of what he tried to accomplish in the city. He's a tough guy to love, but a good man in a crisis. Yesterday I saw excerpts of a speech he made to, I believe, a conservative Republican group where he outlined his energy plan. It basically resembled the Bush approach aided by intelligent, if misguided, thought. Basically Rudy advocates vast deregulation of nuclear power plant and oil refining construction (remove environmental safeguards and regs and think Belgium) and increase domestic oil drilling and exploration. The expanded drilling plan advocates production in previously protected wildlife preserves and increase in all domestic production. Ouch! I guess I have to part ways with the Rudster on this one, I guess he's been spending a little too much time in some Republican thinktank for his own good.

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Alberto Does Some Good

Looks like the television news people shrieking about the impending doom of tropical storm Alberto got it wrong. No lives appear to have been lost in Florida and Alberto provided welcome rains to both Florida (wildfires doused) and Georgia (crops saved). A green story indeed.
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Polar Bear Cannibalism

I found this Alaskan news story to be more than a little disturbing. Polar bear cannibalism appears to be on the rise as access to the bear's food sources via the ice pack diminishes. Certain species and behaviors are early indications of traumatic environmental change, so if you sense one of your neighbors eyeing you with an overtly hungry look, it may not be due solely to those tight-fitting slacks you're wearing.
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Al Gore Nude?

Al Gore continues to promote his global-warming-star-vehicle, "An Inconvenient Truth" and in the process rehab his stick-in-the-mud image. Here's a link to video of his appearance on the Leno Show where he also discussed the possibility of a nude scene and his on-going feud with Lindsay Lohan... VIDEO

Eating Well

Pay a visit to our returning tenant, "The Vegan Diet", for gastronomical guidance of the highest and healthiest order.

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Bavarian Brown Teddy

The Finns are trying to save an elusive brown bear from fretting Bavarians. This smart, fast, brown bear's been named JJ1, and he mosied on over from Austria. The excitement over JJ1 is that a brown bear has not been sighted in Germany in 170 years. But JJ1 is killing chickens and sheep. So officials have hired a team from Finland to catch this predator. Only problem is, the team doesn't arrive on the scene for another week. Let's home JJ1 survives the week, so he can be transported to live happily ever after in a local wildlife park. Leave it to the Germans to want to kill the only non-Aryan bear to appear in almost 2 centuries.

Arctic Fox vs. Brant Goose in Death Match

Wildlife management is always tricky business. In Alaska's Yukon-Delta National Wildlife Refuge managers are planning a to to kill Arctic fox to protect the Pacific Black Brant, a goose that migrates between Mexico and Alaska and has a fragile population. A fox can grab and store hundreds of brant eggs each year, which in addition to hunting, can reduce reproduction rates tremendously. Sometimes management is needed to maintain an animal population. To be fair to hunters, in this case it appears the Artic fox is a much better predator than man, but those foxes are cute little buggers...
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The American Way

There are some basic supply and demand concepts at play in both the auto and oil industries. If you have a product or substance that is in high demand and dwindling supply prices go up. The Arab oil-controlling nations walk a marketing tightrope. 1970's style gas lines can cause a backlash of public opinion, particularly in the west, that could eventually lead to alternative energy product development and a move away from an oil powered economy, so the oilmen must come up with reasons for artificial shortages, while maintaining constant control of production output to effectively walk that fine line between acceptable and whoreish profitability. The American auto industry has a similar challenge. Following decades of conspiring with the oil industry to avoid change and maintain the status quo, the auto industry in America is currently struggling. It is only now, prompted by consumers who have begun to look for alternative, moregas fuel efficient vehicles, that Detroit has made some small moves toward manufacturing more fuel economical cars. Ultimately, Detroit's ship may be turning too slowly and the sale of more fuel efficient Japanese cars is increasing as Detroit's SUV sales fall. U.S. politicians will try to make this an economic battle, not an environmental one and will paint proponents of change as tree-hugging liberals driving America to economic destruction, but isn't that what capitalism is all about? The better more efficient widget should succeed, new, creative solutions should be promoted not squashed. It's the American way.
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Fast Track to Destruction

Congress has fast tracked legislation to cut energy transfer corridors through western federal lands disturbing National Parks and protected lands. This is another example of politicians reacting to election year jitters and short term public concern. As energy prices rise, pork-loving politicians and the Bush administration use the pain of the American consumer to push through legislation that can ultimately destroy thousands of acres of wild America, while at the same time fat-cat oil companies, bloated by obscene profits, use fake shortages and price spikes to frighten the public into subsidizing the rape of our protected nature preserves and natural treasures. Same old, same old.
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Welcome "Views From the Hut"

Pay a visit to our tenant, our environmentally sensitive compadre, "Views From the Hut". Get a healthy dose of all things holistic, green and alternative on Michelle's blog.
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