Sustainability and Politics: August 2013

Monday, August 26, 2013

2014 Chevy Spark EV | Electric Vehicle | Chevrolet

2014 Chevy Spark EV | Electric Vehicle | Chevrolet

Cool little car! $19,185 ($26,685 minus $7200 federal tax credit.) Your commute less than 80 miles? Household outlet compatible. Immediately save about $150 on gas per month. Save $9000 dollars in 5 YEARS on gas (EPA, depending how far you drive). Then the car actually cost you $10,000. And if gas keeps getting more expensive (duh), save $10,000 or more every 5 years, in your pocket. And it doesn't support/rely on foreign countries' oil reserves, and doesn't pollute. And it has the smart screen technology, etc. Getting to be a no-brainer. (Dare we say progress?) Cool stuff!

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Climate Panel Cites Near Certainty on Warming - NYTimes.com

Climate Panel Cites Near Certainty on Warming - NYTimes.com

The same thoughts here. So sad, and infuriating that many people are still stuck in some ideological denial. These 'flat-earthers' and others not helping improve society and not helping prevent the suffering of many should be shamed, and those for their own oil- and coal-profit ends are willing to mislead the simple-minded into denial, they should be jailed, in jails with the pollution and emissions of coal-fired plants and combusted oil and oil spills piped directly in.

College baseball player Chris Lane allegedly killed by 'bored' teens in Oklahoma | Baseball | Sports | Toronto Sun

College baseball player Chris Lane allegedly killed by 'bored' teens in Oklahoma | Baseball | Sports | Toronto Sun

Heartbreaking. Heartbreaking for that young man's family. And for America, and Australia.
Gun laws have to change. That our culture is stuck in so many spots is so sad, and infuriating at the same time.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Steve King: Belief In Climate Change Is A 'Religion,' 'Not Science' | ThinkProgress

Steve King: Belief In Climate Change Is A 'Religion,' 'Not Science' | ThinkProgress

What a complete tool. 97% of scientists have affirmed man-made global warming as an indisputable scientific fact, but this knucklehead can stand in front of people and claim it is NOT science? Steve King is a complete dirty oil- and coal-bribed buffoon who now can't be taken seriously about anything by any reasonably intelligent individual.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Iran's leader reaches out to U.S., vows push to resolve nuclear row | Reuters

Iran's leader reaches out to U.S., vows push to resolve nuclear row | Reuters

Good. Negotiation, ever-increasing debilitating sanctions, or God-forbid eventually war. Iran seems to have 3 choices to eventually arrive at making their energy production completely transparent.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/35613144@N00/5438000390/in/set-72157626028998608/

Monday, August 5, 2013

The NSA is giving your phone records to the DEA. And the DEA is covering it up.

The NSA is giving your phone records to the DEA. And the DEA is covering it up.

This is really Orwellian and against the nature of privacy in America. These surveillance oversteps without probable cause are actual crimes that need to be prosecuted.

Friday, August 2, 2013

BBC News - Rise in violence 'linked to climate change'

BBC News - Rise in violence 'linked to climate change'

As if survival as a species was not a compelling enough reason to stop our dirty, carbon-spewing ways.

'Frack Gag' Bans Children From Talking About Fracking, Forever | ThinkProgress

'Frack Gag' Bans Children From Talking About Fracking, Forever | ThinkProgress

Oh my goodness, how evil these people are. Harming people and then paying them off and forcing them to remain silent, then continuing fracking.

I've been thinking some about the Winter Solstice, the Mayan end of the 30,000-year-cycle on 12/21/12.

What if in fact the world did end? Even though this probably will not happen, to live consciously it is honest for us to take a bit of an inventory.

Am I happy with how I've lived my life? (Yesterday, I thought mostly yes, with some areas for improvement, as below.) Are there changes I would make?
Would I have tried to forgive those that were hostile or disappointing to me?
Would I spend more time with those I loved the most, telling them that, feeling that more?
Would I be happier, grateful for what I have, what I've experienced, the joy, the beauty in this world?

Maybe the answer is yes to all of the above.
So this time can serve as a point of rebirth for all of us. If we think about it.

Because somewhere along the line I realized I think maybe mankind deserves it. !
The way we are killing each other, killing the planet.
How selfish we are, and snotty to those around us. Petty, competitive. Why is this? Do we have to behave this way? (I say no, it greatly detracts and misdirects energy from the full-time celebration in which we could engage, the great multi-cultural, multi-rhythmic dance we can sustain here.)

Maybe God or the Great Universe is fed up, and will pull the rug out from under us.
Don't think I can say we could blame Him/Her/It.

But it probably won't happen. (Probably not! This time.)

Still we are finite on this ride.

It is a time to think, am I happy with how I've lived my life?
Hopefully most of us can say yes.

For the part of us that have a little worry, a little sadness....
This is the time to be present.
This is the time to be the person you want to be, that can die at peace, that can hope to every day be able to look yourself and the Universe in the eye and say, how beautiful, smiling, and thank you. Let's do that.