Friday, July 25, 2014

'Shocking' underground water loss in US drought - Yahoo News

'Shocking' underground water loss in US drought - Yahoo News 



"This is a lot of water to lose.
We thought that the picture could be pretty bad, but this was
shocking," said lead study author Stephanie Castle, a water resources
specialist at the University of California, Irvine.
"We don't know exactly how much groundwater we have left, so we don't know when we're going to run out," added Castle.
NASA said the study is "the first to quantify the amount that groundwater contributes to the water needs of western states."

Thursday, July 24, 2014

TX mayor Speaking in CA against fracking - online Sat 7/26, noon

TX mayor Speaking in CA against fracking - online Sat 7/26, noon 



You can also find a schedule in Calvin's website here.




The folks at San Benito Rising will be kind enough
to broadcast the event in Hollister live over the internet. You can
click on the event link here to watch
it on Saturday, July 26th, at noon.

Saturday, July 19, 2014

CNN: Jet downing a 'game-changer' in world relations with Russia

Here    "This is very likely to harden views that Russia is not a problem," one official said. "If there were any Europeans who believe it had nothing to do with them, that Ukraine was merely a local issue, that will change."

Iran warned of "last chance" in nuclear talks after deadline missed

Here   Thoughts here and below from LA Times from 2012, and SF Chronicle at sidebar right on this site.

Wake up, Iran
Re "Iran halts oil exports to 2 nations," Feb. 20
There are two options, as I see it: First, Iran can deny the United Nations full access to its nuclear facilities, which would result in war, debilitating sanctions or eventually both, hastening serious or complete destruction of the country.
Second, Iran could allow full access by the United Nations, which would allow for peaceful energy production and good standing and protection by the U.N. itself.
The Iranian people should be able to vote on this, as it seems the government marches toward confrontation.
G. Colby Allerton

Governments around the world are failing in their commitments to address climate change

Here "Governments around the world are failing in their commitments to address climate change, a group of international science institutions warn in a new report, saying the window to prevent catastrophic warming will soon close."
"The world is engaged in an unrecognized, massive gamble with the future of the planet," economist and author Jeffrey Sachs warned at a news conference discussing the report, "Deep Decarbonization Pathways."
"Produced by 30 scientific institutions from the 15 countries that emit the most greenhouse gases, the report was presented to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tuesday morning."

Legalizing Pot Resulting in Lower Crime, Huge Tax Revenues

Here Pot legalization is dropping crime, and creating big tax revenues in Colorado. Progress. Even the DEA is now recommending marijuana to be reclassified down from Schedule One (which is a long-standing embarrassment to science and the agencies involved) here.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

The FUTURE seen at PRESENT: NASA: Satellite which will END man-made CO2 DEBATE in orbit at last

At some point some brave members of the GOP are going to start convincing party leaders that ignoring science is going to harm the party. We know the harm fossil fuels are doing to the planet's climate and public health already. The scientific method and consensus has been overwhelmingly confirmed for quite a long time now. At some point the musical chairs game of misdirection, misinformation and denial is going to stop, and the recalcitrants are going to have nowhere to sit, or hide.
Future tribunals and crimes against humanity trials are becoming increasingly possible, and you yourself can probably start to name the people that are responsible. These people of their advocated pollution need to change, and stop their behavior which is literally threatening our entire civilization's survival.

Here

Sunset, Venice 12/20/2012

Sunset, Venice 12/20/2012
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.

Antidotes to Violence, a.k.a., Take Charge of Where Your Head's At - here

Tell Congress to Strengthen Gun Control Laws NOW - here

Good News & Brain Food News -
Christians & Muslims Gather, for Peace here
Good News - Top RIO+20 Summit Posts here
The 'Busy' Trap - NYTimes.com
here