Wave Energy Finally Arrives 28 February 2007

Ah, the joys of living in California, where the people are all beautiful, fit, intelligent AND pious. We’re just so damned lucky. There really is something in the water, something that must recast the genetic makeup of California residents. If you see an obese moron skulking about, you know they must be from out of state and have been knocking back bottled water during their visit. Just a few days drinking our water knocks off the pounds, improves the complexion and raises the IQ. And now, to make things better (is it really possible?), to really showcase that California is where perfection dwells incarnate in every last resident, the state’s benevolent big brother, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) is making a commitment to being the nation’s first supplier of large-scale wave-generated power. PG&E is assessing the feasibility of creating two 40-megawatt wave-generated power plants off the Humboldt/Mendocino coast line (two very green counties, if you know what I mean).

Here’s the original PG&E press release, hot off the world watch wire, Buckaroo (name the movie I’m referencing and win a prize)

California is just too much goodness to honor with just one song. Hence, I’m breaking with tradition and serving up TWO great songs at the end of this post. The first is by one of my all-time favorite bands, American Music Club. Their version of “California Dreamin’” is just to die for, thweety:  

The second track may be a bit too urban for some caucasian children. Written and performed by the really neat guys in Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprasy, “California Uber Alles” is a great good time with nifty lyrics and some of that big bass sound that the younger set really “digs.”

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em - Shoot ‘Em! 27 February 2007

As many of you know, I heavily support (pre-drug-addled) Huey P. Newton’s notion of gaining ground “by any means necessary.” Newton first used this phrase in the wording of his Panther’s 10 Point Plan:

Item #8: WE WANT AN IMMEDIATE END TO ALL WARS OF AGGRESSION.

We believe that the various conflicts which exist around the world stem directly from the aggressive desire of the United States ruling circle and government to force its domination upon the oppressed people of the world. We believe that if the United States government or its lackeys do not cease these aggressive wars it is the right of the people to defend themselves by any means necessary against their aggressors.

Now, it’s quite easy to relate the Panther’s notion of “aggression” to the war of inimical aggression that currently destroys our planet’s environment and robs future generations of human, plant and animal life of any chance of a reasonable existence. As the Enemy is currently represented by those governments, corporations and individuals who continue to wage destruction despite being gifted with the full knowledge of the consequences of their actions. Even the guy at Subway who tosses his empty container into the garbage instead of the adjacent recycle bin is cannon fodder.

Which brings me to my dilemma.

I’ve searched high and low for alternatives to lead and steel shot for my revolutionary weapon of choice - the 12 gauge shotgun (pictured with yours truly, left). A real crowd pleaser, the 12 gauge has the unfortunate drawback of depositing metal pellets (those that miss the transgressor) far and wide into the local environment. I’ve wrestled often, in my bed at night, with whether the ends justify the means. That is, the removal of a litterbug is an undeniably good thing. As is the timely dispatching of anti-environment corporate bosses. Yet, what of the environmental damage caused by the action? One must not lead by bad example, after all.

Imagine my shock and awe when the people at SEASON SHOT, having heard of my conundrum, contacted me with word of their revolutionary product. Season Shot is shotgun ammunition made of “tightly packed seasoning bound by a fully biodegradable food product.” In other words, one is basically shooting bullets made of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme! QUE BUENO!!!

Season Shot’s informative website states, “Our environment is the basis for the sport of hunting. Without a healthy enviroment how would our hunting fare? Why damage the very thing that allows us to do what we love? Season Shot is the answer. This is the first truly environmentally safe ammunition, Season Shot stands out above the rest. Using fully biodegradable shot, Season Shot is the right choice to protect what we love.”

I’m certain this news will be met with great cheer by my cohorts in the eco-r/evolutionary movement.

TO ARMS! TO ARMS!

Today’s song is a blast from the past from KRS-One

black-panthers, huey-p-netwon, season-shot, tod-brilliant

“Inconvenient Truth” Wins Oscar. SEQUEL ANNOUNCED! 26 February 2007

I guess this isn’t much of a surprise.

Congratulations to the amazing Laurie David for making this film happen.

I can’t wait for THE SEQUEL - where Gore talks about what we can DO about climate change. My confidential sources tell me that the new film, tentatively titled, “Plan B 2.0″ will feature Gore relating the contents of Lester Brown’s recent publication. I’m very excited, as Brown’s agenda/plan (I’ve read the book version) is formidable and represents our very best hope to make significant strides toward a sustainable future.

And, because they’re oh so hot right now, this posts musical accent is The Police’s “Truth Hits Everybody”:

Technorati Tags: inconvenient-truth, laurie-david, al-gore, lester-brown, the-police

Ron Paul for President in 2008? Is He Green? Doesn’t Look Like it. 25 February 2007

Well, it looks like Rep. Ron Paul is running away with the victory in my informal 2008 Presidential election poll (see below). This speaks to two things: That Paul’s organization sniffs out every internet lead (smart) and that the eco-sphere isn’t really gearing up yet for 2008. I believe the latter is partly because many of the “sustainability-set” don’t mind being taken for granted, knowing they’ll cast their vote for whatever candidate the Democrats serve up, irrespective of that candidate’s environmental record or position.

While I know that Paul is a staunch Constitutionalist (and this is a very good thing in my eyes - have I mentioned that I have Thomas Jefferson’s profile tattooed on my left thigh?), I don’t know much about his environmental record, position, or agenda. Maybe someone from Paul’s camp will read this and enlighten me.

Yet, to be fair to Paul and the other candidates, they don’t have to have much of an environmental agenda, as voters aren’t pushing for this as a top-five issue. Those who are will be neatly gobbled up by the Democrats, so their voices, no matter how shrill, will be rendered mute by a party whose track record on environmental issues is very mixed, at best. Yes, I can hear the “but they’ve done more than the Republicans” protests even now. And this means, what, exactly?

 UPDATE: Paul seems to have ZERO environmental agenda, judging from early responses by his adherents. Guess we’ll have to keep on looking for a candidate.

Global Warming BENEFIT! Woolly Mammoths to Return!

I’ve decided to take the new Conservative approach to climate change. That is, I’m going to try to look on the bright side. Thus, this is the first in what will be an intermiitent series of “Global Warming BENEFIT!” posts.

For several years, Japanese researchers have been working toward the resurrection of the long-extinct woolly mammoth. They’ve even started building a Jurassic Park-style theme park - details of which can be found in this archived article.

A stumbling block, however, has been access to the remains of the estimated millions of frozen mammoth carcasses that have been well-preserved in the Siberian permafrost. Recently, however, with the advent of a benign global warming trend, this permafrost has been melting and rather obligingly offering up scores of new prehistoric corpses for DNA extraction. Thanks to God’s plan for a bucolic, tropical Earth, we may see woolly (shaved for comfort, of course) mamoths frolicking in a zoo new near you within twenty years!

And, of course, the musical tie-in:

2008 Elections: Your Vote? 23 February 2007

Very official Presidential Poll time!

Click the pink comment button below and state who you support in 2008 at this time (could change, no? maybe s/he isn’t on this list?). If you’re so inclined, mention why you favor this particular candidate. There are many of us who would love to know where the eco-sphere is leaning for ‘08. Thanks!

Here’s a nice song (”76 Unkowns”) to listen to while you mull your decision:

REPUBLICAN PARTY:US Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kansas)
Former Governor Jim Gilmore (R-Virginia)
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (R-New York)
Former Governor Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas)
Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-California)
US Senator John McCain (R-Arizona)
Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas)
Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts)
Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado)
Former Governor Tommy Thompson (R-Wisconsin)

DEMOCRATIC PARTY:

US Senator Joe Biden (D-Delaware)
US Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-New York)
US Senator Chris Dodd (D-Connecitcut)
Former US Senator John Edwards (D-North Carolina)
Former Alaska US Senator Mike Gravel (D-Virginia)
Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)
US Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois)
Governor Bill Richardson (D-New Mexico)
Governor Tom Vilsack (D-Iowa)

CONSTITUTION PARTY:

Chuck Baldwin (Florida) - Baptist pastor, radio talk show host, conservative activist, and 2004 VP nominee. Jim Clymer (Pennsylvania) - Party National Chairman, frequent candidate, and attorney. Jerome Corsi (Massachusetts) - Author, journalist and conservative activist. Jim Gilchrist (California) - Minuteman Project founder, retired accountant and ‘05 congressional nominee. Alan Keyes (Maryland) - Former US Ambassador, conservative activist, and frequent candidate.

GREEN PARTY:

Medea Benjamin (California) - Founder of Global Exchange, peace activist and ‘00 US Senate nominee. Nannette “Nan” Garrett (Georgia) - Attorney, former State Senate aide & ‘02 Governor nominee. Pat LaMarche (Maine) - Businesswoman, National Party Co-Chair, talk show host, 2004 VP nominee, & ‘02/’06 Governor nominee.
Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (D-Georgia) - Ex-US Congresswoman (1993-2003 & ‘05-07), ex-State Rep. and Democrat.
Rebecca Rotzler (New York) - New Paltz Deputy Mayor, Party National Co-Chair, businesswoman, and community activist.
Kat Swift (Texas) - State Party Co-Chair, progressive activist & newspaper credit manager.

LIBERTARIAN PARTY:

Jim Burns (Nevada) - Ex-State LP Chair & frequent candidate.
Dave Hollist (California) - Bus driver and frequent LP Presidential hopeful.
Mike “Jingo” Jingozian (Oregon) - Software company founder & ‘00 city council candidate.
Steve Kubby (California) - Businessman, ‘98 Governor nominee & marijuana legalization activist.
Karen Kwiatkowski (Virginia) - Retired USAF intelligence officer, journalist and political columnist.
Alden Link (New York) - Manufacturing Executive & Army veteran.
Robert Milnes (New Jersey) - Progressive Activist.
Gary Nolan (Ohio) - Radio talk show host and 2004 Presidential candidate.
George Phillies (Massachusetts) - College Professor, Writer, LP “Reform” Activist & ‘96 US Senate Nominee
Wayne Allyn Root (R-Nevada) - Sports Handicapper, Author & TV Show Host
Mary Ruwart (Texas) - Author, Lecturer, Ex-Research Scientist, Libertarian Activist & Frequent Candidate
Christine Smith (Colorado) - Progressive Activist & Writer
Doug Stanhope (Arizona) - Comedian

PROHIBITION PARTY:

Gene Amondson (Alaska)

Technorati Tags: 2008-presidential-election, election-2008, ron-paul

The Heat is On! Send a message to Hillary, McCain, Obama, etc. 22 February 2007

A new effort to impress upon 2008 Presidential hopefuls the political importance of climate change (because the real-world, physical importance is not enough for any of the Dems or Repubs) is underway at The Heat is On.org I’m usually not inclined to believe in the power of the online petition, but there’s not a damned thing to lose by signing this one. So hop to it, por favor.

From the site:

The largest obstacle to bold action on global warming is strong presidential leadership. The Heat Is On will use the 2008 presidential primaries to generate a vigorous national debate on global warming and challenge all the candidates to make the issue a top priority.

The Heat Is On is a project of the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund. In partnership with LCV and the State Leagues in each of the early voting states–Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada–we will undertake an extensive effort to educate and engage caucus goers and primary voters.

You didn’t think I’d let you get away without the obvious song tie-in, did you? Click the PLAY buttton.

Flick O’ The Month: BLUE VINYL 21 February 2007

I have to admit that I’m quite late on the draw. “Blue Vinyl” movie has been out for about five years now, winning Sundance awards and earning mountains of critical praise, but I’ve only now gotten around to giving it a go. I’m sorry I waited so long! Dubbed the green building movement’s “first cult film,” it’s like Roger and Me (the comparisons are inevitable), only far, far more important. Here’s a great article about the film from Healthy Building News.

Certainly, you’ve heard that PVC is bad news, that even casual contact with the ubiquitous material may cause health problems, especially in children. What I didn’t know was exactly how bad this and other vinyl-based materials are, nor how long the vinyl industry has been working feverishly to cover this up. Directors Judith Helfland and Dan Gold effectively provide hard data and a riveting history in a package that seems more or less like lightweight entertainment.

I know, a movie about vinyl doesn’t sound like a good time. That’s why I waited so long. Big mistake. This week, your mission is to trust a stranger (me), rent this film and buy Bobby Conn’s new recording (see below). If I steer you wrong, contact me and I will make it right somehow.

Here’s the Netflix link: BLUE VINYL

The film’s website BLUE VINYL.ORG links to some great resources that provide information on better home building (thanks again, “Garreth”!)

Finally, here’s a song that makes my heart just sing (thanks, Ali). I know that, you too will just LOVE it!

Today is the Day! BOBBY CONN’S NEW ALBUM! 20 February 2007

(NO, this post has nothing to do with the eco-world. From time to time I let my ‘other’ life slip in . . . keeps me sane after all the doom-and-gloom.)

I’ll keep it brief, especially after that last explosion of fellow-American hating rage.
Buy THIS ALBUM RIGHT NOW. Bobby Conn is the pinnacle of musical genius. If you like music (you do, right?), then you’ve really no choice. If you’ve read the last post, you’re likely feeling really fucking guilty right now for being a useless ostrich whose idea of rebellion is supporting Steve Jobs’ exorbitant lifestyle. Buying this CD won’t help atone for your sins of negligence and ignorance, but it WILL make you feel better AND you’ll be finally beat the insufferable music-hipsters to the punch by being the first on your block to own 2007’s first Must Have release.

Yes, it’s available on iTunes.

Whatever you do, DON’T buy it on Amazon, as they’ve delayed shipping on this by two weeks. Direct from Thrill Jockey is the way to go.

Click the play button below to hear one of Bobby’s chestnuts (Never Gonna Get Ahead Givin’ Head to the Man):

Start ‘Em Young with Thames & Kosmos 19 February 2007

Yesterday I went to the Exploratorium in San Francisco with Andi and my son, Justice. I love this place! A lot of it hasn’t changed since I was wee, which makes for not only a great visit to the “museum of science, art and human perception” but also provided much fodder for periodic bouts of nostalgic reverie. In the gift shop, I found a really, really cool ‘toy’ for kids - the Thames & Kosmos Power House. It’s a home building model for eco-freaks, complete with, well, just see below - it’s pretty crazy!

From the Thames & Kosmos site: “With the Power House kit you can build a model house complete with solar panels, windmill, greenhouse, and desalination system. You can build and operate an electric train, windmill, solar cooker, solar hot water tank, hygrometer, electric motor, power hoist, sail car, and more! Plant watercress, prepare sauerkraut, and make chewing gum. Learn how plants convert sunlight into energy for your body and your engines.”

Better yet: “The Power House Experiment Manual is much more than just a set of instructions. The manual is organized around the story of a group of island dwellers who must learn to live sustainably using the resources available to them on their small island. As you read their journal entries and learn of their projects and experiments, you build models of the same projects and conduct the same experiments alongside them.”

Okay, not for a four-year-old, so Justice didn’t get one, but I was sorely tempted to pick one up for my own fun and education. Does that make me an uber-geek? No. I’ve been one for many years.