Published in the Yes Men International Herald Tribune -spoof.

GM lança Kits de personalização para estes modelos (Fotos: Divulgação)

Quando não dá para lançar uma versão nova ou mesmo recalchutar uma antiga o negócio é apelar para os kits de personalização. É o que o GM fez com as suas já defasadas linhas Meriva, Corsa e Celta. A fabricante lançou dois novos kits de personalização.

São o pacote Energy e Geo. Os dois podem ser customizados nas próprias concessionárias da marca. No caso dos hatchs o pacote é o Energy e adiciona spoileres, adesivos e calotas pintadas. No caso do Celta, o valor é de R$ 1.526 para a versão de duas portas e R$ 1.586 para a versão quatro portas.

No caso do Corsa o valor sobe para R$ 1.973. Pois além dos equipamentos do Celta há ainda aerofólio pintado em grafite e dos faróis de neblina também com lâmpadas Blue Vision.

Já o kit para a Meriva, o Geo, que agrega itens semelhantes, porém com o sobrenome Geo, custa R$ 2.990. Segundo a pGM, a minivan conta com desenho voltado para o “off-road”, enquanto os hatches focam na esportividade.

Além das modificações dos hatchs, a minivan traz para-choques pintados em cinza e faróis com máscara negra. Todos seguem equipados com os motores 1.0 Flexpower (Celta), 1.4 Econo.Flex (Corsa) e 1.8 Flexpower (Meriva).

November 23, 2009 By Kevin Morrow

1. Because “What if” are just words.

What if I thought to myself  “What if I write my blog and people hate it.”

Well “What if” I write my blog and people love it?

Which one serves me better.

Sounds like “What if” are just words.

They only mean what I make them mean.

2. Because you invented the meaning of “what if” in the first place.

Whether you believe it or not, you are the creator of the meaning of what if. Which means you can re-invent it. The words really have no meaning, you make it up.

“What if Martin Luther King Jr said “What if they don’t understand me?”

3. Because there is no “What if.”

There is no such thing as what if. Things are what you see them as and that’s it. There is only your perception in your reality. Everyone else is the result of your perception. They are not really there as you see them, because they are there as you SEE them.

Think about it, “what if” there is no “what if?”

What would you do if you knew once you made a decision it would be reality?

To me there is no “what if” people will love my blog, because people do love my blog because it’s genuine.

4. Because you don’t have to re-invent the wheel

You don’t have to re-invent “what if” because it is not really there. There is only perfect love within you. Everything is only a “what if” there is no perfect love with in you. Yes I see this is truth.  If my square tire doesn’t work and I’m using it to get around, and I’m am growing tired of the bumpy ride. Eventually I will re-invent the round wheel which was already invented.

All things potential already exist.

5. Because if you don’t “what if” will make you its slave.

I don’t know about you but I am not a slave. Slavery is a mentality of separation. “What if” in a negative sense can enslave your mind. Your mind enslaved becomes a horrible place to be. “What if” positive sense also breeds doubt.

Only certainty is truth.

Thank you for reading the 5 reasons to re-invent “What if”

A few months ago I had the pleasure of working with a few students from the KU EcoHawks. We were tabling at the Lawrence Energy Conservation Fair (educating local residents about ongoing sustainability related projects at the university) and I had the opportunity to learn about the electric vehicle (EV) they were working on. The overwhelming response to their program saw the EcoHawks prominently mentioned twice on the main KU website homepage, a feature story on Fox 4 news, NPR radio, newspaper articles in the Lawrence Journal World and student run University Daily Kansan and on October 15, 2009, WIRED Magazine featured the KU EcoHawks in an Autotopia blog post titled, “Old-School Beatle Runs on Batteries and Biodiesel“

The goal of their associated project is to design a production quality, fuel neutral series hybrid vehicle using the tenets of sustainability. The student’s definition of sustainability is the application of engineering principles to solving real-world problems by focusing upon the interconnectedness of the environment, energy, economy, education and ethics. To date, the students have recycled a 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle, destined for the scrap heap, and incorporated a generator running on 100% biodiesel created from used campus cooking oil as part of the KU Biodiesel Initiative.

In addition, The Center for Sustainability recently presented its annual Sustainability Leadership Awards, recognizing faculty, staff and students who have exhibited outstanding leadership and creativity in addressing issues of environmental, economic and social responsibility on the KU campus and beyond. Awards were presented in five categories, honoring individuals and campus projects. The award recognizing an academic project was presented to KU EcoHawks.

This program enables students to get first hand experience with alternative fuel vehicles (although somewhat primitive by today’s standards) that spark their interest in sustainability-related engineering. I hope that more people sign on to contribute to the EcoHawks to recognize the need for more green focused engineers and the green ideas they could contribute.

-Josh Foster

Duke Chief Executive Jim Rogers said these deals are just the beginning, and that he may solicit Chinese financing for the $25 billion in capital Duke needs to raise in the next five years to build new plants and upgrade other facilities.

As President Barack Obama meets with Chinese officials this week, tamping down carbon-dioxide emissions is on the agenda. The U.S. and China together account for 40% of the world’s output of the gas, the leading culprit in global warming. The two nations’ talks are expected to explore ways they can cooperate to solve common problems, such as making coal a cleaner-burning fuel.

Read More

ITER (originally the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is an international tokamak (magnetic confinement fusion) research/engineering project that could help to make the transition from today’s studies of plasma physics to future electricity-producing fusion power plants.

I have to confess that I’d never heard of this €10 billion megaproject in the south of France until recently when I stumbled across it in connection with another intriguing story about a new fusion device (Laser Inertial Fusion Energy, or LIFE — pretty catchy, huh?) being tested at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.

It’s kind of exciting to think that such projects might hold the key to addressing much of our energy requirements at some point in the not too distant future (relatively speaking), but then, I’m a firm believer that mankind’s ingenuity will eventually arrive at technological solutions that will render carbon-based technologies obsolete for power generation.

Sounds like a big project.  I think we all must contribute in some way, no matter how small. Here are 10 easy ways to help starting from today.

1. Does this need washing? Or can I air it, brush away the stain or even put it in a bag and place it in the freezer. This I have been told you do with your jeans.
2. Do your laundry in lower temperatures.
3. Take the stairs (if possible) instead of the elevator.
4. Take your own cup to the coffee shop when buying “to-go coffee” KeepCup
5. Tell your friends to bring that bag of clothing, belts, shoes, bags etc  that they where going to give to charity anyway and have a swap evening.
6. When going to bed turn of all the stand-by buttons in the house.
7. Take the train when travelling (if possible)
8. Take a navy shower (3 minutes) saves lots and lots of water
9. Buy rechargeable batteries and a recharger
10. Recycle as much as possible

Give up smoking

Quite obvious really but if you want to dramatically improve your health then you need to quit smoking. You will lower the chances of developing cancer, heart disease, lung disease and death and if that’s not good enough…food will taste better, you’ll smell fresh and you won’t harm others around you with your second-hand smoke! So what’s stopping you? Visit your GP for help – they can talk you through the process of quitting and can prescribe you nicotine replacement therapy if required.

Alternatively visit the following NHS website for more advice:

http://smokefree.nhs.uk/

Cut down your alcohol intake

Occasional drinking is fine, so long as you stay within your limits. Ideally men should drink no more than 3 – 4 units (on a regular basis) a day whereas women should drink no more than 2 – 3 units per day. A glass of wine is typically 1.5 – 3 units, depending on the size of the glass and strength of the wine. A pint of beer is around 2.8 – 3 units. Men should try and stick to 21 units per week, whereas women should stick to 14 units. Cutting down your alcohol intake will lower your chances of liver disease and may make you sleep better. Your skin and eyes will become brighter and you’re likely to lose weight. Alcohol affects your body’s absorption of vitamins and also reduces cardio-vascular fitness and muscle growth. So if you want to improve your general health – drink less.

Learn the benefits of healthy food

Many of us eat when we’re hungry and don’t really think about what we’re putting into our mouths, but the purpose of food isn’t to just fill our bellies. Food provides us with vital vitamins and energy and helps us to grow and stay healthy. One of the best ways to become healthy is to educate and familiarise ourselves with food: the body is like a machine which requires healthy fuel to make it run efficiently. Try and eat your five portions of fruit and veg a day, don’t load your body with fatty foods, but above all have fun with your diet – a healthy balance equals a healthy mind.

Take up regular exercise

If you want to immediately feel good about yourself then get out there and release those endorphins! Try going for a brisk walk for a minimum of 20 mins x 3 times per week, then when you get used to this swap walking for a light jog, swim or a bike ride. Not only will this make you look better but you’ll also be brimming with confidence and have a healthy mind.

Take time out to meditate

Long term stress can suppress our immune system, which can then potentially lead to mental and physical illness. Take time to wind-down at the end of the day and relax. Try yoga or meditation – just a few minutes of deep breathing exercises a day can greatly reduce stress levels.

Visit here to try meditation for yourself:

www.learningmeditation.com

Somnade till slut men blev väckt av katterna i vanlig ordning. Bestämde mig vid 9-tiden för att ta mig en riktig promenad trots det busiga vädret. Gick stavgång neråt sjön och stannade vid en stor gammal tall och mediterade en stund och lyssnade på vågorna som slog in mot stranden och regnet föll mot mitt ansikte. Kändes väldigt härligt och uppfriskande!  Fortsatte sen min promenad och gick nog en runda på över en timme. När jag kom hem var det skönt att fräscha upp sig och käka lite mat. Tänk att det kan kännas så bra och jag är pigg om jag jämför med hur jag mått de senaste veckorna…så himla sjuk jag var…vilken tur att man kan få känna sig så frisk!!     

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•☆.｡.•*✿

Jobbade eftermiddag och avd mötet var inställt så jag pratade med kollegan som håller på och inreder sitt rum. Det är i det närmaste klart och det har gått bra. Jätteskönt att vi har rummen bredvid varandra nu så vi kan prata direkt med varandra. Förut var vi i varsin ände av sjukhuset i princip. Det enda som fattas är handfat att tvätta händerna i när vi vill bli rena från olja . Hoppas de  kan fixa det åt oss nu. Är ju inte hygieniskt direkt att vara tvungen att först öppna en dörr ut och sen en toadörr med kletiga händer. Och har man otur är toan upptagen…

Ikväll har jag käkat kycklingben..det är sabla gott…

ha en fin kväll!

Recently I found myself behind a car whose license plate read: “IMEDIT8.” I couldn’t help but smile. I had been thinking about how stressful the holidays can get – it seems that everyone I speak with mentions in the same breath how the holidays are coming up so quickly and how busy they will be as a result. Quite often, it’s said in the tone of someone bracing for a huge undertaking.

Every year I find myself taking on a lot of extra responsibilities around the holidays, so I work hard to make sure I don’t overextend myself. I do this by continually reassessing what is necessary and what isn’t, what is possible and what isn’t. For example, during my first holiday season in the DC area after moving from Connecticut, I ended up driving for several hours there and back for Thanksgiving and Christmas. While it was wonderful to spend time with friends and family, I found myself exhausted, and not spending enough time in any one place. This year I chose to limit my travels to just Christmas, but for a longer period of time. So, while it would have been wonderful to spend time with close friends and family at Thanksgiving, avoiding the stress of too much travel will allow me to enjoy the time I do have with them that much more. Plus, I had a wonderful first Thanksgiving in Virginia!

In addition to trying to do too many things in too short a time, a large source of stress around the holidays comes from our expectations (even if only subconsciously) that everything should be perfect – our family will gather in peace and love, everyone’s wishes will come true and everyone will sing in perfect harmony. However, this Norman Rockwell ideal is generally not in line with the reality of the holidays. Often we become stressed striving for perfection that is neither attainable, nor even necessarily desirable.

It is important to be alert to signs that you are under too much stress such as irritability, anxiety, inability to concentrate, forgetfulness, headaches, neck and back pain, or stomachaches. If you are experiencing these symptoms, it is probably time to take a breather, delegate, or drop the things that aren’t really necessary. Simplify.

There is an organization devoted to promoting the idea of simplifying our lives by de-emphasizing the material. The mission of New American Dream is to offer resources that make it easier to live consciously and buy wisely. Last year I attended an alternative gift fair that they sponsored, in which several local non-profit organizations were selling donation gift cards, which make great gifts for the people on your list who “have everything.” There is a Holiday Survival Kit that you can download from their website that includes a booklet on ways to make your holidays more simple and more enjoyable. It also features Gift of Time vouchers to print out and give to people instead of physical gifts, tips for a less stressful holiday season, and much more.

Here are some ideas on how to reduce your holiday stress:

1) Don’t demand perfection. Instead, focus on what is most important to you, and be realistic about what you can accomplish given your time and budget. Remember, the holidays are supposed to be joyful!

2) Set boundaries around how you are willing to allocate your time. If you feel overextended, realize that you don’t have to please everyone. It’s okay to spread out your visits, or have shorter ones.

3) Many experts recommend humor as one of the keys to surviving the holidays with family. On a physical level, it lowers blood pressure, releases endorphins, and diffuses tension. And from a mental perspective, it helps you to keep things in perspective – if you can laugh off your quirks and your family’s idiosyncrasies, potentially annoying situations will go more smoothly for you and those around you.

4) Take time for yourself. Make time for fun and relaxation: take a walk, play a game, read, meditate. It’s also important not to let exercise fall by the wayside. Exercise helps to reduce stress, improve sleep, and increase your energy and stamina by increasing levels of mood-enhancing, energy-promoting neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.

Happy Holidays!

Monday November 23, 2009   By Kevin Morrow

What a day I had yesterday. I played in an all day tournament at the University of California Irvine, I had a lot of fun. There was a lot of action during the day, from the interesting mellow drama of my transportation, to the mini series of events during the games. Throughout it all I learned a lot of new things about myself and about reality.

I began the day on a journey from Corona to San Bernardino then back to Irvine. I really didn’t know where the ARC (Anteater Recreation Center) was but I had a general idea of where the school was from memory. As I left to Irvine from San Bernardino I ended up in a construction area that had the freeway narrowed down to one lane. Normally I would be worried and panicking, because I was supposed to be at the gym at 9Am, and let’s just say…”I wasn’t going to make it there by 9Am.”

So instead of worrying, I kicked back, put on some music that reminded me of happiness, and I went with the flow. After I made it through the traffic it was straight coasting all the way through. Time flies when you are having, fun, or maybe it doesn’t exist. I eventually arrived at the campus of UCI and I had no idea where to go.

This was yet another example of how worrying would get me  nowhere. The cool thing was I just felt my way to the center. I had no directions and I had never been there before. I was tempted to ask these two ladies where it was but something told me to go with my gut. As a backup plan I would ask someone, because there was no shortage of people walking around, but I decided to go with my instincts.

Somehow by listening to my inner compass I found the ARC without a problem. Which was a huge relief, instantly I began to realize that maybe I know things that I don’t think I know. All of this goes well with previous things I have blogged about. But anyway, back to the subject.

The tournament ends and I have to go back to San bernardino, which is about an hour or more from where I was. It was dark outside and I found myself lost. Not really lost, but confused I guess you could say. I didn’t feel a knowing for where I was. Plus I didn’t know the street names. All I knew was I needed to get back to the 73 freeway.

So I head out in a direction and I feel like I am headed the wrong direction on a street named Culver, but I second guess myself and keep going. I decided to stop at a gas station and admit to myself that I didn’t know where I was. I go inside of the gas station in an attempt to ask directions.

I’m literally waiting in line for ten minutes behind this guy who is having a full on conversation with the clerk. I was tempted for a second to get angry, but then I calmed myself. I thought to myself, “What’s the point in being upset, I’m here this is happening right now so just chill and relax. Stop worrying there is nothing you can do to change it, so change your attitude. Enjoy this moment, maybe you will learn something. Besides your anger is in your imagination anyway.”

As soon as I finish that dialogue in my head, another clerk comes out from the back and asks to help me. I slide myself over to him and explain that I somehow got turned around and I’m looking for the 73 freeway. The clerk looks at me and has no answer, he looks at the other clerk, who also has no answer. Before I can even think, the same guy who was in front of me starts politely explaining to me where the 73 freeway was. All I had to do was turn around on Culver and keep going until I ran into it.

I thanked the gentleman three times and left him with a “Have a great night!” This was really cool to me, because I realized that without worrying everything worked itself out. But wait, there is more, this is were the story gets even better. I go all the way down Culver for what seemed like forever and I get to the 73 freeway.

Now before when I came up the 73 I didn’t have to pay a toll, and so I wasn’t event thinking about having to pay a toll. It was the last thing to cross my mind. I’m not paying attention to signs, I just hop on the onramp because I’m already late as it is getting back to San Bernardino. Then I start seeing these lights and a sign that says toll. I’m like “uh oh,” because I have no money on me. All I have is my debit card which is in the negative at the moment.

Naturally I start getting worried because there is this big sign that says $500 fine for people who go through the toll without paying. So for a brief 30 seconds I get worried. I mean how do I turn around on an onramp? So I start to calm down and I decide that I should just back up slowly with my hazards on because at this point I’m the only person on the road. I actually found 20 cents in the car but the toll was $1. So I’m calmed down and start telling myself not to worry because there is always a solution.

Then I see the headlights of a car, they pull up right behind me. Im sitting there, I look back in the rear view, they look at me, I look at them, they look at me, I look at them…I thought to myself that I was in a good situation because the young lady behind me was a pretty one and I could feel that she had a genuine care for others. All materialistic things aside however I thought to myself it would be awkward if I got out the car and asked for her help.

“So I looked back and said “Would you mind if I backed up and turned around?”

She said  “No I can back up, do you need me to?”

I was like “Yeah I’m a little lost and I wasn’t aware that this was a toll, I don’t have any cash on me.”

This young lady says not to “worry” about it she has a dollar in change to spare me.

I was like wow.

All I could say was Thank you several times, and I wished her a great night.

Out of all the people to run into at that time when there was nobody else on the road.She even told me she only hops on this part of the freeway to go down a couple exits.

And that my friends is how NOT worrying saved me from a $500 Fine.

For years California has courted a reputation as an eco-friendly, green-minded leader, but the state now finds its most basic program of recycling beverage bottles and cans mired in debt and litigation.

Dozens of supermarket recycling sites have shut down recently as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state legislators spar over how to close a massive gap in the program’s budget.   California’s 23-year-old recycling program, managed by the Department of Conservation through fees charged to beverage buyers, has been hurt this year by recession, rising redemption rates and raids of its coffers to help ease the state’s budget woes.

Schwarzenegger and the Democratic-controlled Legislature concede that the program, which collected more than 16 billion beverage containers last year, is in fiscal distress – but each has rejected the other’s solution.  “This is an important program for California and we are currently looking at ways to improve funding in this down economy,” said Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Rachel Arrezola.

Mark Murray of Californians Against Waste, a nonprofit advocacy group, said consumers are going to find it increasingly difficult to recycle their beverage containers.  “The net result is likely to be a drop in the recycling rate,” he said.  Shoppers remain entitled to their nickel or dime deposits for returning glass, plastic or aluminum beverage containers, but many consumers could be forced to drive farther, wait longer or comply with shorter center operating hours.

The number of supermarket parking-lot recyclers has grown gradually in recent years to about 2,100. But two of the largest operators, Tomra Pacific and NexCycle, announced the shutdown of about 90 centers recently, laying off more than 100 workers.  Tomra, which projects losses of $9 million this year, has joined with two other firms to sue the state, seeking to “stop the dismantling” of the program. Exacerbating problems, the scrap value of aluminum cans has plummeted in the past year, and the market for other containers has struggled.

“If consumers can no longer find convenient outlets for recycling used bottles and cans, they are more likely to go back to their old ways of discarding them in landfills – or worse, on streets, beaches and other property,” the lawsuit said.  “This will essentially end the Recycling Program as we have known it,” the suit said.

By law, supermarkets not served by parking-lot recyclers are supposed to either pay the state $100 a day – only one store is doing so – or redeem the containers themselves, but many do not.  In a telephone check of 15 such supermarkets Friday, only six accept empty cans and bottles. 

Many supermarkets are not prepared to pick up the slack from closures of parking-lot recyclers because of the time it would take to count bags of containers and the health and safety implications of doing so where food is sold, said Dave Heylen of the California Grocers Association.

“It’s something that would be quite a hardship,” he said.

Department of Conservation officials declined to discuss Tomra’s lawsuit or allegations of harm. But state officials clearly are not trying to kill the program because both Schwarzenegger and the Democratic-controlled Legislature have tried to intervene, thus far unsuccessfully.

In May, state finance officials projected a $162 million deficit for the program by July 2010, which sparked across-the-board cuts that affected subsidies paid to collection centers but not to consumers who redeem beverages.

Schwarzenegger’s relief proposal focused on targeted cuts and on compressing subsidiary efforts, such as for public education and recycling incentives, into a new program of competitive grants.

The Legislature rejected Schwarzenegger’s plan during budget talks and crafted its own proposal, Senate Bill 402, which would have relied on expansion rather than contraction to bolster the program.

In vetoing SB 402, Schwarzenegger said that consumers would have been hurt by provisions to double the fee on 20-ounce sodas, from 5 to 10 cents, and to expand the kinds of beverages and types of containers accepted.

“I recognize that without this bill there is an immediate hardship,” his veto message said, but “the lasting effects of this bill are far worse.”

As a stopgap, Schwarzenegger said he would order emergency regulations to require beverage distributors to submit payments to the state every two months, not three, which is expected to generate a one-time infusion of about $100 million.

California’s recycling program partly has been a victim of its own success, because each redeemed container takes a nickel or dime from funds for subsidies, outreach or operational funds.

Redemption rates have risen from 67 percent in 2007 to 74 percent in 2008, and to 85 percent for the first six months of 2009.

Meanwhile, beverage sales from January to June were 325 million containers less – about 3 percent – than for the same time span in 2008.

Bottom line? Projected revenue has dropped by about $74 million the past year, from $1.15 billion to a projected $1.086 billion.

But Chuck Riegle of Tomra said the most painful blow was self-inflicted by the state: Politicians have raided recycling coffers, through loans, to help balance the state budget.

Tomra’s suit seeks to force repayment of about $415 million that otherwise would have been used for recycling.

Four times this decade, the state has borrowed beverage funds, most recently during the current fiscal year when more than $99 million was diverted to the state’s general fund.

The deadline for paying back $286 million borrowed in 2002 and 2003 initially was June 2009, but it was extended three years ago to 2013. Only $30 million has been repaid, records show.

In borrowing fee revenue, the state requires that no harm be done to the affected program, yet more than half of this year’s projected $162 million deficit consisted of the $99 million loan to bolster the state’s general fund.

Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association said the multiple raids on recycling funds, the lack of timely repayment and the harm caused to collection centers raise questions about whether fees were spent illegally.

“It changes what otherwise might be characterized as a legitimate fee into a tax of questionable legality,” Coupal said.

State finance spokesman H.D. Palmer disagreed, saying that the program was projected to have an $81 million balance when legislation was signed in February to borrow for the next fiscal year. Changing market conditions made the deficit evident months later, in a May budget revision, Palmer said.

“This is just one example of the dramatic fluctuations we’ve seen in the state’s fiscal picture as a result of the recession,” he said.

Schwarzenegger’s veto message for SB 402 said he supports repaying past loans and banning any future loans from recycling coffers to the state’s general fund.

Sources: Fresno Bee and WIH Resource Group

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Feel free to visit our websites for additional information on our services at: http://www.wihrg.com and http://www.wastesavings.net and our daily blog at http://wihresourcegroup.wordpress.com WIH Resource Group on Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=1150967&trk=anet_ug_hm

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sasadsf

Congratulations. The spend-thrift lobbies for the fossil fuel industries and the cacophonous dissenters to the Global Warming evidence have won: it is now virtually impossible to limit global temperature rise to 2C. The challenge now is to keep the warming between 3C and 4C.

Funny how this works in the US. Those with the most money and loudest voices always beat out reason.

Iraq and Afghanistan are examples of the might of the Military Industrial Complex and conservative jingoistic bravado. Urgently need health reform that would greatly benefit the US community has been demonized even from the pulpit for its perceived evils and what reform the US will get will be pitifully paltry at best. And now this: the country that is the single worst polluter refuses to take a leadership role in trying to reverse the man-made global catastrophe.

“Those that have opposed a deal on climate, which would include elements of the fossil fuel industry, have clearly made making a 2C target much, much harder, if not impossible. They’ve clearly put the world at risk of far more adverse effects of climate change.” Professor Bob Watson, chief scientist at the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs, and key adviser to the British government said in an interview with the Guardian.

The decision of former US president George W Bush to walk away from the Kyoto protocol, the existing global treaty on carbon emissions, sent a message to other countries not to act, he said. “The last decade was a lost opportunity. Elements within the fossil fuel industry clearly had major implications for the Bush administration.”

He added: “I think they’ve clearly been partly to blame, without any question at all. But you have to say it is not just the fossil lobby. Within the US, there is not strong support for the Kyoto protocol in both parties. Even Obama now will have to persuade a still somewhat sceptical Senate that we should be doing this.”

The Copenhagen talks are not expected to deliver a legally binding treaty as originally hoped, but could still make progress on issues such as emissions cuts for rich countries and financial assistance for the developing world. A strong agreement rests on how far Obama is willing to push towards strong carbon cuts in the US.

European officials fear the agreement could eventually do no better than return emissions in 2020 to 1990 levels; scientists say they must fall by 25-40% to have a good chance of staying within the 2C limit.

US President Obama has indeed been ‘dithering’ but it has been on dealing with Global Warming, not on escaling yet another senseless war.

And Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper? He isn’t even bothering to dither. While he digs up Alberta, he is waiting to follow a US lead that isn’t coming.

Environmentalists have decried the long supply chains of the globalized world, asserting that they are responsible for significant excess pollution and waste when products could be produced locally instead. With the recession and rising unemployment, support for buying domestic also takes on a political slant, as cries for protecting local jobs mount. But when it comes to the environment and emissions, which is really worse? Is the simple assumption that buying local is always better correct?

Cost of Shipping by Land, Air, and Sea [1]

Shipping goods by plane is obviously most expensive, but it’s the difference between shipping by truck, rail, and ship that stand out. Shipping a ton of freight by truck is 35 times more expensive than shipping it over water. While railroads are much more efficient than trucks, shipping by rail is still three times as expensive as barge shipping. Goods from China travel roughly 7000 miles on ship to reach California, but that distance can be covered at the same cost as only 200 miles by truck! Since most store-bound products in the US travel via truck, it’s clear that the ocean voyage is a smaller part of globalization’s environmental impact than is commonly suspected.

In calculating the environmental footprint of wine, National Geographic and LiveScience have both noted a study on the same phenomenon: a New Yorker causes less environmental impact by drinking a bottle of wine from Bordeaux than by drinking a bottle of California wine!

These calculations don’t take into account the environmental impact of production, which varies by product and country of origin. A worker in the US uses far more energy (and creates more pollution) than a worker in China, simply because his standard of living is higher. Even if a US factory is run more efficiently, a US worker owns more cars, a larger home, and drives longer distances to work than a Chinese worker who lives in a dormitory at her factory. While an exact calculation of emissions by product is laborious, it’s easy to see that the cut-and-dry notion that local goods are more environmentally friendly is questionable at best.

[1] Data for the table were source from the  US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Since shipping cost data were not available for all transportation modes after 2001, 2001 data were used. The emissions data comes from Dr. Vino’s wine study, which in turn sourced these figures primarily from the Greenhouse Gas Protocol.

1. Eat At Least ONE Green Salad Each Day

North Americans are only consuming on average 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables per day! When you consider that the recommendation is for 5-10 servings per day and that most of our produce is nowhere near as mineral-rich as it was just 50 years ago, consuming greater amounts of vegetables and fruit has never been as necessary as now for nourishing your body with vital nutrients, alkalinity, and the life-prolonging food enzymes that it needs.

2. Drink At Least ONE Fresh-Pressed Juice or Green Smoothie Each Day

We live in busy lives. No one has time for anything anymore – not even healthy eating. Therefore, one of the greatest ways of supplying tremendous amounts of vitamins, minerals, food enzymes, and alkalinity to your body is through juices and smoothies. And remember, the greener the better!

It might be tough for some people to physically eat 5-10 fruits or vegetables during a day but with just 1 juice or smoothie you can easily meet that quota!

3. Eat 80% Whole Living Foods (raw)

Ever wonder why animals in their natural habitats do not suffer from the diseases that plague mankind? Isn’t also interesting that humans are the only species on earth that apparently “needs” to cook their food! There is no greater gift you can give your body then eating foods in their natural state – that is living or raw.

Cooking foods dramatically reduces their vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient content and destroys their vital food enzymes that are so beneficial to our health. Simply incorporating more raw fruits and vegetables into your diet can make a profound difference in how you look and feel…and in no time at all!

4. Eat Every 2-3 Hours (but only if you’re hungry)

It’s a fact – most people eat too much food! It’s no wonder that more than 60% of the North American population is overweight. One of the reasons for this is eating copious amounts of “empty foods”. These are foods that have no nutritional value. Eating empty foods only prompts you to eat more food since your body is not receiving the nutrients it requires.

By eating smaller “nutrient-dense” foods more frequently throughout the day you will avoid cravings caused by blood sugar irregularities and you will also tend to eat less since your body will now be receiving all the nutrients it needs.

5. Eat Meat No More Than 2 Times Per Week

Let’s face it – meat is detrimental to your body. You can turn a blind eye if you want but the truth is that meat is acid-forming and causes inflammation in the body. Both of these conditions are common to every single disease known to mankind!

Oh, and don’t forget about the hormones, antibiotics, and inhumane conditions in which animals (for human consumption) are raised or the higher levels of cholesterol and saturated fats found in heavier meats.

Meat (especially red meat) also deprives your body of energy because it requires a tremendous amount of digestive energy and water to be broken down and assimilated into your body.

Yuri Elkaim is a Certified Kinesiologist, Registered Holistic Nutritionist, former Professional Soccer Player, the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the University of Toronto men’s soccer program, and regarded by many as Canada’s leading Fitness expert.

For more information on Yuri’s Eating for Energy ebook, please visit at www.eatingforenergy.ca

AP: Schumer – Dems ready to go-it-alone on health care

Reuters: Dimon seen as successor to Geithner – report

Reuters: State, local budget cuts a “time bomb” for U.S. jobs

Politico: Admin postpones Shell decision

Reuters: Pelosi calls Afghan Karzai “unworthy partner”

Reuters: Senate confirms long-stalled Obama judicial pick

Washington Post: Senate ethics committee admonishes Burris

Huffington Post: White House Rebuke – Angry Dems Shut Down Vote

Clarion-Ledger: Universities fear effects of merger talk

Huffington Post: NY Legislature Goes Home Without Budget Deal

Have you noticed that wild animals don’t suffer from obesity? It’s just something that doesn’t “naturally” occur in nature.

So why is that 2/3 of westerners have big time weight loss issues?

Well, what if I told you that the simple act of cooking our foods is making us fat and unhealthy! That’s right…cooking. Have you ever seen an animal cooking their food? Of course not…because it doesn’t happen.

For whatever reason, we are the only species on planet earth that feels it necessary to cook our food. The reason that cooking food makes us fat and unhealthy is that heating a food above 118 F destroys its precious enzymes.

Enzymes and Weight Loss

Enzymes are required for every single reaction in the body. For instance, the breakdown of fat requires enzymes such as lipase. If lipase (and other fat burning enzymes) is not present then you cannot readily use your fat reserves for energy. As a result, more fat is stored and you pack on the pounds.

Eating foods (especially fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds) in their living or raw state ensures that all of their respective enzymes are in tact. The result – less energy needed to breakdown your meals, more enzymes to breakdown fat and rev up your metabolism, and greater energy and vitality.

Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more overweight and obese domesticated pets. What do you think the reason might be? If you said because we’re feeding them cooked, processed, and mechanized food, then you’re right!

I mean where on earth do you see an overweight dog or cat in the wild? You don’t – until humans domesticate it!

Here are two ways to get more enzymes into your diet for better fat loss results:

1. Eat more raw fruits and vegetables

2. If eating cooked foods, then use digestive enzymes before your meal to alleviate the stress on your digestive system and provide some much needed fat-burning catalysts.

At the end of the day, dieting will not help you lose weight unless you can provide your body with life-giving and fat-burning food enzymes. The key is to eat more of what nature intended for you to eat – a natural raw foods diet! When you do so you’ll see the fat melt off your body!

Last night was clear with minimal clouds.  The moon was framed in the branches of our gigantic walnut tree and there were a few bright stars out as well.  You can see one to the left in the photo.  By the time I decided to play with the camera, a ring showed up around the moon and the air started to feel damp.  I like noticing these things.  I like feeling connected to my surroundings.  The weather got quite warm and the sun was out yesterday in the late afternoon.  I hopped in our hammock swing, kicked my shoes off and let my bare feet touch the cool earth.

I had a quiet day, doesn’t happen very often.  Both of the kids were gone and Frank was out in the woods.  There were several things I needed to catch up on around here.  But instead, I found myself distracted.  Luckily, that passed quickly and I was able to get back on task.

This evening, someone I know is offering yet another Restorative Yoga class.  I’m going.  I need it as prep for the holiday.

Risk-taking, trust and serendipity are key ingredients of joy.  Without risk, nothing new ever happens.  Without trust, fear creeps in.  Without serendipity, there are no surprises. -Rita Golden-Gelman, Tales of a Female Nomad

As I disengage and stumble away, I do my best to ignore the sweaters, tank tops, tights, winter and summer clothes spanning decades from vintage to modern as they blur into a pool of colour, texture and size ranges that all fit me beautifully once upon a time.  Yes, I’m actually tripping over piles of stuff, to go feed my face! 

So my question for you today is….Did you step up and actually tackle one tiny space?   OR did you read the lovingly written instructions for de-cluttering  and once again step over, look beyond or promise to get working on this project LATER?

Procrastination is the topic of the day.   Procrastination has been the biggest block in my life beyond not having the massive funds required to quit work and travel seeking adventure and romance in exotic places.  

I don`t know about you, but I always seem to get hungry when I get clutter challenged.  When I get hungry I seem to lose focus and wander away from the project at hand to take a much needed break for just a few minutes.   My few minutes stretch out and before you know it….I need a rest to recharge before I go back to the larger mess I have just created. 

After all this is my free time and why shouldn`t I enjoy it a little?    Yes, the sun is shining on this late November afternoon,  I should be outside enjoying the last of the best Fall weather, after all I do have the whole dark and gloomy winter to take care of this chore.   Right?

Then, when I finally settle down to reclaim a little space in my closet, I find that book I`ve been meaning to read.  As I leaf through it, everything around me begins to dissolve as I leave this reality for a science fiction fantasy full of magic, astral planes that call to me and romantic heroes.  The sun is setting and I’m getting hungry again. 

Well there is always next weekend, no wait I have that Seminar next weekend…Oh well, it has waited this long, I guess it can wait a little longer to make order in my closet. 

Procrastination is just another gremlin sitting on your shoulder holding you back from greatness. 

As you tackle one small piece of your Universe, reclaiming it for your own sense of balance and groundedness, remember to be kind to yourself by celebrating your wins, small as they are and going on to tackle other small projects one challenge at a time.   When you Journal about today’s adventure watch for unexpected clarity about the gremlin of procrastination and of course your magnificent win. 

Tomorrow, or maybe later today I might make another blog entry on other kinds of less messy de-cluttering.  Watch for it.   Blog with you later.  

Sue Rumack

A recent article on the wire “Debt may swamp the federal Treasury” I’ve retitled here as will swamp because there is no may about it.  Let’s look at some key points from the article:

With the national debt now above $12 trillion, the White House estimates that the government’s tab for servicing the debt will top $700 billion a year in 2019, up from $202 billion this year [emphasis by GardenSERF], even if annual budget deficits shrink dramatically. Other forecasters say the figure could be much higher.

In concrete terms, an additional $500 billion a year in interest expense would total more than the combined federal budgets this year for education, energy, homeland security and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The potential for rapidly escalating interest payouts is just one of the wrenching challenges facing the United States after decades of living beyond its means.
….
Americans now have to climb out of two deep holes: as debt-loaded consumers, whose personal wealth sank along with housing and stock prices; and as taxpayers, whose government debt has almost doubled in the last two years alone, just as costs tied to benefits for retiring baby boomers are set to explode.

That’s just one suction cup on the massive financial tentacle now wrapped around the USA and locked in a conscious economic attack on this country.  Other tightly fastened cups on this single tentacle include the trade deficit, overseas outsourcing, manipulated exchange rates, tax breaks (and removal of tariffs) which both encouraged and allowed domestic manufacturing to be moved out of the USA, etc, etc.

A similar method of attack used on the consumers (once known as citizens) of this country was also used on its government.  However, the financial/economic attack is only one tentacle in a multi-prong attacked which will be used against this country over the next two decades.  However, many Americans will be unable to see this ongoing long term attack due to their daily conditioning by Hollywood/Mainstream Media with the usual short-term emphasis on the “here and now” and instant gratification.  When you think of the frog in the warm water being brought to the slow boil on the stove, imagine a master chef paying close attention to the amount of heat being applied under the pan.  This is the level of sophistication and planning being used against the USA.

Other methods of attack on the people and this country as a whole in the future will be more physically direct.  They will come years apart at first.  Waiting for the smoke to clear will take months at a time in the early stage we’re now in, but even this will be enough for many Americans to forget and be unable to connect the dots.  However, the later attacks on this country will be in relatively more rapid succession and from many directions all at once –similar to an octopus wrapping many tentacles around its prey.

This could take the form of multiple and coordinated acts of terrorism involving WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction, but I would emphasize the biological form of attack as most damaging to the population), symbolic or actual decapitation strikes (persons as well as the means of mass command, control and communication), followed by the loss of our access to imported oil.  Famine is a given in this scenario due to our reliance on fossil fuels in our national model of mass agriculture when combined with our already current loss of local food production of many key staples.

Nothing I have posted here is new.  In fact, this model of attack has been used time and time again throughout human history.  It has been used by both foreign invader and domestic tyrant alike –with the two often working together hand in hand behind the scenes and out of view of the common people.

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