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The Footprint--Determinism

bwinwnbwi — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:02:56 +0000

Yes, God has a physical footprint and it’s grounded in the Logos of existence as it is described in the “the new model of the observer/observed relationship.” Accordingly, we live in a universe that, on one level, is deterministic, while, on another level, is less deterministic. However, the entire universe is comprehensible by people who can comprehend—you, me, and the scientist. Also, according to this Logos, death is not “the end;” rather, death is like the off ramp of one highway merging on to another highway—all energy far from equilibrium, eventually, must take this “off ramp.” However, information generated on the highway of life moves full speed ahead (by reproduction and natural selection, on the one hand, and by culture—language, books, libraries, etc., on the other hand). And, finally, we live in a universe where comprehensibility begins and ends in duality. Initially, this duality begins with the wave/particle duality of conjugate variables, and later, this duality is defined by human intelligence embedded in the physical events. The boundaries that shape God’s footprint then are defined by the duality that constitutes the comprehensibility of the universe, e.g., ~~b (wave/particle duality), ~bb (accommodation/assimilation of living creatures duality), and, b~b~bb (the duality of physical event/human intelligence).

One of my favorite scenes in the movie Godzilla was when Matthew Broderick found himself in a huge hole searching for Godzilla’s footprint. The craterlike hole and the footprint were one, but Godzilla’s footprint was off the scale of any footprint Matthew had ever encountered so it remained hidden from him until a military officer pointed out that he was standing in the middle it. In a like manner, we are standing in the middle of God’s footprint, the breath of which begins in the quasi-material world described by quantum physics, extends up into Einstein’s space-time continuum and is as deep as what is humanly possible to imagine. Since we know the parameters of the footprint, we can extrapolate a shape that is much more manageable. The footprint is shaped like a piece of pie! The space-time continuum exists in the mind’s eye of the physicist, but the rest of us know this continuum only through its effect on (some) physical events, so let the physical event represent one end of the piecrust and at the other end of the crust sits the observer. Both the physical event edge of the pie and the observer edge of the pie comes together at the narrow slivered end of the pie piece. Let the slivered part of the pie represent the quasi-material world of quantum phenomena.

The physical event, or that which we see, smell, taste, touch, and hear, occurs along the physical event edge of the pie piece while the comprehensibility aspect of the universe occurs along the pie piece’s observer’s edge. In other words, the physical event side represents what I (and Northrop) call the aesthetic continuum while the observer’s edge of the pie— or that which, in one form or another, senses an environment, — represents “liberation from the aesthetic continuum.” As always, from the human observer’s point of view, the aesthetic continuum is subject to an analytical account, or the hypothetical deductive method which postulates the public side of the continuum, and of course, there is the more personal, relative, experiential aspect of that continuum, one’s own individual, relative experience of it. The public side of the continuum, though, thanks to the advances of Relativity and quantum physics has changed the meaning and significance of the physical event, and that change woke me from my drunken slumber (my drunken slumber comment is a very loose paraphrase of Kant’s comment on Hume’s critique of Locke’s theory of knowledge). Of course, the implications of Relativity theory and quantum mechanics are still being debated (after ninety years and counting) and I, like so many more, am eagerly waiting to see how it turns out. Fortunately, I’m not holding my breath,—which brings me to a brief description of my upcoming posts.

While trying to comprehend the meaning of the “new physics” awhile back, I wrote some dialogue. The dialogue below deals mostly with Relativity theory. Next week’s post wanders in and out of Relativity theory and quantum mechanics. After that, well, I’m only sure of a post on the observer, or the connecting link that shapes God’s footprint. After that maybe a post on temporality etc. etc., time will tell.

Our old Professor friends, — the philosopher, Noel, the physicist, Tony, and the English Professor, Stan, — have been discussing this situation (the significance of the physical event), so perhaps they can make this idea more clear?

“Maybe Noel,” interrupted Tony, “you’re referring to a different Einstein. The one that I thought we were talking about is the one who eliminated the confusion concerning space and time. We have known for a long time that people in other cultures experience space and time differently. But that’s the beauty of Einstein’s work; now we can all agree that space-time intervals are the same for everybody, even for space aliens traveling at close to the speed of light. We now know that the length of a space-time interval between any two events is the same for everybody.”
“Okay, Tony, if you want to jump into the thick of it, than lets do it,” replied Noel. “The space-time interval, what’s it based on?”
“The speed of light, or rather the constancy of the velocity of light,” Tony responded. “You and I share the same space-time, but my space and your space, and my time and your time, are the same only when we are at rest relative to each other. We live in our own private worlds of space and time, but in the new public domain of space-time, space and time are the same for everybody. In fact, the intrinsic structure of space-time accounts for the constancy of the velocity of light for all observers.”

“Do you know why?” said Noel.
“Sure,” responded Tony, “it has to do with the implications of relativity theory. In the mathematics of space-time, Minkowski, Einstein’s mathematics professor, showed that even though the Pythagorean theorem does not work in space-time, something like the Pythagorean theorem is still at work. In Euclid’s geometry the square of the hypotenuse of a right triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of its two sides. In the geometry of space-time, the distance between two events, like in the Pythagorean theorem, is equal to the time interval squared minus the space interval squared, however, that minus is the reverse of what takes place in the geometry of Euclid. Subtracting, instead of adding the two intervals, produces four-dimensional space-time. In space-time the distance between two events connected by a light ray becomes zero. Light rays coming at us from outer space take time to reach us, but in space-time no distance is traveled. That’s one of the incredible results that follow from Einstein’s theory. And that is also why the speed of light is constant for all observers. In space-time light is just there, everywhere.”

“I’m just a little confused,” said Noel, “If light doesn’t go anywhere, how can we know that the length of a space-time interval between any two events is the same for everybody?”
“Because of the constancy of light’s velocity,” Tony replied.
“So what you’re saying is that time doesn’t change, just space?” said Noel. “Is that the answer? Don’t answer that. There’s ‘no’ time to answer, right? Anyway, Einstein’s field equations dictate the space of space-time, and, as you have all ready pointed out Tony, we can agree upon the measured value of space-time. Is that about right?”
“Well, a stab in time will get you nine,” Tony muttered. “You know damn well what I’m talking about Noel. It’s just that you don’t like it. You won’t accept that in the cosmic scheme of things, you and I, and everybody else, are just world lines. That past, present, and future may, or may not, possess meaning scares the hell out of you. You hate the idea that your private frame of reference might be limited and meaningful only to you. Einstein’s universe attacks your sense of freedom, your dignity. Well I’ve got news for you. Nobody was more concerned about dignity than the old man. He didn’t bemoan the fact that he wasn’t God. It was enough for him to peer into the heart of nature, or the mind of God if you prefer to call it that, and understand what was really going on. It was enough for him to know that all human beings had this gift, but how it was used was a person’s own business. Denying it, however, was not dignified. It was just plain stupid; and anyway, what about the effects, the predictable consequences of Einstein’s theory? If they don’t occur in reality then where do they occur?”

“Right where they are predicted to occur,” Noel replied, “in the surrounding manifold of our sensual experience. Nature, or the name that we give to that manifold, takes in everything we can see, hear, feel, taste, smell, and explain. Space, as an ontological entity, in the theory of general relativity, doesn’t exist. The being of space has been replaced with purely methodological considerations. What space ‘is,’ or whether any definite character can be attributed to it, is no longer a concern. Rather, we must be concerned with the geometrical presuppositions, the ‘ideal meanings’ that get used in the interpretation of the phenomena that we ascribe to nature according to law.”
“I’m getting tired of this,” said Tony. “Science gets done and benefits follow, which, really, is all we have to worry about, right Stan? How come you’re so quiet, anyway? That’s not like you. Are you sick or something?”
“I’m fine. You know me, quiet as a mouse, but sharp as a tack,” said Stan. There’s a time for talking and time for listening. I’ve been enjoying the latter. Let me try to simplify this conversation, eh fellows; that is, after I throw another log on the fire.”
“Always the educator, eh Stan,” said Tony, “but that’s why we love ya.”

“Take nature for instance,” responded Stan, “for you Tony, its independent of the observer. It’s a bit complicated, but knowable, and it exists before one begins to experiment on it. That’s not the case for Noel. For him, nature does not exist independent from the observer. In fact, questions asked concerning nature, for Noel at least, actually brings nature into existence. And, he looks to quantum mechanics to substantiate that claim. On that level, the physical world seems to emerge from observations made on it. Any argument there fellows?”

“You’ve got the stage,” replied Noel, “go for it.”
“Now for the hard part,” said Stan, “On the one hand we have Einstein’s theory of general relativity, and on the other hand we have quantum theory. Both theories are proven successes, but when taken together they are out of joint. The equations that describe the gravitational field are completely different from the one’s that describe subatomic interactions. Moreover, space and time are intimately related in relativity theory. They are dependent on the state of motion of the observer. In quantum theory space and time are not tied to existence at all. As far as a person’s limited reason is concerned, there is no quantum world, just an abstract quantum physical description. Given this confusing state of affairs, it would be doctrinaire and dogmatic to say that one theory is better than the other, or that one is talking sense and the other is lacking in it. Right fellows?”
“Who’s patronizing now,” said Tony.
“Guilty as charged,” responded Stan, “I guess nobody’s perfect. For you Tony, the mind’s ability to discover reality’s true nature is a religious belief, just like it was for Einstein. If Einstein had a religious belief, it was that the world is comprehensible and objective.”
“I’d probably go to church, if I could sit next to Einstein,” Tony replied.

“As I was saying,” said Stan, “under the rule of cause and effect everything has its place and time, but that is not what works for you Noel. Knowledge, for Noel, constitutes what we take to be the physical world, and new knowledge may substantially alter that world. In other words, over time, both knowledge and the perceived field that we find ourselves in changes. Both Cassirer and Kant agreed on this. The function of the mind’s capacity to connect meaning to sensual contents goes beyond sensual contents and establishes an order among the connections between them. The necessary elements of every assertion—being and non-being, similarity and dissimilarity, unity and plurality, identity and opposition—cannot be represented by any content of perception, but through them ‘ideal meanings’ get created, and when applied to the perceptual field those elements fill our perceptions with meaning. That process, over time, alters both the meaning and the content of our perceptual field. But, what it comes down to in the end is testing the deductive consequences of those ‘ideal meanings’ against the sensual contents in the field of our perceptions. That was the way it worked for Einstein and, in any universe that will not change.”

Based on the above dialogue, for me at least, the physical event seems a little less obvious! But it’s still there; the foundational attribute of our knowledge of the objective world is still there. It’s just that it seems a little more open to interpretation at this point. Anyway, the physical event is only one aspect of God’s footprint. To get a better perspective on the footprint, (and I’m sure Matthew Broderick would agree here), we need to climb out of the hole in order to see the whole pie piece—errrr footprint!

Farmers in carbon footprint test

w7075news — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:02:36 +0000

More than 20 farmers living in deepest rural Wales are taking part in a scheme to cut carbon emissions…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: farm. The blog is also related to: farm.

Whole Earth Economy business tips

moraleconomy — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:28:59 +0000

Over at Geoff’s Eco-blog there’s a great new post on “Whole Earth Economy Business Tips”:

Tip 1: Spread the word about the need to re-think our economy. Business is the front line of the economy, the arena in which the exchanges take place that drive our ways of living. Business and consumer choices have an enormous impact on our society and our environment. It is crucial that members of the business community understand the ultimate, long-term ecological crisis our economy faces – a crisis much more serious than the economic and financial crisis of the past year. The problem is not just climate change. It’s also biodiversity losses, threats to ocean health, a nutrient cycle that is out of balance because of fertilization, deforestation, overpopulation and more. We must come to terms with the reality that the global human ecological footprint is greater than what is available, and that we therefore are running an ecological deficit, using up the Earth faster than it can regenerate itself. This means we have to envision a new kind of economy that recognizes the ecological limits of our finite planet Earth.

Click to read the whole article.

DOWNLOADS - UTILITARIOS

haastecnologia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:05:15 +0000

Alguns Utilitarios de Cardsharing.

Obs: Apenas indico tais programas para serem utilizados

no aprendizado da tecnologia.

Qualquer utilização de forma ilegal

fica por responsabilidade do usuário.

1. CS Gbox:

GboxControl_win32_v1.9j.zip (1,77 MB)

2. Manual CS com Azbox:

MANUAL_SHARING_em_PC__Gb@x.zip (654,4 KB)

3. Sharing Dreambox para Azbox e outros:

Sharing_Dream_FTA_xe_d_sono_v2.pdf (225,7 KB)

4. Manual Azetheca:

Azetheca_manual_do_utilizador.pdf (273,8 KB)

5. Manual cabo RJ-45 Azetheca:

CABO_REDE_MODEM.pdf (389,9 KB)

O que é cardsharing afinal?

haastecnologia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:54:42 +0000

O cardsharing é conhecido por muitos adeptos do mundo satélite como uma solução para se ter acesso a certos tipos de canais. Há alguns poucos anos, o cardsharing começou a ser conhecido e utilizado pelos italianos, ingleses e nórdicos, com o objetivo de compartilhar as flores de alguns sistemas, a exemplo do NDS SKY.

Os sistemas de encriptação como o Conax, que era totalmente impossível de desencriptar devido às suas barreiras de segurança, hoje se consegue extrair suas flores, através de emulação, utilizando sistemas de cardsharing.

Um usuário brasileiro pode trocar um card virtualmente com um inglês, por exemplo, e assim ter acesso ao NDS, ficando o inglês com acesso aos canais compartilhados e podendo, ainda, recompartilhá-los com os seus amigos.

Assim, o cardsharing é cada vez mais conhecido, podendo um só emulador (“cam”) suportar todas os cards e assim, sem necessitar mudar configurações ou emuladores pode acessar inúmeros canais.

Mesmo com as medidas de segurança adotadas pelos provedores, para tentar inibir o uso do cardsharing, seu uso vem crescendo na Europa e em outros países pelo mundo.

Como funciona?

CardSharing consiste na partilha de um ou vários cartões de decodificação através da Internet. Funciona através da conexão de dois ou mais receptores. Num dos receptores é colocado um cartão decodificador de um determinado operador, o primeiro equipamento funciona como receptor/servidor: lê os dados do cartão decodificador e passa-os para outro (ou outros receptores), fazendo com que este funcione como se tivesse também um cartão original. Ou seja, na prática, permite que um só cartão de assinante “abra” o sinal nos outros receptores que estejam permanentemente conectados através da Internet ao receptor/servidor que tem o cartão. Os receptores podem estar conectados na mesma casa ou mesmo em estados ou países diferentes.

Não sabemos até que ponto esta prática é legal ou ilegal. Chamamos a atenção para o fato de a maioria das operadoras fornecer já um segundo e terceiro receptor para o mesmo domicílio, sem assinaturas adicionais.

Entretanto, nem todos os receptores funcionam em cardsharing. Ao contrario, são bem poucos os que conseguem funcionar neste sistema, pois a condição principal é terem ligação à Internet. Os mais conhecidos são os famosos Dreambox que funcionam em Linux. Providos de um firmware especifico, um emulador e com as devidas configurações são capazes de interagir entre si.

Contrariamente ao que muitos possam pensar, não se trata de um sistema em que são partilhadas as imagens ou o sinal de satélite ou cabo, mas apenas os dados de decodificação do cartão.

Para evitar más interpretações salientamos que as marcas dos equipamentos indicados são receptores FTA completamente normais e legais e só funcionam em Cardsharing quando alterado o firmware original.

Telstra aims to reduce Carbon footprint by 10%

thesafariproject — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:29:18 +0000

Telstra chief executive officer David Thodey today announced a target to reduce the company’s carbon emissions intensity by at least 10 per cent by 2015.

The scary part is that in 2008/09 Telstra emitted 1.52 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, or 64 tonnes per million dollars of domestic revenue. Remember, an average Australian household generates around 14 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

Telstra to reduce this to at least 58 tonnes per million dollars of domestic revenue by 2015.

Is this enough? Telstra cycle through their IT and carfleets on a regular basis. An ongoing replace and renewal program should see a greater decrease in their footprint.

Many corporations will plant trees in good faith. Credit to Telstra for their attempts to reuse, reduce and recycle. Let’s see how long it will take for them to start advertising and marketing green products or services.

We are watching!

Telstra’s Environmental Projects

Climate change: UN Chief in Washington to lobby US Congress

gstaadblog — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:05:07 +0000

Source: United Nations

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the United States to take a leading role in forging a new international pact to combat global warming, warning that the consequences of failure outweigh the cost of tackling climate change.

“No country is more important than the United States in resolving this climate change issue,” Mr. Ban told reporters in Washington D.C. yesterday after meeting with congressional leaders ahead of the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen next month.

“All eyes of the world are looking to the United States and to this august body, the US Senate,” he said at the media briefing, flanked by US Senators John Kerry, Richard Lugar and Joe Lieberman.

Highlighting that in less than a month world leaders are slated to gather in Copenhagen, Mr. Ban said they must conclude “a robust, global agreement that can serve as a foundation for a climate treaty.”

In Copenhagen, governments are expected to negotiate a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 pact – part of a larger UN climate change treaty – which has strong, legally binding measures committing 37 industrialized States to cutting emissions by an average of 5 per cent against 1990 levels over the period from 2008 to 2012.

“From what I heard today, there is great support in the Senate for action on climate change,” said Mr. Ban. “But for some, there are lingering doubts about whether we can afford to take action during this hard economic crisis.”

Acknowledging that there is a price to pay in battling climate change, Mr. Ban stressed that the costs are insignificant compared with the cost of not taking action.

“Inaction will mean a weakened economic recovery, a loss of global competitiveness, increased global instability and further human suffering,” said Mr. Ban. “A global agreement on the other hand will unleash investments that will do more than any single other action could do to jumpstart and sustain global economic recovery.”

Mr. Ban voiced appreciation for the US Government, particularly President Barack Obama, in showing their initiative, leadership and commitment in addressing a climate change bill, as well as for Mr. Obama signaling a willingness to participate in Copenhagen.

“Copenhagen offers us all an unprecedented opportunity. We must use our time before that historic gathering for maximum effort,” he said.

Interesting Green Site

Troy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:42:17 +0000

http://Green.Yahoo.com This site has many links to being green and shrinking our footprint.

The place where i hid my pain

eyoki — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:23:38 +0000

I buried it
So they’d never find it.
Tore up all maps,
Erased my footprints,
Laid false trails.
Now I am lost
And cannot find it:
The place where I hid my pain.

Gas or Charcoal BBQ and The Carbon Footprint...

greeningwinnettarea — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:57:36 +0000

Does that thing have a Hemi? (yes actually)

Have you ever thought about which is better for the environment when having a cookout? Gas or Charcoal?

The next time you are getting ready for the backyard football cookout, or any BBQ, take into consideration your carbon footprint and personal health. Here are a few tips:

Go for Gas. Lump charcoal is becoming increasingly available, but often comes from thousands of miles (or even multiple continents) away, which negates some of its carbon benefits(due to the output from transportation); until it’s readily available from local sources, the efficiency of gas wins out.

If you must use Charcoal:

-Avoid charcoal imported from distant places such as Indonesia that is likely to have come from endangered forests. —

-Look for locally sourced charcoal from a supplier that uses wood from sustainably managed forests.

-Don’t use lighter fluids made from gasoline derivatives which can leave harmful deposits on your food, instead try crumpled newspaper or kindling.

So next time your lil North Gwinnett Bulldog wants to grill out before a game, be sure to Think Green In Gwinnett Area GIGA

Week 9 Board Discussions Pt3

sabres21 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:07:13 +0000

Author: Sky Croeser
Date: Sunday, October 25, 2009 9:01:18 PM WST
Subject: Official ‘Introduction – Your Internet Footprint’ Thread

This part of the unit encourages you to think about how the online medium affects our communication with others. It will also encourage you think more deeply about how we present ourselves online, and the ways in which information about us accumulates online.

There are plenty of issues that could come out of the lecture, and the topic more generally. Here are a few to start you off, but don’t feel like you have to answer them all. Answer whichever questions are interesting to you, and feel free to raise other issues and ask other questions:

* How important is ‘netiquette’ in our presentation of self online? Why do you think this?
* What does your own Internet footprint look like at the moment?
* Did you try out the MIT personas installation? Were you surprised by the results? What does this tell you about the efficacy of data-mining?
* Do you think carefully about what identity you want to present
online?
* Do you use an avatar online? If you do, why did you pick that avatar?
* Do you agree that the presentation of identity has become technologised? What effects do you think this is having on us as individuals and as a society (or societies)?
* Are there cues or keys that you consistently look for in dealing with people online. What are they? Why are they important? Why are they important online?
* Do you agree that social media is a fundamental shift in how we communicate?
* How actively do you ‘read’ others’ profiles online? Do you look for clues as to who other Internet users are in their online content?

Netiquette is very important, the number of times you get an email and its all caps, you just know that the person behind the text does not care. It is very impolite not to exercise netiquette and I believe it can tell you about a person just by their type. Just like in real life you are rude, abuse and yell you will not get very far, whereas if you are polite and show respect you will get a lot more out of people.

Currently I do not have much of an Internet footprint; I use Facebook and was using MySpace for wahile before leaving that. I just did a quick Google search and found my Net11 Blog and my Facebook page, that’s about it. On the other hand my company name has 100’s of listings in Google. (what I am after, so thats good)

I did try the MIT personas installation, took quite awhile, I cannot say I was suppressed by the results, it knows me so well with the large percentage in fashion. From this data-mining has a long way to go and I am sure that the algorithm behind the script would require a great deal of tweaking.

I am very careful of what I post online or send in an email. With my use of social networking sites I have to be aware of what I post online, since I run an online business I do not want to get involved in a colliding network.

I have never used an avatar, however, I do use a nickname for MSN and ICQ, strangely after meeting some people after communicating online with instant messaging they still call me by my nickname.

Ka'u Desert's Unearthly Hike to the Eerie Warrior Footprint Casts

lovingthebigisland — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:25:35 +0000

by Donald B. MacGowan

Mauna Loa looms over the Ka'u Desert, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

Whether you visit the Big Island for a few days, a couple weeks or a few months, you want to make the most of your time in Paradise. With such a wide variety of natural and commercial attractions, it is natural for the visitor to get a little overwhelmed in the “Option Overload” and not be able to make a balanced and informed decision on what they want to do and how best to spend their time.

Warrior Footprints of the Ka'u Desert as photo grpahed in 2006, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

Even choosing which beach you want to spend time on, or where you want to hike can be an exercise in confusion and conflicting advice. Clearly, visitors to Hawaii could use help making quality decisions about how best to spend their time.

Frank Burgess hikes the Ka'u Desert Trail: Photo by Donnie MacGowan

Tour Guide Hawaii is excited and proud to announce the release of their new GPS/WiFi enabled App for iPhone and iPod that helps you navigate your trip to Hawaii with hours of informative, location-aware video and information. Although our video guide will lead you to dozens of unusual, untamed and unspoiled spots, let’s look at a hike you might have heard about, but might not be able to find from maps and guidebooks and would otherwise miss if you did not have Tour Guide Hawaii’s new App.

Ka’u Desert Trail/ Warrior Footprints, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

The Ka'u Desert Trail as it winds away from the Parking Strip, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

Just inside the National Park boundary, where the Hawai’i Belt Road enters Hawaii Volcanoes National Park from the West, is a small parking strip that many visitors, in a hurry to visit more well known attractions, might overlook. You should slow down and pay closer attention, because this small parking lot is the gateway to a host of wonders within the Mars-like landscape of the Ka’u Desert section of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The Ka'u Desert Trail is part of a vast system of intersecting trails within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

From about 4200 feet elevation down to sea level, the Ka’u Desert Trail wanders across this high, barren expanse of basalt and sand dunes formed of volcanic ash. Other trails intersect the Ka’u Desert Trail and travel from the Hawaii Belt Road east to Kilauea Crater as well as west to the intersection with the Ka’aha Trail then down the Hilina Pali to the coast. Seldom in a National Park is such unrelentingly inhospitable, but intensely spectacular, land made so accessible by trail.

Unconsolodated ash sifts across the Ka'u Desert, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Donnie MacGowan

There is no water, there is no shade, there is no protection from the elements; the land and climate are as unforgiving as they are alluring. For details about hiking or backpacking in this spectacular, empty portion of the Park, contact the Backcountry Office at the Kilauea Visitors Center (808.985.6000). Do not venture from your car here without carrying water.

Ka'u Desert Footprints are preserved under a small ramada: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

But there is something more about this seeming unearthly spot that inspires people’s imagination and draws them to visit this lonely place. Less than a mile, scarcely a twenty minute walk, from the parking lot are the remains of footprints made by a party of doomed warriors more than 200 years ago.

The lunar-like surface of basalt and ash of the Ka'u Desert, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

Kilauea’s eruptions are generally characterized by the leisurely, almost peaceful outpouring of lava and occasional more than mild earthquakes. However, it is not unknown for Madam Pele to erupt in a blast of fury, spreading ash and tephra for hundreds of miles. As recently as 1790 and again in 1924, such violent, steam-driven eruptions have occurred. These eruptions result from groundwater percolating downward through the earth to near the volcano’s magma chamber. The water becomes super-heated and, surging along existing structural weaknesses, makes new conduits to the surface, finally erupting in a roiling mass of superheated steam, ash, tephra and rocks. This type of eruption, and the ash they produce, are key to the mystery and eeriness of this site.

The same footprint as shown above, but photographed in 2009; note that erosion and vandalism have greatly degraded the integrity of the cast: Photo by Donnie MacGowan

The warrior footprints preserved here under a modern ramada are believed to have been formed in 1790. At this time, Kamehameha the Great was solidifying his military and political hold on the Island of Hawai’i, though not all his foes were vanquished. His cousin Keoua organized an army and, while Kamehameha was occupied elsewhere, he seized parts of Ka’u and Puna districts. Keoua sent an army overland to directly challenge Kamehameha…however, camping overnight at the volcano they were caught by the massive, explosive eruption. Fearing he had angered Pele, he organized his army into three columns for a hasty retreat from the falling ash. The first column seems to have emerged unscathed, but the second column went missing. When these warriors and their families were encountered by the third column, come searching for them, they were found dead on the ground, in close groups still clutching each other, overcome by the toxic volcanic fumes. The footprints seen here along Ka’u Desert Trail are from these doomed warriors and their families, made and preserved preserved in the the shifting ash dunes of the Ka’u Desert landscape. It is said that as many as 400 warriors, women and children died here.

Ka'u Desert Ohia Lehua Blossom: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

The people of Hawai’i Island accepted Pele’s judgment against the interloping Keoua and, although he continued to fight, he never came close to turning the tide of battle against his cousin, Kamehameha. As an ostensible peace offering to his cousin, Kamehameha invited Keoua to the ceremony sanctifying the newly erected Pu’u Kohola Heiau. However, when Keoua’s canoe approached the temple grounds, he was seized and immediately sacrificed to the War God, Kuka’ilimoku, thus becoming the first human sacrifice at the new luakini heiau and ending a vexing political problem for Kamehameha, all at one time.

The Ka'u Desert Trail as it reaches the Warriro Footprints: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

An emergency phone is available here; there are no other services.

The Warror Footprints arre preserved under this Ramada in the Ka'u Desert, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Frank Burgess

To see the new iPhone/iPod Touch App, please visit http://www.tourguidehawaii.com/iphone.html. The best of Tour Guide Hawaii’s free content about traveling to, and exploring, the Big island, can be found here. For more information on traveling to Hawaii in general and on touring the Big Island in particular, please also visit www.tourguidehawaii.com and www.tourguidehawaii.blogspot.com.

Ka'u Desert Ohia and Bee, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: Photo by Donald B. MacGowan

How big is your footprint?

envirogossip — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:30:05 +0000

One of the most influencial and contempory theories in ecology, economics, sociology and politics is the ecological footprint. It was developed by Dr. William Rees and Mathus Wackernagel at the University British Columbia. It is used widely by environmental organizations, government to establish and alter environmental policies. The questions that the Ecological Footprint answers are:

1. What area of productive land is needed to sustain my lifestyle indefinitely?

2. If everyone one the planet live like I do how many planets would need to support the human population?

The Ecological Footprint is a calculation that one can do by signing on to the Ecological Footprint website. After being asked a series of questions, the above two questions are answered. However, it may be confusing to understand how these calculations are determined. The major principle that was used to create this theory and calculation was Carrying Capacity. Carrying Capacity can be defined as the maximal population size of a given species that an area can support.

The ecological footprint can be calculated on an individual level. The most important and noted aspect of this calculation is that it is not asking us to predict anything, based on what you use right now, today, how much land does it take to sustain you. However, one of its creators, Rees suggested that his calculation “low balls” human footprints because calculation to date does not account for wastes emissions other than CO2.

However nevertheless it is an educational tool and the only well developed gage of our impact on the environment. I suggest you check out the website to learn more and also calculate your Ecological Footprint, and find out what your impact is.

http://www.myfootprint.org/

This is my island in the sun!

simone74 — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:25:36 +0000

Green In Gwinnett Tip Nov 4th 2009

greeningwinnettarea — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:36:42 +0000

Green and Sustainable

When you landscape use native plants. Native plants typically cost less, use less water, and are easier to care for. Plus, your yard will look right at home.

Did you know that if every U.S. household replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star bulb, we’d save enough energy to light three million homes for over a year? Pretty amazing huh? Simple. So let’s make some simple changes Gwinnett! The prices on CFL bulbs have come way down. The Lowe’s in Suwanee sells them for a very reasonable price and they seem to have frequent sales there.

Reduce your carbon footprint and energy bill next summer by using a table, ceiling or whole-house fan which will extend the typical human comfort range, usually between 72 and 78 degrees F,to around 82 F by simply adding a breeze of about 1.9 mph. So when the heat becomes unbearable reach for a fan before the thermostat. A typical fan uses about the same amount of energy as a 100-watt light bulb, which is dramatically less than any air conditioning unit.

Think Green In Gwinnett

-James Chronicle

UN chief damps climate treaty hopes

gstaadblog — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:42:33 +0000

Source: Financial Times | By Ed Crooks

A new international climate change treaty is very unlikely to be signed at the Copenhagen talks next month, Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary-general, signalled on Tuesday, saying people had to be “realistic” about what could be achieved.

He said he hoped for a “very strong binding political commitment” that could be turned into a treaty in the first half of next year.

Mr Ban warned however that although there had been “significant” progress, there were still very important issues to be resolved. For example, the European Union’s proposal for developed countries to pay poor countries €100bn ($146bn, £90bn) a year to fight climate change, and other similar ideas, were a “good start” but not enough.

Speaking in London as negotiators met in Barcelona for the last formal meeting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change before Copenhagen, Mr Ban said he was “not lowering the bar” to manage expectations but making a “very realistic and practical point” about prospects for a deal.

He said he hoped a political settlement in December could be followed “as soon as possible” by a legally-binding deal, with targets for greenhouse gas emissions cuts, financing to help developing countries adjust and frameworks for governance and compliance.

To read the article in its entirety, please click here.

Opening Opinion

Troy — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:55:28 +0000

I am looking to become Green to offset my footprint and lower my utility bills. If you have any goo

Module 3 Introduction - Your Internet Footprint

mattshine — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 23:14:23 +0000

Reading: Identity Management: Multiple Presentations of Self in Facebook

DiMicco, J.M. and Millen, D.R., http://www.joandimicco.com/pubs/dimicco-millen-group07.pdf

The article documents a survey conducted on Facebook users within a large company in terms of personal identity and managing their presentation of self online. An interesting discussion evolved on blackboard, however I was somewhat late in joining in.

Sky Croeser asked: Are we putting too much focus on technology, and not enough on interpersonal relationships? Or is information online different?

I think we sometimes do put too much focus on technology rather than interpersonal relationships. If I send a confidential email to a trusted friend or colleague, who then forwards it to someone else or makes it public in anyway, how is that the fault of email?

Getting back to the broader topic at hand, I do think it’s necessary for people to develop a certain amount of ‘net smarts’ and make an effort to determine the level of privacy specific applications and content publishing platforms afford.

In terms of SNS’s, I do agree that the potential for clashing between different social networks is there, but it all comes down to the individual user who can control (at least on Facebook) their social networks and specific people that can access their information.

My Internet Footprint

I exercise some amount of caution online, and typically use aliases (or usernames) in most cases. In social networks where I am a user, I typically don’t ‘connect’ with anybody from my professional life, as I don’t feel as though it’s an appropriate setting. I’m also fairly conscious of privacy settings, and as a result try to limit access to my personal information only to the appropriate audience.

That said, I try to ensure that most of the things I publish online will not come back to haunt me, whether or not it is in a ‘private’ situation.

Pret 'fresh' chicken: More traceability issues for Brazil

jimmy — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:07:41 +0000

Pret a Manger, lunchtime destination for many an office worker looking for freshly made, non-supermarket sandwiches, has recently revealed that it sources its chicken from Brazil.

The meat is sourced from Brasil Foods, the mega company formed from the merger of Perdigao and Sadia. Upon arrival in the UK it is defrosted and cooked - and sold as ‘fresh’ by the sandwich chain. Read the article for more.

This most recent traceability issue involving products sourced from Brazil raises some points for consideration:

1. Understand the dynamic- Brazil exports 3.6 million tonnes of poultry a year to 153 countries, providing four million jobs directly or indirectly along the way. The scale of this industry is enormous and fits into a world where more consumers are demanding meat as part of their diet.

2. Pret, alongside other UK retailers are not currently required to state where they source their chicken from. Marks and Spencer’s and Waitrose use only British chicken which although more expensive gives them, they feel, a competitive advantage over other retailers in a consumer market switched on to provenance and ‘local’.

3. Working hard to win people over – the Brazilian poultry industry, though highly regulated, has come under numerous attacks from NGOs for its lack of transparency around sustainability issues. To face up to their critics and maintain contracts with developed world retailers, the industry needs to work hard to implement even tighter regulations around welfare, working conditions etc.

This shift to dialogue, openness and transparency will become commonplace for Brazilian companies wishing to supply world markets. As footprinting of all products increases with consumers becoming more aware and demanding of retailers, they will demand more from their suppliers.

See this recent post: 3 short films: NGO, Media and the CEO for a look at sourcing meat and leather from the Amazon

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ökologische fussabdrücke

ffduseh — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:24:00 +0000

Energie als wesentliches Element des Footprints zitat aus: http://www.footprint.at/index.php?id=3

Footprints

Rain Drop — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:40:16 +0000

Footprints in the Sand One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes

Coming Soon!

stephensurlin — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:24:37 +0000

Hello, my name is Stephen Surlin and I am in the process of launching my new design and manufacturing company ecodesign co., an ecologically focused initiative. The goal of ecodesign co. is to leave as small an ecological footprint as possible. Most projects will feature the use of recycled woods, recoverd materials and composting. You can check out the About section to find out more.

Thank you for visiting.

Tema 2. La huella ecológica

Jose Sande — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:20:55 +0000

En este tema repasamos un concepto importante de Economía de 1º de Bachillerato: la huella ecológica.

Tema 2. RSE

Global Footprint Network está dedicado al estudio riguroso de la huella ecológica. En su web podemos descargar su último Atlas Ecológico (datos del 2008), del que he seleccionado la siguiente tabla:

Es triste comprobar nuestro liderazgo en huella ecológica por persona, y lo lejos que estamos de los civilizados países nórdicos.

Cuando uno lee estos datos se indigna con políticos, empresas…piensa en el gran todoterreno nuevo que se ha comprado el vecino…y no puede parar de pensar “hay que hacer algo”…

Después podemos entrar en un calculadora de huella ecológica , ir introduciendo los datos de nuestra vida cotidiana…y comprobar después de 27 preguntas el resultado:

El día a día nos engulle: tenemos una vida marcada por tareas, obligaciones, responsabilidades y prioridades…por lo que este tipo de cuestiones las dejamos para “más adelante”.

Pero el trepidante ritmo de vida diaria no debe hacernos confundir lo prioritario con lo esencial, hay que reflexionar y sobre todo ACTUAR. ( ¡y todos!)

We have over 1,000 BGA footprints online. Search, select, and build a part number at www.bgasockets.com

Advanced Interconnections — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:16:53 +0000

One of over 1,000 BGA footprints available in our fully searchable online database.

BGA Socket Finder™ is an interactive database of over 1,000 Ball Grid Array footprints ranging in pitch from 0.50mm to 1.27mm. Engineers from around the world use this online database every day to search for their device footprints by pin count, pitch, package size, or row count. The more criteria you enter, the more refined your search results will be. Use the footprint number to build a part number for the exact BGA socket or adapter required for your application. Footprint-specific data sheets and CAD drawings available online. Access to the database is free with registration. Start your search at www.bgasockets.com.