Environmentalists see people and technology as the main problems, not the solutions. And that’s why they’re wrong.

Posted December 23, 2009

Make Your Own Wrapping Paper

Most mass-produced wrapping paper you find in stores is not recyclable and ends up in landfills. Instead, here’s a great chance to get creative! Wrap presents with old maps, the comics section ofa newspaper, or children’s artwork. Or use a scarf, attractive dish towel, bandana, or some other useful cloth item. If every family wrapped just three gifts this way, it would save enough paper to cover 45,000 football fields.

Buy Energy-Saving Holiday Lights

Now you can decorate your house with LED lights that use 90 percent less energy than conventional holiday lights, and can save your family up to $50 on your energy bills during the holiday season! LED lights are available at many major retailers, including Target, CostCo, and Ace Hardware.

Add Organic and Local Foods to Your Holiday Feast

Support local family farmers who grow sustainable meat and produce. Not only does it taste better, you’ll be doing your part for the planet too. Looking for an organic turkey or ham for Christmas dinner? Find out where to get local green products in your neighborhood.

Stocking Stuffers: Test Your Eco-Knowledge

Do you have a family member who loves the outdoors? Stuff their stockings with Sierra Club Knowledge Cards, which come in a variety of outdoor themes ranging from survival skills to baby animals. Another great stocking stuffer is “guilt-free” chocolate! Give the gift of organic, fair-trade chocolate and you can eat your way to a better planet.

Give a Gift the Gives Back!

Help support the critical work of the Sierra Club and give an eco-friendly gift at the same time! Sponsor a Wild Place this holiday season and share our country’s most special wild places and national parks with friends and loved ones. Sponsorships start at $20 and come with a range of special gifts, like a photo, plush animal, certificate of sponsorship, or a backpack. For last minute shoppers – or the most eco-conscious person on your list – download a virtual version and print or email your gift right from home

Get a Pesticide-Free Tree

Demand is on the rise for Christmas trees that are not covered in chemicals; some growers use 40 different pesticides, as well as chemical colorants. The good news is that there are now a number of tree-farms that sell pesticide-free trees, so ask your local Christmas tree seller, or search for an organic tree farm near you.

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

Ninety-eight percent of Christmas trees were grown on farms, not in forests, so at least it’s not as if you’re cutting down an ancient tree. Each year, 10 million Christmas trees end up in the landfill. While your tree won’t fit in the recycling bin with your newspapers and bottles, you can recycle your tree: many cities offer programs to turn your tree to mulch or wood chips. Call (800) CLEANUP or visit www.earth911.org to find the tree-recycling program near you.

Donate Your Time or Money to an Environmental Group

Get into the holiday spirit by volunteering! There are countless ways to help improve your community – and the planet – from cleaning up a local river to helping inner city kids experience the outdoors for the first time. Contact your local Sierra Club to find out about volunteer opportunities near you. A donation in honor of a loved one can also be a special holiday gift.

Do a “Cool Home” Tour with Our Energy-Saving Checklist

Take a pledge this New Years’ to reduce your home energy use by buying energy-efficient light bulbs. Installing only 6 compact fluorescent light bulbs will save the average American family $60 per year. You can also use our handy “Cool Homes” checklist to see what easy things you can do in your home to save energy. If there’s a fire in your fireplace this Christmas, turn down that thermostat! Lowering the temperature even five degrees can take 10% off your energy bill. Check out a complete list of energy-saving tips.

Recycle Your Old Cellphone

Getting a new cell phone for Christmas? Not sure what to do with the old one? Now, you can drop off that old phone at any Staples store, as part of the Sierra Club cell phone recycling program. Each year, 130 million cell phones are thrown out, weighing approximately 65,000 tons. Recycling your old phone prevents hazardous elements like mercury, cadmium and lead from ending up in our landfills. Find out more.

Last but not Least! Get Ready for Dinner-Table Debate

Are you likely to be the lone environmentalist at the dinner table sometime soon? Win arguments and influence people with our famous holiday survival guide. You’ll find ready responses to the predictable dinner table arguments that’ll be directed at you. Who knows, you might even make a few converts!

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The State-run newspaper "Keyhan" estimated the crowd at Ayatollah Montazeri's funeral (above) at only 5,000!!!

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Dear All,
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Today has been described as a new day in the life of the Iranian Green opposition.  At the request of Mr. Mousavi and Karrubi, hundreds of thousands of people turned up to participate in the funeral of the Grand Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri who passed away on Sunday. Ayatollah Montazeri parted ways with the founder of the Iranian Revolution over the issue of human rights violation in Iran (among other things).
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* The Iranian official news agency described the funeral attenders as approximately 5,000! It is not quite clear how they think they can maintain the appearance. However, look at the photo above this message to see a shot of the “five thousand” mourners for yourself.

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* The BBC has an informative news item as well:

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* Not surprisingly, Ayatollah Montazeri’s personal website seems to be down (possibly hacked). In the absence of that, I refer you to this general article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosein-Ali_Montazeri.
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Don’t forget to share “http://windowsoniran.wordpress.com/” with friends.

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Good night,

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Fatemeh
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Fatemeh Keshavarz, Professor and Chair
Dept. of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures
Washington University in St. Louis
Honorary Co-Chair, Iranians For Peace
Tel: (314) 935-5156
Fax: (314) 935-4399
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Dear All,

Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, one of the spiritual leaders of the Green Movement, has passed away.

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Grand Ayatollah Hussein Ali Montazeri, died last night at age 87 in the city of Qom. In the past few months, he had come to be known as the spiritual father of the Green Movement in Iran. Mr. Mousavi and Karroubi have declared tomorrow, Monday, Dec. 21, a day of national mourning.
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Background

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Grand Ayatollah Montazeri was designated successor to Ayatollah Khomeini until their major fall out in 1988. Montazeri’s dismay was caused by many issues including the executions of the opposition leaders, the lack of openness to political parties, and the insistence on exporting the revolution. Not only did Ayatollah Montazeri loose his political position as a result of objecting to these policies, he was condemned to house arrest, severe curtailment of his personal activities, and regular abuse by the state run media.
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In real life, he never lost his respect among the general public or the other grand Ayatollahs. His images surfaced at almost any public protest. With the crystallization of  the Green Movement after the 2009 election, Montazeri emerged as its spiritual father. He issued daring statements in condemnation of the government’s abuse of power, repression, and particularly torture and abuse in the Kahrizak prison.
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His death is unlikely to be good news for the current regime in Iran. It has already triggered events, even before the designated day of morning, which they are trying desperately to prevent. Below see a small sample coming out of Iran hours ago.
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Demonstrations in support of Ayatollah Montazeri
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* In his birth place near Isfahan:
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* Ilm o San’at University, takes a few seconds for the image to get straightened:

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* Sharif University:

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Have a Great Winter Break,

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Fatemeh
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===================================
Fatemeh Keshavarz, Professor and Chair
Dept. of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures
Washington University in St. Louis
Honorary Co-Chair, Iranians For Peace
Tel: (314) 935-5156
Fax: (314) 935-4399
==================================

The “green movement” has become very trendy in the past few years. This has led to more interest on the subject of environmentalism, but not necessarily more knowledge. I have seen many people take awareness of “going green” and recycling, but not embracing it as part of their daily lives. It has become a “I will do it when it is convenient for me to do it. I will be “green” if it is easy and I do not have to change anything about my lifestyle.” That, in my opinion, is laziness. Any little change we make in our lifestyle can make a huge difference in the big picture.

Here are some tips on recycling that you may not be aware of, as well as, some tips on items you should try to avoid using in your home and on your body…

Recycling: We all know that you can recycle paper, glass, plastics (not number 6), and aluminum, but did you know you can recycle…appliances, athletic shoes, batteries, clothes, compact fluorescent bulbs, computers, electronics, foam packing peanuts, ink/toner cartridges, oil, and phones.

Items you should avoid: styrofoam cups, paper towels, bleached coffee filters, chemical pesticides, pvc, plastic silverware, lead, petroleum by-products, fragrance.

Also, remember when painting your home to look for low or no-VOC paint. A few brands to check into are: Benjamin Moore Aura Collection, Sherwin Williams Harmony Collection, Porter Paint… 

Websites to check out: www.recycle-steel.org; www.nikereuseashoe.com; www.batteryrecycling.com; www.recycleplace.com; www.recycleoil.org; www.donateaphone.com; www.greenamericatoday.org; www.climateaction.org; www.responsibleshopper.org; www.greenpages.org

Young, ecofriendly entrepreneurs have taken San Diego by storm! Read on by clicking the link below:

http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-12-09/environment/the-green-35-under-35-part-1

Aw common Time magazine, how you gonna do us like this?  So, there was this huge effort to get the Iranian protesters to be Time magazine’s people of the year.  One of the only rewards we have for standing up to brutal oppression is international encouragement or at the least acknowledgement. 

By not supporting the Iranian people in their struggle, the international community, in essence, supports Ahmadinejad.  For example, in the last few weeks, news about how “Iran” disregards international wishes on the nuclear issue has dominated Iran coverage.  But  “Iran” is not against the international community!  It is the current Iranian president, who is holding his population hostage!  The Iranian people are extending a hand out, at the expense of their lives, asking for help in delegitimize someone who stole an election.  If this gesture is neglected, in a few years, Time will put Ahmadinejad on the cover as person of the year, but not for good reasons.  And everyone will wonder, how did this happen, why is this rogue leader harassing the world.

It happened because you are not helping Iranians in their effort to prevent it.  All we have is our bodies, our spirits and our tenuous internet connections.  At least acknowledge the struggle.

Credit Corbis

It is widely believed that millions of Iranian voters had their votes stolen during June’s Presidential election. Now, once again, the Iranian people had their votes taken away when Time Magazine awarded Ben Bernanke the honor of Person of the Year.

For those of you who, like me, were upset that Time didn’t choose the Iranian protesters as their person of the year, there is some consolation knowing that the rest of the world did.

In fact, more than 536,000 people recognized their courage and voted for the Iranian protesters outnumbered the 2^nd and 3^rd runners up combined. Despite that, it was disheartening to see them eliminated from Time’s shortlist which appeared on Tuesday, a day before announcing their final choice of Ben Bernanke. (See the full results here).

But, why even conduct a poll, or election for that matter, if the votes aren’t going to be counted?

Seeing as the title is Person of the year, perhaps Time wanted to walk away from awarding the prize to another group. If you remember in 2006, Time received a lot of criticisms for choosing “YOU” as person of the year. So why even include the “Chinese worker” on their shortlist, especially if they weren’t in the initial poll? (See the short list here)

If Time did not want to choose another group, then why not choose Neda, who has come to symbolize the struggle for democracy in Iran? It seems like she fit their description of a person who, “most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year.” Apparently they rarely give awards to people who are dead (Einstein was the only one, but he was Person of the Century). Though if you ask anyone who follows the plight of the Iranian people, Neda is far from dead—her memory carries on as she continues to move thousands in Iran to hit the streets and inspire countless artists around the world. Who else has done all of this without uttering a word?

The Iranian government wants more than anything for people to forget Neda, and the other millions of protesters—they’ve gone so far as to call her murder staged and refused to let people visit her unmarked grace. In a way, Time has done part of their Iranian government’s job for them.

Perhaps Time didn’t realize the impact that this award could have had for the Iranian people. While I’m sure Bernanke is happy about his award and perhaps it will put pressure on him to really fix the economy this time the impact of the award for the Iranian people would have been much more tangible. Honoring them would have shown Iran that the world is still watching; as a result, putting pressure on the government to reform its behavior. The Iranian people want to be part of the international community, but how can they, especially if we fail to recognize them?

Time is not solely to blame; in fact, this Person of the Year episode is symptomatic of most media—in the words of one disappointed protester “typical short memory Americans.”

The Iranian people have shown us that the Green movement is not just a trend. They’ve shown their ingenuity as they’ve turned insults into rallying points, (see the campaign to free Majid Tavakoli), money into organizing flyers and they continue to break Iranian government’s internet filters  to keep us informed of their activities. Won’t we at least do them the honor by paying attention longer than a few weeks?

University of Minnesota calls for ideological purity for teachers

When did ideological purity become a prerequisite to attaining a teaching degree? The University of Minnesota wants to cleanse the Minnesota education system of cultural biases. Therefore, it will expect its’ education graduates to confess to their own bigotry if they believe in the American dream of equal opportunity.

These are the conclusions of the Race, Culture, Class and Gender Task Group at the U’s College of Education and Human Development. Specifically the task force says that future teachers must dismiss the idea of “the American Dream” in order to obtain their teaching licensure required by the state.

The task force proposes making race, class and gender politics the “overarching framework” for all teaching courses at the university. In January, planners will review the recommendations and decide how to proceed.

The first step toward “cultural competence,” says the task group, is for future teachers to recognize — and confess — their own bigotry”. This will be achieved through exercises designed to allow prospective teachers to describe their own prejudices, stereotypes and take a “cultural intelligence” assessment. The assessment is designed to help them identify their own racism, classism and other cultural assumptions.

According to the task force the objective is to ensure that “future teachers will be able to discuss their own histories and current thinking drawing on notions of white privilege, hegemonic masculinity, heteronormativity, and internalized oppression.” These teachers will be required to champion social justice, “to explain how institutional racism works in schools” and acknowledge the flaws in the American Dream. They also recommend requiring “our future teachers” to “articulate a sophisticated and nuanced critical analysis” of this view of the American promise.

This is liberal indoctrination and manipulation for adults. It is also further proof that in the ranks of higher education there is a concerted effort to drive a social re-engineering of our country.

Indoctrination and manipulation is for kids too! Meet the Earth Scouts….

After watching “The Story of Stuff” (http://wp.me/pv8jP-9r) you’ll feel really bad if you are only 7 or 8 years old. But maybe you would feel better if you could help fix the broken planet you live on… I know you could join the Earth Scouts!

That’s right – The Earth Scouts. I know, I know – who the hell are the Earth Scouts?

From their website:

“Earth Scouts is an inclusive, co-educational scouting program, in which facilitators provide a cooperative learning environment for future community leaders and change agents seeking sustainability, equity and nonviolence. Earth Scouts are the parents, teachers, mentors and youth who come together to engage in a shared learning experience that teaches and supports understanding and action on community issues in ways that are congruent with the Earth Charter. Earth Scouts is a program of Earth Charter U.S.”

“…Earth Scouts is more than a scouting program. It is a group experience in which each child or youth:

Finds his/her voice for leadership;

Understands the complexity of sustainability—that it involves social and economic equity, environmental soundness, nonviolence and peace;

Takes the responsibility to transform her/his concerns into action either as an individual or as a group.

“… Earth Scouts is a way of life and a way of perceiving the world that is connected to the Earth Charter, a larger shared global vision for a caring, sustainable and peaceful world.”

“The Earth Charter, is a set of values and principles for a sustainable future written by thousands of people in 78 countries over the course of ten years. It was launched at The Hague Peace Palace in 2000.

The sixteen Earth Charter principles focus on respect for nature, economic justice, universal human rights, and a culture of peace. The Earth Charter has been used as a foundation for businesses, governments, and communities working towards building a just, sustainable, and peaceful society.

It is based on 50 UN Declarations, 200 agreements of non-governmental organizations, the perspectives of contemporary science and cosmology, the wisdom of world religions and ancient and current sustainable ways of living and working.”

“Earth Scouts nurtures the development of children and youth in learning and participatory actions to improve their neighborhoods and communities. A large body of research validates the importance of community service activities in the positive psychological, social and intellectual growth of youthful participants. Short-term outcomes include improved grades and attendance at school, increased personal efficacy, recognition of the importance of participating in the political system, and socially responsible, community-oriented attitudes. Long-term outcomes include increased likelihood of voting in adulthood, commitment to future service, decreased likelihood of dropping out of school, improved transition from school to work, and a strong intrinsic work motivation. In short, research shows that giving children and youth opportunities to become engaged in civic activities increases the likelihood that they will become healthy, active citizens.”

“ECUS’s mission is to mainstream the Earth Charter’s vision and principles through inspiration, education and initiatives that include the Earth Charter Community Alliance, an informal network of Earth Charter organizers around the country; global annual Earth Charter Community Summits; and Earth Scouts. Other projects in development include the Sustainable Business Coalition, an Earth Charter Curricula for Education, the development of Earth Charter Community Indicators, an Earth Charter Leadership Academy and the League of Earth Charter Voters.”

Boy, I am so bummed they didn’t have this when I was a kid – NOT! If you read this crap closely you will see this another major indoctrination effort of the green movement to politically manipulate our kids. Sorry to be so cynical but does this sound like fun to anyone? There is nothing wrong with educating kids about the environment. When I was a kid, I was a Boy Scout. It was fun and educational. Almost every rank and many merit badges included some form of conservation project. We learned about nature, conservation, astronomy, biology and having fun; but nobody was cramming a political agenda down our throats.

Pay attention to the words from their website; here are just a handful that are very telling: sustainability, personal efficacy, environmental soundness, social and economic equity all of these sound noble on the surface but when you factor in – “It is based on 50 UN Declarations, 200 agreements of non-governmental organizations, the perspectives of contemporary science and cosmology, the wisdom of world religions and ancient and current sustainable ways of living and working.” it begins to sound more like another scheme to indoctrinate the youth and convert them into “environmental community organizers”. Also it is hard to overlook that a stated objective is “recognition of the importance of participating in the political system.” In any normal youth program an enhanced sense of citizenship and its’ value is a desired outcome. However that is not the same as saying, “increased likelihood of voting in adulthood” is a stated goal. Or that Earth Scouts is a way of life and a way of perceiving the world that is connected to the Earth Charter, a larger shared global vision for a caring, sustainable and peaceful world.

Let’s be honest – we all want a cleaner, healthier, more peaceful world but the path to that goal is not through youth political movements designed to indoctrinate but disguised as scouting.

From the website it is difficult to tell who is funding this worldwide program but I sure would like to know. I have a few suspects but I’ll keep them to myself until I have proof.

Wake up America! We are surrounded and now they are after our kids!

“This is one of those issues that you just can’t put down, … It is a fantastic read, and will leave you with no doubt whatsoever that America’s colleges today have become radical indoctrination centers ? and your kids are the target.” – Joseph Farah

Restore the Republic, Reject the Socialist Agenda!

FREE MAJID TAVAKOLI

However, I have lived almost 27 years in that situation, and it seems that I will wear hijab as I would love to live in Iran.

Official Student Day Gathering in Chamran Hall of Tehran University

For original article in Persian, CLICK HERE

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Summary translation report by Reza Eshteraki for Persian 2 English

Parleman News, the website for “Imam’s Line” caucus of the Parliament (which is the caucus of reformists) has published a report of the Student Day event which was organized by the Islamic Association of Tehran University students and the Medical Sciences University of Tehran. The event was titled, “The greenest season of the year.” It took place at Chamran Hall, located n the technical faculty of Tehran University.

Parleman News reports the presence of a large numbers of students who arrived carrying green symbols and pictures of Khomeini to protest the recent accusations of the IRIB about the Green movement being behind the insults on Khomeini’s picture. Video messages of Seyed Mohammad Khatami and Mir-Hossein Mousavi were shown. The opposition leaders were unable to be present due to the “narrow thinking of some,” said the spokesperson for the Islamic Association.

Students chanted slogans like:  “Hail Mousavi, Hail Khatami,” “Long Live Mousavi and Karoubi,” “Allah is Great,” “Khomeini where are you to see that Mousavi is all alone,” “Death to Dictator,” “We are Sohrab! We are Neda! We are all a voice!” and “Ya Hossein, Mir Hossein.” They reportedly also chanted slogans calling for the resignation of the “incompetent head” of the university, Farhad Rahbar. They chanted slogans against IRIB as well.

Among the speakers were:

Mohammad Reza Zafarqandi, the previous head of Tehran University and a central council member of the Islamic Association of Tehran University condemned the bringing of “outsiders” to the university on Student Day and their use to oppress the students. He said, “Tearing down the Imam’s picture is a heinous act that nobody defends but we think rejecting what he had said is very much worse that tearing his picture.”

Zafarqandi called for some demands “as an expert:”

1- release all the political prisoners

2- Grant permission for a march for all those who believe in Imam Khomeini.

The next speaker was Elahe Koolayi, a former reformist member of parliament and a central council member of the Participation Front. She warned against “those elements who try to create crisis and ado to not let society reach its goals.”

Then, Najafali Habibi, a reformist political activist and a central council member of the University Instructors Islamic Association spoke on behalf of the students. He said that December 7th is a “symbol of students’ struggle in their fight against exploitation and tyranny.” He answered political members who accuse green leaders of not condemning the tearing down of Khomeini’s picture, “First, this act looks suspicious to us. If you give us the permission for the gathering, you can see this people’s love for Imam Khomeini. This is not a big expectation. Give us the permission to march and we will declare our protest of tearing down the Imam’s picture.”

Mohsen Rahami, a member of Tehran University Scientific Board, was the last person to speak. He spoke of the need to use Muharam for “expressing our reasonable demands in continuation of Imam Hossein’s movement, the biggest demand of which is freedom. We also have to be cautious that the university does not sink into turmoil while asking for our demands. Because some would want the classes to be shut down as they want to close down this house of ours.”

Source- Parleman News

Ecologically Friendly Bulbs?!

I think this one pretty much speaks for itself.  Have you ever pulled up the Material Data Safety Sheets for Mercury (Hg)?!

Warnings on irregular measures confirmed- Supreme Leader ordered intensification of oppressions

By: Sepeher Saadat
Translated to English by Reza Eshteraki for Persian2English

Jaras (Green Way Movement network): Right at six months after the presidential elections, Ayatollah Khamenei, with a nervous and worried tone, promised destruction to those who oppose the regime and he threatened them with more severe punishments.

His speech was accompanied with slogans from dozens of his supporters but concurrently many supporters of the green movement have deemed the threats of the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader ineffective in their media outlets. They have also stressed the continuation of protest actions and being smart in the face of government measures.

Ayatollah Khamenei, in one of his fiercest attacks on the leaders of the green movement, accused them of acting against the law and said: “These people talk about supporting Imam Khomeini but what they do results in a big sin like this to the Imam, and enemies happily analyze based on these acts and then make decisions against the national interests of Iran.”

By uttering these statements, Khamenei effectively supported IRIB (National TV & Radio) for broadcasting images of a photo of the founder of the Islamic Republic (Khomeini) being torn down in protest gatherings on December 7th. He holds the leaders of the green movement responsible for the action.

In one of the most provocative parts of his speech, the Supreme Leader implicitly claimed that some of Ayatollah Khomeini’s companions have been separated from his causes. He then defended his political principle, saying: “I believe in attracting the majority and letting go of the minority, but it seems that some people are intent on going away from the regime.”

He then criticized the leaders of the green movement for having the backing of France, England, US, corrupt individuals, Tudeh (Communist) Party supporters and Monarchists. He told them to open their eyes and issue disclaimers. Analysts say that this speech is preparing the ground for more severe oppressions of the green movement. Before Ayatollah Khamenei’s speech, some had guessed irregular measures of the government against the green movement. Kalameh news agency, close to Mir-Hossein Mousavi, issued a warning, asking people to be smart if an irregular measure is taken. Kalameh warned people about the possibility of attacks on the Green movement news outlets and asked them to spread the news with alternative outlets. The prediction from Mousavi’s website proved correct because the day after, the site was hacked by a group called Prophet Green Movement.

Green Leaders to be arrested

Some sources close to Mir-Hossein Mousavi told Sunday of the increase in the possibility of his arrest and told Jaras correspondent that security bodies are examining the situation for his arrest. A knowledgeable source told Jaras that based on the news received, security institutions are 100 percent intent on arresting Mousavi and the increase in oppressions in the last few days is for controlling the conditions after his arrest.

It is said that Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi will also publish separate publications soon, reacting to events in recent days. They had previously rejected IRIB’s claim that a photo of the founder of the Islamic Republic (Khomeini) has been torn down by supporters of green movement. They called this a suspicious act and a tactic of the government for an increase in oppressions.

It seems that statements by Green movement leaders after Ayatollah Khamenei speech will lead to intensification of political polarization in Iran.

This is while the Supreme Leader has openly called for new oppressions and has introduced the opponents of status quo as enemies of the regime saying: “Those who want to create insecurity and turmoil face the people” and “legal bodies have duties that they should act upon.”

The Supreme Leader has also compared the opponents of the government to “froth on water,” promising their destruction.

Fear from expansion of protests in Muharam

Analysts believe that the government’s intention of intensifying oppressions is due to their failure to suppress the wave of protests after the election.

Many security officials had promised, before Student Day, that there would be no gathering by the supporters of the Green movement, but protests including tens of thousands of students on December 7th put an end to all the analysis of security bodies.

Right now, executing the project of intensifying oppressions can be an attempt by the security bodies to counter the increasing wave of public protests. Published reports show that since Muharam (a month of Mourning in Islamic Shi’a culture-Translator’s note) is near and the Green movement supporters have widespread plans to use this opportunity for protesting the government. Security intuitions want to dominate an atmosphere of public intimidation and terror. But supporters and leaders of the Green movement say that intensifying the oppressions will bear no fruit and will only lead to more reasons for the opponents of the status quo to stress their demands.

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صحت هشدارها درباره اقدام های غیرمتعارف ؛ رهبری دستور تشدید سركوب را صادر كرد

شبكه جنبش راه سبز(جرس):درست شش ماه پس از برگزاری انتخابات ریاست جمهوری “آیت الله خامنه ای” با لحنی عصبی و توام با نگرانی، نابودی مخالفان نظام را وعده داد و آنها را تهدید به مجازات های شدیدتر كرد

سخنان او با شعارهای ده ها نفر از حامیانش همراه بود اما همزمان بسیاری از هواداران جنبش سبز تهدیدهای رهبر جمهوری اسلامی را بی اثر ارزیابی كرده و در پایگاه های رسانه ای خود بر تداوم حركت های اعتراضی و هشیاری در برابر اقدام های حكومت تاكید كردند

آیت الله خامنه ای در یكی از شدیدترین حملات خود به رهبران جنبش سبز آنها را متهم به رفتار خلاف قانون كرد و گفت: “این عده شعار طرفداری از امام می دهند، اما كاری می كنند كه نسبت به امام (ره) چنین گناه بزرگی انجام شود و دشمنان با خوشحالی براساس این اقدامات، تحلیل كنند و بعد هم برضد مصالح ملی و ملت ایران، تصمیم بگیرند”

او با گفتن این سخنان عملا از ادعای صدا و سیما مبنی بر پاره شدن عكس بنیانگذار انقلاب اسلامی در تجمع های اعتراضی 16 آذر جانبداری كرد و مسوولیت آن را نیز به گردن رهبران جنبش سبز انداخت

رهبر جمهوری اسلامی در یكی از تحریك آمیزترین بخش سخنانش تلویحا مدعی جدایی برخی از یاران “آیت الله خمینی” از آرمانهای وی شد و سپس با دفاع از مرام سیاسی خود گفت: من قائل به جذب حداكثری و دفع حداقلی هستم ولی برخی افراد ظاهراً خودشان اصرار بر فاصله گرفتن از نظام، و طرد شدن دارند”

او همچنین رهبران جنبش سبز را به دلیل آنچه بهره مندی از حمایت فرانسه،انگلیس و آمریكا،افراد فاسد،توده ای ها و سلطنت طلب ها می خواند مورد سرزنش قرار داد و خطاب به آنان گفت كه چشمان خود را بازكنند و از این جریان ها تبری بجویند

تحلیل گران می گویند كه این سخنان زمینه را برای سركوب های شدیدتر جنبش سبز فراهم خواهد كرد.پیش از سخنان آیت الله خامنه ای نیز برخی گمانه زنی ها حكایت از انجام اعمال غیرمتعارف از سوی حكومت علیه جنبش سبز داشت.پایگاه اطلاع رسانی “كلمه” وابسته به “میرحسین موسوی” در خبری هشدار آمیز از مردم خواسته بود كه در صورت بروز اقدامی غیرمتعارف هشیار باشند و اگر پایگاه های اطلاع رسانی جنبش سبز در معرض حمله قرارگرفتند از طریق پایگاه های جایگزین اقدام به اطلاع رسانی كنند.درستی پیش بینی سایت اینترنتی موسوی یك روز پس از صدور آن زمانی ثابت شد كه این سایت توسط گروهی موسوم به جنبش سبز نبوی هك شد

رهبران سبز در معرض بازداشت

در این حال برخی منابع نزدیك به میرحسین موسوی نیز روز یكشنبه از قوت یافتن احتمال بازداشت وی خبردادند و به خبرنگار “جرس” گفتند كه نهادهای امنیتی درحال ارزیابی شرایط برای دستگیری او هستند.یك منبع آگاه به “جرس” گفت كه براساس اخبار رسیده نهادهای امنیتی صد در صد مترصد دستگیری موسوی هستند و شدت یافتن سركوبها طی روزهای اخیر نیز برای كنترل اوضاع پس از دستگیری وی انجام شده است

گفته می شود كه “میرحسین موسوی” و “مهدی كروبی” به زودی بیانیه های جداگانه ای را در واكنش به حوادث روزهای اخیر منتشر خواهند كرد.آنها پیشتر نیز با رد ادعای صدا و سیما درباره پاره شدن عكس بنیانگذار انقلاب اسلامی از سوی هواداران جنبش سبز این اقدام را مشكوك ارزیابی كرده و ترفندی از سوی حكومت برای اعمال سركوب های شدیدتر دانسته بودند

به نظر می رسد كه انتشار بیانیه هایی از سوی رهبران جنبش سبز پس از سخنان “آیت الله خامنه ای” به تشدید دوقطبی سیاسی در ایران منجر شود

این در حالی است كه رهبر جمهوری اسلامی در بخشی از سخنان خود عملا دستور سركوب های تازه را صادر كرده و با معرفی مخالفان وضع موجود به عنوان دشمنان نظام گفته بود “كسانی كه به دنبال ایجاد ناامنی و اغتشاش هستند با مردم طرف هستند” و “دستگاههای قانونی هم وظایفی دارند كه باید به وظایف خود عمل كنند”

رهبر جمهوری اسلامی در نهایت نیز مخالفان حكومت را به كف روی آب تشبیه كرده و وعده نابودی آنها را داده بود

وحشت از گسترش اعتراض ها در محرم

تحلیل گران عقیده دارند كه اصرار حكومت برای شدت دادن به سركوب ها نتیجه ناكامی های آنان در فرونشاندن موج اعتراض های پس از انتخابات است

بسیاری از مقام های امنیتی پیش از فرارسیدن روز دانشجو وعده داده بودند كه در این روز تجمعی از سوی هواداران جنبش سبز شكل نخواهد كرد اما اعتراض های ده ها هزار دانشجو در شانزدهم آذر بطلان تحلیل های نهادهای امنیتی را به اثبات رساند

اكنون پیگیری پرو‍ژه تشدید سركوب ها می تواند تلاشی از سوی نهادهای امنیتی برای مقابله با موج فزاینده اعتراض های عمومی باشد.با توجه به در پیش بودن ماه محرم و برنامه ریزی های وسیع هواداران جنبش سبز برای بهره گیری از این فرصت جهت اعتراض به حكومت، گزارشهایی منتشر شده كه نشان می دهد نهادهای امنیتی به دنبال مسلط كردن جو رعب و وحشت عمومی در این بازه زمانی هستند.با این حال رهبران و هواداران جنبش سبز می گویند كه تشدید سركوب ها نتیجه ای در پی نخواهد داشت و تنها موجب تقویت انگیزه مخالفان وضع موجود برای تاكید برمطالباتشان خواهد شد

Persian Source- Rahe Sabz

Cash for Caulkers could be up to $12,000

By Michael Hughes December 15, 2009

Cash for Caulkers?  You mean Cash for Clunkers, the program that induced a boom in auto sales last summer?  No, I mean Cash for Caulkers a program announced by the White House last week that proposes to reimburse homeowners for energy efficient appliances, weatherstripping and insulation.  This new campaign announced by the White House last week proposes to reimburse homeowners for energy efficient appliances and insulation, part of a much broader plan to stimulate the economy.

Elliott Lemenager, a leader in Green movement and energy audits said “The details of the plan haven’t been released yet as the administration is still working with Congress to develop the legislation, although leaked details include rebates up to $12,000 for homeowners. So what does this all mean? More green jobs? A more energy efficient America? Hopefully all of the above, but the main driver behind this program is to persuade consumers to spend money in a way that benefits the environment as well as the economy.

We’ll keep our ear to the ground to give you updates on any developments with this proposal. In the meantime, make sure your Hohm profile (a free energy audit)is complete and find out what improvements you can make to conserve energy in your home and be ready to take advantage of the rebates as soon as they’re available.”  At the present this Microsoft site is Beta Testing and free of charge either through the above link or through Xcel Energy.  Take advantage of this worthwhile energy audit, as I know at some point they will have to charge for it.  Typically Energy Audits run between $100 and $800 in the Boulder area.

Cash for Caulking.  This would put idled contractors and construction workers back to work, would save substantial money and help the climate.  Win-Win.

Do you or anyone you know need real estate help? If the answer is yes. Call or write today.
e-Mail michael.hughes@sothebysrealty.com Direct 303-359-6627 Visit us at our Website: www.bolderrealestate.com



After producing an advertisement supporting the Household Product Labeling Act, the environmentally-friendly cleaner brand Method has pulled the controversial video that compares toxic household soaps to sexual aggressors.  I found the ad particularly funny (not that it wasn’t insensitive as well) but maybe “not just-right” for the message that Method or the groups supporting the HPLA were aiming to get across.

Is something wrong with society? Are we too easily offended? Are advertisers too pushy or becoming insensitive to the thoughts and sensibilities of their audience? Maybe we are attempting to be “too PC”.  But – at the same time – would we need to urge for political correctness if we were not simultaneously attempting to push the proverbial envelope?

Take this ad for example. The ad allegedly compares cleaner chemicals to sexual aggressors. Let’s use the language of the complaints and say that the ad is guilty of that claim. I believe that the comparison is fair and NOT a real stretch. The chemicals in question are potentially dangerous to one’s health, go undetected until they cause harm, are unwanted, and appear in areas you would prefer void of said chemicals. This is the same comparison made with germs and chemicals in ads of the past but this one pushes the limits of the comparison by – correctly – identifying a plausible scenario: chemicals, unbeknown to you, are everywhere in your bathtub and they provide an unwanted harassment.The issued complaints claim that this ad was insensitive to assault victims, that the “sexual harassment” of the household products was disturbing, and that the ad was “insensitive”. In hearing the ad described as “off-putting” would not the advertisers want to leave the ad on the air? Is it not the point of the advertisement and the campaign to prompt people to take action to fight for the passing of the HPLA by shocking them with a truth that they presently live with?

If this is insensitive to assault victims, does it not follow that we should pull Mucinex ads off the air because they offend annoying relatives and/or homeless persons? Should we pull ads featuring guns for fear of alarming victims of firearm crimes and “accidents” (for the record, the only “accident” was the interpretation of the second amendment)? Should we – as a nation – bow to the possibilities of offense that swirl all around us? I say “no” but I also fear that the reason it is so easy to locate an offensive ad is because so many companies are intentionally producing spots that do offend.

The problem then becomes: how do we police for offensive ads that are intentionally produced to hurt the feelings of particular groups while also protecting the rights of advertisers to push the envelope to in order to capture attention and better sell a product? A difficult question… and maybe for another day.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Copenhagen today as part of a global protest to demand governments across the world agree a binding new global deal to tackle climate change.

The march and rally in the Danish capital, the world’s largest ever protest about global warming, comes at the halfway point of the United Nations’ climate summit in the city.

“Let’s dance, sing and be happy, because power is in your hands,” Nnimmo Bassey, director of Friends of the Earth International told the crowd, as he kicked off the first part of the march, the Flood, from Halmtorvet.

Official police estimates put the number of protesters at 25,000, but organisers said as many as 100,000 had joined the march from central Copenhagen, waving banners that read “Nature doesn’t compromise” and “Climate Justice Now”.

Although most of the march has been peaceful, a small group threw bricks at police early on. So far there have been 21 arrests, and police are currrently kettling about 200-300 marchers in Amagerbrogade.

Police spokesman Rasmus Bernt Skovsgaard said: “There was some cobblestone-throwing and at the same time people were putting on masks. We decided to go for preventive detentions to give the peaceful demonstration the possibility to move on.”

READ IT HERE

Green – it’s the hot new color that has nothing to do with decor and everything to do with product choice.  But, outside of being a buzz word, what does “green” really mean?  If you visit Wikipedia, after paragraphs on the color itself is a sentence directing you to the “Green Movement” or ” Environmentally Friendly”.

Environmentally friendly (also eco-friendly, nature friendly, and green) are synonyms used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment.^[1] To make consumers aware, environmentally friendly goods and services often are marked with eco-labels. But because there is no single international standard for this concept, the International Organization for Standardization considers such labels too vague to be meaningful.^[2]

Green is a loose term thrown around by companies to instill consumer confidence while having to prove nothing to anyone.  The end effect is commonly called Green Washing; ie. the term is meaningless because there is no substance behind it.

But there are still ways that you can be ecologically conscious when remodeling your home.  Beyond the “Green” label, look for these qualifications:

1. Is the product manufactured domestically?  This question is ecologically based for two reasons.  First, less traveling time from the manufacturer to your home equals less emissions.  Second, the US EPA regulations are more strict than those of developing countries – less pollution emitted, however you will see a higher price tag because compliance with these regulations is expensive.
2. Is the material in the product recyclable?  This is a no brainer.  On a global level, Americans, in general, consume goods faster than any other nation.  When you are finished with a product, if you cannot resell/donate it for another person to use, you should repurpose the materials in that product for another task.
3. Is the natural material in the product a renewable resource?  Wood is the best example of this.  Choose product that can comes from companies that practice sustainable foresting activities.  You don’t have to buy cork or bamboo floors to do your part.  These materials are typically forested in China, think of the emissions from transportation alone.  Buying locally harvested wood can actually be a more effective choice.  Stay away from anything marketed as “exotic.”
4. Are the solvents/adhesives in the product low-VOC?  VOC stands for Volatile Organic Compounds.  VOCs are what outgas from a product after manufacturing.  It’s the smell of new paint, new carpeting, new furniture… and it is an irritant, and may cause short term and/or long term illness.  Some people have no reactions to these outgasings, other people are more sensitive – regardless, they are not healthy for anyone.

These are guidelines you can apply to any purchase you are thinking of making, it doesn’t just apply to improving your home.  Don’t get snowballed by marketing when the label says “Green” – ask why.  Just because the salesperson tells you it’s natural and that’s why it’s “Green” – take a moment to think.

As an example, one of the biggest misconceptions in this industry is that natural stone countertops are “Green” because they are natural.  Think about the amount of diesel spent in cutting stone out of the ground, shipping it across the world, fabricating it into a top and then throwing the cuttings away.  The end-user then repetitively uses a chemical sealant to keep the stone from staining.  The ecological choice if you want a stone counter, reclaim one from someone who doesn’t want theirs anymore.

Want other ideas on how to make your remodel more friendly to the environment and to yourself?  Post a comment and I’ll get back to you.  Remember, the money you spend is your vote on what the world manufactures.

Written for Imperial Kitchens and Baths, Inc. by designer Stephanie Bullwinkel, CBD.

FREE MAJID

Men In Hijabs: Iranian Green Movement’s New Tactic

Oh, no!  She forgot that, in reality, China has the worst pollution on the planet!  All those abortions – 400 Million – have made no impact whatsoever!

“The [Chinese] policy on family planning proves to be a great success,” Zhao was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency as saying in Copenhagen, where she is one of Beijing’s delegates at the U.N. climate conference.

“It not only contributes to reduction of global emission, but also provides experiences for other countries – developing countries in particular – in their pursuit for a coordinated and sustainable development.”

Critics of the policy say it not only deprives individuals the right to choose how many children they want, but also gives rise to an array of human rights abuses including forced abortion and sterilization, infanticide, sex-selective abortions and the levying of punitive fines or loss of jobs for policy violators.

Arguments about links between global warming and population have circulated in population-control circles for years, but climate change negotiators have generally sidestepped them because of the sensitivities surrounding population-limiting policies. [Emphasis added.]

Earlier this week, Canada’s Financial Post said that humans are overpopulating the world and that a global law “such as China’s one-child policy, is the only way to reverse the disastrous global birthrate…”

According to the newspaper, despite its polluting coal plants, China “is the world’s leader in terms of fashioning policy to combat environmental degradation, thanks to its one-child-only edict.”

Click for full story

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‘The Whole World Needs To Adopt China’s One-Child Policy”—-Canada’s Financial Post

I heard something today on the news that I have no idea if it is true or not. Gooya news, an Iranian new agancy out of Iran has published a breaking news of a published letter from a group of military officers in Iran warning some of revolutionary guard’s forces about their outrageous treatment toward the people of Iran. The letter begins with a sentence calling “Military, the shelter of people”. The letter also contains that if the revolutionary guard does not change their attitude, they have to face the military who has always been the shelter of Iranian people. The officers have underlined their commitment in not interfering political issues, but they also have announced they can not just watch their people being mistreated by some of revolutionary guard forces.

This letter is signed at the end by a group of military staff, not with their direct names but with their serving bases.

The original text in Persian :

به نام يزدان پاک

“ارتش پناه ملت”

درسال های دفاع مقدس که دوشادوش برادران سپاه، از اين آب وخاک دفاع می کرديم، درواقع مشغول دفاع ازشرف وآبرو و حيثيت وجان و مال ملت ايران بوديم. ارزش کشورهم به دليل ارزش ملت ايران است. سلاح ارتشی وسپاهی بايد در راه خدمت به اين ملت به کارگرفته شده وجان آنان هم در راه مردم ايران فدا شود. در روزگاری که همدوش برادران سپاهی جان خود را فدای اين ملت می کرديم هرگزگمان نمی برديم که ممکن است روزی گروهی ازسپاهی ها، بر خلاف خواست بخش اعظم پرسنل صادق و ايثارگرسپاه، قدرت سلاح خود را در مقابل اين ملت به کارگيرند.

ارتش خود را پناه ملت می داند و هيچ گاه به خواست سياستمداران برای سرکوب مردم تن در نداده است. به عهد خود برای عدم دخالت درسياست وفادار است اما نمی تواند در مقابل ظلم و تجاوز به هم وطنان خود نيز ساکت بنشيند. به همين دليل به آن دسته از تحميل شدگان به سپاه که دست تجاوز وتعدی به جان ومال وآبرو و ناموس ملت ايران درازکرده اند و بيش ازهمه به خون شهدای نيروهای مسلح کشور اعم از سپاهی و ارتشی خيانت کرده اند، شديدا اخطارمی کنيم که اگر از راه رفته بازنگردند، خود را با واکنش جان برکفان ارتش مواجه خواهند ديد. ارتش پناه ملت است و از ملت آرام وصلح دوست ايران در مقابل هر متجاوزی تا آخرين قطره خون خود دفاع خواهد کرد.

گروهی ازخلبانان وپرسنل هواپيمايی نيروی زمينی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ايران ( هوانيروز)
جمعی ازفرماندهان وپرسنل گروه سی وسه توپخانه اصفهان
گروهی ازخلبانان وهمافران نيروی هوايی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ايران(نهاجا)
دانشگاه شهيد ستاری نيروی هوايی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ايران(نهاجا)
جمعی ازپرسنل ستاد فرماندهی نيروی هوايی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ايران(نهاجا)
جمعی ازپرسنل مرکزآموزش پشتيبانی نزاجا
جمعی ازاساتيد ومسئولين دانشگاه افسری امام علی(ع)
جمعی ازپرسنل ومسئولين ستاد فرماندهی کل ارتش