Saturday, January 30, 2010

free and open markets all around...

in commenting about cap and trade on my facebook the other day, i posed a simple question wondering what exactly the end result of such a program would be- carbon reduction or capital market bubble creation?

my friend mike replied:

"Cap and Trade is a good concept, but can it work in the real world? who decides the total carbon amount? Who is grandfathered in? It is an incentive to reduce your carbon usage through technology by increasing the monetary compensation. Carbon commodity trading!! Will the government or free market control it?"

monetary compensation as an incentive to modify behavior? like giving my kid an allowance to clean her room?

so i thought i'd have a little fun with this one... my commentary:

i hear what you're saying mike; i suppose there are two ways to accomplish compliance- incentive or penalty.

for instance, speeding and other laws are enforced through penalty. but if we were to follow the logic of modifying behavior through monetary compensation... how about simply paying drivers not to speed?

of course, this would never happen in our world because speed limits are designed for public safety, right?

actually, i'd argue we've allowed speeding to be turned into a municipal revenue generating monster!

so following the logic any good "small-government/free open market/damn the public good/get mine now" proponent would employ... we should be wondering why cities and states get all the money from speeding!?

ok, just for fun, lets dive into this speeding thing...

why not open it up, and create a "street and driving market"? just like cap and trade will issue the original "permits" to polluters for free, simply issue all drivers permits to go fast! maybe all drivers should be allowed "x" number of speeding credits (the mechanics of this are unimportant for the current discussion; lets just say every driver gets "some").

this way the people who don't want/need to speed- even though they now have the right to speed because of the way the system is set up- can sell/trade their permits to others who want/need to go fast. the market pays them not to speed!

in turn, the "speeders" are in essence "pre-paying" the ability to go faster than posted limits.

and the seller of the permit, having been paid not to speed, won't speed because they no longer have the permit to do so... right?

come on... who's to say they won't speed at sometime in the future? do they go back to the market and buy a permit when they need to speed? and if they speed without a permit, who's to say they will actually get caught and be made to pay a penalty! do we need more speed traps and gestapo-like policing? or do we just trust people to do the right thing?

lets go one step further, and put the middle-man in place here; the broker of speeding permits. this guy matches speeders and non-speeders... for a fee. ah... economic growth!

how about this one... permits to kill people! we already permit for fishing and hunting wild animals to control population and generate revenue, why not permit human murder?

now you're speeding (because you have a permit), get in a wreck and kill someone... ok, simply use your speeding and murder credits to get out of it!

or maybe you truly hate someone, or are just really pissed off... buy a permit to knock-em off!

maybe you don't have the stomach for killing, so you SELL your permit to a professional assassin and have them do the dirty work. and lets say professional assassins buy up a bunch of killing credits. now they can legally operate their business! ah... more economic growth!

simply make it legal and generate revenue from it, rather than having it be illegal, and a financial burden on tax payers paying for prisons?

i can see all kinds of ways to make money on this thing; now the market supports brokers who specialize in bundling groups of assassins for, i don't know... hire by governments? special, military contractors? oh wait, we already have this!

of course, this is all absurd (or is it?)

if you really stop to think about it, aren't some things just too important for the common welfare? isn't our human health/well being too precious to allow it to be compromised by "permiting" something harmful, especially through profit seeking activity?

just like speed limits, carbon and other pollution regulations are designed for public safety (health and environment).

we don't get paid to drive the speed limit... why should there be a monetary incentive to do the right thing with pollution?

because it cuts into profits?

you see where i'm going with this. free markets and unregulated capitalism have limits on their ability to benefit the common welfare.

at some point, they become counter productive, reckless, bubble making implosion machines. and this typically happens at the detriment of society as a whole while benefiting a very select few. in other words, something/someone suffers great inequality or destruction.

examples of this go on and on: extinction of species, depletion of resources, loss of human life/quality of life, and greater spreads between socioeconomic status.

the bottom line... just because something can become a market, doesn't necessarily mean it should become a market.

therefore we use penalties- financial and physical (fines, fees, tariffs, surcharges, taxes, incarceration... and even death) for keeping things in check.

now lets look at cap and trade again...

just because a polluter no longer has enough credits to pollute, how do we know they won't continue to pollute?

just look at how enron was able to cook the books with off-balance sheet accounting! someone, somewhere is going to figure out a way to skirt the system, keep the "real" measure of emissions off the books, and be able to pollute/profit.

maybe they get caught, maybe not.

IN THE MEAN TIME... "WE" (THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD) SUFFER ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE INCLUDING HEALTH ISSUES... LEADING TO MEDICAL PROBLEMS... LEADING TO INCREASED MEDICAL COSTS... LEADING TO DENIAL OF CLAIMS... LEADING TO LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE... LEADING TO MEDICAL INSURANCE PROFITS... LEADING TO GREATER DIFFERENCES IN SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS... LEADING TO UNIMAGINABLE HUMAN SUFFERING, IMBALANCE AND INEQUALITY.

is this the world you want to live in?

lastly...

THE BIGGEST EMITTERS OF CARBON EMISSIONS ARE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INCLUDING THE MILITARY.

are these guys EXEMPT? or do they need carbon permits too? and if they have extra (print up a few more because they can!), should they be able to "sell" them on the open market?

if so, do these revenues REPLACE OR REDUCE some taxes, or become an additional "tax" on the people? or maybe the revenues are used to reduce the national debt or deficit?

or does this government activity in open markets actually aggravate the ability of markets to work freely, thus creating more of a bubble (just like fannie mae and freddie mac aggravated the housing bubble!)?

these are the tough questions and considerations we MUST address going forward in our global economy, global governance and global stewardship.

without dealing with these things, we are destined to repeat the failings every society from the beginning of time has eventually suffered... only worse, i fear.

all i know is cap and trade is a bad idea. anytime you put a for-profit motive above the common welfare, the welfare will suffer. period. peace.

Monday, January 25, 2010

asked and answered

dear earth... can we learn to enjoy a good life, but still be good guests?

dear earthling... learning to live on the planet's dividends instead of its capital would be a good start.

peace.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

keep asking the tough questions if you want real solutions

the purpose of any organization is for the group to act as a whole on behalf of the participants' interests. organizations don't have souls or consciences... they have people- who supposedly possess these- leading and guiding the group toward the agreed upon goal.

so, if you take the financial profit motive out of the equation, does a corporate entity act the same?

in other words, regardless of the definition of earnings or ROI (return on investment), will non-profits employ the same tactics as for-profits in terms of self preservation and desire to perpetuate their existence to achieve their goals? will non-profits resort to questionable tactics, gray-area ethics, accounting tricks, lawyer driven litigation and lobbying legislation in order to make sure they maintain the ability to function?

and if the same tactics are employed by all organizations, is it just human nature... and does adding financial profit (monetary gain) into the equation lead to stronger, worse, more damaging and more often employed questionable tactics, gray-area ethics, accounting tricks, litigation and lobbying?

seriously, if a non-profit measures ROI in number of people "helped", will it stop at nothing to help as many people as possible?

the sad thing is, the vast majority of humans value their currency (and the associated perceived power) MORE than they value helping others or keeping our living environment worth living in.

how did this happen?

answering these questions, and understanding why we do the things we do, may go a long way towards helping resolve what rules, parameters and regulations ARE NECESSARY in the game of business... and life.

Friday, January 22, 2010

sayno2gmo



and the original can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFXTEy13gIs

a wise man once said...

He came looking for the answers
To some questions on his mind
Seeking truth and understanding
In the hope that he would find
A way to better serve his brothers
And his sisters in the sun
Sharing all that he has given
Giving all to everyone

Come and listen to the story
Of a journey once begun
Of a people and their plenty
And their season in the sun
And how they gave themselves to symbols
And things that they could hold
Living lives in desperation
In the fear of letting go

It amazes me
And I know the wind will surely one day
Blow it all away
It amazes me
And Im so very grateful that you made the world this way

For our plans have come together now
Where do we go from here
Will our differences divide us
Must we always live in fear
For there are things that we must move through
Some things to cast aside
But our father watches over us
Our mother will provide

It amazes me
And I know the wind will someday surely
Blow it all away
It amazes me
And Im so very grateful that you made the world this way

It amazes me
It amazes me
It amazes me

Words and music by John Denver

to what end are we here on this rock?

this may be one of my most radical and anarchistic postings yet. as such, i cannot help but ponder what thoughts and motives the founders of our country (the original terrorists and traitors), must have been contemplating as they sought to break free from the royal tyranny of the british aristocracy.

fast forward to yesterday, and one of my facebook friends posted a sobering status update indicating her complete fear of our next presidential election cycle given the supreme court's latest ruling on campaign finance.

and while several comments were made on her posting, one caught my attention:

"The American people raised more than $10 million in five days, at $10 a pop, by texting the American Red Cross for Haiti. We can do anything if we agree to do it. Yes, this gives the corporations amazing power, but ... also unions and other groups, too. So we just have to fight back with our dollars. When the going gets tough, the tough ORGANIZE!!!"

in my mind, this is a very small, narrow, short-term and dangerous way of thinking which only perpetuates the problem.

big picture here... i would have hoped by now it is blatantly obvious (and painfully clear) that "more" money and "more" politics ARE NOT the solution, they are the problem.

we cannot seriously believe spending MORE of this already inflated and unstable indebted currency is a viable solution! and we cannot seriously believe that giving special interests cart-blanch influence on legislative process will solve anything!

first, the american people, and the rest of the world by and far, have no clue what a monetary system really is, what the currency represents and how money works. all they know is they have paper and coin "valued" at an agreed upon rate, and it is widely accepted in trade for goods and services.

you see, people say they "make money" when they work, but they have no real idea how it gets "created".

in fact, people don't make money, they trade their labor for money. it's only when two parties "agree" one thing is equal in value to another a trade can be made. we could trade our labor for anything else just as easily, but right now, our society tends to trade for money.

facts:
  1. in reality, money is nothing more than debt
  2. more money is "made" by creating/trading additional debt
  3. the problem with an indebted currency is, because of compound interest, the debt can never be fully paid back
here's the skinny... the very second "money" is created/loaned by an issuing authority, and interest is charged, there is instantly NOT ENOUGH MONEY to satisfy the original obligation- ever- because it hasn't been created yet!

it can only be paid back in full (including interest) if the loan issuer accepts something tangible of agreed upon equal value, or by creating/injecting more money into the system.

in creating/injecting more money, more debt is created by default. this cycle repeats as everyone tries to pay back their loans.

btw, using loaned money to pay back loaned money IS A PONZI SCHEME! it will eventually collapse on itself. the fed knows this. the government knows this. bernie madoff knows this.

and because we are trading debt for goods and services, the value of goods and services are diminished even though the "price" may be increasing. this is inflation.

further, when no one will accept tangible items in trade, the value of money increases disproportionally with the tangibles we need. consequently, these become more expensive even though they are physically the same things they were the day before.

money has been the fuel of consumption in our mad-consumer society, and it has become synonymous with wealth and status.

i tell you, money does not equal wealth or status. in fact, i would argue that the more "money" one amasses, the more contempt one has for life and living.

now more than ever, the political machine, fed by "money", is being allowed to overtake our government and its ability to govern for the common welfare. the common good is obsolete, and profit motivated special interests reign supreme. anyone who believes otherwise has been blinded by false promises and narrow world focus.

while we are all chasing our tails in circles of debt and trying to reach the carrot at the end of the stick, the worlds natural resources and ecosystems are being ravaged by these very corporations who now have an unlimited voice, not to mention the supreme court's blessing, in our legislative process.

and i believe it is equally distasteful that with this new supreme court ruling, labor unions and any other group for that matter, will have the same obscene spending ability to promote their self-serving agendas unchecked.

it's bad enough they all do it through back-room lobbyists, but now with soft campaign contributions up until election day... ugh!

the only way to affect real change is to void the value placed in this false idol known as money (that jesus guy, a very radical community organizer, had it right when he ransacked the market in the synagogue), demand the debt be retired, refuse to be a "mindless consumer" and return our focus of value to people, community, health and wellness, personal accountability, unrestricted education and higher learning, innovation, craftsmanship, art, the pursuit of knowledge, and stewardship of our environment. this will only happen with a massive grass-roots effort. we cannot count on career legislative politicians to look out for the public good when their own jobs (and money) are on the line.

and moving on to the environment for a moment, please take note... cap and trade is nothing more than a money making scheme by for-profit corporations and investment bankers/traders to continue depleting resources, controlling the debt, and keeping apathetic "workers" on the treadmill under the fictitious impression of someday becoming "wealthy".

cap and trade will not lead to environmental repair. it will create an economic bubble (just as it did in europe), lead to increased pollution, and further concentrate control of debt in the hands of bankers and speculative traders (bookies and gamblers).

the only real way to reduce carbon emissions is to reduce carbon burning. the only way to clean up pollution is to let the planet heal and return to balance. the earth was here long before humans started thinking we were so important, and it will be here long after we learn how unimportant we are.

politicians, bankers, and now for-profit corporations treated as individuals have only self-interest at heart. yet these are who we allow to be our leaders.

we need a rise of a global "smart" party. we need a rise of global selfless leaders. we need to return focus on stewardship rather than consumption. we need to remove indebted currency from the equation. we need to promote exploration and research, and measure wealth in terms of knowledge instead of money.

we may never be able to remove the animal from human nature, but we can make conscious decisions to get past greed and fear of loss. really, there is enough for everyone, and the planet can sustain us if we steward our resources with respect.

the planet was here long before we were, and will be here long after we cease to exist. the question is, how long can we sustain our existence on the planet? what (if anything) will we be remembered for?

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Campaign-Finance Ruling Opens Can of Worms

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703699204575017191336805982.html?mod=WSJ-WSJ-US-News-5

"The Supreme Court decision stripped away rules that limited the ability of corporations, unions and other organizations to fund and organize their own political campaigns for or against candidates. The court also struck down a part of the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance law that prevented any independent political group from running advertisements with 30 days of a primary election or 60 days before a general election. Together, the decisions make it easier for corporations, labor unions and other entities to mount political campaigns for and against candidates for Congress and the White House."

This is amazing! The lines of free speech have now been bastardized beyond any reasonable expectation our constitutional congress had in mind.

It is a well established ruling that we cannot (and should not) yell "FIRE" in a crowded theater if in fact there is no fire. Common sense, really. But the Supreme Court ruling as such was made FOR THE COMMON GOOD. FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL.

Removing campaign finance regulation does completely the opposite. It removes safe-guards that were in place specifically for the common good.

You see, every game has rules and regulations. Period. Boundaries are crucial for games to have a level playing field. And don't think for a second our democracy isn't a game. It has winners, it has losers, and it has bitter rivals pitted against one another. And it is a participatory spectator sport for sure!

Basically, campaign finance regulation IS a boundary which gives participants in our democracy game a level footing for their vote; it is a limit on the potential influence a financially privileged group can have over the less wealthy.

It IS NOT a limit on free speech! It is a limit on free-reign!

Anyone can still say whatever they want, however they want, for as long as they want... until the money runs out. This way, the financial influence of a privileged group CANNOT (AS THEY SHOULD NOT) have greater ability to influence our government.

CAREER POLITICIANS are not public servants. They are in their position for no other reason than to promote special interests.

This ACTIVIST court of ours has now taken us one step closer to the marriage of the corporation and government... a fascist state.

Here is a quote from Chris Hedges (and if you don't know who he is, GOOGLE IT!)

"We live in a corporate state. We live in a state that no longer responds to the interests of its citizens, but does the bidding of corporations. There is no shortage of examples of that, from the largest transference of wealth upwards in American history, to the so-called healthcare debate, where for profit healthcare industries are literally profiting off of death, any debate about healthcare must begin from the factual understanding that the for profit healthcare industry is the problem. Then we can debate what we do. But unfortunately, and many, many citizens know that, across the floor, but we can’t have it because we are completely controlled. We’ve undergone a kind of coup d‘etat in slow motion. We live in a kind of inverted totalitarianism where the façade of democracy and the constitution are held up as an ideal but the actual levers of power are driven by very destructive forces."

And be sure to check this out...
http://vodpod.com/watch/2398111-chris-hedges-empire-of-illusion-part-3-of-3

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

beyond resource management... resource stewardship

I'm reading "No Impact Man" (Colin Beavan) given to me as a Christmas present by my sister. It's a quick read, but I'm a slow reader, so I get to it in 10 page increments.

In chapter three now, but chapter two actually grabbed my attention on something quite remarkable. It seems there is a Native American tribe in Wisconsin, the Menominee, who appear to actually have a method of forest management that works.

Strictly by the numbers:

Their 235K acres inventoried 1.3billion standing board feet of timber in 1870.
Through current day, the Menominee have harvested nearly 2.25billion board feet
Their 235K acres inventoried 1.7billion standing board feet of timber in 2009

So let me get this straight... over 140 years, this group of Native Americans have not only harvested twice the amount of lumber originally available in 1870, but have actually INCREASED the current available lumber inventory by .4 billion board feet!

How can this be?

We all know the way to get lumber is to clear cut, slash and burn, and get boards to market as fast as possible, right?

And did I mention the living ecosystem within the forest is healthier and thriving more than ever?

WHAT IS THEIR SECRET?

Well, it seems the Menominee tend to cut only the weaker trees, leaving the strong "mother trees"- and enough of the upper canopy- available for the forest to remain intact.

You see, the Menominee realize their wants and needs are secondary. And not just secondary, but beyond a certain point, frivolous and wasteful. They realize they are guests of the forest too- just as are the other inhabitants. And in fact, they care much more deeply for what the forest wants and needs than their own gain.

Simply, they know that the forest cannot provide if it does not exist.

To this end, I issue a challenge... to try this for a month: take only the things you "need" and half of what you "want". Determine your actual requirements for reasonable living, but not to excess. See what you can live without. Drive less. Consolidate errands. Buy locally. Turn out the lights. Carpool. Find your limits. Make conscious buying and consumption decisions. Be engaged. Be aware.

I'm guessing you will not only have more bank account left at the end of the month, but you will have less clutter and a better sense of your forest.

Sustainability begins with stewardship. What could it hurt to try? Peace.

just wondering why...

Definitions:

  1. Government, noun- the individual or group of individuals accepted by a group to administer the established rule of order for the common welfare
  2. Government, verb/action- to govern; the administration of an established rule of order accepted by a group for the common welfare
  3. Politics, verb- the art of promoting special interests for a narrow few.

Hypothesis: A government's role in society is to provide infrastructure, security and public services for the common good.

Observation: When politics/special interests are injected in a body who's sole purpose is to serve the common good, then no good can come of it.

Conclusion: Government and politics have no business being associated with each other.

Digression: While practicing politics and when their own futures are uncertain (financially and otherwise), Government (legislators and officials) have absolutely no interest in the common good of the people they govern. They simply bend to the whim of the highest contributing special interest in an effort to keep their jobs.

Noteworthy: Funny how bitter rivals within our system of government become best of friends when their jobs are not on the line (Clinton the first and Bush the second are now "best buds" when it comes to rushing to the aid of the impoverished nation of Haiti when pummeled by a natural disaster.) But note how we never saw them rushing to help lift Haitians out of their daily squalor before the disaster. Maybe they are still practicing politics?

Friday, January 15, 2010

dangerous times

While I am a firm believer in obtaining news from multiple sources, I typically listen to NPR for most of my primary information.

The story broadcast on Jan 11th regarding the CIA death in Afghanistan really got my attention. Not for the heart-wrenching feelings of loss, or even the "compromised" security which led to the infiltration and suicide bombing, but for the simple word, "officers."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122436124

Copyright © 2009 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

DEBORAH AMOS, host:

We're learning more about a suicide bomber in Afghanistan as well as his victims. Elsewhere in today's program, we profiled the man who killed seven officers of the CIA. Now, we have the story of one of his victims.


I take exception to the lead-in for this story referencing the killing of 7 "officers" of the CIA. The word officers typically indicates a military or law enforcement designation of authority. The CIA is neither of these. CIA employs agents, operatives and even spies if you must, but not officers. Referencing workers of an ultra-secret, unchecked, clandestine organization as "officers" brings up images of Hitler's SS squads running rampant throughout WWII Europe. Further, what business is it of the CIA to be conducting war operations alongside military contractors anyway? If we have now blindly accepted the CIA as "officers" with military/law enforcement authority, then God help us.

I feel for the families and their losses. However, if the "agents" died in the line of duty, no matter what the instrument of death, it was their choice of career that put them in the line of fire. Should we not expect our enemies to fight back? War is war. These agents of the CIA had no trouble when they were on the delivering end of death- guiding unmanned drones into enemy positions and dropping explosive payloads. How many people, collateral and otherwise, had they themselves killed before being removed from the battlefield too? War is war.

Friday, January 8, 2010

kansas city's own private love canal

I happened to be completely unaware of this "economic development" news until tonight when it was the keynote topic at the Building Sustainable Earth Communities "Breaking the Silence" Environmental Conference. This third annual event, held at the KCK Convention Center, showcases area efforts to return core values of sustainable living and development to local communities. This year's theme is "HOW HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT CONNECT".

Basically, the news is Honeywell- the ginormous defense contractor- is planning a new nuclear weapons components facility to replace the aging (and hazardous) Bannister plant (http://economy.kansascity.com/?q=node/5469)

The gist of article is as follows:
  1. The project would build a 1.4 million-square-foot campus at Missouri 150 and Botts Road
  2. The agreement, which has been in the works for two years, would keep 2,100 jobs currently at the plant which manufactures 85 percent of the non-nuclear parts for the nation’s nuclear weapons arsenal.
  3. The developer, CenterPoint Zimmer LLC, must obtain final private financing for the project by March 31
  4. The project requires city approval because it calls for using a $2.6 million annual property tax abatement over 25 years
  5. The timetable calls for the first buildings to open by July 2012
But neither this, nor the rest of the article referenced above, comes anywhere close to telling the whole story.

As such, the keynote address tonight delivered a rousing message regarding the development of this new facility. The big take away for me was two fold:

1) As of yet, there is no written plan or guarantee from the government to CLEAN UP THE OLD FACILITY. If there is any question about what this means, just think, "Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant" and put a dollar sign on it.

2) The new facility, which is supposed to be financed by the private for-profit developer and run by a private for-profit defense contractor, is actually being funded with tax dollars through a mysterious $79Million "budget allocation" earmark added in such a way as it will not need to be approved through appropriations subcommittees and such.

I won't digress into the politics or launch wild accusations of cronyism, but all you have to do is follow the money to see how this is happening. Look for connections among the players; Centerpoint/Zimmer, Kit Bond, KC Southern, Honeywell, General Services Administration, and the new intermodal rail project. Put the pieces together for yourself.

Things that make you go hmmmm...

Before we as Kansas Citians are force fed our very own private Love Canal, and our children's children are faced with cleaning up a toxic nightmare- or worse yet, some developer ends up building a school or housing project right on top of this crap because he gets a good deal on some cheap land- get into the game, step up to the plate and swing for the fence on this one.

It is expected on Jan 14th, the City Council's Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will consider and OK the development plan. This is an open hearing. You have every right, and an obligation as a citizen, to attend.

DON'T LET THEM DO IT WITHOUT A COMPREHENSIVE, WRITTEN PLAN FROM YOUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO CLEAN UP THE OLD SITE.

BETTER YET, DON'T LET THEM APPROVE THE PLANT AT ALL BECAUSE HEY, WE DON'T NEED TO SPEND $79MM TAX DOLLARS ON NUKES "AND" GIVE THE DEVELOPER/OPERATOR OVER $40MM IN TAX BREAKS ON TOP IF IT.

YEA! That sounds like a fair trade. A worthwhile expenditure. A way to make a real difference for our future.

We're simply trading education, infrastructure and community dollars for war, destruction and nuclear weapons dollars.

You can argue jobs, jobs, jobs all you want. But I will argue, "exactly what kind of jobs do you want for our future?"

Is selling our environmental soul for a quick buck today really the message we want to send? Is continuing to perpetuate a nuclear world the direction we want to go?

Haven't we already proved nuclear weapons are a bad idea?

More nukes do not and will never make us safer as a community, nation or world. Period. But unchecked toxic waste dumps and lining pockets through politics will always deteriorate our society.

Do your own research and then go ahead and contact your mayor (816.513.3500 or mayor@kcmo.org) and your City Council too (816.513.1368) to tell them what YOU think about this.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

but i digress even further...

and the thing is... "it's" really not about any one thing: warming, or cooling, or climate shift, or flooding, or ozone, or being green, or carbon credits, or pollution, making money or economic development or what have you... those are just the byproducts of human arrogance.

rather, it's about learning to live/coexist within our environment. it's about taking care of what we have. it's about not consuming/using things until they are completely gone. it's about optimizing our existence- not maximizing take, or minimizing give. it's about all things.

it's about sustainability, and sustainability begins with stewardship. asking ourselves how long we want to be here, and in what condition do we want to live?

you see, the planet survived long before we arrived, and will be here long after we depart. but don't you just hate it when someone pisses in the swimming pool and ruins it for everyone?

defining the moment

In the midst of one of the coldest weather patterns in recent memory, and more snow in Kansas City than I've seen since I was a kid, it's so easy to pull out the old standby, "Gee, I thought we had to worry about global warming?" and the proverbial, "Where are all those greenhouse gasses when we need them?"



We say these things in jest, of course, just to comment on and cope with the extreme weather events. After all, we've got to have something clever to say at the cocktail party, right?



And while the slide toward chit-chat, banter and small talk is an easy ride, made easier by a vodka-tonic, we inevitably fail to grasp the moment to talk "big", smart, intelligently and god-forbid, proactively.



So next time you are tempted to dumb-down to the lowest common denominator in the room, here are a few REAL talking points which may (or may not) make a difference in someone's point of view. However, you will have at least PROACTIVELY made the attempt at disseminating usable information:

  • Global warming is typically referenced in the contemporary as the overall increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation.
  • As one might expect, global temperature is subject to short-term fluctuations that overlay long term trends and can temporarily mask them. The relative stability in temperature from 1999 to 2009 is consistent with such an episode.
  • Climate change, on the other hand, is a change in the statistical distribution of weather and regional climate characteristics, including temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind, and severe weather events over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average (for example, greater or fewer extreme weather events).
  • It is predicted that future climate changes will include further global warming (i.e., an upward trend in global mean temperature), sea level rise, and a probable increase in the frequency of some extreme weather events.

Remember, those who are flexible bend; those who are rigid break. Those who are smart know the difference.

Monday, January 4, 2010

cap-and-trade

i've been a huge fan of annie leonard. she is positive. she is profound. she is engaged in her pursuit. she is open. and she won't drink the kool-aid.

her storyofstuff is an amazing project, and is "smart" enough to be provoking, but "simple" enough to be accessible.

enjoy the teaser video clip below and forget scare tactics such as rumors of $10-$15 per gallon fuel... the go directly to www.storyofstuff.com now and learn about the real reasons cap-and-trade is a bad idea.


avatar... the goliath of the moment

i saw "avatar" over the weekend. it was moving. it was provoking. it was inspiring. and i was thinking further about avatar yesterday too- when i read, worldwide, its three week take is now up to $1billion (due mostly to inflated/premium ticket prices for 3D screenings).

what i was thinking, other than the stunning $1billion attention getter, was how the same old message was updated, repackaged, and resold. more so than any other movie i've seen in a while, these characters were cookie-cutter stereotypes. the corp guy was a greedy yes-man bastard, the military commander was a macho meathead jock, the scientist was a pawn, and our hero was the "disadvantaged" underdog.

this movie was so dumbed-down, so simple, so obvious, its no wonder no one thinks about the message... they don't have to think at all!

then i was thinking of all the contemporary movies with the same storyline... my list is as follows: alien, braveheart, dances with wolves, the abyss, waterworld, the day after tomorrow and pocahontas. and i'm sure there are more, older movies too, with the same story lines, i just can't think of them at this moment.

but since there really wasn't anything new in this film, other than the medium, all i can surmise is mr. cameron was just out to generate MORE income for his empire. is he an artist? is he a businessman? is he a rainmaker? has he done more good than harm? can he use the proceeds of his blockbuster to do something meaningful? what's his game? time will tell.

setting the tone for 2010


In previous posts, I've commented on the blatant lies and misleading efforts put forth by spam emails- you know, the kind people blindly forward for whatever reason.

Well, 2010 wasn't even two days old when I received my first of the new year. Funny thing, it wasn't anything new. In fact, it was just another recycled extremist propaganda piece. This time though, it really pushed my buttons.

The photos was of yours truly Obama and the Mrs., standing at attention, pledging allegiance to the flag, with the following commentary:

"Hard to believe, but the attached photo shows two citizens saluting the American flag with the wrong hand! Their wedding rings, American flag lapel pin, and the mans suit coat buttons show that the photo hasnt been flipped. Im not amazed, just saddened by their ignorance!"

Not to be content with simply knowing better, I was compelled to speak out with a mass email of my own to those on the list who received the original offending spam. Here is what I put out there:

To all... I don't care what your politics, punditry, jingoistic bantering, knuckle-dragging or general laziness may truly say about your purported position in life or even your level of susceptibility to various kool-aid drinking offers... but I am just saddened by YOUR ignorance, and willingness to blindly pass along falsehoods which- regardless of your politics- demean a man and his wife... not to mention YOUR Commander in Chief.

To accuse, label and libel a person with false evidence is by its very nature the definition of fascism. Should I believe YOU are actually Neo-Nazis attempting to subvert YOUR DEMOCRACY?

CHECK YOUR FACTS. THIS ONE TOOK ABOUT 1 SECOND (0.35 TO BE EXACT) ON GOOGLE TO FIND: http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/photos/lefthand.asp

Haven't we enough problems to solve TOGETHER without continually resorting to separatist fear tactics?

Matter of fact... why don't you spend your obvious excess of free time tracking down some REAL issues which are at the core of the decline of life on this rock (not just the "American way of life", but earth inhabitants- human and otherwise- in general)?

Here is some research material for you: http://storyofstuff.com/

GET ON BOARD, OR STEP OFF. IT'S NOT THAT HARD, PEOPLE. WHAT ARE YOU SO SCARED OF?

So there you are. I believe the tone has been set, possibly for the decade. The message is ¡Ya basta! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Beyond morals, or religion, or whatever deity you subscribe... ask yourself what it is you truly value?

If you value your integrity, your reputation, your name... then you should understand others might value the same. Follow the golden rule; do unto others; treat others as you would be treated.

We will not be overrun by small, weak minded simpletons. We know better. We're smarter than that. We command our futures. We stand for truth.

Just as the email spam isn't anything new, neither is this message; just repackaged and updated for a new day.

Happy new year, all. May this post find you happy, healthy, safe, and motivated.