Monday, February 23, 2009

WORK


Love the clever word/work play here:

"The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a medical alert about a highly contagious, potentially dangerous virus that is transmitted orally, by hand, and even electronically. This virus is called Weary Overload Recreational Killer (WORK). If you receive WORK from your boss, any of your colleagues, or anyone else via any means whatsoever - DO NOT TOUCH IT. This virus will wipe out your private life completely. If you should come into contact with WORK you should immediately leave the premises. Take two good friends to the nearest grocery store and purchase one or both of the antidotes - Work Isolating Neutralizer Extract (WINE) and Bothersome Employer Elimination Rebooter (BEER). Take the antidote repeatedly until WORK has been completely eliminated from your system. You should immediately forward this medical alert to five friends. If you do not have five friends, you have already been infected and WORK is controlling your life."

Friday, February 13, 2009

Global Warming by the Numbers

Friday the 13th just got a little scarier. Here are 13 facts about the realities of global warming. Even Jason would be scared.

The numbers speak for themselves -- we must make 2009 the showdown year for global warming action. There is no time to lose.

35%

Increase in the global carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1992.
388.57 ppm

Average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in May 2008, a record high.
541 – 970 ppm

The projected concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 2100 under a business as usual scenario where we don't dramatically reduce global warming emissions.
260 – 280 ppm

Average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere before industrial emissions.
50 – 200 years

Length of time carbon dioxide stays in the earth's atmosphere before it is absorbed into carbon sinks.
1000 years

Length of time changes in the earth's surface temperature, rainfall, and sea level will remain even after carbon dioxide emissions are completely stopped.
34%

Percentage that 2008's Arctic seasonal sea ice melt outpaced normal levels.
70%

Increase in the rate of Greenland's ice melt over the last five years.
1.7 days

Number of days earlier seasons are coming than 50 years ago.
1.5 million

Number of acres of forests in Colorado destroyed by the pine beetle, which is better able to survive warmer winters and is wrecking havoc in America's western forests.
$427 million

Amount spent by the oil and coal industries in the first six months of 2008 in political contributions, lobbying expenditures and advertising to oppose climate action.
0

Number of global warming bills passed by the Senate.
0

Number of global warming bills passed by the House.

Sources:

* NOAA CO2 Trends
* IPCC Third Assessment Report
* Carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere
* Atmosphere, Climate & Environment Information Programme
* ESRL News: New Study Shows Climate Change Largely Irreversible
* Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis
* An Accurate Picture Of Ice Loss In Greenland
* Pine Beetles: Worse Than You Thought
* Early seasons : article : Nature Reports Climate Change
* Hill Heat : Oil and Coal Industries Spending Two Million Dollars a Day to Shape Political Debate

Monday, February 2, 2009

Dalai Lama


THE PARADOX OF OUR AGE

We have bigger houses but smaller families; more conveniences, but less time.

We have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge but less judgement; more experts, but more problems; more medicines but less healthiness.

We’ve been all the way to the Moon and back, but have trouble in crossing the street to meet our new neighbors.

We built more computers to hold more copies than ever, but have less real communication.

We have become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are times of fast foods but slow digestion; tall men but short characters; steep profits but shallow relationships.

It’s a time when there is much in the window…….but nothing in the room.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Permaculture Definitions and Resiliance Indicators


DEFINITIONS

Permaculture is a design system based on ecological principles which provides the organizing framework for implementing a permanent or sustainable culture. It draws together the diverse skills and ways of living which need to be rediscovered and developed to empower us to move from being dependent consumers to becoming responsible producers.

In this sense, permaculture is not the landscape, or even the skills of organic gardening, sustainable farming, energy-efficient building or eco-village development as such, but can be used to design, establish, manage and improve these and all other efforts made by individuals, households and communities towards a sustainable future. -David Holmgren

Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labor; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system. –Bill Mollison

Permaculture is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive systems which have the diversity, stability and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of the landscape with people providing their food, energy, shelter and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way. –Graham Bell

DAVID HOLMGREN’S ERMACULTURE PRINCIPLES

1. Observe and Interact

2. Catch and Store Energy

3. Obtain a Yield

4. Apply self-regulation and Accept Feedback

5. Use and Value Renewable Resources and Services

6. Produce No Waste

7. Design from Patterns to Details

8. Integrate Rather Than Segregate

9. Use Small and Slow Solutions

10. Use and Value Diversity

11. Use Edges and Value the Marginal

12. Creatively Use and Respond to Change



RESILIANCE INDICATORS

The percentage of local trade carried out in local currency
Percentage of food consumed locally that was produced within a given radius
Ratio of car parking space to productive land use
Degree of engagement in practical transition work by local community
Amount of traffic on local roads
Number of businesses owned by local people
Proportion of the community employed locally
Percentage of essential goods manufactured within a given radius
Percentage of local building materials used in new housing
Percentage of energy consumed in the town that has been generated by local industry
Amount of 16-year-olds able to grow 10 different varieties of vegetables to a given degree of basic competency
Percentage of medicines prescribed locally that have been produced within a given radius

Sound familiar?