lonelygirl’s Recent Comments

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  yes, let's do it!

  Hansen's letter is the clearest explanation to date I've seen on what we can do to stop climate change, and gives me a lot of hope that we can still avert total climate collapse with some very appealing and concrete proposals. I'm very inspired by his proposals, and dismayed to see all the carping and negativity about it.

  I just came back from a trip to India. It was very eye-opening. A number of the criticisms posted above completely lack understanding of the context of these developing countries. If we want China and India to stop burning coal, we need to give them a cleaner alternative that is dirt cheap. I saw lots of people burning trash, including plastic bottles. The air quality was horrendous. People accept it as just the way things are, versus what, not having a campfire to cook your food at night?

  The average income in India is less than $800/year. Their standard of living is not even a third as good as ours in the U.S. Most people there own very little, material-wise, and they just don't have ease of access to material resources that we do, while we waste tons of resources every day and toss things out without a second thought. It's immoral and it's no wonder that these countries insist on their right to development, even if it pollutes, because we in the U.S. pollute plenty to support our extravagant lifestyles, while they struggle to obtain basic necessities.

  The reality is that it's difficult to begin to even think of accomplishing things in India that we take for granted here. When the average "middle-class" family is surviving on $40/month after they pay for rent, water, sewage and electricity, not to mention the legions of ultra-poor families that get by on even less than that with no household water, sewage or electricity, it's hard to imagine a material reality of solar panels or ground-source heat pumps everywhere.

  This was the first I'd heard that there might be a nuclear energy option that didn't create tons of hazardous waste for a bazillion years. That is really exciting news. If it's realistically within technical possibility, I'm all for pursuing it as a backup plan and sharing it with developing countries to get them to stop burning fossil fuels, which is what Hansen is suggesting.

  Implementing these major initiatives and policy recommendations will put us on the right track to stop climate change. We can always implement additional policies to deal with any unintended consequences, for example if one is concerned that biofuels will displace forests if we don't tax biofuels like fossil fuels. After all, that sort of displacement is a concern whether or not a Hansen-style carbon tax is implemented. Just work to protect more forests!

  I'd like to see a strong grassroots push for a carbon tax as Hansen proposes. Who will join me in this effort?On An open letter to the president and first lady from the nation's top climate scientist posted 10 months, 4 weeks ago 48 Responses

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  Eco-Dent toothpowder

  I've been using Eco-Dent toothpowder for over 10 years.  I think it's far nicer and eco-friendlier than any of the "pastes". A bottle lasts a really long time and is economical. I just wet my brush and sprinkle some on.

  For the people who don't like fluoride, it's fluoride-free. My dentist doesn't seem to think it's a problem that it doesn't contain fluoride.

  I like it because it gets my mouth clean and feels like it neutralizes the acids. I actually look forward to brushing with it. It's not chalky or abrasive or harsh like some other tooth powders or pastes.

  It's also great for backpacking, just pack a small quantity in a foil-lined package reused from an individual tea bag wrapper.

  I like the anise flavor best, which I didn't think I would. Lemon-lime is also good if you can find it. Not as harsh on the mouth as mint.On A family-friendly review of six eco-toothpastes posted 1 year, 8 months ago 20 Responses