Comments ourearthmusic has made

  • I suggest the documentary, Garbage Warrior, about sustainable architect Michael Reynolds. He has built many houses off the grid in Northen New Mexico (near Taos) over many decades. This is the movie description from Amazon.com:

    Garbage Warrior is a feature-length documentary film telling the epic story of maverick US architect Michael Reynolds and his fight to introduce radically sustainable housing. An extraordinary tale of triumph over bureaucracy, Garbage Warrior is above all an intimate portrait of an extraordinary individual and his dream of changing the world


    Reynolds believes that we need to be able to experiment with new types of housing, and this effort is hamstrung by very complex housing codes.

    On Ask Umbra on living off the grid posted 7 months ago 17 Responses

  • Good for LCV

    The ball's in your court, Chevron.On LCV calls out Chevron hypocrisy posted 1 year ago 3 Responses

  • ETA for Roz Savage to Hawaii looks like 9/2 or 9/3

    Roz will meet up with the "Junk Males" in Honolulu. See
    http://www.rozsavage.com/tracking/weather.phpOn Homemade garbage barge about to make landfall in Hawaii posted 1 year, 3 months ago 6 Responses

  • Good job, Junk! Meetup with Roz Savage-ocean rower

    Kudos to The Junk for their difficult sail to Hawaii in order to bring attention to the problem of plastic pollution in the ocean.

    Also interesting is their meetup mid-sea with Roz Savage, who is currently rowing from San Francisco to Hawaii (raising awareness of marine eco-systems). Roz is nearly to Hawaii after leaving SF in May. They had dinner and exchanged supplies that they were low on. You can read about this historic meetup . IF YOU CAN, PLEASE VOTE FOR ROZ FOR A GRANT FOR HER NON-PROFIT DOCUMENTARY BY 9/1/08 ON THE AMERICAN EXPRESS MEMBER'S PROJECT (http://www.membersproject.com/project/view/GUMBK6). YOU DON'T NEED TO BE AN AMEX CARDHOLDER. THANKS VERY MUCH!

    Roz's current row is part one of a three part row to Australia. www.rozsavage.com .On Homemade garbage barge about to make landfall in Hawaii posted 1 year, 3 months ago 6 Responses

  • trolls

    WF, I totally agree with you. Please see my comment under the topic:

    Should we keep rebutting skeptics?
    http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/5/4/04942/93092

    I think we should bounce any trolls after three comments denying climate change.

    BTW, does anyone know how to see recent comments other than the sidebar on the gristmill page?On Hansen says scientists need lovin', too posted 2 years, 5 months ago 6 Responses

  • Trolls

    I agree with Billhook and Ken Ward. We should cut off any poster who denies climate change 3 times. Ken Ward said it well above. It is time to start talking about the coming calamities and necessary mitigation. We don't need to engage each shill on this site.

    However, I think it is important for Grist to rebut any denier from a major media source - mainstream television, newspapers, radio, magazines as well as major internet sites.On Vote! posted 2 years, 5 months ago 96 Responses

  • I like this guy

    I will have to check out some of his books.

    ourearthmusic

    p.s. Check out www.myspace.com/peacejamforearthdayOn Champion of 'social ecology' dies at 85 posted 3 years, 3 months ago 13 Responses

  • some more enviro kid's music

    Check out Wendy Flower's new release, Flower Power. Wendy is a very talented and experienced musician who has just recorded her new family oriented album.

    Anne Leighton says in her newsletters:
    "Wendy Flower has a sweet, Jackie DeShannon-esque ecologically-minded and animal-loving CD, FLOWER POWER.   Proceeds go to Freethechildren.org, an education program for children in 45 countries.  
    . . . FLOWER POWER is perfect for families trying to educate their young children about principles offered in scary movies like AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. The web site is wendyflower.com, and her e-mail is wendy@wendyflower.com."On Curious George and Jack Johnson posted 3 years, 6 months ago 8 Responses

  • Early song on global warming by the Ten Hands

    Here is a song on climate change from 1988 from a now defunct band from a "vibrant and occasionally brilliant club rock from Denton, TX, band" (near Dallas)

    Artist: Ten Hands
    Song: "The Greenhouse Effect"
    Album: "Kung Fu...That's What I Like"

    Three men in offices with air conditioning
    Who think in triplicate and dream in $$$
    They are the rule makers, they are the gameplayers
    They think that they will be here 'til the end of time
    There is a president who has a cabinet
    They think defensively and dream of deficits
    Till the end of time..
    They think that they will be here till the end of time..
    There are boys and girls in college with two story townhouses
    With paid utilities and late model sports cars
    There are people in churches with blind religions
    Who dictate morals to chosen people
    There are men with educations and women with degrees
    Who use their brains for money to build a life of ease
    There are "sensitive young artists" with high ideals
    Who recognize the danger and stuff their ears with fame
    (TAKE IT, GARY!!!!)
    [There is every kind of person, there is every kind of pain
    There's a different life for all of us, it all ends up the same
    There are smokestacks belching chemicals into the atmosphere
    And God is smiling down on them
    The intent was always clear
    It turns out that what's important
    Is not what it seems to be
    'Cus in the end there's still the sun, the moon, the earth, the sky, the sea...]
    ...the end of time

    The casette is no longer available (a later album is on amazon.com). Here is a review of this album:
    http://www.mp3.com/albums/499796/reviews.htmlOn Pop songs about global warming posted 3 years, 8 months ago 13 Responses

  • Saw Gore's presentation recently at Stanford Univ.

    It was very impressive and well received. He sounded passionate and very knowledgable. Also, very good slides / photos. It was not brief, but seemed to hold people's attention. I'm sure we'll see more of Al.

    I do agree that it is time to talk to conservatives, but I also agree with Dave that no one told conservatives to stick their heads in the sand, or to buy the hogwash put forth by hacks hired by the oil industry. When things get more serious there will be plenty of finger-pointing, but I will not say the enviros are to blame for delays in action.On And other thoughts from a 'clueless' enviro. posted 3 years, 11 months ago 6 Responses

  • Unjust Breathe

    From the Daily Grist. I wonder if the cancer rates are higher in the neighborhoods with higher pollution.

    "Unjust Breathe
    Blacks more likely than whites to be breathing polluted air

    Sadly, few will be shocked to hear that black Americans are more likely than whites to be breathing the nation's most unhealthy air. An Associated Press analysis of year-2000 data from two federal sources -- the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory and the Census Bureau's population count -- reveals that blacks nationwide are 79 percent more likely than whites to live in neighborhoods where air pollution from nearby industrial plants probably poses the greatest health risk. Hispanics and Asians face elevated risks as well. AP also found that residents of these neighborhoods were generally poorer and less educated, and endured unemployment rates nearly 20 percent higher than the national average. The EPA has been trying to loosen industry's reporting requirements for the TRI -- a move activists fear will make it much more difficult to track both industrial pollution and who is being affected by it.

    straight to the source: ABC News, Associated Press, David Pace, 13 Dec 2005

    straight to the source: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, John Heilprin, 14 Dec 2005"On Chemicals and cancer posted 3 years, 11 months ago 4 Responses

  • I like these ideas

    We need to get more visibility for enviro progress - positive progress is motivating.On Gas fees: The good, the bad, and the curious posted 3 years, 11 months ago 2 Responses

  • Some people retain toxins more than others

    I think Michael (post above this) makes some very good points about unconsented experiments.

    My comment to this post is that generalization is often wrong. After working with a naturopathic doctor for over a year on chronic food sensitivities and other issues, I have found out that certain individuals are genetically predisposed to retain toxins, such as lead and mercury, instead of naturally processing them away via the liver (perhaps up to 5% of the population - the number from a recent report on the PBS Newshour). This, apparently, was a factor in Beethoven's lead poisoning, which has recently been reported on in the media (discovered from verified bone fragments of Beethoven - topic of the aforementioned Newshour report). There are suspected links to autism and learning disorders, as well as food allergies/sensitivities and other illnesses. Who knows how it relates to cancer? Unfortunately, we live in a toxic stew.On Chemicals and cancer posted 3 years, 11 months ago 4 Responses

  • New restaurant

    It sounds great. I can't wait to try it!On Former Google chef plans to launch sustainable cafe in Cali posted 4 years, 2 months ago 2 Responses

  • Check out "Curb Your Enthusiasm" HBO

    Thought I saw a Prius in that show. Perfect, since Larry and Laurie David are NRDC mucky-mucks.On Could TV and film be the key to the renewable energy revolution? posted 4 years, 3 months ago 6 Responses

  • What a Falloon!

    A good way to do a reality check is to go to www.realclimate.org which has been described by grist recently.  It is a site run by climate scientists.  I have to disagree that people/businesses/governments should wait before decreasing their output of greenhouse gases based on the following article by gavin from that site.  The link is
    http://www.realclimate.org/index.php?p=105#more-105

    QUOTE:
    snip

    An important point to note is that while cooling from aerosols and warming from greenhouse gases may have a slight cancelling effect in the global mean, this is not true regionally. Ideas that we should increase aerosol emissions to counteract global warming have been described as a "Faustian bargain" because that would imply an ever increasing amount of emissions in order to match the accumulated GHG in the atmosphere, with ever increasing monetary and health costs.

    Does this all have either an implication for the global climate sensitivity (how much warming would result from a doubling of CO2) or the scenarios used by IPCC to project climate changes out to 2100? This is where I have to disagree most strongly with the commentary in the program. First, if we were trying to estimate climate sensitivity purely from the response over the 20th century, we would need to know a number of things quite exactly: chiefly the magnitude of all the relevant forcings. However, the uncertainties in the different aerosol effects in particular, preclude an accurate determination from the instrumental period alone. While it is true that, holding everything else equal, an increase in how much cooling was associated with aerosols would lead to an increase in the estimate of climate sensitivity, the error bars are too large for this to be much of a constraint. The estimate of 3+/-1 deg C (for doubled CO2) based on paleo-data and model studies is therefore still valid, even after this program. On What a Falloon! posted 4 years, 10 months ago 2 Responses

  • why can't enviros make a damn impression?

    Agreed, shelbydog. Also, as George Lakoff has pointed out "the environment" is "out there" for many people.  It is not part set of their core concerns. Nevermind that we all need a habitable environment in order to thrive.On Priorities for a Healthy ... zzz ... posted 4 years, 10 months ago 3 Responses

  • Global warming is seen by too many as a hoax

    Well, I see the point you are making about spending too much time talking about what to call the problem, rather than either fixing it or convincing others to help fix it.  However, I still stand by my statement that "climate instability" is a much better term since PERHAPS one of the reasons that people think that global warming is a hoax is that the effects are unpredictable and site specific.  Each season varies, although the trend is to overall warmer global temperatures.  Some years summer is very late to arrive in certain locales that are important in the media, such as NYC.  Then, on the media, comedians make a number of jokes concerning this supposed warming.  I believe that climate scientists state that the local effect of global warming is unpredictable.  If cloud cover is consistently increased, instead of steady warmer days, the trend will be instability, with worse heat waves and storms.  Remember, most people pay most attention to just their experience in their area, and don't look at the averages for larger areas.On "Climate variability" posted 4 years, 10 months ago 6 Responses

  • climate INSTABILITY

    I don't think "climate variability" is a good term since everyone knows that the weather is always changing!  I have been proposing the term "Climate Instability" as a better alternative than "global warming" (sounds kind of nice) and "climate change" (same objection as climate variability).  I think "climate instability" says it better as it implies that perhaps humankind is mucking up natural systems.  I encourage all enviros to start using this term!On "Climate variability" posted 4 years, 11 months ago 6 Responses

  • Politician instructs media on accuracy; timespace

    Between this reporter and Crichton, the public is going to be mighty confused.  Refer your friends to www.realclimate.org . On Politician instructs media on accuracy; timespace implodes on itself posted 4 years, 11 months ago 8 Responses

  • real scientists vs. Michael Crichton

    I saw this travesty and it will only further confuse and propagandize the public who would just rather not worry about climate change.  Ugh!

    I agree with George Lakoff (the framing guy) that climate change should be called global warming.  "Warming" sounds nice - "Oh it will be warmer in Pittsburg in the winter." I think we enviros should start calling it "Climate Catatrophe" or something like that.  "Climate Instability" is even better, maybe.  "Climate Change" was cooked up by the conservatives, I believe.On Climate Wars III: Return of the Scientists posted 4 years, 11 months ago 3 Responses

  • Do you hate the word "enviros"?

    Hmmm, Elle, you may be onto something with "Earth Guardian".  I like it, although "enviro" is shorter.  Perhaps a contest would be a good idea!  Also, whatever happened with the poll?  I missed the posting of the results.On Do you hate the word "enviros"? posted 4 years, 11 months ago 13 Responses

  • Climate Wars III: Return of the Scientists

    This sounds like a great start!  I'll help publicize it on other chat rooms, like alfrankenweb.com, etc.On Climate Wars III: Return of the Scientists posted 4 years, 11 months ago 3 Responses

  • How is environment going to play on Tuesday?

    I have been participating quite a bit at the alfrankenweb.com chat room (official fan site) and I can tell you that there a good number of people there who say the environment is their number one concern.  I believe it will play a larger factor than the media gives it credit for.  Particularly in certain states, such as Nevada.On How is environment going to play on Tuesday? posted 5 years, 1 month ago 2 Responses