Comments mskellyann has made

Wind farms

I want so much for this county to embrace renewable energy, but the picture of the wind development in Grist's email really scares me.  We need small, local energy sources, not large wind developments in rural areas where the energy is often exported to another state.

Ideas?

Kellyann

Human population loss

Just think about what reducing the human population means, bailsout.  What climate change is already doing in Bangledesh, for example.

The human population is too large, but we need to address it by working on birth control and education, not by hoping for plagues and natural disasters.On Climate change risk underestimated: study posted 9 months ago 3 Responses

The problem is . . .

Free-range, organic, locally-raised and -slaughtered chicken is available only to the few of us who a) raise our own chickens, or b) live rurally, near people who do.  Food is not a hands-on thing for most Americans.

And that is what needs to change.  Any bright ideas?On Cheap-chicken ad from KFC hides true cost of food; here's a tastier, low-cost alternative posted 9 months, 3 weeks ago 17 Responses

friarslantern

What you said.  This was the most disappointing Ask Umbra ever.

And I'd like to add that those who sound like "zealots" only do so because they are fighting against the massive agribusiness and its friend the FDA, whose viewpoints totally dominate the "conversation."  See Wendell Berry, for example.

My husband and I drink cheap, raw, organic milk from a small, responsible dairy farmer.  It's great, and we've had no problems, nor have any of the other people (including families with small children) who get milk from the same dairy.  The state of Vermont recently passed a law (H616)making it easier for dairy farmers to sell raw milk, which makes small-scale organic dairy farming more sustainable within the local economy.  

And there ARE health benefits to raw milk as well; large-scale tests haven't been done precisely because of the way the FDA and USDA marginalize small family farms.  See www.ruralvermont.org for information about some of the tests done by independent scientists.  There is also testimony from the H616 discussion.  If you'd like in-depth explanations of the tests and hearings, Rural Vermont will provide hard copies of anything not linked to on the website. One thing I'll add here - the healthy bacteria (like those in your gut, which keep you healthy) in raw milk was found actually to IMPEDE the growth of harmful bacteria.  If you add e. coli to raw milk, the healthy bacteria will fight against it and may even eliminate it; if you add e. coli to pasteurized milk, the e. coli stays and multiplies.

There is also a Dairy Bacterial Testing company in our area which will do on-site tests; perhaps there's one in your area, too!On Umbra on raw milk posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago 20 Responses

food for cars

I'm not convinced that giving one's money to agribusiness is a better choice than giving it to oil companies.  They're symbiotic at best.

And thank you, sje333, for reminding us about the link between biodiesel and asthma!On Umbra on biodiesel vs. hybrids posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago 12 Responses

Orlio

Orlio is another organic, Vermont craft-beer company.  Their black lager is as close to the perfect fall/winter drink as I think it's possible to be.On A tasting of five fall-friendly organic dark brews posted 1 year, 1 month ago 4 Responses

Garden of Eden

Thought by whom to be the location of the garden of Eden?  Not by biblical scholars, who almost unanimously agree that the Garden of Eden story is a myth and that the place described is of cosmic, not geographical, significance.  The four named rivers in the tale (one of which is completely unknown to us moderns) correspond to no geographical location.On Snippets from the news posted 1 year, 2 months ago 1 Response

For those who don't understand the anger . . .

. . . read the articles.

I already dislike wind power for its extreme landscape-altering abilties.  This is not an aesthetic concern: I think that, once many landscapes are dominated by windfarms, they will be seen as more "ours," that the turbines will put a human stamp of ownership on the land.  That is unacceptable to me.  The last thing we need to do right now is to mark more of the land as dominated by human beings.

But there are other problems, too.  Like the rural poor getting bribed into hosting turbines that harm their sleep and their health.  Like poor rural communities becoming further devalued and disrupted by developers who only see the bottom line, who want to build lucrative power-exporting plants.  Like the communities themselves selling out, and being left bitter and hopeless when they realize they can't renege.

Evidently, this is already happening.

I live in a relatively poor, rural farming community, and I can tell you, people leasing their land to wind developers and shutting down their farms WILL destroy a way of life.  

People move to where I live for the tranquility, to learn to revive skills and crafts that have almost died out in the last 100 years, and to make art.  Same as the areas discussed in these articles.  Now people who've lived there for decades are moving away - they can't sleep because of the noise and the landscape is ruined by those big man-made turbines.  I understand their anger.

This side of wind power is something that environmentalists must understand before they ask rural folks to sell out.  On N.Y. wind rush brings corruption complaints, divides rural communities posted 1 year, 3 months ago 6 Responses

Eco-bags

are reusable, unbleached-cotton bags.  They can be mashine-washed and last much longer than plastic bags. They're good for veggies, grains, beans, and nuts.  Just not beets.  Unless you want red-splotched eco-bags.On Umbra on storing produce posted 1 year, 4 months ago 15 Responses

out of touch with the Real

What about the fact that the majority of video- and computer-game addicts are so absorbed in their games that they're rarely even aware of what's going on in the outside world (I have numerous family members who are, or have been, gaming addicts, so I know whereof I speak).

What about the lack of a personal connection with nature?  As environmental educators have been saying over and over and over, you don't care about what you don't know, and you need to care in order to protect something.

Get yourselves and your kids outdoors and engaged in the real world!On Umbra on video games saving the world posted 1 year, 7 months ago 10 Responses

Poor wolves

While not unexpected, this still breaks my heart.  Partly it's the obscene delight ranchers seem to take killing these creatures.

And it's the number one reason why I am a vegetarian.  Ranchers and wolves simply cannot peacefully coexist.On Gray wolves in northern Rocky Mountains lose endangered-species protections posted 1 year, 9 months ago 13 Responses

one more . . .

Upper Canada Soap makes great paraben-free, non-animal-tested lotions.  They work VERY well (I live in Vermont, so I should know) and have nice, mild scents.On A review of six hand and body lotions posted 1 year, 10 months ago 16 Responses

Farmers' Diner . . .

Yes, the food is great.  Now if only Mr. Murphy would hire some polite, intelligent staff.

Also, I'd add Deborah Madison, who made it so darn easy to cook vegetarian food, in season.  She deserves a mention for that alone!On 15 Green Chefs posted 2 years, 4 months ago 25 Responses

Simple garbage solution

My husband and I had a VERY green wedding a few years ago on a Vermont hill.  One thing that troubled me was food waste, until a friend with pigs and chickens offered to take it all.  We only had to ask our guests to sort food scraps into pig- and chicken-appropriate bins.

Obviously, not everyone lives in a place where this can be done.  But if you do, you'll be left with almost no garbage!On Umbra on greening your wedding posted 2 years, 8 months ago 11 Responses