Comments rong has made

  • Canvas bags the way to go....

    but there will always be things that need to have their own container.  Wolverine, I like natural peanut butter as much as the next guy, but I'm confused about how you do away with packaging when you buy bulk peanut butter. Do you, like, fill up your pockets? :-).  I've been grocery shopping for about 50 years, and there have always been items that weren't appropriate for bulk sale.  I don't remember seeing a communal toothpaste bucket at the store where I'd scoop out what I need.  Milk has always come in unit packaging.  And, I prefer canvas bags to recyclable bags because some recycle markets are getting saturated; in many cases it's just better to have something you can reuse yourself.  On Whole Foods to stop giving out plastic grocery bags by Earth Day posted 1 year, 10 months ago 18 Responses

  • Hmmm, interesting logic

    So, at the hearings today, there were reports that Michigan's politicos are against tough emissions laws because it would cost Michigan jobs.  I guess that they're sort of admitting, then, that automakers in Michigan don't know how to build energy efficient transportation. And to think we used to be so smart.  And, indirectly, it sounds like they're saying that the damage of global warming is less important than the jobs of folks in Michigan.  Maybe the population there should demand that the automakers start building cars that meet the planet's needs instead of just the lining the pocketbooks of their investors.

    Also, you gotta love the logic of the EPA chief.  He says the law allows him the flexibility to make these decisions, even if it means he's going against the recommendations of his own staff, who make it clear that if EPA gets sued on this, they will lose.  More taxpayer money down the drain.  So, I guess, no matter how idiotic his decisions might be, the law says it's ok.  Well, we had a disaster management chief who knew nothing about disaster management, I guess it's ok to have an EPA chief who doesn't know what the letters of his department stand for, especially the "Protection" part.On EPA staff supported California auto-emissions waiver, documents show posted 1 year, 10 months ago 1 Response

  • Boom

    I guess we're going back to the days when ranchers would bait traps loaded with dynamite and think that that was some sort of really macho thing to do.  

    We're supposed to be the intelligent life on this planet.  Why is it that we, especially in the U.S., think that the solution to anything we don't like is to kill it?  I guess the answer is that it's worked so well for us in the past.  On Rule change eases restrictions on wolf kills in northern Rockies posted 1 year, 10 months ago 16 Responses

  • Reality time

    Gore absolutely did NOT come to global warming after the disastrous 2000 election. He has been fighting for environmental reforms since the 1970s while also holding public office. It wasn't until after the 2000 election that he decided to make it his life's work.  To claim otherwise is simply not correct.

    As far as Gore being one of the wealthiest people on the planet, I have never heard that anywhere. Are there some figures to back that up?On Why Al Gore isn't running for president posted 1 year, 10 months ago 25 Responses

  • Responsible thing to do

    Well, it seems that since we're the ones who caused this problem in the first place by putting the dam there, we have the responsibility to put the thing right.  First, we don't fix the problem by just killing other animals who take advantage of the situation. Should we kill other predators who take advantage of the fish ladders as well? Why don't we just do the right thing and ban fishing there until the dam is removed?  We're the ones who caused the problem, we should bear the brunt of the "pain" until it's fixed.   On Federal officials suggest killing sea lions to protect salmon posted 1 year, 10 months ago 40 Responses

  • An ethical problem

    There is also an ethical issue with artificial cloning technology.  It's been reported that a large number of attempted clones die of genetic mutations and many don't live beyond their first year.  We have to ask whether we have the right to subject these animals to this abuse for what appears to just be a raw grab for profits.On Cloned meat and milk just as safe as conventional, says long-awaited FDA report posted 1 year, 10 months ago 28 Responses

  • Not surprising

    The Bush Administration hasn't had much of a problem sending it's armies to kill people. Why should we think he'd think twice about killing defenseless animals?

    Bush is looking for a legacy.  Attacking other sovereign nations without provocation, capturing and torturing foreign and native citizens, illegal wiretapping, violations of federal and international law.....I dunno, I think his dancecard is already pretty full.  

    To Matt above....
    That's the beauty of the "war on terror". By not applying it to anyone or anything in particular, they get to apply it to everybody and everything.  On Bush exempts Navy from environmental law in ongoing sonar saga posted 1 year, 10 months ago 9 Responses

  • Cheap shot blaming "elders" all

    It really is great that the younger generation is getting involved in the environmental movement, but to imply that their "elders" generally caused the problem and are doing nothing about it is simply incorrect and does a disservice to those who have fought for the environment since the beginning.  News Flash...the environmental movement goes back a long way, fighting governmental and corporate interests more interested in greed and power than in the planet we live on.  This is not something new that the young have created; it is an ongoing battle that they are more than welcome to join and take leadership positions in.  But don't for a second sit around and think, and say, that those of us who came before you have sat around and done nothing.  You're off to a great start, tho. Come back in 30 years or so and tell us how you've done.On The youth climate movement proves itself at Power Shift posted 1 year, 10 months ago 8 Responses

  • Monsanto crop monopoly

    Well, I guess the question is, "what's to be done about it?". The only way I can see for farmers to not get hurt by leaving the Monsanto empire would be to all leave together, thereby all keeping to the same relative crop yields.  Can that happen? I suspect not, because I don't see the leadership in the farming community to pull off something like that.  

    What's truly scary is the data about 70% of the US food being contaminated with genetically modified ingredients.  It's not so much what science says about whether they think it's going to hurt you, it's about knowledge and choice.  We deserve to know what's in our food and choose based on that knowledge.  The government, I think, is turning a blind eye to the needs of its citizens in this case.  It shouldn't be up to them to decide for us what's important for us to know and what's not.  But then, it seems pretty clear that large parts of our government are being subverted by special interests, and have been for some time.On Monsanto's latest court triumph cloaks massive market power posted 1 year, 10 months ago 18 Responses