Planetsave

I couldn’t pass this one up. That ugly little fellow in the Reuters photo is an electric eel, and it’s powering lights for a Christmas tree in a Japanese Aquarium.

In a video from Reuters Television, which is available at the bottom of this story, two aluminum panels inside the eel’s tank act as electrodes, capturing the power needed to light the tree. Kazuhiko Minawa, who thought up the idea, spent two months devising a system that would capture the animal’s electric power.

Eel’s use electricity to fend off threats to their well-being, or getting a bite to eat. Actually, the eel isn’t an eel at all, it’s a fish, more commonly known as the Knifefish, a relative of the catfish family. Wikipedia says the fish is an obligate air-breather, rising to the surface about every 10 minutes for a gulp of air and then returns to the bottom.

When hunting, or defending themselves, eels can produce electrical shocks of up to 500 volts and 1 ampere of current, enough to do serious, or even fatal harm to a human. That’s why they wind up in public aquariums and not the home fish tank. You’d need a pretty large one at that, they can grow up to eight feet in length and weigh 40 pounds.

Back to our Japanese aquarium. The eel-Christmas tree inventor told Reuters Television that gathering all electric eels from around the world would light one very large Christmas tree.

Video of Eel-powered Christmas tree from Reuters Video.

It’s finally happened, good old St Nick is beginning to buckle under to the stresses of an over-abundance of controls and regulations. The jolly old elf just isn’t that jolly anymore, and he explains why in this interview.

This is another of those “I thought I’d heard everything” articles, and it comes to us from Australia. Medical expert Associate Professor Barry Walters has proposed a $5000-plus levy on each new baby born, and an annual carbon tax of $800 for each child in the family. His proposal, according to the article on News.com.au, says Walters idea would tax every family with more than two children to pay for trees that would offset the carbon emissions generated over each kid’s lifetime.

Boy, that’ll increase condom sales and I’m sure doctors will certainly enjoy the likely increase in sterilizations, which will be showered with carbon credits for what he termed “greenhouse-friendly” services.

He went on to say the annual emission of carbon dioxide by an Australian individual is about 17 metric tons, which included energy use. In his article for the Medical Journal of Australia, Walters claims, “Every newborn baby in Australia represents a potent source of greenhouse gas emissions for an average of 80 years, not simply by breathing but by the prolifigate consumption of resources typical of our society.”

He hinted that the government should get rid of the $4133 baby bonus and consider population controls like those in China and India. Wikipedia has a good update on those controls which have been in place for years. China’s one child policy involves forced abortions and sterilizations, while in India young women are rewarded with money for not getting pregnant. Family planning and sterilization are among many steps being taken to curb population growth in India.

I doubt much will come of the good professor’s suggestion. Angela Conway, spokeswoman for the Australian Family Association is quoted as saying, “I think self-important professors with silly ideas should have to pay carbon tax for all the hot air they create.” She went on to say, “There’s masses of evidence to say that child-rich families have much lower resource consumption per head than other styles of households.”

Maybe that hot-air tax would work on politicians as well. What a concept!

Anyway, a high-profile doctor in Australia, Garry Egger, is quoted as saying, “One must wonder why population control is spoken of today only in whispers.” His comments were printed in an MJA response article, and echoes concerns by many experts that we’re just putting too many people on this rock.

photo: cosmosmagazine.com

Well, the residents of that Swedish community have been fighting with the National Heritage Board for a new name, or at least a return to the old name. Globalization has apparently led to rude English-language associations that residents of this small community could live without.

The whole thing apparently started in the 1930’s when the spelling of the name changed from Fjukeby. Embarrassed and finally tired of all the jocularity, a committee of residents pleaded with the National Heritage Board for the change.

So what’s the fuss? Well, according to the article in The Local a Swedish English-language website, the Swedish word “juck”, essentially means the same thing as Fjuckby’s English component. In addition, villagers complained that the present name makes it difficult to sell property there, or run a successful business.

According to Wikipedia, , the town is located about 15km north of Uppsala. The name has apparently resulted in a certain amount of tourist trade to the small community. That hasn’t helped the situation at all.

Unfortunately, the National Heritage Board said it was following the recommendation of the Institute of Language and Folklore to preserve the name Fjuckby. Which begs the question, if it was named Fjukeby in the 30’s, why was it changed, and what’s wrong with changing it back?

Oh, Fjuckby has a population of about 60, and only 15 residents were involved in the petition for a name change. In it’s ruling, The NHB apparently felt they did not represent the majority of residents in the town.

A writer for The Local ended the story with this observation; “If Fjuckby gets its way it is conceivable that Anusviken, Arslet and Dicken may be next in line for a swift reversal of misfortune”.

In case you’re wondering, Fjuckby and Fjukeby both roughly translate as “Windy Village”.

Well, I’ve read it all, and just after I thought every possible dumb thing had been reported, along comes an article in this week’s TIME Magazine that made my jaw drop.

Community and homeowners associations across the country are trying to ban the use of clotheslines in their communities. According to the article, they seem to think clothes drying in the sun are an eyesore, and could well affect property values. Hello? Who thinks up this kind of idiocy anyway? Obviously, some people have way too much time on their hands.

Let’s start with clothes dryers. They can add up to 6 percent of your electric bill and dump up to a ton of CO2 into the air, per household each year. That’s a good reason to use them sparingly and do like us old folks used to do, and hang the clothes outside. When the weather got too cold or rainy, the laundry went on and mom hung the clothes in the basement to dry. Of course, that might be a problem for homes without basements, but you get the idea.

As ridiculous as this sounds, it’s a fact - state legislatures are being asked to pass laws prohibiting people from hanging their laundry out to dry. I can’t believe in this enlightened age that people would be embarrassed to see someone else’s undergarments catching some rays, but on the other hand I can think of some blue-nosed areas where that might be a problem for some folks. And to think someone’s laundry would lead prospective buyers to think their would-be neighbors couldn’t afford a clothes dryer. What rubbish!

But, if a person is reluctant to display the undies to all who pass by, there’s still the dryer, or better yet, the basement or an indoor rack on which to hang the more delicate apparel.

If you’ve ever slept on sheets that dried in the sun, you can understand how wonderfully clean and fresh they smell as you crawl in for a night’s rest. The same goes for clothing. There’s nothing like sun-dried wash, nothing.

So, what do you think? Are we looking at another effort to deny us our rights in our own backyards, or do the HOA’s and neighborhood associations have a valid point? If it’s already affected you, I’d like to know that too.

Till then, “hang” in there.

Those are the conclusions of one Dr. Dave Mason, owner of a tech site, Dave Mason.com, and host of his own syndicated tech-oriented radio program. It would appear the good “doctor’s” environmental stethoscope has been misplaced into some dark region, and his environmental view small enough to fit through the eye of a needle.

Now don’t mistake this as a personal attack on Dr. Dave, far from it. He is an honorable man with an impeccable past, a fierce defender of family values and all around good guy. I have nothing but the utmost respect for him. He is entitled to his opinion, and I respect that.

The attitude I’m referring to is best seen in two recent articles by Dr. Dave in his Truth Blog. One post is entitled “NBC’s Sunday Night Football becomes overt left propogandist”, and the other is, “Gore, outright liar, calls dissenting Scientists outlyers”. Besides his vituperative attack on NBC and the individuals involved in the broadcast, he apparently believes that global warming is a myth, at least as proclaimed by Al Gore, scientists and other notables, and that environmentalists are nut cases, or at least badly misinformed.

You’ll have to read his stuff rather than my trying to paraphrase in order to get the full impact of his attacks. Here’s my question to all those people who seem to think the planet is doing just fine, thank you, and that all this posturing about global warming is egocentric, politically inspired, a commercial ploy or any other conspiracy oriented claptrap you can dream up. Is all this acrimony purposely diverting our attention away from real issues, or merely our normal human need to choose up sides and pick a fight, or better yet, stand back, feed the controversy, and let you and him fight?

So, what are the alternatives to this mess we live in, or does the right wing crowd even see one? I’ve heard them say that private industry should be trusted to clean up their own environmental messes, not the government. Golly, haven’t they done well over the past century? God help us if we turn them loose today.

I saw a special on one of the cable programs about the sun and it’s contribution to climate change on earth. One theory is that changes on the sun helped bring about the little ice age of several centuries ago. It’s also been proven that the earth has more than once suddenly turned over and relocated the poles to the equatorial region. The Sahara was once a lush and green paradise, and the list goes on about mother nature’s handling of her domain.

The earth is a living thing, and may be in the throes of some natural change, while reeling from the indignities we’ve imposed upon it for decades. We must remember that we’re guests on this rock, and I wonder if mother nature isn’t telling us that we’ve been naughty little boys and girls.

So why not just use some common sense and support cleaning the air we breathe? I know my failing lungs would appreciate it, and what about the polluted streams and rivers, water aquifers and damage to the earth itself as the result of decades of indiscriminate dumping of toxic wastes and depletion of it’s finite resources? After all, we have children, grandchildren and future generations to consider, not to mention ourselves as long as we take a breath and drink a glass of water.

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Happy Halloween Planetsavers! If you’re like me, without fail, you are just now thinking of a Halloween costume for tonight’s festivities. As a woman, you really have only a few options, whore, whore or whore. What’s it going to be, sexy alien version of Alice in Wonderland (Paris Hilton’s Costume choice), sexy bat girl or global warming…aka Hot Earth. Sure men may applaud this, but there’s really a lack of creativity in a simple lack of clothing. This year, I’m going ugly…really ugly. I want to look like a domestic fight gone bad, a zombie past dead and a malnourished vampire all in one.

Regardless of the partying that awaits, we still can have a green Halloween. There are great tips on how to recyle our ghoulish pumpkins long after the holiday has past. When you toss you Jack-O’-Latern into the garbage it ends up in a landfill spewing out methane instead of simmering in your stove. Here are some great tips to keep your Halloween green, think Pumpkin Ravioli in a sage butter sauce.

Pumpkins are surprisingly versatile and people are being encouraged to get in their kitchens and come up with creative cookery to transform them into soup, cakes, pies and even lasagne.

The shell of the pumpkin, which is inedible, can also be transformed into compost and, by adding a few autumn leaves, can help give your bin the right mix.

Ian Monson, the county council’s cabinet member for environment and waste, said: “When pumpkins are sent to landfill, they break down without any oxygen and create methane - a potent greenhouse gas.

“By having a go at using the pumpkin for cooking, much of the waste is avoided. Composting the rest of the pumpkin at home as well is more good news for the environment, as it creates a useful compost to feed your garden.”

Green county councillor Andrew Boswell said he loves pumpkin soup and also eats the vegetable as a casserole with roasted potatoes and parsnips. He said: “Most years we have about two organic pumpkins and we freeze the flesh outwards. It can last you the whole winter. Pumpkin soup is delicious and very nutritious. I would urge people to make use of their pumpkins after Halloween.”

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BY: Max Lindberg

The California governor is at it again, this time telling a British magazine that he had never used drugs, this in the face of evidence he acknowledged using marijuana in the 1970’s, and we all remember the documentary of 1977, “Pumping Iron”, where he was shown smoking a joint.According to the article, Schwarzenegger told CQ marijuana, “That is not a drug, it’s a leaf.” He went on to say his drug was pumping iron. The governor’s press agent, Aaron McLear said the comments were made in a lighthearted context during an interview with Piers Morgan, one of the judges on “America’s Got Talent.”

And how interesting this so-called “lighthearted” comment in view of the fact the governor vetoed his state legislatures latest bill on industrial hemp. Read the Yahoo! News article, it’s worth a laugh or two.

I’ve reached my threshold of impending doom news for the day. Instead, I’d like to focus on what’s important: life, now. WWIII is on the horizon, the ice caps are melting and Britney Spears has loss custody of her children and somewhere along the lines we forget that before the planet meets its end, we will.

No matter how many articles your read or blogs your write, the end is always coming. For some it’s 40 years from now, for others its 4 months. No one wins. And as we hear a thousand times, we should make every day count.

Today, I’m working outside.

Watch the video below, this isn’t a you tube 2 minute tribute — so grab a glass of wine (or bottle) and…learn.

From ABC News Article:

Professor’s full speech

Randy Pausch, a 46-year-old computer-science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, has terminal cancer and expects to live for just a few more months.

This week, he said goodbye to his students and the Pittsburgh college with one last lecture called “How to Live Your Childhood Dreams,” on his life’s journey and the lessons he’s learned.

The Wall Street Journal called it “the lecture of a lifetime” and those who have seen it have more than agreed.

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Republican Scandal and the RES Robin Hood:

By: Anthony J. Gerst.

My writings have the tendency to rant, rag, B-slap on Congress quite often. There are still good people on the hill, ladies and gentlemen. Of course almost everyone thinks their own representative is a decent, moral person, trying their best to represent the people. I personally believe Senator Harkin, my representative, is all of this and much more. But Michigan, I am envious of you. John Conyers Jr. is a representative of the people. You should be very proud to have him as your elected official in the House of Representatives.

Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) unlike Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), has diligently worked toward impeachment of George W. Bush. Currently he is waiting on the contempt of Congress resolution to come up for a vote on the floor. Before the August recess, the Judiciary Committee passed a resolution that held Harriet Myers and the White House in contempt of Congress.

The contempt charge pertains to the investigation of the firing of nine federal prosecutors, and a tie into the White House playing a key role. To add a little insult to injury, the replacement prosecutors seem to have been hired based upon political contributions and affiliations. Further roadblocks in pursuing this contempt charge have arisen, as officials from the Justice Department and our former Attorney General have apparently given false testimony.

The honorable statesman from Michigan is not afraid to tackle the issues that are crucial to the people of our nation. He has one of the best congressional sites on the net, in my humble opinion. Here is a link should you wish to follow up this, or other crucial issues of the day, like the Jena Six.

Congress will soon be putting the final negotiations on this session’s energy bill. It is crucial that the Renewable Energy Standard (RES), which was passed in the house, be included in this law (H.R.3221). In the House resolution almost all utilities would be required to meet 15% of their service from renewable energy by 2020.

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