Archive for the 'Environment' Category

Climate Watch, November 07

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November 19th, 2007 at 09:09:46

November. Ice is reforming in the Arctic after a shocking thaw last summer. In the Antarctic it’s the northern equivalent of May. If you’ve hung around a pretty cold area ( I grew up in North Dakota and later spent over two decades at 11,000 ft) you would know in your frozen bones that there [...]

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Worthy Lane County sustainability event, 11/13, 6:30 p.m.

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November 10th, 2007 at 14:13:08

Rob Zako of OTRAN sends this important announcement: How is ODOT addressing climate change? a presentation by Damon Fordham ODOT Sustainability Manager Tuesday, November 13, 6:30 pm Lawrence Hall, Room 206 University of Oregon campus, Eugene

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Back to noticing that which some would prefer not be noticed

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November 6th, 2007 at 21:27:15

The estimable George Monbiot starts his latest thus: An Agricultural Crime Against Humanity Posted November 6, 2007 Biofuels could kill more people than the Iraq war. By George Monbiot. Published in the Guardian 6th November 2007 It doesn’t get madder than this. Swaziland is in the grip of a famine and receiving emergency food aid. [...]

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An Ed policy with a future

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November 6th, 2007 at 05:42:10

So the Salem Statesman-Journal (a Gannett paper) runs this editorial in its on-line forum: Going to college more crucial now than ever Families must find a way to support youths’ educations November 6, 2007 If you’re the parent of a young student and you can’t imagine how you’ll afford college for him or her, please [...]

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Energy Watch, November 2007

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November 5th, 2007 at 07:38:53

What’s in a Name? Being an independent journalist has its attractions. One is I can promptly respond to a good idea if one happens to shows up. One has. Instead of calling the first column of the month “Peak Oil” I’m going to expand the title to “Energy Watch.” There is too much going on [...]

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Make some noise against global warming

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October 31st, 2007 at 19:22:11

Today while walking up SE Hawthorne in Portland, I was greeted on the sidewalk by Dylan, who works against global warming by working for Greenpeace. Dylan tells me there’s a global warming gathering that Portland-area OnwardOregonians might like to know about, coming up this weekend. + Saturday, Nov 3, from 2-4 p.m. Greenpeace is hosting a gathering of [...]

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Speak out against a “crime against humanity”

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October 27th, 2007 at 17:51:45

You can’t say you didn’t know any more. A UN official calls turning foodcrops into biofuels “a crime against humanity.” He may be overly optimistic about our future ability to turn other materials into biofuels, but at least he has the moral courage to demand that we stop starving people just to funnel money to [...]

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Speaking of $100/bbl oil, can we stop the biofuel subsidies now?

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October 26th, 2007 at 19:36:28

Just asking. Because nothing that competes with $90+ per barrel for oil needs a production subsidy, assuming for a moment that it ever did. If biofuels are worth making at all, then the makers must be making money hand over fist right now, eh? So why are we pouring state subsidies and production equipment tax [...]

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Environmental Protocol

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October 11th, 2007 at 21:53:49

OSU’s Electrical Engineers created this presentation just for you. The pdf, ‘Wave Energy Opportunities and Developments‘, outlines not only the technology but also the environmental protocol being followed in the assessment of wave energy. Scientists are quite aware of the potential effects of electromagnetism and mechanics on marine ecosystems. Data is now being collected that [...]

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The Rising Tide of Renewable Energy

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October 9th, 2007 at 10:24:45

The US Department of Energy has released statistics showing that the total consumption of renewable energy increased almost 7% in 2006. Solar power was in the lead with an increase of 45%, followed by biofuels at 27.6%. In the DOE Newsletter, it’s reported that Solar Thermal Power Plants of 200-300 MW are planned for Florida [...]

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