Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Renewable Energy
American inventor Thomas Edison often gets a bad rap from environmentalists. After all, he invented those incandescent light bulbs we’re all so busy replacing with more efficient models, not to mention a whole slew of power-thirsty machines and appliances—from the phonograph to the motion picture camera.
Why Won't the U.S. Ban BPA?
Bisphenol A (BPA)
If you're an American concerned about the effect bisphenol A (BPA) is having on your children's health, you might be better off living in China, where officials are close to issuing a partial ban on BPA--especially as it affects children.
In October, Canada declared BPA a toxic chemical, and starting in June the European Union ban on BPA will take effect. Many American cities and states have already banned some BPA-laden products, so why does the U.S. Food and Drug Administration acknowledge concerns about the health risks associated with BPA yet stop short of calling for a ban on children's products that contain BPA?
If you're an American concerned about the effect bisphenol A (BPA) is having on your children's health, you might be better off living in China, where officials are close to issuing a partial ban on BPA--especially as it affects children.
In October, Canada declared BPA a toxic chemical, and starting in June the European Union ban on BPA will take effect. Many American cities and states have already banned some BPA-laden products, so why does the U.S. Food and Drug Administration acknowledge concerns about the health risks associated with BPA yet stop short of calling for a ban on children's products that contain BPA?
Global Warming
Global Warming: Understand Causes, Effects & Solutions
Climate change, specifically global warming, has inspired more debate and action—personal, political and corporate—than perhaps any other environmental issue in history. Learn more about global warming and find out why everyone is talking about it.
A Climate Activist Changes His Tactics . . . and Lifestyle
One prominent environmentalist and climate activist has decided to stop hoping for the best and start preparing for the worst.
In an essay published by The Washington Post, Mike Tidwell, executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, writes that the all-too-apparent climate changes happening in his own backyard have convinced him that the time has come to focus a little less on protecting the planet and a little more on protecting his family.
After a decade spent generating electricity with the solar panels on his roof, using energy-efficient appliances, eating a low-carbon, locally grown vegetarian diet, and heating his home with a stove that burns organically fertilized corn kernals, Tidwell is responding to a different kind of battle cry.
With global warming already causing catastrophic climate changes worldwide--from wildfires in Russia and torrential rains in Pakistan to lethal thunderstorms in the Washington, D.C. area and blizzards up and down the eastern seaboard--Tidwell says he can see a time not far ahead when worsening climate disruptions will lead to serious social disruptions, as food supplies evaporate and people everywhere, even in middle-class neighborhoods like his, are forced to forage and fight over the scraps.
". . . people don't sit still when food gets scarce," Tidwell writes. "Indeed, when the options are extreme hunger or pillaging the neighboring village, history tends to favor pillaging."
With that in mind, Tidwell is upping security at his home. He recently installed new deadbolt locks on his doors, bought a portable generator to provide backup electricity, and put bars on his basement windows to protect emergency rations and a new indoor garden where he plans to raise fresh vegetables.
Tidwell also has started learning how to use firearms.
"I coach Little League and go to church on Sundays and contribute to a 401(k). I'm normal," Tidwell writes, explaining that he's also a pacifist at heart. "But wouldn't even a level-headed person want to be ready to defend his family if climate chaos goes to the max?
"I'm not a survivalist or an 'end times' enthusiast," he says earlier in the essay. "When it comes to climate change, I'm just a realist.
Anticipating the criticism his changes may bring, Tidwell writes: "My actions may seem alarmist to just about everyone else, I realize. And if you think so, I can't really blame you. I'd be confused about climate change, too, if I got most of my information from the half-asleep news media, much less the committed disinformers at Fox News and the Heritage Foundation."
And later in the essay, he says: "Sure, sometimes I wonder if doing all this sends the wrong message--if talk of barred windows and home generators undermines the message of positive social action needed to combat climate change. But if we're honest, we have to admit that we've already lost a significant part of the battle. I only hope that this realization can shock and motivate us to push harder for wind farms, electric cars or other solutions that are still possible."
Given the lack of serious action by the nations and industries most responsible for creating climate change, and the powerlessness of those most affected to address the problem, it's not difficult to understand why Tidwell is starting to feel, and act, like a climate-change survivalist who may end up defending his family, food and property from roving neighbors.
In an essay published by The Washington Post, Mike Tidwell, executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, writes that the all-too-apparent climate changes happening in his own backyard have convinced him that the time has come to focus a little less on protecting the planet and a little more on protecting his family.
After a decade spent generating electricity with the solar panels on his roof, using energy-efficient appliances, eating a low-carbon, locally grown vegetarian diet, and heating his home with a stove that burns organically fertilized corn kernals, Tidwell is responding to a different kind of battle cry.
With global warming already causing catastrophic climate changes worldwide--from wildfires in Russia and torrential rains in Pakistan to lethal thunderstorms in the Washington, D.C. area and blizzards up and down the eastern seaboard--Tidwell says he can see a time not far ahead when worsening climate disruptions will lead to serious social disruptions, as food supplies evaporate and people everywhere, even in middle-class neighborhoods like his, are forced to forage and fight over the scraps.
". . . people don't sit still when food gets scarce," Tidwell writes. "Indeed, when the options are extreme hunger or pillaging the neighboring village, history tends to favor pillaging."
With that in mind, Tidwell is upping security at his home. He recently installed new deadbolt locks on his doors, bought a portable generator to provide backup electricity, and put bars on his basement windows to protect emergency rations and a new indoor garden where he plans to raise fresh vegetables.
Tidwell also has started learning how to use firearms.
"I coach Little League and go to church on Sundays and contribute to a 401(k). I'm normal," Tidwell writes, explaining that he's also a pacifist at heart. "But wouldn't even a level-headed person want to be ready to defend his family if climate chaos goes to the max?
"I'm not a survivalist or an 'end times' enthusiast," he says earlier in the essay. "When it comes to climate change, I'm just a realist.
Anticipating the criticism his changes may bring, Tidwell writes: "My actions may seem alarmist to just about everyone else, I realize. And if you think so, I can't really blame you. I'd be confused about climate change, too, if I got most of my information from the half-asleep news media, much less the committed disinformers at Fox News and the Heritage Foundation."
And later in the essay, he says: "Sure, sometimes I wonder if doing all this sends the wrong message--if talk of barred windows and home generators undermines the message of positive social action needed to combat climate change. But if we're honest, we have to admit that we've already lost a significant part of the battle. I only hope that this realization can shock and motivate us to push harder for wind farms, electric cars or other solutions that are still possible."
Given the lack of serious action by the nations and industries most responsible for creating climate change, and the powerlessness of those most affected to address the problem, it's not difficult to understand why Tidwell is starting to feel, and act, like a climate-change survivalist who may end up defending his family, food and property from roving neighbors.
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