The Happiest Moment of Your Life

Death is not an end, but a beginning;
not a horror, but a joy.
It is not a closing down,
but an opening up.

The happiest moment of your life
will be the moment it ends.

That's because it doesn't end but only
goes on in ways so magnificent,
so full of peace and wisdom and joy,
as to make it difficult to describe
and impossible for you to understand.

~Neale Donald Walsch
Conversations with God

Of Note: A friend emailed yesterday and said his teenage son had died in his sleep. No words can begin to console a parent who has lost a child, especially so unexpectedly. 600 people turned out for the visitation, and 300 of his classmates somberly stood in silence for a candle vigil. It is hard to imagine at a time like this that death could be the happiest moment of a life, particularly when the life has been cut short at such a young age. But our inscrutable soul is in charge and has its reasons. An noted author put it this way: "What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Master calls a butterfly."

Today's Weather Report: Nothing can describe for those who've never experienced it, the cold of 25 below zero. That's what it was this morning upon awakening, and it's only minus 12 degrees now. Even in the house, layers of clothing are required to stay warm--which is only relative term at these temps. Don't know if you remember the pictures of the tall sunflowers which graced the garden this summer, but this is what remains. The birds were delighted earlier in the season to eat the seeds but now are long gone. The snow is the only thing that keeps the plants company now.

Watch For Change Snippet: In the coming days, we must be wary of "greenwashing." That does not mean painting an object green. Rather, it's a new term for making something appear environmentally friendly when in fact, it is not. This word came to my attention when reading a car review on the Escalade Hybrid. The author said the concept of making a huge SUV a hybrid was laughable and only produced for the purposes of "greenwashing." It might be one of the reasons the Big Three automakers are in trouble. The Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman speaks similarly about the environmental party we've been having rather than a real revolution. He believes a revolution comes with pain of some kind which precipitates real change. Anything else is just window dressing. As Americans mature into true global citizens and embrace the values of cooperation and personal responsibility, the party will end. In its place will be a more stable world capable of supporting its collective inhabitants, and greenwashing will be considered an outdated tactic well left behind.

An Unscrutable Cadence

My conscientious photographer sister, Marie, recently emailed this picture--sometime around my birthday last month. It shows my Mom at about my age proudly surrounded by her three grandchildren at the time: two of my sister's three boys, Daniel (left) and Andrew (right,) as well as my son, Matt (middle.) These boys are now in their thirties, and my son is raising two sons of his own.

This cycle of life that we take so personally actually rolls on impersonally to an inscrutable cadence. Revolution after unceasing revolution humanity grows in creativity, that divine quality about which we know so little and take for granted that which we do acknowledge.

Until now. Now is different, and many are awakening to the shouting voices of worried visionaries who clearly see that: "The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made. And the activity of making them changes both the maker and their destination." In the last few years, many are beginning to understand that we are the creators, and no one else is poised to save us should we miss that point.

To assure a bright and successful future for our grandchildren and their grandchildren, today's parents must come to grips with their responsibility to the biomass called lovingly, Mother Earth. No one would argue that without coming together on this weighty matter, we're toast--quite literally. Some are making plans for her perceived destruction by creating spaceships to take them away from the scene. Wouldn't it just be easier to join in the new creativity that the current slew of problems require and help all mankind in the process?

The response to this last question has been a resounding YES, and thankfully, enlightened thinkers are fueling a new age of concern for the ground on which we walk and the air which we breathe. Many, including corporations, are beginning to see the environment now as community property for which we are all responsible.

The editor of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC recently opined that "Being green is not a trend. It is, perhaps, the most important challenge of our time." Last year this pioneering magazine acquired the Green Guide (www.greenguide.com) that touts itself as a consumer resource for Earth-friendly living offering "sophisticated" ideas past changing the light bulbs to florescent. As a matter of fact, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC magazine editorial board has a long history of responsible green behavior going all the way back to 1888 and have been leaders in the movement ever since.

We will know we have hit an environmental milestone when abundant biofuels are available. Many innovators are racing to this mile-marker, and at the forefront of this creative movement are biofuels made from non-food sources. (Whoever pushed biofuels from food sources should have his or her head examined, don't you think?)

As an example of this, the eccentric owner of Virgin Airlines, Richard Branson, impressively introduced his coconut and Brazilian babassu nut biofuel blend by drinking the stuff. Grimacing he said, "It's more appropriate for the engine." After that, the mixture was added to a plane that flew from from London's Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam in the first commercial biofuel airline test. The WSJ reported that the historical flight came off without a hitch with Sir Richard beaming like a proud parent, although he admitted between burps that the fuel tasted "horrible" (2-26-08.) Ah, what pioneers do for the cause!

The U.S. Air Force has their finger in this pie as well and has set a goal to have its entire fleet of planes using alternative fuels by 2011. That's only three years, but whose counting? Maybe they know something we don't, although word has it that the AF has been experimenting with natural gas and coal rather than biofuels, which could explain how they intend to take the leap so soon.

Other interesting biofuels include those made from algae. An advertisement from CNN in TIME magazine this week extolled the virtues of algae oil made by a start-up company in El Paso, Texas. The scientist in charge of the experiments said that algae can produce 100,000 gallons of oil per acre compared to 20 gallons per acre with corn! The pioneering scientist went on to say: "Take one-tenth of the State of New Mexico and convert it to greenhouse algae production, and the result would be enough oil to meet the transportation needs of the entire U.S." The citizens of New Mexico might not be too excited with that prospect, but the point is lowly algae may play an important innovative role in fueling our grandchildren's future.

Even more exciting are biofuels made by breaking down pollutants, creating a two-fold solution. InSinkErator, the Wisconsin maker of the ubiquitous kitchen disposal, has created a system being sold in Europe that takes kitchen throwaways and converts it to biogas and fertilizer (WSJ, 2-26-08.) While the waste-capturing system might not work everywhere, in Europe it is finding a place.

Along this same line, from my archives, I dug out an article about a Massachusetts environmental microbiologist, who discovered a bacteria in the Potomac River that "breathes rust instead of oxygen, thrives in polluted earth, and can even generate electricity" (TIME, 2-9-2004.) This crafty microbe, Geobacter, was used to clean up a uranium mine in Colorado and an oil spill in Minnesota. However, the creation of electricity as part of the clean-up process actually gained the most fanfare and caught the all-seeing eye of the Departments of Energy and Defense. These megaliths bankrolled this frontline endeavor because of the potential for Geobacter to power sediment batteries on the battlefield. I wonder if four years later these batteries are in use, although we might never know.

Of course, with every pro comes a con, and biofuels are no different. As it turns out, biofuels don't burn any cleaner in airplanes, and emissions are similar to the usual fuel blend. What is gained is the reduced environmental impact in their creation. In the Virgin Airline article, WSJ concluded: "Plants and trees producing the oils remove carbon from the atmosphere, and don't come with all the drilling, refining and shipping costs of crude oil. "

On the other hand, a recent study published in Science magazine found that "Corn based ethanol will nearly double the output of greenhouse gas emissions instead of reducing them by about one-fifth. . .a separate paper concludes that clearing native habitats to grow crops for biofuel generally will lead to more carbon emissions" (WSJ, 2-8-08, A4.) It goes without saying that biofuels made from foodstuffs, such as corn, is just plain wrong, unless it's food wastes, such as turkey parts. But we can see from these examples that scientists, politicians and ethicists will be kept busy with these thorny issues for years to come.

And finally, a blog on the environment would not be complete without one mention of an enterprising recycling project. There are so many to choose from these days, but this one caught my eye for it's originality in creating expensive handbags from used candy wrappers, catalogs, and even New York City subway maps. The enlightened company Ecoist calls this group of purses the Candy Wrapper Collection, which have been purchased by such luminaries as Lindsay Lohan. Even more telling, however, the piece in DISCOVER magazine goes on to say: "The $188 Large Portfolio handbag, woven from Luna bar wrappers, was hand-made by fair trade workers in Mexico or Peru. Part of the proceeds funds a nonprofit organization that helps poor Mexican families build self-sufficient communities, and for every bag sold, Ecoist plants a tree."

The lesson here: capitalism, too, can be a positive human creation, and my hat goes off to the Ecoist company for figuring this out in such an innovative way. Our grandchildren's future can indeed be bright as they learn from an early age that they are inextricably intertwined with all else, including their candy wrappers, not to mention their cell-phone cast-aways.


Today's Weather Report: 3 - 5 inches of heavy snow fell last night, and Jim had to plow today. This is typical for March. Today was warmish, although I didn't put as much as my toe outside.

Environmentally Speaking

The environment, a favorite subject of mine, has taken a back seat lately to confessions, politics and other weighty matters. But, today my file is overfull with environmental topics of interest and is crying to be heard. Even though it does agree that CEO God needed to be heard as well, it feels a bit slighted that the other subject matter has taken precedence over it. So, in deference to the feelings of my overburdened file, I declare today Environmental Thursday and promise that we will get to the very bottom of the stack before we're through. So, here we go:

For some reason poaching fascinates me. Maybe that's because I cannot imagine killing an animal, let alone illegally--particularly if it's endangered. The poached animals parts are used for all sorts of purposes--many rather outlandish, like walrus tusk as an aphrodisiac or tiger hide for a carpet. Even killing a razorback gorilla for food doesn't seem like the best source of protein when it can also spread the Ebola virus to humans. After all, scientists believe HIV was spread by eating monkey meat hunted legally and illegally from the jungle.

Thus, I'm always delighted when the authorities outsmart the poachers in this never-ending cat and mouse game. The February 2008 issue of National Geographic described a novel approach taken by zookeepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington DC in their attempt to save the kori bustard from extinction. Kori bustard, you ask? Well, this huge bird is the world's heaviest and weighs in at 40 pounds. Unfortunately for its long-term survival, it's colorful feathers are a favorite of trout fishermen and a big plume can go for $300. But, this is the good part--the zoo recently began giving molted kori bustard feathers away for free. In the process, the clever zookeepers clipped the clandestine desire for kori plumage by thwarting the economic advantage in killing the birds. Now, the beleaguered birds may stand a chance of survival outside of zoos.

On the other hand, poaching and poverty go hand in hand and one will not be controlled without reducing the other. Wildlife conservationist Hammersskjoeld Simwinga, an African native, knows this and is actively working to restore Zambia's wildlife while at the same time transforming "poverty stricken areas by providing sustainable economic alternatives to poaching." For this she received recognition as one of National Geographic's 2008 Emerging Explorers along with Cid Simoes and Paola Segura who are working with small farmers in Brazil to create innovative agribusinesses while protecting threatened habitats. These are just three of many young thinkers ready to creatively tackle the environmental challenges of the 21st century which increasingly have been recognized as economic issues as well.

They say recognition of a problem is the first step in solving it. Motive aside, that is one reason why it is so important when multinational corporations jump on the environmental bandwagon with both feet and say let's go. As an example, at the recent Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland, Pepsico announced that it had given $6 million to Columbia University's Earth Institute, directed by the vocal antipoverty advocate Jeffrey Sachs, to identify community-based solutions to improve water access and productivity. The corporation also gave $2.5 to Matt Damon's H2O Africa Foundation for water projects in several African nations. Not to be outdone, Coca-Cola said it and its bottlers have launched 120 projects in 50 countries around sustainable water use (WSJ, 1-24-08, p. A9.) Both companies had been criticized by activists for their over-use of water, and this is their collective response. Although the PepsiCo's contributions are paltry in comparison to its worth, the funds represent a step down the road to corporate third-world enlightenment. And with Dr. Sachs involved, it will be just a start, you can bet on that.

Corporate banks are reading the environmental tea leaves as well. On February 4th, WSJ announced that "Three of Wall Street's biggest investment banks are set to announce today that they are imposing new environmental standards that will make it harder for companies to get financing to build coal-fired power plants in the U.S. Citigroup, JP Morgan Case & Co. and Morgan Stanley say they have concluded that the U.S. government will cap greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants sometime in the next few years. . .The standards result from nine months of negotiations among three banks and some of the biggest U.S. utilities and environmental groups." The three bank's new standard is already making a huge impact on the industry, and plans for many coal-powered plants are being shelved. For example, TXU in Texas originally proposed 11 plants and scaled that number back to 3 following the proposed introduction of these standards. Could this be fallout from the perceived inevitability of a Democratic White House and Congress come November? If so, my question, what will take the place of these power plants? Hopefully, there is a viable Plan B in the wings although the article did not mention what that might be. As we so often do on these pages, we will have to stay tuned.

Intel is another mega-corporation that in a full-color, front page WSJ ad on February 5, 2008 invites the reader to check out www.intel.com/go/environment about their eco-smart computing achievements. This colorful ad, highlighting a red-eyed, green tree frog of unknown origin, touts the fact that the company made it to first place on the EPA's green power partners list. Fact is, we never used to see these kind of ads tooting the horn of corporations about revolutionary environmental improvements and my hat goes off to them. We should always give credit where credit is due.

Environment tooting has actually become the rage, especially in Europe where the environmental movement has had a foothold for quite some time. What is a newly emerging problem worldwide is advertisers making sketchy environmental claims that range from somewhat deceitful to outright fraudulent. And, you guessed it, when there's a dark side, the light side springs into action. The WSJ declared:

"In one of the latest examples, the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority found this month that a series of television ads by the Malaysian Palm Oil Council misleadingly claimed the industry was good for the environment. . . From the U.S. to Norway to Belgium, watchdog groups are trying to police against the rise of bogus environmental marketing, a practice known as greenwashing. In most cases these groups are set up by the advertising industry and they operate on the honor system. When the watchdogs are set up, marketers and ad agencies agree to abide by their rulings, which often means dropping ads that are deemed deceptive" (1-30-08, B4.)

Now, that makes sense, when it works. But the U.S. Federal Trade Commission is also getting into the act by updating its environmental advertising guidelines that governs what kind of claims can be made under the rubric of green marketing, which was last reviewed in 1998. Now I feel better, how about you? Just kidding. My advice, buyer beware, even if it an ad is festooned with cute green frogs.

In the News You Can Use category: have you wondered what to do with those rechargeable batteries when they have given up the ghost? Now Call2Recycle , a project of the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation, has come to the rescue with drop off spots at multiple retailers including Lowe's, Home Depot, Best Buy, Sears, Target and Staples to name a few of its 40,000+ locations in the U.S. and Canada. All rechargeable batteries are welcomed as are used cell phones in prominently displayed boxes. The National Geographic ad touting this advance said that "reusable metals from the rechargeable batteries are recovered and recycled to make new products such as new batteries and stainless steel. "

Sometimes, however, we don't know exactly where the recycled material might show up. In this blog, we previously covered this environmental problem, which is increasing becoming a scourge in developing nations. The Electronics TakeBack Coalition, a national group out of San Francisco that promotes responsible recycling, said that about 50% - 80% of electronic waste gets dumped in developing countries. Environmental laws are either non-existent or lax there, and the recyclers, who are often individuals, expose themselves and the environment to toxic waste. Because of this, the coalition's coordinator, Barbara Kyle, recommends recycling electronics through the manufacturer. "Consumers can also check a database called e-Stewards at www.ban.org where they can search for local recycling firms that have taken a pledge not to export the waste to developing countries or allow it to end up in landfills or incinerators" (WSJ, 1-24-08, D2.)

And speaking of recycling, what would you think about drinking used toilet water? Sounds kind of gross, doesn't it? Well, many municipalities are grappling with that very issue. Orange County California, the home of Los Angeles, which formerly relied on the parched Colorado River for the bulk of its needs, looked first at desalinization but found the cost prohibitive. Authorities there decided it was a no-brainer when recycled sewage came in at $525 per acre-foot and desalinated water at $800 - $2,000. Based on these convincing figures, "the county recently opened a 'Groundwater Replenishment System' that feeds treated sewage through clay and sand then into lakes," says Eilene Zimmerman of Slate magazine as reported by WSJ, January 28, 2008, B5. I predict that with the current and future water shortages, more consumers will be confronted with this toilet bowl reality and will have to put their squeamishness aside. After all, some municipalities took the leap years ago, and consumers hadn't a clue that they were drinking what was formerly sewage. I guess that proves that what you don't know, won't hurt you.

And finally, my environmental file is smiling now that it's almost empty. The formerly hefty file feels vindicated since this has been the longest blog on record because it had so much to share. But, it has one last enlightened piece of news from TIME magazine, February 11, 2008: Svalbard Global Seed Vault opened at the end of January and by the end of this month will be home to 4.5 million samples of seed from all over the globe. This repository, a gift to the Earth from the Norwegian government at a cost of only $9 million, was built into the mountainside of a Norwegian Arctic island to guarantee the continued existence of global seed stock. The magazine reports that the seeds will be kept at 0 degrees in a very dry environment and even without electricity, the inventory should stay viable in the Arctic for thousands of years.

Many countries, the U.S. included, have their own seed bank of indigenous species. However, with the instability of many developing countries, many seeds have been lost to future generations. For example, the article notes that Afghani seed bank was looted during the rule of the Taliban and rare varieties of walnut, cherries and apricots were destroyed. The Norwegian government should be commended by the international community for stepping up to the plate and taking responsibility for this global initiative. With that, we say Adieu!

Of note: This blog will return on Monday, February 11, 2008, so you have several days to read today's entry. Grandma Schirott's birthday on Sunday takes precedence over staying home and confessing my transgressions few needed to know anyway.

Todays Weather Report: it was well below zero when awakening this morning, and it is only in the teens now. Burr, but we did like the sunshine, which has been out two days in a row now. A record for this winter to date, I think.

Enlightenment in Many Flavors

Enlightened change from several years ago is finally coming home to roost. Remember Enron? That debacle will not soon be forgotten. This week, after a six year class action lawsuit, 1.5 million Enron shareholders found out how a $7.2 billion settlement would be split. The settlement fund was created when several large culpable banks, Enron directors and the former Arthur Anderson accounting firm anted up the huge pile of money The final payout will be about $6.79 a share on stock that originally cost anywhere from $1 to $90 depending on when it was purchased and more for preferred stock. Obviously, those who bought regular vanilla stock at under $6 are going to make out pretty well; others on the other end of the spectrum will go away grumbling. Who really made out in the class action law suit, of course, were the attorneys who will split $700 million in fees. I wonder what ever happened to the employees who lost their jobs and pensions and what they might think about this settlement? (WSJ, 1-17-08.)

Enlightened News You Can Use:

1.) If you are a chronic worrier, it may be in your genes. Researchers have shown there are indeed worry genes, but they don't have to incapacitate. An expert in worry, Dr. Robert Leahy, suggests two methods to stop the repetitive, troubling thoughts. First, reserve 20 minutes a day to it and then move on. This may give the worrier some measure of control over the beast. If that doesn't work, he then suggests a more dire strategy, "Practice saying or writing down whatever you fear most, such as 'this plane is going to crash' or 'I'm going to lose my job' and repeat it over and over again slowly, like a zombie, and [magically] the fear will begin to subside." Why? Because the mind just gets bored with it. Sounds too easy, doesn't it? But it would sure be worth a try, especially in the middle of the night when worry can really be a menacing companion. (WSJ, 1-15-08, p. D1.)

2.) Experts say the main way to keep from getting sick is to wash your hand three times a day with soap, and don't touch the mucous membranes. And forget the antibacterial variety--it enhances the microbe killing effects of soap zip. (SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, February 2008, p. 96.)

WSJ announced that the race to develop an electric car is heating up. Several auto makers are getting into the act including GM, Renault and Nissan, Chrysler, Toyota. . . and Fisker with its Karma. Huh? Is that a new religion? No, actually it's a new $80,000 battery-powered luxury car created by a start-up company based in California, which plans to begin delivering the model in 2009. That's next year, folks. Mr. Fisker says the Karma will use lithium-ion batteries and is a couple of years ahead of his competitors because it's already out of design and will soon be in production. Renault and Nissan say they too are near a mass-market solution to the lithium-ion battery problem most everyone has experienced. I'm sure the computers and cell-phones that have gone up in smoke have gotten their attention. Fisker would not say what kind of lithium-ion batteries would be used in the Karma, but he assured us that "safety concerns have all been resolved." Let's put this on our 2009 calendar to see if the Karma makes its debut, and if it does, we can say we have officially entered a new quieter age in transportation.

Electric cars are quiet. That is one thing that people like about them. However, blind people are requesting some noise be put back so that they can "see" approaching vehicles. SCIENTIFC AMERICAN this month emphasizes: "As electronics gets quieter, we are losing vital information that tells us about their performance and status. . .as we move toward solid-state devices with fewer moving parts, we are going to have to develop new diagnostic systems to cope with their impending failure. It's a little like the malodorous smell of natural gas--that smell isn't natural at all; it's been added by the gas company to guarantee that you know when theres a leak. What's the 21st century equivalent of that for cars?" (p.34) Leave it to the blind to remind we sighted people how much we rely on sound to navigate in our world.

What does a field of fake grass have in common with used tires? Well, the University of Idaho put the two together to save water, fertilizer, spraying for weeds and about $50,000 annually in field maintenance. The school says there is no more mud so the fields can be used year round, and the rubber granules used as infill provide an environmentally friendly way of recycling tires. This enlightened conversion received a 2007 merit award from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Kudos to the Vandals for such creativity and innovation. Will other outdoor athletic fields follow? Will we miss the grass stains as a sign of athletic achievement and manhood, or womanhood as the case may be?

And if we were wondering about the hypocrisy of Al Gore taking private jets hither and thither, we might reconsider our own vacation and business transportation. Apparently, many people have in an effort to reduce their carbon footprint by cutting back on vacations and staying home. One reformed vacation addict stated unapologetically to the WSJ (1-17-08): "Buying carbon offsets isn't a license to pollute. Plus, it's not exactly punishment to cut back on air travel with all the security issues." Not to mention snotty TSA officials, long over-due flights and over-worked stewardesses.

And finally, Harper's Magazine (WSJ, 1-15-08, p. B12) asks whether alternative-energy expansion is the next economic bubble. Some theorize that "when prices collapse back to their true value, financiers make up their losses by puring capital into another sector and creating another bubble." The global warming scare has made alternative energy the next best investment guess and money is pouring into wind and solar power installations as well as water desalinization plants. In a not to distant past, NIMBY (not in my backyard) described these projects. But with the price of oil having topped $100, even if only for a few days, barriers are being lowered and development is rushing into the void.

We know this train is moving down the track when the likes of Scientific American will sponsor a conference called "Investing in Renewables: Bottom Line for the Planet" to be held in Chicago May 28th. According to the full-page ad, this conference will address how business, science and policy impact global markets. Topics will include: future energy consumption, alternative fuels: solar, hydrogen and ethanol, plus waste management innovations. Conferences are all well and good for the money-guys, but where are the innovative scientists who create the alternative energy options?

Saudi Arabia would seem like unlikely place to launch such a technologically advanced world-class research university, but that is exactly what is happening on the shores of the Red Sea. King Abdullah himself is pouring $10 billion dollars into the gigantic educational venture in an effort to bring a flourishing scientific community back to the Middle East. Long before America was re-discovered, the Arabs were leaders in scientific and mathematical exploration, but this all came to an end with the invasion of the Mongols in the 13th century. At the October 2007 groundbreaking, the King said it was time for science to come back to the desert.

Of note to those who would think this might not be a mentally stimulating environment for, let's say, women, future students and academics were assured that all will be welcome. What's more, the government will keep out of campus business, which will also be off-limits to the religious police. Many believe that this educational venture could have a huge impact locally and globally and could be a nation-changing enterprise. King Abdullah himself said he wanted to transform Saudi Arabia from a kingdom based on oil to a more knowledge-based society. If successful, other countries in the Arab and Muslim world might follow suit. (SCIAM, February 2008, p. 18.) This is not a far-fetched notion and one that might ultimately meet with success, particularly since it sprang from the Arab culture itself.

Not far from the remote Amazon region, the Brazilians are trying their own cultural educational experiment by creating top-quality scientific institutes in an effort to leverage economic and social transformation across the country. Miguel Nicolelis, the neuroscientist who started the program with a $25 million donation, is targeting the young, however,and making science a "driving force for social change, [and] to demonstrate that, with opportunity, talent anywhere will have a shot." This enlightened doctor envisions a time when Brazil will be alive with talented scientists because they will have been raised from childhood with the critical thinking skills necessary to make this dream a reality (SCIAM, February 2008, p. 80.)

Both of these innovative efforts show enlightened educational leadership from unexpected sources. We will watch as these and other such global enterprises unfold and see how they begin to change the human fabric of their own regions and then the world.

Ponderings

The nuns in grade school would be proud that I have finally mastered the dictionary. As a matter of fact, the word missal has become a part of me, like an appendage, and I troll it whenever a new word pops up. Sometimes even an old word is dissected and information is gleaned about its origins. Three years of Latin in high school certainly has given me a leg up on tracking down the core meaning of words. . .and Jim's Latin dictionary doesn't hurt either. Yes, Jim owns a Latin Dictionary and a couple of German ones, too. You could say we are both word junkies.

Because of my passion for words and creating new words when the right one isn't available, it has become necessary to create a whole new dictionary. After all, there's no reason that Webster should continue to have a corner on the market. Thus, Susan's Brand New Word Dictionary is being created right now, right here on this blog. Here's the first entry:

ponderings (n.) (1) seemingly random seed ideas or thoughts that may or may not be ultimately true or useful and may spur action, or not as the case may be; (2) the waves created when a rock is thrown into a pool of water.

Used in a sentence (the nuns would insist): Saturday night I hunkered down with two WSJ's and a TIME in anticipation of uncovering those ponderings that have not been elevated to trends, but are worth watching, none-the-less. Ponderings are more fun, in a sense, because the reader can consider the matter with as many brain cells as available at the moment. There is no push to think too deeply--but, that is OK too, if desired. The freedom of contemplating, or not contemplating, ponderings opens the brain and let's the sun shine in.

Pondering One: A new word is emerging that is an offshoot of the green movement--biomimicry, literally "imitating life." What it means practically is taking those great fractal shapes--you know the ones from whirling sunflower seeds, sea urchins, serrated owl's wings--and creating household items that are appealing to the eye and, in fact, many times improve the performance of an already existing product. A good example is a new building in Zimbabwe that looks like a termite mound in order to vent heat better. Other newly emerging words are biomorphism (resembling a living organism, a tooth stool that resembles a molar,) biophila (love of living things, a wall made of plants) and biotechnology (technology based on biology, biodegradable plastic based on bacteria.) Someone with a better sense of humor than I could most likely make up other pithy words along these lines. Feel free to send me those for posting in the New Word Dictionary. In a year or two's time, we could have quite a collection.

Pondering Two: The latest best pick-up spot is the Home Depot. Why? The Home Depot has introduced a "Do It Herself" class to teach woman how to do such things as using a stud finder. Men have figured this out and dally in the isles following the classes. (Beats meeting in the bars, don't you think?) The WSJ further reports that the Girl Scouts now offer a Ms. Fix-It Badge for "members eager to learn how to wire a lamp or fix a leaky toilet." I think the real reason is that these young women have been conversing with the older gals in the "Do It Herself" classes and want to get a head start. It's never too early to learn the skill of using power tools wisely, wouldn't you agree?

Pondering Three: The Swedes are the kings of pirated technology. I thought that crown went to the Chinese, but no, it's those smart Scandinavians who have too much time on their hands during those long, cold winters. However, at the insistence of the US, Swedish authorities recently raided the offices of the greatest perpetrator, an outfit called The Pirate Bay, and are hauling them into court. The pirates are not worried. They believe that pirating cannot be legally stopped because it's so widespread, but have taken measures to move their servers out of Sweden, just in case. A majority of Swedes believe that pirating is fair game and an inevitable outcome of the World Wide Web. So, will the current rule of law prevail, or will a new rule emerge that includes sharing without cost?

Pondering Four: Scientists have figured out a way to create stem-cell lines without killing an embryo. How do they do that? These smarties take out one cell of an embryo's first eight to create the stem-cells, which can be theoretically remanufactured into any kind of cell imaginable. However, the scientists don't know if this extraction process damages the remaining seven-celled embryo in any way. Seems to me that they ought to settle that question before announcing this as a big breakthrough, or we'll be right back to where we started. Or am I missing something?

Pondering Five: Poachers may be out of the abalone business because they have taken most of the catch. These criminals are pretty smart guys; the more they take, the higher the price goes, and the more they take. Humans are pretty wiley animals themselves, however, and have devised methods to subvert the subverters. In the case of abalone, the tasty crustaceans are now being farm raised all over the world--and are more tender and taste better than their poached counterparts. Thus, the price of abalone has dropped precipitously, leaving the poachers holding the bag. The abalone may now get a chance to regenerate in the wild without the criminal pilfering. Could this model be extrapolated to other criminal activities, such as diamond trafficking or drug dealing? Maybe the lighted use of the mind--coupled with good old fashioned capitalist ingenuity--could prevail over activities meant to hoard wealth into the coffers of a chosen few in ways that circumvent the law.

Pondering Six: Kofi Annan, the past Secretary General of the UN, will be the next mediator to try his hand at fixing the Kenyan election mess. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who I mentioned on this blog last week, has had little luck in the matter. Nor has Barack Obama, who is half Kenyan and was called in by Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice to intervene. Nor has anyone else even though the political pressure to do so has been great. Maybe they will all fail in this round. Turns out, that although the current President espoused democracy and was supposedly a shining African example of such, economic inequality ran deep and cut along tribal lines (42 tribes = 42 lines.) Therefore, a allegedly stolen election exploded the democracy myth and the country went up in flames with it. What is the answer for Kenya and the rest of Africa? Jeffrey Sacks thinks he has some ideas, and they rest on accountability and real economic improvement for the masses. When I read his book, it didn't seem like rocket science. Only thing is, the ins will have to give up on their insatiable greed and share the fruits of the labor with the outs. Just makes sense to me, how about you? To read more about Sacks' ideas, turn to his book The End of Poverty: The Economic Possibilities of Our Time. If that doesn't sate your appetite, try The Mystery Of Capital by Hernando DeSoto or Development as Freedom by Amartya Sen, a Nobel Laureate in Economics. That should seed your own ponderings for a long time to come--at least on this subject.

Pondering Seven: You might think I have a thing for Barack, and I do in a way. He is undoubtedly the most interesting politician we have had to look at in some time, probably in my lifetime of 50+ years. Mind you, my observations will not necessarily translate into a vote, but looking at the changes his popularity creates is fodder for all sort of ponderings. This current one, number seven, reflects some pundit's comments that go like this: with the ascendancy of Barack to his place in history--even if it is just giving Hillary a run for her money, folks like the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton will no longer be able to capitalize on their proxy victim roles. Although that may speak truthfully about a purely American phenomenon, I would add that Barack's example could give hope to blacks worldwide. This thought came to me after seeing an interview of Barack's uncle from his humble home in Kenya. The reporter asked the uncle how Barack's presidential race made him feel. The man used the words "pride" and "honor to the family" but his beaming face said it all. How many times have we had a Presidential race when foreign-born relatives are watching the outcome with as much expectancy as the rest of us? How many times have these relatives been black? Thus, Barack, whether he wins the Democratic nomination or not, has changed our grandkid's history books for good. They will now read that America went from segregation to a run for the Presidency without using the race card in the short span of fifty years. What is fact now could not even have been imagined a year ago and that speaks volumes about the evolution of the United States.

And finally, Pondering Eight: Diapers-Go-Green was an announcement in this week's TIME magazine (1-21-08, p. 57.) My two kids were raised on clothe diapers, the ones that had to be swished in the toilet, so I read this with interest. Certainly, modern moms would not go back to that obnoxious toilet routine, I thought. Well, I was right and wrong. Modern moms may give up the 27.4 billion disposable diapers that get transported annually to landfills, but they will now be serviced by diaper companies or new improved clothe diapers. These new contrivances have pockets for disposable pads and elastic bands around the legs to keep in the wet and goo, just like the environmentally unfriendly models. My question, what will be next? Tampons, after all women used to use clothe, or toilet paper? Cloth, anyone?

This line of speculation could head straight to the toilet fast, so we will say, "Good evening, and it will be on to more enlightened topics when we return."

Connecting the Dots. . .

• Blog 12-30-07
  

It would appear that more than BASF Chemical Company has an interest in plastic bags. According to the United Press International (January 9, 2008,) China will ban the use of plastic bags in stores effective June 1, 2008! Now this is eye-popping news coming from the world's most populated country:

"The State Council announced the ban on their Web site, citing the problem of litter and of the oil used to produce the bags. 'Our country consumes huge amounts of plastic bags every year. While providing convenience to consumers, they have also caused serious pollution, a waste of energy and resources, because of the excess use and inadequate recycling.' "

Chinese shoppers will return to cloth bags, most likely similar to the ones being sold in US stores now. It strikes me that it isn't like China to be the world leader on such a thorny issue,especially the year that they are hosting the Olympics. However, there are certain times when central communist rule has its advantages, and this may be one of them.

• Blog 12-16-07
  

Yale was publicly influenced (also known as shamed) into increasing the output from its endowment fund by a whopping 37%. With that money, it intends to increase financial aid, scientific research and other educational initiatives as well as increase enrollment from 5,300 to 6,000. On 12-16-07 this blog reported that Harvard had bitten the bullet and decided to expand its endowment output by increasing aid to middle class families, an unprecedented move for that stalwart institution, and one we hoped was trend setting. Obviously it was. What's more, after Yale's announcement, Harvard, whose tuition now stands at $45,620, upped the ante even further by increasing its endowment spending to 5% from 4.3%. WSJ reports that:

"The moves will each add hundreds of millions of dollars to the Ivy League rivals' budgets. They come at a time of pressure from Congress and other quarters for wealthy schools to make tuition more affordable as they stockpile billions of donations and investment gains."

Other Ivy League universities are stepping up to the plate as well. Princeton was the leader of the pack in 2001 when it dropped loans from financial aid packages and other higher educational institutions having been scurrying to catch up ever since. Some ask why Congress has an interest in these matters and may believe that the government should keep its nose out of the Ivy Leaguer's business. However, the Senate Finance Committee felt differently:

"[The Senate] has been pushing to require schools to spend a minimum amount of their endowment each year. Foundations are required to spend 5%, while many universities fall below that threshold. [Senator Charles] Grassley praised Yale's move, calling it 'a day for parents and students.' He noted that Yale's and Harvard's announcements came after a hearing in September that focused on the size of college endowments. It's a big deal that the two wealthiest colleges are making tuition affordable. They set an example for all other well-funded schools to do the same."

The WSJ noted that 62 colleges have endowments over $1 billion and most are opposed to Congress mandating a minimum payout (1-8-08, p. D3.) It is a crying shame that such wealth is held by non-profits unwilling to give back, and this is one time when our government in its oversight role has stepped up and said enough is enough.

• Blog 12-25-07
  

Apparently, some scientists have come to agree with my view that what they are accomplishing is uncovery rather than discovery. In a recent article entitled "CFS Gene Study Targets Serotonin Function" at www.cfids.org , it was reported that three markers were uncovered that appear to be associated with CFS [Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.] While the uncovery itself was interesting to someone with this devastating disease like myself, the word usage was even more impressive. We will watch to see if others pickup on this enlightened trend.

• Blogs 12-29-07; 12-31-07; and 1-5-08
  

Remember my blog about climate change and earth's magnetic patterns? If you missed that one, you might want to read it and uncover a new thought as to how the climate as well as man are influenced by the earth's magnetic field. Well, it would appear that something else out of the ordinary line of thinking might be influenced in unusual ways. The WSJ recently reported what the New Scientist magazine revealed this month:

"Epileptic fits exhibit some of the same patterns as seismic shocks, . . .raising doubts about the longstanding belief that seizures occur randomly. The research led by neurologist Ivan Osorio of the University of Kansas, found patterns of 'waiting times' between epileptic fits that are similar to earthquake occurrences. Also, just as earthquakes are preceded by tiny tremors imperceptible to humans, epileptic fits are preceded by neural spikes detected only on brain scans. The analysis. . .compared 16,000 epileptic seizures with seismological data from 300,000 earthquakes. The researchers say these and other patterns might hold the key to predicting and possibly preventing epileptic fits" (WSJ, 1-10-08, p. B6.)

These findings might not be surprising if one believed in the literal interconnectedness of all beings as well as resonance with earth's electro-magnetic field. Lynne McTaggart's book The Intention Experiment previously reviewed here goes into great detail about the phenomenon. I would predict that within 20 years her theories will be accepted as the norm. Until then, many uncoveries of the kind noted above will likely surface. As I see these revelations, I will bring them to your attention as a way to shed light on a new reality that may stun us in its simplicity.

• Blog 12-27-07
  

Propaganda is a powerful force as we all know, particularly as it relates to negative matters. TIME magazine (January 14, 2008) showed how the view of the war in Iraq might have been influenced by its press coverage. It disclosed a Pew Research Center study that illustrated 46.9% of press coverage of Iraq dealt with acts of violence, whereas only 4.6% of coverage dealt with optimistic themes in 2007. Some might say that this is justified because it faithfully represents what is happening on the ground. However, we know from other sources that many "optimistic themes" occur daily in Iraq and are not covered or covered sporatically.

The journalistic axiom "If it bleeds, it leads" could not be more true than in the case of Iraqi war coverage. Thus, this negative trend in war coverage may have more to do with psychology than politics. In defense of the broadcasting and print news corporations, they give their readers/viewers what is demanded. If not, these companies would be out of business. So, although many fingers point to biased corporations for their negative reporting, the reader/viewer is equally responsible as the ultimate consumer of these products. If more light was desired, more light would be had. This unenlightened trend is due for a change, wouldn't you say?

NOTE: "Connecting the Dots. . ." is a new feature and will be brought to you from time to time as trends unfold on the pages of this watch for change blog.

ABCs of CFLs

Environmental change continues its trek toward recognition by humanity at a breakneck speed. Just like sturdy yarn, information is streaming in from points all over the globe that is being woven into a colorful fabric with an unmistakable pattern stamped with a decidedly human touch. What that pattern will be, we have yet to find out. But, what we do know is that we have the opportunity to make changes to the unfolding pattern as we go, and maybe, just maybe, we will end up with a servicable garment of lasting beauty.

In a literal way, a mass movement of lighted change has been instigated by the passage of the recent Energy Bill, and its requirement that fluorescent light bulbs replace incandescent light bulbs by 2012. The United States alone has billions of sockets to refill with Compact Fluorescent Lights aka CFLs and various utility companies are helping with that by subsidizing the purchase of the new bulbs. I recently got mine for $1 at a local hardware store, subsidized by the electric company. In California the CFLs are going for a mere 50 cents, subsidized by PG&E, the utility company made famous in the Erin Brockavitch movie. On its front page Wednesday edition , WSJ reports:

"To cut energy costs and help reduce the emissions that cause global warming, utilities such as PG&E are facing an unusual imperative. They need to convince consumers to use less of their product. PG&E is staking its success on getting consumers to junk conventional incandescent bulbs in favor of energy efficient CFLs--corkscrew or egg-shaped bulbs that use about a quarter as much electricity as regular bulbs and last several times longer."

Why would utilities want to cut their own production? Well, last year the State of California mandated that its three largest energy companies reduce energy use by the equivalent of three power plants to earn big bonuses, and that incentive got their collective attention. So much so, that last fall, one of them gave away a million CFLs free! The state is grousing that the utilities should be looking at other options besides light bulbs, but the companies have no incentive to look past the easiest one--getting CFLs into the hands of consumers ASAP.

In the company's defense, this lighted change is easy for consumers as well and no more costly with the subsidies than ordinary bulbs. My first CFL was installed last week with 11 more to go. The light is soothing and the energy savings could be substantial when the whole house is converted. However, as is usual with any change of this national magnitude, a group of consumers may be hurt, and they are letting their voices be heard. On a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome list-serve this morning was the following entry, by a Margaret Holt Baird, in which she requested information from physicians, patients and support groups. Obviously, from her remarks, some will suffer mightily if the ban completely eliminates incandescents or greatly increases their price:

"I have been asked by Congressman Howard Coble's office to send a paper outlining all of our medical conditions impacted adversely by the Energy Act's incandescent light ban of 2012. They requested that my paper contain input from the disability community, including persons with photosensitive epilepsy, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, lupus, migraines as well as CFS, MCS and related complex partial non-clonic seizures I have after about 4 - 5 minutes in the [fluorescent] lighting."

Thus, we will watch as this CFL movement unfolds over the next 4 years and see how incandescents fare in the exchange.

Speaking of energy and electricity, another causal candidate has emerged as a future contributing agent to global warming. This time the villain is the trillion tons of methane gas trapped in the Arctic permafrost. As reported in DISCOVER magazine (February 2008, p. 14) when the permafrost melts, this methane gas in all its abundance will be released to the atmosphere. A researcher at the University of Alaska says that the "gas release could re-create climate conditions that prevailed during a 2,500 warming spell that began 14,000 years ago." The enlightened part, however, is that several companies, including BMW, want to harness this smelly gas to produce energy. The methane conversion technologies are not new and have been used in landfills for years. What is groundbreaking is the newly uncovered source and the unexpected tonnage which has gotten many companies salivating.

On another environmental note, a recent surge in food production in Africa is making headlines as reported by the WSJ (1-9-08, p. B7) from The Wilson Quarterly's Winter edition:

"There is an agricultural revival taking place in sub-Saharan Africa that defies the typical dire images of life on the continent that most Westerners see, . . .the boom has been brought about by rising global prices for farm products and low labor and land costs. Exports of vegetables, fruits and flowers exceed $2 billion a year, up from virtually zero 25 years ago"

This, if true, is good news. Another way poor African farmers might be helped is a reduction in world-wide farm subsidies and tariffs. The recent World Goodwill newsletter spent its entire current issue on the challenges facing farming around the globe. www.lucistrust.org It reported that negotiations continue at the World Trade Organization Headquarters in Geneva to focus efforts in achieving these needed reductions. However, the newsletter emphasized that consumers too were responsible for decisions about food and should not always look to governments to fix the problem: "Consumers also generate food miles. . .shopping by car. Consideration of food miles must also include disposal of food and packaging to landfill or recycling. Another way to minimize environmental impact is for people to grow their own food in gardens and allotments. " Though, I have to admit, this might be a challenge for city folks. The informative newsletter goes on to say that new farming modalities are emerging that show great promise:

"Yet, despite there being challenges in agriculture, there are signs of new life on the horizon, for example biodynamic agriculture, permaculture and the increasing demand for organic food sourcing; and in the developing world La Via Campesina [is one organization that promotes] a model of peasant or family farm agriculture based on sustainable production with local resources and in harmony with local culture and traditions."

To learn more about this enlightened group, visit www.viacampesina.org

And moving on to animals, conservationists have figured out a way to revive the dwindling vicuna (think llama or alpaca) population that had been eradicated by poachers and competition with cattle in Peru. Once numbering several million, by the 1960s only 10,000 of the fated animals survived. Why the greater international community cared was an interest in creating an economic engine to alleviate local poverty because Vicuna wool is highly prized worldwide and commands a steep price while at the same time saving an endangered species. The solution was brilliant and a win-win for all parties, except the hapless poachers, of course. The Zoogoer, a Smithsonian magazine publication, stated in its January/February 2008 edition as quoted in the WSJ:

"Conservation efforts have restored the population to several hundred thousand, . . .In Peru, villagers round up and shear the vicuna every two or three years to let the fur regrow. This way the locals get the economic benefit of the fur while the shorn vicunas have little appeal to poachers."

And finally, as somewhat of a futurist, I spied the following quote in WSJ yesterday concerning the world-wide web. It is hard for me to picture the scenario, but I have no doubt that Nicholas Carr, author of The Big Switch is correct in his prognostications as reported by journalist L. Gordon Crovitz :

"We take so much of this network effect for granted that we don't really think about it anymore. When we use a toaster, we don't speak of 'going onto the electrical grid.' Soon,. . .we may no longer think of ourselves as 'going onto the internet.' The Web's services will be as ubiquitous, networked and shared as electricity now is. [Carr] predicts that that we'll get into the habit of entering a 'cloud' of computing, accessing services provided by Google, Facebook, Salesforce.com and innovators yet to come, no longer tethered to whatever software may be loaded onto our computer. Just as Edison's model failed, Mr. Carr argues, so will Bill Gates's. . ."

But in the meantime, the Gates's foundation is giving its fortune to eradicate disease in Africa and other developing nations in a business-like way never before attempted with previously inconceivable amounts of money. These facts cannot be ignored by the world-wide community and, thus, we come full circle, as usually happens, when viewing the world as Observers.

Yo Put His Feet Up

In this age of political correctness, we often struggle with what to do with the he/she issue. We used to just write "he" when the sex of the subject was unknown--but that is out--and "hizer" never really caught on. This conundrum left a void in our vernacular, until now. WSJ reports on an article in the NEW SCIENTIST magazine (1-5-08) that kids in Baltimore have come to the rescue with the use of the word YO: "It is 'yo,' as in 'yo put your feet up.' The study showed this usage was different from other uses of 'yo'--as a greeting or as a synonym of 'you'. . .[and] is significant [because] it emerged without politically correct prodding." This story reminds me that language is a living construct of the collective mind and emerges anew in the most unlikely places, something to watch avidly in the future.

How are the forests of the world monitored for general health or compliance with the Kyoto agreement? Satellites would be the obvious answer, but "heavy cloud cover and frequent, heavy rain in these tropical regions make conventional satellite monitoring difficult," says Tom Wright in a WSJ article entitled "Solving Technical Problem for Climate" (1-3-08, p. B3.) He writes of the solution to this vexing problem. Note that the national aerospace agency of Japan is working in cooperation with an established American research institute, which certainly shows an enlightened trend in and of itself:

"Now, scientists at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Woods Hole Research Center, a scientific institute based in Massachusetts, think they might have the answer. Using new technology to analyze radar waves emitting from a surveillance satellite, the scientists say they can accurately assess the state of the world's forests with accuracy that is close to real time, no matter what the weather on Earth."

Which brings us to an old innovation that has been resurrected to help solve one of the problems with solar energy--that of storage. On January 2, 2008, WSJ reported that a "Solar Venture will Draw on Molten Salt" (p. A7.) Molten salt, I asked? Now that is enlightened innovation:

"The solar-plant technology was first demonstrated in the 1980's, using the sun's heat to convert water into steam to drive generators. In 1994, the project was modified to include the use of molten salt for energy storage. In such a system, the molten salt is pumped through a tower, where it is heated by the sun's rays. The salt is then stored in insulated containers until it is needed. It is then turned into steam that drives turbines that generate electricity. . .molten salt only loses about 1% of its heat during the day, making it possible to store energy for long periods of time."

This illuminated use of solar energy technology is a step forward because at least the source of the energy (sun) is free and the storage medium (salt) is cheap and plentiful. It is predicted by some that the unleashing of no-cost energy in the future will free humanity to pursue its divine birthright--something we cannot even fully imagine at the moment, although sharing, cooperation and responsibility will be parts of the framework.

These forward-thinking attitudes have always played a part on the world-wide web with opportunities abounding to download free software of every kind imaginable (including this blog site through Google.) However, getting access to the internet to download the free software has not always been possible for those with no funds. In San Francisco last summer, Meraki Inc. began to change that equation by offering free Wi-Fi internet access to anyone who asked. The WSJ commented that "Meraki, which was founded in 2006 and sells wireless gear and related network services, says it is financing the free San Francisco wireless service itself as a research-and-development expense. . ." (1-4-08, p. B3.) The age of wireless technology has opened a vast area of sharing possibilities, and these advances are worth watching.

And finally, as we all know, global warming has been blamed for climate change. That belief has set off a fire-storm of controversy that has grown rather acrimonious over the last few years. Another theory that has gotten little press is the role that the sun plays in the Earth's climate and is one that is examined by the scientists at the Center for Sun-Climate Research, located in Copenhagen. Rather than being an inert hot ball in the sky, they speculate that the sun influences us in more ways than we can count, including directly affecting the climate.

Another little recognized affect on the climate is that of Earth's magnetism. In 1923, in The Mahatma Letters to AP Sinnett, one of the Masters who sent these letters to Mr. Sinnett explains in abbreviated detail that a mass of magnetized meteoric dust compressing our atmosphere creates climatic changes, not the sun or man:

"Even simple muscular contraction is always accompanied by with electrical and magnetic phenomenon, and there is the strongest connection between the magnetism of the Earth, the changes of weather and man, who is the best barometer living, if he but knew how to decipher it properly;. . .it is an established fact that it is the earth's magnetism that produces wind, storms, and rain. Earth's magnetic attraction of meteoric dust, and the direct influence of the latter upon the sudden changes of temperature especially in the matter of heat and cold."

"High above our earth's surface the air is impregnated and the space filled with magnetic, or meteoric dust, which does not even belong to our solar system. Science having luckily discovered, that, as our earth with all other planets is carried along through space, it receives a greater proportion of that dust matter on its northern than on its southern hemisphere, knows that this is due to the preponderating number of the continents in the former hemisphere, and the greater abundance of snow and moisture. Millions of such meteors and even of the finest particles reach us yearly and daily, and all of our knives are made of this 'heavenly' iron, which reaches us without having undergone any change--"

The matter of climate is a timely topic of discussion and has raised men's awareness to the changes occurring in the Earth's environment. Could it be that in this discussion, like many others, we are just beginning to scratch the surface of the matter? Both sides of the debate might consider that possibility when launching barbs at the other. There is a good chance that neither is completely right and each has something to contribute if done in a spirit of cooperation and sharing. In an atmosphere impregnated by that loving energy, the Masters might be more interested in sharing their knowledge as well.

And the Winner Is......

With 2007 coming to a rapid close, it seemed prudent to review where we've been, see how far we've come and give a grand prize to the idea, theme, thing, issue, concept, creation, thought, situation, circumstance or entity that changed for the better and moved the farthest from January through December. This year the grand prize goes to [drumroll] the world's attitude on the environment. There actually was no close second. It takes many years of effort at multiple levels for the man on the street to finally agitate for change, and this year was the tipping point as far as the environment was concerned. While humanity still has a LONG way to go in adjusting its behavior to that required for a sustainable future, it had a wake-up call in 2007 that could not be ignored.

As the collective consciousness changes, so finally does the corporate consciousness. The WSJ reports in an article entitled "Best of Ads, Worst of Ads" that:

"Green is the new black. Madison Avenue tried to curry favor with consumers this year by coloring products and brands with an environmental tint. A long list of companies such as General Electric Co., Chevron Corp., and Home Depot Inc. all jumped on the ecofriendly bandwagon. One Toyota Motor Corp. ad featured a Prius being created from straw, twigs and other natural elements. The gasoline-hybrid care is built up and then fades back into nature" (12-27-07, p. B1.)

So, it was not just this Observer who noticed the new, bold trend over the last year in advertisements. The next sentence is telling, however, "Despite the energy spent on ecofriendly marketing messages, very few stood out. . ." and none made the cut for the best or worst ads of the year in the opinion of the newspaper. I would beg to differ.

In many of the previous blogs, I've mentioned environmental ads that have been large (full-page), obviously very expensive, and have gotten to the heart of several pressing environmental concerns. While many might say, "OK, but where's the beef?" I would counter that the ads show a good start in the right direction in letting consumers know about corporate intent or sometimes actual innovative products. (The next few years will show whether corporate intent turns to action. It's one of those "stay tuned" situations of which Observers are so fond.)

Two such ecofriendly ads were carried in the January 2008 issue of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. A German company Allianz, who specializes in insurance, asset management and banking, ran a full-page ad asking the reader to chose from the following: "The more dangerous thing on the planet is a) a pack of wolves b) a herd of cows." Of course, the answer is "b." I wondered what that quirky question had to do with insurance and banking, and it soon let me know:

"Livestock is one of the largest sources of the world's greenhouse gases. Having global expertise in Risk Management, our experts at Allianz are working on ways to reduce the negative effects of climate change on people and businesses. . ."

Hum, seemed like a bit of a stretch but it was obviously eye-catching.

On the other hand, an ecofriendly ad in SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN sported a stylized daisy made from plastic bags:

"Environmentally friendly plastic bags are a beautiful thing. Ecoflex, one of the latest breakthroughs from BASF, is a biodegradable plastic that can be used in bags and packaging. It's shelf stable for one full year then completely decomposes in compost within a few weeks. Innovation is popping up everywhere."

This one was informative and touted a necessary product that can be used right now. It struck me as amazing that a huge chemical conglomerate like BASF would spend so much to let consumers know about innovation in plastic bags, such a mundane product, but loading up landfills by the ton. My hat goes off to BASF not only for the new product but for letting us know about it; both are enlightened changes.

In another SCIEM ad was something really trendsetting, a non-spark spark plug. According to this ad about the Pulstar pulse plug:

"Spark plugs have changed little over the last 100 years. . .Pulstar pulse plugs generate more than 10 times the power of any spark plug available today. This visibly robust spark ignites fuel differently, allowing for a more complete burn than is possible with spark plugs. More efficient ignition yields improved engine performance and fuel economy" (p. 19.)

The logo for this company includes the words "A spark of genius, Pulstar pulse plug." This proves again that environmental innovation can go beyond the obvious and into the mundane fueled by a true spark of genius.

Although I am ending the year on an environmental note, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC is starting off 2008 with 2 of its 8 lead articles on recycling. The articles cover "High-Tech Trash" which the world is drowning in to "Why Recycle?" at all. Both were highly informative and directed toward john-q-public in an easily readable format. The first article on high-tech trash says that an enlightened trend in Europe just getting a foothold in the U.S. is the mass recycling of high-tech trash. If the cell phone, computers and the like are recycled at all, the parts and pieces are usually shipped to undeveloped countries with more lax environmental laws than the developed countries have. However, a company in Tampa, Florida is trying to change that unidirectional flow of high-tech trash into the maws of its giant shredder. David, as it's called, eventually separates the parts into bins that can be sold for scrap. Surprising to me:

"The most valuable product, shredded circuit boards, is shipped to a state-of-the-art smelter in Belgium specializing in precious metal recycling. . .a four-foot-square box of the stuff can be worth as much as $10,000."

The article goes on to say that in Europe, recycling of high-tech equipment is common, but in the U.S. only three companies have taken up the banner. "It wouldn't take many more machines [like the one in Tampa] to process the entire country's output of high-tech trash" (p. 80.) The EPA is exploring a certification process that would make sending trash away less profitable, thus improving the odds the trash stays home for recycling. WSJ also covered the recycling of e-trash in a recent article so the momentum is building in the U.S. Stay tuned!

Be sure to check out ibm.com/dnaSTOPTALKINGSTARTDOING. In a beautifully illustrated double spread ad of lighted prehistoric cave art, the informative text explains:

"TALKING EXPLORES HISTORY. DOING REWRITES IT. IBM and National Geographic have teamed up on a Genographic Project--a five-year study that uses sophisticated computer analysis of DNA contributed by over 200,000 people to map how mankind has populated the globe and uncover the genetic roots we all share. Start seeing the bigger picture at [the website noted above.]"

Now here's an enlightened team that may prove that we are all literally related in a "brotherhood of man," to quote a wise man who lived a couple thousand years ago. This research could have far-reaching implications as more people accept the inescapable truth that we are connected with every being on the planet.

And finally, a sultry photo of two young lovers in front of a twilight skyline of Shanghai topped a blurb in NG on unprecedented change in China:

"The country's breakneck economic growth is spinning off new opportunities. The proportion of 18- to 24-year-olds enrolled in college has doubled in less than a decade. And the government encourages individual ambition as long as it doesn't run afoul of the central plan. But there are few role models for young people to emulate. A 25-year-old can't follow in the footsteps of a 45-year-old: The paths that the older person took are no longer on the map" (p. 14.)

Through the eyes of this Observer, I see that education is often the path to freedom and the rate of increase of young adults enrolled in college is encouraging as is the fact that they have no path to follow but a new one. What possibilities this making-new by an educated populace might provide for a giant country being reborn in a new age.

And Back to the Propaganda

I'll let you all in on a secret: this blog is partially an exercise in learning to not-know (see previous blog.) As an Observer-in-training, it's essential that my eyes, heart and brain are opened every day to what's happening around me, and most times I just have to act AS IF I am already an accomplished Observer. (Some call that pretending. That's OK. Turns out, that psychologically acting AS IF something is already a fact is the surest way to get there.) One thing about not-knowing, it gives "open-mindedness" a whole new meaning:

1--The WSJ reports yesterday from the December 19, 2007 issue of the New Statesman, a left leaning British weekly,that global warming may have stopped. Why is that? Because apparently the earth's temperatures have held steady since the year 2001."The world's temperatures rose sharply from 1980 to 1998 but have leveled off since then according to Mr.[David] Whitehouse's reading of U.S. and United Kingdom government statistics. In other words, he says, global warming has ceased. While scientists have proposed a variety of theories for the recent plateau in temperature, those explanations are inadequate, said Mr. Whitehouse, who spent 18 years covering the sciences for the BBC and holds a doctorate in astrophysics." It is not surprising that "Mr. Whitehouse's observations didn't go over well with many New Statesman readers" (p. B8.) And so the global warming conversation continues.
2--Brian Cox, an accomplished actor, said something worth quoting. It might give a person something to mull over in its simplicity: " 'You've only arrived when you're dead. Until then the options are open' " (WSJ, 12-26-07, p. D6.)
3--There are over 4 million bloggers out there, talking, opining and yakking it up. Many like myself take no risks in doing so; we just sit down and blog away. Others, take great risks in presenting their world to others. One such person is a Ms. Sanchez who WSJ reports blogs from Cuba at risk to life and limb every day. This courageous lady,disguised as a tourist, sends her blog from wireless internet cafes and is quoted as saying: " 'You have to believe that you are free and try to act like it. Little by little, acting though you are free can be contagious.' " Seems that she already knew about acting AS IF.
4--What caught my eye first was Toyota's front page ad "Between theory and practice reside two words. Why not? The next time you are faced with a challenge ask yourself these two words. To see how Toyota is inspired by them every day, visit toyota.com/whynot?" And on the next page was the headline Toyota's Expected Sales Could Put it Ahead of GM: "Toyota Motor Corp said it expects global sales of blah blah blah. . .a level that could put it ahead of rival General Motors Corp. as the world's largest auto seller on an annual basis" (WSJ, 12-26-07, p. A7.) 30 years ago, anyone would have laughed right out loud if asked about Toyota's chances of EVER overtaking GM in car sales. Then, the carmaker sold a really tinny, small cheaply made automobile only bought by poor college kids (I'm exaggerating, but you get the picture.) I guess the laugh is on us and now we know their secret. Instead they asked, "Why not?"
5--On that same front page yesterday was a small blurb that read: "Opposition leader Bhutto accused President Musharraf of failing to stop the spread of Islamic militants and vowed to crack down on the groups if she wins Pakistan's parliamentary election." I had intended to include it here with the comment that I feared she was a dead woman walking because she could not possibly survive with that revolutionary attitude. Guess I was right, but didn't know it would be proven true by day's end.
6--Harkening back to Mr. Putin's front page TIME Person of the Year cover, WSJ reports that the editors did not view this as an endorsement nor an honor. They were merely highlighting the fact, as observers, that he had a huge impact on the world in 2007 but "the verdict is still out: 'whether he proves to be a reformer or an autocrat who takes Russia back to the era of repression--this we will know only over the next decade' " (WSJ, 12-20-07, p. B6.) Enough said.
7--A WSJ reporter interviewed Michelle Rhee,the new superintendent of the Washington DC school system, which she is turning on its head. How has she done something that everyone thought was impossible? By having the full backing of her boss, the Mayor who recruited her from outside the system,and not being committed to keeping her job. What's more she got rid of the ostentatious furniture in her office because she said she wouldn't be using it; does not believe that her mission is incremental change; and doesn't plan on making this job a career. She is quoted as saying: "This is a one-time gig for me. So, I can make every single decision in a way in which I think is in the best interests of the kids--without the politics, without owing people, just with that [kids] in mind" (WSJ, 12-22-07, p. A11.) If education had more of these mavericks, it might be good for the profession. But more than that, it might be wonderful for the kids. It is certainly proving to be true in Washington DC for the first time ever.
8--After seeing the zillionth ad about CO2 reduction by corporate America, I am starting to be convinced that this trend may be here to stay. Canon was the latest to throw their hat into the ring with a full page ad that read: "Sustainability is our standard for measuring CO2 reduction. One Canon energy saving technology has reduced CO2 emissions by nearly 7 million tons, the amount assimilated by the seas surrounding the earth's corral reefs each year." These words surrounded a gorgeous picture of the Blue Hole in the Belize Barrier Reef. The ad concluded: "Produce. Use. Recycle. CO2-emission reduction throughout the product lifecycle" (WSJ 12-21-07, p. A7.) Keep it up corporate America. We like what we see--now let's see the words turn into action.
9--And finally, it was startling when Venezula's President, Hugo Chavez, lost the recent referendum on a proposed constitutional revision to keep him in power for life and other reported democracy reduction measures. It was equally surprising when he accepted the results, even if begrudgingly. What was more startling was learning about the man who made it happen, Gen. Raul Baduel, the 52-year old retired general, who was one of Chavez's best friends until recently. Back when they were young bucks in the barracks, they made a secret pact with a few others to bring down the "oppressive" Venezuelan government and later did just that. Ironically, Gen. Baduel was the force that brought Chavez back to power in 2002 after a failed coup. Since retiring last July, however, he has had a change of heart and is considering running against Mr. Chavez in the next election. WSJ says this of the General: "Now Mr. Baduel holds a unique place in this divided society: He is respected by both the president's supporters and detractors. Long a hero to one side for cutting off the coup against Mr. Chavez, he is now a hero to many on the other sideBut he for staving off a kind of coup by Mr. Chavez himself."

But here's the real interesting part: "Mr. Baduel, a vegetarian with a deep and eclectic interest in world religions, is not a typical Latin American military man. He has spoken publicly of his belief that he has been reincarnated. Although a practicing Roman Catholic, he is fascinated by the orient and is also adept in the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism. In his office filled with statues of Catholic saints and Chinese warriors, he keep a Koran as well as a Bible and meditates and works amidst burning incense while listening to Gregorian chants" (WSJ, 12-24-07, p. A9.) Amazing, I would say, but take care Mr. Baduel because Mr. Chavez strikes me as potentially a very vindictive man.

That's it for today, folks! Tomorrow we talk about enlightening cancer research. Stay tuned.

Enemies at the Firewall

Enlightened change does not always have to be "good" from the standpoint of the general public. As a matter of fact, it can be alarming if one does not stand back and take in the larger picture. Case in point is the article in TIME (12-17-07, p. 56 - 58) entitled "Enemies at the Firewall" which describes China's latest efforts to hack into government computers worldwide: "Chinese computer hackers are allegedly breaking into high-security networks in the U.S. and other countries. Is Beijing creating an army of Internet warriors?" The writer concludes "yes" of course and describes a network of work-a-day hackers being clandestinely supported by the Chinese military through hacker competitions. . .Chinese newspaper articles suggest that the establishment of a cybermilitia is well underway. In recent years the military has engaged in nationwide recruiting campaigns to try to discover the nation;s most talented hackers.The campaigns are conducted through the competitions that feature large-scale prizes. . advertised in local newspapers." In that case it would be hard to miss--or deny. However, the Chinese government is indeed denying the allegations of the recent and widespread hacking adventures including those against the US government, the German government, other western governments and major corporations.

The article goes on to say: "China has long regarded cyberwarfare as a critical component of asymmetrical warfare in any future conflict with the U.S. From China's perspective, it makes sense to use any means possible to counter America's huge technology advantage. The current wave of hacking attacks seems to be aimed mainly at collecting information and probing defenses, but in a real cyberwar, a successful attack would target computer dependent infrastructure, such as banking and power generation."

Why I might observe this as enlightened change is the use of cyberwarriors in warfare, which shows an evolution from use of physical force to that of mental prowess. While I'm NOT advocating warfare, most likely, humans are going to have to evolve from the use of physical force to the use of mental means before they will get past the need for warfare at all. Thus, from the Observer's standpoint, this is progress.

Speaking of China, the Olympics in Beijing next year was certainly a catalyst for change. That a communist-ruled country could be transforming so rapidly is a marvel to watch. I initially wondered how long the people, given their introduction to the outside world through the internet and other sources, would tolerate its central government But, from all reports, many of the young people are quite satisfied with their lives and are more interested in their newly acquired cell phones and other consumer items than the government, human rights issues or Tibet. After all, they are embedded in their culture just as we are.

In the story of the tortoise and the hare, China is the tortoise and Ukraine is the hare. China might have it more right. That's one nice thing about being an Observer, history tells the tale, not our various opinions.

On another note, I made the prediction to my environmentally disappointed daughter a few years back that corporate America would catch the social responsibility bug when it paid to do so. Well, apparently it is now paying in several different ways including the fact that international companies like GE and Microsoft, for example, were forced by the EU and the Kyoto Agreement to embrace environmental causes. Force might be too harsh a word, but persuaded doesn't quite touch my view as to how it came down. Al Gore's prodding, which has added a shame factor to everyone's plate, hasn't hurt either. And although his science may not be spot on, politically he knew where to manipulate the sensitive, emotional areas to get his point across. Brilliant, really.

Even the WSJ has gotten into the act in a full page ad (12-17-07, p. R11) announcing an Executive Conference sponsored by them called ECO:nomics--Creating Environmental Capital to be held in Santa Barbara CA in March: "A unique conference , ECO:nomics takes a CEO-level view of the rapidly developing relationship between the environment and the bottom line. New business opportunities are materializing thanks to regulation, new technologies, and a growing sense that a world reliant on finite resources must adapt. But the risks are high, and both winners and losers are emerging. Who will end up in the lead?" This kind of gathering would only be organized at a time when the groundswell was so great that CEO's would find it advantageous to attend. The time is apparently now.

This is in the same paper that reported on the front page and further on page A3 that in Bali, Indonesia "nearly 190 nations approved a pact to combat climate change. The agreement paves the way for developing nations to take a more responsibility in fighting the global threat, a departure from the Kyoto Protocol. The accord hammered out at the end of a 12-day U.N. conference stops short of requiring binding cuts." The passage goes on to say meetings will take place over the next two years on a global treaty to replace the Kyoto Agreement. "The leader of the U.S. delegation called the accord 'a new chapter in climate diplomacy' and said the U.S. is 'very committed to developing a long-term global greenhouse gas reduction emission goal.' " Now, that is truly lighted change and proves that the U.N. can be an international leader in such weighty matters.

And a final note on the labor watch (yes, we have a labor watch as well): unions' best days may now be past, and they don't know it yet. Take for example the current writer's strike. If this goes on too long, people may decide they no longer need network TV, particularly when they have found new, more entertaining sources. Again, time will tell whether the writers were enlightened or unenlightened to go on strike over an issue that has little meaning with their audience, the man on the street. Of course, this does not count the groupies who bring donuts and other food to the strikers in order to brush shoulders with this illustrious crowd.

This coming week, I will host a SCIENCE blogathon event. DISCOVER magazine recently reported the 100 most newsworthy scientific events of 2007. Those stories will be highlighted that have shown world wide illumination, transformation or trends of science for a better tomorrow. Stay tuned.