Sustainability

Yes, I suppose it was “historic.” The U.S. House of Representatives last Friday acknowledged that this climate change stuff may have a kernel of truth to it, and the U.S. and the entire planet might just have to consider others ways to produce energy.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act passed by a vote of 219 to 212, hardly a ringing endorsement. It's now on its way to the U.S. Senate, where legislation can be talked to death until the end of time. The esteemed members of that distinguished body do have their prerogatives.

Juan Enriquez, scientist and venture capitalist, gave this presentation in 2007 on "thinking" about biological energy.

How we approach energy is even more critical in 2009, especially in light of how the U.S. Congress is timidly stumbling toward some sort of energy and climate change legislation. See Hydrocarbons.

Cleaning up the George Bush dung heap will take many years and may never be completely successful.

Jane Poynter, who works in the field of sustainable development and green technology, gives a fascinating presentation on what began as her living with several people in a manmade biosphere for two years starting in 1991. If you're looking for some enlightenment in the sea of human mindlessness watch Biosphere 2.

Here in Kansas City on Monday we had our first ground level ozone alert of the year, but it was merely an orange warning, only “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” Nothing of any consequence.

After all, we could be living in some theocratic police state like Iran. What's a little air pollution when compared to teenagers being murdered on the street of Tehran. We can all survive some bad air in America … or only a little health care … or a couple of endless wars … possible war crimes and....

Diane Benscoter spent five years as a "Moonie" when she was a teenager back in the 1970s. Over the past 20 years or so she has been involved in investigating and writing about extremist mentalities.

In 1978 I was living in the Caribbean when I learned about the mass suicide of some 900 people in a compound called "Jonestown" in the country of Guyana.

Health literacy is clearly very important, and how well patients are versed in their own health care is probably just as important a factor in determining longevity as genes and socioeconomic status.
(Sandeep Jauhar, M.D., Long Island Jewish Medical Center)

A CNN health article on Monday reported on a survey of some 700 Britons, of which more than half of the participants couldn't point out the exact location of the human heart in a diagram.

Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.
(John Adams, second president of the United States)

I have no idea what the odds may be at the moment among the bookmakers in London and Las Vegas, but it's probably fluctuating around 50 percent that we Americans might snatch defeat from the “jaws” of victory. If ever we needed Mr. Adams' citizenry with a “general knowledge,” it's right now.

While there are obvious immediate consequences, the long-term outcome could be disastrous for biodiversity and human survival.