Filed under: Food + Health, Nature + Travel, Science + Tech | Tags: beekeepers, bees, cell phones, colony collapse disorder, disappearance, GMO, honey, navigation, pollinators
There is a mysterious phenomenon occurring in bee hives across the nation. Beekeepers are returning to their hives only to find that their bees have all but disappeared. In most cases, only a queen and some hatchlings remained. To the surprise of the beekeepers, no evidence of a predatory attack from wasps or honey loving animals could be found. In addition, no sign of dead bee bodies, mites, or disease could be seen. Beekeepers are perplexed and ask,”Where did all the bees go?”
The disappearance of honeybees has scientists, farmers, and beekeepers alarmed. This insect plays a critical role in the human food chain. This species is the primary pollinator of hundreds of types of nuts, flowers, vegetables, and fruits. CCD or Colony Collapse Disorder is the name given to this potentially devastating situation and it has the potential to dramatically effect global honey and food production.
Theories for the cause of CCD range from stress to cell phones to GMOs. Bees are put under huge amounts of stress by being trucked across the country by their keepers looking for pollination work. While on the road they are fed the equivalent fortified kool-aid, weakening their immune systems. Radiation from cell phone devices could also be a contributing factor as it may interfere with the bees navigation. Many believe the increased use of chemical pesticides, herbicides and genetically modified plants are to blame. Not to mention, commercial hives are fumigated regularly with chemicals to kill harmful mites.
My best guess: bees are succumbing to a combination of all of these factors and more that have yet to be identified. So the next time you bite into that tasty pollinated fruit, don’t forget the bees that made it possible.
Tina Wood
Filed under: Art + Religion, Science + Tech, Society + Media | Tags: Apple, Arthur C. Clarke, Childhood's End, Did you know?, Enlightenment, environment, facebook, Google, grok, information, internet, knowledge, media, new media, Robert Heinlein, singularity, technology, web 2.0, world wide web, Zen Buddhism
What is this thing we call the Internet?
No, really. What is it?
We use it every day. Networking sites like Facebook let people access anyone, anywhere, in seconds. Google sorts and organizes more words and ideas in a minute than any human can hope to process in her life. Dazzling fortunes are made, used and wasted; overwhelming games and images are developed and stored; trillions of stories are told.
This thing, this Internet, didn’t even exist 30 years ago. Now, it permeates our media environment. It is the purest manifestation of Enlightenment humanism, an endless library of human knowledge. Anything and everything mankind has known and recorded probably waits in there like an apple in the Garden, waiting to be plucked and digested by some enterprising individual. It is collective human consciousness, literally resting in the palm of your hand.
Watch this video. You’ll like it.
Internet breakthroughs, like all technology, advance exponentially. Where is this all leading us?
Some, such as the believers in the Singularity, would say knowledge and resultant technology are advancing to an impossible point where all knowledge will unite in a single ego, and individuality will cease (like at the end of Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End.) Admittedly, the idea is a little crazy… but so is the idea that Christ died for our sins, or that Energy might equal Matter times the Speed of Light, squared. Right?
Is the Singularity what the Internet is moving us toward? Perhaps… If so, I think we’d all do well to keep our eyes on that sneaky bugger.
But then, maybe, as Zen Buddhists would tell you, all technology is insignificant. Perhaps the Internet simply is, just as a rock simply is, or a picnic lunch simply is, and the responsible human should relax, observe and contemplate it (try to grok it, to use the words of another ridiculously nerdy author for me to be referencing). After all, humans spend so much time altering their environment…
This spring break, let your environment alter you.
Justin Leverett is done for the week. Shabbat shalom, y’all 🙂
Filed under: Energy + Climate, Science + Tech, Society + Media | Tags: Galveston, green energy, Gulf of Mexico, Matt Bristow, natural gas, peak oil, renewable energy, solar, T. Boone Pickens, Texas, Wind, wind turbines
It is said that “everything is bigger in Texas.” Being the second largest state in the nation, it is a small country unto itself. The state has been renowned for it’s oil production and refinement, but that maybe about to change. Texas is helping to lead the country with green energy solutions in a big way. By 2020 the state hopes to supply 20% of it’s energy needs with renewable resources.
The people who are leading the way for these renewables are former oil tycoons, like T. Boone Pickens. He has been promoting plans to rebuild the countries energy infrastructure, using energy from solar, wind, and natural gas. Oil companies are also looking at ways to stay afloat in today’s ‘sea of green’. They are adapting their business strategies to fit better with the times, investing in these renewables and turning a profit. Soon enough Texas will be a global leader in using renewable energies. Plans are even in the making to install the first off-coast wind turbines in the country, near Galveston.
Peak oil in this country was reached in the seventies. Global peak oil is right around the bend. Even though the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine, these renewable energies hold the key to our future. I am excited about the development of cleaner, renewable energies. However, I am not excited to think that our state of Kansas is still sitting on it’s head over the coal issue, when we too could be reaping the wind.
-Matt Bristow
Thanks to siemens.com for the photo.
Thanks to youtube.com for the video.
Filed under: Cars + Transport, Energy + Climate, Food + Health, Science + Tech, Society + Media, Waste + Recycling | Tags: algae, biodiesel, biofuel, Brian Pierce, Cannonball Run, carbon footprint, ethenol, Nik Bristow, Willie Nelson, Willie Run
“On the road again, just can’t wait to get on the road again,” sang Willie Nelson in one of his most iconic songs.
As Americans, automotive transportation is vital to our way of life. But our dependency on oil can produce detrimental consequences on the environment.
In September 2008 my brother Nik Bristow and Brian Pierce drove non-stop from Manhattan to Santa Monica, establishing the record for the first and fastest coast-to-coast run by a biodiesel-powered car. The cross-country drive took 38 hours and 37 minutes, fast enough for the duo to have placed fifth in the 1971 Cannonball Run. The record setting event was dubbed “Willie Run ‘08” in honor of the patron saint of biodiesel, Willie Nelson.
Willie Run '08
***
Are biofuels the way of the future?
Ethanol production has increased massively in the past decade, thanks to government subsidies. But the corn used to produce this fuel, in turn, has had a tremendous effect on global food prices.
Biodiesel, like ethanol, can be derived from food crops, it can also be made from used oils (like those found in a deep-fat-fryer at almost any restaurant.) Many restaurants are more than content on having their grease-traps cleaned out for free, but our nation’s automobiles obviously can’t run on grease alone.
The next generation of biofuels may come from algae. Large, green ponds are used to grow algae that can then be converted into fuel. Algae, which grow rapidly, are rich with natural oils and thrive on CO2. It can be housed adjacent to carbon dioxide emitting industrial sites, like coal-fired power plants and be used to minimize those sites’ carbon footprint.
The future of our energy consumption will rely primarily on renewable resources. It is our conversion over from fossil fuels that will be one the most daunting challenges we, as a planet, will have to face.
-Matt Bristow
Photo credit: willierun.com
Video credit: youtube.com
Filed under: Design + Architecture, Science + Tech | Tags: icontrol, Kansas weather, Plogg, save energy
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned while living in Kansas it’s that the weather has a mind of its own. Imagine you’ve been out of town the last two weeks. In that time the temperature has fluctuated between 20+ degrees below freezing and the mid 80’s. So what happens when you’re a few hundred miles away and you can’t race home to turn the heat on so your pipes don’t freeze? You get a system like iControl.
iControl is a remote home monitoring system that permits you to control devices in your home from anywhere via a web portal or cell phone. This allows you to maximize your home’s energy efficiency by remotely adjusting your thermostat or turning off that lamp you forgot about.
Just want to control your appliances? Check out Plogg, a wireless energy management device. Like iControl, Ploggs allow you to control appliances remotely, which can save tons of energy and money each year.
So if you’re like me and have a tendency to forget to flip off a lamp when running out the door or you hear about a freak snowstorm when you’re out of town for the weekend, take remote-control of your home. Not only will it give you peace of mind, it’s also a great way to save energy and money and it’s easy, you’re online now so you’re practically half way there!
Megan Richards
Image Credit: Peabody Spaces
Filed under: Energy + Climate, Fashion + Beauty, Science + Tech | Tags: Birkenstock, humane clothing, leather, meat industry, PVC, vegan
I have a confession to make: I have worn sandals in the snow (and even at times, gasp, with socks) — but, it was Boston, and they were my Birks…and what do leather sandals have to do with food or, for that matter, veganism? A lot, actually. Okay, let’s do word association for a moment. What comes to mind when I say vegan? Is it just issues of dairy, meat, honey, and other animal-derived food ingredients? What if I said that it also includes clothing? And, what if I said that one aspect of clothing, leather, is tied directly to the meat industry? I couldn’t stop wearing my sandals, though, so it meant finding an alternative…and, in the process, finding out more about turning animals into shoes, sweaters, and other items.
Quite early after setting my foot on a vegan path, I found many vendors of humane options — including Birks without leather or suede! But where did the leather in my “other” Birks come from? Well, that milk you’re drinking and the burger you’re eating? It may possibly have come from those “spent” cows; it may also have come from young calves or downer cattle. As meat industry commodities, these creatures face the same inhumane, environmentally damaging conditions as I learned about in my reading that focused on animals as food. But, while eating animals has an impact environmentally, so, too, does wearing them, what with all the chemicals that are part of leather processing. These angles made it very easy to change the admittedly small number of leather goods I used to more humane options. But….I found that not all synthetic leathers are created equal.
A common leather substitute is made from Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), which create dioxins and are toxic to both the environment and humans. Therefore, just like with food, you have to read the labels. But, never fear! There are many different options that are healthy and sustainable; I’ve switched to a hemp purse and belt.
And, yes, I have worn my microfibre Birks in the snow and my feet (the animals and the environment) are quite happy!
(Just a warning that this includes some great info, especially on the human/environmental cost of leather, but it does include some graphic images.)
~ Mary Beth
Image from: change.org Animal Rights
Filed under: Food + Health, Local Events + Action, Science + Tech, Society + Media | Tags: carrying capacity, genetic engineering, organic farming, overpopulation, Pamela Ronald, Tomorrow's Table
Progressive scientists and organic foodies rejoice!
Pamela Ronald, author of Tomorrow’s Table, has found the answer to our agricultural problems, the peace pipe in the feud between genetic engineering and organic farming!
She claims that the solution to feeding a growing global population, the destruction of natural habitats for cropland, and the health risks of pesticides actually lies in the marriage of genetic engineering and organic farming. In order to feed the potential 9.2 billion mouths in 2050, oceans of wild land would have to be cleared and converted into cropland. Millions of species would lose their homes and their lives and the environment would face tremendous degradation. However, the holy union of genetics and organics provides an alternative path.
Essentially…
Organics (no pesticides ) ♥ Genetically Engineering (greater product yield) =
9.2 billion full stomachs – environmental degradation – death of millions of species – health risks of pesticides
It seems like Ronald’s got the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything and it doesn’t include the number 42. Right?
I beg to differ. Though the concept seems attractive and relatively simple, it fails to recognize the greater issues at hand. I am a firm believer that the Earth has a carrying capacity for the human population. Yes, even we have a limit, though we oftentimes refuse to acknowledge it. As we continue to reproduce, aided by modern medicine, technology, and science, our numbers continue to skyrocket and our impact on the Earth continues to intensify. And as with any species that exceeds carrying capacity, the only result will be the devastation of our environment and death.
What Ronald is proposing is perpetuating the overpopulation issue. Using our oh-so-powerful methods of controlling our natural environment, we can continue to feed and reproduce, feed and reproduce. However, while it may quiet our current problems, it is merely a quick fix to a complex problem.
Should we simply let many of the world’s people starve? Is it inhumane to think so? Are there any other solutions?
I don’t pretend to have the answers to these questions. But I do beg you to think about the implications of these “solutions” and remember that while we can be hopeful for our future, we must be realistic as well.
Janie Chen
Filed under: Science + Tech, Waste + Recycling | Tags: Earth Friendly Moving, Graduating, Green Moving
Like many soon to be graduates I’m facing a number of daunting tasks between now and May. In addition to finishing classes, I need to find a job – which will ultimately result in me relocating. It seems hard to be eco friendly when worrying about the 10-million things you have to do before your move, but companies like Earth Friendly Moving make it easy.
So where to start? Most people don’t take every last belonging with them, but what do you do with the excess? In May and June the dumpsters in college towns are overflowing with personal effects abandoned by students. Consider all the things you could do instead with the stuff you don’t want anymore – donations, yard sales, freecycling – a little bit of time for a serious reduction in the amount of stuff being trucked to landfills.
How about the stuff you’re taking? By packing your belongings in reusable crates, not only are you supporting recycling, you’re helping to keep tons of cardboard and other packing materials from reaching local dumps. Think about the average mover – wrapping stuff in bubble wrap, packing peanuts and cardboard boxes, you make your move and then what? You’re exhausted so you throw away all those packing materials.
Earth Friendly Moving not only delivers reusable crates, it picks them up when you’re done. A service that’s not only greener, it’s cheaper and less time consuming, especially if you can pair it with eco-friendly biodiesel based moving. So if you’re one of the 20% of Americans who moves every year, consider making it a green move, the environment and your wallet will thank you.
-Megan Richards
Thanks to youtube for the video
Filed under: Energy + Climate, Food + Health, Science + Tech | Tags: dairy, environment, Good Karma Rice Divine, The Food Revolution, vegan
Grilled cheese sandwiches; mac and cheese; ice cream. So many of my comfort foods were largely (if not entirely) dairy-based; could non-dairy substitutes really be as good? This was a dilemma when I found myself standing at the vegetarian/vegan crossroad. Why, then, would I choose the vegan fork rather than sticking with the vegetarian one? Well, first, I started reading and watching more about our diet and where the dairy part of my Cherry Garcia came from. As I began paying attention to the truth behind the “happy cow,” “food animal” curtain, I came to a point where I had seen as much as I could; being someone who didn’t lose that connection all children have with non-human animals, it was an emotionally tough road.
At that point I needed to step away from “where our food comes from” for a bit and started focusing more on its environmental and health impact. I read Silent Spring, The Food Revolution, Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating, and others. I always have been very aware of environmental issues (helping start an Earth Club in high school, when such issues were much more rarely discussed) and it really struck me just how my mac and cheese was affecting the environment. After learning more about how our food system is killing our home and ourselves, and delving more into the ethical arguments for veganism, I returned to the “animal question” and, since, have learned to be more vocal for changing our eating habits (for the earth and all its inhabitants, both human and non).
And the non-dairy, vegan versions of food comfort? I’d recommend Good Karma’s Rice Divine in Very Vanilla (on a warm homemade vegan cookie, of course). 
~Mary Beth
Image from: Sweet Avenue Bake Shop’s blog
Filed under: Food + Health, Local Events + Action, Nature + Travel, Science + Tech, Society + Media | Tags: biotechnology, consumer power, GMOs, monsanto, sustainability
The debate over what is and isn’t sustainable is a complicated one. Keep in mind that the concept of sustainability rests on the principle of meeting present needs without compromising future generations from meeting their own needs. On one hand you have multinational companies, like Monsanto, that claim they offer farmers more sustainable growing methods in the form of GMOs. On the other hand, there are arguments that GMOs are anything but safe and sustainable. Because biotechnology is such a new field it is surrounded with scientific uncertainty. This uncertainty has created an arena of opportunistic arguments wrought with propaganda and marketing ploys.
We as consumers play a large role in GMOs. We eat them and purchase them, therefore we hold the economic power to stop their production or ensure their survival. In the United States, most consumers are completely unaware of what a GMO is, let alone whether or not the food they buy contains them. The most important source of power we as consumers can excercise is knowledge. We must take it upon ourselves to inform and educate those around us and make them understand why it is important. The problems that exist with GMOs must also be recognized by our government. We as a people must demand to know what it is that we are consuming. In order to obtain legislation requiring producers to label their products that contain GMOs would be difficult and expensive. A better tactic would be for GMO free producers to voluntarily label their products as such and we as consumers can then give them our economic support.
It is easy to feel helpless in these times of globalization and economic struggle. By simply using the power that we all possess we can bring about change and a healthier world.
Tina Wood
J500 Media and the Environment 
