If this article about Tom Brokaw's Discovery Channel special on global warming tonight, weren't so sad and scary, it would be hilarious. You can see from the seal above, that the Senate Committe already has a skewed view of the world. Or...is the Capitol building really that close to the mountains???
I'm not a scientist and I have no political stake in this issue. However, as a reasonably intelligent and observant human being, I can't ignore these points: weather patterns these days are seriously out of whack from the norm which we all know; it's much, much easier to get a sunburn at the beach, riding your bike, or with your arm sticking out the car window on a drive; enormous glaciers that have been on earth longer than we have, are suddenly disappearing. And what about all the cars and factories and homes and businesses that are heated and air-conditioned each day, how can we not think that we're generating a lot of CO2?
No matter what side of the political fence your possibly lazy asses are sitting on, you need to be aware of what you're doing to this gorgeous orb you call home! It's not hard to do little things that will help in big ways, if enough of us participate.
- People are not fresh meat, therefore they don't need to be refrigerated. Turn down the A.C.!
- You keep whining about your weight. Hop out of the SUV and walk to the supermarket.
- On SUV's: What happened to the good ole station wagon?
Do college kids need to drive tanks? Parents, what are you thinking?!?
Shouldn't there be a luxury tax on every one of those that comes into a city?
- Building a new home? Think about using some solar energy.
- Do you recycle?
I'm probably preaching to the choir here, but I can't just sit back and not say anything. Thanks to my friend, Jim Corrigan, for passing on the article by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. As he pointed out, it's our (yes, even if you're an independent or a democrat) tax dollars at "work."
Ok, how 'bout this for a fun and environmentally positive pursuit? In Harwich, MA, you can take your friends or family (or both...or maybe they're one in the same) and go diggin' for clams! You have to get a license, but it's a cheap date at $15/day or $30 for the year. And don't worry, the town replenishes the beds every year with about 2 million baby clams. Not only is this good exercise out in the fresh ocean air, but you'll be communing with and learning about nature, and you'll be providing your own sustenance! When was the last time you did that?
Just don't forget the double digit sunscreen.
Was all this leading up to some chit chat about books on the environment? No. Not this entry. The books I want to tell you about now have been culled from a cool magazine I get, call The Week. If you like to get your news from a variety of sources in a succint manner, this magazine is for you. You'll get a bit of everything--political analysis, world news, gossip, real estate, money matters, reviews of books, movies, music, theatre and art...and that's just naming a few of the things covered. There are articles from all over the world, so you don't just get the American point of view. It's a really splendid publication.
Advertisement over, though, and on to the books~
The "Novel of the Week" sounds wonderful, if you're a fan--like me--of magic realism. Any author who's likened to Gabriel Garcia Marquez, is one I'd like to have a look at...and will.
There's another book section called "The Book List", to which I'm having trouble linking right now. Maybe they're just having some heavy traffic or maintenance. You should be able to have a look at it if you click the link above and go to "the list" on the left-hand column. However, if you can't, here's the roundup on that:
The books this week were chosen by author, Robert N. Butler, who won a Pulitzer Price in 1976 for his book, Why Survive? Being Old in America. The books he's named below are his favorites about the "struggle for liberty."
Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill
A Room of One's Own by Virginai Woolf
The Road to Serfdom by E.A. Hayek
Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
Freedom From Fear by David M. Kennedy
Not really beach reading, but in light of the article that started this session, well worth the time, I'd imagine.
~Fischlipps
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