Monthly Archives: February 2008

Sharp-shinned Hawk

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This Sharp-shinned Hawk landed on one of the perches in my feeding area… maybe 15 feet away. Beautiful bird and my first chance to photograph a bird of prey. After landing he just calmly looked around for some dinner, maybe 40 seconds and then flew away. I must say, he is welcome back anytime!! I was stunned by his presence and keep replaying the moment in my mind because it did not seem real. I think this visit made my year!!

More at: Enchanted Planet Images

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Rockets, Hamsters, Presidents, and a planet at the brink

Consider this part two of my previous post… this is what I woke up thinking about it 4am. Yes, I’m talented.

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The likelihood that the next president and congress will do anything to meaningfully deal with peak energy and climate change? I think we’ll see a team of genius hamsters send a rocket to the moon first.

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Our planet needs a global recession

Just popping in to offer up a thought about the current thinking regarding climate change and the economy in relation to current political discourse and media. It is generally accepted thinking that economic recession is bad. It is also now generally accepted that climate change is a serious global problem which needs to be addressed in a very serious manner by governments and citizens.

Let me point out the hard truth which will never be uttered by any candidate for U.S. president, not even Barack Obama who seems to have a great deal of support of liberals and progressives in the U.S. No current Democratic or Republican candidate is even close. If we are going to solve the climate crisis we must reduce our carbon emissions immediately and let me be clear by what I mean by reduce and immediately. I mean that we need a reduction of 50% by yesterday and 90% by tomorrow. We need a global economic recession because we need an immediate end to economic growth. We need an end to a global economy that is based on ever increasing consumption and which promotes consumerism as a way of life. It is not what most people want to hear and it is not what a candidate will say if they want to get elected. But it is the truth.

Our level of public and political discussion regarding climate change and natural resources reflects our thinking on the issues and it is purely delusional. The time for making gradual but serious changes to our way of life was 1990. In 2008 we have runaway climate change and a planet of 7 billion people which has reached peak energy production.

Buckle up for a very rough ride.

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Noam Chomsky on Obama

“When I was driving home the other day and listening to NPR – my masochist streak – they happened to have a long segment on Barack Obama. It was very favorable, really enthusiastic. Here is a new star rising in the political firmament. I was listening to see if the report would say anything about his position on issues – any issue. Nothing. It was just about his image. I think they may have had a couple words about him being in favor of doing something about the climate. What are his positions? It doesn’t matter. You read his articles. It’s the same. He gives hope. He looks right into your eyes when you talk to him. That’s what’s considered significant. Not ‘Should we control our own resources? Should we nationalize our resources? Should we have water for people? Should we have health care systems? Should we stop carrying out aggression?’ No. That’s not mentioned. Because our electoral system, our political system, has been driven to such a low level that issues are completely marginalized. You’re not supposed to know the information about the candidates.”–Chomsky, What We Say Goes

(Via Good Times and Bad Times in Lost America.)

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