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Ancient Organic Revival
We excitedly received a few packaged products from Essential Living Foods, anxious to try them out on our American palates. These were powdered forms of what is referred to as the "Lost Crops of the Incas"--a purple corn extract, Aji Amarillo...
Easy Ways to Save Energy
With this fall's spike in oil and natural gas prices and the
further impact Hurricane Katrina will have on this winter's
heating oil supplies, it's become more important than ever to
make sure our homes are as energy-efficient as possible.
...
Energy Saving Windows
Windows are one of the great energy-wasters of any house. About
25% of the total heat loss is from traditional double glazed
sealed windows. New technology, however, has resulted in more
efficient energy saving windows that can significantly cut...
Looking For a Swimming Pool Contractor?
When it comes to an in ground swimming pool all we knew was that
we liked to enjoy our weekends in one with our family and
friends. We started to ask around to our family members and
friends for information on swimming pool supplies and...
When Asphalt and Dinosaurs Roamed the Earth
You may not be aware of it but a part of the highways and
parking lots that you drive your car into may have been around
for millions of years! Those roadways and pavements'
considerable history can be attributed to one if its key
component -...
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So, Donald... An Open Letter to Donald Trump
Soaring oil and gas prices and the devastation of Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita have finally brought an issue into sharp focus
for the public: When it comes to energy, we're in trouble! We
import far more crude oil than we produce in the United States;
fully 70 percent of our oil comes from five countries in the
Middle East, arguably the most volatile and politically unstable
region in the world.
We need to develop sustainable, renewable, safe sources of
energy to provide power for our homes and businesses. One real
danger is, however, that as the memory of Katrina fades and the
prices drop at the gas pump, the public will also lose focus,
and fail to continue the pressure needed for politicians to
generate change. What we need is a standard bearer - a big,
vocal, powerful, charismatic standard bearer.
So, Donald... When are you going to build the world's first
off-the-grid skyscraper?
Just think of it - wind turbines on the roof, sheets of solar
panels covering the south side of the building, and, to heat and
cool the building, biodiesel, manufactured on site from
discarded vegetable oil collected from the best restaurants in
Manhattan. In the interior, piped-in sunlight brightens the
living area while saving on electricity; a gray-water system
recycles water throughout the building and can be reused for
showers, baths, and lush gardens on every floor. Bamboo flooring
and other renewable materials create a rich ambiance while
promoting the concept of green living.
While you're at it...
How does an "Adopt a Smokestack" campaign sound?
In talking about decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, one
alternative being discussed is relying more on domestically
mined coal. At this moment, coal burning is already responsible
for generating more electricity in the U.S. than any other
method. Unfortunately, much of this coal is being burned by
obsolete, highly polluting utility plants. In the Midwest alone,
over a hundred aging coal burning plants spew out pollutants
responsible for acid rain which has killed hundreds of lakes,
streams, and rivers in the Northeast. Large amounts of mercury
from these plants are deposited in the water and end up in both
freshwater and ocean fish, turning one of the healthiest sources
of protein into one of the most dangerous - mercury in
fish
threatens the unborn children of women who ingest it,
threatening neurological damage which results in a lifelong
sentence of some measure of disability. Airborne pollutants are
also responsible for an exponential increase in asthma,
particularly in children. Increasing the use of coal without
implementing immediate pollution controls would only intensify
the pollution and its consequences.
Environmental experts familiar with coal burning plants estimate
that it would cost a million dollars per smokestack to decrease
the pollutants emitted to acceptable levels. The utility plants
themselves have resisted this expenditure, and have lobbied
successfully to stop governmental enforcement of environmental
regulations; the fledgling Bush administration quickly stopped
lawsuits, begun by the EPA during the Clinton administration,
which would have forced these plants to implement pollution
controls.
So, Donald, where do you come in? With your visibility, your
cult status, and your corporate clout, you could easily raise
the money to fix every smokestack in the country. NFL and NBA
players, CEOs, Hollywood actors, producers, and directors,
multimillionaires with old money and new - and don't forget
Oprah - all have the means to donate a million dollars, or more,
to adopt a smokestack. We could virtually eliminate the
pollution problem from these coal burning plants in short order
- much more quickly than will be accomplished by lawsuits and
governmental interference. We could offer to fix these
smokestacks in exchange for one promise - that the utility
plants do not sell their pollution credits to anyone else.
All of the technology needed for both of these projects is
available today, and would put this country on the path to
sustainability and energy independence in short order. And
Donald, you could pull it off, in grand style.
I can see into the future: a Newsweek cover with a
picture of a towering Donald Trump, and the title, "Donald Trump
Saves the World." Has a nice ring to it.
About the author:
Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern
New Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and
Topics. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.
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