http://www.freespiritspheres.com/
just follow the link, then come back here and read if you care.
This is an incredibly cool idea/form/space/habitat and I am fully in favor. It could be incredibly sustainable, or it could degrade our natural spaces just as viciously as standard development. But I don't think it will ever be like that. Because people who would consider living in this sort of space do it for one or two reasons - they love and want to connect with nature as intimately as possible, or they are plum crazy-wild and have some similar tastes to your's truly.
Let your imagination run wild as I have. A grouping of these beautiful spheres, dangling in the canopy connected by suspended walkways is incredibly compelling. Perhaps one day, we'll get to see it in action!
Additionally, these interior spaces remind me more of a sailboat interior than a house. I think my aunt and uncle would tickled by this product. Thanks for the link Jess!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Outrage
I can only say it so simply. This is outrageous, and has outraged me. Our country is a bunch of sissies and this is exactly the kind of 1st Amendment protection America is supposed to be about. Read this link about a high school senior who has been punished for following the rules and writing something honest. I am not defending his content or timing, but I will defend his rights. The shooting at Virgina Tech is a tragedy and we must do what we can to prevent such tragedies in the future, but not by sacrificing our rights.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Yet another reason to install that bunker while you still can
Have you heard about the bees? They are dying. Life forms like bees that are a crucial and obvious part of our ecosystem are key factors that we use to predict and understand the natural world. And when they start dying, we know something bad is happening. Like the fabled butterfly monsoon connection, this sort of die off is usually the precursor to greater widespread environmental degradation and danger.
I am not suggesting that you go out and buy a bunch of honey, but if you want my suggestion, go out and start a beehive! Or simply create some habitat for bees to encourage their safe growth and a long term supply of life on earth. If you need more convincing here's a great link to an article about bee ecology and how they play a role in our agricultural economy way outside of the honey in the pot.
What's more, this article above suggests something even more interesting. As species decline in number, it is the smaller populations that decrease first. This suggests that smaller niche organisms are the first to go, and that the broader and more robust organisms remain. This has been the case for eternity and is nothing to laugh at or feel remorse over. It is a rule of nature. What it implies though does give me a bit of pause. Postulate with me what could happen if the niche organisms disappear or diminish greatly? It is the loss of the extraordinarily adapted symbiotics, the bizarre plants that lure outlandish insects, the rare plant that requires feeding by even rarer ants. Do you see where this takes us? To a world of switch grass and flies. To a land of few, not plenty. Speciation is one of the gifts of our extraordinary world, and one we must not take for grated.
I am not suggesting that you go out and buy a bunch of honey, but if you want my suggestion, go out and start a beehive! Or simply create some habitat for bees to encourage their safe growth and a long term supply of life on earth. If you need more convincing here's a great link to an article about bee ecology and how they play a role in our agricultural economy way outside of the honey in the pot.
What's more, this article above suggests something even more interesting. As species decline in number, it is the smaller populations that decrease first. This suggests that smaller niche organisms are the first to go, and that the broader and more robust organisms remain. This has been the case for eternity and is nothing to laugh at or feel remorse over. It is a rule of nature. What it implies though does give me a bit of pause. Postulate with me what could happen if the niche organisms disappear or diminish greatly? It is the loss of the extraordinarily adapted symbiotics, the bizarre plants that lure outlandish insects, the rare plant that requires feeding by even rarer ants. Do you see where this takes us? To a world of switch grass and flies. To a land of few, not plenty. Speciation is one of the gifts of our extraordinary world, and one we must not take for grated.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
BioFules in the sky and Bottles in the bank!
Now this is promising news, and coming from an industry leader, and not a government regulation! Being green and saving the world has FINALLY become clear and obvious to the tipping point majority, thank you world!
On another awesome note Oregon looks like it will move ahead and increase the acclaimed Bottle Bill to include water bottles and flavored water bottles! When the bill was introduced 30 years ago it was a landmark bill that increased bottle recycling 90% (all stats are from my memory right now) and stands to do the same with the ubiquitous plastic water bottle. This could make a very big difference in the world.
On another awesome note Oregon looks like it will move ahead and increase the acclaimed Bottle Bill to include water bottles and flavored water bottles! When the bill was introduced 30 years ago it was a landmark bill that increased bottle recycling 90% (all stats are from my memory right now) and stands to do the same with the ubiquitous plastic water bottle. This could make a very big difference in the world.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Living Green, and coping
If you haven't noticed, I like to use the internet, for both reading and writing. And I am amazed every day by the sheer amount of information passed through this novel portal. Today I was amazed yet again, and by two very divergent yet strangely related sites. The first was Monsters & Critics who posted a story about Cheryl Crow, a person I know very little about, on a website I know nothing about. And the second was a satire posted by my friend trav.is.
What got me about the first story was the asinine response by all the people who went to the page containing an article that reports Ms. Crow's proclamation that women should be a part of protecting the environment by reducing their use of toilet paper to the minimum of one square per visit. This makes an incredible amount of sense, is very responsible thinking and can actually have a HUGE impact on both our water systems and our paper uses. It implies that this is for going "number 1" but the page did not specify. Nearly all of the responses on the page where churlish and rude, condemning Ms. Crow for voicing her opinion. I say to the people who wasted their time, energy, and money responding so sophomoric: get your heads out of the toilets and respect a small bit of honesty. She is right. This is one of the infinite, incremental steps you can do every day, every time you go to the bathroom to make a difference. It adds up.
We are so blessed in our first world nations (those of us who do, and of whom I am guessing represent 100% of my audience now) to have plenty, to have comfort, and to have extra. And we use more than we need because most of us do not know any better. This is one very palpable lesson in using less. Good for you Ms. Crow.
And now for the second article; a satire my Mr. Trav.is on the dangers of .... water. It took me some reading and common sense, and enough desire to even care what he wrote, to decode the blather of the site mentioned in his post, and it was funny, but I hate to say it, trav.is, I didn't really enjoy the joke.
Many people have incredibly intelligent and sound ideas about free market and open capitalism, and the effect of self regulation, but I am guessing, none of those people have ever suffered through or had someone close die from exposure to a toxic chemical leaked by an unconcerned corporation. It is simple fact that we do not understand the effects of what we do and create until years later, and I believe we should be responsible for our own actions. Just because we work for a company or corporation or government does not insulate us from the effects we cause, weather inadvertently or with full knowledge. Unfortunately not everyone acts with this level of responsibility, and in the glare of the gross, net, and margin, forget everything they every learned about what is right.
Because of these facts, it is vital and necessary to regulate people.
What got me about the first story was the asinine response by all the people who went to the page containing an article that reports Ms. Crow's proclamation that women should be a part of protecting the environment by reducing their use of toilet paper to the minimum of one square per visit. This makes an incredible amount of sense, is very responsible thinking and can actually have a HUGE impact on both our water systems and our paper uses. It implies that this is for going "number 1" but the page did not specify. Nearly all of the responses on the page where churlish and rude, condemning Ms. Crow for voicing her opinion. I say to the people who wasted their time, energy, and money responding so sophomoric: get your heads out of the toilets and respect a small bit of honesty. She is right. This is one of the infinite, incremental steps you can do every day, every time you go to the bathroom to make a difference. It adds up.
We are so blessed in our first world nations (those of us who do, and of whom I am guessing represent 100% of my audience now) to have plenty, to have comfort, and to have extra. And we use more than we need because most of us do not know any better. This is one very palpable lesson in using less. Good for you Ms. Crow.
And now for the second article; a satire my Mr. Trav.is on the dangers of .... water. It took me some reading and common sense, and enough desire to even care what he wrote, to decode the blather of the site mentioned in his post, and it was funny, but I hate to say it, trav.is, I didn't really enjoy the joke.
Many people have incredibly intelligent and sound ideas about free market and open capitalism, and the effect of self regulation, but I am guessing, none of those people have ever suffered through or had someone close die from exposure to a toxic chemical leaked by an unconcerned corporation. It is simple fact that we do not understand the effects of what we do and create until years later, and I believe we should be responsible for our own actions. Just because we work for a company or corporation or government does not insulate us from the effects we cause, weather inadvertently or with full knowledge. Unfortunately not everyone acts with this level of responsibility, and in the glare of the gross, net, and margin, forget everything they every learned about what is right.
Because of these facts, it is vital and necessary to regulate people.
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