Technology

I'm a bit on the edge when it comes to technology. I can't deny that I own quite a bit of it- I have a lap top, i-pod, cell phone, hair straightener, toaster, microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher, TV, DVD player, etc. All of these things I probably couldn't live without honestly. Maybe a few I could cut from my life but in order for me to go back and remove a dishwasher or microwave, I would need society to slow down to allow me to be able to wash dishes by hand and actually enjoy a good meal made by an oven. I feel society is constantly pressuring technology to speed everything up to make us live our lives faster and get more things done in a day. When it comes to technology saving us I'm even less sure. I think technology needs to be given a chance but not allowed to spread so fast so far that if the consequences turn out to be more negative than positive, then it should not be allowed. In this respect I'm thinking about medicines to cure or prevent particular diseases. I remember watching the film, "I am Legend," and a lady found a cure for cancer or something like that. This 'cure' was rapidly injected into people, and the unintended consequences turned out to be even more harmful than the cancer. I do think something like this could happen in the future if humans don't extensively test for unintended consequences. I feel a bit better about genetically modified organisms although i do think people have the right to be nervous when something is first introduced. Nerves of the population would be calmed through this extensive research on newly discovered technology. I do think the concept of "genetically modified forests" is a little weird. After all what's nature if it's not natural?

Environment AND Economic Growth

President Obama's recently passed stimulus package was not only an economic stimulus, but it included several points of environmental protection and legislation on cleaner and more efficient energy. In many of the instances the government stimulus is expected to protect the environment while at the same time, help boost the economy. Some examples include the following:

• Setting aside $5 billion worth of spending for weathering homes and buildings to become more energy efficient. This in turn is expected to economically help those in the business of weathering homes. Additionally, it will prevent 9.7 million tons of global warming pollution from being produced and create 375,000 jobs.
• A tenth of the money will be given to environmental initiatives, with $32.80bn in funding for clean energy projects, $26.86bn for energy efficiency initiatives and $18.95bn for green transportation, giving a total of $78.61bn directly earmarked for green projects according to an analysis made by Environment America.
• About 3.5 million 'green-collar' jobs are expected to be created or saved over the next two years.
  
• In the original Senate version of the package, a provision of $50 billion would have gone to and been used by the nuclear and coal industries; however, this provision has been cut from the recently passed package.
• The stimulus package is also expected to create 67,000 solar jobs in 2009, and 119,000 in total through 2010.
  
• $8bn in new high-speed rail projects will also be invested.
  

A setback environmentally was the plan to upgrade the country's electric transmission system to use renewable energy and improve its efficiency. It's original funding was to be $11 billion but was cut to $4.5 billion.

There's a whole list of environmental provisions included in the stimulus found at this link: http://environment.about.com/od/environmentallawpolicy/a/econ_stimulus.htm

What also makes me pleased about this stimulus package is that the money will be disbursed accountably and transparently. Vice President Joe Biden is even in charge of tracking this accountability. The White House is also creating a website to track the spending. I find all of these environmental provisions and even the set backs as astounding accomplishments. Not every environmental need will be met by the government, but the government is taking a big lead in promoting environmental protection. Hopefully, this will inspire other countries and companies around the world to act. Most arguments against protecting the environment have been from those arguing economic advancement, but most of these provisions are benefiting our country both economically and environmentally.

Some online sources I used to look up this data relating to the Stimulus Package include:
http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2236575/obama-stimulus-bill-green

obama makes environmentalists smile

i was very pleased to read a recent new york times article specifying obama´s environmental focus regarding the $787 billion stimulus package. it is high time that our government take the reigns concerning the future of our environment, and i have been absolutely appalled in america´s lack to do so for so long. the truth is the rest of the world looks up to us to take these challenging tasks and do something about them. we are a country made up of creative, intelligent, hardworking and sensitive people who should care about the environment. it has been disappointing that in the past, particularly in the past eight years, the environment has been put on the back burner. therefore, i was extremely happy and frankly not surprised to see obama take this step towards obtaining clean energy. obama stated that this investment in clean energy will ¨double the amount of renewable energy produced over the next three years.¨ this is extremely exciting because it has the potential to completely shift the way americans use energy today. it is a bitter sweet subject, and quite incredible to hear that just three years is all it takes to double renewable energy...if only this could have been done sooner..yet, i digress...

obama also announced that a large portion of the stimulus package would be given towards more environmentally-friendly programs, including $5 billion for low-income weatherization programs, more than $6 billion for state and local governments, and several billion more to help modernize federal buildings--all with a focus on energy efficiency. ¨smart grids¨ are also high on obama´s to-do list, as well as clean coal projects, and experimentation involving electric car batteries. perhaps the most promising of all these new programs and endeavors is the $500 million that will be invested to help train workers in ¨green jobs.¨ this is exciting because it has the potential to start a ¨trend¨ in the work sector, and if americans see that there are opportunities to make money as well as make a difference, the results for the future could be extremely beneficial. obama´s idea of  restoring the economy and at the same time helping progress the energy agenda has huge potential in transforming america´s energy situation. investments made now can greatly alter the future for green energy for the better, while at the same time replacing the old and dirty with the new and clean.

stimulus

President Obama's stimulus package for over 787 billion dollars included a significant chunk to be dedicated to environmental issues and projects. It includes replacing the fleet of federal cars with hybrids, a massive EPA budget to reduce pollution, "greening" federal buildings to increase energy efficiency, increasing the efficiency of the power grid (and its ability to use renewable sources like wind), as well as many more programs and slush fundings for environmental programs like job retraining. Frankly, this is a fresh wind in an area that has been deprived of the previous administrations attention and funding. It is not a cure-all, but is a step in the right direction in my view. Permanent increases in funding and studies on systematic ways to reduce our environmental impact will be necessary, but that was not the sole purpose of this package and hopefully this signals a permanent shift in national policy towards more environmentally conscious ones.

What is most interesting to me however, is that there is a subtle perceptual shift encompassed in this bill that might not be first apparent. Like I said previously, the sole purpose of this bill was not to reduce our environmental impact, it was to create jobs and help the economy. Wait...help the economy? Surely there must be some misunderstanding... the previous administration assured us the reason we couldn't be more environmentally friendly was because it would prevent job growth. And there it is. Suddenly, environmental protection is no longer a goal at odds with that of creating a healthy economy, and this recognition, more so than the actual policies entailed in the stimulus bill itself, is possibly the biggest and most positive step we could take as a nation. While I'm sure the effects of the stimulus bill will be endlessly debated for generations, there is some sort of consensus that we can now benefit economically from environmental protection and reduction of our impact. If this new assumption rings true on a very large scale, it could even end up defying the basic assumptions of the I=PAT equation on affluence and impact. Its nice to know our politicians have started to embrace the idea that you can benefit from doing the right thing. It will take focus, direction, honesty, serious examination of our society, and hard work to really get results, but people are at least starting to get that we CAN work to protect the environment AND help our economy.

All I can say is...thank god, its been a long time coming.

Obama's Stiulus Plan

Wow, it's already one of Obama's first initiatives as of the new administration. It's crazy how quickly time goes by in the political world, and with that, political objectives and regimes. I think that it's quite impressive that one of Obama's first initiatives deals with the environment. With the stimulus plan, Obama laid out the pieces of an economic plan that would add an additional three thousand miles of electrical lines. This would not only increase homeland security, but will DOUBLE the United States' renewable energy capacity within three years. At 825 billion doubles, the plan first appeared as being controversial and unappealing to republicans. With an attempt to appear bipartisan, there is still some doubt from the opposing party. 

Obama's plan aims to to the following things:

-Double within three years the amount of energy that can be produced by renewable resources, and with that providing power to 6 million households

-Upgrade 10,000 public schools with the new-found energy and improve learning for approximately five million students

-Save two billion dollars each year thereafter due to new energy efficiencies

-Triple the number of undergraduate and graduate fellowships in science

Not only will this plan be more beneficial to the environment from what I've learned so far about it, but will also work to stimulating new jobs in the midst of the devastating economy. While conservatives are worried about their pockets, the situation we are in warrants the attempt of such a solution. Even though it's not perfect, anything is worth a try at this point both environmentally and economically. And for some reason, I have much greater faith in this than I've had in any initiatives over the past eight years...

experiences with the non human world

i´ve had many incredible experiences involving the non-human world. i remember one trip when i was young, my family and i went to yellowstone and actually snow mobiled through the park..it was amazing. i remember seeing deer and elk walking by as we would slow down on our snow mobiles as to not disturb them grazing nearby. i spend part of the year in colorado, and love when i see a bald eagle flying in the sky, or the occasional mountain lion hiding in the woods! since i am a huge fan of animals, whenever i travel i try and visit areas where animals native to the area live, such as nature preserves. i think the most incredible experience i had with the non-human world was on a small island off of thailand, called krabi. there, i woke up every morning to the sound of a ringing bell: a baby elephant making her way down the beach with her trainer. i made sure to wake my seven year old cousin up early so we would make our way down to the beach to see her. she was so beautiful, and i remember how smart she was--she could find a water bottle (using her trunk as both a nose and hand) deep in the bottom of another tourist´s backpack. it was incredible. one morning, we had the chance to go swimming with the baby elephant. the trainer told me to rub sand on her back, so i did, at which point she began to play with me! she would take her trunk and try and trip me, and this amazing game began..of me rubbing sand on her back and her chasing me! finally, we jumped in the water and she used her trunk to spray water on me. it was magical. 

On Nature

It's hard to say what the most magical or enchanting experience I've had with the non-human world. Some that come to mind right away are my childhood memories of El Dorado and Yellowstone. When I was younger, my father would take my siblings and me to El Dorado, both in the winter and the summer. One summer, I remember camping next to a serene lake. We were tucked away in the forest just far enough not to be able to see the lake, but a two minute walk was all that really separated us. One memory I'll carry with me is of a tree that had fallen only ten feet from our grounds (some years prior). Curiously, I jumped onto the tree and walked down it like a bridge. This "bridge" carried me through a grouping of dense shrubbery that wouldn't be navigable. After falling on top of this concertina-like bush, the tree blazed a natural trail into an area which not only wouldn't be accessible but also unnoticeable. The "bridge" ended with a small clearing (surrounded by the thick barrier shrubs). This clearing was bizarrely inhabited with beach sand and a small beach of its own. I remember myself taking the bridge to my hideaway more times than I can count. Another memory of this lake was of my brother and I being to adventurous for our own good. We were on one end of the lake and decided that we should conduct an amphibious raid of the opposite shore. Since the other shore was easily a mile or more away, we would require some sort of raft. What we decided on was a giant log that had been soaking in the lake for some time. It had the perfect amount of buoyancy, just enough so that when he and I boarded it like a motorcycle, it floated just beneath the surface (actually very dangerous in retrospect). We paddled our way for what seemed like 2 hours until we arrived at the opposite only to discover that after all our hard work, bravery and ingenuity, we liked our original shore better. The lesson being that the grass really is greener on the other side of the lake. Nature really is the best teacher.

Absolutely. Aside from ecological and environmental health reasons, nature provides a nurturing counter point to the psychological abrasiveness of modern society. Being able to learn about nature with all of your senses rather than a picture book is a scenario to which there is no alternative. The real question isn't whether we should save nature, but whether we can save it. It seems that today, more than ever, we are heavily invested in our self made habitats. People don't hunt their own food, nor do they even hunt the lattes they run on. It seems to me that the only way to reverse the damage to nature is to undue much of what we have built. Can people put down their lattes? Can CEO's of destructive companies dismantle their polluting machines against the better judgement of capitalism? Can people regardless of their profession become more attentive and informed about the environment, enough to make smart choices? To me, these are the only questions worth asking