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Quote of the day
FEMA chief Michael Brown has been widely excoriated for his pathetically and tragically inept response to Katrina. But lest you think he came to the job unequipped to lead the nation's emergency-response efforts, Kate Hale, former Miami-Dade emergency management chief, points out that his previous experience as a commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association has come in handy:
"He's done a hell of a job, because I'm not aware of any Arabian horses being killed in this storm," she told Knight-Ridder.
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Americans dying
Six days after the hurricane hit, there are thousands in New Orleans still stranded, their lives in imminent danger from thirst, hunger, and unmedicated illness.
I find it inconceivable.
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Wild moss collection like ‘strip mining forests’
As you have probably already guessed, this is a photo of a moss collection. There is an article in the most recent Conservation in Practice about moss cultivation that caught my attention. Wait ... read on: -
Video short about biodiesel gets greenlighted on Current TV
If you haven't come across Current TV yet, here's the skinny: Current is an independent cable and satellite TV network where average people like you and me create video (or Flash) shorts, upload them to the Current TV website, have them reviewed by other Current TV members, and have them appear on the network if a sufficient number of people "greenlight" them.
I don't have cable or satellite television, so I'm limited to reviewing the schedule online and heading over to the studio to watch clips that are airing. Today I was pleased to stumble on a piece produced by submedia about biodiesel.
In "From the Fry Daddy to your Car," bass player (and founder of Vegenergy.com) Robert Del Bueno discusses how he uses biodiesel to power his car. Anyone else think it's cool that this got the greenlight?
Just check out some of these comments:
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Give
It just occured to me, with all the all the blogging I've been doing about Katrina, I haven't done the obvious yet:
Please give what you can to the hurricane relief efforts. People are hurting, and every little bit helps.
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Oil spill spotted
Looks like Katrina may have caused an oil spill after all.
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BusinessWeek on Katrina
The America-hating commies at, uh, BusinessWeek have a must-read article on Katrina and the implications for U.S. policy.
The major lesson policymakers should draw from the catastrophe is just how vulnerable the U.S. is becoming to natural disasters and energy disruptions. In fact, some experts say, Americans have been mistakenly lulled into thinking terrorism is the most pressing threat -- and they argue that the relentless focus on staving off suicide bombers has left crucial gaps elsewhere.
Here are their policy recommendations:
- Restore natural buffer zones
- Limit development in the most vulnerable areas
- Get serious about climate change
- Make a Presidential appeal
- Increase energy diversity
- Boost energy efficiency
Read the whole thing.
(via David Corn)
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Interview with mayor of New Orleans
Everyone, and I mean everyone, should listen to this interview with the mayor of New Orleans. Any hint of political tact is gone -- he's just angry and confused by the criminal indifference and incompetence that are consigning thousands of his constituents to disease and death.
It's painful to hear, but utterly necessary.
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Vote for grassroots efforts around the globe
This morning we received an email from the Nguna-Pele Marine Protected Area in Vanuatu. Apparently, Vanuatu is a tiny Pacific island that runs on batteries (all praise the Energizer Bunny!). The problem is that many people dump their used batteries into the ocean, which among other things damages coral reefs. This is where the Nguna-Pele Marine Protected Area comes in, by encouraging villagers to use rechargeable batteries.
And their campaign has made them a finalist in the The World Challenge, which is brought to you by BBC World & Newsweek, in association with Shell. From The World Challenge website:
It is a competition aimed at finding individuals or groups from around the world who have shown enterprise and innovation at a grass roots level. This competition is all about finding entrepreneurs whose projects are making a difference to communities.
Voting is open until October 16th, and the Nguna-Pele Marine Protected Area obviously wants you to vote for them. But, before you do, you may want to review the other efforts taking place around the world, which include:
