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Can you ‘murder’ a chicken?

The word murder generally applies to people killing other people. 99.9 percent of all violent deaths to human beings are wrought by other human beings. The individual human being we look at in the mirror every morning is cooperative, caring, and kind. As a species however, our propensity and capacity to cooperate as a group to go after other groups is nothing short of monstrous. The fossil record indicates that this has apparently been true for many thousands of years now.

Using the word "murder" to describe the act of a human killing a non-human does not sit well with me. It is a special word that shocks and should be reserved for when one human deliberately takes the life of another. The use of it by animal rights activists to describe the killing of a farm animal is demeaning people. It puts farm animals on the same level as my children. Using that term in such a manner may be counterproductive.

It also isn't used when one animal "murders" another, for food, out of anger, or just for fun. Animals kill each other for all of those reasons.

Interactive map will blow your mind

Check out Breathing Earth, an interactive map that shows ongoing population changes and CO2 emissions per country. Cool. And terrifying.

Cali researchers say fuel economy boosts are better route

To reduce oil consumption, some say we should raise fuel-economy standards. Others say, no, let's impose a gas tax -- jacking up prices is the best way to reduce consumption.

The folks at the University of California Energy Institute have a new paper (PDF) that investigates the sensitivity of gasoline demand to changes in price, and concludes:

One implication of these findings is that gasoline taxes would need to be significantly larger today in order to achieve an equivalent reduction in gasoline consumption. This, coupled with the political difficulties in adopting gasoline taxes, suggests that policies and technologies designed to improve fuel economy are likely becoming relatively more attractive as a means to reduce fuel consumption.

Which is not to say it can't be done -- just that short-term demand response is relatively inelastic, and if you want to use so-called market forces, you have to serve a significant jolt to the system and wait a while for consumers to dig themselves out of their current purchase decisions in order to see results.

UCEI has a fine series of working papers on energy issues. You might consider signing up for their listserv.

An odd perspective on food — mine

From an interesting article in Slate:

... we're getting fat. Not just the United States or Europe, but the whole world. Egyptian, Mexican, and South African women are now as fat as Americans. Far more Filipino adults are now overweight than underweight. In China, one in five adults is too heavy, and the rate of overweight in children is 28 times higher than it was two decades ago. In Thailand, Kuwait, and Tunisia, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are soaring.

My oldest daughter spent last summer in Paraguay and was fed beef all day long. She could hardly find a green vegetable. She also learned that there are a lot of overweight Paraguayans.

Hydrogen Hopes

BMW to put a few hydrogen cars on the road next year The cars of the future are here! Sorta. BMW announced yesterday that it will distribute about 100 hydrogen-powered 7-Series sedans to select drivers in the U.S. and E.U. in early 2007. The cars, which can travel about 125 miles before switching to gasoline, […]

Mopping Up the Florida

Activists hope Florida gubernatorial candidates will prioritize oceans Fed up with mediocre oceans management from Gov. Jeb Bush (R), Florida activists are urging gubernatorial candidates Jim Davis (D) and Charlie Crist (R) to make the deep blue sea a priority. Yesterday, 20 environmental, recreational, and civic groups released a report with recommendations for curbing coastal […]

Put That in Your Pipe and Spill It

BP spills in California, wants to open Alaska pipelines Beleaguered oil giant BP has admitted to yet another misdeed: a leak of 1,000 barrels of refined petro-product from an underground pipeline at the port of Long Beach, Calif. About 870 barrels had been recovered as of yesterday; authorities believe the leak did not taint water […]

Not so lionhearted, eh BP?

More out on the climate of fear and intimidation that prevented BP employees from reporting environmental safety concerns in the North Slope oil fields of Alaska.

As reported last week, a subcommittee of the House Energy & Commerce Committee has been interrogating BP executives on their failure to maintain pipelines, leading to several oil leaks in the past year.

At least one worker was summoned for firing because his bosses suspected he had filed a formal complaint that his inspection crew had been cut by 25 percent despite maintaining the same workload. The worker kept his job after denying any role in the complaint, but clearly this sort of threat sends a message to other employees.

Still cool

I love the idea of product service systems. (Upon reflection, that may be the geekiest single sentence I've ever written.) Sadly, I never get around to writing about them. Alex, however, does. This bit is particularly relevant to the question I asked the other day:

Colleges and universities are learning what it takes to go green

The dawn of the new school year has brought with it a corps of fresh-faced ideas and initiatives aimed at making colleges and universities cleaner and greener. And, like any freshman class, they are all beaming with potential: Most will succeed, a handful will excel, and a few will end up disappointing their parents. Campuses […]