As a passionate activist the health of the oceans has been an issue I have been writing on and speaking about for a long time. I recently read a review of the book Sea Sick (here) let me just point out one thing from the review...
The review states "...it's impossible to think that humans will escape unscathed from the damage we've helped inflict."
_________________________
I would add emphatically it is impossible to escape and in real time we feel the affects. Every human body RIGHT NOW has a tremendous amount of pollutants and toxins in it. "The Environmental Working Group has spearheaded six studies of body burden in Americans as part of the Human Toxome Project, finding 456 industrial pollutants, pesticides and other chemicals in the blood, urine, and breast milk of 115 people, from newborns to teens and adults."1 Mother's milk transferred naturally to babies carries those toxins.
Every single thing we dump into the environment comes home to roost in our body through the air we breath, the water we drink, and the food we eat, not to mention the household chemicals sprayed and those spread about through the manufacturing process.
The paradigm shift in thinking that has to occur to become front and center of our very consciousness is that we are 100% a part of nature. We are as plugged into the system as a weed, as a tree, as a bird, as plankton. We are the molecules that surround us. There is no separation of our bodies from the environment. Our consciousness gives us the false impression that we are a part FROM nature when in fact we are as linked to it as a pollinating bee.
All that being said if it was truly understood by everyone we wouldn't introduce one synthetic chemical into the atmosphere, food supply or water because in essence what we release into the ground water not only kills the coral reefs but it kills us as well.
We couldn't be more unenlightened when it comes to our total integration into the system. As we keep introducing more phosphorus, nitrogen and mercury into the air it eventually settles in our bodies. Disease and spiraling health care costs are the eventual outcome.
There is no escaping the way the Earth and the environment and humans coexist and commingle bringing all of our problems right to each and everyone's door step. Think you are immune because you live in the country think again? It is all one Earth and we are all apart of it what we do to the Earth we do to ourselves.
Reef Relief
Source
____________
1 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_burden
Dear Mom - Letters to Heaven
Friday, March 06, 2009
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Guantanamo Detainees Go To Dallas, Texas and Casper, Wyoming
The Republican party paints themselves as fiscal conservatives of high moral fiber, who take personal responsibility for their actions. The gnashing of teeth over where the Guantanamo Bay detainees should go is pointless. The men who's actions created Guantanamo should harbor the possibly resentful detainees in their own town's maximum security prisons. What's the big deal Texas and Wyoming not tough enough to handle these guys? I doubt it!
That Fox news is pushing for Brazil to take them is ridiculous. Where is your patriotism Fox news followers, broadcasters and CEO's? Where is your sense of duty and patriotism? Bush and Cheney certainly the standard bearers for Republicans will stand up and step up and be accounted for by declaring that the great state of Texas and the great state of Wyoming will take them - right?
This is a non issue for men of moral fiber, integrity and responsibility. I'm sure the citizens of these two great states agree!
That Fox news is pushing for Brazil to take them is ridiculous. Where is your patriotism Fox news followers, broadcasters and CEO's? Where is your sense of duty and patriotism? Bush and Cheney certainly the standard bearers for Republicans will stand up and step up and be accounted for by declaring that the great state of Texas and the great state of Wyoming will take them - right?
This is a non issue for men of moral fiber, integrity and responsibility. I'm sure the citizens of these two great states agree!
Obamas Budget
This is a repost from MoveOn.Org (no corporate sponsers)
__________________________________________________________
The plan:
1. Makes a $634 billion down payment on fixing health care that will go a long way toward paying for a more efficient, more affordable health care system that covers every single American.3
2. Reduces taxes for 95% of working Americans. And if your family makes less than $250,000, your taxes won't go up one dime.4
3. Invests more than $100 billion in clean energy technology, creating millions of green jobs that can never be outsourced.5
4. Brings our troops home from Iraq on a firm timetable, finally bringing the war to a close—and freeing up almost ten billion dollars a month for domestic priorities.6
5. Reverses growing income inequality. The plan lets the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire and focuses on strengthening the middle class.7
6. Closes multi-billion-dollar tax loopholes for big oil companies. 8
7. Increases grants to help families pay for college—the largest increase ever.9
8. Halves the deficit by 2013. President Obama inherited a legacy of huge deficits and an economy in shambles, but his plan brings the deficit under control as soon as the economy begins to recover.10
9. Dramatically increases funding for the SEC and the CFTC—the agencies that police Wall Street.11
10. Tells it straight. For years, budgets have used accounting tricks to hide the real costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush tax cuts, and too many other programs. Obama's budget gets rid of the smokescreens and lays out what America's priorities are, what they cost, and how we're going to pay for them.12
______________________________________________________
Turns out there are way more than 10 amazing things in Obama's budget and we couldn't resist sharing just a few more.
1. Stops unnecessary government subsidies to big banks, health insurance companies and big agribusinesses.13,14,15
2. Expands access to early childhood education and improves schools by investing in programs that make sure every child has a qualified, strong teacher.16
3. Negotiates for better prescription drug prices using Medicaid's tremendous bargaining power.17
4. Expands access to family planning for low-income women.18
5. Caps the pollution that causes global warming, and makes polluters pay to support clean energy innovation.19
____________________________________________
Sources:
1. "Climate of Change," The New York Times, February 27, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/opinion/27krugman.html?em
2. "Obama Calls His Budget Sweeping, Needed Change," The New York Times, February 28, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51201&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=2
3. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51202&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=3
4. "Obama Expects Fight Over $3.55 Trillion Budget Plan," Bloomberg News, February 28, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51203&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=4
5. "Energy Budget Is Sunlight After Eight Years of Darkness," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51204&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=5
6. "The Economic Cost of War in Iraq and Afghanistan," The New York Times, March 1, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/weekinreview/01glanz.html
7. "Tax Cuts," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-tax.html
8. "Energy Budget Is Sunlight After Eight Years of Darkness," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51204&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=6
9. "Student Loans," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-edu.html
10. "Obama unveils budget blueprint," CNN, February 26, 2009
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/26/budget/
11. "Obama budget would boost SEC, CFTC, FBI," Reuters, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51205&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=7
12. "Obama's budget," Los Angeles Times, February 27, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51206&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=8
13. "Student Loans," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-edu.html
14. "Health Insurance Stocks Dive on Medicare Advantage Cuts," The Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51207&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=9
15. "Agriculture," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-agri.html
16. "Investing Wisely in Our Children," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51208&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=10
17. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51202&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=11
18. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51202&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=12
19. "Setting 'Green' Goals," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51209&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=13
Move On is entirely funded by 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And their tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way.
__________________________________________________________
The plan:
1. Makes a $634 billion down payment on fixing health care that will go a long way toward paying for a more efficient, more affordable health care system that covers every single American.3
2. Reduces taxes for 95% of working Americans. And if your family makes less than $250,000, your taxes won't go up one dime.4
3. Invests more than $100 billion in clean energy technology, creating millions of green jobs that can never be outsourced.5
4. Brings our troops home from Iraq on a firm timetable, finally bringing the war to a close—and freeing up almost ten billion dollars a month for domestic priorities.6
5. Reverses growing income inequality. The plan lets the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans expire and focuses on strengthening the middle class.7
6. Closes multi-billion-dollar tax loopholes for big oil companies. 8
7. Increases grants to help families pay for college—the largest increase ever.9
8. Halves the deficit by 2013. President Obama inherited a legacy of huge deficits and an economy in shambles, but his plan brings the deficit under control as soon as the economy begins to recover.10
9. Dramatically increases funding for the SEC and the CFTC—the agencies that police Wall Street.11
10. Tells it straight. For years, budgets have used accounting tricks to hide the real costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush tax cuts, and too many other programs. Obama's budget gets rid of the smokescreens and lays out what America's priorities are, what they cost, and how we're going to pay for them.12
______________________________________________________
Turns out there are way more than 10 amazing things in Obama's budget and we couldn't resist sharing just a few more.
1. Stops unnecessary government subsidies to big banks, health insurance companies and big agribusinesses.13,14,15
2. Expands access to early childhood education and improves schools by investing in programs that make sure every child has a qualified, strong teacher.16
3. Negotiates for better prescription drug prices using Medicaid's tremendous bargaining power.17
4. Expands access to family planning for low-income women.18
5. Caps the pollution that causes global warming, and makes polluters pay to support clean energy innovation.19
____________________________________________
Sources:
1. "Climate of Change," The New York Times, February 27, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/opinion/27krugman.html?em
2. "Obama Calls His Budget Sweeping, Needed Change," The New York Times, February 28, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51201&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=2
3. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51202&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=3
4. "Obama Expects Fight Over $3.55 Trillion Budget Plan," Bloomberg News, February 28, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51203&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=4
5. "Energy Budget Is Sunlight After Eight Years of Darkness," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51204&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=5
6. "The Economic Cost of War in Iraq and Afghanistan," The New York Times, March 1, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/weekinreview/01glanz.html
7. "Tax Cuts," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-tax.html
8. "Energy Budget Is Sunlight After Eight Years of Darkness," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51204&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=6
9. "Student Loans," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-edu.html
10. "Obama unveils budget blueprint," CNN, February 26, 2009
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/26/budget/
11. "Obama budget would boost SEC, CFTC, FBI," Reuters, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51205&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=7
12. "Obama's budget," Los Angeles Times, February 27, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51206&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=8
13. "Student Loans," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-edu.html
14. "Health Insurance Stocks Dive on Medicare Advantage Cuts," The Wall Street Journal, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51207&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=9
15. "Agriculture," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/washington/27web-agri.html
16. "Investing Wisely in Our Children," Center for American Progress, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51208&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=10
17. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51202&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=11
18. "Obama Offers Broad Plan to Revamp Health Care," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51202&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=12
19. "Setting 'Green' Goals," The New York Times, February 26, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51209&id=15687-5844990-bvrNNgx&t=13
Move On is entirely funded by 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And their tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way.
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