The high costs of ethanol production and pressure from environmental agencies have forced some lucrative companies to go elsewhere in their drive to produce more grain for the production of ethanol. Ethanol, the major ingredient of E85 biofuels used by Flex Fuel vehicles which can run on mixes and even pure ethanol is now gaining more and more in the area of demand with the price of oil hovering at the 100 USD mark. The Amazon Rainforest and some other Southern American countries are bearing the brunt of the greed of certain individuals and corporations who want to avoid the heavy price for pollution, relocating to countries with little or even no environmental control policies that aim to prevent pollution and control industry’s impact on the fragile environment.
The Amazon Rainforest is considered to be the last most biologically diverse area on earth which is now under pressure from international conglomerates for the production of corn and soy for use in ethanol production. Corruption in these normally developing countries makes it easier for unscrupulous individuals to get permission from government personnel who are under their payroll to clear and plant crops for export overseas. These industries use the term economic opportunities for the locals whom they employ (which is actually due to cheaper labor) in their fields and the benefits to the economy (which is only for the short-term goals) for forest land is not suitable for cultivation due to it’s poor soil quality. The poor soil necessitates the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides to allow crops to produce more grain which in turn washes into the rivers and streams. The normal flow of nitrogen from forests and other wild lands are naturally controlled by organisms which live in them but too much leaves them ineffective thus allowing the residue to end up in our seas. Too much nitrogen in the sea stimulates algae to bloom uncontrollably eating up most of the oxygen in the water that is vital for a healthy water ecosystem. The reefs and fish die off or move on to better habitat leaving coastal areas void of life. The reefs do recover but it takes time (decades actually) but continued cycles of algal blooming will result in permanent dead-spots/areas in our coastal areas if the root of the problem is not addressed promptly.
Categories: Analysis, Environmental, News, Wildlife | Tags: Corruption, Environmental Impacts, Green Fuels, Not so Green Fuels
The solar guy wins and the tree guy looses which is good for both but raises a moral question of who has preference over who? Both have legal environmental issues that they have tried to address and they have both done their parts in being as environmentally friendly. The courts were baffled with the said law which is now sure to get an upgrade for trees are more important in our efforts to improve air quality. Solar panels on the other hand are secondary band aid solutions and are assets which could be moved to new locations whilst the trees can be only moved by cutting them down. The solar guy wins and the tree guy has to cut down some of his trees to give way to solar guy’s need of ray’s but who’s right? This highlights the need for review of outdated laws which may or may not impact the environment as a whole and gives credence to outrageous defense by corporate lawyers in the event of environmental disasters. Many of them could have been avoided if only people have listened and done their part.
Why me, is a question many of us ask, well, you want to live and continue living? Do you want to eat, see your children grow up and many other questions to which we all know the answer to. It is time to pay attention and take part and to take a stand for something.” You have to believe in something for without it, you are nothing”.
You decide nature or man’s band-aid efforts to correct years of neglect?
Categories: Analysis, Environmental, Laws | Tags: environment, Fossil Fuel, Power Generation, Solar Energy, Trees
I had come upon a feature on CNN regarding the problems associated with some of the solutions that have been deemed as alleviating some of the pressures we exert on nature. Solar power has the ability to provide power off the grid (power that does not come from power plants that burn fossil fuel) and even sending some into it but the feature showed a clash of two neighbors regarding the trees that are natures own climate control experts and the next door neighbor who has an extensive installation of solar panels that have become blocked fro the sun due to the growing trees. As the story goes, the two neighbors have been at war with each other in attempts to protect each other’s interests one on the solar generation side and the other on the tree’s side.
As the argument goes, neighbor a planted several red woods in his backyard a few years ahead of his next door neighbor who installs and generates power using solar energy. As the years progress, each has done his own little part in contributing to the ever-growing pollution problem due to the burning of fossil fuel, one having trees that filter air and provide shade the other having power generation that does not pollute. The time came when the solar panels became overshadowed by the red woods which lowers their efficiency and does not maximize their power generation potentials. The neighbors go as far as the courts to find a little known law that was passed a few decades back that states solar power generation has the right to overcome shade and can have a court remove obstructions in certain cases.
Categories: Analysis, Environmental, Laws, Volunteering | Tags: environment, Fossil Fuel, Power Generation, Solar Energy, Trees
Nothing makes society put aside its differences than cases of missing and exploited children. Children are some of the most abused and misunderstood in most developing countries that they suffer more than we know. They are exploited as child labor, child warriors, prostitutes or simply victims of bad economic planning that allots enough resources for their future and development. The Lost Childrens Network, is a group of several non-profit charities who focus on the problem and try to alleviate some of the indignities children suffer all over the globe.
Recent statistics have shown that the use of children as child soldiers (mainly in Africa where the number of misguided children has grown to such extent that they are viewed as a resource for war) with their views of society and culture tainted with hatred, lust for power and the satisfaction of doing a good job for their war lords. These children, products of the Aids epidemic have little or no parenting supervision having fallen to conflict themselves as either victims or participants in the never-ending ethnic-cleansing that is currently sweeping the nation.
The group aims to inform people all over the world about the plight of these lost and misguided children in hopes of making the future brighter for them. They are also engaged in the search for kidnapped or literally lost children who have disappeared from their residences or while on tour abroad. These cases have increased in these past few years due to the more relaxed approach people have with regards to the time they append with their families, taking their children with them in hopes of regaining the lost time they spend at work with the time they spend on vacation. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, there is an estimated 15,000 soldiers that fall under the age of 18 with some as young as eight according to the BBC. In conjunction with the many charities and non-profit groups who aim to alleviate the suffering of children they are changing lives even if does not encompass the globe. Let us all help in their drive to help children wherever they may be on this earth for a brighter future which they can call theirs.
Categories: Analysis, Campaigns, Charities, Children, Events, News, Teens | Tags: charitable-organizations, child-crimes, Child-Exploitation, Child-Pornography
A lot can be said about a person by one glance of their eyes. Expressions can be extracted from a person�s eyes and this is something that can be obviously connoted up close. Especially for children who are certainly innocent and are no experts in hiding inner emotions and feelings, it is but normal to get a prelude to what they are experiencing at the moment. It is simply something that is hard to find.
While the whole story of such plights of lesser fortunate siblings cannot be entirely assessed, it does not take a person to understand why such people would be found in that predicament. But people do not really need to hear their story as most would come from typical mishaps such as financial and lesser responsible people who start to become selfish at certain points of their lives.
Siblings are the victims of such selfish acts and bearing the brunt for them is totally unacceptable.
Technorati Tags: children, charity, foundations, beggars, streetchildren
Categories: Analysis, Charities, Children, Families, Ideas, Inspiration, Jobs, Men, Mental Illness, Teens, Tips | Tags: beggars, charity, Children, foundations, streetchildren
The high costs of ethanol production and pressure from environmental agencies have forced some lucrative companies to go elsewhere in their drive to produce more grain for the production of ethanol. Ethanol, the major ingredient of E85 biofuels used by Flex Fuel vehicles which can run on mixes and even pure ethanol is now gaining more and more in the area of demand with the price of oil hovering at the 100 USD mark. The Amazon Rainforest and some other Southern American countries are bearing the brunt of the greed of certain individuals and corporations who want to avoid the heavy price for pollution, relocating to countries with little or even no environmental control policies that aim to prevent pollution and control industry’s impact on the fragile environment.
